The Post, 12.05.2014

Dear Parents:

At this week’s board of trustee meeting, board chair Melissa Coleman reported about her recent participation in a conference with other board chairs from private schools around the country. The content she presented relates to other work that we are doing at the school, and I made those connections. It was a lengthy and interesting discussion, a different strategic issue than those which have dominated board work over the past several years, and a reminder that trustees volunteer their service to the school because of their deep commitment to our educational mission.I am copying you on a summary of that discussion, and some promised follow-up, that I sent to the board the next day.

--John

Trustees:

Here’s my variation on Melissa’s comment from last night’s board meeting:

Post Oak: Education of the Future, Now.

Melissa came to this realization while attending the Independent School Chairpersons Association (ISCA) conference in NYC a couple of weeks ago. One content strand running thru that conference dealt with how to transform independent schools so that they occupy the cutting edge and offer “education of

P O S T OA K : E D U C AT I O N O F T H E F U T U R E , N O W.b y Jo h n Lo ng, Hea d o f S ch o o l

i n t h i s i s s u e : M M U N V I S I T S C H I N A • T E D xYO U T H R E C A P • G R A N D PA R E N T ’ S D A Y S A N D B O O K F A I R P H O T O S

V O L U M E X X , N U M B E R 8A biweekly publication of The Post Oak School

D E C E M B E R 5 , 2 0 14Available online at

www.postoakschool.org

T h e

POST

the future.” This must be their (and our) market niche. What is ‘education of the future?’ Here are two slides from one of the ISCA presentations:

ONE: The 21st century skills movement, the Schools of the Future movement, focus on the development of these skills: • Communication • Collaboration • Critical/Analytical Thinking • Creativity • Problem-solving Content is still important; but content in these areas will need to be acquired through active exploration as well as through instruction.

TWO: A New Definition of School “we need to invert the conventional classroom dynamic: instead of teaching information and content first, and then asking students to answer questions about it second, we should put the question/problem first, and then facilitate students with information and guidance as they seek the answer and hold them accountable for the excellence of their solutions and of their presentation of their results”.

-Ted McCain Teaching for Tomorrow

Assessment of these “new” educational skills was front and center in this presentation. Mission Skills Assessment (MSA) was identified as a cutting edge assessment tool as was the High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE) You’ve heard me speak about Post Oak’s leadership in bringing Montessori schools to both of these projects. Looking

specifically at MSA, we invited 35 Montessori schools to consider joining the project. Read the list of participating schools and you’ll see that six Montessori schools joined this year: Montessori School of Lake Forest (Chicago), Near North Montessori School (Chicago), Countryside Montessori School (Chicago), Lake Country School (Minneapolis), School of the Woods (Houston), and Post Oak (yes, Houston).

At last night’s meeting I also reported on the very recent release of Skills for Success (SFS): Supporting and Assessing Key Habits, Mindsets, and Skills in PreK-12. This is further indication that a re- definition of school is an emerging cultural meme. Here’s an excerpt from the “Executive Summary” of the SFS report:

Academic tenacity. Perseverance toward long-term goals. Emotional intelligence. These kinds of habits, mindsets, and non-technical skills are integral to academic, professional, and personal success. Recently, they have begun to enter public discourse as research demonstrating their importance has been made more accessible through the use of terms such as “growth mindsets,” “grit,” and “character.” The various terms used to describe such skills, habits, and mindsets are so numerous that, for this paper, we use a simple phrase that describes the outcomes associated with them: “skills for success.”

While high-quality pre-K programs strive to impart many skills for success (SFS) in addition to specific academic content, the same has not been true for most K–12 schools, particularly in later grades. Some argue that this difference is appropriate, as SFS can only be instilled early in life. However, research demonstrates that these

skills are malleable, and many can be easily developed through young adulthood.

Does Post Oak develop these ‘skills for success,’ these ‘21st century skills,’ these ‘non-cognitive skills and attributes?’ Yes, and we are actively seeking to participate in all opportunities to measure our effectiveness at doing so. In fact, today I’m joining emeritus trustee Pat Mitchell, middle school director Jami Sweeney, high school director James Moudry, high school counselor Lori Scovill and high school student/psychology intern Grace Armstrong at Baylor College of Medicine for the presentation of the research project designed by the team from BCM (formerly with National Center for Human Performance) to evaluate the development of non-cognitive skills at Post Oak. One more example of our commitment to clearly defining Post Oak as ‘education of the future now.’

