Window 2016

the power of each

2 | The Window

From Me To We | 4

Critical & Creative Thinking | 8

Learn at the Museums | 12

Challenge in Math | 18

Higher Athletic Standard | 24

Head of Middle School | 30

2016 PS Election | 34

Stay After-School | 38

Class of 2016 Lifers | 42

Alumni | 52

in this issue

The Power of Each | 3

In an era of buzzwords in education, particularly the overuse and misuse of the term “whole child,” our steady attention to each child continues to distinguish Presbyterian School as a counter-cultural leader among our peers. The School’s unwavering focus on providing the best possible education and support for each child continues to drive and distinguish our programming.

In the world in which we now live, there are increasingly more paths for our students to take. Factory style, mass-produced, “one-size-fits-all” education is no longer effective or relevant. In order to equip our next-generation leaders, we need each child to have the tools to achieve his or her “personal best.” As you read through this year’s issue of The Window, you’ll see the power of each in the new initiatives on the School’s horizon and in the stories of how our alumni are living out each of their personal bests beyond our walls.

The “power of each” begins with our Early Childhood students as they embark upon the timeless journey from “me to we,” grappling with the paradoxical shrinking of the world as it expands in front of each of them—in unique ways and at distinct times. Kaitlyn Kennedy, Class of ’07, captures the essence of this powerful connection between the self and the community when she articulates the poignant reality from her own life that, “Each person has talents and passions to share.”

As we develop our new Think-Make-Talk paradigm for more personalized learning, we do so to develop and extend each student’s ability to identify and solve problems. The personal reflections of Leo Linbeck, Class of '08, echoes

this focus when he writes, “Every success story from PS happened because each individual worked hard.”

In our burgeoning partnership with the Museum of Fine Arts—Houston, we are teaching through the lens of “learning to look” in a museum setting. In doing so, we are equipping each of our students with valuable skills to be successful in the classroom and in the real world, including those skills associated with learning from appropriate risk-taking and making mistakes. As alum Hannah Kretzschmar puts it in her reflection for current PS students: “Don’t be afraid to fail . . . fail fast and fail hard.”

The “power of each” is rooted in the School’s individual emphasis to identify a student’s “just-right challenge.” Instead of touting a one-dimensional “academic rigor” that strikes too many of us as something akin to a slow death, we at PS seek to promote a daily and personal challenge that stems from knowing and loving each of the children in our care. This “just-right” challenge appears every day here in pedagogy that is patient and relevant, in assessments that measure and promote learning, and in relationships that are authentic and lasting.

That’s the power of each at the heart of our mission . . . and that mission is what powers Confidence in every Child.

Dr. Mark Carleton Headmaster

THE POWER OF EACHThe Presbyterian School mission of Family, School and Church united in the education and support of each Child is central to our ethos and foundational to our culture.

4 | The Window

From Me To We | 5

the early childhood journey FROM ME TO WE

Beta and Prekindergarten students enter school with wide eyes, open hearts, and sponge-like minds ready to learn. Developmentally, three-and-four-year-old children are more “me” focused than “we” focused. With this in mind, our Early Childhood program helps students venture beyond themselves and engage with their immediate world so they can confidently embrace a greater world of opportunity.

Expanding Our World in BetaAs our youngest students begin their journey in the Beta class, their world expands, and they quickly learn there is more to our planet than just school and their backyard. The Beta world is broadened as teachers and students launch into thematic studies using the five senses to explore their natural world. This exploration includes imaginative visits to farms, the rainforest, the ocean, and more. Learning through interactions with people and materials, imaginative play is the means by which our students practice in and explore the world. With a focus on pre-literacy skills and play, the Beta day overflows with rich vocabulary, detailed observations, endless counting, storytelling, dramatization, and social negotiations.

An important element of the Beta curriculum is the School's partnership with Rice University's Classroom Storytelling Project. In this program, teachers use children’s stories to advance their student’s literacy potential. Students act out adult-authored stories in addition to dictating and dramatizing their own. Student stories highlight things that are on their minds, things they enjoy, things that worry or frighten them, as well as things that delight them. Through story dictation and dramatization, a teacher is able to assess a student’s literacy development, understanding of a story, print awareness, reading and writing behaviors, and social competency.

The Beta’s world expands as each student develops his or her oral language, mathematical awareness, and social skills. Their worldview also grows as they learn responsibility for themselves and the world around them.

Exploring Our World in PrekindergartenAs these youngest students' worldviews expand, they are eager to take on the broader world in Prekindergarten. Passport in hand, students board Pre-K Airlines for a yearlong journey around the world. Students begin in Houston, and after a quick layover in New York City, visit both India and Italy. They move on to spend time in Ancient Egypt and Brazil followed by a wondrous exploration of the Outback and Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Ancient Greece’s mythological gods and goddesses capture everyone’s curiosity. Teachers use the world as a platform to teach students about culture, art, history, literacy, language, and math. Counting in another language, cooking an exotic food, and acting out a native story are just a few of the ways students make connections and explore the world. If you haven’t been privy to a seat on Pre-K Airlines, here's an excerpt from their travel blog:

Ewwww! Would you want to be made into a mummy? We know how to do it! In order to remove all the water from the body, Egyptians would cover the mummy with natron, which is a combination of baking soda and salt. They would leave the body for 40 days. We even practiced mummifying an apple! We covered one apple with our version of natron and another with just salt, and we left them for a week in the dark. We discovered that plain salt worked the best! We are also practicing patience while we wait for our mummification results! We made our very own Egyptian maps. We labeled the Giza Pyramids, Cairo, The Red Sea, and the Nile River. We talked about the great flood that turns the fertile soil next to the Nile black each June. We compared American money to Egyptian money. Did you know that we both have eagles on our money? Speaking of comparisons, we also read our version of Cinderella to see how it compared to the Egyptian Cinderella. The Pre-K Airlines curriculum ends with a “Passport Parade” as students dress up as someone from their favorite country. Animals from India, Italian pizza chefs, King Tut, Brazil soccer players, the powerful King Zeus, and more descend upon campus during the annual end-of-year parade.

When students finish our Early Childhood program, their learning has certainly taken flight. Not only are they world travelers, but they are also eager to take on more adventures in learning.

6 | The Window

by Kaitlyn Kennedy, Class of 2007 St. Agnes ‘11, University of Texas ‘15 At Presbyterian School I began taking Spanish in Kindergarten. One of the most influential people during this time was Señora Andrea Hanhausen. She was my teacher from second through eighth grade, and she constantly challenged me to grow, while also making learning fun. She and another PS Spanish teacher, Señora Marla Leyva, organized a trip to Spain for students and alumni when I was in ninth grade. That trip was my first time visiting Europe. It was the greatest feeling to be able to employ the Spanish I had been learning for years. Señora Hanhausen’s joy for teaching and traveling made me want to do the same when I was older. (I even used to pretend I was a Spanish teacher and that my stuffed animals were my students.)

As I grew older and we began learning more complicated grammar and vocabulary, my passion for Spanish only grew. The language was like a giant puzzle! Because I loved learning Spanish so much, I decided to begin another language my junior year of high school. I took extracurricular German lessons at the Deutsche Samstagsschule. Again, I benefited from another fantastic teacher who pushed me to exceed my own expectations of myself. She inspired me to continue with German in college.

Because of my lifelong interest in Spanish, I decided to study Latin American Studies at the University of Texas which has one of the world’s premier Latin American Studies institutes. I wanted to take advantage of being in a place with some of the best resources and researchers in the field. As my second major, I chose Spanish Literature. I had enough AP credits from high school that I could afford to

alumni in action

JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD Dynamic teachers introduced Kaitlyn Kennedy to the world. Once inspired, she chose the road less traveled, fearlessly taking on the world, its people, places, and passions.

“Each person has talents and passions to share. No matter

what those may be, they can be

used to benefit the community in some

way. So get out there and see the world.”

Alumni in Action | 7

take on a triple major, so I signed up for German as well. I’m glad I did because studying German completely changed my life’s trajectory.

One of the most defining experiences of my undergraduate career was living junior year abroad in Freiburg, Germany, a beautiful city near the French and Swiss borders. That year was an extremely challenging one. In the beginning, I came home every day with headaches from listening to German for hours on end. My attention span was super short, and I felt disheartened that I couldn’t communicate as easily as I would with my friends at home. Then one day a few months later, I noticed that the headaches were gone. While I continued to struggle (and still do) with speaking German, I could understand everything people were saying around me. It was an empowering feeling to know that I could move far away to a place where I didn’t know anybody and where the people spoke another language, and that I would be okay.

In May 2015, I graduated from UT as one of the twelve Dean’s Distinguished Graduates in the College of Liberal Arts. I received a Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst scholarship to pursue a master's degree in Osnabrück, Germany, where I am currently studying international migration and intercultural relations in German. I’ve learned so much about studying migration from various

interdisciplinary perspectives, and it’s a very exciting time to be in this field.

In addition to language studies, another important aspect of my life is lacrosse. I began playing the sport at PS in fifth grade and haven’t stopped since. When I arrived at UT, I was overwhelmed because I had never attended such a large school. The Texas Women’s Club Lacrosse team became my family on campus. My coach and teammates taught me so much about discipline, sacrifice, focus, and, of course, having fun! Lacrosse has also helped me to connect with people all around the world. I played and coached the team in Freiburg and am now playing in Osnabrück. I also plan to lead training for Poland's women’s national team.

