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THIS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18 SEE PAGES 6 & 7 FOR DETAILS! H igh school parent Gregory Han volunteered to serve as an Annual Fund class captain this year, his family’s first at Post Oak. At the kick-off meeting for class captains, he connected the values lived out in the classrooms, the foundational culture of the school that the children experience, to our efforts with the annual fund. “Have you ever spoken about the culture of giving at Post Oak?” he asked me. His question is key. After all, our work with your children is not a business transaction; it is an expression of the soul, a generous contribution by our faculty to the life of each individual child and to human culture writ large. Every year we ask you to support that work with volunteer time and financial contributions above and beyond the tuition dollars which cover the basic operations of the school, and every year you respond generously. This year, in addition to our annual appeal, we will be asking you to support growth of the school’s A CULTURE OF GIVING by John Long, Head of School VOLUME XX, NUMBER 5 A biweekly publication of The Post Oak School OCTOBER 17, 2014 Available online at www.postoakschool.org in this issue : FIELD DAY THIS SATURDAY! • POST OAK ANNUAL FUND UPDATE • BIG WORK MEETINGS The POST

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Page 1: The Post, 10.17.2014

THIS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18

SEE PAGES 6 & 7 FOR DETAILS!

High school parent Gregory Han volunteered to serve as an Annual Fund class captain this year, his family’s first at Post Oak. At the

kick-off meeting for class captains, he connected the values lived out in the classrooms, the foundational culture of the school that the children experience, to our efforts with the annual fund. “Have you ever spoken about the culture of giving at Post Oak?” he asked me.

His question is key. After all, our work with your children is not a business transaction; it is an expression of the soul, a generous contribution by our faculty to the life of each individual child and to human culture writ large. Every year we ask you to support that work with volunteer time and financial contributions above and beyond the tuition dollars which cover the basic operations of the school, and every year you respond generously. This year, in addition to our annual appeal, we will be asking you to support growth of the school ’s

A C U LT U R E O F G I V I N Gb y Jo h n Lo ng, Hea d o f S ch o o l

V O L U M E X X , N U M B E R 5A biweekly publication of The Post Oak School

O C T O B E R 17, 2 0 14Available online at

www.postoakschool.org

i n t h i s i s s u e : F I E L D D A Y T H I S S A T U R D A Y! • P O S T OA K A N N UA L F U N D U PDAT E • B I G W O R K M E E T I N G S

T h e

POST

Page 2: The Post, 10.17.2014

programs and facilities through the second capital campaign in the school’s fifty year history and we are confident you will respond with generosity.

Where does Post Oak’s culture of giving originate?

It begins with simple acts. A two-year old helps a classmate put on her shoe. A six-year old holds the hand of his three-year old sister as she walks to her classroom. A four-year old cuts straw-berries for his class’s snack table. Upper Elementary students hold a bake sale to raise money for Red Cross relief activities. Middle School groups leave campus weekly to work in a variety of social service agencies: packing lunches at Interfaith Ministries’ Meals on Wheels, serving breakfast to the hungry at Palmer Church’s Way Station, playing with their young buddies at Small Steps Nurturing Center, and working with

the elders at the Hampton Retirement Community on the ‘Wish of a Lifetime’ project. High school students, through individual mentorships in the Museum District, are preparing themselves for a lifetime of meaningful work even as they make real contributions to the institutions they serve today.

Post Oak students learn to give help and to receive help—wherever it is needed, whenever it is needed. Giving help builds self-confidence and compassion. Receiving help builds gratitude and humility. Together these actions build an awareness of mutual support and interdependence.

At lunch today I read an article in Inde-pendent School magazine, “A Flourish-ing Future,” and came across this note: “Nearly half of the medical schools in the country now offer a course called ‘The Healer’s Art,’ developed by Dr. Ra-

chel Naomi Remen. It teaches medical students about service and compassion and thus, focuses future doctors on find-ing meaning in their work.” By encour-aging young doctors to see their work from the perspective of the patients they are helping, and as a contribution to society, they begin to feel they belong to something larger than themselves and that adds meaning to their lives.

