ANNUAL REPORT
2022-2023
Core Values In pursuit of its mission, the Veritas community is guided by five core values. Our core values represent the philosophical commitments of our community; these values are reflected in our past and guide our commitment to the future. The core values of Veritas embody the promises made for our students’ development.
Mission Statement Veritas is an independent Christian school in the classical tradition that prepares students for lives of service and learning through academic excellence, character development, biblical literacy, and intentional engagement opportunities.
Academic Excellence Veritas
embraces
a
history
of
excellence
in
academic
achievement. We are committed to challenging our students to their highest potential in academics and stretching their intellectual boundaries, seeking to model and impart the virtues of inquiry, preparation, and discipline, in the pursuit of knowledge and understanding.
Character Formation
2022-2023 Veritas Administration
Veritas educates holistically, both character and mind. Moral formation and mature behavior are of equal value with the acquisition of knowledge. We are committed to developing
Head of School David Hao
students’ hearts and minds, seeking to instill in them both
Assistant Head of School Kim Berger
Biblical Literacy
Early Education & Lower School Principal Alecia Gallegos Middle School Principal Erin Marshall Director of Finance Marilyn Hughes Director of Operations & Chaplain Zachary Villafuerte Director of Facilities & Athletics Amy Lloyd Director of Fine Arts Erin McDaniels
knowledge and Christian values.
Veritas seeks to shape our students’ thinking through scripture both by understanding biblical content and through a deeper awareness of its meaning and ethical application. We believe that our students’ minds are informed and fashioned through Christian studies and by mastering core competencies of the Bible.
Classical Foundation Veritas is committed to a classical pedagogy to develop our students’ intellectual abilities and assist them to acquire the skills for good scholarship. The principles of classical thought inform and guide the school in its curricular aims to prepare our students for success beyond Veritas.
Intentional Engagement Veritas values providing a variety of engagement opportunities both curricular and co-curricular for the development of each student. The classroom, the playing field, travel exposure, fine arts integration, and community service are all part of the laboratory of learning for Veritas students.
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Annual Report
Message from the Head of School
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2022-2023 Academic Year in Pictures
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Table of Contents
What’s Inside
FACILITIES UPDATE Outdoor Learning Spaces at Veritas
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STEAM Project - Looking Ahead to 2023-2024
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ACADEMIC UPDATE A Look at the Veritas Class of 2023
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A View of our Community - Demographics & Diversity
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A Return to London - A Look at the Cultural Expeditions Program
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Alumni Day Recap • Athletics • Academic Competitions
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Fine Arts at Veritas 16
FINANCIAL UPDATE The Veritas Board of Trustees • Board Nominees
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Financial Report 20 Annual Fund Donors 21 Annual Auction - Roarin’ 20’s Auction and Gala
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20 years of Impact - A Celebration in the Coming Year!
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The Commitment to Our Community
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A Preview of the 2023-2024 Academic Year
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2023-2024 Academic Year Calendar 27
Annual Report
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Message from the Head of School
Message from the Head of School Dear Veritas Community, I can hardly believe that we are approaching the conclusion of this academic year! As I reflect on these last few months as Head of School, my heart is filled with gratitude for what the Lord has been able to do in our community this year, and I look forward with anticipation to the year ahead. Thank you all as parents and community members for entrusting us with your children! You all have been generous with your time, talents, and treasures. You serve us as Board members, volunteer committee members, donors, and prayer warriors. The items highlighted in this year’s Annual Report are due to your generosity, and we are immensely thankful. I am so proud of this graduating 8th-grade class. They have persevered through so much together. Collectively, they have excelled within and beyond the classroom and will soon be proud Veritas alumni attending excellent high schools: Carnegie Vanguard, Fort Bend Christian Academy, Iowa Colony, Second Baptist, St. Constantine, St. Agnes, Strake Jesuit, and St. Pius X. As a community, we are so grateful for our incredible teachers who provide exceptional care and instruction to our students. Thanks to our dedicated Christian teachers, our students are growing intellectually and nourished spiritually. My family has experienced this personally, as an assignment in class this year catalyzed my oldest daughter to give her life to Christ. These everyday miracles occur at Veritas all the time, thanks to our dedicated Christian faculty and staff. As we look toward the future and celebrate our 20th anniversary this coming academic year, we have much to look forward to. It will be an exciting year as we launch our next Strategic Plan and continue building a Foundation for Life! “This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” ~ Psalm 118:23-24 With gratitude, David Q. Hao Head of School
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Annual Report
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FACILITIES UPDATE
Alone, we can do so little; Together, we can do so much. ~ Helen Keller
FACILITIES UPDATE
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eritas is blessed to have many outdoor spaces. With most of the classrooms having doors that lead directly outside, one of the experiences of a Veritas student often involves being outdoors enjoying the beauty of God-given nature. The school decided long ago, with much emphasis in the 2018-2023 strategic plan, that these spaces would be utilized in strategic ways to enhance the learning experience of Veritas students. These included aesthetic updates and functional upgrades to ensure usable learning spaces. The summer of 2022 saw Veritas’ largest investment in enhancing outdoor education spaces. This was done by adding two functional gardens - the Butterfly Garden and the Prayer Garden, improving the playground area for our Early Education and Lower School students, removing fencing that separated the playground area from The Green, and adding an expansive deck Under the Oaks. These spaces serve to provide areas for outdoor classrooms, hangout and eating spaces, play areas for outdoor play, and a space for quiet reflection and connection with God. Even the PTF Prayer Team has utilized the Prayer Garden and Under the Oaks for a few of their weekly corporate prayer times.
