Roots Magazine 2024

SUMMER 2024

ROOTS THE POST OAK SCHOOL MAGAZINE

IN THIS ISSUE

OUR MISSION The Post Oak School is a diverse and welcoming Montessori community that honors and guides lifelong learners as they create their own bold pathways in leading purposeful lives.

HEAD OF SCHOOL Maura Joyce P ’20 ADVANCEMENT Evan Wildstein, Director P ’41 Juliette Casas, Development Assistant MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Joy Fitzgerald Hilley, Director Sarah Gifford, Associate Editorial and Creative Services Roots is produced by Post Oak’s Marketing and Communications Office.

Photographers include: Sarah Gifford Freddy Hinajosa, special events Anthony Rathbun, special events PUBLISHED AUGUST 2024 The magazine is published annually for current families; grandparents; alumni and their families; and friends.

Please send any change of address and all other correspondence to: The Post Oak School 4600 Bissonnet Street Bellaire, Texas 77401 or email info@postoakschool.org

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Preparing Students For An Uncertain Future

by Maura Joyce, Head of School, P ’20

An Exceptional Fundraising Year

by Whitney Walsh, Chair, Board of Trustees, P ’22, ’23, ’28

Executive Function Skills: What They Are and How Montessori Supports Their Development

by Jessica Baker Croyle, Learning Resource Specialist, P ’25, ’29, ’31

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Class of 2024 Commencement

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Commencement Address: Post Oak Lessons

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Alumni Updates

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Employee Spotlights

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Disco Fever: Post Oak’s Record-Breaking Gala

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Our Deepest Gratitude: 2023–24 Donor Recognition Lists

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About The Post Oak School

by Sarah Gifford, Marketing & Communications Associate

by Rains Browning, ’16

by Christina Kopanidis-Cantu Former Development Director, P ’22, ’24

Cover photo: Caterpillar on plant in an Upper Elementary classroom Left: Students select books in the Bissonnet Campus library

Special Note: P after a name designates that person as a Post Oak parent and indicates their child’s graduation year.

PostOakSchool.org Follow us on Facebook & Instagram @postoakschool

Welcome to the third issue of Roots, The Post Oak School’s annual magazine.

Post Oak students and their families belong to a group of individuals who come together on their learning journeys for the good of others.

If you have a story to share about your time at Post Oak or your child’s experience here, we’d love to hear it. Please email us at MarCom@PostOakSchool.org.

—The Post Oak School Marketing & Communications Team

Preparing Students For An Uncertain Future

by Maura Joyce, MEd Head of School, P ’20

W

hat is school for? This is the question that more and more educators realize is on the horizon. Even a cursory look at the professional development courses and workshops available for teachers and school leaders this summer reveals that greater than half of the offerings are about artificial intelligence (AI) and its uses in school. AI is only one of several challenges today that students need to learn how to navigate. The adults of tomorrow will face the effects of climate change, the changing global economy, new definitions of employment, and living in community on a crowded planet. As change continues to accelerate, preparing students for our world grows in complexity. How do we get them ready for an uncertain future?

Our society tends to think about education in increments—and solely as the means to get to the next level. We talk about a great early start as a toddler to give children an advantage as they start academic learning.

We look at elementary school as the path to a good high school, high school as the path to a good college, and college as the path to a good career. It is easy to ignore

Post Oak students learn how to learn. the present moment. But school is made up of tiny “here and now” moments that deserve attention, as they will have the greatest impact on the child’s future.

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A little further along in this magazine (page 14) you will find a feature highlighting the 2024 commencement address given by Post Oak alum, Rains Browning. Rains eloquently captured how a Post Oak education prepared him for his bold pathway, which was full of twists and pivots to get him where he dreamed of being. The QR code (page 15) to the speech is well worth the listen, as Rains shared his experience as a learner at Post Oak, which was devoid of labels or a hyper-focus on grades and numbers. He described his short time at Post Oak to be full of what he defined as “the essence of life: learning, love, and struggle.”

Many of you reading this may have heard me say this before: Post Oak students learn how to learn.

It continues to be the most succinct description of what we do. That learning is not confined to academic subjects. Maria Montessori defined school as an environment in which the child “constructs himself.”

Post Oak students also learn how to be. Their growth is multi-faceted and complete. They learn to coordinate

Post Oak students learn how to be. their bodies, to use their hands as an instrument of their minds, to understand their emotions, to contribute to a social community, to explore and discover, to try and fail, and then to try again and succeed.

At the end of every year, I have the pleasure of interviewing families about their Post Oak experience.

As their students move onto the next part of their journey, I get to mine their wisdom about the program—what we are doing well and what we can improve. Over the years, there are a few things that I hear repeatedly. I start each interview with the same question: What first brought you to Post Oak? The majority of families came looking for a Montessori education for their child, with a varying degree of understanding about it. But as their child’s journey progressed, Post Oak delivered so much more than what they sought. Many exiting families agree that their experience at the school changed who they were as a family. “We grew too and the community at Post Oak helped us to be better parents.” Later in the interview, when I ask where Post Oak did not deliver, they often tell me that, in the end, the school always did. One parent shared, “You told us you were going to educate our child—they have a good education. More importantly, they know who they are. Whatever struggles we may have had along the way were part of the process…and invaluable.” Many remark that their children love to learn and study and—because of that—they can manage a lot of work without stress.

They tackle things with curiosity— confident not only in their skills, but in themselves. As one mother said, “It is a healthy approach to learning.”

In my interviews, parents credit the teachers at Post Oak for their student’s amazing experience.

Creating an environment in which children and teens feel safe to take

risks in their academic learning, be themselves, and engage in community takes skills and training, but mostly, a lot of love.

I think Rains gets the essence of life: learning, love, and struggle. He also talks about the feeling of freedom he experienced as a student at Post Oak. No one can see into the future and know the outcome of a life, education, or career. But to be free to explore the possibilities is a great way to practice. What is school for? It cannot be simply to get to the next level of school or work. It cannot be about test scores, grades, or grade point averages. At Post Oak, school is about the student getting ready for an uncertain future: learning how to

At Post Oak, school is about the student getting ready for an uncertain future. navigate change, growing and constructing themselves, and following a bold path to purposeful work and the essence of life. •

ROOTS MAGAZINE | 2024

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An Exceptional Fundraising Year

by Whitney Walsh Chair, Board of Trustees P ’22, ’23, ’28

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will let you in on a secret. If you want really good seats to any and every Post Oak event, it pays to volunteer. As a Post Oak volunteer for nearly twenty years, I have been an up-close-and-personal witness to quite a bit of Montessori magic.

Whether assembling classroom materials at a POPA coffee, marveling as young children work peacefully and confidently to complete individual independent tasks,

cars. Ordinary cardboard boxes have been transformed into Field Day Mystery Boxes bursting with creativity.

Most recently, I shook the hands of twenty-three high schoolers from the Class of 2024 as they blossomed into Post Oak alums at graduation. As I wrap up my first year volunteering as Chair of the Board of Trustees, I have had front-row seats for a record-breaking year in fundraising by our community.

The Annual Fund, coming off the prior extremely successful year, could have been tempered by the early buzz and bright lights surrounding the Studio54 Gala. It is easy to rationalize that our community would support one or the other, but both? Yes, you did.

This year, our community surpassed all previous records for fundraising in both Annual Fund and our bi-annual Gala.

Annual Fund The Annual Fund campaign started earlier than usual, in July, when a handful of specific asks were made to take advantage of summer months Annual Fund class captain kick-off dinner, hosted by Jordan and Dylan Seff. to begin our security enhancement projects. Seven Annual Fund gifts or helping little hands glue pennies onto their class gala totaling $250,000 were received that month! This art project (pennies that raise thousands at our galas!), momentum paired with a class captain kick-off dinner/ Montessori is truly transformational. I have helped eager training session at Jordan and Dylan Seff ’s home, children purchase armloads of books at Book Fair— inspired classroom volunteers to reach out to fellow suddenly free to simultaneously read and walk to their parents over the next seven weeks.

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• Parent Lisa Heyden captained both Sandra De Leon’s class and the Middle School. De Leon’s class reached 100 percent early on and, for the first time, Middle School (36 families) reached 100 percent!

• Rob Johnson used a new strategy of texting all of the dads for the Primary class he captained. In two weeks, his class reached 100 percent!

• Grandparent support soared with an unexpected and much-appreciated gift of $50,000.

• We continue to have 100 percent Board of Trustees and faculty/staff support.

• Thank you to the sixty-eight families who participated in Leadership Circle (gifts of $3,000+) and were celebrated at Christi and Jordan Zweig’s home.

• Support nearly doubled to seventeen families who gave at the Founder’s Society Level (gifts of $10,000+).

• The 2023-2024 Annual Fund raised $732,940 (in gifts and pledges as of June 18, 2024) in support of school safety improvements, financial aid, and the endowment.

has overseen for nine galas. POPA Chairs (Vareen Cunningham, Rhian McKinney, and Sabina Wallia) with support from professional photographer and parent, Jess Matos, lovingly assembled the gift. The Board of Trustees, including past board members, toasted Christina’s years of exemplary service following the May board meeting. Finally, faculty and staff were able to share their appreciation at the end-of-year faculty luncheon.

