VO LU M E X X I V, N U M B E R 1 | S EP T E M B ER 2018 A monthly publication of The Post Oak School S H I N I N G E Y E S • C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E • S A B B AT I C A L E X PE R I E N C E
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THE POST
Grand p w e l c o a re nt s me!
POPA
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COFFEE | WOR K Day
Wed., Oct. 3, 8:45–noon PHOTO BY KABOOMPICS .C OM FROM PEXELS
PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, & FRIENDS ARE ALL INVITED! Hosted by our POPA Chairs, this is a great way to meet other Post Oak parents and friends while helping our teachers accomplish a variety of easyto-do projects for their classroom. These gatherings generally fall on the first Wednesday of each month at the Bissonnet Campus. Please join as often as you can!
In Loving Memory In August we said our farewells to Lower Elementary Assistant Lupe Lopez after her passing due to breast cancer. Lupe worked at Post Oak for 32 years. She exuded a gentle kindness toward everyone she met. She will be dearly missed by the Post Oak community. •
2018–2019 Post Oak Board of Trustees Sebha Ali Erin Busby Raj Chelapurath Rick Evans Blair Garrou Vean Gregg, treasurer Gregory Han, secretary Maura Joyce, president Mark Martin Bert Mellinger Jaana Porra Jennifer Rochlis Manolo Sanchez, chair Rona Sonabend Rochelle Tafolla Whitney Walsh Alison Wong
Trustees Emeriti Melissa Coleman Adam Forman Melanie Gray Bob Harvey Lloyd Kirchner Pat Mitchell Alan Ying
On the Cover Post Oak Upper Elementary students volunteered to walk new Primary students to their classroom on their first day of school.
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S EP T E M B E R 2018
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The Power of Shining Eyes
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s the Post Oak faculty and staff returned to begin the work of the 2018–2019 school year, I shared with them a TED talk* I had recently discovered. It was “old” (2008), and I was quickly informed that I was late to the party in hearing the inspirational Benjamin Zander speak. A conductor, composer, and music director, Zander is most widely known as the founder of the Boston Philharmonic.
by Maura Joyce, Head of School
Dr. Montessori taught teachers to are simply waving the baton, so approach the developing child with both that the students can make the music. And it is indeed a powerful reverence and humility. The relationship between the Montessori teacher and child moment, when the students depends upon the attitude with which discover on their own, finally “get we approach the child. We ask ourselves, it,” and enthusiastically want to “who are we being” before we approach show their new skill to their peers. them, as we need to be fully prepared and This happens over and over again ready to connect with each and every child. We start by having faith in the in a Montessori classroom; we watch it unfold daily at Post Oak. children and young adults before us. We
Zander also brings up the notion of how he measures his success—how many shining eyes he sees in the audience. “If the eyes are shining, you are doing it.” The Post Oak School mission instructs There were several elements of us to provide: experiences that promote this talk that struck a chord with curiosity, inquiry, and engagement. If me and that provided insight into we do this right, it is a recipe for shining our work at Post Oak. Late in the eyes. In my years as a Montessori school talk Zander shares his epiphany of head, I have been asked each year by families why it takes a week or two to 30 years ago: “The conductor of an orchestra doesn’t make a sound. prepare for the children. It is true that the Primary and Elementary classrooms He depends, for his power, on are intricately set up with hundreds his ability to make other people of items in the classroom. It is also powerful.” Our Montessori true that curriculum design and the environments are much the schedule at Middle and High School has many pieces and parts. All of this takes same. Each of our Post Oak planning, time, and work. But the real teachers is a conductor whose work, Zander suggests, is how we prepare job it is to make the children ourselves. If the eyes are not shining, he powerful—to take ownership of asks himself this one question: “Who their own learning. By showing am I being that my players’ eyes are not a new concept, presenting a new shining?” Before the children arrived material to put in their hands, last week, as a staff, we talked about the and by walking away and letting many ways we create the opportunity for shining eyes—and it starts with us. them work, repeat, practice—we
meet them where they are as they come through the door, but always envision who they will become. This keeps us grounded in trusting that development, growth, and maturity is a long symphony, not a short 8-note phrase. We don’t pretend to have all the answers—we are learning alongside the students, and we walk out each day having gained just as much, or more than we have given. Most importantly, we enter the classroom with our own shining eyes, ready to be surprised and delighted by the students.
