The Chronicum, Volume V

Chapel Buddies Return

On

the Cover: 7th grade student, Grace, and Kindergarten student, Kinsley, are hanging out Inside Cover: 5th grade student, Jimena, throwing a ball towards a dunk tank during Chili Cook Off

From the Head of School

Dear Veritas Community,

I hope your 2023 has been off to a wonderful start. It is hard to believe that we are more than halfway done with the academic year. The Lord has truly blessed Veritas this year as we have successfully returned to normalcy and are able to enjoy once again many of the activities that we cherish.

One of the many highlights has been the return of Chapel buddies, filled with matching shirts and new friendships formed. Students and families alike have been able to once again enjoy experiential learning trips and travel on our Cultural Expedition Program trips. Our community displayed tremendous school pride during our Spirit Week, and generously gave during Annual Fund to raise a record amount of $185,000 with 100% participation for the first time in school history. Our expanded Chili Cook Off, enhanced with a dunk tank, bounce house, food truck, and delicious chili stations was one of the most engaging and well attended ones we have ever had.

From pushing the buzzer during the Quiz Bowl to shooting buzzer beaters on the hardwood, our students have worked diligently, displayed excellence, and made us proud. Our students from all grade levels amazed us with their talent and hard work during their Christmas performances. We also joyfully gave back to our greater community during the Christmas season by donating canned goods to the Houston Food Bank and shipping over 150 personalized stockings to our service men and women overseas.

Additionally, we have a lot to look forward to this semester. Our Gala Committee has been working hard on our “Full STEAM Ahead” Roaring 20’s themed gala on Saturday, February 25th, at the Forest Club. Great memories will be formed during our CEP trips to London/Oxford and Washington DC. Our students will also display their knowledge and talent during our History & Science Fair and Fine Arts Week. We cannot wait to see the performance of Aladdin, and celebrate our students during our End of Year Chapels and 8th grade graduation.

As a community of parents and educators, let us in 2023 continue to lift each other up in prayer, personally invest in our faith, actively participate as a community in Veritas events, and finish the school year strong.

Blessings,

David Q. Hao Head of School

Outdoor Learning Spaces

The focus of renewed spaces throughout the Veritas campus shifted to outdoor spaces for the summer 2022 project, which was funded by the 2022 Annual Auction, “Secret Garden.” The shift provided Veritas with two specific gardens, the Prayer Garden which is situated adjacent to Under the Oaks, and a Butterfly Garden in the corner of the Playground area and The Green. Additionally, the Veritas Playground was resurfaced to turf, providing more open spaces for students to run and play.

home to the school’s new Prayer Garden. The Prayer Garden, which received a generous donation from the Kaczmarek family, serves as an open and reflective space where students, faculty and staff, and families can commune with God and spend time in prayer. Our parent prayer team has already used the space for such a time!

Under the Oaks Deck

Under the Oaks also received a much-needed update. Serving previously as an open grassy area, the project added a more usable decking space outlined with seating benches. The decking provides more outdoor classroom space, a meeting area for classes and middle school advisory, a reflective space, an outdoor dining area for parents who are visiting campus to eat lunch with their children, and so much more!

Butterfly Garden

In addition to the Prayer Garden, Veritas also created a Butterfly Garden. We anticipate that the garden will become a haven for many butterfly species that frequent Southwest Texas including Monarchs and various Swallowtails. It also provides Veritas students with the opportunity to learn more about indigenous plants and select wildlife as the gardens potentially become incorporated into Veritas’ science and STEAM curriculum.

Prayer Garden

During the pandemic, Veritas acquired previously unused outdoor space by extending its fenceline along Mapleridge thus creating what is now known as Under the Oaks. The outdoor area was invaluable during the pandemic as a space used mostly for outdoor dining by middle school students. The space, which is approximately 4,000 square feet, is now

Playground Turf

A tremendous part of the project for our outdoor learning spaces was resurfacing the current playground area. The new turf that was utilized for the playground area included an antimicrobial quickdrying surface and an adequate drainage system that allows students to utilize the playground soon after rainstorms. The turf also includes an organic infill system and provides an antimicrobial surface for students. Especially high traffic sections and potential fall zones have added padding to ensure students have safe landing areas. Previously, the playground had separate mulched areas which created fragmented spaces for running. Now, with nearly 8,000 square feet of continuous turfed surfacing connecting the entire playground area - larger playground, swings,

and early education playground - students have a larger continuous running space during recesses and bonus playtimes!

