Congrats 2011 Grads!

Acorn
The
Celebrating Over 25 Years
www.parishschool.org
of
The Parish School
• Good News for the Community from The Parish School •
Where they’re headed
Allison B., Gateway Academy
July 2011
Congrats 2011 Grads!
Zane B., Compass International
School
Blake B., Tough Elementary, Conroe
ISD
Madeline C., St. Thomas the
Apostle Episcopal School
Mary H., Rainard School
Lauren H., Unknown
Conrad M., The Branch School
Adam P., School for Young Children
Ryan P., The Westview School
Bailey S., Tomball Intermediate
School
Maris S., Unknown
Kate S., St. Stephen’s Episcopal
School
Fox B., Rainard School
The 2011 Parish School Commencement Ceremony and Farewell Reception were
held at The Parish School campus on Monday, May 23, 2011.
We had 13 talented and bright young boys and girls participate in this annual
event. Each student prepared for this special day by sharing their thoughts and favorite memories of The Parish School during a recording session that was presented
with a picture slideshow. Each family also prepared written comments about their
experiences while at The Parish School which were included in the Commencement
Program. Comments were filled with emotion, gratitude and humor.
“We will always hold a special place in our hearts for Parish. We drive up to 11001
Hammerly Blvd. and we feel a sense of peace and understanding...a feeling of being
home. Madeline has become more confident and is speaking her mind...and what a
beautiful mind she has,” parents Amy and Larry Cato wrote.
“We would like to thank The Parish School teachers and staff for being part of
Blake’s life over these past five years. Your attention and caring for Blake have made
a tremendous difference in his life. You know that your child is in a wonderful place
when he can’t wait to get to school every day. We will certainly miss you all,” parents
Christy and Travis Bolin remarked.
As we reflect on the saying “mighty oaks from little acorns grow,” we know that
each of these “little acorns” have had their roots firmly planted at The Parish School
and are certain to grow into strong and successful “mighty oaks.”
Congratulations and best wishes for a bright future!
A Year of Living the Legacy
by Margaret Noecker, M.Ed, Head of School
The Acorn is a publication of The Parish School, a school for children who
have language and learning differences, ages 18 months to 5th grade.
Contact information
The Parish School
11001 Hammerly Blvd.
Houston, Texas 77043
www.parishschool.org
713.467.4696 tel
713.467.8341 fax
Mission Statement
To identify, educate and empower
children who have language and
learning differences.
Administration
Margaret Noecker
Head of School
Nancy Bewley
Principal
Karen Dickerson
Carruth Center, Inc.
Clinic Director
Wendy Airlie
Chief Financial Officer
Courtney Suddath
Director of Admissions and Family
Services
Jennifer Wismer
Director of Human
Resources
Barbara Devetski
Director of Development
Brittany Lacy
Director of Marketing
and PR
The Parish School serves students of any
race, gender, color, national or ethnic
origin. The Parish School is accredited
by the Southern Association of Colleges
and Schools.
This newsletter was produced for The
Parish School by Brittany Lacy.
2
The theme for this schol year
was chosen with our Founder, Robbin
Parish, in mind: “Living the Legacy...
Early Intervention, Individualized Education.”
Following Robbin’s passing in June
2010, The Parish School community
gathered together to honor Robbin’s
legacy and recommit ourselves to
her original dream. As a visionary in
the field of speech pathology, Robbin sought to spread awareness of
the importance of early intervention
for the remediation of language and
learning differences.
In addition to the gift of her dream
for a school for bright children who
learn differently than most teachers
are taught to teach, Robbin, in her
true visionary fashion, gave The Parish School another gift that will keep
on giving. With great love for her
dream, Robbin made a bequest to
The Parish School that included a generous gift from her estate. Her home
was deeded to the school with the
stipulation that the proceeds would
benefit the Robbin Parish Scholarship Endowment Fund. Following her
passing, Robbin’s friends and family
recognized her legacy with memorial
contributions to her Scholarship Endowment Fund.