Just beyond Under the Oaks, adjacent to the middle school classrooms, the Prayer Garden features an accessible walking path and benches to allow for quiet, reflective times where students, faculty, staff, and other members of the community can commune with God. This space was created with a generous donation from the Kaczmarek family.
As soon as the foliage and plants were put into the Butterfly Garden, situated between The Green and the Playground, all matters of wildlife - especially butterflies - began to appear in this space. Students have the option to frolic through the gardens, inspect the insects within the garden, or simply enjoy the flowers growing within it. There are also seating areas for students to relax and converse with one another during recess or other down times. The Butterfly Garden was made possible thanks to a generous donation from the Turnbaugh family which added to the many outdoor learning spaces at Veritas. The playground had the greatest enhancements, providing added active areas for students to enjoy. Often, you will find our younger students engaged in creative play utilizing the “blue blocks” or simply relaxing on the turf, laying down and hanging out. With plenty of shade provided by magnificent mature oak trees, the playground area provides ample space for play and community. By Zachary Villafuerte
Annual Report
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Outdoor Learning Spaces at Veritas
Under the Oaks provides many of the middle school advisory groups a space for discussion and prayer during weekly advisory times, and has served as the hub for lunch time where parents and their students can enjoy a meal together. Lower school students have used the space to enjoy the weather on sunny days to have classroom discussion time, individual and group work, or simply to have independent reading times.
STEAM Project - Looking Ahead to 2023-2024
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hank You! Because of your generous support, we will enhance our STEAM Lab with new functional furniture, laptops, curriculum, an interactive television, and necessary supplies. This successful venture is a testament to our commitment to providing our students with the best possible education and resources to help them thrive in their academic pursuits. We are so excited to see this project come to fruition this summer! projects and activities will prepare students for further STEAM education in high school and beyond.
One of the key additions to the STEAM lab is our new curriculum, which offers learning through interdisciplinary, evidence-based activities and projects. Students will be engaged in problemsolving, critical thinking, design thinking, and computation thinking. Veritas students will be immersed in hands-on activities and projects that build skills across computer science, engineering, biomedical science, and more. The curriculum is centered around various modules covering structure and function, stability and motion, energy and collisions, and coding and computational thinking. Through these modules, our students will take on activities such as designing and building structures, creating simple machines, exploring the properties of matter, and coding animations and games. These rigorous WALL 1OPTION 1
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Our new maker space tables have been carefully selected to enhance the learning experience for our students. These tables are designed to provide ample storage space for all the necessary supplies and tools within arms reach, increasing the students’ design-process efficiency and productivity. They are also moveable, promoting a dynamic learning environment where our students can work in various configurations, allowing for more diverse and creative problem-solving. They
are also adjustable in height, allowing for sit-tostand options that promote movement and active learning. These features are critical to creating a productive learning environment for our students. The addition of 25 new laptops will provide our students with the necessary tools to explore countless aspects of design, automation, coding, and robotics. This new equipment will enable students to learn about mechanical engineering, software development, and electrical engineering as they work collaboratively to solve real-world problems. By developing physical computing devices, designing interactive art installations, and creating code for microcontrollers, students will use their imaginations innovatively and connect their learning to real-life situations. Students will be able to build programming skills and prepare for potential careers as they learn how to design and code. The addition of this equipment is a significant step forward in our efforts to provide students with cutting-edge technology, enabling them to excel in future endeavors.