Giving and receiving help, learning about service and compassion, are essential elements of a Post Oak educa-tion from day one. It is a part of the school’s culture. Even though we do not teach ‘The Healer’s Art,’ the Post Oak experience leads students to find meaning in their lives by emphasizing our inter-connectedness, and our oppor-tunities to serve others individually, the immediate community, or our evolving human culture.

Giving and service are a part of Post Oak’s school culture, and are valued by the adults as well. This takes many forms. Last year to celebrate the school’s 50th anniversary we challenged families to complete 50 community service activities, a number that parents and children easily exceeded. Closer to home, look at the complex tapestry of volunteer opportunities for parents at the school: taking a shift at Field Day; driving on outings; being chaperones on camp outs; assisting in the library; chair-ing a committee for one of our events, or chairing the event itself; serving on the board of trustees. No one has ever

accounted for all the volunteer hours expended in a single year to enrich the life of The Post Oak School, but it must be a gazillion.

You give generously of time and talent. We also ask you to give financial sup-port and Post Oak families have been consistently generous. Every year the Annual Fund exceeds its financial goal and every year we exceed 95% participa-tion. Every other year the Gala is a great party and a fund raising success.

And this year we will be approaching many of you to help us bring to a suc-cessful conclusion the Big Work capital campaign, raising funds to support ad-ditions and improvements to the school facilities and programs. We know that campaign will be successful as well because this is Post Oak.

When Bill Gates addressed his alma mater, he quoted the parable of the faithful servant in saying, “From those to whom much is given, much is expected.” No, none of us is Bill Gates. But to all of us much has been given. To all of us who work here at the school, and to all of us who are parents at the school. And much is expected. We expect much of ourselves and we expect much of each other. Each of us gives what we can. We give time and talent and treasure. It is our contribution to the individual child, to the school community and to the culture. That giving adds meaning to our lives. And it helps to define Post Oak. •

Middle School students assist with Primary noon dismissal each day and connect with the children on a personal level.

A Post Oak Parent’s Gratitude“I just got my e-newsletter and tore through it. I wasn’t able to attend the POPA dinner since I had a work retreat, but I so enjoyed reading Alison Wong’s remarks. The part that resonated with me the most was the comments on self-reliance. This morning I got to witness a little self-reliance in action in an unexpected way. I had one of those proud - “oh my god it’s actually sinking in” moments, when after getting the kids breakfast and heading upstairs to finish getting ready for work, I returned to the kitchen to find Julian with his stationary spread out on the counter, writing the thank you notes for his birthday presents. His party was last weekend. Other than writing down which present came from which guest as he opened them, and leaving that list out amongst other papers that night, we haven’t said a word about it in the 5 days since. I wonder what made him decide that today was the day! It was magical watching him taking such care with each note - tailored specifically for each friend and each gift. Expressive writing (a lost art to be sure - especially in letter form), and gratitude are life skills that are encouraged at Post Oak. We feel very lucky to be a part of a community that values and enables such practice each day.”

~written by Jennifer Zumbado

National Merit Scholarship Semi-FinalistsWe are pleased to announce these former Post Oak students who were

recently named National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalists:

Benjamin Brenner

Daniel Brenner

Emily Paul

Mary Harvey

Megan Routbort

Stephen Spears

Benjamin, Daniel, Emily and Megan finished 8th grade at Post Oak; Mary finished 6th and Stephen finished Primary.

We wish them the best of luck in the future!

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whoare you

wearing?

Our sincere thanks to Post Oak Fund Chairs Carol & John Howenstine and Class Captains for their efforts.

THE 2014–2015 POST OAK FUND

TOGETHER WE CAN!ANNUAL FUND AT WORK IN 2013-14

Annual fund gifts helped the school in a variety of ways last year including:

Class Captains:

BASHAM . . . . . . . . . . . . Jackie Phillpott

BROOKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lisa Heyden and Steve Douglas

DALSEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Todd Parsapour

HANSEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gina Fertitta

KLUK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Julie Styles

MIDDLE SCHOOL . . . Mario and Janet Kapusta

MOUDRY . . . . . . . . . . . . Samantha Wykoff

NICKERSON . . . . . . . . . Stephan Kinsella

PARRAGUIRRE . . . . . . Mayuri Patel

E . PINTO . . . . . . . . . . . . . Abbe Forman

M . PINTO . . . . . . . . . . . . Suzan Samuels

SMITH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shelley Quillin

SOOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kim Yates

TAJ MAHMOOD . . . . . Diana Ayala

TOWNSEND . . . . . . . . . Carmen Dikmen

WINTON . . . . . . . . . . . . Evelyn Su-McCain

YEAGER . . . . . . . . . . . . . Catherine Than

9TH GRADE . . . . . . . . . Holly and Greg Han

10TH GRADE . . . . . . . . Stan Watowich

11TH GRADE . . . . . . . . Regina Mellinger

BOARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Long

FACULTY/STAFF . . . . Jeff Schneider

GA L A C H A I R S : Laura Citardi and Whitney Walsh

SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2015THE HOUSTONIAN HOTEL

JOIN POST OAK MOTHERS

FOR AN EVENING OF

H ollywood GlamourON THE TOOTSIE’S RUNWAY

CHAMPAGE & LIGHT BITES

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 29

5:30–7:00 P.M.

COMPLIMENTARY VALET

IN ADDITION TO HONORING THE HOLIDAY CARD, TOOTSIE’S WILL DONATE 10% OF THE PROCEEDS FROM THE EVENING TO THE POST OAK SCHOOL.

We offer thanks to Creative Branch for their very generous in-kind donation of decorations for our upcoming spring Gala. The use of their decoration items free of charge will mean that more money raised will go directly toward school support

rather than gala expenses. We hope you will consider supporting this company as they have supported Post Oak. Creative Branch offers home holiday decorating services, and if that is something you are interested in, please contact them and mention Post Oak School.

Blaine Stacey, owner713-861-5551

1. Post Oak was able to send 16(!) teach-ers and administrators to the AMI Congress in Portland Oregon. The Congress is an important Professional Development opportunity that is held in different countries once every four years. This was the first time it has been held in the US in 20 years.

2. Additional professional development funds were directed toward our intern-ship program. Eight Post Oak employ-ees participated in Montessori training courses at different levels last year.

3. Continued work on Primary garden renovations.

4. A new sprinkler system was installed and cold water pipes replaced in the Primary east pod.

5. The Primary east pod had all ceiling tiles replaced to refresh and renew the building.

6. New doors and deadbolts were in-stalled for emergency drills

7. Full Middle School remodeling of furniture and room layout.

8. Nexus tablets, new laptops, new technology information management system (Haiku) were all implemented in Middle School.

9. Increased financial aid across the board.

10. The board continues its commitment to make annual contributions to the endowment from annual fund dollars.

2014-15

PAR

TIC

IPAT

ION

TO

DA

TE

PARENTS 23%

TRUSTEES 100%

EMPLOYEES 100%

For printable response forms or to donate online, go to www.postoakschool.org or contact the Development Office at (713-661-6688) or [email protected].

Post Oak’s Biennial Gala is one of two major fundraisers for the school. THIS is a gala year and we hope to see you THERE!

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FOOD TRUCKS! It wouldn’t be a true Field Day without a picnic on the playground. Bare Bowls and Koagie Hots food trucks will be on the scene!

SNOWBALL TRUCK! Like no other snowball you’ve ever had! Yeti Sunshine’s delicious snowballs are made of super-soft, finely shaved ice with unique, handmade syrups - crafted from real fruits and herbs.

BUNGEE TRAMPOLINE! Defy gravity with the amazing Bungee Trampoline! Strapped into the bungee harness, you’ll be jumping higher than ever before. Start with getting serious air, and then try your hand at some flips, twists and turns to add to the excitement. An adventure all its own!

INCREDIBLE INFLATABLES! The Titanic Slide, Rockwall and Moonwalk are all sure to be great hits!

VELCRO WALL! Get your best bounce and see how high you can stick yourself to the wall!

CLASSIC GAMES! Because classic IS cool! Come and compete in three-legged races, sack races, and much more! Listen at the event for when your age group is called.

