A new independent middle school is opening in Southwest Houston this fall, and I am thrilled to share the news with families. The school plans to open with 6th and 7th grades this Fall - 2022. The leadership includes two brilliant, experienced educators : Eric Lerch from Episcopal High School as Head of School and Judy Adams, former River Oaks Baptist Middle School Principal, who serves as Board President. Tune in for a virtual event on March 6th to learn about their vision for a meaningful middle school experience. How will DBA approach curriculum, community and character in a new way for middle school students? I'm excited to find out !
Three Favorite Books About Raising Children:
After all of the hard work of getting our students back into school and establishing a new normal under the cloud of the virus, we find our schools once again in the throes of indecision regarding in-school or virtual school learning. The argument against masks on preschoolers seems doomed to fail, so millions of little children will never know what their first teacher's face looked like, and teachers will not know what emotions were hiding under those smiley-face masks. The largest body of research among psychologists today is said to be on the subject of anxiety . I do not doubt it. I see fewer carefree and happy children these days than in years past. Four and five-year olds seem to have lost the spontaneity of childhood, the ready laughter and childlike wonder. They do not engage readily in play, and they seem to have acquired much less knowledge than their same age peers in prior years. Of course, my observations are not at all scientific, but they do correlate with current literature. So I urge parents to do all they can to stimulate their children by playing games, reading books that promote laughter and finding time to just be silly. There certainly is no time for that in school with social distancing. Three books I read some years ago come to mind: Einstein Never Used Flashcards, The Importance of Being Little and Becoming Brilliant offer parents the latest research on early childhood learning and ways to engage the mind and heart of the young child. Old truths are back in vogue: "The brain learns through play," and, "Learning is a social activity". If children can't play and be social at school, then they need to have this environment as much as possible at home. Look for ways to introduce fun and stay away from flashcards and worksheets. Family games teach strategies and vocabulary and number sense while having fun and building relationships. And these don't require face masks.
After all of the hard work of getting our students back into school and establishing a new normal under the cloud of the virus, we find our schools once again in the throes of indecision regarding in-school or virtual school learning. The argument against masks on preschoolers seems doomed to fail, so millions of little children will never know what their first teacher's face looked like, and teachers will not know what emotions were hiding under those smiley-face masks. The largest body of research among psychologists today is said to be on the subject of anxiety . I do not doubt it. I see fewer carefree and happy children these days than in years past. Four and five-year olds seem to have lost the spontaneity of childhood, the ready laughter and childlike wonder. They do not engage readily in play, and they seem to have acquired much less knowledge than their same age peers in prior years. Of course, my observations are not at all scientific, but they do correlate with current literature. So I urge parents to do all they can to stimulate their children by playing games, reading books that promote laughter and finding time to just be silly. There certainly is no time for that in school with social distancing. Three books I read some years ago come to mind: Einstein Never Used Flashcards, The Importance of Being Little and Becoming Brilliant offer parents the latest research on early childhood learning and ways to engage the mind and heart of the young child. Old truths are back in vogue: "The brain learns through play," and, "Learning is a social activity". If children can't play and be social at school, then they need to have this environment as much as possible at home. Look for ways to introduce fun and stay away from flashcards and worksheets. Family games teach strategies and vocabulary and number sense while having fun and building relationships. And these don't require face masks.
Congratulations to all school admission directors and staff and to all the parents and students who applied to schools during the 2020-21 admission season! After enduring endless hours attending virtual school tours and admission events
and after all the agonizing decisions that must be made in the process of choosing new students, schools are about to fill all of the seats in their schools and can look forward to a fresh start to a new school year in Fall 2021. Let's not forget to congratulate the IT teams at these schools for the amazing work they did to design new web pages and new tools so families could get to know the schools and discover the unique opportunities each offers. I think the virtual interviews went well for older students. Doing virtual assessments for preschool children was truly a challenge with little bodies jumping up and down in excitement or staring in silence at the computer screen. I'm not sure any of us have worked this hard in years with all of the Zoom meetings, but we made it through. The students I worked with are heading for schools that are truly a right fit for them, so I think the process worked as it always does. But I hope we never have to do this again!
