Writing and Math Labs might sound like opposites, but outcomes are strong for both. Read more about the benefits of each from our student reporters…
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Field Hockey, Volleyball, Football and Cheerleading all took a stroll down the Great Hall at the Midway Campus as students and faculty/staff cheered and wished them luck.
The Parish Panther football team won the D1 TAPPS State Championship for the fourth year in a row!
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Lower School students and faculty delighted the community with the PreK 3 Christmas Concert; PreK 4, Kindergarten & Primer Christmas Pageant; and 1st - 4th grades in “Hijinx on Holiday Lane!!”
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"For the First Time ..." in Middle School
MS Students performed Frozen Jr. and showcased the talent of our community as well as the ongoing benefits of the Noble Family Performing Arts Center.
https://app.vidigami.com/parishepiscopal/c3BhY2V8OTM=/events/ZXZlbnR8MTUxNTIw
We are so thankful for the Parish Safety Team who does so much including: welcoming guests at both campuses, running afternoon carpool and preparing for severe weather.
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Mrs. Henard’s computer classes were assigned countries to research and then played a soccer game with their Sphero robots.
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It was great to have our LS parents on both our campuses for Parents’ Visiting Day!
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Several Juniors and Seniors were recognized in an Upper School assembly for their achievements with National Merit and College Board testing. Congratulations to all!
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The Softball team got a big win recently with the reopening of the softball field, now known as Whitaker Field at Tadewald Park, and its new Panther Blue Turf. Thanks to a matching leadership gift from Darla and Mark Whitaker (Jordan ’23), and support from the School’s capital budget and Athletic Booster Club, as well as several additional Parish families (from all three divisions), grandparents and alumni all stepping up to the plate together, the new softball field became a reality for our athletes when we began construction just a few short months ago.
As Ahmad Ajami, Interim Athletic Director, referenced in his fall Athletic Update to the community, “Our Parish community’s support was once again in full display as we began exploring a new turfed (Blue of course!) softball field. This endeavor had a number of challenges, the most prominent being the financial support required in order to get this done for the upcoming spring season. Fortunately, this community meets challenges head on . . . This accomplishment is another shining example of what the Parish community can do when it comes together.” Read Coach Ajami’s complete letter at shorturl.at/twALZ
Parish partnered with Symmetry Sports Construction for this improvement and the complex is all set for players to hit the field for this spring’s softball season. On February 28, the Home Game Ribbon Cutting will officially open the new field and celebrate the contributions of all who made this happen.
The Tadewald family, who has been a strong supporter for many years to the Parish community, endorsed the name change to Tadewald Park (formerly Tadewald Field), highlighting the evolution and growth of Parish Softball that they envisioned with their original support of the program as part of the 2012 Remarkable Realities Strategic Vision campaign. Read more about the Tadewald family’s original gift or use the QR Code.
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When Laura Mangelsdorf ‘24 was assigned to write a precis, or a summary of the main points of a text, in AP Language, she was completely lost.
“I had never written one before, and had no idea where to start,” exclaimed Laura!
However, instead of winging it, Laura chose to seek help from a teacher, and what better place to do that than the Parish Writing Lab?
Laura recalled, “I remember walking into the writing lab and seeing multiple other students asking for help. After waiting a few minutes, I was at Mr. Mazzella’s desk and creating an outline of my work with him. [It helped by] making the writing process easier, and also allowing me to create and learn an outline structure I could refer to at any point of my writing career.”
The Parish Writing Lab, found on the 4th floor of the Midway campus, is a place for students struggling with writing assignments to receive help.
“It’s a great environment, because I can go in and work quietly on what I need to work on, then go next door to Mr. Mazzella’s office for help on anything,” said Gigi Enrico ‘24.
The Writing Lab isn’t limited to essays. Ivie Mehary ‘24 came when she needed help creating a presentation about her charity organization for chapel.
“For my homily, I tried to do a little bit when I could so it wouldn't be too stressful when the time came for it to be done; however, that didn't work out so well,” admitted Ivie. “Leading up to the time, Mr. Mazzella helped figure out what to say and when to say it, helping me organize which slides would say what. [For instance], slide one would be the introduction and I would add a few pics and a brief overview, slide two would talk about how I began the project, and so on and so on. When the time to present came closer, Mr. Mazzella looked at my script and helped me weed out unimportant and uninteresting info. He also helped me create my actual slide show in a way that would best keep everyone interested.”
Easton Charles ‘23 said, “I mainly [go] to the Writing Lab for AGS. I need lots of help with my papers, [and] I’ve noticed an improvement in my writing since going to the Writing Lab. [It’s] increased my grade in my classes.”