We are hopeful that this year’s conducting will be much less chaotic than it was for so many of us in Houston last year with Harvey’s impact on the city and the Post Oak community. (For those musical aficionados out there—our Post Oak music specialist, James Winslow tells me: “Let’s have a year that is more like a Brahms symphony and less like a Berg opera.”) Our team here at Post Oak is looking forward to a wonderfully melodic and harmonious 2018–2019 school year. • *www.ted.com/talks/benjamin_zander_ on_music_and_passion#t-1092298
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Newest Time for Kids Reporter earned her one of 20 spots in the finals. Next, she responded to a personal For three years in Beth Olitzki’s Lower survey, prepared a 3-minute video about Elementary class, Maria looked “Five Amazing Things About Me,” and forward each week to the new Time For researched, conducted interviews and Kids magazine, the discussion of its articles wrote a hero profile, this one about the in class, and sharing it with her family at son of immigrants who recently graduated home. She was so passionate about TFK with honors from Yale, returning to that Mrs. Olitzki suggested she apply for Houston to give back to his community the magazine’s Kid Reporter corps. by teaching at a barrio school. Now with her world view broadened as a fifth-grader in Errol Pinto’s class and a delegate in the Montessori Model U.N., Maria has been chosen as one of 10 Kid Reporters for the magazine in 2018–19. TFK’s three print editions reach more than 2 million students every week. Maria took place in a two-part process over the summer, submitting a personal essay and original article about a Houston ISD school for refugee children that
“A team of 10 writers and editors reviewed this year’s entries and took part in the judging process,” Maria’s notification letter from Time read. “Your entry stood out. “We think your writing is excellent, and the topics you chose to write about were spot-on for TFK. “It was clear to us that you are a hard worker with lots of energy—and are passionate about discovering the world around you.
Photo by Charlotte Aguilar
by Charlotte Aguilar, Post Oak Grandparent
Above all, we loved getting to know you a little bit better through your video. Your personality really shined through!” Maria has been assigned a year-long mentor from the Time For Kids staff and has already completed her first assignment, arguing the “no” position on whether plastic straws should be banned. She can make “pitches” to her editor about stories she would like to cover on topics of national interest and would love to hear ideas from anyone in The Post Oak School community! •
SAVE THE DATE
Saturday, March 2
THE POST OAK PARENT ASSOCIATION INVITES YOU TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL
Welcome Dinner TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The Post Oak School Biennial Gala
pre-reception at 6 p.m. for new parents, faculty, board, and room parents
COHEN HOUSE Rice University, 6100 Main Street, #2, Houston 77005 Business attire Support faculty attendance by donating online POPA DINNER CHAIRS
POPA CHAIRS
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POPA’s Family Community Service by John Duboise, Community Service Chair POPA Helping Houston, the Post Oak Parents Association’s community service program, returns for its second year of
DATES
September 29, 8 a.m. Books Between Kids October TBD November 17 Houston Food Bank December TBD January 21 Community Service activity in Post Oak gym
getting out into our city and making a difference in our communities. Our monthly volunteer days give us the chance to make a positive impact in a variety of areas and for people throughout town. Post Oak families really came through during the days after Hurricane Harvey, and we continued in that spirit of helping others with volunteer opportunities throughout last school year. Some of the volunteer days last year included painting and refreshing the library at Nat Q. Henderson Elementary, blanket-making for low-income families, sorting donated books at Books Between Kids, cleaning up a portion of Buffalo Bayou with the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, and warehouse work with the Salvation Army and Houston Food Bank.