a reality for our students. These additions to our STEAM lab will enhance our students’ learning experience and provide them with the tools and resources necessary to excel in all of their future academic pursuits. Veritas remains committed to providing our students with access to the very best education. Thank you! By Kim Berger
We are grateful to our donors and supporters for making this transformational learning experience
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ACADEMIC UPDATE
ACADEMIC UPDATE
Ariel Daniels St. Piux X High School
Nathan DeVries Strake Jesuit College Preparatory
Caroline Finch The Saint Constantine School
Caleb Fox Fort Bend Christian Academy
Mary Gilliam St. Piux X High School
Chase Harris Fort Bend Christian Academy
Kathryn Mejia Saint Agnes Academy
Alexis Ninan Carnegie Vanguard High School
Avery Ro Saint Agnes Academy
Elisabeth Steinbach Second Baptist School
David Tsang Strake Jesuit College Preparatory
Maya Zakhem Fort Bend Christian Academy
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Veritas Class of 2023
Zion Beason Iowa Colony High School
A View of Our Community - Demographics & Diversity
Student Racial Demographics
9% 20%
40%
22%
9%
African American 22 % Asian 9 % Caucasian 40 % Caucasian Hispanic 9 % Hispanic Multiracial 20 %
8:1 Student to Teacher Ratio
Average Class Sizes 11 Early Education 13 Lower School 17 Middle School 40% of Full-Time Faculty and Staff have advanced degrees or are actively pursuing one
70Churches across 8 Denominations
11 Cities and 3 Counties in the Houston Metropolitan Area
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Annual Report
he pinnacle of the Cultural Expeditions Program is undoubtedly the London and Oxford Trip that our eighth grade students traditionally take the week prior to Spring Break. As with all things in the past few years, the COVID pandemic also derailed this wonderful trip for our students, especially the 2021 and 2022 eighth grade classes. The Veritas Class of 2021 was unable to take a trip their last year at the school and instead had a class celebration as close to an English tradition as they could with high tea at McHugh’s Tea Room. The Class of 2022, on the other hand, was able to take an alternative trip to the New England territory of the United States in lieu of their overseas trip which served them well as they were unable to go to Boston during their seventh grade year.
The Veritas Class of 2023, however, was able to embark on their capstone trip to the United Kingdom making them the first class to complete the new circuit for the Cultural Expeditions Program. This circuit includes the following trips: • Fifth grade Texas History Trip to San Antonio, Fredericksburg, and Austin • Sixth grade Washington DC Trip • Seventh grade Philadelphia, New York, and Boston Trip • Eighth grade London and Oxford Trip There was much excitement for the London and Oxford Trip mixed with some jitters as the school once again embarked on a trip over the pond. From
touch down, our students went straight to touring London on a walking tour with our London tour guide, Karen. From the Westminster tube stop, our students saw Parliament and Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Parliament Square, walked past 10 Downing Street (the Prime Minister’s residence), and a stroll down Whitehall Street to Trafalagar Square. From there, running through various alleys and small streets, our students ended the evening with dinner at Covent Garden.
The next few days included a plethora of wonderful sites. These included The Tower of London and the White Tower, Scotland Yard, Horse Guards Palace, Tower Bridge, and the Imperial War Museum. The eighth grade students also got a birds-eye view of the city on the London Eye. Additional visits included Buckingham Palace and the changing of the guard ceremony, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Shakespeare’s Globe, King’s Cross, and the British Museum. Many of the students’ favorite part of the entire trip was catching the award-winning show, Wicked, at the Victoria Apollo Theatre. The last tour day was a day trip to Oxford, where our students visited a few of the colleges that make up the prestigious Oxford University. These include Christ Church College, Magdalen College, and the Bodleian Library. The London and Oxford trip truly enhanced our students’ global perspective and provided them with the opportunity to have an appreciation for cultural differences and diversity around the world. By Zachary Villafuerte
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A Return to London - A Look at the Cultural Expeditions Program
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Alumni Day Recap
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eritas alumni gathered for our annual alumni day in December of 2022, and it was a great success! Former students from different graduating classes attended the event, catching up with old friends and teachers, networking with other alumni, and learning about new and exciting things happening at Veritas!
event, students enjoyed taking pics in our Christmasthemed photo booth. They huddled together to look at old yearbooks and fondly remember their memories made here. Many of our visiting alumni found pictures of themselves and their friends all the way back to Pre-K3!
The event was organized by the school administration with the help of Mrs. El Issa and Ms. Jones, who stay in frequent contact with many of our former students. Invites were sent via email and social media. The school administration coordinated the event, including time for treats, pictures, fellowship, a walk around the campus, and a word from Mrs. El Issa! One highlight was when the alumni had the opportunity to tour the campus! Many of our collegeage graduates were amazed at how the campus has changed since they attended Veritas. In the short years since they left, we have completely remodeled Foundation Hall, built the RLC Library and Tech Lab, and beautified much of the campus, including the playground, gardens, and Under the Oaks! It was fun to see their reactions to the improvements as they reminisced over what it was like when they were students at Veritas! The event was a great way for alumni to reconnect with Veritas and fellow alumni, gaining a sense of community and pride in their alma mater. At the
Mrs. El-Issa couldn’t let our beloved alumni leave without imparting a message inspiring them to remember the foundation in Christ they found at Veritas and to continue to turn to Him through the challenges of life!
It is always a blessing to see so many former students come back to Veritas and engage with the school community! We get so much joy from seeing the fruits of our labor in these incredible young men and women of God. We value the relationships we have with our alumni, and we appreciate the time they took to reconnect with us! Overall, Alumni Day 2022 was a great success, providing alumni with a memorable experience and a chance to reconnect with Veritas! We plan to continue hosting more alumni events in the future, fostering a strong relationship with our graduates and celebrating together the success of the school! We look forward to seeing many alumni next year as we host several events to celebrate Veritas Christian Academy’s 20th year! By Erin Marshall
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Annual Report
eritas athletics had an amazing year with the athletes praising God through their athletic talents. In the fall, Girls Volleyball and Boys Flag Football both enjoyed competitive seasons. The football team was young, but improved steadily throughout the season. They battled hard but lost in the first round of the playoffs. Both junior varsity and varsity volleyball teams enjoyed winning seasons, with the varsity team making the playoffs and losing to the eventual league champion. The winter season was busy with two boys and two girls basketball teams, junior varsity and varsity. All of the teams were very competitive in league play with winning records. Both the girls and boys varsity basketball teams lost in the playoffs to the eventual league champion. The spring season brought co-ed tennis and co-ed track/field. Both teams finished with a winning record!
