The Parish Post: Summer 2017

Summer 2017

How Nature Learning Nurtures Your Children Art Installation Captures Essence of Parish Community Setting Struggling Learners On The Path To Success Meet Our Employees of the Year

Our Mission To educate children ages 2-12 who have communication delays and learning differences, empowering them with the tools to succeed.

In This Issue

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Setting Struggling Learners On the Path to Success Communication: Building a Solid Foundation for School Success

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How Nature Learning Nurtures Your Children

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Construction to Begin on Little Acorn Park

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Technology at The Parish School

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The Parish School Adds Another Successful Marathon Fundraiser to the Books The Parish School Scores Big with ‘Sports Bowl’ Gala Spring Fling is Big Hit with Students and Families

12 Photo Round-Up

Installation 14 Art Captures Essence of Parish community

Staff Named 15 Exemplary as Employees of the Year

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The Parish School Recognizes Parents, Volunteers for Service

Spotlight: 18 Alumni Sara Renee Clayton

19 Save The Date

Administrative Team Nancy Bewley, MAT, CCC-SLP Head of School

Brooke Medina, LCSW, RPT Director of Student & Family Services

Terry Clough, CPA Director of Finance & Operations

Anne Powers, MA, CCC-SLP Director of Early Childhood

Karen Dickerson, PhD, CCC-SLP Director of The Carruth Center

Amy Richard, MS, CCC-SLP/CALT Director of Elementary

Meredith Krimmel, MS, CCC-SLP Director of Admissions

Amy Tanner, MBA Director of Advancement

Board of Trustees

Board Members

Executive Officers Steven Gordon President

Nancy Bewley, MAT, CCC-SLP Gregory V. Brown Bob Bryant Greg Dillard Tommy Jamail Paula Katz Eleonora Leibman Ann Neyland, MA, CCC-SLP Tish Prior Peden Joe Probst Melanie Seigle, MA, CCC-SLP, LCSW Dana Vieselmeyer

James Prappas Vice President Peter DeFazio Treasurer Laurie H. Gutierrez Secretary

The Parish Post is printed two times a year and is published by The Parish School for students, parents, alumni and friends.

For information or questions regarding The Parish Post, please contact Amanda Arnold – aarnold@parishschool.org.

Setting Struggling Learners On the Path to Success

By Nancy Bewley, MAT, CCC-SLP

What does The Parish School’s educational environment do to transform children who struggle to communicate and learn, or who have experienced failure in other schools? What do we provide that alters the paths followed by these young learners?

on establishing and strengthening these characteristics in each child. The six components are integrated into the interactions, experiences and curriculum at The Parish School, and are referenced in evaluations of student achievement.

There is a vast amount of scientific research identifying the essentials required to raise a successful, happy and caring child. This past year, we worked to create and define what The Parish School believes to be the six most important elements of a successful learner. Using current research and what educators have known all along; here are the six elements we have adopted: communication, academic preparedness, independence and self-advocacy, resilience, social competence and self-confidence. Other important components include collaboration, critical thinking, content and creativity.

Our instructional team and specialists concentrate

We give children vital skills that empower them to experience life-long success and the ability to traverse whatever their future holds. Our vision is that all who are impacted by a communication delay or learning challenge receive the kind of educational experience in which they will thrive.

Communica on Communica on • Communica on skills for academics, rela onships and life • Ability to understand and use language effec vely

Self-confidence Self-confidence • Sense of self-worth • Accessing tools and strategies • Knowing strengths and weaknesses

Academic Preparedness • Strong academic founda on • Grade-level achievement • Adequate execu ve func oning skills

Elements of a Successful Learner

Social Social Competence Competence • Sharing space with others • Perspec ve taking • Observing hidden social rules • Problem solving

Independence & Independence Self-advocacy Self-advocacy • Knowing when to ask for help or clarifica on • Ini a ng work or tasks independently • Problem solving

Resilience Resilience • Adaptability • Emo onal competence • Perseverance

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Communication: Building a Solid Foundation for School Success

By Anne Powers, MA, CCC-SLP Director of Early Childhood

Parents and caregivers have many questions about how to best prepare their young child for school success. Will my child be ready for kindergarten? What do they need to know? How can I help? Are we doing enough to encourage reading? Knowing that children who have communication delays are at greater risk for future reading and writing difficulties, it’s wise to consider what we can do now to build a solid foundation for future learning. While many promote flashcards, workbooks, and educational computer games as the answer to school readiness, longstanding child development research provides a different solution – communication.