New Playground Equipment

In conjunction with the resurfacing project associated with the playground area, Veritas students also received new play equipment. These include “Big Blue Blocks” and two spinners. The building blocks encourage and inspire children to design their own inventions, environments, and activities through deep and joyful play. The added spinners on the playground also help younger Veritas students in their overall motor development while stimulating their cognitive skills and logical thinking. It also builds young developing students’ agility, balance, and coordination skills.

As you consider your annual giving, please keep in mind that the annual campus beautification projects are fully funded by Veritas’ Annual Auction and Gala.

Thank you to all of those within the Veritas Community who helped make the Outdoor Learning Spaces possible!

Early Education Christmas Production

CAKE - Christmas Acts of Kindness First, Second, Third, and Fourth Grades

Lower Christmas Production

Christmas in the Kitchen PreK3, PreK4, and Kindergarten

Middle School Christmas Concert

Cultural Expeditions Program

The Middle School travel education programCultural Expeditions Program (CEP) - returns to full swing for the 2022-2023 Academic Year as the world is transitioning back to more and more normalcy in daily life. This includes the coveted capstone CEP eighth-grade trip to London and Oxford, United Kingdom. Our eighth-grade students will once again embark across the pond in early March, as in previous years, before the pandemic put a halt to international travel. CEP officially returns to its normal operations and programming.

Deeply rooted in one of Veritas’ Core Values as evidenced in the school’s overall mission, CEP is grounded on the value of providing our students with intentional engagement opportunities. These opportunities are derived from the belief that the learning environment for Veritas students extends well beyond the confines of the classroom walls. Travel affords Veritas middle school students the ability to step outside their books and provides them with real-life experiences as they are fully immersed in each destination’s history. With the integration of a service ministry opportunity and full immersion into the varying cities’ cultures, our students develop independence, critical thinking, and most importantly, benevolence. The program captures students’ imagination, initiates them in travel education, and creates unforgettable memories. As students matriculate through the middle school years, the CEP trips adopt the following format: Fifth Grade - San Antonio, Fredericksburg, and Austin, TX, aptly named the Texas History Trip; Sixth GradeWashington DC and Charlottesville, VA; Seventh Grade - Philadelphia, New York, and Boston; Eighth Grade - London and Oxford, UK.

Seventh Grade (Philadelphia, New York, and Boston) Typically, the Cultural Expeditions Program launches as the humidity in Houston begins to die down a bit and drier air starts to usher in the fall season. As

the first trip of every academic year, the seventhgrade trip launches the CEP on an annual basis. The week-long excursion began immediately upon arrival to Philadelphia with an evening tour of the Old City as students got a night view of Independence Hall and other historic buildings. Philadelphia included an interior tour of Independence Hall, a visit to the Liberty Bell, and an in-depth look into the important history and significance of Philadelphia’s role in the American Revolution. In New York, the students visited the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, which was “ground zero” during the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. Before their departure to Boston, students were able to tour Times Square, Rockefeller Center, the Upper East Side, Brooklyn Bridge, and Wall Street. Upon their arrival in Boston, the seventhgrade students attended a concert by the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra at the renowned Symphony Hall. The itinerary in Boston also included tours of the Freedom Trail, the Black Heritage Trail, and Harvard University.

Fifth Grade (Texas History Trip - San Antonio, Fredericksburg, and Austin)

Fifth-grade students begin their CEP experience by exploring what is most familiar to them by visiting the historic Texas cities of San Antonio, Fredericksburg, and ending in Austin, the state capital. Students learned about the state’s history, culture, and influential historical figures as students relived the Battle of the Alamo which sparked the Texas revolution from Santa Ana’s Mexico. They also explored a few of the parishes and churches within San Antonio, and ended the day with the famous Riverwalk Boat Tour. In Fredericksburg, the students learned about the rich German history of the Hill Country and visited the amazing National Museum of the Pacific War. As they finished the three-day and two-night trip, our students visited

the State Capitol Building and Visitor Center after they toured and ate lunch at the University of TexasAustin. This year, our students had the privilege of going on a detailed tour of UT from Veritas alumna, Hannah Nicholas (Class of 2018). Lastly, no road trip in Texas is complete without stopping for a snack at Buc-ee’s!

Return of Experiential Learning

Another exciting aspect of coming back to normalcy was having our students of all grade levels return to experiential learning trips! It is exciting to welcome back the annual Early Education field trip to the Bellaire Fire Station where our students interacted with and showed appreciation to first responders and civil service members. First-grade students watched Cinderella at Main Street Theater, third-grade went to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and the fourth-grade class visited Newman’s Castle in Bellville as they were immersed in a medieval time period. More opportunities for experiential learning is on the docket as Veritas students enter into the second semester!

