9 minute read
Christian Education
4th Grade Students Live a Day in the Life of a Frontier Boy or Girl
St. Philip’s annual 4th Grade trip to Wolf Run in Anna, Texas, is a great deal of fun and a wonderful time to bond for students who have finally made it to the level of Middle School at St. Philip’s. For the last five years, it has also been a unique opportunity to bring Social Studies to life. Academic excursions at St. Philip’s are valuable extensions of what is being taught in the classroom. For teacher Monique Williams, there’s no better way to impart to her students the rigor and details of pioneer life than to have them live as pioneer children for a day or so.
“I need to know that I am effectively reaching all students at all times in my classroom,” Mrs. Williams says. “It is my hope and prayer that the students will gain an exciting and new outlook on history and the world that surrounds them by getting out of the classroom a few times a year.”
At Wolf Run, the 4th Graders learn about homesteaders and pioneers. They are divided into families and each given an acre of land that they must claim and measure. The students dress as frontier children, eat as frontier children (cooking their own dinner of “rabbit” stew), complete the chores of frontier children and even play games of the era. “We were outside a lot,” explains one of the students. “That was kind of hard for me because I stay inside a lot at home. And all my chores are inside chores. I think it was fun but tough to be a frontier kid.”
Lesson learned!
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
Computers require interaction. Recent studies have shown given children are natural “manipulators” that learn through controlling the movement and interactions of their world, technology may enhance their brain development. This especially holds true for pre-school age children.
This fall, St. Philip’s opened the SALLY AND DEL LUTZ EARLY CHILDHOOD TECHNOLOGY LAB, established by the Lutz family in memory of Delbert Lutz and in honor of his wife, Sally. The lab is equipped with several touch screen computers and is utilized daily by our PreK3 – Kindergarten students. It allows St. Philip’s to enrich, individualize, differentiate and even extend the overall EC curriculum. In essence, this unique technology lab has become another effective “learning center” for our students.
“It’s important that we work towards staying updated with today’s technology,” explains Michella Young, St. Philip’s new Early Childhood Director. “We hope to one day have a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) environment for our students. Technology allows us to bring the world into the classroom.”
St. Philip’s is blessed to be a beneficiary of Sally and Del’s beautiful, shared legacy.
AT A GLANCE: COMMUNITY HEALTH
Through a partnership with Children’s Health Pediatric Group, formerly known as MyChildren’s, St. Philip’s has helped address the health needs of the South Dallas community it calls home for the last two and a half years.
Thriving Partnership Keeps Children Healthy and Happy
St. Philip’s is the site of one of approximately twenty unique pediatric clinics established by Children’s Health/Children’s Medical Center a few years ago in an effort to increase access to quality pediatric care in vulnerable communities. Of these clinics, St. Philip’s is home to the only pediatric clinic of its kind located on a school campus. Thus far, the partnership has been a tremendous success.
“We realize that all of us – educators, social service providers, and health care providers – must work in a coordinated manner to ensure that children reach their maximum
potential,” explains Dr. Ray Tsai, President and Chief Medical Officer for Children’s Health Pediatric Group. The clinics specialize in health care for newborns through age 18 and are staffed by pediatricians and nurse practitioners. “Our practice at St. Philip’s has been successful largely as a result of the collocation with the school, community center, and other services offered on campus, including the day care and food pantry,” Dr. Tsai elaborates.
The clinic at St. Philip’s has served over 1,400 patients each year, with over 5,000 visits annually. Dr. Stormee Williams, a former St. Philip’s School and Community Center parent, served as the clinic’s pediatrician until this spring. Dr. Kathy Thompson currently heads the clinic as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Lead Provider.
“Our key goals are to improve the quality of life of our patients and to foster positive outcomes,” Dr. Thompsons shares. “When children have access to high quality healthcare and high quality educational opportunities, this fosters improved clinical and academic outcomes, reduces school absences, reduces emergency room visits, and the overall population health in the community improves.”
This thriving partnership with Children’s Health emboldens St. Philip’s efforts to foster a safe and healthy community.
AT A GLANCE: STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
St. Philip’s provides several educational, academic, and cultural enrichment programs for youth through both the School and Community Center.