Learning to be an effective communicator is essential for school success. Most often when thinking about communication, we think about talking. Communication actually involves much more, including understanding, listening,

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and responding to others – both verbally and non-verbally. It encompasses the skills needed to share our thoughts and understand another’s perspective (Galinsky, 2010). Not only does communication provide a way to interact with others and build relationships, it also creates the foundation for learning.

While being an effective communicator is vital for school success in many ways, one facet worth discussing is its importance in reading and writing. It is well established that a young child’s oral language competency directly correlates to later literacy skills in elementary (Bishop & Snowling, 2004; Catts, Fey, & Tomblin, 1997).

This relates to how a child builds literacy skills, moving from listening to speaking, and then later to reading and writing.

Reading involves two core components: decoding and

comprehension. Decoding refers to learning the connection between letters and sounds and using that knowledge to recognize a written word. When decoding, a child converts printed words into words they already speak.

Comprehension puts meaning to the decoded words and sentences.

It provides the rich, colorful picture we associate to a word described in a text. For example, when we read the word “carnival,” it conjures mental images of bright colors and festivity, rides, a crowd of people, special foods like popcorn, maybe even smells and sounds. It’s that background knowledge that makes reading the word carnival meaningful in context (Perfetti, 1997).

In the same way, a young child must be able to draw on information about a word to understand what they have decoded and begin to truly read.

The knowledge-base a child derives

is built through his/her listening and speaking skills. A child must have a sufficient understanding and use of oral language to develop strong reading comprehension.

later, as literacy skills continue to does this mean for children who develop into reading and writing. have communication delays?

This same relationship can be What can we be doing today to seen in the progression of how help them become strong readers children are expected to learn tomorrow? Our focus should be new information through the on strengthening their listening Similarly, a child’s writing skills are school-aged years. Children move and speaking skills through a dependent upon their reading from the stages of listening to combination of therapy, playful proficiency. Any weaknesses learn, speaking and listening interactions, and exposure to in the foundational building Writing Writing to learn, learning to read Reading Reading literacy rich environments. blocks of listening and to Learn to Learn and finally reading speaking will appear to learn. What Reading Reading Learning Learning to Read to Read Speaking Speaking

Speaking Speaking andand Listening Listening to Learn to Learn

Playful Interactions Therapy Children with communication delays benefit from therapy with a certified speech-language pathologist.

Research overwhelmingly supports the effectiveness of early intervention. The sooner a child receives therapy to address communication needs, the greater the gains, resulting in better outcomes across the lifespan. Once a child is receiving intervention, it’s important that all team members work together to practice targeted skills across various settings. More information about how to identify communication delays can be found at our website, www.parishschool.org.

Children learn language most meaningfully through playful interactions. Set aside time in your day to play with your child. Sing songs, explore the outdoors, paint and color together, talk to your child about what you are doing, and the people and places you are visiting. Find time to unplug and play without electronics. Discover your child’s interests by observing the kinds of activities and toys to which they are drawn. Be present with them by joining their play and entering their world. Come beside them, follow their lead, and don’t be afraid to be silly. Adults should avoid the temptation of controlling play. Let children experiment with materials. The focus should be on the process, not the outcome. Most importantly, be authentic and have fun!

Literacy Rich Environments Make reading a part of daily routine, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Let your child turn the pages, point out pictures and words, and ask questions. It’s important to offer varied reading materials in your home. Be sure to include books about the alphabet and numbers and counting, as well as fiction and non-fiction. Make reading time fun and engaging by using expression to make the story come alive. Find times for your child to “read” to you by telling you the story or describing the pictures in a book. Introduce your child to various kinds of print: books, signs, labels, magazines, etc. Children learn about print as we draw their attention to it in daily life.

To learn more about communication and the skills needed for school success, read Ellen Galinsky’s book Mind in the Making.

References: Bishop, D. V. M., & Snowling, M. J. (2004). Developmental dyslexia and specific language impairment: Same or different? Psychological Bulletin, 130(6), 858–886.