Our student-athletes have a special bond with their coaches, who consistently work with them on the spiritual, physical, and mental aspects of each sport. Our student-athletes learn life lessons through sports such as overcoming adversity, working hard, and working as a part of a team. The future looks bright for our athletic program as our athletes continue to develop and mature. By Amy Lloyd
The athletic year was recently celebrated with our annual Athletic Awards Ceremony. At the ceremony all of the student-athletes were recognized for their participation, while some were awarded with Most Valuable Player, Most Improved Player, or the Coach’s Award for each sport on all teams. Veritas also had 7 athletes recognized with the Ram Award, which is for those that participated in each season for a total of three sports. Speech Meet Participants: • Sophia Abdou (3rd grade) - Bible Verse • Foyin Babalola (1st grade) - Poetry • Emily Dezfulian (4th grade) - Poetry • Sloan Fox (2nd grade) - Bible Verse • Finley Gallegos (3rd grade) - Poetry • Ryan Gatlin (6th grade) - Originial Poem • Sherry Hanna (2nd grade) - Poetry • Ana Kaczmarek (1st grade) - Bible Verse • Morgan Lanier (7th grade) - Poetry • Jada Lee (6th grade) - Patriotic Oration • Anya Lewis (2nd grade) - Bible Verse • Nahla Lewis (7th grade) - Monologue • Ellie McCants (6th grade) - Poetry • Grace Marie Newsom (6th grade) - Speech • Juliana Ochoa (2nd grade) - Poetry • Camille Oliver (2nd grade) - Folklore • June Prasatik (3rd grade ) - Folklore • Ethan Wade (6th grade) - Bible
Middle School Veritas Quiz Bowl Team Most recently, the Veritas Quiz Bowl Team advanced to the semifinals of the junior division at the Texas Quiz Bowl Alliance’s Bluebell Bowl, finishing third overall in the tournament with 6 wins and 2 losses in 8 games. They competed against both private and public schools, such as River Oaks Baptist School, Annunciation Orthodox School, John Adams Middle School, Quail Valley Middle School, and others. A few superlatives from the tournament: • Best bonus answer: James answered “Bayeux Tapestry” • Best Bible answer: Luke answered “The Book of Revelation” with only the clue “Wormwood” • Best anatomy answer: Brodie knew the difference between a tendon and a ligament • Best literature answer: Ryan answered “Casey at the Bat”
Annual Report
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Athletics Update • Academic Competitions
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Fine Arts at Veritas
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eritas’ Fine Arts program has seen tremendous growth over the past year. From Pre-K to 8th grade, our students have put on beautiful performances throughout the year. The extensive and comprehensive arts education at Veritas is truly unique and outstanding.
paced class has not only prepares students for time on stage, but also develops critical skills such as collaboration, communication, and adaptability.
The 8th grade class has been working hard throughout the year to put on a spectacular production of Disney’s Aladdin Jr. The students are involved in multiple aspects of the production; this year they are building a featured set piece! The 4th grade
Band and choir had stellar performances at our second annual Middle School Christmas Concert. Under the tutelage of Ms. Swindler, many of our band students excelled in Solo and Ensemble competition in January. Over 16 students received top marks, a testament to their excellent musicianship! The Veritas Conservatory, which offers piano, voice, and violin lessons, has more than doubled this year. We have over 25 students involved in this program. Our students are showcased annually during our Fine Arts Conservatory Recital. Lessons occur throughout the day, which means our hallways are often filled with beautiful music. What could be more joyful? By Erin McDaniels
class has enjoyed a full year of drama in which they have learned all aspects of theater: choreography, memorization, and even script writing! Ms. Holt has helped 7th and 8th graders stay quick on their feet in our newly added improv class. This fun, fast
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Financial Update
FINANCIAL UPDATE
Teandra Gordon Vice Chair Executive Director Harvest Point Counseling
Stephen Fairfield Treasurer Chief Executive Officer Covenant Community Capital
Toby Yaltho Secretary Neurologist Houston Methodist Hospital