and after all the agonizing decisions that must be made in the process of choosing new students, schools are about to fill all of the seats in their schools and can look forward to a fresh start to a new school year in Fall 2021. Let's not forget to congratulate the IT teams at these schools for the amazing work they did to design new web pages and new tools so families could get to know the schools and discover the unique opportunities each offers. I think the virtual interviews went well for older students. Doing virtual assessments for preschool children was truly a challenge with little bodies jumping up and down in excitement or staring in silence at the computer screen. I'm not sure any of us have worked this hard in years with all of the Zoom meetings, but we made it through. The students I worked with are heading for schools that are truly a right fit for them, so I think the process worked as it always does. But I hope we never have to do this again!
Last Spring when your children came home for school, you may have realized that your family needed some fresh ideas for organization and time management. I recently read that planners
have become one of the top sellers on Amazon. The private school admission season will bring added tasks to parents who will once again adjust to working at home or returning to work, having multiple Zoom meetings, and supervising their children's school work. The good news is that most school applications are due between November and January, and there are few advantages to submitting them too far ahead of time. So get out your new planner and start your Admission Plan of Action
as the first step in a successful, less stressful
admission season. Here are some ideas for how to go about your new plan:
1. Decide on your priorities. Make a list of the most important aspects to look for when choosing a school such as location, grades served, type and size of enrollment, tuition, faith-based or secular, curriculum and type of learning support a school will provide. Matching the way your child learns best to the pace, rigor and instructional strategies of a school is essential to getting a right fit. If you don't know many schools in Houston, look on my website for a list of schools, especially the schools where I have recently placed students.
2. Start school research. Go to www.houstonprivateschools.org to find a page for each member of the Houston Area Private Schools with many ways to sort them and quick links to their websites. Make a list of schools that seem to match what you are looking for, noting dates for in-person tours or whether they are offering only virtual tours.
3. Draft a parent statement about your child. You can use this as a resource to answer questions in applications and interviews. Think of your child's strengths, interests, and weaknesses your child is working on to improve. Always include favorite subjects in school, sports he/she participates in, talents or interests in the arts, and any awards your child has received in and out of school.
4. Begin test prep . Start now to help your child prepare for entrance tests. Parents should not provide any preparation for an IQ test such as the Wechsler (WPPSI or WISC). Older students who are taking the ISEE may want to use the new online tutoring resource or have a local tutor. See www.erblearn.org.
5. Establish a good relationship with teachers from the start of school. Teacher recommendation forms are very important. Download a form and see all of the ways children and parents are rated by parents and principals.
6. Work with an educational consultant. Having an experienced, ethical consultant to help you come up with a list of schools would be a wise step. If you want to make sure that you are prepared for each step in the admission process, contact SCHOOL SOLUTIONS to find out how we can help your family.
1. Decide on your priorities. Make a list of the most important aspects to look for when choosing a school such as location, grades served, type and size of enrollment, tuition, faith-based or secular, curriculum and type of learning support a school will provide. Matching the way your child learns best to the pace, rigor and instructional strategies of a school is essential to getting a right fit. If you don't know many schools in Houston, look on my website for a list of schools, especially the schools where I have recently placed students.
2. Start school research. Go to www.houstonprivateschools.org to find a page for each member of the Houston Area Private Schools with many ways to sort them and quick links to their websites. Make a list of schools that seem to match what you are looking for, noting dates for in-person tours or whether they are offering only virtual tours.
3. Draft a parent statement about your child. You can use this as a resource to answer questions in applications and interviews. Think of your child's strengths, interests, and weaknesses your child is working on to improve. Always include favorite subjects in school, sports he/she participates in, talents or interests in the arts, and any awards your child has received in and out of school.