Catts, H. W., Fey, M., & Tomblin, B. (1997). Language basis of reading disabilities. Paper presented at the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading, Chicago, IL. Galinsky, Ellen. (2010). Mind in the Making. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

Perfetti, C. A. (1997). The psycholinguistics of spelling and reading. In C. A. Perfetti, L. Rieben, & M. Fayol (Eds.), Learning to spell: Research, theory, and practice across languages (pp. 21-38). Mawah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

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How Nature Learning Nurtures Your Children

By Nancy Nalence, Margaret Noecker Nature Center Council Member Getting dirty just for fun is one of the privileges of childhood. Climbing trees, scaling hillsides, fashioning hiding places with leaves and sticks – all of these are built into a kid’s DNA. We don’t necessarily think of these activities as a crucial part of a child’s development. But research demonstrates that regular interactions with nature contribute in many ways to learning and socialization.

This hands-on approach is already an established part of our curriculum at The Parish School. With the benefits of the outdoor classroom now more clearly defined by research, we’re increasing our commitment. With our Margaret Noecker Nature Center in progress, The Parish School is creating an improved, campus-wide environment that engages our students in direct relationship with nature that will be developmentally transformative.

Outdoor learning involves children in nature experiences that can’t be duplicated in the classroom. It encourages activity, free play, creativity and interaction in ways that can be guided by the individual child’s comfort and interests.

One national educational foundation has found that regular exposure to nature increases attention, decreases anxiety and combats obesity at the same time that it energizes the child – as well as the teacher. The effect is enhanced learning and an overall improvement in educational outcomes.

Getting kids outside to plant and cultivate, splash in water and mud, and construct their own play structures using materials they scavenge themselves has benefits that clearly support our mission in addressing the development of the whole child.

Fitness and improved motor skills are effects that are easy to see. Along with these physical improvements, a connection with nature reduces stress and contributes to overall well-being. The spirit of outdoor activity supports collaboration, contributing to more mature interactions and declines in violent incidents and bullying. The entire student-teacher community benefits, with one result being children who are more emotionally, physically and intellectually open to development and learning.

Nature learning sparks a whole new area of creativity.

Imaginative play is inspired when a child encounters an environment without pre-made sources of activity. What do they see when they look at a pile of rocks or watch tomatoes grow from seeds they’ve planted themselves?

If a child needs solitude or quiet space, they’re left to scout out a niche and construct a cocoon from vines or branches or leaves to suit their sense of security and beauty. These are experiences that build empathy with flowers and grass, sky and rain, the cycles of the sun and the seasons. They learn, naturally, to embrace the earth while they are finding their own place in the world. Just from rolling around in the dirt!

Watch us as we grow.

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Construction to Begin on Little Acorn Park Over the past year, the Margaret Noecker Nature Center council has worked hard to raise funds to bring The Parish School its first certified outdoor classroom, “Little Acorn Park.” We are pleased to announce that we (ceremoniously) broke ground Monday, May 22 on this project after securing funding from many generous individuals and foundations.

As much construction as possible will take place this summer to be ready for learning and play next school year. Little Acorn Park will be built between the school’s Bur Oak and Chestnut Oak classroom buildings, taking the place of the current toddler playground, which is underutilized and poorly equipped to provide outdoor nature experiences.

We’re now looking for donations of goods, such as dirt, mulch, plants, trees, concrete, lumber, arbors, storage buildings, gravel, stone, grass, irrigation and sand. If you have any contacts for landscaping companies, nurseries or lumber yards, please contact Terri Garth, Nature Center Chair, at tgarth@parishschool.org.

The Parish School’s nature studies program and the Margaret Noecker Nature Center bring exceptional experiences every day to Parish children, helping them learn, grow and thrive. Little Acorn Park is the first phase of development for the Nature Center.

For more information on design plans for the future, visit www.parishschool.org/naturecenter.

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Your donations have been met with much enthusiasm from teachers and young learners alike!

If you’re interested in contributing to this special fund, please email advancement@parishschool.org.

Technology at The Parish School Integrating technology into curriculum is important for every learner, but especially for children who have special needs. Technology bridges gaps for students who learn differently, provides much-needed tools for learning, and personalizes lessons to suit individual needs. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, “children should have many opportunities to explore open-ended, developmentally appropriate software programs in a playful, supportive environment.”