The Writing Lab is also used as a quiet place by students, who prefer it to the library or other quiet spaces in the School. During most of the day, there are students inside, working with teachers on essays, or just working by themselves. Even when there are no students, there is always a teacher monitoring it in case a student comes in needing assistance.
The director of the Writing Lab, Jason Mazzella, is an 18-year Parish English department veteran. Almost every student who visits the Writing Lab for assistance has had his help, and many cite him as a major contributor to improving their writing skills.
Due to the help provided in the Writing Lab, Ivie was able to confidently present her homily, and it was a success among the Upper School.
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The Writing Lab also provides college essay support. Ren Staveteig ‘23, who was recently accepted to Duke, spoke about the application process and the support from the Writing Lab.
“Over the last several months, the Writing Lab has served as a landing space for me during my college application process,” explained Ren.
“As I returned nearly every day to pour over the mountain of essay prompts that confronted me these past few months, I found rhythm and enthusiasm in the space, consistently refreshing the monotonous effort of crafting applications. Working with Mr. Mazzella and Mr. Ross from CCLP, the environment facilitated lively discussion and feedback, ultimately resulting in a series of essays that I can confidently say represent me and my aspirations as a student and human being. Now, I recognize and cherish the opportunity to refine, but not overcorrect, my organic writing process.”
Michelle shares that members of the creative writing club meet every Thursday during flex to give each other feedback and talk about creative stories.
Encouragement of creative writing for Parish students is evident by the writing contest flyers covering the wall by the Writing Lab door. Whether contests are statewide, countrywide or even worldwide, student participation is supported throughout the process. Multiple students have entered each contest so far, and I, Celia Allen ‘24, have been fortunate to have recently won one of those awards.
The lab is also home to a creative writing club. Club founder and leader, Michelle Kurniali ‘25 and Vice-president Meredith Walker ‘25 can be found in the Writing Lab every Thursday after lunch with the rest of the members.
“I thought it would be a fun way to help students share creative story ideas and grow as writers,” reflected Michelle. “Meredith and I talked to Mr. Mazzella, who helped us bring the club to life through the club expo. Last year, we started off small with only about four members, but it has now grown to 12 people!”
The Fresh Ink Fiction Contest, a statewide competition sponsored by AT&T and Random House Publishing, received more than 150 submissions. They selected one winner per grade, and the winners were each given the opportunity to speak at the Texas Book Festival in Austin. I was selected as the winner out of every 11th grade submission, and I relied heavily on the Writing Lab to help me with my short story. If it weren’t for the Writing Lab, I would’ve never heard of the contest in the first place. The teachers were really a lot of help, especially Mr. Mazzella. At the beginning, when I didn’t quite understand the prompt that the contest gave, he helped me with ideas and gave me constructive criticism to make the theme stand out more. Without his help, I don’t think my piece would’ve won the contest. I’m not even sure if I would’ve written anything to begin with. And, I'm not alone. It isn't hard to find students who utilize and benefit from the Writing Lab. From reading comprehension support to essay help, the Writing Lab is an incredible resource. As a quiet and comfortable place full of interesting conversations and helpful ideas, the Writing Lab is a welcoming and inviting environment. Any student who drops by for any help, large or small, is sure to feel more confident in their work.
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The Parish Math Lab, a helpful system that has been in Parish’s curriculum for many years, is a structure where any Parish student can receive help on math assignments by consulting a math teacher available to aid during any hour of the day. The Math Lab also allows students to complete any missed math assignments such as tests or quizzes and retake a math assessment. Algebra 2 student Saina Beemidi ’24 discusses her appreciation for Parish’s Math Lab structure.
“When I’m experiencing difficulties on any math assignment, the Math Lab is the most convenient source of help as it’s open during all periods of the school day,” said Saina. “It’s nice to receive help from a math teacher unique to my class teacher to further broaden my understanding of any concept.”
Upon entering the Math Lab, students will turn in their phones and sign-in, respectively. Meticulously organized, the Math Lab fosters collaboration among Parish students and teachers with one table designated to questions and help with math work. In another part of the room, away from the interactive discussions, are arranged desks so students can complete any tests or quizzes needed. This environment creates both an interactive and calm atmosphere allowing everyone to focus and ask questions when needed.
The Math Lab continues to be recognized for its broad range of math teachers who swap out to help every block. Precalculus Honors student Zeke Barnett ’24 and Precalculus Advance student Gigi Enrico '24 agree.
“If I’m having a problem with my mentality in math, a myriad of teachers are there to support me," said Zeke.