Christina embodies the sentiment behind the song, Just One Candle, sung by our children at the end of each school year at the final assembly. Her ability to ignite and inspire Post Oak parents to be engaged and involved at the school has created an environment

Studio54 Gala In March, the highly anticipated show-stopping, record-breaking Studio54 gala, led by chairs Jennifer Bosch and Laura DeVera, shattered all previous gala goals. The Underwriting Team (Gabriel Laporena, Meredith Smith, and Rachel Purcell) and the dedicated Gala Committee were fully engaged, selling Gala chairs Jennifer Bosch (l) and Laura DeVera (r) celebrate the event’s out tables with 391 guests attending and huge success with development director Christina Kopanedis Cantu. setting the stage for a successful auction and unforgettable evening. The live auction lasted more than two hours with enthusiastic and boisterous bidding. The dance floor for generous giving. Christina lit many, many candles was grooving late into the night. The evening raised just within our community and beyond. under a million dollars with a net income of $767,632.

While Christina will certainly be missed and always be dearly appreciated, it is important for us to not A Fond Farewell confuse her for a magician that made this all happen.

Montessori casts the spell, fostering a love of learning On May 31, Christina Kopanedis Cantu, beloved in children and weaving together a community of development director, completed and celebrated like-minded parents. You each hold the wand when eighteen years of cultivating relationships and support you choose to volunteer and be engaged. Your YES is for the Post Oak School. She was acknowledged at the magic and with every yes, the flame burns higher the POPA End-of-Year event with a coffee table book and brighter. Be Post Oak Proud—our children will containing images of the children’s art projects she transform the world. • ROOTS MAGAZINE | 2024

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Jessica Baker Croyle (MEd, CALT, LDT) is the learning resource specialist at The Post Oak School. Jessica serves students, faculty, and families on both campuses, providing learning support, resources for academic accommodations, and more. In May 2024, she completed a year-long training to become an executive function coach with Dr. Peg Dawson and Dr. Richard Guare, authors of Smart but Scattered and Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents.

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Executive Function Skills WHAT THEY ARE AND HOW MONTESSORI SUPPORTS THEIR DEVELOPMENT

by Jessica Baker Croyle, MEd, CALT, LDT Learning Resource Specialist P ’25, ’29, ’31

The Myth of Multitasking Scene 1: Dad is making dinner, listening to a podcast for a presentation he will give at work, and helping his child with a school project.

Scene 2: Your boss is leading a team meeting about a new project, while many colleagues are sending emails and frequently checking text messages.

Scene 3: You are reading an article about executive function skills, watching television, listening to your children play in the room next door, and waiting for an important phone call.

Wow, these adults have mastered multitasking!

They attend to multiple things, perform various tasks, and follow different thoughts all at the same time.

Amazing!

Not so amazing, actually. The ability to multitask is a myth! We operate under the illusion that we can simultaneously pay attention to multiple activities and thoughts. The reality, however, is that when a person performs one task at a normal speed, the execution of the second task is delayed “in direct proportion to the time spent making the first decision.”1 The reason we think we are effective at multitasking is that we are unaware that one of two things happens: we either have a significant time lag between tasks within our cognitive

global workspace or forget the second task altogether.

So, if multitasking is a myth, what skills should we employ to effectively and efficiently learn new things and reach our goals?

A fundamental skill in learning anything is the ability to concentrate and pay attention. Once attention is grabbed and maintained, learning then continues to develop via active engagement, error feedback, and consolidation.2 This skill of “sustained attention” is one of eleven executive function skills that develop over a lifetime, with critical windows in the primary and adolescent years.

What are executive function skills? How do they develop? And how does Montessori pedagogy— particularly at The Post Oak School—support the development of these skills?

Executive Function Skills— The Basics At their most basic level, executive function skills are the brain-based skills you need to achieve goals.

These skills help us comprehend new information while reading an article, ignore the impulse to check our phones, and have a sense of time passing while reading this issue of Roots magazine.

ROOTS MAGAZINE | 2024

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BASIC

Executive Function Skills

RESPONSE INHIBITION

The ability to think before acting

• 2-year-old resists the impulse to pull her dog’s tail • 10-year-old waits his turn at the water fountain • 16-year-old reads directions before beginning an assignment

EMOTIONAL CONTROL

The ability to manage emotions

• 4-year-old enters his Primary classroom with confidence • 8-year-old reacts calmly to a broken toy • 16-year-old pivots when weekend plans unexpectedly change

SUSTAINED ATTENTION

The ability to maintain attention on a task

• 3-year-old engrossed in building and rebuilding the pink tower • Pair of 10-year-olds absorbed in their planet research • Group of 16-year-olds focused on planning a J-term trip

WORKING MEMORY

The ability to hold information in your head while you do something with it • 5-year-old traces a sandpaper letter while repeating its sound • Pair of 8-year-olds do long division with materials • 12-year-old writes her daily work plan

COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY

The ability to change activities, switch trains of thought, make mistakes, or accept different approaches • 4-year-old adapts to a new teacher • 7-year-old calmly moves from lunch to quiet reading • 14-year-old asks for help with a challenging math concept

TASK INITIATION

The ability to start a task

• 5-year-old sets a rug before choosing the moveable alphabet • 8-year-old chooses and begins a grammar box • 15-year-old does the first step of a long writing assignment 8

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ADVANCED

Executive Function Skills

ORGANIZATION

The ability to keep track of information and materials • 2-year-old returns all items to her lunchbox after eating • 9-year-old tidies notebooks, papers, and books in his cubby • 13-year-old arrives at soccer practice with all her gear

PLANNING/PRIORITIZATION

The ability to understand the individual steps in a process and sequence them • 3-year-old puts on an apron before arranging flowers • 9-year-old prepares a luncheon • 16-year-old completes a biology lab

TIME MANAGEMENT

The ability to be aware of time passing and to effectively manage time • 5-year-old visits the open library for an allotted time • 10-year-old is ready to get in the car before school • 17-year-old submits college applications by their due date

GOAL-DIRECTED PERSISTENCE

The ability to work towards a long-term goal

• 2-year-old becomes toilet-trained before entering Primary • Group of 6th graders complete their Elementary capstone projects • Pair of 15-year-olds host an MDC Coffee House

METACOGNITION

The ability to think about thinking; to be aware of what is understood, known, and yet to be learned • 6-year-old chooses a more challenging book to read • 11-year-old rereads and edits her essay • 16-year-old creates a research question for an extended essay

This theoretical model for children and adolescents, proposed by Drs. Peg Dawson and Richard Guare, is practical, relatable, and based on current research.⁴ In the chart to the left, executive function skills are defined and followed by examples at different ages.

How the Skills Are Developed Executive function skills are brain-based skills that develop beginning at birth through maturation at about age twenty-five. Research on the developing brain indicates that executive function skills are critical in the development of key academic skills as well as social skills, self-regulation abilities, and general life skills.

Being able to be a good friend, hold a job, drive a car, manage a household, and learn an instrument all depend on executive function skills.

Children are not born with these skills. Instead, they are born with the potential to develop them.3 Executive function skills mature in response to the interaction of the child’s internal, self-directed learning, and the adult’s provision of external structures such as cues, limits, and school environments. While genetics and conditions such as ADHD, anxiety, learning disorders, and stress can inhibit their development, the skills can develop fully with appropriate support from the child’s home, school, and extracurricular environments. “Executive function skills develop relatively rapidly during the preschool and early adolescent periods…(and) scaffolded opportunities to practice and reflect upon executive function skills promotes their development.”5 Montessori environments and pedagogy provide scaffolded opportunities for learning and practicing all eleven executive skills. A recent research study determined, “The Montessori program, in particular, seems to offer a type of educational practice with the power to enhance executive skills and facilitate the acquisition of complex executive control in preschoolers as compared to the conventional practice.”6 Other studies of Montessori programs suggest similar results.7

How Montessori Pedagogy Supports Executive Function Development Executive function skills are practiced and supported through the framework of five tenets of Montessori pedagogy: the prepared environment and materials; the prepared adult; child-directed learning; mixed-age communities; and experiential learning. The

following is an overview of the five tenets—along with examples of how Montessori pedagogy, in general, and Post Oak, in particular, supports them.

Prepared Environment and Materials • The Montessori environment is structured, organized, calm, and aesthetically pleasing.8 • Sustained attention is cultivated through threehour work cycles and minimal interruptions to those work cycles.9 • Montessori materials are specifically crafted to interest and engage the child at each stage of development. Cognitive flexibility is supported by self-correcting materials, which provide immediate and encouraging error feedback.

• At the Primary and Elementary levels, attention and concentration develop through the child working with her hands instead of learning via textbooks.10

Montessori environments and pedagogy provide scaffolded opportunities for learning and practicing all eleven executive skills.

Prepared Adults • The Montessori teacher is a calm, observant, nonjudgmental guide who seeks to nurture curiosity, a love of learning, and independence.

• To foster cognitive flexibility at the Elementary and Adolescent levels, teachers provide continuous constructive feedback, supportive spaces to take intellectual risks, and “cultivate a friendly feeling towards error, to treat it as a companion inseparable from our lives, as something having purpose, which it truly has.”11 • Teachers reflect with students about their learning, areas of strength, and areas of growth.

This supports metacognition, a skill that enhances a student’s ability to transfer or adapt her learning to new contexts and tasks.12 ROOTS MAGAZINE | 2024

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Students in Anita Taj’s Upper Elementary class collaborated on International Peace Day projects.

