Dec 3 - The Post Oak School
Transcription
Dec 3 - The Post Oak School
The Post Oak School · 4600 Bissonnet · Bellaire, TX 77401 · TEL 713-661-6688 Accredited by the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI); founded 1963 · FAX 713-661-4959 www.postoakschool.org D E C E MB E R 3 IMPORTANT DATES DECEMBER Tue 7 POPA Coffee/Work Day 8:45 am— last of 2004, so please come and join in! POS Spirit Day Prospective Parent Class 9:00 a.m. Reading Room with Kathy Long Thu 9 Coffee with Shawn Edwards: 8:45 am Learn about our Upper School Program Middle School Moving Up Night 7:00 pm Fri 10 Holiday Caroling 4 -5 pm Tue 14 See page 8 Prospective Parent Class 9:00 a.m. Reading Room with Kathy Long Thu 16 ASEP I Ends Fri 17 Teacher In-Service Early Dismissal - all students: Infant…….11:30-11:45 Primary…...11:45-12:00 Elem/MS…12:00-12:15 Mon 20 thru Fri 31st Winter Holiday School Closed JANUARY 2005 Mon 3 Teacher In- Service School Closed No students in Attendance Tue 4 School Resumes Thu6 Alumni Night 7pm See page 3 Recent Post Oak grads have excellent grades. Details on page 3. Why Montessori Elementary? by Shawn Edwards, Upper School Director "Montessori education excels in teaching children to learn." --a Post Oak parent in a recent survey of upper elementary parents As I walk around this campus, I am continually amazed at what I see from four and five year old students. The work they do is amazing! Just today I was watching a five year old count the beads on a long chain of five and label the increments with tickets – she was in fact learning the multiplication tables of five, the concept of multiples, and the concept of cubing (the long chain of five, when counted, is equal to the cube of 5 which is 125)! I don’t know of any other program in Houston where “kindergarten” aged children are offered the opportunity to stretch their intellect in this manner. Children in other programs are definitely capable of comprehending these same concepts; however, the focus of many other programs is on making sure that children in their last year of preschool learn the alphabet, their colors, and their numbers – this is part of what the state recommends as curriculum instruction for children of this age. The skill level of a typical five-year-old child at Post Oak is advanced. There is, however, a “catching up” that occurs between children who attend our school and those who attend other schools. My experience is that this happens at about the third grade level. So, why would you choose an elementary Montessori program for your child? I believe that it is because our students learn what they need to learn with excitement and zest; the benefits they receive cannot be measured by textbook reviews or six-week exams. …..continues P O S Ne ws Page 2 Why Montessori Elementary?….. These benefits are intrinsic and character forming. Our upper school students stretch themselves, and they take the risks necessary to jump into new and unfamiliar material. They extract great pleasure from big work and extensive projects. A few weeks ago, I gave a lesson on the five kingdoms to a group of upper elementary students. The very next day, one of those students arrived at school with a detailed, had written chart, complete with illustrations and text, on the sixth kingdom. This, of course, left me wondering where I was when the classification system was revised. Many of you are currently faced with the reality that it’s time to decide on an elementary school for your child (“Why Montessori Elementary?”). In addition to absorbing and enjoying the stories and experiences shared above, I feel that it is extremely important for you to look at the whole picture, and to understand the psyche of a child entering the second plane of development. These children, between the ages of six and twelve, have specific characteristics that give rise to particular needs and tendencies. These include the need for exploration, group work, big work, movement, socialization, and a desire to become part of the larger society. The elementary Montessori program caters to these needs and provides children with opportunities for group work (much of the work is project based), big work (the children often initiate their own projects and resort to huge charts and timelines that involve extensive research), movement (no desks; freedom within limits), socialization (working together through talking, discussing, debating, and yes, talking), as well as opportunities to participate in and contribute to society at large. In summary, the philosophical approach towards what we do is