Pantherbeat Fall/Winter 2021-22

PARISH EPISCOPAL SCHOOL NEWS

FALL/WINTER 2021/2022

A “TALE AS OLD AS TIME” AND . . .

FRANKENSTEIN? Spectacular awe fills the Noble Family Performing Arts Center in its inaugural year.

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1st – 4th graders combine their voices for a wintery holiday program for the first time in Eller Hall; special accompaniment by Upper School’s Essential Standards. https://vimeo.com/657919327

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Parish Online

parish.org Thankful for Our Grandfriends!

Students of all ages were eager to share messages to Grandparents to let them know how important they are to the Parish community. https://fb.watch/bEHrm_YPtm/

A Day in the Life with Parish Ambassadors Fancy Like a Panther Essential Standards teamed up with Mr. Monaco to cut a promo for our Annual Gala. https://www.vimeo.com/ 678853527

Students and faculty/staff act as virtual tour guides on Instagram giving prospective families a glimpse into their day.

Parish Facebook

https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17944767079704341/

Homecoming Spirit Week From dress up days to choir concerts to gratitude cards for our teachers, Middle School had fun showing their Panther Pride!

Parish Twitter

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVV5vy3r-dQylNLX37yjyBTIIBuaN0aHNjefUI0/

The Rover Team is Unstoppable!

Three-peat!

Parish Panther Football celebrated back to back to back State Championships in December. https://www.twitter.com/ ParishSports/status/ 1467282046016012294

The team was featured on an episode of “Mission Unstoppable with Miranda Cosgrove."

Parish Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZj5xmxlgnI/

Keeping Alumni Connected Are you part of the Alumni group on LinkedIn? Parish alums and parents can find and share opportunities. https://www.linkedin.com/groups/6723546/

Parish LinkedIn

New Addition:

Family keeps memory of Nico Spirito alive with scholarship for younger learners Fund honoring ’08 alumnus opens doors for Lower School students His smile lit up every room his boots walked into, every field his cleats ran across and every friend his big arms embraced.

Nicolas “Nico” Spirito was a devoted and much-loved Parish alumnus. He started his Panther career in PreK on the Hillcrest campus, where his mother Cheryl Howard teaches. Long after graduating in 2008, Nico continued to attend Parish football and alumni events, and stayed in close contact with his many friends from school days.

Nico loved everything Texas – from the Dallas Cowboys to the Tex Mex he dug into with gusto. He ventured out of state only to attend college at the University of Mississippi, graduating in 2012 with a degree in business administration/management. Nico was thriving in a career as a professional recruiter in Dallas when complications from epilepsy unexpectedly took his life in March 2021.

Sharing his generous spirit

To honor Nico’s enduring legacy and his love for Parish, his family launched a memorial scholarship: the Nicolas “Nico” Spirito ’08 Memorial Scholarship Award. The scholarship will be awarded to a new or returning Lower School student who has a demonstrated financial need. In recognition of Nico’s health challenges (he lived with epilepsy from the age of 16 but it “did not define him,” said his mother Cheryl), preference will be given to a student with any identified illness, condition, learning disability or physical challenge.

This spring, the School will name the first award recipient who will receive funds for the 2022–23 school year. The initial gift from Nico’s family, along with additional contributions to the memorial, will be invested to fund future annual scholarships in Nico’s name.

“We want to keep Nico’s memory alive and see something good come out of the tragedy of his early death,” said Chase Spirito, Nico's brother.

“Opening doors for others to have the Parish experience seems a fitting way to honor his big-hearted spirit.”

To make a gift to the scholarship in honor of Nico, visit www.parish.org/give and select the Nico Spirito Memorial Scholarship.

(Continues on page 12)

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FALL/WINTER 2021/2022 | PAGE 3

Pantherbeat Feature:

A “Tale as old as time” and . . . Frankenstein?

Last fall, the grand opening for the Noble Family Performing Arts Center kicked off Parish Episcopal School’s inaugural season with ribbon-cutting events befitting of a world-renowned, metropolitan theater.

Upper School play, FRANKENSTEIN 1930, was the first full-length production in Eller Hall. Even with a vast set and a grave created from the orchestra pit, making it difficult if not impossible to move for other events, the show was able to share the stage for a Middle School choir concert showing the versatility of the space.

