PINES MONTESSORI SCHOOL

K I N G W O O D T E X A S

A n n u a l

Apprec iat ion

Re p o r t

A n n u a l

Apprec iat ionApprec iat ionApprec iat ion

Re p o r t

Pines Montessori

School prepares

children for life through

learning experiences

based on authentic

Montessori principles

and practices. 2014 — 2015 2014 — 2015

F ro m t h e B oa rd of Tr u s te e s Jeff Choyce

Dear Families and Friends,

The Board of Trustees offers the 2014-2015 Annual

Appreciation Report of Pines Montessori School as a way to

keep you informed of how we utilize our resources to plan and

prepare for our future. We are guided by our commitment to

Montessori principles and practices, and also by the mission

and vision of our school.

The Board’s commitment to building a foundation for growth,

realizing the vision of a school that offers state of the art

facilities, and maintaining our amazing professional staff continues. In the past

year, our school has accomplished so much, including:

A growing infant community with a waiting list

Lower elementary that is growing and improving

A new Upper Elementary Classroom

~ With your support, the vision is being realized! ~

“Growth is not merely a harmonious increase in size,

but a transformation.” - Maria Montessori.

Our work is not complete. The Board of Trustees needs your talents, effort, and

enthusiasm to complete the vision. Leadership and support opportunities are

available through participation on the Board or on a Board committee.

Opportunities include:

Legal advice, Advertising, Development/Community Relations,

IT/Communications, Finance, Human resources

The possibilities are endless. Contact me if you are interested at

board@pinesmontessori.com.

I challenge you to show your support for our amazing school through your

talents, service, or financial support. With the dedicated effort of our parents,

staff and our community, we can realize this vision and fulfill the hopes and

dreams or our children.

In my final year as the President of the Board of Trustees, I want to thank all of

you for your support and prayers.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey S. Choyce

President, Pines Board of Trustees

Board of Trustees

Executive Committee

Jeff Choyce, Chair

Joe Dunleavy, Finance

Member-at-Large

Connie Chandler

Yvonne Catala

Administrative Team

Head of School

Patricia Sobelman

Finance, CPA

Joy Fields

Facilities

Libby Egan

Communications & Media

Sabrina Padgett

Enrollment

Wendy Stephens

Christine Rock

Tab

le o

f C

on

ten

ts 2

4

6

8

From the Board of

Trustees

From the Finance

Committee

From the Head of

School

Facilities

2

3

Pines Montessori School Facts...

112 Families with

enrolled

students.

38 Years as a

school -

Established in

1977.

7 Teachers are at

10 plus years of

employment.

7 Years is the

average tenure

of a staff

member at

Pines.

1/2 Of Upper and

Middle School

students have

been enrolled at

Pines between

5-8 years.

10+ years faculty

Hina Patel—18

Maria Nicholls—16

Maria Spinnato—16

Adriana Anderson—13

Jessica Aylesworth—13

Kahkashan Sohail—13

Libby Egan—10

F ro m t h e F i n a n c e C o m m i t te e

4

Joe Dunleavy

The Finance Committee welcomes input from Pines Community on this annual report or any other financial

matters to ensure that we are being responsive to the Fundamental Values and Beliefs of Pines.

The Bylaws of Pines require the Treasurer to carry out the mandates of the Board of Trustees and to oversee the financial affairs of the school. In this regard, the Treasurer is responsible to work with the Head of School to:

monitor the school's financial accounts and records;

report financial information to the Board;

direct the preparation of the annual audit; and

assist with the annual budgeting process.

These responsibilities are carried out under the umbrella of two overarching financial goals: i) to achieve

financial stability; and ii) to secure the long term growth of Pines. The economics of Pines are reasonably

straightforward. Our operating costs are comprised primarily of fixed costs and our revenues are highly

correlated to our enrollment. Thus, as our enrollment increases or decreases, our revenues should increase or

decrease, correspondingly. However, our operating costs are less likely to move in correlation with enrollment.

Thus, we need to carefully monitor enrollment in order to ensure we will cover the costs of operating Pines.