In addition to helping others, we also want to strengthen the bonds amongst our own community. Volunteering together does that. And so does lunch! Or the park! So after our volunteer days this year, when we can, we’ll be getting together afterwards for a lunch here, a brunch there, or maybe some fun at a local park. Anything to get to know each other better. We are busy working on our monthly schedule. Books Between Kids, the Houston Food Bank, and our blanketmaking on MLK Day, amongst others, are all on the list. Keep an eye out in The Post for dates and places as they get confirmed. And if anyone has ideas for future volunteering opportunities, please contact me at or !•
Family Fun Day T-shirts
ORDER NOW
Last day to order is Fri., Sept. 14! You’ll want one for each member of the family! Get ready for a day of great music, giant inflatables, a variety of activities, food trucks, and more! Family Fun Day is a FREE event and held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 13 at the Bissonnet Campus. Get into festivities by wearing the official 2018 Family Fun Day T-shirt! Order online by Fri., Sept. 14—visit the link on our homepage. Shirts are $15 and come in sizes youth YXS (2–4) through adult XXL.
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Sabbatical Opens New Sights This summer I was the lucky recipient of Post Oak’s annual sabbatical fund award, a part of the Post Oak Fund. I knew I wanted to do something very special when my time came, and I did. I took a trip to Bangkok, Thailand, where I saw my former colleague Julie Parraguirre and had the opportunity to visit the Montessori school where she works. The children greeted me with excitement, sang songs in Chinese, and I was taken away by the Montessori materials in foreign languages as they learn Thai, Chinese, and English in the same class. I was able to experience the delicious foods from the street vendors, several markets, and a Thai cooking class. I loved the beautiful temples and shrines that are so detailed and interesting. I visited many markets such as the floating market, the weekend market, the night market, and the amazing train market, which is set on the train tracks and moves away every time a train comes. I was amazed with the amount of motorcycles and the way the organized
chaotic traffic moves along the busy roads. I got to see and feed monkeys at the mangroves, which became an unforgettable experience when the monkeys boarded the boat to help themselves to the bananas. Next, I went to Japan and visited Tokyo and Kyoto. It was impressive to see and experience such a beautiful and orderly culture: everyone is quiet while riding the train; people stop on the side of the street to enjoy a snack instead of walking while eating; when using an escalator everyone stands on the left leaving the right side for people to pass by; you get to carry your trash with you as there are no trash cans on the street nor a single paper on the ground. Using the Japanese toilets was also an adventure that I will never forget. I visited beautiful pagodas, temples, the famous fish market, and enjoyed a tea ceremony where I drank green tea from a 250-year-old bowl and then made fresh sushi and rice balls. I came back with so many stories and adventures to help support the work I do. I can’t wait to share them with my class! •
Storytime with Cory for parents and their children in YCC & Half-Day Primary Wed., Sept. 12 & Thurs., Oct. 4 at 2:30 p.m.
Photos by Orly Kluk
by Orly Kluk, Primary Teacher
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Welcome New Board Trustee Members by Alison Wong, Post Oak Parent and Board Trustee The Post Oak School is proud to announce the election of Whitney Walsh and Rick Evans to the Board of Trustees, and Alan Ying to the position of emeritus trustee. Whitney Walsh is a longtime friend and avid supporter of The Post Oak School. She has held a variety of leadership roles within the school, including co-chair of Post Oak Parents Association (POPA), co-chair of the biennial gala, co-chair of the POPA Welcome Dinner, Annual Fund class captain, and high school ambassador. In addition to her work for the school, Whitney has extensive experience in the non-profit sector through her work with The Junior League of Houston. Whitney and her husband Marc have three children at Post Oak: is a freshman at the High School, is in Middle School, and is in Lower Elementary. Rick Evans is the CFO and treasurer of Vitol, Inc. He is active in the Post Oak Community, has served on the Dads’ Club Steering Committee, and has already been contributing to the work of the Board of Trustees as a member of the Board’s Finance Committee. Rick and his wife Katie have two sons,
Thanks, Friends Recently, we opened a gift from students at Stuart Hall, in New Orleans. They are familiar with the effects of tragedy due to hurricanes, and to offer their support to us, their first through seventh-graders created 1,000 paper cranes to serve as “a reminder in a time of hardship, solidarity, and friendship.” We are grateful to the students and faculty of Stuart Hall and everyone in our community and throughout the country for providing us with strength and support throughout the past year as we recovered from the effects of Hurricane Harvey. •
and School;
both of whom attended The Post Oak is currently in Upper Elementary.