Alumni and current students lit up the stage of Eller Hall in the Noble with performances from productions that spanned the past 14 years of PARISHarts theatre. Since then, the Noble has seen assemblies, holiday programs, concerts, admission events, gallery openings, musicals – Theory of Relativity in DB2 and Frankenstein 1930 in Eller Hall, and the first 3rd-12th grade, all-campus musical with Beauty and the Beast, the latter of which tested every aspect of the Noble’s offerings. Check out the following images and captions for a look inside the Noble during the fall and winter of this school year . . . we guarantee you’ll be amazed and in awe of all our students and community have done in just a few short months!

Welcome to The Noble Alumni Musical Theatre Showcase - 20 musical numbers from the past 14 years of PARISHarts musical theatre.

(Continues on page 4)

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Parish Feature Story (continued from page 3) Essential Standards concert and Theory of Relativity musical, the first show done in the round at Parish, showcases a couple of the many creative ways that the DB2 Black Box can be set up.

Jazz Band performs in Ray Family Lobby prior to the “Company Café” performance by Junior Dance Company and Dance Company in Eller Hall.

Upper and Middle School dance classes perform in both Eller Hall and Marissa Rose Rogers '17 Studio, showing off the great lighting that both spaces feature.

Holiday cheer rang through the Noble in various spaces and many forms – Jazz Band, Extend Merry & Bright dance, and Lower School choirs – the latter being the first time in Parish history that 1st/2nd and 3rd/4th grade holiday programs combine for a larger performance at the Midway campus, bringing the two campus communities together in holiday cheer.

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Jazz Band

The Noble Opening Reception

Extend Merry & Bright Dance

Alumni Gallery Show at Jonsson Gallery

The first Alumni Gallery Show in the newly located Jonsson Gallery in the Noble Family Performing Arts Center featuring 14 alumni and their artwork! The opening reception included alumna, Claire Hudson ’21, who performed an acoustic set!

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Parish Feature Story (continued from page 5) The largest production undertaken at Parish and the first 3rd-12th grade, all-campus musical at the School, Beauty and the Beast, spotlighted exactly what our students can do with the new space and technology that the Noble offers. The show included 87 cast members supported by many crew and The Arts People parent volunteers; the costume and scene shops were put to the test making 115 different costume designs and Maurice’s (Belle’s father) spectacular invention along with the rest of the set; the visual arts team put on the show “Transformation,” the first Gallery Show tied to a theatrical performance which included 3rd-12th graders artwork centering on the idea of transforming.

Transformation Show (3rd – 12th graders artwork)

Rehearsal at DB2 and a look backstage

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FALL/WINTER 2021/2022 | PAGE 7

Beauty and the Beast (cast and crew members)

Orchestra members

Costumes

Props (Maurice’s spectacular invention) and set changes # of attendees: 1802 over four shows # of cast members: 87

# of crew members: 7 student crew and 7 adult production members (choreographer, music, tech, dialect, etc…) # of sets and/or set changes: 18 # of costumes designed and ultimately created: 115 # of hours rehearsed: 85 # of weeks it took to create Maurice’s invention: 3

# of pieces in the “Transformation” Gallery Show: 140 # of Orchestra members: 9

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FALL/WINTER 2021/2022 | PAGE 8

Ask Pete – Does Parish have an Archive?

Archive Mission Statement: The Parish Archive shall be a collection of items relevant to the history of Parish Day School and Parish Episcopal School. This collection will show the evolution of the institution and capture everyday life at Parish.

While for many years, Parish had a vast collection of archival items, we didn’t have an official Archive. In 2019, in preparation for this year’s 50th Anniversary, to establish the first official Parish Archive, the School enlisted the help of Parish parent, Kristen Twomey (who has since joined the Advancement team as Assistant Director of Development).

The first item of business – develop the “mission” of the Parish Archive so as to ensure archival items’ relevance to the School. “I think it surprises people to know that I actually threw out a lot of stuff,” exclaimed Kristen. “I think that is an important part of archiving - knowing what to keep and what not to keep. That’s why it was important to write a mission statement. If something wasn’t ‘relevant to the history of Parish Day School or Parish Episcopal School,’ then get rid of it.”

Part of the process of creating the Archive included researching best processes and practices, including visiting with peer schools and researching other institutions with established archives, and ultimately organizing things in a way that made sense to Parish. Considering Parish’s timeline and history, Kristen created logical categories and set up a “finding key” system for categorizing, labeling and storing archival materials.