“The Math Lab’s structure is one of the most organized structures I’ve seen," said Gigi. Certain math teachers are assigned to each block so it’s easy to come back to someone who provided great help to me in the past. Since someone’s always available to help me at the Math Lab, I can get any math questions answered as soon as possible.”
The Math Lab is one of the busiest classrooms on Parish’s campus, with frequent visitors who seek help with their math homework or simply need to reassess/make up a test. Many students, such as Precalculus Advanced student Meritt Reynolds ’24, claim that visiting the lab hastens their math process.
“I’ll go into the Math Lab and the teacher there will be able to help me understand any concept within fifteen minutes,” said Merrit. “It’s a nice, quiet environment where I can focus.”
Although the majority of students who visit are in Upper School, the Math Lab also allows Middle School students to come in when needed.
“The Math Lab helped me so much as a middle schooler," claimed Aashna Jain '28, Prealgebra student. I am able to visit during my study hall block and ask questions about my homework along with completing any math tests I may have missed.”
The accessibility of the Math Lab for students to visit and discover new methods to help them with their learning in math is such a great benefit.
And, of course, like any program at Parish, the School and students like to look for ways to evolve. Peyton Wartell '23 did just that when she started working on her Leadership Institute Project to redesign the Math Lab. Read more from Peyton on page 6.
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Parish Math Lab is in the process of being redesigned. You can read about it on page 6.
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By Peyton Wartell '23
With a growing interest in interior design, I discovered the perfect way to broaden my knowledge in the field while impacting others. My school’s selective Leadership Institute, a program of ParishLeads, requires three classes: Tactics of Leadership, Leadership of the 21st Century and the Psychology of Leadership/Ethics. The curriculum also includes the completion of a project to improve our community. I decided to modernize the Parish Math Lab.
Our Math Lab is a place I visit several times a week. When I enter, the carpet on the walls and the lack of visually appealing space prompt me to leave instantly. And I enjoy math. From test preparation to club meetings, people continually gather in the Math Lab. My goal is to provide a space that is efficient as well as vibrant and comfortable to brighten their Math Lab experience.
After gaining approval for an independent work-study program from Mrs. Liz Svadlenak, Assistant Head of Upper School for Academics, I created a curriculum to learn AutoCAD. Utilizing the laser cutter and 3D printer from my previous CAD/CAM classes in the Design Den provided a basis to teach myself the technical aspects of building layouts. AutoCAD proved invaluable when developing the Math Lab blueprint. Meetings followed with Ms. Angela Keefer, Director of Operations, and the math administrators to approve my project, solicit a budget, design the space and manage the installation. When finished, the area will transform with bright blues and greens, and contain natural fibers. Acoustic panels will control sound from the nearby noisy stairwell and new furniture with more flexible seating will accommodate group work and testing. The teachers will benefit from added storage, three whiteboard tables and a check-in area for efficiency. Because of the room's versatility and wide use among students and teachers, the renovation of this space will produce meaningful change at Parish and leave a sizeable imprint.
More info about my work in Design Den:
Parish's Design Den provided a unique opportunity where I learned to handle acrylic, MDF and HDU foam. When working with the materials, I learned to use software and different tools, including AutoCAD, Inkscape, laser cutters, a CNC router and 3D printers. All of these components have helped me work through this exciting project for the Math Lab.
Thank you to the members of Class of 2012 who joined to celebrate their 10-year reunion over the Thanksgiving holiday! The class gathered at a local wine bar in Dallas and spent the evening with friends and classmates reminiscing and catching up. Smiling faces and hugs were in abundance that evening. The 2012 reunion committee, Elianah (Gorin) ’12 and Morgan Keeler ‘12, spent months preparing, planning and reaching out to classmates via phone and email to encourage participation. Again, thank you to the planning committee for making the 10-year gathering a success for the Class of 2012!
Who doesn’t love hopping in the car to go and visit your favorite friends? The Alumni Office at Parish Episcopal School has made it a tradition since 2014 to visit Parish Alumni across the country. These road trips have been a great way to build community within the Alumni Association of almost 1,500 Parish Episcopal graduates! The Alumni team starts by preparing travel plans in early summer, mapping out their destinations. The office keeps a track of where alumni are attending college to determine in which cities to host an event in relation to where our Panthers live and attend college. The “save the dates” go out in late summer and this is when the real fun begins…the adventures, near and far, to visit our Panthers!