One of our campers at Church of the Transfiguration’s program Summer Program finale performance One of our campers at Church of the Transfiguration’s program
Our Americorps team served as teaching assistants
Summer Program finale performance Summer Program finale performance
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Children and Youth Benefit from St. Philip’s Engaging Summer Academics & Adventure Camp
St. Philip’s School and Community Center’s campus bustled with activity this summer, keeping over 150 children and youth (grades PreK through 7th grade) engaged with daily lessons in core academics, in addition to classes in dance, theater, music, and visual art. Our summer program continues to be one of the most essential and effective programs offered to the community. This year’s program was significant in that it reflected the “and” in St. Philip’s name. It was a successful and groundbreaking collaboration between the School and Community Center. “It was awesome that we were able to run the academic and Early Childhood program with our own faculty and staff,” explains Community Center Coordinator, Lasheryl Walker. “We used very little outside resources to staff this year’s camp and it proved to be a win-win for everyone, especially, our campers!”
Several of St. Philip’s dynamic faculty rotated teaching the Early Childhood children or served as instructors for the core academic
classes in Math, Science, Reading and Writing for the 1st through 7th grade campers. The majority of the campers are not students
Boxer, Maurice Hooker shared his inspiring story with St. Philip’s summer campers
of the School, so the camp provided participants with a true extension of the unique and transformative St. Philip’s School experience.
The program’s strength is in its affordability, quality, and diverse offerings. “Not only are we helping children beat summer learning loss or even get ahead academically but we are helping kids discover and explore their talents and other interests through our artistic collaborations,” says Walker. Church of the Transfiguration included several of our campers in their arts and Bible School program. Also, Big Thought collaborated with St. Philip’s for the fifth year in a row, ensuring the campers had access to proven effective artistic instruction by trained artists. Big Thought’s support enabled Soul Rep Theatre Company to provide one of their curriculum based children’s programs. AmeriCorps also joined St. Philip’s again, providing several teaching assistants, many of whom are college bound alumni of St. Philip’s. “This experience will ultimately translate into their future,” says Liz Curfman, AmeriCorps Program Officer. “Many are taking advantage of the Education Award the program offers that amounts to $1,000 - $2,000 that can be used toward their college education.”
“I don’t believe there are any other places in the area that care for and nurture inner city children the way St. Philip’s staff did for my grandchild this summer,” shares Robert Carter, whose granddaughter participated in the summer program. “I am grateful to St. Philip’s for making their camp a beautiful summer and learning experience for so many children.”
AT A GLANCE: ATHLETICS
For several decades, St. Philip’s has provided arguably the largest and most diverse athletics program for 4 – 14 year olds in the southern sector of Dallas.
ATHLETICS
NFL Hall of Famer Randy White speaks at St. Philip’s field dedication
Building for the Future: Sports Illustrated and Ford Transform and Upgrade St. Philip’s Athletic Field
St. Philip’s School and Community Center is honored to have been selected to receive a field refurbishment and upgrade from Sports Illustrated (SI) and Ford this fall. Work began in late September on this wonderful in-kind project (valued at $300,000) that included the installation of a new scoreboard, fencing, proper bleachers, field entrances, a concession stand, fresh sod and other landscaping pieces. The athletic field parking lot also received a make-over, as did the playground. Additionally, a mural was painted on a property adjacent to the field that St. Philip’s recently purchased. The property, formerly a neighborhood lounge, will be transformed into a field house next spring.
The project culminated on October 17 with BUILD FOR THE FUTURE DAY on which approximately 150 volunteers comprised of members of SI’s editorial team, current and retired Dallas Cowboys, St. Philip’s families, alumni, and other members of the larger community, converged on St. Philip’s to complete this amazing project that will bless the St. Philip’s community for years to come. It was a full day of activity. While parents assisted with the field refurbishment, their children were kept busy with fun activities provided by Pro Players Foundation and other volunteers in St. Philip’s Snyder Activity Center and Early Childhood wing of the campus. The children were also treated to visits by NFL players Terrance Williams, Sean Lee, Darren McFadden, Cole Beasley and retired Hall of Famer Randy White, as well as TCU legend LaDainian Tomlinson.
An official ribbon cutting ceremony took place that afternoon and the new field was christened with a game played by one of St. Philip’s SAINTS Pop Warner football teams.
“This project is a true gift to the community we serve,” says Eddie Fletcher, St. Philip’s Athletics Director. “Our athletics program has always been a source of pride and it’s great to finally have a quality field.” The field will be utilized by St. Philip’s football, lacrosse, soccer, and baseball teams. “We look forward to being great stewards of this blessing.”