I benefited tremendously from high-quality education, starting at Presbyterian School and extending through my postgraduate career. PS students have been provided the amazing opportunity to learn in a first-rate environment. This is a privilege that comes with responsibility as well. Each person has talents and passions to share. No matter what those talents may be, they can be used to benefit the community in some way. So get out there and see the world. There is a reason everyone says traveling and living in other places changes your perspective. It is fun and challenging, and you learn so much about yourself in the process.

8 | �e Window

One of the hallmarks of Presbyterian School is our desire to continually evaluate our program to ensure that it is compelling and relevant in today’s dynamic educational marketplace. We feel strongly that our model of education must be responsive to the changing landscape of our world and that it must make sense to a new generation of learners.

It is incumbent upon us to provide our students with more opportunities to grapple with the sorts of situations that the real world is going to throw at them. With �ngertip access to resources that were unimaginable even a decade ago, our teachers and students are in the early years of a new age of learning that must promote the following skills:

• Comfort with self-direction and initiative• Awareness of personal connectedness—that our

experiences have value not only for ourselves but also for others

• Awareness of curricular connectedness—that we must con�dently link disciplines and tools such as Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics

• Understanding of the meaning and power of collaboration

• Ability to navigate and utilize the readily available abundance of information and intellectual resources

• Engagement in making things that are uniquely and creatively crafted

• Discernment—the intelligent and intentional combination of analysis and synthesis

With this in mind, in the fall 2016, we will launch an expansion of an existing and integrated program that has been led by Academic Enrichment Team member, Gail Kirkconnell. We will strive to develop and extend each student’s ability to identify and solve problems using critical and creative thinking skills with three key (and deceptively simple) challenges for students and teachers:

THINK deeply about problems, ideas, projects, and researchMAKE real-world applications that �ow out of that thinking

TALK to members of our community about what they’ve made and how to make it even better

�is �ink-Make-Talk paradigm is our authentic and research-based approach to the “design thinking,” “makerspace,” and “STEAM” movements sweeping through schools across the country. �is stands in stark contrast to the “Talk-Make-Talk” and “Talk-Talk-Talk” focus in too much of educational practice today. In short, we are giving our students, particularly in second grade and higher, time to think—deeply, creatively, and collaboratively—about topics of interest and importance to them.

�is engaging paradigm of learning will provide our teachers and students with valuable opportunities to present solutions to problems using a variety of media and methods. It will place more of a premium on divergent thinking and will demand that students engage with and seek to understand the world around them and the talents within them.

Our hope is that teachers and students together will learn to be compassionate, active, and ful�lled learners on a more global stage. From a skills perspective, we envision students honing their abilities to plan and manage tasks, to organize and discuss ideas, to set and achieve goals, and to identify and solve problems. We hope that a regular and sustained exposure to these sorts of skills set in diverse and interesting contexts will ultimately cultivate passion, develop collaboration, and bring out the personal best in each and every one of our students . . . and teachers.

making time forCRITICAL & CREATIVE THINKING

Critical & Creative Thinking | 9

10 | The Window

alumni in action

THE VIEW FROM THE TOP Drawing on his creativity, Leo Linbeck has grown from comedian to craftsman. Walking in another person’s shoes has given him all the right perspectives.

by Leo Linbeck, Class of 2008St. Thomas High School ‘12 • Notre Dame ‘16 Some of my fondest life memories take place at Presbyterian School. I’ll never forget our class musical, Oklahoma! Looking back, I would say PS taught me to discipline myself and be accountable for my actions, both good and bad. I also discovered some of my favorite hobbies and gained an incredible network of friends that I still keep up with after all these years.

The knowledge I gained from my classes at Presbyterian continues to help me to this day. Reading Hamlet and other Shakespearian texts in Mr. Hanold’s English class prepared me for my English major at Notre Dame. Learning about World War I in Mr. Adams' history class was incredibly

helpful for my thesis on trauma in World War I. My Spanish was leagues ahead of anyone else in high school and college because of Señora Leyva and Señora Hanhausen. And of course, my math skills increased exponentially with Mrs. Olmstead’s math class. All of these incredible teachers helped provide a learning base that has been keenly instrumental as I’ve continued my studies through the years.

At Notre Dame, I was fortunate enough to be placed in Keenan Hall as a freshman, and I remained a Keenan Knight for my four years at ND. One of the programs I participated in was the Keenan Revue. The Keenan Revue is a campus-wide comedy show that has been put on by the members of Keenan for 40 years. We have over 1,000 attendants each year. There is live music, comedy skits, and dancing, and we spend months in advance preparing for the show. I have participated every year as an undergrad at ND.


“Even when things seem impossible,

keep at it! You’ll succeed if you

put the work in.”

First, I was an actor in a few skits. My second year, I was the Program Director and Revue Band guitarist. My main responsibility was to create the program for the show with advertisements and acknowledgments. I also played guitar with the Revue Band, playing classic song covers like “Stacey’s Mom” and “Sugar, We’re Going Down.” As a junior, I was the Art Director and created the logo for the Revue and designed t-shirts. As a senior, I once again played in the band and acted in a few skits. The Revue represents the hard work and dedication I put in, and as the event becomes more and more popular each year, I love seeing that hard work pays off.

During my time at ND, I also participated in a service and community-based learning course involving experiential learning in the Appalachia region of the United States. I spent my midterm break on a service-learning immersion project with one of the ND community partners in Appalachia. Our group drove to a small town in West Virginia, where we helped re-build damaged houses. This included repairing and remodeling damaged walls, doors, floors, and ceilings, as well as insulating houses. I saw firsthand the extreme poverty prevalent in the Appalachian communities. Many houses had, at the most, two rooms with little to no insulation. I learned about people’s challenges with sustainability, food justice, housing,

education, energy, or a combination thereof. I was struck by the kind of poverty that exists in one of the most prosperous countries in the world. The inequality in earnings and quality of life is astounding. I am convicted that more needs to be done to help the working poor throughout the U.S.

I am double majoring in economics and English. Next year, I will attend the University of Texas to pursue a Masters in Science of Finance. I plan to work at an investment banking firm after graduation, but I eventually want to work for my family’s business, Linbeck Construction.

My advice to current PS students is to keep working hard. Presbyterian School is challenging, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. You’re so lucky to be at one of the best schools in Houston, and your opportunities will be endless as a result. In order to make the most of these opportunities, you have to work. Every success story from Presbyterian School happened because the individuals worked hard to achieve their success. As my PS friend, Calum Mitchell, always says, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”

12 | The Window


our tunnel vision expands when weLEARN AT THE MUSEUMS

14 | The Window

as our teaching become outdated in the 21st century? Is it still relevant for students to acquire more and

more knowledge? Most facts are less than a minute away with a quick search from a “smart” device, so is the time for rote memorization past? As the world around us changes, so must our teaching methods. Rather than placing our teaching emphasis solely on content, we must develop students higher level thinking skills. How you go about getting an answer is equally important to knowing the answer itself.

Presbyterian School has partnered with the museums in our community to use art as a means to teach students how to think. Discussion around works of art is an effective way to approach ambiguous and complex ideas, skills, thoughts, and feelings. On any given day, fifth and sixth grade students will exchange their traditional classroom for a room in the Museum of Fine Arts (MFAH), the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Holocaust Museum, or any one of the other numerous art institutions in the School’s neighborhood. Teachers use these museums to introduce higher level thinking skills. Students are challenged to look at content in the museums with a critical eye, compare and contrast, examine point of view and bias, and make inferences in order to extrapolate what the artist is saying, the mood surrounding the piece, and the message being conveyed.

These exercises in critical thinking are challenging at first because students immediately clamor to know, “What’s the right answer?” As students are forced to step out of their comfort zone and resist the urge to know the “right” answer, their tunnel vision expands, and they open their minds to think on their own.

The School's great partnership and quick access to the MFAH offers teachers a very concrete and systematic way to teach higher level thinking skills that are used on a daily basis in every academic subject. The development of these skills exercised in the museum naturally impacts writing exercises, book discussions, history debates, and scientific analysis in the classroom.

An example of a fifth grade unit of study with the MFAH is “Observation and Communication.” Students focus on using active skills including observing, wondering, and concluding while examining the African Gold Collection and paintings by Rothko. Upon returning to the classroom, students readily use these same active skills of observation and apply them to dissect a poem in English, examine a

specimen in science, study a new geography map in social studies, and deconstruct a series of problems in math.

Through the exercises and activities facilitated in the museums, teachers have found that students have become better observers, held more engaged and enlivened discussions, learned to separate between bias and evidence, increased their endurance for problem solving, and developed a greater aptitude to work, check their progress, and re-evaluate their work independently. Teachers have also witnessed that students are participating in a higher level of student-driven collaboration and exchange of ideas wrought with meaning.