Melissa Turnbaugh Partner, National Education & Innovation Leader PBK Architects
Anil Chandy Senior Vice President PNC Bank
Sara Prasatik Attorney Wilson, Cribbs, and Goren Real Estate Law
Kendra Davis Thomas Managing Attorney Harris Center for Mental Health
Kathi Paul Alumni Parent
David Hao Head of School Veritas Christian Academy of Houston
New Board Member Nominees Maria Kaczmarek, Vice President, Human Resources, AECOM In her eighteen-year career, Maria Kaczmarek, Vice President, Human Resources (HR), has served as a trusted HR business partner to business leaders, with an ability to balance talent strategies with operating and financial demands. She has progressed through multiple roles with a proven ability to collaborate persuasively and deliberately articulate messages within individual or large group settings, with an ability to inspire action. Maria currently serves as the HR leader for the Americas East Region, consisting of over 9000 regional employees, within AECOM, a Fortune 500 Architecture/Engineering/Construction (A/E/C) firm. She partners with executive leadership on developing and implementing business and talent strategy, consulting with leaders throughout US-based locations and countries within Latin America. Her specialties include strategic human resources consulting, organizational development, talent strategy, and leadership and talent development. She and her husband, Tony, are members at Houston’s First Baptist Church, Loop Campus. Their daughter Ana is a 1st grader at Veritas. Jeremy Newsom, Executive Vice President, Platform Partners Jeremy Newsom, Executive Vice President, joined Platform Partners in 2017. Before Platform, he was an Executive Vice President with Amegy Bank, where he started his career in 2000. At Amegy, he managed the Corporate Banking division focusing on publicly traded, middle market, and private equity-sponsored companies. He received his BBA in finance from Texas A&M University and his MBA from the Jones School at Rice University. He has also received the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. Jeremy serves as an Elder at Grace Bible Church and enjoys spending time with his wife, Crystal, and their three young children (Grace Marie - 12, Duke - 10, and Marian - 9). Grace Marie is a 6thgrader at Veritas, while Marian is a 4th grader at Veritas.
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Board of Trustees
David Steinbach Chair Global Chief Investment Officer Hines
Financial Report
Financial Report 80%
Revenue
10%
0.5%
80%
Tuition (net of financial aid)
10%
Auxiliary Services
6%
Contributions
3.5% Special Events (net) 0.5% Other Income
6%
$ 3,442,045 (2021-22 Revenue)
3.5%
4% 79% 17%
Expenses 79%
Program Services
17%
Management and General
4%
Fundraising
$ 3,252,723 (2021-22 Revenue)
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Annual Report
ABBA Oil, LLC Abdou, Joseph and Mary Adole, Sunday and Sherifat Alade, Oladapo and Kiyetta Alale, Lola and Taiwo Aldrich, Haley and Kellie Arrazolo, Feliciano and Laura Artavia, Riquelme and Jennifer Avery, Jeff and Chantal Aycox, Preston and Candice Babalola, Olusegun and Olaolu Badenhorst, Rynie and Tricia Bailey, Christina Bank of America Charitable Foundation Beason, Kenneth and Theresa Beird, Jeffrey and Hannah Bekhit, Hany and Haddad, Sandra Berger, Leo and Kim Braggs, Kevin and Miller, Charissa Breitenwischer, Scott and Daniele Bruner, Terry and Nadia Burkhead, William Caniz, Leonardo and Ajche, Maria Carbajal, Marco and Deisy Carter, Gabrielle Carvalho, Steven and Roberts, Aleethia Cass, Brian and Danielle Cattanach, Kyle and Jasmin Chace, Mike and Grace Chandy, Anil and Judith Chen, Alexander and Adrienne Chevron Humankind Collins, Kenneth and Latoya Coselli, Phill Creasey, Brooks and Katherine Crosby, Richard and Julie Crosby, Steve and Tamara Culp, Michael and Janet Dang, Nick and Nguyen, Christina Daniels, Erica Dean, Kevin and Jennifer Dempsey, Lawrence and Carine DeVries, Thomas and Elizabeth Dewhurst, Chris and Annamarie Dezfulian, Cameron and Audra El-Issa, Molly Elsakr, Amir and Attalla, Diana Ezenekwe, Ugochukwu and Anurika Fairfield, Stephan and Alison Finch, Robert and Allison Fox, Cody and Brianna Fox, Shawn and Tara Fremion, Brandon and Ellen Frye, Melanie and Robert Fu, Daniel and Gao, Beth Fusilier, Dorcas Gallegos, Alecia Garrett, Ryan Gatlin, John and Karalee George, Steny and Sara Gilliam, Peter and JoAnn Gonzalez, Pierre and Martinez, Amanda Gordon, Brian and Teandra Gregory, Ryan and Lisa