At The Parish School, learning to use technology, as well as navigate it for academic purposes, is part of each student’s day. Tablet computers are especially useful for our student population because the applications are often more intuitive than software on full-size computers. Additionally, for students who struggle with fine motor skills, touchscreens are easier to navigate than keyboards and mice.

Parish teachers individualize each student’s learning plan to best meet the needs of each child. Technology makes this differentiation even more customizable and appropriate by offering special assistive devices and software for different learners. Computers also allow lesson plans to become more engaging and advanced. As technology continuously progresses, so does our need to update equipment. We look for future donations to make newer apps and programs accessible for our students.

The Parish School provides multiple iPads and laptops for each classroom, computers for staff, SMART boards for elementary classes, and a stand-alone technology lab for the library. We have also begun the process of migrating from a hybrid “Mac/PC” campus to a “PC” campus, which will provide a greater level of user management to have everyone on one platform, and tighter security and malware protection, among other reasons.

We are so thankful to the following generous donors who have contributed to upgrading our current equipment and infrastructure this school year: Anissa and Reid Friedman The Hamill Foundation Madiha and Irfan Patel in honor of Rayan Patel Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation

The Parish School Adds Another Successful Marathon Fundraiser to the Books The Parish School’s 40-person team crossed the finish line of the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Half Marathon, raising more than $30,000 for the school.

Many of Parish’s staff, students, families and friends turned out to cheer on runners from the school’s mile 6 Hoopla Station. The unusually warm and muggy January morning didn’t affect our cheerleaders’ enthusiasm. With music, noise makers, posters, treats and bounce house, Hoopla Station Chairs Parul and Sanjay Mediwala helped to ensure the morning was full of fun.

Special thanks to Sidewalk Squad Sponsor, Insperity HR Solutions, as are current and past Parish parents and staff members.

well as our fundraisers, many of whom

The Chevron Houston Marathon’s Run for a Reason program has given into the marathon and related races, while also raising money for their has been an official Run for a Reason charity since 2009.

runners the opportunity to gain entry favorite cause. The Parish School

Team Parish Runners Jorge Albinana

Bonnie Goodrich

John Plumb

Sarah Swantner

Renee Attaway

Kathi Greene

Anne Powers

Amy Tanner

Candice Boyce

Ryan Hartman

Andrew Raber

Jennifer Tucker

Cheryl Burbano

Kelly Hartmann

Lauren Raber

Chelsea Turner

Theresa Castillo

Douglas Hill

Amy Rapp

Mindy Vance

Kyle Chapman

Heather Hillery

Sara Sanchez

Brad Vieselmeyer

Maribel Chen

Casey Martin

Christi Selph

Kate Wasserman

Courtney Dahl

Helen McCartney

Andrew Sher

Amanda Wesneski

Todd Fisk

Joelle Nelson

Edward Simpson

Serene Wongsa

Susan Gentile

Ann Pham

Tina Strautman

Amir Yunus

If you are interested in running on behalf of The Parish School in 2018, please contact us at advancement@parishschool.org.

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The Parish School Scores Big with ‘Sports Bowl’ Gala Lakeside Country Club saw a sold-out crowd of more than 450 guests who gathered in support of The Parish School’s 24th annual gala “Sports Bowl XXIV” on January 27. Appropriately themed for the Big Game held the following weekend, the event celebrates and raises funds for The Parish School and its financial assistance program.

Gala chairs, Rachel and Adam Dunn and Suzanne and Trey Martin dreamed up an exciting, sports-filled evening that included appearances from Houston Texans cheerleaders, a silent auction featuring autographed sports memorabilia, and live auction featuring an MLB All-Star Game package in Miami.

The top scorer of the night, however, was a live auction package that included a chef demonstration and catered meal at the home of Randi and Johnny Carrabba, which brought in $19,000 for the school.

Honorary chairs, Nichole and Afis Olajuwon drew the winner of the most anticipated prize of the evening – a raffle for two Super Bowl LI tickets valued at $9,000. The lucky winner also gained entry into the Club 51 pregame party hosted by Joe Montana and Warren Moon.