Child-Directed Learning • Allowing a child independence offers him the opportunity to achieve things he has set his mind to do. Helping often is an impediment.13 • By promoting the child’s liberty rather than telling the child what to do and what to learn, the teacher is deeply supporting these executive function skills: response inhibition, task initiation, planning and prioritizing, time management, and goal-directed persistence. This enables the child to actively engage in practicing these skills rather than observing as the adult practices the skills for him.

• A child’s opportunity to engage in self-initiated, goal-directed activities gradually strengthens their self-regulation skills through practice, especially when combined with the appropriate environmental structure.14 • The National Research Council on the Developing Child at Harvard University is clear: “Give children agency. Children are more motivated when they have some degree of selfdetermination and can elect to pursue tasks that are personally meaningful. When they have a choice of projects, or at least a little wiggle room as to how a task gets done, children are more likely to stay engaged.”15 10

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Mixed-Age Classrooms and Multi-Year Cohorts • Students of different ages learn alongside one another, providing peer coaching and social interaction. Social interaction is essential to learning because it undergirds sustained attention, active engagement, and the development of executive function skills.

• In Primary classrooms, older peers model emotion regulation when a lunch falls to the floor and task initiation when they independently find the broom and dustpan to sweep up the crumbs.

• In Elementary, older children assist younger children with organizing materials and planning collaborative projects—which requires prioritizing tasks and sustaining attention on extended pieces of work.

• Older adolescents model response inhibition as they learn to use social media, goal-directed persistence as they send off college applications, and time management as they handle the academic demands as well as internships, travel, and extracurricular activities.

• A significant benefit for a multi-year cohort is that the teachers have extended time to observe the child and understand the child’s areas of strength and growth. Teachers work alongside the students as they learn concepts over long

stretches of time, not week-long units that are never revisited. Sustained attention and cognitive flexibility are supported as the student’s curiosity drives them to learn more, challenge ideas, and experiment with different approaches.

Experiential Learning Beyond the Classroom • Beginning at the Elementary level, students are encouraged to go beyond the classroom to answer their questions and quench their curiosity.

• Elementary students plan short visits to museums, transportation centers, nature centers, and more.

The students collaborate on the details of the outing (planning/prioritization), agree on the specifics (cognitive flexibility), and phone the museum (task initiation) all with goal-directed persistence.

•

Adolescent students are involved in week-long outings—locally, nationally, and internationally.

Students practice planning/prioritization as they create travel plans, schedule flights, and create budgets. They practice emotion regulation as they travel without their family, working memory as they pack their suitcases, and cognitive flexibility when flights are delayed.

The sidebar below describes the particulars of how The Post Oak School is intentionally guiding students as they develop and practice executive functioning skills, training faculty, and educating parents.

Be on the lookout in The Post for brief articles from our student support team regarding executive function development, social skills, emotion regulation, mindfulness, and more. •

Additional Ways Post Oak Supports Executive Function Development At the beginning of the 2022–23 school year, we noticed that children and adolescents were struggling with response inhibition and other executive function skills. It was, in fact, a post-pandemic decline. We consulted clinical psychologist Kimberly Harrison, PhD, at The Conative Group and asked, “What is going on?” Dr. Harrison happened to be researching that exact question, and her data then and now shows that children and adolescents’ executive function skills were delayed by at least a year due to the interruption and stress of the pandemic.16 With our observations confirmed by Dr. Harrison’s data, our team decided to lean into how to better support the development of our students’ executive function skills. So far, since spring 2023, this has looked like: ຆ Research about how Montessori pedagogy supports executive function skill development ຆ Continued professional development for faculty regarding executive function skills ຆ Continued parent engagement regarding executive function skills ຆ Intentional instruction and integration of executive function skills with students ຆ Intentional instruction and integration of social skills and emotional regulation strategies with students ຆ Intentional instruction and integration of mindfulness and yoga with students END NOTES 1. Stanislas Dehaene, How We Learn: Why Brains Learn Better than Any Machine…for Now (New York: Penguin Books, 2020).

2. Dehaene, How We Learn 3. Peg Dawson and Richard Guare, Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents: A Practical Guide to Assessment and Intervention, 3rd ed.

(New York, Guilford Press, 2018).

Peg Dawson and Richard Guare, Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary “Executive Skills’’ Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential (New York: Guilford Publications, 2011).

4. Eric Q. Tindas, Reading, Attention, and Executive Functions, Houston Branch, International Dyslexia Association Fall Symposium, (The Briarwood School, Houston, TX, September 30, 2023), Speech.

5. Philip David Zelazo and Stephanie M. Carlson, “The Neurodevelopment of Executive Function Skills: Implications for

Academic Achievement Gaps,” Psychology and Neuroscience, Vol. 13, No. 3, September 2020.

6. Silvia Guerrero et al. “Shaping Executive Function in Preschool: The Role of Early Educational Practice,” Cognitive Development, Vol. 67, July/September 2023.

7. Angeline S Lillard, et al., “Montessori Preschool Elevates and Equalizes Child Outcomes: A Longitudinal Study” Frontiers in Psychology, Vol. 8, October 2017.

Angeline Stoll Lillard, Montessori: The Science behind the Genius, updated edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008).

Adele Diamond and Kathleen Lee, “Interventions Shown to Aid Executive Function Development in Children 4–12 Years Old,” Science, Vol. 333, No. 6045, August 19, 2011.

8. Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind, (New York: Henry Holt, 1967).

9. Lillard, Montessori: The Science behind the Genius 10. Lillard, Montessori: The Science behind the Genius 11. Montessori, The Absorbent Mind 12. Zelazo and Carlson, Neurodevelopment of Executive Function Skills 13. Maria Montessori, Citizen of the World: Key Montessori Readings, 3rd Edition (Amsterdam: Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company, 1946/2019).

14. Zelazo and Carlson, Neurodevelopment of Executive Function Skills 15. Lillard, Montessori: The Science behind the Genius 16. National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (2018), Understanding Motivation: Building the Brain Architecture That Supports Learning, Health, and Community Participation, Working Paper No. 14 (Retrieved from www.developingchild.harvard.edu).

17. Kimberly Harrison, Interview, March 8, 2023.

ROOTS MAGAZINE | 2024

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Congratulations,

Class of 2024!

Where Are They Headed Next?

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THE POST OAK SCHOOL

Chapman University Elon University Emerson College The George Washington University Hollins University Lewis & Clark College Louisiana State University Loyola Marymount University Northeastern University Rochester Institute of Technology

Savannah College of Art & Design Texas A&M University, College Station The University of Houston The University of Texas at Austin Tulane University Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore University of Washington Wellesley College Worcester Polytechnic Institute Yale University

Commencement 2024

by Sarah Gifford, Marketing and Communications Associate

I

ntroducing Post Oak School's newest alumni, the Class of 2024! The commencement took place on Friday, May 24, at Rice University’s Hamman Hall.

During the ceremony, Sophomore Max Frankel (vocals) and teachers Maxwell Lowery (violin) and Jeremy Grisbee (guitar) delivered a cover of Time of Your Life by Green Day, creating an unforgettable moment for everyone.

Among the esteemed speakers at the event was alumnus Rains Browning ’16 (excerpts of his speech are on the next page).

Joining him were Head of School Maura Joyce, High School Director James Quillin, and Board of Trustees Chair Whitney Walsh, all delivering their own words of wisdom and encouragement to the graduates. Additionally, the students elected Niko Cantu as their class representative, who delivered the closing speech.

Now, our alumni embark on their college journeys, equipped with the knowledge and experiences gained during their time at Post Oak. The Class of 2024 consists of twenty-three seniors, who collectively received an astounding total of more than $6,725,653 in merit scholarship offers.

We invite you to watch a recording the of ceremony at PostOakSchool.org/Commencement.

ROOTS MAGAZINE | 2024

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COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS: Post Oak Lessons

by Rains Browning ’16 Editor's Note: Rains' commencement speech so moved us that we wanted to share it with our whole community. Here are excerpts from it, representing the core of his remarks. His full speech can be viewed on our website, using the QR code below, and beginning at the 24-minute mark.

Lesson Part One: Challenge Of all the Post Oak graduates who could be speaking to you today, it is most unusual that it should be me. My younger brother Clark told me a story one night while playing Xbox. A teacher at Post Oak, who has since retired (emboldening me to share this) told Clark about one particularly troublesome student who was a part of the school’s first [high school] class.

She, half-jokingly said “we had a student who was functionally illiterate, he could barely read or write.”

That student, as it would have it, was me. Of course, she said this without any malice, but as a testament to what a Post Oak education can do for its students.

Even for someone with severe dyslexia and ADD, someone who nearly failed seventh and eighth grade, for someone who got a 20 on their ACT, joy and wonder could be found in learning. Post Oak made the difference.

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It could have relegated me to being defined by the vacuous and vile number that is a test score or GPA. Instead, the same teacher who kindly recalled my fatal academic flaw would be vital in cultivating a wide range of academic pursuits. Rather than have me toil in sadness about the ways that I wasn’t, Post Oak taught me that life is not homogeneous—what works for the status-quo does not have to work for me.

My Montessori education, the same education you have received, taught me how to approach the essence of life: learning, love and struggle. It did not have me turn away from failure, fear, or challenge—but to look them straight in the eyes. I think you’ll all find, with great expediency, that your unique education from Post Oak has aptly equip you with the wisdom required to approach the most trying troubles. When life gets hard, remember: all we have to decide is what to do with the time that was given to us.