During the 2014 fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2014, our financial metrics, as noted in the accompanying

table, remained consistent with the prior fiscal year. Additionally, the results of our 2014 financial statement

audit indicate sound financial policies and fairly stated results of operations and financial condition. This

combination of consistency and robustness of financial performance have helped to solidify our financial

stability. With regard to securing the long-term growth of Pines, Administration of Pines undertook two

significant projects in fiscal 2014:

the refinancing of our long-term debt; and

the construction of a new upper elementary building.

The refinancing of our debt provides Pines more security related to interest rates and future cash out flows than

allowed under the terms of previously existing indebtedness. The receipt, and now opening, of a new

upper elementary classroom provides Pines with additional enrollment opportunities and greater flexibility

related to facility usage and available programming.

Our Head of School, Patty Sobelman, Chief Financial Officer, Joy Fields, and Head of Facilities, Libby Egan,

have the appreciation and thanks of the Finance Committee and Board for their hard work this past fiscal year

and their commitment to Pines.

Looking ahead, we currently have about 160 students enrolled at Pines. This enrollment is up from 150

students at this time last year. As Pines grows, our need for additional infrastructure and support also grows.

To meet this need, the Finance Committee proposed, and the Board approved, the creation of a new

administrative position to ease the increased work load resulting from this growth. Additionally, the Board

currently is soliciting feedback and assistance with the development of a plan to meet the future maintenance

and infrastructure requirements of Pines. Your input and active participation to create Pines of tomorrow is

greatly appreciated. Finally, Administration currently is preparing the budget for the 2015 – 2016 academic

year. Consistent with prior years, the Finance Committee will consider this budget after taking into account

our goals of financial stability and sustainable growth.

Did you know?

Many families double their

donations to Pines Montessori School

by applying to matching funds

through their employers.

Box Tops for Education—

With this year’s earnings, we

have purchased a large brew

coffee pot and a sewing

machine for our campus.

Play in the Park Bake

Sales—Money raised

enabled Upper Elementary to

donate over $480.00 to St.

Jude’s Research Hospital and

helped Middle School on their

Adventure Trip to Heifer

Ranch in Perryville, Arkansas.

Grant Awarded—Pines was

awarded $125.00 from the

Bring Back the Monarchs to

Texas Grant. 5

Pines is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational institution. The school’s operational

financial expenses are covered through tuition revenues, while major capital

budget projects are typically funded through fund raising, donor

contributions and other initiatives. The Board of Trustees and the Finance

Committee, along with the school’s administration, prepare a budget that is operationally

balanced. This is then approved by the Board. Federal Tax ID Number is 74-296448

2012—2013 Income 2012—2013 Expense

Income Expense

Recently, I had the pleasure of presenting a lesson to our Robotics

team. This year our team represents four Upper Elementary

students, one Middle School student and a Lower El junior team

member. The 2014 theme for the First Lego League Robotics

competition is Learning, a perfect fit for Montessori

students. I began my presentation with a very simple question,

“How many teachers are in your classroom?” When our Middle

School student said, “One”, I turned my head slightly and looked at

her to which she changed her answer quickly to, “Seven!” I turned to the

Upper El students who figured out where I was going with this line of

questioning and said, “Seventeen!”

Montessori students recognize that they are teachers as well. Every

person should consider him or herself a teacher. The popular

phrase Life Long Learner is only half of the equation. Learning is

valuable, but teaching your knowledge to someone else multiplies that

experience. As educators and as parents, we must also be open to

learning from these young teachers. Their insight and passion is

inspiring! We all have a lot to learn as well as a lot to teach!

Best Wishes,

6

F ro m t h e H e a d of S c h o o l Patty Sobelman

Polski-Texas?