Former Houston Texans offensive guard, Kasey Studdard, served as emcee for the program.

Studdard struggled with his own learning differences that manifested during his early childhood years. He has since worked hard to overcome these differences and is passionate

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about providing appropriate resources, curriculum and opportunities for children who have special needs.

The evening honored former Major League Baseball infielder, coach, scout and manager, and long-time supporter of The Parish School, Art Howe. Howe delivered a heart-felt acceptance speech dedicated to his granddaughter, Kate, who attended The Parish School from 2006-2011. After graduating from The Parish School, Kate has gone on to excel in music, theater and karate at her middle school.

The crowd was moved to donate record-breaking amounts to the school’s financial assistance fund after hearing incredibly touching testimonials from both Suzanne Martin and Rachel Dunn on how a Parish School education has made a difference in each of their children’s lives.

Overall, the event raised more than $400,000, an alltime high for The Parish School.

Spring Fling is Big Hit with Students and Families April 9th couldn’t have been a more perfect spring day for The Parish School’s Spring Fling! Current, alumni and incoming Parish families gathered on campus and enjoyed gorgeous weather, bounce houses, cheerful clowns, food and snow-cone trucks, midway games and other fun activities.

A special drawing was held crowning the first-ever Parish royalty. Congratulations to Prince Avi Brown and Princess Blake Martin who won and reigned at The Spring Fling.

Additional prize drawings were held for area restaurants and fun activities.

The Parish School’s Spring Fling is held so students may enjoy a carnival-like experience with their friends and family in a safe and familiar environment.

Special thanks to the energetic National Charity League, community and staff volunteers that helped to make this event special. In addition, we would like to extend a huge thanks to the following underwriters for supporting The Parish School’s Spring Fling: Dr. Palmi Testa-Limas & River Oaks Dental Arts The Cokinos Family The Dunn Family The Wehner Family

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Art Installation Captures Essence of Parish Community A new collaborative art piece has added a stunning pop of color to the walls of The Parish School’s administrative building. Made entirely of donated and recycled materials, elementary students and staff each created a ring that when placed together, represents the individuals that make up the school as a whole.

“Our goal was to take something ordinary and grow it into a beautiful piece of art to represent the Parish community,” said Chantel McAhren, Art Educator/Therapist.

This creative and relaxing project lent students the opportunity to build on skills like planning, problem solving, fine motor development and hand-eye coordination. It took about a month to complete, and Chantel, as well as Parish students and staff, couldn’t be happier with the result.

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The piece, made of cardboard paper towel rolls that have been wrapped with ribbons, fabrics, pipe cleaners and lace, has been wired together into the shape of a tree. The assorted colors and textures create a vibrant visualization of what our community can create when working together.

Jennifer Woody

Courtney Dahl

Casey Martin

Exemplary Staff Named as Employees of the Year The Parish School is unique and innovative thanks to our amazing team of teachers, paraeducators, therapists and administrators. Each bring their own leadership style and skills to The Parish School and The Carruth Center to transform the lives of children who have communication delays and learning differences.

Each year, staff votes for the employees of the year who go above and beyond, demonstrating the school’s core values of creativity, nurture, passion, ethics and people. We are excited to announce the following well-deserving staff members who were selected as The Parish School and The Carruth Center’s 2016-17 employees of the year: Therapist of the Year: Jennifer Woody Teacher of the Year: Courtney Dahl Paraeducator of the Year: Casey Martin

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The Parish School Recognizes Parents and Volunteers for Service Each year, Parish staff show appreciation to our room parents, PTO, board and committee members, event chairs, office support, garden helpers and parents who all do so much to support the school. From this outstanding pool of individuals, honorees are selected for special recognition in four award categories: Above and Beyond Award, PTO President, Volunteer of the Year and Board Member of the Year. For the 2016-17 school year, six individuals were named, and we honor them for outstanding service to The Parish School.

This year’s honorees are:

Rachel Dunn and Suzanne Martin, Above and Beyond Award Rachel and Suzanne (not pictured) went above and beyond in their roles as gala chairs.

They pulled out all the stops to make sure fundraising and attendance goals weren’t only met – but exceeded. They pulled strings nationwide to secure high-valued auction items, and called on friends, family and business associates to support the gala by sharing personal stories about their children and finding The Parish School.