Alan Ying has served as a Trustee for The Post Oak School since 2012. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, and the Board is fortunate to continue receiving his support and counsel as he assumes emeritus status. Alan and his wife Anita have three children at the school: and are High School students, and attends Upper Elementary. The Board of Trustees for The Post Oak School exists as a strategic body to further the mission of The Post Oak School and to ensure the success of the school. The Board is comprised of a minimum of twelve members, selected from the parent body (including parents of alumni) and the community at large, plus the head of school. Each trustee is elected to a two-year term and is limited to three consecutive terms. Candidates for board service are evaluated by the board’s Committee on Trustees, with nominations presented for approval at the May meeting of the board. If you would like to serve on the board or a board committee or nominate someone to serve, please contact the head of school or any trustee, and your name will be forwarded to the Committee on Trustees for consideration. •
Fundraising at Post Oak The Post Oak School is 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation which engages in fundraising to provide support to the operating budget, handle unexpected needs, and take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Along with our annual Post Oak Fund appeal in October, our fabulous biennial gala happens in the spring. This means you will be asked for two meaningful gifts to the school this year. Post Oak was built by the generosity of those who came before. Please help the school continue its level of excellence by contributing to both efforts. I invite you to come to the Development Office on the Bissonnet Campus to learn more about fundraising at The Post Oak School. —Christina Kopanidis-Cantu, Development Director
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POST OA K PAR E N T E D UC AT IO N E VE N T S
Coffee with the ELEMENTARY DIRECTOR
EL
Upcoming Parent Events YCC Parent Orientation
YCC
Thurs., Sept. 6, 7 p.m.
Wed., Sept. 12 at 9 a.m.
PHE Parent Orientation
in the Bissonnet Parenting Center
PRI
Thurs., Sept. 13, 6:15 p.m.
PRI Parent Orientation
PRI
Thurs., Sept. 13, 7 p.m.
The Post Oak High School Experience HS Wed., Sept. 26, 7 p.m. High School parents are invited to this informative meeting about the program. Families not in High School who want to learn more about the program are welcome to attend the Transition Meeting in October.
Topic: Watch the weekly Post Highlights email!
ADMISSION OPEN HOUSES Share with a friend! 14 MONTHS–GRADE 6 Thurs., November 8, 7 p.m. Bissonnet Campus (4600 Bissonnet St.) ALL
Montessori Journey Thurs., Sept. 27, 7 p.m. This evening workshop is a powerful, hands-on approach to understanding how and what your child is learning. More details and reservation information will follow in upcoming weekly Post Highlights emails.
MIDDLE SCHOOL EXPERIENCE Tues., Oct. 16, 7 p.m. (1010 Autrey)
HIGH SCHOOL Tues., October 9, 7 p.m. Tues., November 6, 7 p.m. Thurs., December 6, 7 p.m. Museum District Campus (1010 Autrey)
ALL
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POST OA K PA R E N T E D UC AT IO N E VE N T S
REDIRECTING CHILDREN’S BEHAVIOR taught by Deborah Fry PhD This six-week, fifteen-hour course teaches parents how to help children grow in a way that enhances self-esteem, teaches responsibility and promotes cooperation and self mastery.
FREE INTRODUCTION
Sept. 25, 6:30–7:30 p.m.
Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, Nov. 6 6:30–9 p.m. Course fee: $245 for one; $345 per couple For information and registration please call Deborah at 713-840-8663 or register online at www.deborah-fry.com.
studiojune discover
play
learn
Houston’s Montessori Parent Education Center
Understanding Your Montessori Child
Starts September 20th Use the Montessori approach in your home, understand freedom and setting limits, and learn how to support your child’s growing independence.
Parent and Child Montessori Classes
Starts September 8th Work together in our Saturday baking classes and connect in our Montessori prepared environments.
Montessori Nanny
Starts September 21st Learn techniques to support creative thinking, growing independence, and natural explorations.