In addition to the support of Rob-
bin and her loved ones, donations
were also given in memory of Robbin’s Aunt, Nancy Robbins. These
contributions along with a generous
$57,000 donation from the Boates
famliy, in honor of TPS alum Anna
Boates, strengthened the Scholarship
Endowment Fund so that it can now
generate money to fund a significant
annual scholarship for a child who
would otherwise not be able to attend
The Parish School. It was Robbin’s
wish that no child be turned away due
to lack of funds and while we are not
there yet, it is a goal that we will continue to work towards.
Following Robbin’s example,
please consider making a bequest to
The Parish School in support of children who have language and learning
differences. Bequests make a significant difference in the lives of the
students and families that we serve.
By giving a gift that continues to give
once you are gone, you not only ensure the future success of the school,
but also the success of our students.
Our legacy has thrived for more
than 28 years due to the generosity of our donors and the gifts they
have left behind after they are gone.
Should you choose to include The Parish School in your estate plans please
let us know.
Network with The Parish School
We are always excited to hear good news about our alumni. If you have a
great accomplishment to share or just want to let us know how you’re doing,
please email Bailey Haidamous at bhaidamous@parishschool.org. Be on the
lookout for these updates which will be shared in our quarterly alumni enewsletter.
You can become a fan of The Parish School on Facebook! Join our network
of fans and help cheer on TPS. It’s a great way to keep up to date on the day
to day campus activities as well as reconnect with past Parish School friends.
As a Facebook Fan you can RSVP to events, view photos, share your thoughts
and more!
Looking for a speaker for your social or professional group? The Parish
School has experts in the field of speech language pathology willing to speak
about language development, developmental red flags, and many other topics. Contact Bailey Haidamous at bhaidamous@parishschool.org for info.
What a great year!
2010-11 was a great year for Parish School students to continue Living the
Legacy...Early Identification, Individualized Education.
3
2010-2011
Parent Education
Opportunities
Susan H. Landry, Ph.D. honored
with Golden Oak Award
September: “Infant DevelopmentWhen Should We Be Concerned?”
presented by Dr. Pauline Filipek.
A specialist in childhood developmental disorders, Dr. Filipek presented
video footage while discussing typical
and atypical infant development.
January: “Apraxia Diagnosis and
Treatment” presented by Nancy
Kaufman, M.A., CCC-SLP
TPS and Carruth Center consultant,
Nancy Kaufman, educated our staff
and parents on the topic of speech
and expressive disorders and treatment.
February: “Experiencing a Language Learning Difference”
presented by Karol Musher, M.A.,
CCC-SLP, Linda Narun, M.A.,
CCC-SLP and James Carter, M.A.,
CCC-SLP
Elementary families were invited to
participate in this hands-on presentation designed to teach participants
how a learning disability impacts a
child’s ability to be successful in the
classroom.
March: “Life After Parish School”
presented by Leon & Robert
Tucker, Kevin & Elizabeth Brueggeman and Paige Freeman
Former TPS parents and students
spoke about their transition from TPS,
the challenges they faced and how
they overcame those challenges. The
panel included guests of varying ages
from both public and private schools.
The Parish School offers a variety
of Parent Education opportunities
throughout the year. If you have an
idea for a great topic, or would like
a Parish School expert to speak at
your next event, please contact Bailey
Haidamous at bhaidamous@parishschool.org.
4
The Parish School honored Susan H. Landry, Ph.D., Director of the Children’s
Learning Institute at The University of Texas Health Science Center, with its Golden
Oak Award at the annual Gala in January held at the Omni Houston Hotel. Dr. Landry
is recognized for her commitment to education as well as her advocacy for quality
early childhood learning environments.
The Golden Oak Award is presented annually in recognition of those individuals
who exemplify the values of The Parish School: commitment to life long education,
early identification and treatment of learning differences, and advocating for individualized education to meet the needs of all learners.
Dr. Landry’s research into environmental factors that promote early cognitive
growth and development built the framework for the Center for Improving Readiness
of Children for Learning and Education (CIRCLE), which led to the implementation of
the research proven early childhood school readiness program, Texas Early Education Model (TEEM), in pre-kindergarten classrooms across Texas.
“With extensive research, multiple training programs and her unwavering leadership in the field of early childhood education,” said Principal Nancy Bewley, “Dr.
Landry has made a significant contribution to the welfare and learning environment
for young children in our community and across the United States.”