Return of STEAM

Further evidence of the normalcy that is undoubtedly returning to the Veritas Campus is the reintroduction of the STEAM Program. STEAM is an acronym that stands for science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. As one of the focal points of the 20182023 Veritas Strategic Plan, the STEAM program allows the school to strive to be both classical and innovative. Through the program, students are challenged to identify and solve problems through a project-based and critical approach. In conjunction with the strong humanities program already established at Veritas, the STEAM Program complements the mission of providing a balanced and holistic educational experience that students receive at Veritas. Students have an outlet to pursue an inquiry-based learning format that promotes problem identification and builds critical thinking skills.

Varying projects throughout the first semester were introduced through the STEAM Program. Equipped with all sorts of manipulatives and tools, students

were able to dig deeper into fun lessons which challenged them to think in unconventional ways to solve problems and create solutions. A few of the tools available to Veritas students within our STEAM Lab include computers with various applications, two 3D printers, a plethora of building blocks, power and manual tools, and many more odds and ends which give students the opportunity to use their creativity and reasoning skills.

Veritas continues with the desire to strengthen and further develop the STEAM Program. As the main emphasis for the upcoming Annual Auction Gala, proceeds will be directed towards both the STEAM Program as well as STEAM-related activities across the campus. This includes strengthening the program cross-departmentally from Early Education to Middle School. The hope is to ensure that all students who matriculate through Veritas will have the opportunity to build their critical thinking skills while exploring their God-given talents and creativity.

Chapel Buddies Return

With a two-year hiatus, the Chapel Buddies program has returned to the Veritas campus for the 2022-2023 Academic Year! An added bonus with this year’s Chapel Buddies program is the incorporation of specific chapel buddies colors, which were specific for each corresponding group of buddies. Mr. V, during the first Chapel Buddies Chapel, even described our students in Foundation Hall, as “a bag of skittles organized by their colors.” Corresponding with the program, Veritas also welcomed back monthly All School Chapels where Foundation Hall is once again filled with the entire school community, from Early Education to Middle School students. Rings of laughter and joyous clamor envelops Foundation Hall before each All School Chapel as each group enters the auditorium. Older chapel buddies routinely pick up their younger counterparts to walk them to Foundation Hall which creates a sense of anticipation for Veritas’ younger students.

At the conclusion of each All School Chapel, students hang out and play together with their chapel buddies. These pockets of time spent together provide opportunities for full community building, the formation of relationships between students across departments, mentoring opportunities for older students, and countless memories! The Chapel Buddies Program also produced the desire for the various chapel buddy groups to have other opportunities for interaction outside of All School Chapel days. Included in these were an “orangethemed Thanksgiving Party” between the 7th grade and Kindergarten students (who obviously have orange as their chapel buddies color) and a “squishmallow” gift exchange for Christmas. More excitement is anticipated in the second semester as the Chapel Buddies Program continues!

Community Engagement

The part of Veritas’ mission to prepare students for lives of both service and learning, has adopted the core value of intentional engagement as one of the driving factors to bring that mission into fruition. Though many things can be included as part of pursuing intentional engagement - including the Cultural Expeditions Program and experiential learning with field trips and other educational experiences - one of the biggest portions of this core value is instilling a heart of service within our students. This is done with intentionality engaging our students with our broader community to be the hands and feet of Christ to the world around them.

Scripture exhorts the people of God to think of the needs of others. In Philippians 2:3-7, the Apostle Paul encourages us to,

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (ESV)

Having Christ as the example, His followers are to put into practice the very mindset of humility - putting the needs of others before their own. This is the very heart that Veritas is desiring to instill as part of the educational experience of its students.

Veritas has already participated in many service projects for the 2022-2023 Academic Year with the hopes of adding other local partnerships going into the future. These include giving food to the underprivileged community of Houston, encouraging the active duty service members in our nation’s armed forces deployed across the globe, providing blankets to veterans in Boston and New England, and giving much needed winter clothes to the underprivileged population of San Antonio. Service projects range from school-wide initiatives which included a food drive in conjunction

with the Houston Food Bank. This particular project was spearheaded by Mrs. McDaniels and the Fine Arts Department, and incorporated families bringing non-perishable food items as the “price” of their admission to the varying Christmas Productions and Concerts. During Christmas, a school-wide project with Stockings for Heroes, provided an opportunity for our students to support and encourage our active duty service members who are deployed around the world by creating stockings filled with gifts, cards, and goodies. Another aspect of intentional engagement incorporated service opportunities during the CEP Trips. Veritas middle school students created care packages and made encouraging cards for the underprivileged community in Boston and San Antonio. In Boston, seventh-grade students made encouraging cards for residents of The New England Center and Home for Veterans and gave them with much needed blankets. In San Antonio, partnership

with CAM (Christian Assistance Ministries) continued as fifth-grade students also made encouraging cards in conjunction with giving beanies for the clients of CAM. They also received a tour of the warehouse facility from Volunteer Manager, Mary Henderson, where she gave the students insight on the purpose and creation of CAM, and gave them a view into the lives of the various clients that they service, including the homeless population of San Antonio.