Lesson Part Two: Open and Changing In that spirit, live in proliferation, experience as much as you can. Recall your time taking a trip at the beginning of each year, recall a J-Term where you spent a month devoted to taking one class, recall an internship at a museum. These experiences are the antidote to failure—they are the essence of a life spent learning.

You never know what knowledge will do for you.

There is no you that just exists out there in some existential sense. There is no YOU—wandering in the ether, waiting to be found. There is only you right now.

Post Oak taught me that I could be a film maker, a statistician, the person who looks for avalanches, a paleontologist, a lamp maker, a philosopher. Post Oak taught me that I could be anything. This is NOT hippie dippy, sappy, cliché advice. This is vital advice for life.

Let me explain…

Sometime during high-school—I decided that I wanted to be an astrophysicist. The reason: I watched the movie Interstellar. I saw that movie, and I was like—yea, whatever is going on in that, that’s gonna be

me. It sparked my interest in the big, large questions that ideal. It made me stand out, it made me unique for what surround conscious life. is certainly a unique project.

I started watching YouTube videos, reading My lack of fear for the boundaries between books—and to whatever unwitting passerby happened disciplines abound, I immediately transitioned my role my way, I’d do the thing they do in the movie. I’d take from research to design—landing me here. piece of paper, fold it, poke a That is a chaotic story. I hole through it with a pencil, wanted to be an astrophysicist, and be like—so this is how a and while that is not how it wormhole works. worked out, being a part of Post Oak taught me that And yet at that point in the team that is building the high-school, I was probably world’s first commercial space I could be a film maker, at like a seventh grade level in station is pretty darn close. math. If there was one thing I This did not happen a statistician, the person assuredly could not do, it was because I planned it. It would who looks for avalanches, a astrophysics. have been entirely impossible So, I had to have a candid a mathematically paleontologist, a lamp maker, for conversation with the school’s incompetent, dyslexic kid to science teacher about the a philosopher. Post Oak taught decide they wanted to work prospect of writing my senior in aerospace. It would have essay on astrophysics, given my me that I could be anything. been impossible for someone mathematical and scientific who can’t draw to decide deficiencies. they wanted to be a designer.

But, neither she nor It is exactly similar that you Post Oak shut me down. They led me towards other cannot perfectly plan or predict your own future. None subjects that cultivated my interest in the big questions. of you have any idea what you will be like at your next Through unique classes like Theory of Knowledge, my graduation. That may seem scary, but—that is actual philosophical mind flew high, the bounds of inquiry freedom. You can be anything—so long as you cast a were limitless. wide net into the sea.

It would have been easy, maybe even right, for that And finally, let me leave you with this: Devote teacher or Post Oak to have said NO—you cannot do yourself to freedom, to live unencumbered by others’ that. But, Post Oak did what an excellent education expectations. You have nothing to prove in the arena of does: it allowed me to be free. public perception other than that you are you.

And, what that freedom produced no one could You never know what knowledge will do for you. have ever foreseen or foretold.

Life is a metamorphosis with no abrupt transition.

Based on my learning at Post Oak, I decided to To experience metamorphosis is to accept the universe peruse political theory, a forgotten, formally inundated, in its one universality: change. So—within the cool, and largely abandoned sub-field of political science. My gray night, set against the sprawling, infinite Texas sky— studies in political theory turned into a focus on digital remember this day, remember what it is like to be called media and interfaces—allowing me to build years of home. Your hugs will not be the last ever, but they may experience as an undergraduate working in qualitative not feel the same as they do in this moment. research. As it turns out, I was not half-bad at political It is as hard of a moment as a person could ever bear, theory and qualitative research—and once more, I’d but life is change found a novel area of study. This led to the opportunity So change, to go to graduate school at the University of Chicago, a As the universe has for infinity, top program in the world for what I wanted to study.

Change. • In turn, I stumbled across a company contracted by NASA to build a commercial space station. One of the Use this QR code to watch Rains' teams was looking for someone who had experience in commencement speech, which qualitative research, and my unique study into digital begins at the 24-minute mark. interfaces, everyday life, and qualitative research was ROOTS MAGAZINE | 2024

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Alumni Updates Each year we reach out to our alums, asking them to share news from life after Post Oak. We’re grateful to members of the National Honor Society who connected with our alumni far and wide. Alums, if you have news to share, please visit PostOakSchool.org/Alumni.

We’d love to hear from you!

2020–2023 Leon Hoang ’23 Every day I am reminded that Tulane University was the right decision for me. In many ways, it is similar to Post Oak—small class sizes, seminars, and thought-provoking classes, to name a few. I’ve had

Ariela Kluk ’23 Howdy! I am at Texas A&M University and it is amazing! I am a human resources major at the School of Human Development with a minor in business. I am in

two organizations: AZX, a women’s organization; and ASHRD, an HR organization. I love being an Aggie, spending time with friends, and growing in professional development. the opportunity to meet people from all around the world with different backgrounds who have enriched my perspective and worldview. But by far the thing I am enjoying the most in this school is the cuisine— something that New Orleans is famously known for.

I also am grateful to be extremely involved with the university. I work for the Tulane athletics department in managing our NCAA sports games. I’m also part of several other organizations such as Tulane Catholic, Tulane Vietnamese Association (TUVA), Tulane Real Estate Club, and the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. I’m more than excited to welcome the incoming Post Oak Tulanians next year. Roll wave!

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Andy Walsh ’23 After finishing my first year at the University of Oklahoma, I am thrilled to be a Sooner! This past year has been full of amazing memories and new relationships.

I started by rushing Brothers Under Christ, an active social fraternity on OU’s

campus. I now serve as a worship leader in our chapter band and enjoy engaging in campus events representing Christ. During the second semester, I began to get involved in more career-oriented organizations on campus including The Oklahoma Group (nonprofit consulting), The OU Investing Club, and Wall Street Sooners (investment banking career prep). These organizations have helped me begin recruitment for energy investment banking in Houston! I am very grateful for Post Oak’s compassionate and engaged alumni who helped with that process. This summer I worked as a counselor at Camp Ozark, and look forward to returning to Norman to begin training as a campus tour guide!

Josey Greg ’22 I am a rising junior at the University of Texas at Austin where I have loved getting to challenge myself academically while being able to enjoy all the outdoor activities Austin has to offer. When I am not in class I usually am exploring Austin by bike or on foot. I am president of the club triathlon and cycling team at UT and it has truly been one of the best parts of my college experience.

I have formed lasting friendships through the team and had the opportunity to travel around the country to compete. This team is a great community, and has given me both physical and social outlets. In addition to triathlon, I am a leader for YoungLife and a member of a sorority. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at UT and look forward to the next two years!

Sutton Walsh ’22 I am the world’s happiest Owl, eager to soar into my junior year at Rice University. My desire to be on campus at every waking moment means that I spent the first six weeks of this summer immersed in a riveting financial management course. I am still double majoring in business management and sport management, with a potential minor in theatre, Spanish, or entrepreneurship (cast your vote). The running lifestyle occupies the majority of my college experience. I am in a never-

ending cycle of sweating, studying, and socializing with my best friends on the team. This past May, I raced the 1500m in my first NCAA D1 American Conference Championship meet. Rice placed second which was so exciting given it was our first year in a “bigger and better” conference.

Being a student-athlete has entirely altered the college experience I had once envisioned: from my schedule, to my classes, to my bedtime, to my number of laps around Rice’s outer loop. In my abundance of free time, I serve on the leadership team for Owls for Christ and experiment with photography with Rice football. I am a peer academic advisor for student athletes and have practically set up a direct deposit to my local Starbucks.

Each day here is somehow better than the next, and I feel so blessed to be living a life that truly keeps me pinching myself to confirm I’m not dreaming.

Soren Laskin ’21 I’m currently studying abroad in Sydney, Australia.

I’ve gotten to travel a lot around the country, as well as the region, and have been making friends from all around the world. When I get back to Claremont I will be starting my master’s program in information systems as well as completing my bachelor’s degrees in organizational studies and sociology. I’m graduating early so I can fully transition to my master’s next spring. Aside from that I am heavily involved with the admissions office (I am a fellow, meaning I interview ROOTS MAGAZINE | 2024

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prospective students as well as provide information sessions) and vice president of the 5C Taekwondo Club and Archery Club. I’m also returning to the Senate for the third consecutive year.

Sierra Leo ’21 Hi! I’m currently a junior at Davidson College pursuing a degree in psychology. This past year I have really enjoyed my classes! A few of my favorites have been The Science of Relationships, Sociology of Disability, and Programming and Problem Solving. I am involved in a couple of the cultural organizations on campus. This past year I served as the treasurer for a Latin American student organization. I’m very excited to graduate next year, although I am not entirely sure what field I want to be in. I’m planning on working for a few years and then going back to school for a master's degree once I’ve decided what I want to specialize in.

John Mazziotti ’21 Quite a bit has changed in my college career since I last replied to the alumni reach-out in 2023. I’m currently about to start my senior year at Texas Tech University, and I changed my major from plant and soil science to electrical engineering (EE).

Over the last couple of years, I noticed a decreasing interest in my major. I realized that my interest in coding languages, software, and modifying computer hardware drastically outweighed my interest in plant science. So, in the summer of 2023, I decided to change my major. Yes, now I’m up much later than I’m used to and putting countless hours into programs that I will only use for one assignment, but I feel right at home now with my career choice.