aligned with the needs of all children of this plane. As you read on, you will find that there is also a logical structure in place and that practicality plays a role in what we do. Our curriculum is somewhat unique, yet comprehensive and inclusive of all state requirements. Our standard method of delivering information is to begin with the whole and graduate to the detail. Thus, we begin every year with a story of the creation of the universe followed by a story of the coming of life, the coming of humans, the coming of language, and finally, the coming of mathematics. This provides children with a framework where all other subsequent knowledge will fit, and it gives them a sense of appreciation for the great works of the past. Children at this school learn to manage time and the plan and make goals for themselves. They are held accountable for a certain amount of work on a daily basis, and they are expected to keep detailed records of their lessons and their work. The teachers, this year, are using a uniformed, electronic system of record keeping that allows them to keep detailed records without draining too much of their time and energy. Homework and testing are part of the culture of our upper school programs. While we do expect the children to work on drills and memorization at home, extensive assignments and research-based projects are usually completed here on campus. All children ( 2nd though 8th grades) take the Stanford Achievement Tests each year and their scores are compared with others on a national level. Reports on the test scores are posted in our weekly newsletter during the spring of each year. My favorite component of this program involves the social/emotional and character development that the children receive. Children who are in a class together for three years begin each experience with a watchful eye of their elder peers and eventually become leaders. They learn how to coexist in a peaceful manner. Daily class meetings, where the children form the agendas, help to foster problem-solving skills and develop their abilities to formulate solutions. These children are involved in community service from the time that they enter elementary and they learn to be empathetic and compassionate human beings. As a mother of three children here at this school, I have been able to watch my children develop a high level of intellectual capacity. I feel confirmed that their academic experiences have been as great as I could have ever wished for them. Even more appealing to me is that the emotional and social strengths that they have gained at The Post Oak School enable them to apply their intellectual knowledge to their own lives in a way that is meaningful to them as individuals. To learn more about the greatness of our upper school, read next week’s article on Society and the Children of the Second Plane. The next “Coffee With Shawn Edwards” will be on Thursday, December 9; the topic will be Curriculum. See you there! P O S Ne ws Page 3 Come hear from Post Oak graduates at the annual Alumni Night! Thursday January 6th at 7:00 p.m. Post Oak alumni will discuss their transition from a Montessori education to more traditional high school programs. Many of you may wonder how students were prepared as they entered high schools around the greater Houston area. Some of the questions we will explore with our alumni panel are: • What was it like to adjust having many different teachers and the experience of navigating the campus? • How did you adjust to the courses you took during your freshman year? Did you feel challenged? Were you prepared academically? What is the homework load like? • We try to make your last two years here at Post Oak a bridge to traditional school. Is there something we should do differently to help you with this transition? • What helped you to adjust to the beginning of your new school? If you wonder how Montessori students transition to traditional high schools, please attend this discussion. You will hear from many distinguished young students. This is one of our favorite events of the year. Listening to these students will reaffirm that a Post Oak education provides an education for life. Parents often ask, “How do Post Oak graduates do when they move on to traditional high schools?” We consistently hear from the grads themselves, from their parents and from their new schools that our graduates thrive, that they are well prepared to meet the academic challenges of high school. We have received first grading period reports on 15 of our 17 graduates. They are attending six different high