Deidre Brooks: Bugs and Butterflies

Sarah Moudry: City Child/ Country Child

Phoebe Yeager: Family Game Night

Tamara Basham: Family Night

Danielle Dalsey: World Explorer

Emily Hansen: A Day at the Zoo

Julie Parraguirre: Famous Artists

Tamara Townsend: Let’s Build a Fun Future

Miriam Winton: Legos

Orly Kluk: Get Me Out of the House

Beth Smith: Lego Mania

Simran Sood: Disco Time

Anita Taj: In the Kitchen

Debbie Nickerson: Gift Cards

Errol Pinto: Gift Cards

Maya Pinto: Soft and Plushy

Middle School: Three branches of government

High School: Gift Cards

THIS Saturday, October 18on the Post Oak back field!

MYSTERY BOX RAFFLE • PARTY DJ FACE PAINTING • ARTS & CRAFTS

PAPARAZZI BOOTH • MUSICAL DOTS

BALLOON ARTISTS • INSTRUMENT PETTING ZOO!

FIELD DAY FUN DAY! Mystery Box ThemesNEW!

NEW!

YUM!

N

O P

ARKI

NG ON THE EHS DRIVEWAY ELLIPSE

BISSONNET ST.

EPISCOPALHIGH SCHOOL

MANDARINSCHOOL

THE POST OAK SCHOOL

FIELD DAYFAMILY PICNIC

ENTER

FIELD DAYENTRANCE

GATE

AV

ENU

E B

1

3

4

5

2

FELD PARK

Join us for this FREE family fun weekend event! All costs for Field Day are defrayed by the raffle of class Mystery Boxes. Room parents (and other coordinators) have made an enticing array of creatively decorated boxes to be raffled off. There will be drawings at three different times: 11:00 a.m., noon, and 12:45 p.m. Remember, this event is strictly a FUN raiser and not a fundraiser. However, we do want to cover the costs for the event, so please buy a raffle ticket or two, or ten!

We ask that you bring reusable water bottles to reduce cup waste. Remember to bring a blanket to spread out on the playing field for your picnic!

Please Note: Parents must supervise their children on the playground. To ensure your child’s safety, signs will be posted to identify the age levels for the different playground sections. Please pay attention to the signs as they reflect ASTM safety standards for the equipment. There are areas for Young Children’s Community, Primary, and the older children (Elementary – High School).

PARKING OPTIONS (see map)1. Post Oak’s lot2. EHS garage3. Along Avenue B4. Across Bissonnet at Feld Park5. NO PARKING on the EHS driveway ellipseThe entrance to Field Day will be at the gate off of the EHS driveway ellipse (near the Peace Circle)

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My BackPackA reminder to parents to please keep

your contact information up to date in My BackPack. If you have any questions, please contact the Technology Office at

281-822-8063 or technolog [email protected].

The results are

Dear Post Oak Parents,

After months of careful planning, “the results are in!” Please plan to attend one of two meetings to hear the result of the Facilities Planning Committee’s summer work to determine the best path forward for the school.

Both meetings are in the Bissonnet gym. Childcare is provided for Primary and Elementary on October 22.

We look forward to sharing this next chapter in Post Oak School history with the community – See you there!

Join Us to Learn MoreWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22

7:00-8:00 P.M.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23

9:00-10:00 A.M.

-OR-New Faces at Post Oak

Linda King has joined us as our new Admission Assistant/Registrar. Linda has extensive experience as a school registrar on both the college level (Caltech) and at the Cordon Bleu Culinary School in Pasadena, California. Ms. King, new to Montessori, is eager to learn all about the work we do here and happy to be part of our vibrant community.

Día de los Muertos Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is an important festivity in most Latin American countries. Rather than being a sad occasion, El Día de los Muertos is a happy one because it celebrates life and pays respect to our ancestors and loved ones.

For the festivity, ofrendas (prepared tables) are placed in public places (community offerings), homes, and cemeteries. The ofrendas are decorated with marigolds and other f lowers, sugar skulls, food, folk art, candles, copal, and items that were special to our loved one.

The celebration is particularly delightful for children because of the strong sense of love and family appreciation expressed through the creation of arts & crafts, toys and treats. We invite all students to bring a photo, memento, story, or even a favorite food of their loved ones to participate in Post Oak’s 20th annual Dia de Los Muertos presentations on October 30th and October 31st, 2014.