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Shortly after finishing up my first semester of EE, I decided to go the extra mile and obtain a professional data science certification from IBM’s Data Science program. It took about 140 hours of work within 20 days, but it has helped me tremendously and looks amazing on my resume. Having finished my first full year of EE, and with some hard work, I should be done by the end of next summer.

In terms of work, I am now the back-end programmer for a media company. Best of all, it’s remote. I’m eager to obtain some much-needed career experience.

Carly Gregg ’20 I just graduated from UT Austin in May with a BS in neuroscience and certificate in Spanish for health professions. In August, I’ll be moving to Bethesda, Maryland, to do post baccalaureate research at a

neuroscience lab at the National Institute of Mental Health for the next couple years while I apply to medical schools.

Jadyn Cleary ’20 Jadyn Cleary received a BA in digital platform design with a focus on accessible user experience, which

was a self-designed major at Duke University. As a Baldwin Scholar, she received Distinction and Latin Honors with a 3.99 GPA and was inducted into the

Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. Jadyn will be working as a senior research data tech at Duke’s Department of Population Health Sciences.

Connor Morley ’20 I have been quite busy since graduating from The Post Oak School in 2020, where I had the honor of serving as the commencement speaker. After graduation, I took a gap year to explore various interests and gain some real-world experience (which, because of pandemic times, mostly amounted to pursuing various assorted individual research and development projects).

This time allowed me to reflect on my passions and future aspirations, leading me to pursue higher education with a clearer sense of purpose.

I initially enrolled at the Colorado School of Mines as a computer engineering major. The rigorous curriculum and hands-on projects provided a strong foundation in engineering principles and problemsolving skills. Alas, engineering wasn’t my calling.

My academic journey took an exciting turn when I discovered my interest in cognitive science, artificial intelligence (AI), philosophy, and linguistics (in addition to my already well-founded interests in computing and mathematics), prompting me to transfer to the University of California, Berkeley (the alma mater of my father, who studied physics).

At UC Berkeley, I am now double-majoring in cognitive science and applied mathematics.

Additionally, I am pursuing minors in philosophical logic, linguistics, and computer science. This interdisciplinary approach has enriched my understanding of human cognition, language, and computational systems, and has opened up new avenues for research and innovation, which I intend to continue on to a PhD in the future.

Currently, I am working with Wesley Holliday, PhD, professor of philosophical logic, on a research project aimed at enhancing the reasoning capabilities of large language models through mathematical modeling. This research combines my interests in logic, mathematics, and artificial intelligence, and seeks to contribute to the development of more robust and intuitive AI systems.

This summer, I am continuing to engage in coursework in addition this research project, volunteer as an artificial intelligence developer for the Internet Archive nonprofit digital library and database, and participate as a neuroscience research subject/ participant in the Adolphs Lab of Emotion and Social Cognition at Caltech.

In my free time, I enjoy playing guitar and bass, writing science-fiction and fantasy stories, starting (but not finishing) programming projects, and practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

I can confidently say that the tenacious and erudite spirit of my teachers and my fellow Post Oak School peers was the biggest impetus and reason for being where I am today, and I cannot thank each and every one of them enough.

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2010–2019 Jordan Barger ’19 I am going into my seventh year of living in Los Angeles. I mentioned last year that I was working on a proof of concept short film, and I am proud to say we have locked the picture cut! You can follow our

Instagram feed at @saintsofstockton_film if you are interested in learning more, such as where to watch it when it comes out. As you can see in the photo of me, I’m on set as producer and script supervisor. I also edited the film.

In addition to work, I have also been traveling a good amount—back to Texas, as well as to northern California, Boston, Florida, the Caribbean, San Diego, Minnesota, West Virginia, San Antonio, Mexico, Lisbon, and Sevilla. Post Oak cultivated my appreciation for travel due to the Odyssey trips, retreat, and J/A-terms, where I traveled to Jamaica, Nicaragua twice, and Ireland in my four years as a student. I look back on those trips often, such as when I recently had a layover in Heathrow and remembered the layover there my senior year when we missed our flight to Dublin.

Those trips taught me perseverance in the ups and downs that come with travel and that almost anything has a solution. I still use those lessons today.

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Matthew Watowich ’17 I am currently living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where I attend the University of Minnesota Medical School as a member of their MD/PhD (MSTP) program. I just finished my first year of medical school and will complete a second before beginning a PhD in cancer biology and immunology. I started in this

school after working as a research fellow for two years in the Neuro-Oncology Branch of the National Cancer Institute/National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.

Grace Armstrong ’16 I’m currently finishing up the second year of my doctoral program, which involves several things. The biggest is a comprehensive exam in written and oral formats, which I have completed. This last year, I served as a teaching assistant for classes in my program on intellectual and personality assessment, teaching students how to effectively administer and interpret multiple performance-based psychological measures.

This summer, I will wrap up my diagnostic training Rush Medical Center’s AARTs Center and move on to a therapy practicum at Advocate Masonic’s Pediatric Development Center (PDC). The PDC usually services individuals (ages 3–17) with developmental conditions

and their families, however, this year they’ve partnered with Advocate’s Behavioral Health Service. This means I will also be working with children/adolescents with a broad range of presentations (which I’m very excited about). I also intend to continue diagnostic training at PDC, specifically doing developmental testing. I’ve also formally begun the process of my dissertation and I’m to submit my proposal at the end of June! Much like last year, a lot of my time is dedicated to training to be a psychologist, but I’ve recently gotten more involved with volunteer work at Planned Parenthood. I still avidly play the Sims, of course. I’m looking forward to taking it easy, embracing summertime in Chicago, and potentially doing some travel this summer.

2000–2009 The following alumni were students at Post Oak when our highest level was eighth grade.

Luciano Posada ’08 NC After finishing Post Oak in middle school, I graduated high school at The Kinkaid School. I studied biomedical engineering at University of Houston, but then transferred to University of Texas at Austin and graduated with a degree in chemical engineering.

Following graduating from undergrad, I took a couple of years off before applying to medical school.

The summer after graduating from UT, I participated in Texas 4000 for Cancer’s Sierra Route, a 4500+ mile bike ride from Austin, Texas, to Anchorage, Alaska, along the West Coast. After that ride finished up at the end of the summer, I came back to Houston for the following year and a half to work as a medical scribe for an endocrinologist, volunteered at the pediatric dialysis center at Memorial Hermann Hospital at the TMC, and studied for the MCAT (entrance exam for med school).

Med school was fun! Surprisingly, I found it to be less stressful than undergrad. I particularly enjoyed the last couple of years of clinical and inpatient rotations.

Towards the end of med school, I traveled as much as possible by going to Argentina (Buenos Aires, Mendoza, and Iguazú Falls), skiing in Tahoe and Colorado, and my favorite trip doing the Camino de Santiago (French way) with two close friends from med school!

I live in Pensacola, Florida, as a second year ob/ gyn resident and am loving every minute of it—from delivering babies to doing robotic surgery on the Da

Vinci system! Pensacola has some of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever encountered and it’s still pretty close to home—just an hour flight from Houston.

To answer your question, I am single and do not have any kids. As for hobbies, I tend to focus on experiences more than anything so traveling is top of my list, and I do so with any free time I may have.

In addition to traveling, I enjoy playing board games (specifically Settlers of Catan—and I even built a game table with my dad for medical school and regularly had game nights with friends), cooking, gardening, cooking, Lego (the botanical sets for adults are fun!), and just being out and about in nature.

I have so many wonderful memories from Post Oak. Mr. Tucker—who will always be Mr. Tucker to me despite being an adult myself—always made it a point to instill a sense of sportsmanship and to a far greater extent, professionalism in sports. Ms. Lupe Lopez was

such a wonderful and loving Spanish teacher. Mr. and Mrs. Pinto had countless life stories and experiences that I enjoyed listening to in the classroom, and of course, Ms. Luiza, who taught us that art is an important component of our life that allows us to express ourselves in a creative manner and developing our emotional intelligence.

There are too many memories and people to list, but what I will say is that I am still to this day and always will be thankful for having received a Montessori education and all the people who were a part of that!

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Jennie Kamen ’04 I live in Brooklyn, New York. I now work with a documentary/commercial production company here in NYC. I’m married and am expecting my first kid in October.

Brittany Fondren ’03 I’m currently working on a master’s in social work and plan to graduate in December. After that, I would like to work as a school social worker in Houston, San Antonio, or New Orleans.

William Wawro ’03 When I graduated from Post Oak back in 2003 (I’m old!), it did not have not a high school.

I completed the eighth grade at Post Oak, and went to the neighboring school (Episcopal High School)—partially because they had a reputable video program. It was in those classes I found my love for translating the stories I wrote on paper into visual spectacles on screen. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to be instrumental in the creative process of filmmaking.

I went to Syracuse University for college, where I got a BFA in film production (and a minor in psychology) and realized my true passion—editing. The process of constructing the final picture (and sound) of the film gave me the exact

• The Post Oak School congratulates the Class of 2024, and welcomes them to our alumni roster!

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authorial control of the creative process I sought. After graduating, I moved to Los Angeles in 2011.

I started my career working odd jobs for whomever would take me. I worked on the sets of Batman vs Superman as a data ingest technician (a fancy way of saying “the person who runs the memory cards to and from the set photographer”). From there I found my way into a post-production house as an office assistant for a few reality TV shows. I was promoted to assistant editor and then moved into the advertising world, working on some of cinema’s biggest blockbusters. It was at one of those companies where I met my fiancé, with whom I am endlessly enamored.