Over the past 4 years, our school has developed a very close

relationship with the Montessori schools in Poland. This

collaboration began over ten years ago when my family lived in

Toronto, Canada. I had the distinct pleasure of developing a

friendship with a passionate Montessori teacher, Joanna Maghen. Her dream was to return to her

home country of Poland and bring back to life the Montessori schools that were thriving before

World War II. During the years of communist rule, both during and following the war, Montessori

all but faded away. In 1989 Poland emerged as an independent country once again. Since this time

the country has flourished and now, with the founding of the Polski Instytut Montessori,

Montessori teacher training is taking place in Poland and neighboring countries and more and

more schools are opening. With great excitement, Pines Montessori School will host 10 Montessori

teachers from Poland this December 1st-10th. During this time, our guests will observe our school,

and other Montessori schools throughout Houston. We are so very honored that they have chosen

to visit us and we look forward to learning from our Montessori colleagues.

Alumni Note

Our graduate, Sheillagh

O’Brien, received the C.V.I.

Scholar award, that

recognizes the efforts of

exceptional incoming

students who have excelled

academically in middle

school, to Incarnate Word

Academy in Houston.

Faculty Training &

Professional

Development

In March, Eleven of our

teachers attended the

American Montessori

Society conference in Dallas, TX. The

conference featured keynotes by Montessori

leaders and famous promoters, such as Temple

Grandin PhD, John Chattin-McNichols PhD,

Andrew Solomon PhD, and Rob Evans EdD.

Our teachers attended workshops on every-

thing from Cosmic Curriculum to Sensorial and

Practical Life Extensions. With renewed minds

and fresh perspective, the teachers returned to

share their training experiences. The

opportunity for Pines to send these

representatives was made possible with

donations from the 22nd Annual Gala. Thank

you for investing in your teachers!

NAEYC

2014-2015 school year will be busy as we prepare for

our upcoming NAEYC (National Association for the

Education of Young Children) re-accreditation visit.

Thank you to all the parents this past summer who

returned your surveys as we gather our documentation

to continue our 20th year as an accredited school for

children birth through age 6. Pines Montessori continues

to be the only NAEYC accredited school in our area.

Building the Pink Tower

Pines played an important role in

supporting the Building the Pink

Tower documentary being produced right now. This film

will reimagine schools and learning through the lens of

Montessori education. In a climate of concern and criticism

about schools, Building the Pink Tower will remind us of

what we want in education: eager learning, creative

thinking, and collaborative work. The film will change the

debate about education by showing how the 100-year-old

Montessori method nurtures the imagination of children

and lays a solid foundation for their success in life. Visit

their website Buildingthepinktower.org to find out more.

New This Year

Earth Connections—this school year began

our new afternoon exploration of the

environment.

Spring Sing—Lower El began this new event,

now a new tradition.

Ecofair & Kleenwood—Partnering with

Kingwood Chamber of Commerce, Pines held

our first ever EcoFair event after Kingwood’s

Kleenwood community cleanup.

Family Dance & Picnic—Many families came

out to dance on the Gazebo, under the stars,

and enjoy a picnic dinner.

International Peace Day—Peace is an

important part of the Montessori curriculum.

We celebrated this special day by sharing

displays of works and giving demonstrations

of peace lessons to other classes and to

attending parents.

Community Speaker Events

Pines, along with LoneStar College Kingwood, began a

Community Education Speaker Event. These informative

talks focus on child development and are open to the

community. Our first speaker was the National Bestselling

Author and International Speaker, Barbara Coloroso. Ms.

Coloroso spoke about her book, The Bully, the Bullied, and

the Bystander. We continued the series by inviting

Dr. Andrew Cutler to speak about The ADD Brain. Dr.

Cutler has been a Principal Investigator on over 400

psychiatric and medical clinical trials. He has also been

published in numerous scientific and medical journals.

7

PERGOLA

The summer months were very busy ones here at Pines. One of

the big projects that was finally completed was that of our

Infant Playground Pergola. This has been something we have

been planning for since we opened our Infant Community.

Thanks to the funds from our 2014 Gala, the project was

completed this past summer. Don Arnold of Don Arnold’s

Landscape Architects created the structure out of cedar. This

was no small task to do, during the hot summer months. Don

has been a wonderful friend of Pines and continues to be a

familiar face around campus, working with us on many of our

grounds projects.