Grandparents’ & Friends’ Days

If you would like your child’s grandparents or other relatives and friends to be invited to this year’s Grandparents’ Days (November 24 & 25), please visit www.postoakschool.org and submit their e-mail address via the link on the left menu of the home page. Please include anyone you think would like to observe and/or interact with your children in their Montessori environment. Invitations will be mailed in mid-October, and after that will be e-mailed.•

Gra

ndparentsandFriends

Gra

ndparentsandFriends

R U L E !R U L E !GGrrraa

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GGGGGGrrrrrrrrraaaaaaa

nnnnnnddddddppppppaaaaaarrrrrreeeeeennnnnnttttttttttttssssssaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnndddddddddFFFFFFFFFrrrrrriiiiiiiieeeeeennnnnndddddd

sssssssssssR U L E !RRR UUU LLL EEE !!!

ddparddddddddpppaaaaarrrrrrr

Fi FFFFiii

The Post Oak School cordially invites you to

GRANDPARENTS’ DAY(other relatives and close friends are also invited)

Monday or TuesdayNovember 24 or 25, 2008

9:00 a.m. to 11 a.m.

See your grandchildren at work in

their Montessori school.

To allow the younger students (Infant and Primary)

to maintain their work cycle, we request that

you view them through the observation window.

In the Elementary and Middle School levels,

you are welcome to interact with the students.

RSVPPlease email [email protected]

with your name and address, the names of your

grandchildren, and which day you plan to visit.

Or mail back the enclosed postcard.

Event schedule and directions are on the back.

PROGRAM(for both days)

9:00 – 9:15 a.m. Arrival/Breakfast

9:15 – 9:45 a.m. Welcome - John Long, Head of School

9:45 – 10:45 a.m. Guided tours: Infant & Primary classrooms.

Classroom visits :

Elementary & Middle School

(Note: Middle School students

are not on campus Monday

morning)

10:45 a.m. Departure.

Thank you for joining us!

�DIRECTIONS

The Post Oak School is located one block inside the 610 West Loop, on the corner of Avenue B and

Bissonnet. The entrance gate is on Avenue B. Parking is available on the school grounds.

The Post Oak School, 4600 Bissonnet, Bellaire, TX 77401Phone: 713-661-6688

Fournace

610WestLoop

Bissonnet

Avenue B

Southwest Freeway (59)

The Post Oak School

Bissonnet

N

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Q. What’s your favorite thing about POHS?

A. The freedom to study what you are most interested in and entering that field early through internships.

Q. What’s your favorite food?

A. Schnitzel

Q. What are your major interests and hobbies?

A. Cello, games, tennis

Q. What’s your favorite Houston hangout spot?

A. The Houstonian

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

A. The EV Car Conversion

Q. What’s your favorite TV show?

A. The Blacklist and Lillyhammer

Q. What colleges do you plan on applying to?

A. Notre Dame, Rice, MIT, and Stanford

Q. What’s your favorite color?

A. Green

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

A. Name of the Wind

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

A. The Odyssey trip to SHUMLA archaeological research center

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

A. Dr. Quillin

Q. What is one of your short-term goals you are currently working on?

A. Presenting the idea of studying physics through skiing. It would make a great J-term project!

POST OAK HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2016 SPOTLIGHT:

JOIN THE CLUB! Student Clubs for

the 2014-2015 school year have begun! Offerings include Film Club, Mentre Leggeva, Psychology, Visual Arts and Photography, Creative Writing and Slam Poetry, Primitive Weapons, and Make Club.

POHS IN THE NEWS 11th grade student

is a student editor for the Bellaire School Buzz, a new blog that highlights what’s going on in local high schools from the perspectives of students. As a student correspondent, works to contribute stories, photos and multimedia reports.

ATHLETICS Our POHS Flag Football team and their new coach Cliff McBride will play two games on Saturday, October 25; against Tekoa Charter at 1pm and St. Stephen’s at 4 pm. 6602 Winfield Rd, Houston 77050. 11th grade student

will be competing in the Cross Country State Finals in Austin on Saturday, October 18th.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

NOW AT

BELONG

YOUHERE

T e P O S T OA

K

HI G

H S C H O O L

News from the National Association for College Admission Counseling ConferenceBy Amanda Phelps Smith, College Counselor

The 70th National Association for College Admission Counseling Conference was a great success. Mr. Moudry and Mrs. Smith attended the the conference in Indianapolis with thousands of other High School College Counselors, College Admission Representatives and Independent Educational Consultants from around the world. Each day was

broken down into several sessions appealing to all facets of the college

admission process. The NACAC conference was a great opportunity to share all of the incredible things that our students are doing at Post Oak.