We plan to marry this October.

Currently, I am working as an episodic editor for Tyler Perry Studios, which is located in Atlanta, so I work from home, virtually. My fiancé and I have a little French bulldog named Mushu, who keeps us company and always makes us laugh.

Many of my peers are starting to have kids. I have been a vocal proponent of a Montessori education for them from my time and experience at Post Oak. I attribute so much of my success to the style and quality of teaching and support from my teachers and peers at Post Oak. I hope any student reading this takes a moment to place up and take it all in. In twenty years you’ll remember this moment fondly.

Rachel Lyn Baker Jayla Nadia Balderas Charles Michael Brisch Nikolas Roman Cantu Aiden Alexander Cunningham Aurora De Gaetano India Yael Riley Eames Cape Evelyn Echols Evan Lorenzo Garibay Natalie Claire Gross Sabrina Claire Gubbels-Wingo Alice Michelle Korkin

Everest Kaden Quach Leo Talulah Graves May Isabella Bording Biguenet Pedersen Wyatt Quillin Ashley DeLaney Rawson Mateo Sanchez Lopez Negrete Mackenzie Jocelyn Shaw Lily Anna Stankowski Yasmin Inez Stein Kathleen Vojvodic Ethan Joseph Zweig

Employee Spotlights The Post Oak School recognizes employees at five-year intervals. The following individuals have served our community well for as many as twenty years and we are grateful for them! Please extend your congratulations and thanks to them the next time you see them on campus.

FIVE YEARS Ideliza Cedillo Louis Dorsey Leda Gutierrez Luis Yanez

TEN YEARS Ninfa Bridges Cory Eckert Clifford McBride Emily Sloan Katherine Treviño

FIFTEEN YEARS Nazario Anastacio Lilia Garza

TWENTY YEARS

W

hen you visit our campuses this fall, you may encounter some new faces. Among them are Kevin McLean, Evan Wildstein, and Joy Hilley, all of whom are highly experienced in their newly-created roles at The Post Oak School. We are delighted to offer a brief introduction to them here and hope you will introduce yourself to them in the near future.

Kevin McLean, Assistant Head of School Kevin has leadership experience in two Montessori schools that serve toddlers through high school and include the IB Diploma program. He has served in a myriad of administrative capacities including Academic Dean of Upper School (American School of Paris), Head of Middle and Upper School (Montessori School of Raleigh), High School Assistant Principal (Hayah International Academy in Cairo), and most recently as the Academic Director and then Head of School at Virgin Islands Montessori and Peter Gruber International Academy. Kevin began his 25-year career in education as a science teacher in Oregon and Illinois.

Evan Wildstein, Advancement Director, P ’41 Evan joins The Post Oak School with more than twenty years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, programs, and operations. He has coached organizations on board development and talent growth, commissioned operas, and produced novel learning initiatives. Evan speaks and writes regularly for several nonprofit organizations and is the author of The Nonprofiteer’s Fundraising Field Guide, the first critical piece of literature on philanthropy through the lens of servant-leadership. Beyond his nonprofit work, Evan and his family are happily getting to know their new neighborhood of Bellaire.

Joy Fitzgerald Hilley, Marketing & Communications Director Joy is delighted to be part of the Post Oak team. She has more than thirty years experience in communications, brand identity, marketing, fundraising, graphic design, writing, and editing. Specializing in nonprofit organizations, her clients have included hospitals, educational institutions, churches, and arts organizations. She is a frequent conference speaker on art, creativity, and faith, and exhibits her visual art throughout the region.

Joy and her family have made Houston their home since 2011. She and her husband are the parents of two young adults. Her idea of a perfect evening is having friends gather for dinner and then linger at the table for hours—sharing stories and laughing until their sides hurt. Her favorite quote comes from Fyodor Dostoevsky: Beauty will save the world.

Irma Alarcon Emily Hansen

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DISCO FEVER Post Oak’s Record-Breaking Gala

by Christina Kopanidis-Cantu, P ’22, ’24 former Development Director

D

isco is alive and well!

This sentiment was loud and clear from all who attended Post Oak@Studio 54, the school’s 12th Biennial Gala! On March 2, amid the backdrop of discofied decorations, Bee Gees crooning, and breathtaking artwork, the Post Oak community partied hard into the night while raising record-breaking funds for the school.

Superbly directed by gala chairs Jennifer Bosch and Laura De Vera, this year’s event not only was a fundraising success, but from the beginning (way back in January 2023) these two gala chairs brought together an amazing team of volunteers. They layered all gala planning with precision (and lots of laughter) and created a fabulous evening of unforgettable fun.

Underwriting for the event was remarkably

successful. Leading that charge were Gabriel Loperena, Rachel Purcell, and Meredith Smith who worked throughout the fall to bring tables of friends and classroom groups together.

Silent auction co-chairs Lauren Barrash, Elise Bentch, and Carlin Putman saw their year-long efforts of gathering unique auction items and sociable parties all expertly displayed in Hotel ZaZa by auction display chairs Tatiana Peterson and Christi Zweig. Decoration chairs Jess Matos and Angela Ebrahimi’s vision of full-on disco-mode transformed ZaZa with disco balls galore,

OOL F SCH O D A HE Joyce Maura

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RS CHAI POPA gham Cunnin y n e e r ne Va McKin Rhian a Walia Sabin

the coolest mirrored animal centerpieces, and an abundance of lush flowers!

Hotel ZaZa was filled with 400 Post Oak guests dressed in their best ’70s swag, complete with wide lapels, glitter, bell-bottoms, and heavy blue eyeshadow.

Guests enjoyed mocktails, cocktails, and silent auction bidding while chit-chatting around the beautifully displayed art projects. Sarah Andrews, the gala art project chair, was delighted to see the student art receive such rave reviews from gala guests!

From cocktails to dinner and a short program, the fun skyrocketed when our spirited auctioneer Johnny Bravo jumped on center stage for the live auction of those art projects and several incredible big board offerings. Paddles were flying up all over the place— along with loud cheers, champagne corks popping after each winning bid, sparklers, disco-head dancers, and auction excitement like we have never seen before!

After an exhilarating evening of auctioning, guests shimmied out to the dance

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floor to strut their stuff to their favorite disco hits spun

by DJ Damon Pampolina. The energy was electric, and it seemed to go on all night! Folks left the dance floor around 1:30 a.m.—some carrying shoes in hand—to end the most exciting Post Oak Gala to date.

When the glittery dust settled, Post Oak community’s gala support totaled a whopping $980,000 —an unbelievable record breaker!

Unending thanks to our chairs, subcommittee chairs, volunteers, all who made donations, those who contributed auction items, bid on items, and won live auction projects. Thank you to every single person who contributed to the success of the event and offered their show of support for all that happens at The Post Oak School. •

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Our Deepest Gratitude At Post Oak, our families and friends believe in a culture of meaningful giving. This philanthropy— through our annual Post Oak Fund, gala contributions, and other opportunities—makes it possible for the school to fully achieve its mission and support its students. We are grateful to the following individuals and institutions who joined us during the 2023–2024 school year.

—Evan Wildstein, Advancement Director

The 2023–2024 Post Oak Fund Chaired by Maura Joyce, Head of School

FOUNDERS CIRCLE Vanessa & Charles Ames David Drucker & Lynn Atkinson Jennifer & Doug Bosch Bobby & Morton Cohn Family Foundation Ann & Bob Croyle Randall Jamail Gabriel Loperena Mindy & Joel Saber Betsy & Edward Schreiber Jordan & Dylan Seff Andy & Marcus Spagnoletti Sol D’Atri & Andres Steverlynck Ana Leon Paez Othon & Jaime Suarez Hack Prestinary Allison & Troy Thacker Whitney & Marc Walsh Melanie Gray & Mark Wawro Susan & Paul Young

LEADERSHIP CIRCLE Shonali & Rakesh Agrawal Alkim & Mert Arslan Jennifer & Farzad Askari Julie & Stewart Baker 28

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Rashmi Murthy & Siddhartha Baweja Jodi Bash & Matthew Bennett Elise & Jeffrey Bentch Vareen & Dave Cunningham Lisa Heyden & Stephen Douglas Tina Petersen & John Duboise Sunday Riley & Bruce Eames Emily & Robert Emmett Kathleen Padden & Richard Evans Margaret & TJ Farnsworth Rachel & Brian Foley Abbe & Adam Forman Elyza & Sanjay Jain Reena & Medhavi Jogi Maura Joyce & Roberto Argentina Susanna & Clay Kartye Jennifer & Michael Kavalinas Mary Kogut Jenny Lin & Joseph Lee Erika & James Liu Alison Wong & Blaine McElroy Bethany & Justin Miller Pat & Bill Mitchell Akshta & Mallesh Pai Evy Pappas Rachel & Michael Purcell Carlin & Damon Putman Julia & Thomas Robinson Alicia Kowalchuk & Benjamin Saldaña Daniela & Manolo Sanchez Shama Essa & Ahmad Shakurjamal

Jessica Hinojosa & Andrew Smith Meredith & Robert Smith Jessica & Josh Solera Susie & Gary Stankowski Brittney & Max Tribble Marie & Doug Walt Virginia Lachman & Jeisun Wen Susan Shi & Michael Wong Brittany & Aaron Woodward Xuan Zhou & Weihong Zhang Kathy Zhang-Rutledge & Mack Wilson Christi & Jordan Zweig