We are always grateful for the generous support of our Pines

families with our projects around the school grounds. We look

forward to continuing to add small structures to enhance, not

only the Infants’ outside environment, but other areas as well.

Be sure to be on the lookout for the changes and additions, as

well as little hands and feet enjoying the space!

PEACE GARDEN

We hope that everyone has had the

opportunity to enjoy the new additions to our

Peace Garden. We received delivery of our

beautiful benches over the summer months,

and what a wonderful space it has created to

enjoy. Our Lower Elementary students have

been able to use the space for reading. Moms

and Dads have been given a quiet spot to await

their children at the end of the school day. We

have even spotted a teacher or two taking a

quick break! We invite everyone to take

advantage of our Peaceful space.

As you sit and enjoy the surroundings, please notice all the new bricks that have been added over the past

few months. As an on-going fundraiser, bricks and tiles will continue to be available for families to

purchase throughout the year. If you are interested in getting your own, please contact the office. We have

order forms available at school, or, if you would prefer, order forms can be emailed

to you directly.

It’s a great way to pay tribute to those closest to you, while supporting Pines all at

the same time! Order forms are online on the Giving tab of PinesMontessori.com.

Fa c i l i t i e s

8

QUAD

When we began thinking of the possibility for growth here at

Pines, we never imagined what an involved journey it would turn

out to be. We maneuvered through the ins and outs from site

plans to construction and everything in between. We have

learned how the process of receiving a City of Houston

Building Permit can be long and frustrating. But we have

learned a tremendous amount from so many

professionals who have taken the time to teach us. We

have discovered that perseverance, attention to detail,

and slow and steady will win the race!

When our new building arrived, it was a sight to behold as

we watched the workmen slowly, carefully move the

pieces into place. But the moment that made the entire

journey worthwhile, was the day we were able to bring

the children out, open the door and let them look inside.

To see the joy in their faces and know that every frustra-

tion was worth it made the end result that much sweeter.

We are blessed to have the ability to utilize every inch of

our campus as a learning environment. With the addition of this

new space, we can see the potential that awaits as we look

forward to the future.

With the hours and hours of time that were spent in the process

of gaining this new beautiful space, we know that we are

prepared to put the hard work into the growth of our school.

Thanks goes out to our families for their patience and support, as

well as to all those who helped in the process, from the truck

drivers to the engineers and everyone in between!

A N e w B u i l d i n g

Start to

Finish!

Ribbon Cutting 9

4th Annual Snowball Run

Corporate Sponsors

Brite Success, LLC

BRW Architects

Crossfit 1836

The Dietrich Family

Fish Tales Kingwood

Hallmark Technologies

Johnny’s Pizzeria

Minuteman Press

The Mudpie Company

Northshore Medical Supply

Pines Board of Directors

Richey Insurance Agency

South Coast Terminals

Talos Energy LLC

Twice the Ice

Family Sponsors

Ali Athar & Fariha Ashan

Angela & Shahid Mahmood

Babette Bourgeois & Jamie Lavigne

Bo & Catherine Hall

Brian & Nanette Baker

Charles & Stacey Higginbotham

Clinton & Jennifer Richey

Connie Chandler

Dale Lutz

Dave & Jennifer Bohner

Don & Courtney Pearce

Glenda Borne

Jeff & Christina Nieland

Jeff & Regina Choyce

Jim & Sarah Berry

Joan Schnepp

Joe & Karen Wadsworth

Joe & Nora Dunleavy

John Arthur

Len Kluft & Yvonne Catala

Margaret Fraissinet

Meredith Sharp

Paul & Schura Normand

Phillip & Kathleen Goerner

Stephan & Sara Perry

Steve & Tammy Dietrich

Theresa Head

Tim & Christy Duncan

Planning Committee

Angela Mahmood

Catherine Hall

Jennifer Bohner

Kathleen Goerner

Linda Harris

Tammy Dietrich

Tina Thibodeaux

This family fun event for adults and children, from the Kingwood and surrounding

communities, could not be produced without the support of so many individuals.