As I said last night, Post Oak is a high-functioning professional learning community. These values are lived out on a daily basis by students, faculty, academic leadership and administrative staff. It means we value and support career-long professional growth and development for all the adults, in the same way that we support the students in their educational pursuits. It means that the school as an institution stays on the cutting edge of educational thought and educational research – work that pays direct benefits to the students.

Stay tuned,

John

THE 2014–2015 POST OAK FUND

TOGETHER WE CAN!Dear Post Oak families,

The Big Work campaign is Big News around both campuses these days. Many Post Oak families have already been contacted to attend one of several Big Work events scheduled this month or next. It is a busy time of year, but I hope that you will take the time to attend one of the events, learn about the campaign, ask questions, and consider supporting this transformational effort. If you haven’t yet received an invitation, you will. Over 80 Post Oak families have generously contributed to the Big Work campaign bringing us to $4.7M of our $8M goal. We are reaching out to every single Post Oak family. All gifts make a difference and as with all things we do at Post Oak, we are beating the drum for full community support.

Please join us.

John Long

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING CLASSES FOR REACHING 100% PARENT PARTICIPATION IN THE POST OAK FUND:

ORLY KLUKDEBBIE NICKERSONERROL PINTO

Many classes are just a few families away from reaching 100%.

This annual effort continues until we reach full participation. Parent participation is currently at 76%, and we have raised $226,000 of our $300,000 goal.

Your support is both important and truly appreciated.

WHY GIVE?

Annual Fund supports:

• FinancialAid

• Facultyprofessionaldevelopment

• Unexpectedrepairssuchasthethreemajor air conditioning repairs needed this year.

• ThenewvanfortheBissonnetcampus

• NewlightingandceilingtilesinthePrimaryarea

• Anewsprinklersystemthatwasinstalledoverthesummer.

…just to name a few items

[email protected], or go online to our website to donate with a credit card or downloadtheAnnualFundform.PledgesareduebyMay31.

Questions? Please call Christina Cantu at 281-822-8024

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS PARTICIPATED!

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GA L A C H A I R S : Laura Citardi and Whitney WalshSATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2015 | THE HOUSTONIAN HOTEL

GALA PROJECTS IN THE WORKS!

Students work together on Orly Kluk’s Gala project

Reserve a room at the Houstonian to make it a full night of dinner,

dancing, silent and live auction, and celebrating Hollywood-style with old

and new Post Oak friends!

by Upper Elementary student

My mom and I went to China for the four day MMUN China conference in Zhengzhou, China. Before we went to Zhengzhou, we went to Beijing, China. Here we went to The Great Wall of China. The Great Wall is on top of a small mountain so, of course, we were up high. At first, I was really scared that I would fall off the edge, but I got over it (get it? ha!). The next day, we went to the Temple of Heaven, which is where the emperors used to give sacrifices for good harvest and other things like that. The temples were painted beautifully. We then flew to Zhengzhou where we had the actual MMUN conference. On the first day, we had the opening ceremony. I was the flag bearer for Spain which meant that I held the flag when each country’s delegation presented their country’s flag. After we sat down, I got really tired and almost fell asleep quite a few times! The next two days were the actual committee meetings. My committee was UNICEF and our topics were Refugee Children and Universal Primary Education. Our Draft Resolution for our first topic, Refugee Children, was done in only one morning and we got to our second topic that afternoon. Universal Primary Education took a little more time, but we finished that the next afternoon too! We had extra time so we got a third topic which was Childhood Obesity. Since we didn’t know our country’s position on childhood obesity, we didn’t have to make speeches. We didn’t finish our draft resolution for childhood obesity but at least we finished the others! The last day was the closing ceremony. We presented our resolutions as 30-second speeches and voted. Both of our resolutions passed!

After the closing ceremony, we immediately began our three-day tour. We went back to the hotel, changed, and went to the Hannon Museum where we saw some amazing things. As part of the exhibit, we watched a show where we learned about some of the oldest instruments in China. The instruments were played and, in my opinion, sounded practically perfect. We walked around the museum with a guide, where we saw things dating all the way back to the B.C. era. The next day, we went with part of the group to The Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an instead of the usual tour. We went to Xi’an on a 2 ½ hour bullet train. Of all of the terracotta soldiers excavated so far, about 8,000 soldiers, only one was completely intact, a kneeling archer. The next and last full day, we joined the tour again which was going to the Shaolin Temple (a monastery), and a Kung Fu school demonstration. At the monastery, there were 15,000 Buddhas carved into the walls. The Buddhas were big, small, medium–all sizes. After, we went to the Kung Fu school where we saw a Kung Fu show. Apparently, there are 43 Kung Fu schools in the Shaolin Province. The next day, we left for the airport at 6:30 in the morning. Once we got there, we took a flight to Beijing where we took another flight straight back home.