FAMILY CIRCLE Sheryl & Steven Abrahams Neha & Manish Agrawal Crystal Dawli & Eiman Alian Tatiana & Felipe Alice Hillary Boswell & Carl Allen Laura & David Anderson Dina Ahmad & Haitham Awdeh Odette Arredondo & Clark Bartee Niki Roberts & Krisa Benskin Arielle & Dylan Blackford Christina Pappas & William Boffa Elaine Ybarra & Mark Boucher Karen & Michael Brisch Ambreen & Yousuf Chaudhary Shirin Nazarani & Amyn Chauthani

Catherine & Michael Clark Leigh & Gavin Dove Maria Garcia Gomez & Alfonso Duarte Rioseco Hugh A. Echols Uwa Ejedawe Ben Elmore Carissa & Nicolas Espinosa Erica & Jermaine Fazande Alinda Gary & Ryan Firth Krista Lynn Santiago & William Fuller Laura Nathan-Garner & Richard Garner Flourance & Frederic Gautier-Winther Allison & David Hamilton Vicki & Robert Harvey Anita & Ahmed Hasora Rochelle Tafolla & Richard Hess Melissa Palomo & Christopher Houston Cynthia & Darren Hubbard Komal Shah & Vijay Kale Shumaila Momin & Azim Karedia Amy & Lloyd Kirchner Angela & Isaac Kyle Sally & Tat-Shing Lam Paloma Lozano & Hugo Lazano Resendez Egle Lints Rina & How-Ying Liou Sheung Wong & Gary Luk Cristina & Morgan Lunt Sonia & Alif Maredia

Maite Rion Cantu & David McCarthy Moreno Rhian & Lane McKinney Teresa & John Molbeck Anita Ali & Mohsin Momin Emily & Joseph Morrel Rachael & Nathan Morris Aly & Matthew Nadworny Uma Ayyala & Ajith Nair Ashton & Andres Oberhauser Erika & John Papadopoulos Deepali & Puneet Patni Paige & Joseph Peak Vidisha Prasad Robin & Michael Raider Ines Iglesias-Alvarez & Orlando Ramirez Elva & Dwight Raulston Rosa Estevez & Mohammed Raushan Patricia Delaney & Warren Rawson Kelly & Mark Rosin Madelaine Pfahler & Chuck Saxon Megan & Tanner Scott Sandy & Robert Shaw Zsofia Intody & David Spencer Sarah & Michael Stauder Alyssa & Andrew Stephens Sarah Andrews & Matthew Tucker Nayab & Akil Umatiya Michael Vaughn Sabina & Mani Walia Natalie Drucker & Keisin Wang Zhao Mei Woo Jessica Wang & Kenneth Wu Yaxi Zeng & Kai Xia Meijin Teo & Zhongwei Yang Anita & Alan Ying Carlie & Richard Yoo Jelena Zhang Yun Zhang & Xiaoguang Zhou

COMMUNITY CIRCLE Venera & Petrit Ahmeti Hina Momin & Ayaz Ali

Adrienne & Snehal Amin Linda Anderson Tonia Wang-Andregg & Corey Andregg Lorena Dogliani & Javier Bergerot Nancy & Heyward Carter Sara & Juan Pablo Cata Pranita Kadam & Adriraj Chakraborty Joan Lipuscek & Gabriel Chavez Shilpa Chunchu Casie & Andrew Cobos Amanda Jagolino-Cole & Jonathan Cole Christy & Robert Dulaney Devin & Matthew Dunn Ann & Bob Croyle Travelle & Zachary Ellis Polly & Stephen Fohn Miranda Sanford & Tyler Gamble Elizabeth & Matthew Garibay Alyx & Andrew Gautier-Winther Angela Ebrahimi & Nima Ghedami Natalia & Robert Gillebaard Johnna & Steven Gluth Jessica & Vean Gregg Ceyda Kora Gursel & Anil Gursel Lauren Dickie & Marcel Hewamudalige Anna Carmela & David Hinderaker Sharon Carter & Bill Hubbard Nazleen & Khurram Jiwani Ariella Perlman & Robert Johnson Margy Urgel & Edgar Jones Parul & Manny June Christina Kopanidis-Cantu & Jorge Cantu Teresa Lin & Stephen Lai Leigh Montgomery McKinney & R. Leonadis McKinney Monica Chau & Brandon Miller

Lara & Tony Nabbout Debbie & Rick Nickerson Lorena Rojas & Oscar Parada Tatiana & Ty Peterson Valerie Nguyen & Raj Rao Jen Norten & Mark Routbort Christianne Melanson & Durwin Sharp Srujana & Shafiq Shivji Jenny & Michael Siegel Vanessa & David Sims Jana & Matt Sloan Anna Qureshi & Sarem Soudagar Christina & Isaac Tapia Kelly & Ben Vaughn Valerie & Jay Volpi Judy Liang & Christopher Wang Wei Kuang Yen & Mark Wilkinson George Wynne

CONTRIBUTORS CIRCLE Alex & James Abel Marie & Oluseun Abolaji Charlotte & Carlos Aguilar Tamara Al karkhi Irma Alarcon Sabha Momin & Nasir Ali Alison & Joaquin Altenberg Elizabeth Alvarenga Nazario Anastacio Mirna Andrade-Salgado & José M. Salgado Miriam Tovar & Pablo Angulo Tracey & Rikki Aping Claudia Arce Tarsha Arceneaux Alma Armendariz Elenir & Rony Avritscher Saadia Azher Landon Bagby Lyndsay & Houston Baker Lauren Barrash Priyanka Bhasin & Sahil Behl Mike Beradino Lara Leigh & Dirk Bergoon

Shelina & Moiz Bhamani Susan & Michael Bigge Cynthia Blessman Lynn Phan & Adam Boutte Dana Bowman Carol & Patrick Brady Andrea Pollack & Lucas Brane Ninfa Bridges Elena & Alexander Brokhin Rob Bruce Diane Calzado Cynthia Cano Gonzalez Andreas Cantu Juliette Casas Lisa & Jonathan Caughran Ideliza Cedillo Jasmine Chapa Gerardo Chavez Onna Yeung & Jeff Chi Claire Frost & Jose Cicerchia Greisy Cifuentes Anthony Cisneros Kristin & Malcolm Cogan Susana Armengol & Jose Collados Jessica & Robert Croyle Jennifer & Justin Davidoff Kimberly & Austin Davis Bridgett & William Davis Sandra De Leon Laura & Darryll De Vera Brandi Mattson & Mark DePaul Elizabeth & Colin Dickson Louis Dorsey Sydni Doughtie Kayla Douglas Kelly DuBois Rebecca Duran & Joshua Dunn Cory & Joe Eckert Lena & Jerry Engel Christy Hartman & Nathan Eror Saida Fagala & Domenico Festa Annie Rupani & Dominic Farino Key Love & Matthew Favard Annette Figueroa ROOTS MAGAZINE | 2024

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Sarah Figueroa Lori Ann & Michael Foertsch Kateri Frelk Lilia Garza Caelin White & Sam Geer Sarah Gifford Ana Giralt Ashley & David Gordon Melanie & Ronan Gregg Amy & Jeremy Grisbee Jackie & Peter Grundberg Rubina Zaidi & Jishnu Guha Eunice Guillermo Leda Gutierrez Kim Harrison Debbie & Todd Henderson Heather Barkley & Christopher Hensley Renae Holman Murti Shahistha & Syed Hyder Matt Jacobs Ruchi & Deepesh Jain Saba Pardhan-Jassani & Farhaz Jassani Maryam Baghaei & Omid Jesmi Craig & Laura Johnson Hamidah & Faisal Kajani Sanaya Kateli Rashmi & Keyur Kelkar Thomas King Theresa Kipp-O’Toole Alexi Jacobs & Daniel Kleinburg Ann & David Klopp Orly Kluk Sarah Knoll Sweeney Rebecca Smith & Matthew Kondratowicz Natalia & Michael Korkin Vasanthi Jayaraman & Ramanan Krishnamoorti Ashley & Mason Krug Sally & Cale Kruse Virginia Kennedy & Lawrence Lachman Praveena Lakshmanan Jan Lammel-Lindeman Peggy Larrow Brooke & Adam Lasics 30

THE POST OAK SCHOOL

Carolyn Lazar Rita & Diego Leon Zhirui Li Lyla & Kent London Carolina Gutierrez & Gabriel Lopez Maxwell Lowery Linda & Paul Lynn Zhirui Li & Jin Ma Megan & Jonathan Maddox Jessica & Matthew Mantel Lindsay Derman & Aaron Markham Lucile Gregg & John Marshall Gina & Justin Martorello Sara & James Massey Susan & Steve Mathew Emily Browning & Adam May Elena & Maksim Mayarovich Cliff McBride Casey & William McClellan Judith & Joseph McDonald Bonnye & Robert McGill Sarah Ellenzweig & Scott McGill Terry McNally Manuel Mejia Afshi Charania Merchant & Murad Merchant Emily & Pejman Milani Sarita & Varun Mittal Irais & Miguel Morales Monica Moreno & Jose Ambriz Lucy & Peter Mosbacher Jayshree Rohatgi & Ranjan Nandi Christina & Zach Neal Rachel Neave Tara & Alex Neblett Payton & Andrea Nelson Andrea Novak Takei Pipkins & Ryan O’Heron Emily Hansen & Kyle O’Heron Kristen O’Leary Diana & Albert Onofre Patricia Onofre Liam O’Toole Salimah & Sameer Panjwani