Evidence of the initial phases of Parish's now-established Archive can be seen throughout the campuses as well as throughout this year’s 50th Anniversary celebrations - the temporary, historical timeline display showcased in the lobby of the Midway campus; the chapel banner window outside the PAWS store; Wall of Service installations at both campuses, while already in existence, are a part of Parish’s Archive.

Some fun things found in the Parish Archive: • Literary magazines – featuring student poems and essays • Weekly Parents’ Association newsletters, typed and copied for all parents • Past special events details – Homecoming, prom, Gala, graduation • Past capital campaign materials • Building renderings for both Hillcrest and Midways expansions • Yearbooks and teacher photo albums • Team posters and awards • Big, beautiful prayer books that children would write in if they had something they wanted everyone to pray for • Graduation/Baccalaureate programs • Apparel – throwback t-shirts, jerseys and uniforms

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FALL/WINTER 2021/2022 | PAGE 9

Dave Monaco to “Graduate” as a Parish Lifer in May 2023 Allen Meyer Family Head of School announces his 14th and final year at Parish; Board of Trustees announces Head of School Selection Committee and process for choosing Parish’s fourth Head of School From Mr. Monaco

“. . . the time has arrived for me to share the related news that the 20222023 school year will be my 14th and final one at Parish Episcopal School.

Like my third son, Sam ’23, I will share the distinct honor of “graduating” next May as a Parish Lifer and begin a professional and personal reset of my own.

Dave led a $20 million campaign to significantly expand the size of the School’s endowment, helping to provide much needed financial stability to the School. . . . Dave led the School on a capital campaign which raised more than $30 million dollars to expand the Midway campus with the addition of the Gene E. Phillips Activity Center and the state-of-the-art Noble Family Performing Arts Center.

Indeed, Parish has woven itself deeply and permanently into my life story – and that of my family. Mollie and I thank you from the depths of our hearts for welcoming us in 2009 and for the friendship, support and guidance you have offered since then.

TC ’16, Robert ’20 and Sam ’23 have grown up at Parish and, in many ways, so have Mollie and I. Parish has been, and always will be, a place filled with people and memories that we treasure.

Buildings and endowments are not all that define Dave’s tenure at Parish.

Dave led an effort to reimagine the way our children learn and execute their academic endeavors, giving students more voice and choice in how they approach their academic studies. . . . providing balance to his or her academic and extra-curricular lives while maintaining the rigor of college preparation. . . Dave also spearheaded important task forces that were designed to keep our children safe and to look at ways to further develop a mindset of inclusivity and belonging in our community. What is particularly remarkable about Dave’s tenure is that he managed all this growth and change while keeping Parish true to its identity that is rooted in community. . . . The selection process for Dave’s replacement is underway. Under the leadership of the Board of Trustees’ Vice-Chair Alyson Jackson, a selection committee has been organized and an outside consultant [Storbeck Search] has been engaged to help us through the process of ensuring that we have the best person to lead Parish going forward.”

HOS SELECTION COMMITTEE

So why now, you might ask?

Simply stated, the time is right for Parish, for the Monacos and for me.

This decision results from a period of thoughtful, personal discernment and intentional succession planning over the last several years, not in reaction to the pandemic, a loss of enthusiasm for Parish and the challenge of leading schools in this complex age, or a mid-life crisis!

Rather, the School community and I have fresh paths to chart and June of 2023 marks the best departure point for each of us to forge them. . . .”

From Trey Velvin, Board of Trustees Chair

“. . . When Dave joined the Parish community in the fall of 2009, Parish was in the midst of a transformation from a small day school located at the corner of Spring Valley and Hillcrest Roads into a PreK through 12th grade school that spread over two campuses. Dave nurtured the seed that had been planted by his predecessors and grew Parish into a fullfledged institution that rivals other local independent schools that were established decades earlier. . . . Dave was able to grow and expand the nascent Upper School programming and other infrastructure required to develop what is now a flourishing PreK through 12th school that offers a robust curriculum, an ever-expanding offering of extra-curricular activities, and other services that benefit both our Parish families and the wider community. . . .

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Alyson Jackson - Chair Board of Trustees Vice-Chair MS and US Parent Laura Juarez Baggett US Parent Jason Devening MS Parent David Fisk PDS Alumnus Sarah Grohmann MS and US Parent

Rev. R. Casey Shobe Rector, The Church of the Transfiguration LS and MS Parent Trey Velvin Board of Trustees Chair Alumni Parent Mike Villa LS and MS Parent Laurie Wallace Alumni Parent

Bob Marshall US Grandparent To read more from Dave and Trey, and to learn more about the Head of School Selection, visit parish.org/hosselection or use the QR code.