Sixth grade history teacher, Kate Stoessel, shared, “After we came back from examining an exhibit at the Holocaust Museum, we read a scene in the Odyssey about the underworld. During a class discussion about the Odyssey, my students were able to think and look past the surface

H


to dive deeper into the content. The questions asked were much higher order. Students made inferences and displayed predictive vs. concrete thinking. They asked questions from a particular perspective and were able to identify bias and examine things with a critical eye. The depth of thinking was incredible!”

Delaying students' quick gratification for the right answers and asking them to persevere and develop higher level thinking skills can be a challenging task. However, the reward far outweighs the steps in the learning journey. Teaching through the lens of “learning to look” in a museum setting is equipping students with the valuable skills they need to be successful in both the classroom and the real world.

16 | The Window

by Hannah Kretzschmar, Class of 2007St. Agnes ‘11 • Arizona State University ‘16 I think Presbyterian School prepared me really well for life. One of the best things that PS expects in its students is a certain level of maturity. Of course, we were still allowed to be kids, but I think PS instilled a sense of responsibility that a lot of my friends didn’t seem to get from their own K-8 school experiences. I’m extremely grateful for Presbyterian School because even in high school I could tell that I was better prepared for the real world.

I thought I wanted to be an architect when I came to Arizona State University. I had grown up around beautiful homes and since my dad was a lighting designer, I was inspired to study architecture. However, I quickly found

out that architecture was definitely not for me. I decided to switch to graphic design even though it would add another year to my college career. All of the design programs at ASU are extremely intensive with an expectation that students contribute 20-40 hours of work outside of class every week. I won the ASU Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration design campaign (www.asu.edu/mlk or on social media with #reflectmlk), and my work was featured prominently across all five ASU campuses this year, as well as at the annual breakfast celebration. More of my work is featured online at www.hmkretzschmar.com. Design has ended up being my passion. I truly love what I do, and I have learned that if you love what you do, you’ll dedicate your life to it. . . and it won’t even seem like work.

I draw inspiration for the work I do from the world around me. When I am starting a new project, I do a great deal of

alumni in action

A REDESIGN FOR MY LIFEIt’s not always easy to make a change. Taking a leap of faith, Hannah Kretzschmar ventured out from the status quo and uncovered a whole new world waiting to be explored.


brainstorming and list-making before I even start sketching a concept. ASU’s program has a very strong base in the fundamentals of graphic design, so I’m always able to draw on that foundation when I get stuck. I also follow lots of graphic designers on Instagram and Tumblr, and I find www.designspiration.net to be a great resource as well.

This past summer, I interned at an app design firm in Beverly Hills. One of my bosses was asked to create a presentation for a new non-profit called the Hidden Tears Project (HTP), which focuses specifically on child trafficking in the United States. Long story short, he gave the project to me, and I became the lead graphic designer. I made investor pitch decks, social media graphics, invitations, and so much more – and then I got to walk my first Hollywood red carpet! Since I spent so much time researching and doing design related work about human trafficking, it was an easy decision to choose human trafficking as my senior social issue thesis.

I could write pages about what I’ve learned while researching this issue, but I think I can sum it up in a few sentences: Human trafficking is a deplorable industry that plagues every single country in the world, including the United States. The fastest way to end this underground industry is to bring it to the surface and to talk about it. Because

it often involves sex, it’s become a taboo issue, but there shouldn’t be anything taboo about fighting to end modern-day slavery. You can read all about my senior social issue project and more about human trafficking at www.thepriorityproject.org. I designed this website and am currently looking for investors for the iOS app development. I hope that the Priority Project will go viral and that people will start to talk about this issue and feel more comfortable reporting tips to the hotline.

My advice to current PS students is don’t be afraid to fail. Fail fast and fail hard – otherwise you’ll spend too much time on dead ends when you could’ve already discovered the solution. If it weren’t for my failure in architecture, I never would have changed my major and discovered my true passion.

“Don’t be afraid to fail. Fail fast and fail hard - otherwise you’ll spend too much time on dead ends when you could’ve already discovered the solution.”

18 | The Window

finding the just-rightCHALLENGE IN MATH


20 | The Window

and statistics. Consider these observations from Dr. Benjamin’s TED Talk: “Don’t get me wrong. Calculus is an important subject. It’s one of the great products of the human mind. The laws of nature are written in the language of calculus. And every student who studies math, science, engineering, economics . . . should definitely learn calculus by the end of their freshman year of college. But I’m here to say, as a professor of mathematics, that very few people actually use calculus in a conscious, meaningful way, in their day-to-day lives. On the other hand, statistics – that’s a subject that you could, and should, use on a daily basis. Right? It’s risk. It’s reward. It’s randomness. It’s understanding data.”

With movements like Dr. Benjamin’s capturing the national conversation about math and its appropriate goals and objectives, it makes sense for us at PS to devote even more time and resources to our own study of this important discipline and to make appropriate changes when opportunities arise and evidence dictates. As with every aspect of the School’s program, our approach to math needs careful scrutiny and creative examination. We shouldn't rest on our laurels simply because we have enjoyed a solid reputation for math instruction.

sk alums of Presbyterian School about an academic subject that was particularly rewarding or challenging

during their time at PS, and many will quickly cite math. Indeed, the math program at PS has long been a strength of the School's, and students’ scores on many different objective and standardized measures have consistently demonstrated the School’s comprehensive and challenging scope and sequence in math.

PS believes that young children in every setting should experience mathematics through effective, research-based programs and pedagogies. Leading research in the field has held that mathematics curricula and teaching practices should rest on a solid understanding of both mathematics and the development of young children. Upon this understanding, many schools (including PS) have built a solid and challenging math program.

In recent years, approaches to teaching math as well as its traditional “calculus-or-bust” trajectory have been called into question. In fact, Dr. Arthur Benjamin, a Professor of Math at Harvey Mudd College and a self-acclaimed “Mathemagician” from the TED stage, has begun a grass roots movement to remove calculus from the “summit” of the mathematics pyramid and to replace it with probability

A


With this in mind, second grade teacher, Mrs. Brooke Raish, will move to be part of our Academic Enrichment Team (AET) as a Math Coordinator beginning in the 2016-17 school year. Mrs. Raish will focus on researching best practices as well as helping classroom teachers improve their own understandings of math, their teaching, and their students’ learning. Our AET has become one of the true backbones of Presbyterian School’s academic program, particularly in early and emerging literacy. Expanding upon the successes in these areas, Mrs. Raish will begin to build a parallel program in mathematics that seeks to:

• Provide leadership in instruction, professional development, and evaluation in all areas of mathematics

• Work collaboratively with our faculty and students to provide appropriate challenges in all areas of mathematics

• Provide professional development, resources, and support to faculty as they implement best practices

• Plan, demonstrate, and partner with classroom teachers• Meet with grade level teams to assist in examination of

and changes to the mathematics curriculum• Serve as a resource for professional materials and

instructional strategies• Assist the leadership in identifying school-wide

Presbyterian School has been long guided by prevalent research showing the importance of an early foundation of authentic, high-quality, and challenging mathematic instruction.

strengths and weaknesses in mathematics• Work with parents to assist students with mathematics

di�cultiesAt the same time that Mrs. Raish is beginning her work, we will also be shifting our seventh and eighth grade math curriculum to a two-year sequence of Algebra I instruction. Each of our students, by the time they �nish the math program at PS, will have experienced the full Algebra I course, a rigorous high school level course, and will be well-prepared for the high school pro�ciency exams to determine math placement.

As part of this shift, we will o�er two sections of Algebra I in both seventh and eighth grades, to include an on-level section and an accelerated section. �e accelerated level of Algebra I is designed for students demonstrating superlative pro�ciency in mathematics as well as intrinsic passion for this discipline. Self-motivation and the ability to work independently are also required as students can expect an aggressive pace and deeper exploration of material. Students will be nominated for the accelerated Algebra I class by the Presbyterian School math faculty. Our goal is to identify the “just-right” challenge for each of our students in their math placement at PS and into the future.

In the �nal analysis, isn’t solving problems what math is all about? Basic mathematics encountered in Early Childhood and Lower School is fundamental to this problem-solving exercise because all other mathematics, including what is taught in Middle School and High School, is built on it. With these changes to our program and our approaches to examining how we teach and learn math, we hope to empower our students to revel in discovering new pieces of mathematics so that they will have the ability and the opportunity to solve the new and di�erent kinds of math “puzzles” the future will surely throw at them.

22 | The Window

alumni in action

OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE

by Sam Clark, Class of 2012 Strake Jesuit ‘16 • University of Texas ‘20 I am proud to be a PS Lifer. As I mature, I realize more and more how important my time was at Presbyterian School. PS really crafted me into who I am today. Whether it was the countless trips to Head of School, Mr. Johnson’s, office for misbehaving during Lower School, the field trips to the Museum of Fine Arts and the Cullen Sculpture Garden, or my close community of classmates, I attribute my success to my amazing experiences at Presbyterian.

One of the most valuable lessons that I learned at PS was the power of a group fully invested in achieving a shared goal. During sixth and seventh grade, our football team was horrible. I’m honestly not sure if we even won a game or

not. We were so bad that I didn’t know if I wanted to play football again. I talked to Mr. Heard, our coach at the time, about whether or not I should play in eighth grade. Mr. Heard convinced me to play, and I bought in fully to the team. That year, we only lost one game. The same kids that didn’t win a single game for the past two years committed to the program, and we just clicked. Our slogan was “Band of Brothers.” It taught me the importance of working hard and never giving up. My eighth grade football team will always be one of the best sports teams I have ever been a part of. Moving on from middle school football, I joined Strake’s lacrosse team and have enjoyed playing for the Crusaders.