Gummakonda, Abhilash and Ng, Amy Hafemeister, Joe and Lisa Hall, Jaron and Hailey Hanna, Mina and Salama, Vivian Hao, David and Claire Harris, Jervon and Thema Hatfield, Laura Hendricks, Brandon and Esther Holloway, James and Shannon Holmes, Curtis and Alekhina, Olga Holt, Sarah Ann Hooper, Ronzetrick and Tiffany Howard, Kenneth and Ernestine Hudson, Timothy and Ladet, Keisha Hughes, Mark and Marilyn Ivy, James and Rosemarie Jessen, Nicholas and Erika Jones, Joy Kaczmarek, Anthony and Maria Kaczmarek, Eugene Kearney, Steve and Mary Kellough, Justin and Kristen Lanier, Matthew and Celeste Laqua, Travis and Sarah Lav, Christopher and Pham, Nguyen Lee, Clifford and Mimi Leonard, Cam and Amy Lewis, Jacobi and Shysha Lin, John and Donna Lloyd, Marco and Amy Loera, Ernesto and López - Loera, Ana Lookadoo, Donald and Marilyn Luchetta, Erik and Susan Mammen, Thomas and Roselena Marshall, Jermaine and Erin Martin Family Foundation Martin, Andrew and Rachel Martin, Douglas and Whitney Mashni, Sandy McCants, David and Naomi McDaniels, Erin McFall, Mary Ann Medlock, Andre and Georgetta Mejia, Genaro and Dajoyag-Mejia, Maria Mendez, Luis and Nancy Meng, Zheng and Peng, Bo Mercado, Jill Michaiel, Joseph and Michelle Mikhail, Ramsey and Madina Miller, Robert and Daniels, Christie Minces, David and Eva Minja, Henry and Ntanga, Mary Mitchell, Buddy and Stephanie Mitchell, Darlene Mokhtari, Mark and Renata Morley, Arden Morrison, James and Joi Moses, Michael and Lacey Newsom, Jeremy and Crystal Nicholas, Yohance and Ollieta Ninan, Siby and Gigi Nolan, Christopher and Regina Obie, Spencer and Heidi Ochoa, Robert and Alexandra
Oliver, Samuel and Elizabeth Olivero, Tony and Carol Olmos, Jose and Elizabeth Omeneki-Jimoh, Safurat Oriahi, Alysia Oriahi, Emmanuel Oriahi, Lisa G. Owens, Alan and Janet Owens, Elijah and Robin Pancheri, Chris and Jane Parobek, Christian and Bisset Paul, William and Kathleen Peng, Bo and Zheng, Meng Phelps, Ashley Platform Partners Prasatik, Josh and Sara Prasatik, Troy Raad, Sam and Lamia
Ramirez, Anthony and Rivera-Ramirez, Sandra
Richmond, Werner and Raven Ro, Won and Kimberly Sakr, Gladyss Sanchez, Andrew and Feofanova, Elena Semikova, Alla and Semikov, Rostyslav Shatby, Beshoy and Michael, Nora Shell Oil Company Foundation Shung, Albert and Rini Sidarous, Shadi and Rasha Silfvast, Anita Simes, Jack and Charlotte Sims, Willard and Gwen Slay, David and Heidi Soliman, Moody and Christine Spreen, Rhett and Kimberly Steinbach, David and Rebecca Sterling, John and Pamela Suggs, Jimmy and Elizabeth Super Urban Realty Venture Suttle Freeman, LLC Swicegood, Vicky T Mobile Tadros, Eric and Morgan, Monica Taylor, Donald and Patti TC Energy Texas State Optical Thomas, Blandon and Chans Thomas, Gene and Kendra Tomich, Douglas and Gisele Tsang, Rocky and Laura Turnbaugh, Mark and Melissa
Uzodinma, Obinna and Duret-Uzodinma, Jenny
Venegas, Chris and Abby Verrico, Christopher and Nicole Villafuerte, Zachary and Stephanie Vu, Khanh Wade, Walter and Imee Weston, Michael and Jill Whittemore, David and Elizabeth Wildt, Shaun and Amy Wilson, Tom and Melanie Wright, Jenna Yaltho, Toby and George, Saira Yu, Cynthia
Zakhem, Bassem and Aboud- Zakhem, Christine
Annual Report
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Annual Fund Donors
Annual Fund Donors
Annual Auction - Roarin’ 20’s Auction & Gala
Annual Auction Donors 987 Aesthetics & Wellness Abdou, Joseph and Mary Adole, Sunday and Sherifat Alade, Oladapo and Kiyetta Arrazolo, Feliciano and Laura Artavia, Riquelme and Jennifer Avery, Jeffrey and Chantal Babalola, Olusegun and Olaolu Badenhorst, Tricia and Rynie Bailey, Christina Bakht, Farid and Jouana Bank of America Charitable Foundation Beason, Kenneth and Theresa Berger, Leo and Kim Biringer, Kent and Betty Breitenwischer, Scott and Danielle Bruner, Terry and Nadia Carvalho, Steven and Roberts, Aleethia Cass, Brian and Danielle Chace, Michael and Grace Chandy, Anil and Judith Chen, Alexander and Adrienne Chevron Humankind Collins, Kenneth and Latoya Coselli, Phill Creasey, Brooks and Katherine Crosby, Richard and Julie Crosby, Steve and Tamara Culp, Michael and Janet Dean, Kevin and Jennifer DeArman, Chris and Sonya DeVries, Thomas and Elizabeth Dewhurst, Chris and Annamarie Dewhurst, Gene and Linda Dezfulian, Cameron and Audra Droog, Daniel and Julie El-Issa, Molly Elsakr, Amir and Attalla, Diana Fairfield, Stephan and Alison Finch, Robert and Allison Fremion, Brandon and Ellen Frye, Robert and Melanie Fu, Daniel and Gao, Beth Gallegos, Alecia