Due to the pandemic in 2020, the office held off on travel plans; however, this fall the “Alumni on the Road” was back in full swing and the team couldn’t have been more excited to get back on the road! Lauren Henderson, Director of Alumni Relations and Diane Webber, Alumni Relations Emerita and Special Events, kicked off the new season with a road trip to Norman, OK, to visit the Sooner Panthers for dinner. The group met at The Mont, a highly recommended college favorite. Topics of conversations included hectic schedules, work, internships and life after graduating from OU. Our Sooner Alumni were entertaining and appreciative to have dinner with Parish friends, new and old! The next stop was in Austin, TX, to visit our 60+ alumni living and working in Austin. The Alumni team had dinner with more than 25 Parish alumni at Banger’s Sausage House, a hot spot on Rainey Street recommended by our Austin Panthers. Alumni classes ranged from Class of 2008 to Class of 2022. Banger’s Sausage House could have been mistaken for Panther Nation instead of the Burnt Orange! Diane and Lauren wanted to share one of their favorite comments from one of our Longhorns: “I was so prepared by Parish for college that my classes are really easy as a freshman."
The team then drove to College Station to visit the Parish Aggies, consisting of a wide range of students, including Engineering, Veterinary Science, and even a Meteorology major. These alumni were very busy with their studies but the Alumni team was thankful they made time to come and hang out. The evening concluded with a visit to see "DJ B," Bridget Frank ’16, in action! She had high energy music mixes prepared for the evening to entertain all her passionate fans!
To kick off the month of December, Lauren reached out to the alumni at TCU inquiring if they wanted a faculty member to join her on the road, and who they would like it to be. It was unanimous that the group wanted US Math Teacher and Parish parent of alumni, Cathy Morris! The evening was full of reliving Morris’ advisory shenanigans, catching up on academics and life as a Horned Frog.
Future trips will include a visit to NYC in January 2023 where more than 60 alumni live and work. In March 2023 the team will visit our large group of alumni at SMU.
"Succeeding at Parish in high school set the tone for college success. Like most freshmen, I was overwhelmed by the workload and time management skills I needed to navigate a successful experience. I worked very hard and was disciplined, but most importantly I learned the value of resiliency. Because of my Parish experience, I now know there is nothing that I am incapable of.
There were many times in high school that I felt overwhelmed and that I wasn’t capable of doing what was asked of me. At times, I felt I was not as smart as my classmates. I was confused and tired of just missing the mark. However, using the tools Parish taught me and the resources made available to me... I plowed through and was able to get it done. By the time I was a junior, things were coming together. I knew how to manage my time, I knew the expectations of my teachers, and more importantly I knew how to meet and exceed them.
In many ways, the first year of college is a lot like my freshman year at Parish. As a student, you are in a new environment surrounded by many people who you may feel are smarter than you. You no longer have the comfort or security of home, you are alone and have to rely on prior experiences and common interests to meet new people. And for the athletes, most will not be impact-players their first year. Just as Parish taught me, it is normal to feel these things, it is ok to feel some doubt. But you have to lean into that resilience you developed navigating the Parish curriculum and trust the authentic you that blossomed at Parish. You are smart, you are funny, you are likable, you are a talented artist, athlete, actor, writer, etc. Believe in yourself and believe in your values. If you keep trying, you will succeed! TRUST the tools, TRUST the process. You are prepared!"
"Graduating from Parish prepared me for college in more ways than one. I’ve never been more thankful for the study skills I learned and being comfortable meeting with my teachers. First semester is hard as you are learning about yourself and adjusting to a new environment, which makes schoolwork also more difficult. However, my study habits helped me balance time between schoolwork, friends, sorority, football season and so much more. The relationships built with my high school teachers, and the encouragement to attend office hours, gave me the confidence to meet and interact with my college professors. When I struggled with problems in a particular subject or needed feedback on papers, I always felt comfortable discussing with my college professors, thanks to what I practiced at Parish.
Another way Parish prepared me for college was through the ParishBridge program. Throughout the last five weeks of my senior year in high school, I learned time management and how to balance school with other aspects of my life. I knew the specific times I had to be at school and in class, I knew when I had to be at my internship, and I knew how many errands I had to get done for the day. I learned how to balance it all. As I headed into college, I was able to continue what I had learned in the spring before I was in Alabama doing it all myself. I will always be grateful for my time at Parish and everything I was able to gain and learn."
Established before the pandemic by a couple of 11th grade students, Parish Esports was quite active for two years, playing in three major tournaments each year (fall, spring and summer). One of our players, Tarun Chemiti ’20, won the High School Esports League (HSEL) Spring Major in Smash 4, the HSEL Summer Invitational in Smash Bros Ultimate, and the HSEL Summer Invitational in Smash 4. With the beginning of the pandemic and the graduation of much of the team, we went on hiatus.