In addition, they have been instrumental in the Seeds for Growth campaign; raising funds for Little Acorn Park, as part of the Margaret Noecker Nature Center; the Parish baseball team; and plans for fundraisers next year.

Dana Vieselmeyer, 2016-17 PTO President Dana has spent countless hours working to step up the level of leadership, professionalism and organization for this position. The year before last, she was instrumental in bringing a healthy, hot lunch option to Parish students. She regularly attends Board of Directors meetings, providing strategic, thoughtful feedback and insight. She and another parent board member were the geniuses behind the “Tuition Talk” parent education session, which allowed parents an opportunity to voice their opinions and learn what goes into setting annual tuition. She led PTO meetings with grace and diplomacy, keeping staff and parents on track and looking towards the future. She has done a remarkable job and we will truly miss her insights, support and leadership.

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Charlotte and Brent Phillips, Volunteers of the Year Presented to another duo of outstanding volunteers, Charlotte and Brent (not pictured) have quietly been active since 2013, when one half of the duo chaired the elementary musical and served as a room parent. She continues to fulfill each of these roles to this day.

This past year, the other half of the duo officially volunteered as chair of the Fall and Spring Garden Days. He was instrumental in organizing a substantial amount of volunteers, as well as brainstorming creative projects and meaningful plantings.

Together, the family has been spotted arranging cheese plates for receptions, cleaning out giant popcorn poppers, vacuuming said popcorn kernels out of the library carpets, rummaging through resale shops for set and prop items, painting Parish prince and princess thrones, creating elementary musical sets, and so much more.

Pete DeFazio, Board Member of the Year As a board member since 2007, Pete’s business acumen, financial sense and experience as a former Parish parent have proved invaluable through many initiatives and projects, including: seeing the school through many changes; the tightening-up of business best practices; two accreditation processes; two re-branding campaigns; and a major strategic planning process. Maybe most importantly, he was present and supportive in leading the school through the unexpected losses of founder, Robbin Parish, and longtime head of school, Margaret Noecker. Most recently, he starred in a new parent education session called, “Tuition Talk.”

Volunteers from left to right: Rac hel Dunn, Dana Vieselmeyer, Charlotte Phillips and Pete DeF azio

We thank and commend our volunteers of the year for their selfless and valuable contributions to The Parish School. Together, we create an educational environment where students don’t just grow – but thrive!

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Alumni Spotlight Sara Renee Clayton Former Parish Student: 1992-1997

By the time a child reaches school age and heads to kindergarten, he/she will have between a 2,100- and 2,200-word vocabulary. At 5-years-old, Sara Renee could only speak a handful of words. Her parents, Patricia and Jack knew they had to do something to get Sara caught up to where she needed to be. They found The Parish School, their home for the next five years.

“The Parish School was an answer to our prayers and gave us so much support to know how to move forward and help Sara reach her fullest potential,” said Patricia.

Resources and education provided by Parish taught Patricia and Jack how to enhance Sara’s language when at home and to advocate on behalf of their daughter.

In addition, they valued the relationships and support received from other parents in similar circumstances.

Today, both Sara and Patricia enjoy being able to give back to The Parish School. Most recently, they helped to beautify the campus at the Spring Garden Day.

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Sara has grown into a beautiful woman and we want to express our gratitude and say thank you.

Save The Date: Camp Acorn

Ba ck to Sch ool Soc ia l Saturday, August 12, 2017 9 – 11 a.m.

June 6-30, 2017

of y a D t Firs 18 0 2 7 1 0 2 r a e Y l o Scho y,

10th Annual Fall Luncheon Thursday, October 5, 2017 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Junior League of Houston

a Tuesd 2017 st 15, u g u A

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11001 Hammerly Blvd.

Houston, Texas 77043

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Don't just grow. Thrive!

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About The Parish School: Since 1983, The Parish School has educated children ages 2-12 who have communication delays and learning differences, empowering them with the tools to succeed. This nationally recognized, special needs school in Houston, Texas provides an education for the entire family within the environment of a nurturing and safe 17-acre campus with on-site therapeutic clinic, The Carruth Center. Our personalized academic approach – with a focus on communication skills, social learning, independence, nature and the arts – allows children to thrive and grow.

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