Garrett, Ryan Gatlin, John and Karalee Gilliam, Peter and JoAnn Gonzalez, Pierre, and Martinez, Amanda Gregory, Ryan and Lisa Grieb, Diane Gummakonda, Abhilash and Ng, Amy Hafemeister, Joe and Lisa Hall, Jaron and Hailey Hanna, Mina and Salama, Vivian Hao, David and Cristen Harris, Thema Hatfield, Laura Hirschfeld, Jacob and Rosie Holloway, James and Shannon Holt, Sarah Ann Hooper, Ronzetrick and Tiffany Hudson, Chris and Stuart Hughes, Mark and Marilyn Jones, Joy Jones, Mark and Kelly, S. Kelly Kaczmarek, Anthony and Maria Kearney, Steve and Mary Kellough, Kristen Lahoud, Jacqueline Lanier, Matthew and Celeste Laqua, Sarah Lin, John and Donna Lloyd, Amy Luchetta, Erik and Susan Marshall, Jermaine and Erin Martin, Andrew and Rachel Mashni, Sandy McCants, David and Naomi McClung, Davon McDaniels, Erin Mejia, Genaro and Dajoyag-Mejia, Maria Mendez, Nancy Mercado, Jill Mikhail, Ramsey and Madina Miller, Robert and Daniels, Christie Minces, David and Eva Mitchell, Buddy and Stephanie Morrison, James and Joi
Moses, Michael and Lacey Newsom, Jeremy and Crystal Nora Michael Realty Obie, Spencer and Heidi Ochoa, Robert and Alexandra Olivero, Tony and Carol Olmos, Jose and Elizabeth Oriahi, Lisa Owens, Elijah and Robin Peng, Bo and Zheng, Meng Pinnacle Pediatric Dentistry Prasatik, Josh and Sara Raad, Sam and Lamia
Ramirez, Anthony and Rivera-Ramirez, Sandra
Reynolds, Bryce Ro, Won and Kimberly Sakr, Gladyss Sanchez, Andrew and Feofanova, Elena Shatby, Beshoy and Michael, Nora Shell Oil Company Foundation Shung, Albert and Rini Sidarous, Shadi and Rasha Silfvast, Anita Simes, Jack and Charlotte Simpson, Charles and Amelia Slay, David and Heidi Soliman, Moody and Christine Spreen, Rhett and Kimberly Steinbach, David and Rebecca Sterling, John and Pamela Texas State Optical Thomas, Gene and Kendra Turnbaugh, Mark and Melissa Venegas, Chris and Abby Verrico, Chris and Nicole Villafuerte, Zachary and Stephanie Weston Legal Weston, Michael and Jill Wildt, Shaun and Amy Wise, Shad and Sinclair, Jazmin Yaltho, Toby and Saira George Yu, Cynthia
Zakhem, Bassem and Aboud- Zakhem, Christine
Annual Auction & Gala Sponsors
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Annual Report
Annual Report
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20 Years of Impact - a Celebration in the Coming Year
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all of 2003, Veritas Christian Academy of Houston, as it is known today, opened up its doors to a little over 100 students at the corner of Gessner and Bissonnet. It would be an entire school year until Veritas calls 7000 Ferris in Bellaire its home. The founding Head of School was Steven Zeal who had Lamia Raad at his side. Veritas still has a few founding faculty and staff members from twenty years ago - Molly El-Issa, Kimberly Berger, and Melanie Wilson. Even more, there are those who came just a few years after inception - Joy Jones, Alecia Gallegos, and Gladys Sakr.
As Veritas begins to embark on the next several decades, it is a blessing to look back at the early years of the school. These early years, as echoed in the Veritas Way, required persevering in difficulty and growing by challenges. With a limited budget, Veritas still provided a strong Christ-centered educational experience for its students. While the school continued to develop a stronger financial
foundation, Veritas faculty never wavered in their delivery of academically challenging and biblically integrated teaching. Teachers and staff challenged students both intellectually as well as helping them to grow in their faith and character. Parents relished an environment that helped their children to see the love of Christ and also persevered through often lean and meager times. However, excellence in education showed in various ways: through the daily walk of students, faculty, and staff; in the achievements of Veritas students in academic competitions that pitted them against other students in longer established institutions; and through the continued
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Annual Report
growth and success of the school as it slowly made a name for itself in the community. Veritas truly lived out its past motto, “Deep in Learning. Deep in Christ.”