Volunteers, family and corporate sponsors, running groups, advertisers, Bear Branch

community, and the runners, all make this event a success. Close to $10,000 was raised

and will be put to use maintaining the play structures and adding some wonderful new

signage for our Infinity Science Park.

10

Giving Fund

Brian & Nannette Baker

Equip TX

Gary & Christina Spears

Jim & Sarah Berry

Joyce Webb

Justin & Jennifer Matthews

Kevin & Kim Murphy

Kelly & Patty Borders

Mark & Valerie Wanner

Ryan & Lindi Kudlacek

Stacy & Charles Higginbotham

Tim & Christy Duncan

Save the Date…

6th Annual Snowball Run

Saturday, December 5, 2015

@ 9:00 am

Visit PinesMontessori.com/Events for more information

*We hope every donor has been included on these pages, but if you were inadvertently left off the list, please know how much you are appreciated.

Thank you to all the participants of the Gala

Committee; the amazing team of decorators,

coordinators, and volunteers that made this

year’s Gala a night to remember. It could not

have been done with out your help!

11

A Big Thank You! Adams Tea Shop Allegro School of Music Amaryllis Floral Design Antonio Armstrong Atascocita Dental, Dr. Gary White Baby’s 1st Furniture Becker Vinyards Beau & Catherine Hall Ben and Susan Awalt Bill’s Cafe Bone Spirits Central Market Christian Brothers Car Care Clinton & Jennifer Richey Conservatory Day Spa Cordua Restaurants Crossfit 1836 David and Jennifer Bohner David Hyde Denise Cowan Photography Don Knight Dosey Doe Doug & Carol Greve Dr. George & Melody Nunez Dynamic Cheer Eastex Rentals Emily Hall (doTerra oils) Fireheart Photography Gold’s Gym Golf Advantage School Greenling.com Hope Sarver The Houston Zoo Huntington Learning Center Jamberry Nail Design Jeff and Catherine Waters Jeff and Regina Choyce Joan Schnepp & Theresa Head Joe Goerner Joe and Karen Wadsworth Joy Fields Kimberly Rehmeyer (Bidinger) Kingwood Country Club Kingwood Skin Essentials La Toretta Lake Resort & Spa Lassiter Graphic Architecture Len Kluft & Yvonne Catala Libby Egan Lone Star College Magnolia Hotel Mann Eye Clinic—Dr. Amanda Hunt

Maria Pham Mathnasium Matt and Kathleen Veley Mike Stock & Dr. Jennifer Browning Minuteman Press The Mud Pie Company The Nail Spot Nhan Nguyen Photography Pirates Cove Car Wash Rebecca & Bud Hall Rebecca Steinberger Redneck Country Club Rick and Patty Sobelman Rowland Ballards Sacred Emotions Photography Scott and Joy Fields Shine on Tanning Showbiz Cinemas Silverlight Photography Skeeters Mesquite Grill South Texas Flyboard Spectrum of Hope Steve & Tammy Dietrich Steve Sobelman Theresa Head Tim & Christy Duncan Timeless Barn Walden Country Club Wildcatter Ranch Which Wich Zachary’s Cajun Café

Gala Underwriters

Monarch

Beau & Catherine Hall

Joan Schnepp & Theresa Head

Monarch

Jeff & Christina Nieland

Steve & Tammy Dietrich

Texan Crescent

Dr. George & Melody Nunez

Jeff & Regina Choyce

Michael & Amanda Snowden

Paul & Schura Normand

Tim & Christy Duncan

Miami Blue

David & Jennifer Bohner

Mike Stock & Dr. Jennifer Browning

Pros Revenue

Advertisers

Fireheart Photography

Gap Plumbing

George Poe Band

Maegan Simmons with Scentsy

Minute Man Press Humble

Night Light Pediatric Urgent Care

Richey Insurance

Spectrum of Hope

23rd Annual Spring Gala “Flora & Fauna”

Pines Montessori School

3535 Cedar Knolls Drive

Kingwood, Texas 77339

(281) 358-8933

PinesMontessori.com

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