Michela Diotallevi & Gianluca Pascucci Laura & Ravi Patel Nicole & Anders Pedersen Ana Perez Nereida Ortiz & Luis Perez Huong Le & Florian Pintgen Phoebe Liang & Steven Poon Adrienne Dague & Kolin Pound Jillian & Amarjyot Purewal Cindy Quach Shelley & James Quillin Fyza Piracha & Athar Qureshi Amy & Steven Radack Keri Nickerson & Mauro Rebuffini Elizabeth Reese Lindsay Revels Yung-Wei Sun & John Rice Jennifer Christensen & Keith Richard Andrea & Christopher Richardson Elmer Rivas Connie Wang & Christopher Rizk David Roddy Grace Romelis Laia Humbert Vidan & Daniel Rovira Amy Dunham & Volker Rudolf Sara Saber Tony Salem Ashumi Shah & Parag Sanghani Christi Savarese Mike Savarese Elaine & Jean-Marie Schweizer Samantha & Cedric Seley Radhika Ramadoss & Rohit Shankaran Hayley Stulmaker & Daniel Shoham Anna Silberman Elizabeth Silveira Megan & Sean Skeuse Emily Sloan Karyn & Andrew Smith Carol & Robert Smith

Kellen & Trevor Smith Ashleigh Spruell Anita Taj Mahmood & Murad Mahmood Jodhi & Lisa Tarr Katharine Taylor Ly Thompson Jeni & Matt Thompson Emma Thurmond Karen Ting Judy Le & Don Tom Katherine Treviño Tiffney Trimble Lisa & James Valentine Rachelle Vasquez Suanny Vasquez Antonio Ventura Comer Wadzeck Ngoc Le & Jason Walls Jennifer Webb Maria Gomez-White & Trainor White Evan Wildstein Donna & Fredrick Williams Gunda & James Winslow Miriam Winton Huidan Xu Claire Yabraian Luis Yanez Jenna & Henry Yau Yi-Qian Nancy You Monica & David Zaga Shoulong Zhou Sara Ann Ziemnicki

GRANDPARENTS Charlotte & Carlos Aguilar Linda Anderson David Drucker & Lynn Atkinson Julie & Stewart Baker Carol & Patrick Brady Ann & Bob Croyle Flourance & Frederic Gautier-Winther Sharon Carter & Bill Hubbard Virginia Kennedy & Lawrence Lachman Carolyn Lazar

Linda & Paul Lynn Bonnye & Robert McGill Teresa & John Molbeck Debbie & Rick Nickerson Elva & Dwight Raulston Betsy & Edward Schreiber Carol & Robert Smith Marie & Doug Walt Susan & Paul Young Special thanks to the following community members for their early and generous Post Oak Fund support to begin our safety enhancements before school started in fall 2023.

Randall Jamail Betsy & Edward Schreiber Lynn Atkinson-Drucker Vanessa & Chuck Ames Jordan & Dylan Seff Emily & Robert Emmett Spagnoletti Family

Friends of the Library Shonali & Rakesh Agrawal

2024 Biennial Gala: Post Oak @ Studio 54!

Chaired by Jennifer Bosch and Laura De Vera DISCO INFERNO Vanessa & Charles Ames Jennifer & Doug Bosch Randall Jamail Sara Loperena & Gabriel Loperena Carlin & Damon Putman Jordan & Dylan Seff

FUNKY TOWN Karen & Mike Brisch Melissa Coleman Lisa Heyden & Stephen Douglas Daniela & Manolo Sanchez Valobra Master Jewelers Whitney & Marc Walsh Christi & Jordan Zweig

DO THE HUSTLE Shonali & Rakesh Agrawal Aspire Fertility, Margaret & TJ Farnsworth Amy & Blair Garrou Meredith & Zach Smith Andy & Marcus Spagnoletti Allison & Troy Thacker YES Family Anita & Alan Ying

WE ARE FAMILY Neha & Manish Agrawal Adrienne & Snehal Amin Laura & David Anderson Marcela Beltran-Alvarez & Gus Alvarez Kristin & Malcolm Cogan Vareen & Dave Cunningham Sol D’Atri & Andres Steverlynck Lauren Dickie & Marcel Hewamudalige Derek Dunaway Angela Ebrahimi & Nima Ghedami Suzanne Ebrahimi Emily & Robert Emmett Rachel & Brian Foley Emily & John Gelson Hartman Family Cynthia & Darren Hubbard Alicia Kowalchuk & Ben Saldaña Judy Le & Don Tom Cristina & Morgan Lunt Sonia & Alif Maredia

Rhian & Lane McKinney Mission Constructors, Inc. Rashmi Murthy & Sid Baweja Ariella Perlman & Rob Johnson Tatiana & Ty Peterson Tina Petersen & John Duboise Rachel & Mike Purcell Lorena Rojas & Oscar Parada Robin & Mike Raider Vanessa & David Sims Shama & Ahmad Shakurjamal Megan & Sean Skeuse Sloan Family Jessica & Josh Solera Ana & Jaime Suarez Hack Prestinary Sabina & Mani Walia Tonia Wang-Andregg & Corey Andregg Alison Wong & Blaine McElroy

BOOGIE NIGHTS Laura & Darryll De Vera Lynn Atkinson & David Drucker Ines Garcia Gomez & Alfonso Duarte Rioseco Maura Joyce & Roberto Argentina Judy Liang & Christopher Wang Jenny Lin & Joseph Lee Christina & Zach Neal Andy & Ashton Oberhauser Katherine Perley PNC Bank Susie & Gary Stankowski Kathy Zhang-Rutledge & Mack Wilson

RING MY BELL Marie & Oluseun Abolaji Sarah Andrews & Matthew Tucker Tracey & Rikki Aping Jennifer & Farzad Askari Jodi Bash & Matt Bennett

Lindsay Revels Bonner Adrienne DaGue & Kolin Pound Leigh & Gavin Dove Dovetail Builders, Inc. Lena & JJ Engel Natalia & Robert Gillebaard Elyza & Sanjay Jain Vasanthi Jayaraman & Ramanan Krishnamoorti Amy & Lloyd Kirchner Mary Kogut Emily & Joe Morrel Laura Nathan-Garner & Ricky Garner Kelly & Mark Rosin Alyssa & Andrew Stephens Miriam Tovar & Pablo Angulo Carlie & Richard Yoo

Live Auction Winners: Agrawal Family Ames Family Bosch Family Chaudhary Family Suzanne Ebrahimi Farnsworth Family Foley Family Garrou Family Loperena Family Oberhauser Family Putman Family Seff Family Sims Family Skeuse Family Spagnoletti Family Smith Family Thacker Family Walsh Family Wen Family Although we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of our honor rolls, errors may occur. To report an error or omission, please contact Evan Wildstein at 281-822-8024 or by email at EvanWildstein@ PostOakSchool.org.

Donor lists current as of July 19, 2024

ROOTS MAGAZINE | 2024

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The Post Oak School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or nationality or ethnic origin with regard to hiring, admissions, or in the administra­tion of any of its programs.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2024–25

Whitney Walsh, Chair Maura Joyce, President Troy Thacker, Treasurer Susanna Kartye, Secretary Lara Leigh Bergoon Rob Bruce TJ Farnsworth Judy Le Gabriel Loperena Jennifer Norten Oscar Parada Damon Putman Sabina Walia Jordan Zweig EMERITUS MEMBERS

About The Post Oak School

The Post Oak School is an educational leader—both among Houston’s top private schools and among the more than 5,000 Montessori schools across the country. Post Oak has operated continuously since 1963, and is a non-profit corporation. With a faculty and staff of 120 employees, we serve a culturally diverse student population of 475 and provide a comprehensive education founded on AMI Montessori principles.

Post Oak has two campuses to serve our four academic communities from early childhood through high school. The Bissonnet Campus (BC) is home to our Early Childhood (beginning at 14 months) and Elementary (grades 1–6) divisions. The Bissonnet Campus occupies a 3.44-acre lot on the corner of Bissonnet Street and Avenue B in Bellaire, a suburb of Houston, Texas.

The Museum District Campus (MDC) is home to our Adolescent division, serving Middle and High School students (grades 7–, and is located at the corner of Montrose and Autrey Street in Houston’s Museum District.

The Museum District is the perfect launching point for the interdisciplinary partnerships, internships, service learning, and travel experiences central to this school’s mission. The High School program culminates in two years of the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program. • 32

THE POST OAK SCHOOL

Melissa Coleman Adam Forman Melanie Gray Vean Gregg Bob Harvey Lloyd Kirchner Pat Mitchell Manolo Sanchez Alison Wong Alan Ying

This page: Primary student makes music and explores tone with the bells Right: Scenes from the Museum District Campus Back cover: Primary assistant Monica Morena guides student’s oral language development

Visit us online at PostOakSchool.org

4600 BISSONNET ST BELLAIRE, TX 77401

Post Oak's golf tournament and fundraiser returns Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at Houston Oaks Golf Club.

Sponsorships and teams are available!

To sign up for notifications, please visit PostOakSchool.org/golf