Veritas continues to find itself at the cusp of great growth and success. Students who have moved on beyond its hallowed halls, help to strengthen the school’s reputation amongst the elite and larger schools as they enter their student bodies. Excelling not only in their academics and showing stellar performance within that area, but also showing tremendous leadership qualities in their classrooms and other arenas as well as having success on the playing field. As the school enters its twentieth anniversary, keep an eye out on various opportunities for connection between the past and present as we continue to look toward the future as Veritas continues to build a Foundation for Life in the lives of their students for many more decades yet to come! By Zachary Villafuerte
ust before Spring Break of this year, Mr. Hao communicated with the community regarding a few exciting things that Veritas may look forward to. There were multiple points of interest which spanned academic programming to parental and community engagement. These initiatives are intended to enhance the overall community and educational experience of both our students as well as are families. A few highlights of these initiatives include the following: Christ-centered Foundation The community at Veritas has always and will continue to have Jesus Christ as its foundation. One of the overarching additions to this foundation is the addition of another Chapel on Monday mornings. These will help to align the community in prayer, corporate worship, and Biblical teaching. Additionally, there will be expanded opportunities for discipleship within the classroom to show continued emphasis on overall citizenship and a character rooted in Christ.
Parent Fellowship & Engagement With immense gratitude toward our current Parent Teacher Fellowship (PTF), there will be additional opportunities for increased involvement across more parental constituencies. These include the development, through PTF, of a series of easy and accessible social eventing to bolster the current ongoing PTF meetings. Parent education programs are also on the docket as part of the enhancement
in this area. Parent education will include relevant and important topics such as navigating technology and social media. Integrated Curriculum Veritas will strengthen its curriculum across all divisions by the reinforcement of the school’s Classical roots through the integration throughout our academic disciplines. This also included a review of various core subjects to ensure vertical alignment from our early education students to middle school. The mathematics program and curriculum is currently being reviewed with a future view of doing the same with the English Language Arts program and curriculum. Additionally, the school will enhance its currently reintroduced STEAM initiatives across divisions and campus-wide. This is made possible by the generosity of the community during our most recent Annual Auction and Gala.
Those are just a few of the community commitments made by Mr. Hao and the leadership of Veritas. Additional programs and areas will also receive a more focused review. This will ensure that Veritas students of today as well as students of the future will continue to have a strong educational experience. By Zachary Villafuerte
Annual Report
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The Commitment to Our Community
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A Preview of the 2023-2024 Academic Year
Back to School Conferences & Back to School Night New Parent Orientation: Friday, August 11, 2023 Class Parties: Saturday, August 12, 2023 Early Education and Lower School Conferences: Monday, August 14, 2023 & Tuesday, August 15, 2023 Middle School Back to School Night: Monday, August 14, 2023
First Day of School Wednesday, August 16, 2023
Middle School Orientation Retreat Wednesday, September 6, 2023 to Friday, September 8, 2023
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Annual Report
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2023-2024 Preliminary Academic Calendar
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KEY No School
Event
First/ Last Day
No School - Professional Development /Teacher Work Day
Half -Day
Dates and Events August 11
New Parent Orientation
14-15 EE/LS Back to School Conference 14 MS Back to School Night 16
First Day of School
September 4
See You at the Pole
October 4
2-3 10
School Portraits Annual Campaign Ends
13-17 Book Fair 17 Grandparents' Day 20-24 No School - Thanksgiving Break 29 - 1 CEP - Texas History Trip
No School - Labor Day
6-8 MS Retreat 12 Spirit Night 27
November
Open House
6 Early Dismissal / Professional Development 9-10 No School - Fall Break
January
April
2
No School - Teacher In-Service
1
No School - Easter Break
15
No School - Martin Luther King Day
24
Open House
8-19 12
Standardized Testing Window Parent Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast
19
February 19
No School - President's Day
27
History & Science Fair
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Spirit Night
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Fine Arts Performance Night
Spirit Night TBD Gala
29 - 3 CEP - Washington DC Trip
8-14 Middle School Midterms
March
May
13
Early Education Christmas Production
1-7 CEP - London/Oxford Trip
29 -3
CEP - Washington DC Trip
14
Alumni Day
8
6-10
8th Grade Finals
December 29-1 CEP - Texas History Trip 8
27
Athletic Awards Ceremony
22-26 Fine Arts Week
Lower School Christmas Production
15 Early Dismissal 18-2 No School - Christmas Break
Early Dismissal
11-15 No School - Spring Break
15-21 7th Grade Finals
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School Yearbook Pictures
17
8th Grade Production
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School Yearbook Pictures (makeup)
17
EE End of Year Chapel
29
No School - Easter Break
20
LS End of Year Chapel
23-27 Spirit Week
21
MS End of Year Chapel
28
21
8th Grade Graduation
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Last Day of School / Early Dismissal
15-20 CEP - Phila/NY/Bos Trip 23
Annual Fund Begins Chili Cook Off
Grading Periods
Progress Reports
Report Cards
Q1 August 16 - October 6 Q2 October 12 - December 15
Q1 Q3
September 14 November 9 February 15
Q1
Q3 January 3 - March 8
Q3
October 19 January 4 March 21
Q4 March 18 - May 22
Q4
April 11
Q4
June 8
Q2
Q2
7000 Ferris Street Bellaire, TX 77401 www.veritasca.org 713-773-9605
Annual Report
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7000 Ferris Street • Bellaire,TX 77401 www.veritasca.org • 713-773-9605