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FALL/WINTER 2021/2022 | PAGE 10

50th in pics fall/winter PNPB: Parish's annual Panther Nation Block Party got the year started as the kick-off event for the School’s 50th Anniversary year. Families celebrated the return to campus and the School debuted its new “Roar Panthers Roar” fight song during an outdoor pep rally.

Dave’s Day of Service: 350 Parish community members, including parents, students, faculty, staff and grandparents, came out on Saturday, October 2, 2021, to support several United to Learn partner schools as part of Parish’s inaugural Dave’s Day of Service. The event was launched in honor of Parish Episcopal School’s 50th Anniversary and named in honor of Dave Monaco, Parish’s Allen Meyer Family Head of School, and his wife Mollie for their passion and dedication to serving the broader education community here in Dallas. Led by parent co-chairs, Jody Swartzwelder and Mollie Monaco, Parish volunteers completed 20+ projects at Dave’s Day of Service for Dallas ISD and United to Learn partner elementary schools Leonides Gonzalez Cigarroa, Anne Frank, José “Joe” May, Julian T. Saldivar and one middle school, Benjamin Franklin International Exploratory Academy. Volunteers of all ages worked on projects at school sites, such as gardening, painting, power-washing and organizing supplies. There were also many activities on Parish’s campus, such as creating thank you notes for students to choose from to give to teachers, packing snack bags, creating fidget toys and curricular games, recording books for students to listen, and more. Parish extends a special thank you to the Sulentic Family Foundation for their generous support underwriting project supplies for the day.

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50th in pics fall/winter

Homecoming: Homecoming spirit week culminated with a 56-10 win over John Paul II. But that’s only the half of it. The day started with pep rallies at both campuses as we rolled into a “Red Out” evening with a PreK – 6th grade Little Panther Parade led by Pete the Panther, Rover Team and Rosettes. The celebration continued with an alumni BBQ, tailgating, bounce houses, alumni stadium flag raisers and coin toss, Drum Line alumni performance and a surprise, halftime 50th firework display. The spirit of the evening resounded through North Dallas and continues through the 50th anniversary year. Go Panthers!

Stay tuned to the next issue of Pantherbeat for coverage of more 50th celebration events.

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Nico Spirito

(continued from page 2) Honoring a huge and humble heart

The Nicolas “Nico” Spirito ’08 Memorial Scholarship Award was established by mother and stepfather Cheryl and Steve Howard, father Bradley Spirito, and sister-in-law and brother Kaci and Chase Spirito. It is the first in the School’s history to benefit a Lower School student.

Parish is integral to the family’s shared experience. Nico’s brother Chase is a ‘96 alumnus of Parish Day School and his mom Cheryl is a long-standing faculty member of the Hillcrest campus as well as a Wall of Service honoree.

“For us, Parish has always been our second family,” said Cheryl. “It’s a community that nurtures children’s natural gifts and helps them build lifelong friendships, as it did for Nico. We can think of no better way to celebrate Nico than to support future generations of the school that he loved.”

Described by his family and friends as a true “people person,” Nico was treasured for his warmth, authentic caring and abundant humor.

“He gave the biggest bear hugs ever and was a friend to everyone,” said fellow Parish graduate and Director of Alumni Relations Lauren Henderson ‘07.

Nico and his lifelong friend Jeff Button '08

PARISH EPISCOPAL SCHOOL NEWS

FALL/WINTER 2021/2022

Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heather Mills Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . Bianca Araujo Alumni . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lauren Henderson '07 Digital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Courtney Joyner Photographer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wiley Williams Contributor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kristen Twomey

What’s inside: Pantherbeat Feature: A “TALE AS OLD AS TIME” AND . . .

FRANKENSTEIN? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7 Parish Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 New Addition: Family keeps memory of Nico Spirito alive with scholarship for younger learners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Ask Pete: Does Parish have an Archive? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Dave Monaco to “Graduate” as a Parish Lifer in May 2023. . . . 9 50th in pics fall/winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-11

Pantherbeat is the magazine of Parish Episcopal School | 4101 Sigma Road | Dallas, Texas 75244 | parish.org

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