My trip to China was amazing, everything was beautiful. The trip was a bit frustrating when we couldn’t eat much because we are vegetarian, but for the most part, it was awesome. The food was a bit difficult but we worked it out–I mostly only ate rice which was everywhere no matter what. I loved the trip and might consider going again. •

MMUN (Montessori Model United Nations) China

AUCTION! ACTION!Where will you go on your next vacation? To the pristine slopes of Deer Valley, Utah, the excitement of New York City, the bright lights of Las Vegas, or even the local shores of Galveston? We will have adventures in these locations and MORE waiting for you at the Gala!

More details will be coming soon. Keep an eye out on the upcoming Post issues for additional information about this year’s auction offerings!

GALA INVITATIONS:COMING SOON!

Your invitation to Gala will be arriving in the mail in early January, at which point online ticket ordering will also be available through the Post Oak website.

We do anticipate that, as in years past, this event WILL SELL OUT.

Be sure to RSVP as soon as possible to guarantee your red carpet appearance in March – We can’t wait to see you there!

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November 24 & 25, 2014

&Friends’days

Grandparents’

AT THE POST OAK SCHOOL

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MORE PHOTOS ONLINE IN THE PARENT COMMUNITY...

Bearkats Basketball

2014-2015 SCHEDULE

DECEMBER 2 vs St Stephens

4:15–COED

5-6 @ Memorial Lutheran Tournament 6:30–Boys

8 vs St Stephens (@ Tellepsen YMCA) 4:15–COED

9 @ Emery/Weiner 6:00–Boys

11 vs Yellowstone Academy 5:30–COED

JANUARY7 @ Yellowstone Academy

5:30–COED

16 vs Iman Academy (location TBA) 5:30–COED

20 vs Emery/Weiner 4:30–Boys

22 vs St Stephens 4:15–COED

22 vs Iman Academy 5:30–COED

26 vs St Stephens (@ Tellepsen YMCA) 4:15–COED

29 vs St Stephens 4:15–COED

FEBRUARY3 vs St Stephens (@ Tellepsen

YMCA) 4:15–COED

10 vs St Stephens (@ Tellepsen YMCA) 4:15–COED

Middle School Visits D.C.by Middle School students and

About a month ago, the Middle School went to Washington D.C., and we experienced a variety of fun and educational activities. Every morning we ate breakfast at our hotel. For lunch and dinner we ate at a variety of different places. We went to Das, an authentic Ethiopian restaurant, Sweet Green, Cava Mezze, Founding Farmers, Circa and Pizza Paradiso. The first day was just a long travel day. We had planned on walking around a small town in D.C. but because our flight was delayed we did not have the chance to do so. On Tuesday, we had the opportunity to tour the Capital, which had several famous statues as well as famous paintings. We got to meet Congressman John Culberson and had lunch together at Cava Mezze. On Wednesday morning we went to the Air

and Space Museum and saw rocketships and different exhibits. Then we spent the rest of the day at the Newseum, a museum devoted to the history of news. Wednesday night, we had a more relaxed and fun dinner, and we went bowling. On Thursday, we sat in the Supreme Court courtroom (it was not in session), and learned about the people who worked there and how it functioned. Thursday afternoon we were able to choose what we wanted to do and break into smaller groups. The individual groups went to the Zoo, the Botanical Gardens and the National Art Gallery. Thursday night we got to see Shear Madness, an interactive murder-mystery play, which was the highlight of the trip for most of us. Overall, the trip was a great success. The Middle School students learned a lot about Law and Government, and we will never forget this experience which has been enriching to our adolescent education. •

This year’s Book Fair was a great success! Thank you to everyone who supported

our library, and huge thanks to our chairs, Huma Manal & Zeenath Selvakumar.

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MORE PHOTOS ONLINE IN THE PARENT COMMUNITY...

Q. What’s your favorite thing about POHS?

A. The freedom.

Q. What’s your favorite food?

A. I really like everything.

Q. What are your major interests and hobbies?

A. I am interested in business and I like sports.

Q. What’s your favorite Houston hangout spot?

A. Top Golf

Q. What’s been your favorite J-term or A-term project so far?

A. The Critical Writing A-term

Q. What’s your favorite TV show?

A. House of Cards

Q. What colleges do you plan on applying to?

A. Stanford and The University of California, Berkeley

Q. What’s your favorite color?

A. Blue

Q. Title of the last book you’ve read?

A. The Bluest Eye

Q. Out of all of the POHS trips you’ve taken, what’s been your favorite?

A. I enjoy the trips in the Museum District related to the Theory of Knowledge class

Q. Name someone who has had a strong impact in your life up until this point.

A. My father

Q. What is your favorite song right now?

A. “Tuesday” by Time Flies

POST OAK HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2016 SPOTLIGHT:

TO HMNS... AND BEYOND!