4. Begin test prep . Start now to help your child prepare for entrance tests. Parents should not provide any preparation for an IQ test such as the Wechsler (WPPSI or WISC). Older students who are taking the ISEE may want to use the new online tutoring resource or have a local tutor. See www.erblearn.org.
5. Establish a good relationship with teachers from the start of school. Teacher recommendation forms are very important. Download a form and see all of the ways children and parents are rated by parents and principals.
6. Work with an educational consultant. Having an experienced, ethical consultant to help you come up with a list of schools would be a wise step. If you want to make sure that you are prepared for each step in the admission process, contact SCHOOL SOLUTIONS to find out how we can help your family.
Light, space, movement, color, hands-on, discovery. Educators no longer hypothesize about the best ingredients for a child's science education. It all comes together in the new Presbyterian School elementary building science lab. These same elements infuse all aspects of the new wing which officially opened in November 2019.
On a recent tour of River Oaks Baptist School, I was able to focus on classrooms and support programs for K-4th grade. Much will change at ROBS this fall when the new middle school building will open. The entrance to the school will shift to the new building, and the lower school will add one more classroom per grade as it moves into space vacated by the middle school. ROBS continues to be one of Houston's most popular day schools due to its location, spacious and well-appointed campus, well-balanced curriculum, and long history of strong leadership. The admission efforts have historically sought a diverse student enrollment while balancing the large number of qualified applicants whose parents and grandparents attended the school. ROBS offers a rich academic program, a wide array of athletic teams and a broad fine arts program that will be integrated more vigorously by technology with the opening of the new middle school building. Leadership, friendship, character and service are important values emphasized in this faith-based school where parent involvement plays an important role in the community.
St. Francis Episcopal School is adding another Kindergarten classroom which means all K classrooms will get a makeover for the new year. The increased enrollment is due to the popularity of the Early Childhood program that sits on the South Campus of St. Francis, located on S. Piney Point along with the Upper School. The Rice Literacy program adopted by St. Francis several years ago, the amazing faculty, and beautiful classrooms keep enrollment in the EC program at a peak. The Lower School Library is also getting an update with greater space given to technology and an expansion of the maker space classrooms. This summer, the gymnasium floor in the original building will be replaced and some updating of the middle school wing will take place. Meanwhile, St. Francis Episcopal Church is doing major construction on its buildings and the last report was that there would not be a summer school at St. Francis in 2020.
Too bad, since that summer program is always outstanding and helps all of those families with summer activities.
Too bad, since that summer program is always outstanding and helps all of those families with summer activities.
On a recent tour of the Lower School at St. Francis, it was clear that technology is expanding beyond this classroom where just two years ago there was a small maker space at one end. Now this room is flowing into the library and new furniture will be arriving - all part of how technology and new ways of teaching and learning are transforming our classrooms.
Mariner Montessori, Houston's Newest Preschool
opened this summer under the leadership of Ms. Georgette Vela and several experienced teachers from Village Montessori which closed last year. My grandchildren began school at Village Montessori on Bissonnet and I sent many happy families there over the years. One of the Village student's parents purchased all of the school materials and furnishings and has opened a beautiful new school at 6018 Fairdale Lane. The exterior remodeling is still in progress, but inside the school is a dream. Each classroom is a beautifully prepared environment for the age group. The day I visited the children were excited about splash day in the expansive 10,000 square foot playground. The Montessori curriculum for infants (6 weeks) to Kindergarten age is enhanced with a STEAM focus - the A is for Art. The great demand for after-school care
for children up to age 12 is met by a rich program of activities such a ballet and tae kwon do. The children are focused and happy and surrounded by books, Montessori materials and teachers ready to help them be successful learners. For a tour of the school call 713.783.7490
I attended the Independent Educational Consultants Association's Spring Conference in Chicago in May and enjoyed psychologist Dr. Michele Borba's ACE talk, Empathy is a Verb: Lessons for Success in the Digital Age
. She has written 22 books on parenting, bullying and character in today's digital world. We also heard from Patrick Schwarz, author of From Disability to Possibility and From Possibility to Success.