Register online www.studiojune.com
PARENTING the Love & Logic Way®
Post O size lim ak class ited registe to 20, r now!
presented by Phylis R. Tomlinson, LPC, LMFT, ATR-BC
Thurs., September 20, 27, October 4, 11, 18, 25 (6 weeks) 9:00–10:30 a.m.
$130 individual, $240 per couple workbook (optional) $15 Call or email in advance to reserve a spot: phylistomlinson@gmail.com | 713-668-6558 Register by sending payment to Phylis Tomlinson in advance: 4010 Bluebonnet #109, Houston, TX 77025 (Childcare not provided)
Join Cub Scouts Pack 34 Inviting boys and girls entering grades K–5 to join
Kinder: Lions 1st Grade: Tigers Led by P o st Oak 2nd Grade: Wolves parents 3rd Grade: Bears 4th & 5th grades: Webelos STEM ▪ Camping ▪ Crafts ▪ Personal Development & more...
Pack 34 Parent Interest Meeting
Saturday, September 8, 2018, 9–10 a.m. Weekley YMCA—Stella Link Contact: pack34houston@gmail.com Cubmaster: Camora Kuo, camora.kuo@gmail.com
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SCENES from The Post Oak School
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1. Children new to the Young Children’s Community attended for several days to orient to the classroom before returning students joined them. 2. Primary students and their parents attended a walk-through to see how their classrooms were ready for their return. 3–4. Returning Primary students dived into their work. 5. Upper Elementary students assisted new Primary children to their classrooms of their first days at school.
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6–7. Lower Elementary students took on work with bead chains and measurements using the balance scale. 8. Upper Elementary students spent time on individual work. 9. Middle School gathered for a community meeting before their team building trip to Camp Allen. 10. High School students met the first week to sign up for clubs. 11. Last week, the High School traveled to New Orleans for their annual Odyssey trip. Bon Appétit! 4
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F O L LOW U S O N FAC E B O O K A N D I N S TAG R A M F O R E V E N M O R E P H OTO S
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N OT I C E B OA R D M y Bac kpac k Mobile App
Parents, you can view the school directory via your Apple or Android device. Go to App Store for iPhone or Google Play store for Android, search for “My BackPack Mobile,” and install the app. The Post Oak School code is postoakschool. Use the same user name and password as My BackPack.
Welcome, Baby Olitzki! Lower Elementary Teacher Beth Olitzki welcomed daughter on August 13. The healthy baby weighed 7 pounds and 1 ounce, and measured 19¾ inches. Beth shared they are over the moon! •
October is Annual Fund Month The drive kicks off next month. Look for details from chairs, Stacey and Mark Martin, and class captains. Thank you for your gifts in support of the school!
The Getting Started with My BackPack User Guide is found on the school’s website.
Parent-Teacher Fall Conference Registration Conference days are October 19 and November 2. You can sign up at www.postoakschool.org ▶ For Parents ▶ Schedule/View a Parent-Teacher Conference and use your My BackPack login.
Individual School Photos Oct. 15–18 at BC
YCC through Elementary
Oct. 24 at MDC
Middle & High School
To avoid the school’s email communications arriving in your junk mail folder, please add info@postoakschool.org to your safe sender list or address book/contacts.
A BOU T TH E POST The Post appears every first Monday of the month during the regular school year. You can receive a printed copy from your oldest child, or a PDF version online. Submit letters, articles, or photos in electronic form to Communications Coordinator Elaine Schweizer (elaineschweizer@postoakschool.org) by 5:00 p.m. on the Monday one week prior to publication. Please direct all requests for permission to reprint articles to the communications coordinator. The Post Oak School was founded in 1963 and accredited by both the International Baccalaureate® Programme (IBO) and the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS) Bissonnet Campus: 4600 Bissonnet St., Bellaire, TX 77401 ■ Tel.: 713-661-6688 ■ Fax: 713-661-4959 Museum District Campus: 1010 Autrey St., Houston, TX 77006 ■ Tel.: 832-538-1988 ■ Fax: 832-538-1926 www.postoakschool.org | facebook.com/thepostoakschool