schools: Bellaire High School, Episcopal High School, Houston School for the Visual and Performing Arts (HSPVA), I. Weiner High School, Lamar High School, and St. Agnes Academy. Some of the schools grade on a 100-point scale and some utilize a 4-point scale (A, B, C…). Here are the composite averages of last year’s Post Oak graduates in their first high school grading period: 3.32 on a 4.00 scale 90 on a 100 scale We are pleased that our most recent graduating class is doing so well and we offer them congratulations and continued encouragement. “How do I tell you what I feel?” (A social-expressive language skills group) The classes (one for ages 5 - 8 and one for ages 9 -12) begin on January 11, 2005 and will meet twice a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) for six weeks during school hours. For children ages 5 - 8 years and 9-12 years When: Time: Where: Contacts: Jan 11—Feb 17 ( six weeks per session) 5-8 yrs at 1-1:30 pm, 9-12 yrs. at 2-2:30pm Tuesdays & Thursdays Post Oak School. Beth Dawson, M.A., CCC Mary Jo Rapini, M.Ed., L.P.C. Please fill out a registration form (inquire at front office) and attach a check for payment of $400 for the six week session. You may place the registration form and check in Beth Dawson's Post Oak Mail Box. Checks should be made payable to ‘Mary Jo Rapini and Beth Dawson’ Please respond no later than Monday, January 10th if you plan to enroll your child in this program. P O S Ne ws Page 4 Our thanks to the many parent volunteers who helped greet our Grandparents’ Day visitors last week, acted as guides on lower school observational tours and on upper school classroom visits! P O S Ne ws Page 5 "What's Next?" Infant Community Parents Meet During this school year we will have 18 children in the Infant Community transition to the Primary. At school, each child is lovingly prepared for this change by his/her teachers. On Thursday, January 13th from 8:45 to 10:00 a.m. in the Atrium we will present an orientation program for the parents of children who will be moving up to Primary this year. Lower School Director, Kathy Long, will guide this introduction to the Primary. She will give suggestions for ways to assist at home during the transition time, offer a guided observation of the Primary classrooms so parents can see, and then talk about some of the differences between these levels. There will also be time for questions about transitioning. This meeting will also be helpful for parents whose children will transition to Primary in the 05-06 school year. Please plan now to attend on January 13th. Primary Thanksgiving Feast The Extended Day students and teachers in Barbara, Lisa, Miriam and Mirani's classes learned about and then prepared a Thanksgiving Feast using authentic recipes from the first Thanksgiving. The menu included turkey, yams, succotash, baked beans, cranberries, and more. Each class sat together at a banquet table to share the meal. Infant/Parent Program Registrations are now being accepted for both classes. Class A meets twice a week on Monday and Thursday afternoons from 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. in Susan Tracy's class. The class is for infants from 2 months to crawling. The cost of this class is $200:00. Class B is for infants who are in the crawling to pre-walking stage. This class meets at the Motherhood Center, 3701 W. Alabama on Tuesdays from 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. The cost of the class is $100:00. Session II will run for eight-weeks: Jan. 10 - Feb. 28. Check www.postoakschool.org under the "School Community" link for Infant/Parent registration forms. P O S Ne ws Page 6 Ms. Samede’s class sets off for City Hall…… “The purpose of our recent trip was to meet with the Mayor and members of city council. We also got a chance to ask them about their jobs and the tasks they perform. The mayor assigned the class to write three things he could do to make Houston better.” Thanks to all the chaperones for making this trip a success, especially Mr. Randon, and to Mr. and Mrs. Eskridge for providing the pictures. Prospective parents meet on Tuesday mornings with Kathy Long to learn about Montessori education. This week's group of moms and dads discussed "At Home with Montessori." Mystery student still to be identified!! P O S Ne ws Page 7 Dear Families of Post Oak School, Mr. Schneider’s class is doing a service project to support the third grade students at Gordon Elementary. Gordon is designated as a Title One school, and many students there are in need of basic items for home and school. We would