College Admission representatives were eager to hear about our first group of High School students, as well as our recent IB World School authorization. As many admission representatives echoed, graduating with the IB Diploma is one of the greatest indicators of success that

a student can have. Some of the key take-aways will be shared with the students in the coming weeks at The Post Oak High School. From essay writing tips shared by Yale, to insights on Early Decision, Early Action and Regular Decision from MIT, the information gathered was both valuable and exciting. NACAC was very reassuring to us that our High School students are in a terrific position as they plan to compete with college bound students from around the world.

DID YOU KNOW?

• “Demonstrated Interest” and “touchpoints” play a vital role in College Admission decisions as they look holistically at students.

• Depending on the university, applying to different “colleges” within a university may improve your chances of getting in, yet will still allow you to take some of the same exact classes.

• Admission representatives want you to put down the thesaurus then writing a college essay. The 17 and 18 year old voice matters. They can tell when they are reading a 45 year old voice! Here are some great essay writing tips: http://www.slideshare.net/getmetocollege

• Typically (but not always) admission and yield rates are higher when applying Early Action.

• Handwritten Thank You notes matter!

• E-mails sent to admission representatives can have just as much of an impact as a college application essay! Take every communication sent seriously.

• The following table ranks the major scholarship databases according to recall, and also reports the precision of each database.

Scholarship Database Recall Precision

FastWeb 100% 100%

Scholarships.com 93% 75%

Peterson’s 87% 26%

College Board 78% 40%

Scholarship Experts 77% 73%

FindTuition.com 75% 15%

NextStudent 43% 38%

SRN Express 33% 31%

BrokeScholar 18% 75%

• In 2012-13, full-time undergraduates at public, four-year schools received an average of $5,750 in gift aid from all sources; full-time undergraduates at private, nonprofit schools received an average of $15,680. These are merit-based scholarships awarded annually for all four years of college.

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Individual student pictures

NEXT WEEK!

MONDAY, OCT. 20Middle School

Tamara Townsend

Tamara Basham

Miriam Winton

Orly Kluk

TUESDAY, OCT. 21Errol Pinto

Sarah Moudry

Julie Parraguirre

Danielle Dalsey High School

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 22Maya Pinto

Deidre Brooks

Emily Hansen

Simran Sood

THURSDAY, OCT. 23Debbie Nickerson

Phoebe Yeager

Beth Smith

Anita Taj

Make-ups

Gala Project Fun!

Calling all gardeners experienced and new! Time for fall planting season. Where we live has the wonderful benefit of two growing seasons. If you already have a garden, be sure to clear out any old plants and mulch them if no bugs or disease are present. Also, make notes on how your plant varieties performed so you can review for planting next year. New gardeners take a look around the yard and pick a spot with good sun exposure. Sun is important with the shorter days over the winter months. Gardens can be any size. Pots and raised beds are a quick way to get started. Try to stay organic with your soils and plants. After all, healthy food is your key goal next to the joy and reward of growing your own food. Buchanan’s and SW Fertilizer are a couple of good places to visit for plants, soils and advice. Pay attention to the freeze warnings over the winter months. Last winter had plenty of freezing nights, so be ready to cover your plants.

To see specific vegetable varieties that are good for Harris County go to http://harris.agrilife.org/files/2011/05/vegvariety.pdf

The following is a list of plants that tend to do well for fall planting:

BroccoliBeetsBeansBrussel SproutsCabbageCarrots

CauliflowerCilantroCollardsCucumberKaleLeek

LettuceMustard GreensParsnipParsleyPeasRadish

SpinachSquashSwiss ChardTomatoesTurnips

THE POST OAK MIDDLE SCHOOL E X P E R I E N C ECome meet our POMS faculty and tour our dynamic learning environment. Parents will hear the voices of current middle school students and teachers. A panel of students will present “A Day in the Life of a POMS student.” We will also highlight the special features of our program including trips, community service, technology, clubs, occupations, specials, and academics.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21 7:00 P.M.