Dr. Landry conducts numerous research projects and training activities promoting quality learning environments for young children. Her numerous research
programs have generated a large database on early childhood. More than 70
peer-reviewed publications and over a dozen chapters describe the findings of these
studies.
“Dr. Landry is a stellar example of a Golden Oak honoree,” Head of School Margaret Noecker said. “What she has done for early childhood education is immeasurable. By advocating for quality learning environments for young children, Dr. Landry
has helped shaped state and national goals of early childhood literacy initiatives,
ensuring a solid foundation for future educational performance and success.”
The Parish Preserve Recognizes Members
Preserve verb /pri’zerv/
Answers.com defines the word preserve to mean “keep,” or “maintain.” Members of The Parish Preserve are dedicated to keeping up The Parish School’s high standards of excellence afforded to children who have language and learning differences and
assisting our Board of Directors in maintaining competetive tuition for the individualized education offered at The Parish School.
We would like to recognize the following Members of
The Parish Preserve was established in October 2008 as
a way to offer special recognition to annual giving donors who the Parish Preserve for their dedication to our children:
commit to supporting The Parish School over a period of three
Mrs. Marion Alexander
years. The Parish Preserve is a very special way to support
Mr. and Mrs. William Crook
Dr. and Mrs. Steven Davenport
our Annual Fund which we fondly call Seeds for Growth.
Mr. and Mrs. Alistair Dawson
Why join the Parish Preserve?
Mr. and Mrs. Jacko Garrett
Mr. and Mrs. Steven Gordon
Mr. and Mrs. Alfredo Gutierrez
Mr. and Mrs. Webb Jennings
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Koinis
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Noecker
Mr. and Mrs. David Peden, Jr.
Mrs. Anne Pratt
Schulte Charitable Foundation
SK Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. William Temple Webber, III
1. Your donation will help the school “preserve” our educational, philosophical and professional goals which make
us one of the premiere schools in Texas for children who
have language and learning differences.
2. Your commitment will assist us as we set our budget
each year and strive to keep tuition increases competitive.
3. Your membership will streamline your giving; we will
send you an invoice each year as the annual campaign
kicks off.
4. You will receive special recognition and invitations to
VIP school events.
5. You will have the satisfaction that your tax deductible
donation touches the life of every child at The Parish
School.
Three-year commitment levels range from $500 - $5,000
per year. We invite you to become a member of this important
group and help us preserve the specialized education provided
for our children. For more information about becoming a member
of the Parish Preserve, please contact Barb Devetski at 713-4674696 EXT 125 or bdeveteski@parishschool.org.
Thanks to the Following 2010-11 Recognized Donors
Annual Giving
Seeds for Growth
ConocoPhillips
Dr. and Mrs. John Hacskaylo
Dr. and Mrs. Larry Cato
GE Foundation Matching Gifts
Jean Lykes Grace Foundation
Lykes Knapp Family Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Alfredo Gutierrez
Mr. and Mrs. Art Howe
Mr. and Mrs. Canon Coleman
Mr. and Mrs. David D Peden, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Jacko Garrett
Mr. and Mrs. James Shaddix
Mr. and Mrs. Kent Pickrell
Mr. and Mrs. Mark S Miller
Mr. and Mrs. Otis Shearer
Mr. and Mrs. Webb Jennings
Mr. Bob Handy
Mr. Chester Sappington
Mrs. Patsy Bell
The Hamill Foundation
SK Foundation
Capital Campaign Donors
Cockrell Family Fund
Fall Luncheon Donors
Mr. and Mrs. Alfredo Gutierrez
Mrs. Carolyn Clarke
Mrs. Kay Williamson
Mrs. Pam Wallace
Mrs. Pat Sorrells
Scurlock Foundation
Mrs. Tish Peden
Scholarship Donors
Insperity
The Bauer Foundation
Baxter Trust
The Brown Foundation Inc.
The Carruth Foundation, Inc.
The Cockrell Foundation
The Hamill Foundation
The Meyer Foundation
M.D. Anderson Foundation
Ms. Roberta Kowalishin
Nautilus World, Ltd.
Robbin Parish
Scholarship Endowment
Mr. and Mrs. William V. H. Clarke
Mr. and Mrs. W. A Stockard, Jr.