like you to participate in this service project by donating some items. You can make a cash donation ($10.00 limit please), or you can donate socks, tooth-brushes, toothpaste, combs, hairbrushes, Kleenex tissue, pencils, erasers, colored pencils, crayons, markers, notebook paper, spiral notebooks, art paper or children’s books. You may donate the items from Monday, December 6th through Monday, December 13th. The items will be collected during arrival (look for our classroom volunteers!), or you can deliver the items to our classroom. If you make donations during arrival, your child may take items to our volunteers. Anna Arnett, Sarah Bourdin, Daniel Brenner, Emily Chen, Alexandra Fowler, Jessica Goff, Mary Elizabeth Harvey, Elizabeth Hunter, Aziza Janmohamed, Jack Murphy, Cassidy Newsome, Alexander Nguyen, Emily Paul, Benjamin Penchas, Avery Peters, Rishi Prasadha, Sarah Muschinske, Samantha Pulaski, Braxton Reese, Jonathan Rodriguez, Harrison Schmidt, Mason Speed, John Henry Styles, Brooke Upchurch, Allison Wawro, Grant Wise, Jeff Schneider and Patricia Sayegh. Our Babysitters are booking up fast! Do you have Holiday Parties to attend? Do you have lots of shopping to do? Call now to book a Professional Babysitter for your child. Our rates are $15.00 per hour with a four hour minimum. All our Babysitters are CPR trained, have had a criminal background check, are bonded and insured by our coverage, and come with impeccable references. They are all experienced with infants and many have experience with multiples. Feel confident that your children are well taken care of while you celebrate this Holiday Season. Call us at 713-963-8880 or email us and book a babysitter today! Rates are $15 per hour/4 hour minimum. New Years Eve is $20 per hour/6 hour minimum. $20 additional fee for booking within 24 hours or cancellation within 24 hours. The Motherhood Center , 3701 W. Alabama, Suite 230 , Houston, TX 77027 , 713-963-9990 With the Holidays approaching, we know that no matter what we say some parents wish to mark the season in a way that benefits their child/children’s teachers, and the school as a whole. The ideal way is to make a gift in someone’s honor, either to the Faculty Sabbatical Fund or to the Library. These seasonal acknowledgement slips are available at the Front Desk. Put completed slips in the envelopes with your gift (checks payable to The Post Oak School), do not seal, and I will arrange for signature by John and forward to the designated honorees. Janice Elkins, Development Director P O S Ne ws Page 8 Som e ARTrageous Evening: Celebrating the Making of Masterpieces! Frid ay , M arc h 1 1 , 2 0 0 5 H o tel In terC o n tin en ta l – G a lleria Auction Highlights – What’s Hot!!! Napa Valley Escape Enjoy a 3-night, 4-day stay in beautiful Napa Valley at the Embassy Suites, which plays host to guests from around the world! The small town atmosphere, comfortable climate and friendly faces are sure to make you feel at home while you enjoy tours of some of the world’s best wines and winemaking facilities. We have even lined-up tours at some exclusive wineries that do not regularly offer visits to the public! While Napa's rich winemaking history surely is a strong attraction, don’t underestimate the other delights of the Napa Valley. There are world-renowned restaurants, early morning balloon rides over the Valley, health spas and many more joys to take in during your stay. The Ultimate Pamper Yourself Experience Indulge yourself with a 3-night La Petite Spa Package (valued at $3,044) at the exclusive Cal-A-Vie Spa. Nestled away on 200 private acres in Vista, California, just 40 miles north of San Diego, Cal-a-Vie is a health spa resort for 24 guests and offers more personalized attention than any hotel or resort spa. With a 4 to 1 staff to guest ratio, Cal-a-Vie combines luxurious European Spa philosophies with the California concepts of fitness, health and nutrition. The goal is to send guests home feeling relaxed, refreshed and rejuvenated. Your spa package includes gourmet spa cuisine, fitness classes, hiking, beauty and spa treatments, lectures on health and nutrition, luxury Provence-style accommodations. “My time at Cal-a-Vie was one of the best gifts I've ever given myself,” Kathleen Turner, Actress. What’s Needed???? Your Help, of course!!! The Auction Committee greatly would appreciate your donations to the auction. Of special interest are items originated by Post Oak parents with creative talents!!! Family Vacation Homes for Weekend Retreats Hotel Rewards Points for Weekend or Weekday Getaways Airline Mileage on any Major Carrier* Tickets to Sporting Events or Use of Corporate Boxes Autographed Sports Memorabilia or Unique Sport Opportunities Tickets to Arts or Theater Events *Airline miles must equal the full ticket reward value of approx. 