Primary Teacher Emily Hansen organized a magical Saturday morning garden and art party. The weather was perfect, there was a great turnout of parents and kids. Patrick Renner, a well known Houston artist (who was just featured on the cover of the Houston Press) was there leading the Gala project for Emily’s class. I overheard many times from parents “this is why we love Post Oak” and I know that we were all grateful to Emily for giving us all such joy. The kids were, in turns, absorbed by the painting, the planting, and the fun of being allowed to play on the elementary playground!

~ Post Oak parent Jennifer Wheler

Fall Planting Tips from Post Oak’s Green Team

Post Oak Running Club members , and ran the Monster Mash

Kids 1K at Sam Houston Race Park on Oct. 11. Join the Running Club for the Run in the Park on Saturday, Nov. 8,

at Hermann Park! See http://www.hermannpark.org/calendar/run-in-the-park/ for more details.

Running Club Rocks!

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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. Lower Elementary classmates discover the classic “Where the Sidewalk Ends.”

2. A Primary student pours the juice he has freshly squeezed for his classmates.

3. Upper Elementary students clean up after conducting a science experiment.

4. Map work in the Lower Elementary classroom is one of many activities that help students understand their place in the world.

5. Middle School students concentrate on getting their shoe designs just right in art class.

6. Lower Elementary students create paper flowers for the upcoming Dia de los Muertos presentations.

7. A child in the Young Children’s Community gathers the tools he needs to sweep the floor.

8. A Lower Elementary student works on a math problem using the bead frame.

9. Upper Elementary students do their History work side by side with pen and paper.

10. Juniors at the High School complete their History work as a group with their tablets.

11. A six-year-old works with the cubing material, a foundation for future math work.. 2

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Page 9: The Post, 10.17.2014

O C T O B E R 1 9 – 2 5

Mon-Thu 10/20-23 Individual School Pictures

Tue 10/21

The Post Oak Middle School Experience7:00 p.m. (all parents welcome)

Wed 10/22

Big Work Meeting7:00 p.m. (in the gym)

Diwali begins at sundown

Thu 10/23

Big Work Meeting9:00 a.m. (in the gym)

Fri 10/24

CONFERENCE DAYClasses not in session: only students with expanded contracts attend YCC is in session.

O C T O B E R 2 6 – N O V E M B E R 1

Mon-Fri 10/27-31

Middle School Washington D.C. Trip

Wed 10/29

Post Oak Moms’ Gala Event at Tootsie’s5:30-7:00 p.m.

Wed-Fri10/29-31 Vision and hearing screening

Fri 10/31 Halloween

Sat 11/1 Dia de los Muertos

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)

4600Bissonnet,Bellaire,Texas77401•Telephone:713-661-6688•Fax:713-661-4959•www.postoakschool.org

Paperwork drop-off at arrivals

If you have paperwork to drop off, you can hand it to one of the people assisting with arrivals and they will put it in a basket that gets taken to the front office every morning. No need to park! There are drop-off baskets in both the Primary and Elementary arrival lines.

Conference Registration

The online parent/teacher conference scheduling is now open. Remaining conference days are October 24 (YCC is in session on the 24th), and November 7. To sign up for a conference go to www.postoakschool.org ▶ For Parents ▶ Schedule/View a Parent-Teacher Conference and have your login information ready. If you are having problems, please contact technology director Mirna Andrade-Salgado, at technolog [email protected] or 281-822-8063.

Bearkat

SPORT YOUR POST OAK GEAR

Every Friday!

SPIRIT DAYS

LAST SOCCER GAME ON WEDNESDAY!OCTOBER 22 • 4:15

FELD PARK VS ST. STEPHEN’S

MIDDLE SCHOOL MICROECONOMY

WILL BE SELLING WATER AT THE UPCOMING SOCCER

GAMES AT FELD PARK. COME THIRSTY!

Show Your Spirit! The Post Oak School and Bearkats logos are available at Lands’ End for em-broidery or printing on a selection of high-quality clothing. Contact Lands’ End School Division directly at 1-800-469-2222 or online at landsend.com. Our preferred school number is 900115890.

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