Veritas continues to look for opportunities for our students to engage with the community at large, including potential ministry opportunities and partnerships. Ultimately, above all things, the goal for Veritas students is to impart a heart for others which builds empathy and care for people within the community and throughout the world. The hope for students who are a part of the Veritas community is to walk out the Great Commission and to become the salt and light that Jesus desires for His followers.

Recap: Chili Cook-Off

For the second year back after the pandemic, this year’s Annual Chili Cook-Off featured both familiar components of the event as well as new additions. There were the usual decorated class booths, the sound of music filling the entire campus, the aroma of varying chilis wafting through the cool air, and the buzzing conversations as members of the Veritas community caught up and told stories. There were also new areas for discovery in this year’s Chili CookOff. Housed at the Early Education Blacktop adjacent to The Green, there was the new “Fall Festival”

feature for Veritas families to enjoy. Equipped with a Taco Truck, a bounce house, a plethora of festival games, and the fan-favorite dunk tank (including a few Veritas administrators on a rotating basis)! The Fall Festival addition became an instant success, especially when students were challenged to dunk either Mr. Hao, Mrs. Gallegos, Mrs. Marshall, or Mr. V into the frigid water. Additionally, the judges for this year’s Chili Cook-Off featured alumni who unanimously voted the 5th-grade chili to be superior to all the other grades.

Alumni Spotlight

Near Christmas Break, Veritas alumni take the time to visit the campus, past teachers, and mingle with old friends. For what is quickly becoming an annual tradition, Veritas invites and hosts its alumni for the Veritas Alumni Gathering. Since beginning the tradition, the number of alumni who attend the event has continued to grow to include alumni across varying life seasons, from current high school students to working adults.

Another highlight for Veritas alumni involved the

current fifth grade class as they began their Cultural Expeditions Program experience on the Texas History Trip. Hannah Nicholas, Class of 2018 and a freshman at the University of Texas - Austin, gave the fifth grade Veritas students an in depth tour of the University before their visit to the Texas State Capitol. She shared her personal insight into the school, the reasons for which she chose to attend there, and the experiences she had during both the admissions process and as a current student which included a glimpse into student life.

Veritas Athletics

In Middle School at Veritas, one of the activities that students are most excited to participate in is the Veritas Athletic Program. We are currently in the middle of basketball season where both our boys and girls teams have winning records. The fall athletic season celebrated the accomplishment of the girls volleyball team reaching the semi-finals in their playoff run. The students on the boys flag football team continued improving their skills and learned much about the importance of teamwork. Come check out a game and support our athletes!

Parent Information

Standardized Testing

April 3, 2023 - April 14, 2023 (window for testing)

First through Eighth Grade

In preparation for standardized testing, please ensure that your child:

• Does not have any appointments during scheduled testing times

• Has a good night’s sleep

• Eats a healthy breakfast daily

• Arrives to school on-time daily

Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent Teacher Conferences strengthens the communication between parents and teachers, as both share the common bond of the success of the student. This time is set apart to provide a dedicated meeting time for deeper discussion regarding student progress, observations within the classroom, addressing any potential issues, and providing encouragement for continued student growth and success. See division specific dates below to schedule your conference.

Early Education PreK3 and PreK4

Early Education Parent Teacher Conferences are mandatory and are available throughout the month of March. Please wait for your child’s teacher to reach out to you regarding a conference.

Lower School First through Fourth Grades (with K) March 22 to 31, 2023

Lower School Parent Teacher Conferences (including Kindergarten) are optional. Your child’s teacher will reach out with an opportunity to schedule a conference, should you choose.

Middle School Fifth through Eighth Grades

March 22 to 31, 2023

Middle School Parent Teacher Conferences are optional. Your child’s teacher will reach out with an opportunity to schedule a conference, should you choose.

Parent Teacher Fellowship (PTF)

PTF Committees to serve on for the remainder of the 2022-2023 Academic Year: Prayer Team • Annual Auction & Gala • Teacher Appreciation • Fine Arts Night • Used Uniforms For more information, please contact Kim Berger, Assistant Head of School

Eighth Grade Production

7000 Ferris Street • Bellaire, TX 77401 www.veritasca.org • 713.773.9605