PS also cultivated my mindset toward service. With the competitive nature of college admissions, there is a ton of emphasis on volunteering as a way to build your resume or to meet a requirement for school. This easily turns service

“Once you’ve

found something you’re really

interested in, find ways to involve

yourself in it and learn more about it. Be the best version of

yourself.”

Whether it’s in academics, athletics, or service, Sam Clark has learned to persevere with grit and determination. In doing so, he reached his perfect score.


into drudgery that every student is trying to get over with as easily as possible. Presbyterian School helped me avoid this attitude. I remember at PS we visited the Nehemiah Center just to make some kids smile. We also helped set up tables at the First Presbyterian Church Adult Plus luncheons simply because it was the right thing to do. At PS, we volunteered when there was no service hour requirement, and we had a great time doing it. To keep this mindset, I contributed to Strake Jesuit and got involved in Key Club, a community service organization. I served as class representatives for both Key Club and Student Council. Last summer I also interned at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. My senior service project, volunteering at Camp Blessing, was life changing. Volunteering as a counselor at a camp for children with special needs really pushed me out of my comfort zone. I can say with confidence that it made me a better person.

One of the most rewarding moments of my high school career was getting into the college of my choice. The countless late nights I spent studying all four years of high school paid off as I maintained an above 4.0 GPA and earned a perfect score (36) on the ACT. The work I put in was much less glorious than the college acceptance letter, but one doesn’t come without the other. I’m passionate about business and look forward to studying

at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas. This summer, I plan to intern at a local accounting firm and lifeguard at the River Oaks Country Club.

The accomplishments of PS alumni serve as a testament to how special a breed are Presbyterian School kids. Whether it’s getting your Masters from Oxford or playing in the NFL, the Presbyterian students who have come before you have conquered the world. They’re no different from you! Never sell yourself short. My advice to current PS students is to discover your passion and run with it. Once you’ve found something you’re really interested in, find ways to involve yourself in it, and learn more about it. Be the best version of yourself.

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taking charge of aHIGHER ATHLETIC STANDARD

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t’s hard to describe or even quantify how much Presbyterian School Athletics has evolved over the

last fifteen plus years of its existence. At the start of our middle school, participation in athletics was a requirement for all students. Since then, participation in athletics is no longer a requirement, but over 80% of our eligible middle school students take part in one or more school-sponsored team sports. Commitment to PS athletics requires a large sacrifice of time and energy for daily practice, weekly games, meets and tournaments, and continuous strengthening and conditioning. In making this commitment, students have found their experience with the School’s athletics to be a truly transformational one.

The Panther mantra calls for “a higher standard than winning.” We do not judge our athletic achievements completely by the outcomes of our games. We judge success by giving our best. We want to win, but true success is based on what we give rather than what we take. Our athletic philosophy places value on input over outcome. Armed with this belief, we possess the assurance that we can look our opponent in the eyes and know that we are not intimidated by his or her size or strength, because we are not afraid to give our best when faced with adversity. The harder the struggle, the deeper we dig inside this resolve to give our all.

We have made tremendous strides in our Athletics program.

I


Here are a few highlights and developments over the past five years:

• We added golf, swimming, and wrestling and have revived the cross country program. The addition of these sports has increased our overall participation rates and has offered an outlet for more students to participate in athletics who otherwise may not have.

• We pioneered the inclusion of golf as a middle school team sport and our efforts to begin golf has resulted in its being officially sanctioned by the Houston Junior Prep Conference.

• We created an Athletic Handbook for parents that has improved communication, compliance, and the professionalism of our Athletic department.

• We have a Coaches’ Handbook, which has enhanced the alignment of effort within the Athletic department and promoted a sense of teamwork among our coaches.

• Our program, over the past two years especially, has benefited from the hiring of more full-time coaches to our teaching faculty.

• We have strengthened our emphasis on professional development for our coaches by providing stipends to attend clinics, seminars, and conferences. An increased emphasis on the study of a coach’s particular sport will translate into more efficient practices and a higher level of performance by our teams.

• Due to increased participation, we have expanded our

athletic practice facilities, partnering with Crosspoint Church and South Main Baptist Church for basketball, Hermann Park for golf, and Rice University for swimming.

• By developing a relationship with Athlete Training + Health, formerly known as Competitive Edge Sports Performance (CES), players, coaches, and parents are reaping the benefits of cutting-edge training and conditioning. The knowledge our staff has gained as a result of this relationship has crept into the School’s training methods and enhanced the level of conditioning for our student-athletes.

• We introduced physical training into the PE curriculum and are beginning to see increases in strength and endurance among the seventh and eighth grade athletes.

• One of the most visible and popular improvements made in Athletics has been the addition of professional photography for sports pictures. We have included seasonal videos for pep rallies and school communications. Feedback on the pictures has been very positive and has enhanced the quality of photos in the yearbook as well as the school website.

Never a school to be satisfied with the status quo, the PS Board of Trustees has identified Athletics as a strategic priority for the 2016-17 school year and has commissioned a Task Force composed of parents, coaches, and Trustees to study ways that we can continue on our exciting trajectory.

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by Kendyl Bree, Class of 2012Kinkaid ‘16 • Duke University ‘20 I got inspired to fence when I watched the 2012 Summer Olympics. It made me realize that sports provide a unique opportunity for people to come together in friendly, but also intense competition. My older brother fenced briefly when he was younger, so my mother knew of some fencing clubs that I could try. Luckily, one of the best clubs in the nation was just a few minutes from our house, and I started training there in October 2012. I liked the sport, but a fencing camp over winter break that year really ignited my passion and helped me build friendships with other fencers. I started to take on more practices, filling my schedule with fencing until I was in the gym nearly every night.

Presbyterian School gave me a solid academic background that allowed me to successfully take on a rigorous course load at Kinkaid in addition to many hours of training as a fencer. I have much less time now that I fence, but this has helped me to learn how to manage my time better. I’ve seen firsthand that hard work pays off. At the same time, fencing has changed my idea of teamwork because it is a unique sport where you may find yourself competing against the friends that you train with on a daily basis. That competition can be difficult at times, and some people let that ruin their relationships. However, it has allowed me to see teamwork and competition in a new light. Being able to fence your best friend on the strip, and then hug afterward, knowing that there are no hard feelings, is incredible.

In 2013, I fenced at the Summer National Championships. I also started participating in the Junior Olympics and have

alumni in action

FRIENDLY UNDER FIREAdvancing to her own beat, Kendyl Bree, found a new passion after middle school. Lunging into unknown territory, she found new friends in the most unexpected way.


qualified and continued to participate in that for the past three years. In June 2014, I was named the Division III Women’s Epee National champion. I also placed in the top 16 in the country in Junior Women’s Epee at a North American Cup tournament a few months later. In December 2014, I qualified for the Cadet Women’s Epee team and represented Team USA in Grenoble, France. This was a great achievement for me because only the top 20 in the nation in each division qualify to participate with Team USA. This past season, I’ve traveled nearly every month for a tournament. I placed in the top 8 in the country in Division 1A Women’s Epee at Nationals. My team and I also placed 2nd in the Senior Women’s Epee event. Currently, I am ranked 2nd in our region for Junior Women’s Epee.

Outside of fencing, I participate in the National Charity League, a mother-daughter service league, and Girl Scouts. These organizations have shown me firsthand the importance of service and leadership, and I fully intend to continue to give back to my community throughout my life.

In the fall, I will be attending the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University with an athletic scholarship to fence on their Division 1 NCAA team. I plan to study

biomedical engineering or something in the STEM field.

My advice for current PS students is not to undervalue your time at Presbyterian School. Chances are, your high school class will be much bigger, and people won’t know each other as well or be quite as supportive. Presbyterian School taught me the importance of a tight-knit community and how outside support can be hugely helpful in accomplishing a difficult goal.

“Presbyterian School taught me the importance of a tight-knit community and how outside support can be hugely helpful in accomplishing a difficult goal.”

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Philip Cannon, our Head of Middle School, has accepted the same position to serve at his alma mater, St. John’s School, beginning in the summer of 2016. It goes without saying that Philip has contributed richly to Presbyterian School. There has not been a better representative of our Mission and Core Values than he for the last twelve years.

Philip was an integral part of the establishment of our Middle School when he arrived here in 2004, which was only a year after our first eighth grade class graduated. Since that time, he has served in a variety of Middle School roles: as an English, Math, and Spanish teacher; as a grade level dean, advisor, and soccer coach; and as the Associate Principal and finally the Head of Middle School, a position he has held for the last seven years. Philip has made a lasting impact on our students and our families regardless of the position he has held.

While Philip's departure leaves big shoes to fill, we are pleased to announce that Mr. Charles Gramatges will assume the mantle of leadership in our Middle School beginning in the 2016-17 school year. Charlie, as he is known by friends and colleagues alike, distinguished himself among a field of very qualified candidates because of his experience with middle school students, his authenticity with adults and young people, and his compelling personal narrative centered on faith and family. More than anything else, though, Charlie was willing and able to articulate in poignant and powerful ways why he wanted to be here at Presbyterian School at this particular time in our School’s history.