As part of their science curriculum, Post Oak High School students gathered in the HMNS Planetarium to watch the flight test of NASA’s New Orion Spacecraft.

POHS HOSTS ITS FIRST COLLEGE FAIR Post Oak High School hosted their first college fair on Thursday. The event was coordinated by College Counselor Amanda Smith, through the Houston area’s Recruiter Network. There were nearly 20 different college admission representatives in attendance.

WE’RE PROUD OF OUR HS BEARKATS! Our High School Bearkats have been practicing hard to start their season off right. Come out to cheer them on as they play their first basketball game of the season! The game is on Saturday, December 6 at 6:00 p.m. at the Esprit International School (602 Pruitt, The Woodlands, 77380).

WHAT’S HAPPENING

NOW AT

BELONG

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H S C H O O L

Each year, incoming students at all levels in the High School participate in an ongoing service project harvesting cordgrass for the Galveston Bay Foundation. In the fall of the school year, students harvest native estuarine marsh grass from nursery ponds at the NRG EcoCenter in Baytown. Back on our campus, they set up mini-marsh grass nurseries that mimic the natural estuarine marsh environment. Throughout the school year, students cultivate the plugs of grasses and monitor the growth and health of the grasses by regularly testing and maintaining the proper environmental parameters of their nurseries. In the spring, students culminate their project by transplanting their matured grasses to local estuarine marsh restoration sites in Galveston Bay. •

THIS is your campus.

in the Museum District

OPEN HOUSE

Tuesday, January 13 – 7 p.m.

Wednesday, February 11 – 7 p.m.

Tuesday, April 7 – 7 p.m.

Thursday, June 11 – 7 p.m.

High School Gets “Green”

NEW ARTICLE IN THE WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ This school year, 11th grade student has been acting student reporter for the West University Buzz and her second article has just been published! article focuses on the internships that the students are involved in and how they are integrated with the school curriculum. Click here to read the full article.

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alumni night

Learn about the Post Oak experience

from those who have lived it!

Thursday January 8, 2014

6:30 p.m.

Join us as we welcome back high school students,

college students, and young professionals as they reflect on their experiences at the Post Oak School. Parents

of current students, as well as prospective parents, are

invited to attend.

RSVP to Jessica Jackson, 713-661-6688, or

[email protected]

Pa r e n t E d u c at i o n O p p o r t u n i t i e sPa r e n t E d u c at i o n O p p o r t u n i t i e s

MORNING SERIES

Thurs., January 22, 29, February 5, 12, 19, 26 (6 weeks)

9:00–10:30 a.m. $20 for entire 6-week series

Optional workbook $15(a public service offered by Post Oak)

EVENING SERIES

Wed., January 21, 28, February 4, 11, 18, 25 (6 weeks)

6:30–8:00 p.m. $240 per couple, $150 individual

Optional workbook $15

LOCATION

The Post Oak School 4600 Bissonnet St. at Ave. B

This series of courses offers solutions for families with children from early childhood to beyond adolescence, and is designed to give you practical skills you can use immediately. Previous participants are en-couraged to return to share experiences and reinforce skills. Care givers are also welcome. All classes are open to the public.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Phylis Tomlinson, Post Oak Counselor & Independent Facilitator of Parenting the Love & Logic Way® curriculum

[email protected] • 713-668-6558

Please send registration fees payable to Phylis Tomlinson in advance: 4010 Bluebonnet #109, Houston, TX 77025, or c/o The Post Oak School, 4600 Bissonnet, Bellaire, TX 77401

Please be advised that there is no childcare provided for the classes.

Parenting the Love & Logic Way®presented by Phylis R. Tomlinson

Montessori JourneyJanuary 30, 6–9 p.m.

January 31, 8 a.m.–2 p.m.Registration for the Montessori Journey is now available on our website. This two-day (adults only) workshop is a powerful, hands-on approach to understanding how and what your child is learning. We invite and encourage current Post Oak parents to attend, whether for the first time or for those desiring a chance to take the journey again. Space is limited, so sign up early to reserve a spot. Cost: $30 per person.

What parents have said:

What value do you feel you have derived from this experience?

“A greater understanding of the environment and method behind Montessori and what my child’s day is like.”