25,000 miles per ticket; partial mileage applied towards a reward ticket will not be accepted by the airlines. Contact Auction Co-Chairs Susan Whitney or Miri Wilkins to donate! Auction Donor Forms are available at the front desk. We express our appreciation to all the businesses that have donated to the auction to date. List is current as of November 12, and includes only those contracts and items that have been received. Art & Photography Alexander’s Fine Portrait Design Alvin Gee Photography Gabriel Tran Photography Haney & Whipple Portraits Jennifer Bender Katy Anderson Photography Kaye Marvins Photography Paul Fleming of the Barbara Davis Gallery Rick Staudt Portrait Design Sicardi Gallery Stamper Photography Temple Webber Photography For Him/For Her A Bientot Carl & Barni Craig’s Cleaner J. Silver Tootsie’s Home & Garden Semi-Antique Anatolian Kilin of 100% Wool (Jo Anne & Frank White) Wine & Dine A.D. Players Alley Theatre Bank Jean-Georges in Hotel Icon Beck’s Prime Benjy’s in the Village Bombay Brasserie Café Express Carrabba’s Italian Grill Chipotle Mexican Grill Cleburne Cafeteria Collina’s Italian Café Da Camera Daily Grill El Tiempo Cantina Fogo de Chao Holocaust Museum Houston Ballet Hugo’s James Coney Island Joe’s Crab Shack Los Tios Main Street Theater Mark’s Mission Burritos Museum of Fine Arts – Houston Neiman Marcus Café Paulie’s on Holcombe Piatto’s Ristorante Radio Music Theatre River Oaks Grill Shade Southwell’s Hamburger Grill Starbuck’s Coffee Company The Briar Club Pamper Yourself Arena Salon & Day Spa ERMOSA - E. Fred Aquilar III, MD, FACS & Jacquie Carpenter Beautique Day Spa Persona Day Spa Sensia Studio & Japanese Day Spa Sports & Recreation Clubs of Kingwood ES Fitness Fleet Feet Houston Aeros Charities Just for Kids Houston Rockets Cake Affairs Children’s Museum of Houston Rice University Athletics Cullen Amusements Discover Gymnastics Southwyck Golf Club Drama Kids International Gymnast Factory Woodlands TPC Handpainted Chair from Kasi Kubiak Studios Houston Gymnastics Academy Travel & Getaways Boudro’s – San Antonio Houston Museum of Natural Science Houston Swim Club Houston Zoo Cal-A-Vie Spa John P. McGovern Mus. Health & Medical Science Joni and Jerry Landon Kidventure Camps Lakeshore Learning Hotel Icon Leapin’ Leotards Marble Slab Creamery Hotel Limpia Polar Ice Galleria Saint Street Swim Hotel Monteleone Hotel Valencia Riverwalk Snips & Snails Children’s Salon The Glassell Junior School, Mus. Fine Arts Houston Hotel Paisano The Sports House Tips on Learning Omni Hotel San Antonio Zoo Weekly Family YMCA Wilkenfeld Speech, Language & Learning Center Thank You, Thank You!!!! A big thank you to all those who have and are helping to secure auction items: Brandy Aliezer, Beth Apollo, Melissa Cordero, Heidi Farmer, Michelle Hunter, Michelle Lu, Rachel Moore, Michelle Munn, Katie Orr, Bev Peters, Julia Vine, Kelly Shearer, Lisa Sternschuss, Susan Whitney and Miri Wilkins. P O S Ne ws Page 9 The holidays soon will be here, But don’t drink all your holiday cheer! A bottle of red, a bottle of white, All will be auctioned on gala night! Post Oak School Wine Drive Wednesday, December 8 – Friday, December 10 ……… During Carpool Line Pick-up *** Contribute Wine, Cash or Check (payable to POS) *** Volunteers will be on-hand to accept your donations. Financial contributions will be used to purchase quality wines from Spec’s Liquor Downtown OR you may contact Spec’s directly at (713) 526-8787 to provide your credit card information. Simply indicate that you wish to support The Post Oak School Gala & Auction and the amount you wish to spend. Trained staff will select superior wine/s at your designated price point or may pool funds to ensure the best value for the dollars donated. Spec’s Liquor Downtown – (713) 526-8787 (ask for Kim Levy) ** Indicate The Post Oak School Gala/Auction and Amount You Wish to Spend ** Thanks to Wine Drive Co-Chairs Candace Dickerson & Michelle Munn!!! All contributions to the Wine Drive will be used in the Live & Silent Auction at The Post Oak School Gala on March 11, 2005. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Some ARTrageous Evening: Some ARTrageous Evening: Celebrating the Making of Masterpieces! Celebrating the Making of Masterpieces! Friday, March 11, 2005 Hotel InterContinental – Galleria Friday, March 11, 2005 Hotel InterContinental – Galleria Anyone wishing to help out with the Wine Drive should contact Danielle Kernell. Wednesday, December 8 – Friday, December 10 11:35 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. and/or 3:05 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. Thanks, in advance, for your time and support! Once again, the Gala organizers would greatly appreciate your donations to the auction: Family Vacation Homes for Weekend Retreats Hotel Rewards Points for Weekend or Weekday Getaways Airline Mileage on any Major Carrier* Tickets to Sporting Events or Use of Corporate Boxes Autographed Sports Memorabilia or Unique Sport Opport Tickets to Arts or Theater Events Page 10 P O S Ne ws Dear Families, Please join other interested community members on Friday, December 10, from 4:00p.m - 5:00p.m. as they Carol through Brighton Gardens to bring elderly residents some good fun and good cheer! Parents, students, faculty and staff are all welcome to join in on the fun. We do ask that any children participating are accompanied by a parent. Debbie Nickerson, one of our Lower Elementary teachers, has agreed to be the "point" person for this event. Please look for her at the front of the school on this day at 4:00p.m. Debbie will drive one of our school buses to Brighton Gardens on a first come, first serve basis (the bus will hold 14 passengers). You can also follow her in your own cars. Brighton Gardens is located near the corner of the 610 loop and Bellaire Blvd. The exact address is 4620 Bellaire Blvd. After arriving at Brighton Gardens, Debbie Nickerson will lead you through the double doors at the 610 entrance where you will begin singing in the Healthcare Unit and then proceed on to Assisted Living. Debra is the woman who is in charge of activities at Brighton Gardens and helped to arrange this event. We hope to see many of you on the 10th of December at 4:00p.m. Sincerely, Shawn Edwards Upper School Director Please stop by the Front Hall and collect any lost items from the box. There are jackets, lunch boxes, shoes, and shirts. Any items remaining after December 17th will be donated to charity. Some ARTrageous Evening: Celebrating the Making of Masterpieces! Friday, March 11, 2005 Hotel InterContinental – Galleria REMINDER: On Thursday, Dec. 9…. ….. Shawn Edwards will host the second of four coffees. The focus of the presentation/discussion will be Curriculum at the upper school levels. It will be held at 8:45 a.m. in the Reading Room. Please call the front desk to R.S.V.P. if you plan to attend. And…..that evening…. ...at 7:00 p.m., the middle school teachers will meet with parents to talk about their two year (7th and 8th grade) program. Childcare for primary and elementary students will be available. Please call the front office and R.S.V.P. if you plan to attend. Calling All Families! For the first time, The Post Oak School will offer parents and business owners the opportunity to advertise in the Gala program. This is an exciting opportunity for both the school and potential advertisers. Ad sizes and prices have been set and are wonderfully AFFORDABLE: as low as $100! We are asking you to share this opportunity with businesses that you frequent. We are NOT asking you to solicit/cold call anybody!! Since the revenue will support our school, we hope to include many businesses and service providers (insurance agents, realtor, orthodontist, etc)---the businesses you would recommend. We are particularly interested in featuring our own parents’ businesses, and they will be highlighted in a special section. It’s easy to place an ad, with the print requirements clearly spelled out in our advertising packet. Our deadline is January 15th, so please contact 2-3 businesses now to elicit their support of our school. Ad packets are available at the front desk and will be online soon to allow you to easily forward to your targeted business. Contact Vicki Harvey or your classroom gala parent representative if you have any questions. This is not hard, we’ll explain how easy it is! About The Post Oak News The Post Oak News is published weekly while school is in session. It is distributed each Friday to the oldest child in your family. It is also available at the school’s web site: www.postoakschool.org The deadline for material to be considered for inclusion each week is 5 pm on the Tuesday preceding the day of publication. Please direct all material in electronic form to Janice Elkins, Director of Development: janiceelkins@postoakschool.org Please call Janice if you have any questions: 713-661-6688 ext. 124.