Charlie holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Texas A&M as well as a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from The George Washington University. He has been serving as the Head of Middle School at St. Thomas’ Episcopal School here in Houston for the past three years, where he is that School’s first full-time leader of their Middle division. Prior to St. Thomas, Charlie served in a variety of academic, athletic, and leadership roles at some of the finest independent schools in Texas including St. John’s School here in Houston

(also Charlie’s alma mater), TMI—The Episcopal School of Texas in San Antonio, and the Episcopal School of Dallas. We are fortunate to have someone of Charlie’s particular gifts, values, and character join Presbyterian School. We are eager for our community to get to know him along with his wife, Shannon, and their two young boys, Reid and Parker. Until you have the opportunity to meet him personally, take a minute to get to know him here. Charlie shares his philosophy on education, first impressions of PS, and gives us a glimpse of his personal life in the following Q & A.

Tell us about your background in teaching and education.I graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in business, but after nine months working in the “business world” as a systems analyst, I had a change of heart. Perhaps more appropriately, I had a moment of clarity when I realized that my passion for working with young people provided the very best moments of my life. I made the somewhat rash decision to leave my first job out of college and find a job teaching. I did eventually find a job in independent schools teaching math, Spanish, and computer applications (in other words, I filled in a lot of gaps). I also worked part time in the business office of the school. I learned how private schools work from the inside, and I recognized my new path very quickly: to impact change at an institutional level so that I could improve the educational experiences of our young people.

I gained experience teaching in different grade levels as I worked my way from Dallas to San Antonio and, finally, back to Houston. I taught trigonometry to juniors before moving to introductory concepts in the middle school classroom. Along the way I became a dean of students in San Antonio, focusing my time on college guidance, student discipline, remediation, and achievement. On the athletic field, I contributed to soccer and lacrosse programs in middle and high school, eventually settling in as a defensive coach for the boys’ varsity lacrosse program at St. John’s School. I love to teach, but I truly value the lessons I instilled on the playing field. In all actuality, I am a better

meet charles gramatges, our newHEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

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The relationship a teacher creates with both students and parents serves as the most powerful working component in education. From the motivational opportunity a teacher offers a young person in the face of failure to the dependable reputation one builds when the going gets tough, the art of the relationship requires honesty and commitment. I believe in trust, first and foremost, when working with students, teachers, and parents. I want all contributors to realize that we are in this together.

What compelled you to accept the position as Head of Middle School at PS?Little did I know that I would be leaving my interview day on Presbyterian School’s campus with my jaw on the floor. Not (just) from exhaustion, mind you, but because of my experience with Presbyterian School’s incredible community, supported by a superior faculty and staff, all focused on the potential of every child that walks in the door. Throughout the day, teachers laughed and learned together with students, sharing a desire to explore new ideas and new ways of thinking. There was a healthy vulnerability present among those in the hallway; when speaking with students it was clear that they were ready to swim into the deep end of the pool with zeal and support of their teachers. The administrators I met loved their place of work, revealing confidence in the midst of an insatiable curiosity for what else could be out there to make the learning experience

teacher because of the interpersonal skills I have gained while coaching.

What is your philosophy towards education and middle school aged children? John Dewey said, “A genuine enthusiasm is an attitude that operates as an intellectual force.” This quote embodies my motivation and philosophy for teaching and now leading middle school children. For the first time in their lives, children in middle school face a personal struggle between the hope for success and the effort it takes to get there. Our middle school students are learning to be independent thinkers and workers as they move towards high school. These students are recognizing mature personal preference and passion for the first time; however, the work to attain success in those interests and passions is daunting as a middle school child loses the “hand holding” that elementary years used to provide. As educators, it is our job to help a middle school student realize that success is attainable through hard work and dedicated pursuit. Teachers must demonstrate the “genuine enthusiasm” Dewey describes on a daily basis. We have committed to be the inspirational guide, providing the means for students to find and utilize their independent thinking while receiving the coaching and cheerleading necessary to push up the mountain.

Charlie Gramatages with Deborah Stuckey, Middle School Dean of Students, and Toni Mouton, Associate Head of Middle School


better. The parents I met were invested in the education of their children; yet, they trusted the School to provide the very best opportunities to learn. The partnership among child, school, and family is palpable. The various interactions during this day left me wanting more, and I knew I could be that unique spark to start the next chapter.

What do you look forward to doing in your first year at Presbyterian School?The first year of any administrator’s tenure is a wonderful year of discovery. In my first semester, I plan to visit classrooms, meet with teachers and fellow administrators, and ask the simple question, “Why?” as much as possible. This will be an adventure in reverse engineering. My second semester will shift to a more inquisitive, “Why not?” as I hope to explore alternatives, peel back layers and suggest new pathways.

What advice would you share with our graduates and alumni?Looking back on your own life’s experiences should leave you with a sense of appreciation and respect for the things you have accomplished. Seek out the intersection of ability and opportunity to make the world a better place. Live for something greater.

What are some top picks in your reading collection?This year, some of the best books I have read include A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas by Warren Berger, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck, and (for you fantasy fiction fans) The Riyria Series by Michael Sullivan. I am currently reading How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens by Benedict Carey.

What word describes you best?Determined

Tell us about your family. What is your favorite activity to do with them?My family includes my wife, Shannon, and our two beautiful sons, Reid (3) and Parker (6 months). Rounding out the homestead are the two laziest pups on the planet, Macie the boxer and Hailey the black lab mix. In actuality, it was the “play time” Shannon and I had set up for these

two dogs when we first met in San Antonio that served as our first date (a la Lady and the Tramp). I guess the two feel like they have done their job bringing us together, because they have been loafing ever since!

Shannon teaches high school biology and chemistry at The Kinkaid School, and has had the pleasure of teaching some Presbyterian School alumni. Reid will begin his PS career as a Beta in the fall 2016, and is super excited to go to “daddy’s big school.” Parker will be close by, attending Montessori Country Day as a member of the infant room. Our family loves to spend time together, playing soccer in the backyard or taking long walks in our Heights neighborhood. Reid is an avid scooter rider and Hot Wheels collector. Parker really likes bananas. Soon enough, I hope to take the family camping as the outdoors is a first love for both Shannon and me. For now, I’d say we are all at our very best when we are together.

What are your favorite sports teams?I am a big college football fan, and Texas A&M University is my alma mater, so I am sure that will cause a healthy contention among faculty and students. My first love in sports is lacrosse, as I grew up playing here in Houston, played a little bit in college at the club level, and still play in a men’s league today. I’ll watch a lacrosse game any day, no matter who is playing (but I love rooting for the underdog). Finally, I really look forward to World Cup soccer. Soccer is truly inspiring to watch. So you could say I am a general sports enthusiast. I cannot wait to attend games in the upcoming school year and support our Panthers on the athletic field of competition!

“I continue to enjoy directing students towards their passions so that they may pursue the things they love to do and apply their skills to making the world we live in more efficient, more enjoyable, and hopefully more along the lines of how God intended it to be.”

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our creative genius in the 2016 PS ELECTION

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Creative Genius in the PS Election 2016. All Presbyterian School students and faculty will have the opportunity to vote. Campaigning will begin in earnest at the start of the 2016-17 year. Each homeroom, advisory group and school office will be assigned a state with the requisite number of electoral votes—e.g., a Beta class could be assigned Alaska with three electoral votes, Ms. Fox’s third grade class might be Louisiana with eight electoral votes, Mrs. Hall’s eighth grade advisory could be Pennsylvania with twenty electoral votes, etc. In this manner, students will get a true understanding about how our country’s electoral process works, the impact of campaigning and the differences between electoral college votes and popular votes. Different people use different criteria to describe genius. Exceptional originality, superior intelligence and expert creativity are just some of the facets of genius. Students in the Creative Genius class have created candidate profiles, class activities and other promotional materials to use for the PS Election 2016. Each grade will have the opportunity to not only learn about what genius is (as citizens evaluate what a president/leader should be), but to also learn more about the two candidates running for creative genius. All students will engage in grade-level appropriate activities targeted at learning more about each candidate. It is our hope that students will gain an appreciation for the peaceful transition of power in the United States and why participating in elections are so important. Mostly, though, we hope students will think deeply about exactly what makes a genius, just as we hope voters think about what will make a good leader.