Coffee with the Middle School and High School DirectorsWednesday, December 10

9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Get the answers to your questions about adolescent education at our Coffee with High School Director James Moudry and Middle School Director Jami Sweeney. This meeting will be held in the Multipurpose Room on the Bissonnet campus.

@EHSHoustonPostOakSchool

YouthSince its launch in 2009, more than 10,000 worldwide TEDx events have been held in mid-November in conjunction with Universal Children’s Day. These events are fashioned after the popular TED talks; TED allows schools to put their own TED talks highlighting students and their ideas worth spreading.

This year’s event was co-hosted by The Post Oak School and Episcopal High School. Participating schools included Chinquapin Prep, Duchesne Academy, The Emery/Weiner School, The Kinkaid School, and St. John’s School. Topics chosen by POS student speakers included: Climate Change, The Role of Teenagers in Society, Animal Assisted Therapy, and Electric Vehicles. The event was streamed live with 200 viewers. The blog with students’ biography and individual videos will be available soon.

What do students learn from giving TEDx talks? According to MindShift, they learn how to develop their ideas, manage their time, and present a speech. Collaboration is an important theme, along with giving kids autonomy, the ability to work at their own pace, and making their own choices.

Post Oak High School students presented a talk on Electric Vehicles.

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S C E N E Sf ro m

T h e Po s t Oa k S ch o o l

1. High School students discuss and debate History and Humanities topics based on presentations made by their fellow students.

2. Students and parent volunteers enjoy a Thanksgiving luncheon in Lower Elementary.

3. A child in the Young Children’s Community finds a quiet space to enjoy a book.

4. An Upper Elementary student crafts a corn husk doll in preparation for the holiday celebrations.

5. Post Oak parent Bryan Janda, a NASA engineer, gives Primary students a glimpse at life on the International Space Station.

6. The Bearkats played (and won!) their first basketball game of the season on Dec. 2.

7. Lower Elementary students enjoy a “game day” activity in the classroom.

8. A Primary student works on his reading skills with the phonogram material.

9. Post Oak parent Monica Pope gives a cooking demonstration in her daughter’s Upper Elementary classroom.

10. Middle School sells concessions at the Bearkats game as part of their Microeconomy course.

11. A Primary student completes a map of South America.. 2

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Wed 12/10

Coffee w/ Middle School & High School Directors9:00 a.m. – Bissonnet Campus

Thu 12/11

YCC Transition to Primary Meeting9–10:30 a.m.

Fri 12/12

F.I.S.H. Meeting CANCELLED

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Tue 12/16 Hannukah begins at sundown

Thu 12/18 Fall ASEP ends

Fri12/19

Regular dismissal for all students

Full day YCC 3:00

Primary & PHE 3:15

Elementary, Middle School & High School 3:30

D E C E M B E R 2 2 - J A N U A R Y 2

W I N T E R B R E A K

S C H O O L C L O S E D

Mon 1/5

SCHOOL CLOSED

Teacher In-service

Check out our calendar online at www.postoakschool.org

C A L E N DA R N OT I C E B OA R D

A B O U T T H E P O S T

The Post appears every other Friday of the regular school year. You can receive a printed copy from your oldest child, or a PDF version online.

Submit letters, articles, or photos in electronic form by 5:00 p.m. on the Tuesday before publication to Communications Coordinator Elisa Schmidt ([email protected]). If publication is on a

Thursday due to school closure on Friday, then the deadline is 5:00 p.m. on the preceding Monday.

THE POST OAK SCHOOL was founded in 1963 and accredited by both the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) and the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS)

4600 Bissonnet, Bellaire, Texas 77401 • Telephone: 713-661-6688 • Fax: 713-661-4959 • www.postoakschool.org

Lost & FoundPlease be sure to retrieve any items

your child may have lost from

the front lobby by Friday, December 19. Everything left over

will be donated to charity over Winter Break.

Nanny Needed Post Oak family seeking full-time nanny to care for our two daughters (ages 2.5 years and 2 months). Schedule would typically be 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Monday–Friday. Must have infant experience and safe driving record. Please call Courtney at

or e-mail

‘Tis the Season to be SharingJoin the Post Oak Family as we continue our tradi-tion of Holiday giving. Last year, we had record donations. Let’s do it again! We will be collecting food and toiletry items for Brae’s Interfaith Minis-tries from December 1st through December 12th.

With donations from the whole Post Oak community, several elementary students will have the opportunity to deliver the much needed items to Brae’s Interfaith ministries on December 12th. Donation boxes are located throughout the school. Thank you for your support in helping families in need and making this a meaningful experience for our children!

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