General Donors
Baxter Trust
Benton Family Foundation
Chevron Matching Gift Program
Dr. and Mrs. Larry Cato
ExxonMobil Foundation
Fondren Foundation
George and Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation
Lyons Foundation
Nickelodeon
Simmons Foundation
The Cockrell Foundation
The Ellwood Foundation
Urban Outfitters/Anthropologie
Golf Tournament Donors
UPS
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Lindsay
Gala Donors
Insperity
Amegy Bank
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas
Dr. and Mrs. Mike Metzker
The Ellwood Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Art Howe & Oberti Sullivan LLP
Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Jessett
Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Lindseth
Mr. and Mrs. Alfredo Gutierrez
Mr. and Mrs. Andres Reiner
Mr. and Mrs. Arish Rustomji
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Bellinger
Mr. and Mrs. Marc Herzstein
Mr. and Mrs. Mick Cantu
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Bryant
Mr. and Mrs. Nef Partida
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Noecker
Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Gobe
Mr. and Mrs. Robert M Bryant, Sr.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R Reckling, III
Mr. and Mrs. Webb Jennings
Mr. Luis Moratinos
Mr. Peter McLaughlin and Mrs. Didi Garza
Mr. and Mrs. William V.H. Clarke
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Neutzler
PKF of Texas
UT Health Science Center at Houston
Recognized Donors gave monetary contributions of $1,000 and above August 1, 2010
through June 28, 2011. All Donors from the
2010 fiscal year will be named in the Annual
Report distributed in October.
5
The Parish School Named Resident Training Site
This year, The Parish School and
Carruth Center, Inc. were selected by
the University of Texas Medical School
at Houston’s Children’s Learning Institute
as a site for resident neurologists and
pediatricians to visit as part of their training rotations.
Throughout the school year, sixteen
medical students spent two days a week
on The Parish School and Carruth Center
campus visiting classrooms and therapy
rooms to learn about identification and
intervention techniques for children who
have language and learning differences.
“This is a wonderful way to help
future neurologists and pediatricians
identify early warning signs, and to make
appropriate referrals to parents in need
of early intervention for their children,”
Parish School Principal Nancy Bewley
said. “We have lots to teach and share
with the medical professions.”
Dr. Pauline A. Filipek, Professor of
Pediatrics said The Parish School and
Carruth Center were ideal training locations because the diversity of language
disorders represented in the client
populations and the campus’ combined
school and clinic presents a unique op-
portunity.
“I hope that through this
rotation the residents will gain an
appreciation that educators and
therapists, as well as primary care
doctors, are members of a team
that provide care for our children,”
Dr. Filipek said. “The idea is that
they can learn from the educators
and therapists and the school and
clinic concerning non-medical care
and also recognize and take advantage of the opportunity to become
an active, educated participant
in the care of their special needs
patients.”
The Parish School is proud
to have partnered with CLI to give
residents the opportunity to see
first hand how childhood language
and learning differences manifest
themselves. It is our goal that they will
take this information with them and
share what they have learned throughout
the medical community to better serve
and diagnose children who have special
needs.
Team Parish A Success at Chevron Houston Marathon
For the third year in a row, The Parish School participated
in Chevron Houston Marathon’s Run for a Reason program. By
urging runners to “make every step count”, Run for a Reason,
raised over $1 million for Houston area charities.
Our marathon fundraisers surpassed our original goal of
$20,000 raising approximately $26,000 in support of Tuition
Assistance at The Parish School. We are so thankful for the
opportunity to participate in this incredible program amongst
many of Houston’s esteemed charities. Team Parish, which
started at six runners in the 2008-2009 marathon season,
grew to thirty six runners this year. Thank you to our runners who dedicated their time to help raise funds to support children who have language and learning differences.
We give a special thanks to our top fundraising duo,
Allison and Freddy Feldman who collected contributions
totaling over $4,000-- a Team Parish record!
The Parish School has been approved as an official
charity for the 2011-2012 race to take place January
15, 2012. If you plan to participate in the marathon or its
supporting races, please choose to support children who
have language and learning differences by joining Team
Parish. We also have guaranteed entries for those who
were not chosen in the lottery!
For more information on how to race for The Parish
School please visit www.parishschool.org or e-mail Bailey
Haidamous at bhaidamous@parishschool.org.