hile real-world politics rage across the United States, students at Presbyterian School are engaging in

their own campaigning and election. In an effort to educate all Presbyterian School students about the unique electoral process that characterizes presidential politics in the United States, Presbyterian School will hold its second election in school history on November 8, 2016. During the 2012 presidential election, Presbyterian School initiated a plan to run Pizza (from the “Party” of savory, hearty, and greasy) against Cupcakes (from the “Party” of sweet, sugary, and sinful). Over 600 faculty, staff and students two-years-old through eighth grade voted for their favorite choice on Election Day 2012. While the 2012 PS election mirrored the Presidential election in scope and mechanics, PS made no pretense about its relative importance in the grand scheme of things. Just don’t tell that to the Pro-Pizza Super Pac called Students for a Tastier Tomorrow that formed in the Middle School who were aggressively lobbying for its candidate with advertisements such as, “Because this School Deserves More than Just Sugar and Flour,” “So Much more than Just Cheese,” “A Cupcake Win would be Tough to Swallow,” and “Don’t Let them Shove Cupcakes down Your Throats.” Overnight, students turned into lobbyists and campaign strategists. Four years later, the lobbyists and political strategists have returned for PS Election 2016. While the electoral process hasn’t changed, the candidates certainly have! Our Creative Genius fine arts elective class has put forth new candidates to consider. Studying the notion of creative genius, seventh grade students examined the following questions: What does genius look like? What does genius sound like? With the resources of the School and city at the class' disposal, students met with experts and conducted interviews, listened to great music, examined masterpieces, and embarked upon in-depth research to define genius and identify individuals who could fit into this category. The class brought up many notable individuals including Jim Henson, Dr. Seuss, Walt Disney, Shel Silverstein, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and Elvis Presley. The class voted to elect Dr. Seuss as the creative genius to represent the “Visual Arts” party and Elvis Presley as the creative genius to represent the “Performing Arts” party. Dr. Seuss and Elvis Presley will go head to head for the title of

creative (adjective) relating to or involving the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work

genius (noun) a person who is exceptionally intelligent or creative, either generally or in some particular respect

W


Performing Arts Creative Genius Nominee

Elvis Presley, also known as the King of Rock and Roll, was perhaps the most in�uential person in the history of that genre. Presley, a signi�cant icon in American culture during the 20th century, came from a humble background yet managed to steal the hearts of his generation. �is rock and roll musician captured the attention of onlookers with his own �air and dance moves. Elvis’ unique rhythms were a result of many styles of music he was introduced to as a child. One man, Elvis Presley, created a foundation for musical artists to come.

What is a creative genius? Most believe that being creative is thinking outside of the box. A genius is generally someone with a high IQ. So how does Elvis Presley, a man without an extremely high IQ, �t the title of being a creative genius? As Nancy Andreasen, the chairwoman of the Department of Psychiatry puts it, “Some people see things others cannot, and when they are right, we call them creative geniuses.” Elvis, in his own right, saw something that the rest of his generation could not.

�e majority of the white population in Elvis' time period was blinded by prejudice and shunned anything that was related to African Americans. Elvis Presley may have had some prejudice against another race, but he lifted his blindfold enough to see the value of a di�erent viewpoint. �e African Americans had a contrasting style of music that Elvis introduced to his generation by combining African American jazz with what was contemporary at the time. �e product of this fusion was the foundation modern singers would build upon.

So was Elvis right? Yes, I believe he was.

Candidate endorsement written by Nora Lawless (Class of 2017)

Visual Arts Creative Genius Nominee

Dr. �eodor Seuss Geisel, commonly known as “Dr. Seuss,” was a famous author and cartoonist, who wrote children’s books. He was born in Spring�eld, Massachusetts. Seuss’s illustrations appeared on di�erent ads, and as time passed, his artwork began to appear on magazines, such as Life and Liberty. In 1956, Seuss was awarded a doctorate from Dartmouth University. He pursued his writing career and wrote many successful books such as �e Cat in �e Hat, �e Lorax, and How �e Grinch Stole Christmas.

Dr. Seuss is a creative genius because he wrote multiple books that have been translated into twenty languages and have sold over half a million copies. His books are used every day to help young people, including toddlers, learn how to read. Overall, Dr. Seuss is a creative genius because he made children’s literature and reading fun, and he gave people a good laugh.

Candidate endorsement written by Robert Gonsoulin (Class of 2017)

meet the candidates

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Stay After-School | 39

there are multiple reasons toSTAY AFTER-SCHOOL

Presbyterian School’s auxiliary program offers students the opportunity to expand their daily learning by enhancing their creative skills, imagination, and physical abilities. Most importantly, it allows students more time to have fun. Students make new friends across different grade levels, which deepens the very personal, familial nature of our school.

New Language Classes Added As we acknowledge a shrinking world and a more globalized focus in education, we also recognize the need to extend the reach of our foreign language program to include additional languages at additional and longer times during the day and week. Given the confines of the daily schedule as well as our desire to offer more than one language to motivated students, we will partner with Crossing Borders to offer Spanish and Mandarin at various times after school in 2016-17. We are excited about the doors this will open not only for our students in the short term, but also for our school program in the longer term as we continue to study the feasibility of offering additional languages as a part of our core curriculum in the seventh and eighth grades. It is our hope that by giving students, beginning at three-years-old, the opportunity to have consistent, twice-weekly exposure to foreign language, they will deepen their interest in another culture and language.

Fall 2016 After-School ClassesCrossing Borders: Mandarin and Spanish • Fencing • Glassell Mixed Media • Mad About Hoops • Imagination Playground • ISEE Test Prep • K.I.N.G. Chess • Little Medical School • Little Nursing School • Little Veterinarian School • Mad Science • Mind Lab • Soccer Shots • Tae Kwon Do • Vivo Fun Music Time • Vivo Group Piano • Vivo Private Piano Lessons • Vivo Recorder Ensemble • Zumba Kids

In the future we hope to offer more auxiliary programming off-site, to increase partnerships with local retailers, museums, etc. and to offer more family activities as well as programming for our parents and staff.

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As I sit here desperately longing for the slower pace that summer brings, I can’t help but think of what a huge impact the after-school offerings have had on our family this year. Not only is it FUN (you know you’ve created something great when the kids literally cry at pick up because they would rather stay at after care!) but it has also been a great source of enrichment and relief for my children.

My second grader has spent the year in extensive tutoring four days a week, which would have made getting to after-school activities nearly impossible for his little sister. The guilt I was feeling knowing that I would be robbing her of new experiences and social opportunities by prioritizing his needs was overwhelming. The PS+ programs came at just the right time and SAVED THE DAY! My daughter loves the Glassell art classes and ballet classes, and my son loves Tae Kwon Do and can’t wait to be old enough for some of the science classes. If there is a day that I need to spend

some extra time working with my son on his homework, then my daughter no longer has to “be quiet in the other room.” The stress of meeting one child’s needs and schedule by sacrificing the needs and desires of another child were practically eliminated by this support.

And that’s what this program felt like to me - support. In a time that seemed overwhelming and sad, stressful and hard for my family... our school seemed to say “we are here, we will love and care for your children when you can’t.” What an amazing thing!

There are about a hundred other reasons that I love this program (community, convenience, enrichment, social interaction), but I just wanted to share with you our particular story of gratitude.

We thank you!

after school in action

A SOURCE OF RELIEFPresbyterian School parent, Chandler Sulton, shares her gratitude for the after-school programs at PS.

After-School in Action | 41

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Over a third of the Class of 2016 are Presbyterian School Lifers, students who have attended the School since their early childhood or Kindergarten years. We have watched our Lifers grow and mature from toddlers to young teenagers in our classrooms and on our playing fields.

Whether it was receiving one-on-one attention from a teacher or witnessing the School’s core values in a classmate, the personal impact of the School community has made an indelible impression on our Lifers over the span of this last decade.

Our Lifers considered the best and most influential aspect of the School to be our close-knit community of teachers and students. Many Lifers attributed their past and anticipated future successes to the meaningful and personal relationships they have forged at the School. Our Lifers are unanimously confident that they have learned what they need to succeed and do well in life.

We asked them to reflect on their time at Presbyterian School. What were their best memories or favorite experiences? How did the School prepare them for the next step in their life?

reflections from ourCLASS OF 2016 LIFERS

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Lauren Erasmus (Pre-K) PS has a close community and friendly environment, which has made me feel comfortable to be myself. �e School has helped me discover what I am good at. I enjoyed the opportunity to choose and try di�erent performing and �ne art electives in seventh and eighth grades.

Hayden Hanslik (Pre-K) I love the community we have at Presbyterian. �e students and teachers have a great relationship and they are always ready to help. �ere is always someone to talk to or help you out. PS has not only taught me school smarts, but also social smarts. I have learned the right way to treat others and how to act thanks to the core values of the School.

Matthew Keene (Alpha) Over the years my best memory of school was being Dr. Seuss for Great Moments in History in third grade. Presbyterian School has really nice teachers who have prepared me very well for the future. Because of this and the School’s core values, I am a better person.

Avery Bennett (K) My favorite memory of PS was the eighth grade class trip to Colorado when my group �nally reached our destination on the second day of hiking. �e lake was beautiful and I loved doing it with good friends to keep company. With experiences like this, PS has taught me to work hard at accomplishing my goals.

Hannah Benstock (K) I have experienced more freedom, new privileges, and opportunities to meet new people with each new higher grade at Presbyterian. �is has provided me with the tools that I will need in high school, and even later on in life. I believe I am well prepared for the future and will continue on with a great education and successful career.

Angelina Ciaravino (Alpha) Mrs. Hereford was a great teacher who motivated us to learn with chocolate. She made her room comfortable by replacing the chairs and desks with bean bags, blankets and pillows. PS has prepared me academically for high school and college by giving me a loving environment where I learned how to work my hardest.