Parish Esports is back!
In spring 2021, as freshman, Zeke Barnett ’24 and I, wanted to restart Parish Esports. We took charge and brought it back to life.
Beginning in fall 2021, Parish Esports came back stronger than ever with more than five separate teams competing in several different games. This year, our 30+ players have competed in Valorant, Rocket League and Chess for the High School Esports League, Fall Major. Most recently, two chess players, Jack Kanewske ’24 and Noah Kashar ’23, advanced to post-season play with Jack winning his playoff tournament! With great flexibility as to when and where our games can be played, our season is almost year-round, with games streaming on our Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/parishesports/) channel as well as updates and game times on our @parishesports Instagram page.
Parish Esports welcomes all Upper School students to join us and you can get started by contacting either Alex or Zeke. No experience is needed, just a good attitude and a willingness to learn. In the future, Parish Esports hopes to expand into Middle School, as well as become a well-known and loved Parish team.
The recently established (August 2022) Parish Dads’ Club, a branch of Parents’ Association (PA), is a place where dads – both current and alumni dads – can invest their time and talent in support of their children and their school community. Intended as a complement to the efforts of the PA, the Dads’ Club was formed to develop a network of Parish fathers that could be called upon to support various school organizations and events (pie in the face booth at Spooky Saturday), needs of the School (putting up Christmas lights, driving golf carts for events), miscellaneous projects (Creek cleanup at the Midway campus) and, of course, there’s the fellowship (barbeques, campouts)!
Parish dads, Greg Porray (Ellie ’23) and BJ Antweil (Olivia ’32), put the wheels in motion this past summer by gathering a small group of dads to help lead the charge and sustain the club long after their daughters graduate (nearly a decade apart).
“Those early meetings were with dads whom we can count on to raise hands to volunteer to lead projects, take leadership roles, or know of other guys in their grades who will be up for those things,” recalled Porray. “Our goal is for the dads to own this group, foster an eagerness to volunteer, lead groups of dads to fulfill other school groups’ needs, help with school projects and be available with groups of volunteers . . . with a heavy dose of fellowship thrown in. Something I think Parish dads have needed.”
Dads’ Club made their debut at the annual Panther Nation Block Party in August. Since then, the member list has grown to more than 130 members. At its first, official meeting in September, the new members established their first leadership committee, including inaugural President Chip Duffie (Kate ’25 and Emma ’27). The group has been meeting every month, enjoying barbeque and fellowship as they continue to plan and look for ways to best serve the School.
“I am really excited about the potential for Dads’ Club to become a meaningful, sustainable part of Parish’s growth,” said Duffie. “The fact that our membership represents essentially all the grades and divisions says a lot about our ability to build a long-term partnership with the School.”
Duffie also pointed out that dads are meeting dads from other divisions that they would likely have never met, much less hung out with, except for Dads’ Club. The group is supporting the School while creating an environment where dads can meet, network and enjoy getting to know each other.
“Simply put, Dads’ Club is fun,” emphasized Duffie. “We do not take ourselves too seriously, but we can really help the School with meaningful, repeatable service and support.”
The Club’s goal moving through year one and beyond is to really establish their identity. What do they do? What do they stand for? What can they be counted on to do every year?
Dads’ Club mission is clear – it is a volunteer and fellowship organization. It is not a fundraising organization; it exists to support Parish and the already established fundraising efforts and organizations within the School (i.e. Parents’ Association, Booster Clubs).
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“To be honest, I was a little apprehensive when Greg and BJ first brought the idea to us,” said Kristen Twomey, Assistant Director of Development and liaison to Parish Parent and Booster organizations. “We have a Parents’ Association and Booster Clubs that fundraise and serve the School in various ways, and both include and encourage dad participation, so we needed to be mindful and clear that a new Dads’ Club was not to supplant but to support those existing organizations. After talking with the guys and collaborating with them on their mission and focus, I was confident that they would be able to tap into a unique side of our Parish dad community.”
Duffie sums it up nicely: “To be a member, all you need is a desire to give back. I volunteered to help start the Dads’ Club because I wanted to do more to support the Parish community that means so much to my family. In the past I was never really sure how to help, now Dads’ Club has given me that opportunity.”
Dads’ Club Mission:
The Parish Dads’ Club is a volunteer organization of fathers of Parish students and alumni, whose goal is to support the School through volunteerism and fellowship. It is designed to be a unique and fulfilling way to share in our children’s Parish experience while joining in fellowship with other fathers of current and past Parish students.
Want to get involved in Dads’ Club? Use the QR code to access the membership form.