Team Parish runners celebrate after crossing the finish
line at The Parish School’s tent located in the Post Race
Party area at Discovery Green.
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Carruth Center, Inc. Welcomes New Clinic Director
This year, Carruth Center, Inc. at The Parish School
welcomed new Clinic Director Karen W. Dickerson, Ph.D., CCCSLP. Karen was previously employed with The Parish School as
a Level I/II teacher from 1993-1998.
Karen received her doctorate in curriculum and instruction,
with an emphasis in early childhood education, from the University of Texas at Austin. Her primary research interest includes
the impact of the arts in lives of children with autism.
As a specialist in identifying and treating preschool and
elementary age children who have language and learning difficulties, auditory processing issues and articulation disorders,
Karen brings a wealth of knowledge to Carruth Center. Under
her guidance, the clinic is now offering many new and innovative programs including Music Therapy, Apraxia Boot Camp,
Behavior Boot Camp and a Transition Program for exiting
students.
In addition to serving as Carruth Center Clinic Director,
Karen continues to offer individual speech and language
therapy. The Parish School and Carruth Center are fortunate
to benefit from Karen’s expertise as she continues to grow the
level of dedication and services to Carruth Center clients.
We sincerely thank former Clinic Director, Nicole Devens
for ensuring a smooth transition. We applaud Nicole for her
years of service as Clinic Director and remain grateful that she
continues her role as a speech language therapist at Carruth
Center.
Located on The Parish School campus, Carruth Center
was founded in 1991 through generous funding from the Carruth Foundation. Carruth Center is a private, multidisciplinary
clinic offering an array of assessment and therapeutic services
year round to the families of The Parish School and the greater
Houston community.
Carruth Center therapists are a group of highly trained
professionals in the areas of neuropsychology, psychology,
speech language pathology, occupational therapy, music
therapy and licensed professional counselors. Carruth staff
specializes in the evaluation and treatment of children in the
areas of learning, emotional, behavioral, attention, neurological, communication and developmental concerns.
Again we welcome Karen on board as she continues to
guide Carruth Center as a first rate facility for children throughout Houston.
Adventure Play at TPS Awarded Nickelodeon Grant
The Parish School was awarded $2,500 as one of 123 deserving recipients of Nickelodeon’s Big Help Grants designed
to help launch or continue environmentally friendly projects
in local communities. The Parish School grant was chosen
amongst 400 schools nationwide.
Aventure Play (AP) used the grant monies along with building materials provided by the City of Houston’s Re-Use Warehouse to construct an outdoor classroom made of aluminum
cans collected over four months. Over 2,500 cans were collected and assembled by students and volunteers.This project
provided a full sensory, interactive learning tool to illustrate
the importance of recycling and sustainability. The structure
provided support for Earth Day activities and encouraged discussion of the infinitely recyclable nature of aluminum, while
allowing students to see firsthand how much waste one small
school of 130 students can produce.
On May 5, 2011 AP hosted a Grand Opening of the building to honor all the students and their families who volunteered their time to the project.The finished structure is used
as a much needed meeting and storage space for the AP
afterschool program.
Students who have difficulty interacting with their classmates benefit from AP. Their inability to use expressive
language and interpret social cues may cause difficulties in
many areas of social interaction including knowing how to
initiate play, how to persuade classmates to join them in play,
and taking on leadership roles or self-advocating in a social
context. In addition, these children must focus so intensely on
understanding written media in their classroom settings, that
the opportunity to learn through play is a welcome and rich
context for trying new things.
AP is a unique developmental program designed to
encourage children’s ability to use expressive language and
interpret social cues in a child-directed outdoor play environment. The children’s primary job on Adventure Play is to conceptualize their own playground and build it with the supplies
and tools available. By working together to complete tasks and
goals, the children not only develop confidence in their accomplishments but also a a strong sense of community.
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Attention Alumni! We’d love to hear from you!
Please complete and fax or mail to the Development Office. Fax: 713.467.8341
Name
Occupation
Years attended
Schools/Programs attended after leaving TPS
Address
City
State
Zip
Home Phone
What is new with you?
Email
Is thes an address change?
Yes
No
Parents: If you have a student who attended The Parish School and who no longer lives with you, please help us update
our addresses. Thank you!
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11001 Hammerly Blvd
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