Connor Kirby (Pre-K) PS has prepared me for high school by providing me with an excellent education and many rigorous courses. I have enjoyed the many opportunities the school has provided in academics and sports. My best memory is the �rst basketball game I ever played in sixth grade as a Panther.

Zach Kroencke (K) My most memorable time at PS was being Pablo Picasso in third grade for Great Moments in History. �is was my �rst project that took creativity, work, and time. I love the teachers at PS because they are supportive and one-on-one, which lets you form a great relationship. I look forward to representing our school’s core values in high school and college.

Lily Kyriakides-Crowe (K) My best memories from PS are getting my fourth grade buddy in kindergarten and getting my kindergarten buddy in fourth grade. I’ve enjoyed growing up in a great community with teachers that help us through everything. PS has taught me how to make good decisions and how to treat others.

Gianna Ciaravino (Alpha) I have many favorite memories of school, such as Kindergarten Circus and Rodeo Day. I’ve also met many great friends. Presbyterian has prepared me for my future by teaching me to manage my time and work load.

Mia D’Andrea (Pre-K) PS has provided me with the tools academically, spiritually and socially to excel in high school. I have made so many lasting friendships at Presbyterian School. �e best thing about the School is its community and the fact that you can be friends with everyone.

Adam Dunn (Pre-K) I really enjoyed the small classes and the many opportunities for one-on-one time with teachers. I have had many experiences at PS, but my favorite was making it to the World Finals with my Odyssey of the Mind team. Presbyterian School has taught me to persevere. I feel con�dent that when I go to high school I will not fall behind.

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Craig Smith (K) While some of my best memories at PS include hanging out with friends at TbarM doing the Flying Squirrel and being with a group of older and younger kids at Field Day doing the water balloon toss, I have also enjoyed the classes at school. PS has prepared me for high school by teaching me proper studying skills and hard work.

Weston Stanley (Alpha) My favorite memory at Presbyterian School was the 100 Day Project in kindergarten. I got to choose 100 things and display them on a poster board. PS has prepared me well for high school by giving me a good education and by teaching me core values to help me become a better person.

Ian Stubbers (K) I vividly remember my kindergarten buddy. He was really friendly and I really enjoyed playing with and talking to him. Presbyterian School has prepared me well for the future by teaching me respect, manners, and sharpening my intelligence.

Matthew Laborde (Alpha) My favorite thing are the �ne arts electives in seventh and eighth grades at PS because I got to try new things I wouldn’t have otherwise done, like sewing and African drumming. PS has prepared me well. �e poem and story-telling assignments with Mrs. Hughes and the writing analysis with Mr. Hanold have made me want to learn more about writing.

Thomas Minton (Beta) PS is a very tight-knit and supportive community. I have excelled here at Presbyterian and my next step is to excel in high school. PS has prepared me to do that by continually challenging me academically each year.

Margaret Murray (Alpha) I have many great memories of the School including Early Childhood Splash Day, the 100 Day Project in kindergarten, third grade Great Moments in History, and the eighth grade musical. Presbyterian has prepared me for high school by giving me a good education and teaching me about core values.


Sara Wheat (K) Each year holds its own memories, so it’s hard to pick just one, but I enjoyed the class trips every year in middle school. My favorite thing about PS is the tight knit community. PS has prepared me for high school and the rest of my life by teaching me good morals and how to use technology for education.

Jackie Zembek (K) One of my best memories was when we were surprised in assembly and told we weren’t having classes and instead going to the OEC and eating Chick-�l-A. I have enjoyed the relationships we have with teachers and how they’ll do anything to help us succeed. Presbyterian has prepared me for high school by teaching me everything I need to know.

Presley Zylman (Beta) My best memory at Presbyterian school was �nally becoming a �fth grader. Starting middle school felt pretty cool. Now as I re�ect upon my next step, I am excited and ready for high school. Presbyterian School has prepared me to excel in athletics and academics.

David Nunez (K) Presbyterian has a very welcoming environment where you can trust other people. My best memory was winning the dance contest in �rst grade. I have grown here and Presbyterian has prepared me for high school by teaching me to be independent in my studies.

Chris Rootes (Pre-K) I have enjoyed being a Lifer at PS, but my favorite memory of the School is graduating lower school and entering middle school. �roughout the years at Presbyterian, I have gained more knowledge on public speaking. In the future, I want to follow my dream to become a sports caster.

Nathan Schlitzberger (Beta) I have great memories of my projects at Presbyterian School including the 100 Day Project in kindergarten and Great Moments in History in third grade. Projects like these and the science program have prepared me well for high school. I really enjoyed the Introduction to Physics & Chemistry Class in eighth grade.

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lifers over the years

Lifers Over the Years | 49

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Graduates of Presbyterian School have a carefully developed foundation of core values when they leave us. Respect, perseverance, courage, compassion, integrity, and gratitude characterize their shared journey through a challenging curriculum that enriches their minds, an eclectic �ne arts program that captivates their spirits, comprehensive athletic and wellness programs that nurture their bodies, and service projects at every grade level that nourish their souls.

We have seen that Presbyterian School graduates...

• Seek through prayer, study, and re�ection to discern the guidance of their Creator in all their real-life situations.

• Embody a positive sense of self-con�dence, self-worth, and security so that they believe deeply and take appropriate risks throughout their lives.

• Display a growth mindset, focusing on dedication and hard work, which create a lifelong love of learning and a resilience that is at the heart of great accomplishment.

• Read a write critically, actively synthesizing information and making sense of it for themselves and others.

• Identify and solve problems creatively by analyzing disparate sets of data and then drawing novel conclusions.

• Engage themselves comfortably in communities and their many forms.

class of 2016

PORTRAIT OF A PANTHERPresbyterian School graduates emerge ready for so much more than just high school; they are ready for life!

Class of 2016 | 51

HOUSTON SCHOOLS Awty International SchoolBellaire High School - IB and Magnet ProgramsCarnegie Vanguard High SchoolCristo Ray Jesuit College PreparatoryDuchesne Academy of the Sacred HeartEpiscopal High SchoolHigh School for the Performing and Visual ArtsHouston Christian High SchoolIncarnate Word AcademyLamar High School - IB ProgramSecond Baptist SchoolSt. Agnes AcademySt. John’s SchoolSt. Pius X High SchoolSt. Thomas’ Episcopal SchoolSt. Thomas High SchoolStrake Jesuit College PreparatoryThe Kinkaid School

DAY SCHOOLS OUTSIDE OF HOUSTONArchbishop Riordan High School (San Francisco, CA)Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory (San Francisco, CA)St . Andrew’s Episcopal School (Austin, TX)

BOARDING SCHOOLSKent School (Kent, CT)Woodberry Forest School (Woodberry Forest, VA)

CLASS OF 2016 HIGH SCHOOL ACCEPTANCES

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Many of our alumni began their education at Presbyterian School. Some have spent more years at Presbyterian School than any other educational institution. Many memorable “firsts” have happened on our campus. Whether it was her first words written or first book read, his first team sport played or first project completed, hundreds of students started building their primary education at Presbyterian School.

The foundation of a Presbyterian School education is priceless. Over the past twenty-seven years, the School has been planting seeds in students’ lives, which have flourished into a lifetime of budding opportunities. In the following pages, alumni from our thirteen graduating classes share updates on life after Presbyterian School. Take a minute and read how our alumni have taken what they learned at Presbyterian School and pursued their passions, expanded their learning, uncovered new horizons and given back to the community.

Get ready to be amazed by the opportunities that have come next for our alumni.

what's next for our ALUMNI

Alumni Class Notes | 53 Cooper Lueck, Class of 2013

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Hannah Chesser (St. Agnes ’07, University of Texas ’11, UTSA School of Medicine ‘15) graduated from medical school and is in her �rst year of pediatric residency at the UNC Hospitals in Durham, North Carolina.

Ben Clemenceau (Episcopal ’07, Millsaps College ’11) is celebrating his three-year anniversary as a market analyst for Cameron International, which has now merged with Schlumberger. He has taken on several enterprise-wide initiatives as a project manager and assumed responsibility for his company’s economic forecasts. Ben is also involved with the Houston Museum of Natural Science Catalysts. In his free time, Ben is playing the piano and pursuing his dream to compose music as a hobby.

Will Joyce (St. John’s ’07, Stanford ’11, Yale MBA ‘16) graduated with an MBA from Yale University’s School of Management. He plans to move to Boston to begin working for Huron Consulting Group in their higher education practice.

Katy Odom Sermas (Episcopal ’07, University of Texas ’11, University of Houston Law ’14) got married in May 2015 and is a real estate attorney at Wilson, Cribbs & Goren. She volunteers at the Houston Museum of Natural Science through the Junior League and serves on the steering committee for the HMNS Catalysts, which is the Young Professional Group for the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

2004Blair Bradford (Episcopal ‘08, University of Texas ‘12, University of Chicago Law ‘15) will graduate from law school in June. She recently took a trip to Cuba as part of an International Immersion Program sponsored by the University of Chicago Law School to learn about the Cuban legal system and economic development.

Monica Cheavens (St. Agnes ’08, University of Houston ’12) was promoted to senior project manager at Patterson Construction Services. She is working on opening a new location in central Texas within the next year or two and upon doing so will be running the Houston o�ce. Her company is the �rst to bring beloved brunch restaurant, Snooze Eatery, to Texas. Monica is looking forward to buying a house in the next few months.

David King (Strake Jesuit ’08, Oklahoma ’12) is a player for the Kansas City Chiefs.

2005

Malcolm Bremer (Kinkaid ’09, Drexel University‘13) became a Ticket Sales Associate with the Philadelphia 76ers in July of 2015. Having no sales experience coming into the position, he has now evolved into one of the top �ve ticket sellers in the organization. Malcolm is continuing to live his dream of working in sports and is striving to move up the corporate ladder within the sports industry.

2003

alumni class notes

Alumni Class Notes | 55

Hunter Comiskey (Episcopal ’09, TCU ’13) started his career as an Executive Producer at his family’s insurance agency in central Houston. When Hunter is not working, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends relaxing on the Galveston Bay or hunting on his ranch.

Brittany Ellis (St. Pius X ’09, Academy of Art ’13) had twelve group art exhibitions last year in Montreal, Laguna Beach and San Diego. In addition to the exhibitions, Brittany’s work has been published in Kolaj magazine, Vanguard Culture newspaper, Women’s Caucus for Art Exhibition catalogue and will be featured in �e International Contemporary Artist (Volume 11) book just newly released in Barnes and Nobles. Brittany is currently working on the �nal paintings of a series based upon Disney princesses that explores their vulnerable beauty through each individual’s Achilles heel.

2006Taylor Burnett (Episcopal ‘10, Rhodes ‘14) graduated cum laude from Rhodes with a major in history and minor in religious studies. She was recognized as one of six seniors in her class to join the Rhodes College Hall of Fame. Following graduation, Taylor worked for the political action committee, Annie’s List, served in

the admission department for Rice University, and currently works as an admission consultant for All In One Academics. �is fall, Taylor will move to D.C. to attend the American University Washington College of Law.

Katherine Egner (Episcopal ‘10, Texas A&M ‘15) graduated from Texas A&M in May 2015 with her BBA in accounting and MS in accounting. She began working at Ernst & Young as a sta� auditor last September.

Jack Knaus (Episcopal ’10, Hofstra University ’15) is the co-founder of Bettr Social. �e Bettr Social Team just launched their iPhone app. Bettr allows users to schedule posts for Instagram, view analytics on their social pro�les, and manage multiple social media accounts. Go to http://www.bettr.io to check out his app.

Alek Rockrise (Episcopal ’10, University of North Carolina at Wilmington ’14) lives in San Clemente, California, where he teaches sur�ng while competing in sur�ng tournaments. He is preparing for graduate school on the west coast.

Troy Rockrise (Episcopal ’10, University of Colorado ’14) will begin law school this fall at the South Texas College of Law in Houston. He has recently completed an internship at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and is working as a volunteer at the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program.

Andrew Rosales (St. �omas ’10, Fair�eld University ‘14) currently works in trade marketing for Barcel USA, a manufacturer and distributor of salty snacks and candy products, and represents the company from Arizona to Texas. He was the �rst Barcel USA employee to partner with high schools and is looking to improve students’

engagement in physical education. In April, Andrew represented Barcel USA at a high school music festival for twenty-�ve lower socioeconomic high schools in the Southwest. Over the course of the tour, his company donated over $250,000 in music, art and theater equipment to these high schools.

Andrew Shachat (Metairie Park ’10, University of Virginia ‘14) is currently working in Nashville, Tennessee for Teach For America. He teaches chemistry and honors chemistry to high school sophomores and juniors. At his school, he also helps with the student council program and after-school tutoring.

Kelly Strickland (St. Agnes ’10, Occidental College ‘14) taught English in Russia for a year after graduation and o�cially moved back to Houston last summer. Following that, she began working as an energy market reporter for Argus Media in Houston.

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Taylor Tavormina (Episcopal ’10, Tulane ‘14) is working for the Peace Corps in Madagascar, Africa and teaches English.

Andrew Tharp (Episcopal ’10, Texas A&M ’15) graduated December 2015, with a Master of Science in �nance from Texas A&M and joined Noble Americas as a gasoline and oil products trading analyst in Houston.

Chris Winters (Strake Jesuit ‘10, Wake Forest University ’14) moved to Raleigh, North Carolina to work at a company called CAPTRUST as a Vice President/Financial Advisor in February. His investment consulting �rm acts as �duciary advisors to company’s retirement plans. While they predominantly focus on institutional plans, they have a large professional athlete wealth division and represent the top athletes in the NFL, NBA, MLB, PGA, and many more sports.

2007Ryan Blackwell (Strake Jesuit ’11, Emory University ‘15) graduated in 2015, from Emory University with a Bachelor of Science in biology. He currently has an observership at Houston Methodist Hospital that allows him to follow and observe doctors around the hospital and in the operating room. Ryan volunteers at the Institute for Orthopedic Research and Education at Methodist. He is preparing to take the MCAT in June and intends to apply for medical school in the next cycle.

Yasmeen Charafeddine (St. Agnes ’11, Trinity University ’15) graduated from Trinity University last May with a major in biology and a minor in psychology. She started

her �rst year of medical school at the University of Medicine and Health Sciences in September. She serves as the secretary of the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA).

Ben Cooper (Strake Jesuit ’11, Samford University ’15) is a �rst year law student at Tulane University. He is a senior editor of the Tulane Sports Law Newsletter. �is summer, he plans to study international law in Sienna, Italy for a month and intern with a federal judge in Houston.

Sarah Hunter (Episcopal ’11, Sweet Briar College ’15) was Captain of the Sweet Briar College debate team this year and is graduating with a degree in international a�airs and Spanish.

Kaitlyn Kennedy (St. Agnes ‘11, University of Texas ‘15) graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in Spanish literature, Latin American studies, and German. She won a University Co-op George H. Mitchell Student Award for Academic Excellence for her Honors �esis entitled Transnational Challenges to Integration: �e Case of Spanish Nurses in Germany. Kaitlyn is continuing to pursue her interest in migration studies and foreign language learning in Osnabrück, Germany. �is past February, she completed the �rst semester of her German-language master program in Internationale Migration und Interkulturelle Beziehungen (International Migration and Intercultural Relations) at the Universität Osnabrück. See page 6 to read more about Kaitlyn.

Hannah Kretzschmar (St. Agnes ‘11, Arizona State University ‘16) changed her major and added a �fth year to her college plan. She loves graphic design and won the ASU Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration design campaign (www.asu.edu/mlk or #re�ectmlk on social media). Her work was featured prominently across all �ve ASU campuses this year, as well as at the annual breakfast celebration. Between freelance clients, she is currently working on a senior thesis social issue campaign about human


tra�cking, which she hopes will make a huge impact on society and the way prostitution is viewed. See page 16 to read more about Hannah.

Meredith Miles (Nightingale-Bamford ’11, Bates College ’15) spent the summer after graduation surveying endangered seaducks in the high Arctic tundra of Barrow, Alaska, before moving to Peru to band tropical birds in the Andes. With more �eldwork with prairie-chickens and seabird on tap for the spring and summer, she is ready to start graduate school at Wake Forest University in the fall, where she will be decoding woodpecker drums.

Lynzy Ortiz (Duchesne ’11, St. Mary’s University ‘15) was a part of a Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority for three years during college. She was highly involved in community service and served as a Faculty Academic Mentor who helped �rst generation college students with their studies. Lynzy graduated with a degree in international business and moved to Madrid, Spain. She is currently a language and culture assistant in a public bilingual high school. Lynzy helps teach English and history courses. During her time abroad, Lynzy has traveled all around Europe. She plans to go to graduate school for a masters in international business or international education.

Daniel Pusztai (Bellaire ’11, St. Edward’s University ‘15) is a �rst year pharmacy student at UConn School of Pharmacy.

Sa’Misty Utley (Second Baptist ’11, Knox College ’15) graduated from Knox College with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. Last fall, she began her graduate studies in social work at Boston College.

2008Angel Apreza (Lamar ’12) is studying industrial engineering at the University of Houston. He has been part of the Provost’s Undergraduate Research Scholarship Program for the past year in the Smart Materials Lab. He has worked on numerous projects that have already received patents. He was fortunate to be a part of a project funded by OneSubsea at the NASA NBL (Neutral Buoyancy Lab) which created new technology that will be incorporated in 2021 to decrease the risk oil companies take when extracting oil in the Gulf of Mexico. Angel still �nds time to play soccer at the club level and to volunteer. He served as the IEEE Vice President for the past year.

Alistair Benckenstein (St. �omas ’12) spent last summer traveling to Istanbul, Scotland, and Spain in addition to working for Matt Garcia Design, an architectural �rm out of Austin. He is currently a senior at the University of Texas and part of a �ve-year program studying architecture. At the beginning of this academic year, Alistair spent a semester abroad and visited Switzerland, Italy, France, and Austria. He spent the last �ve weeks of this semester abroad in Paris, where he attended architecture school and worked on a project for the city with a team of French students and his fellow students from UT. Alistair recently secured a six-month residency with an architectural �rm in New York City.

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Keith Huff (Yates ’12) is majoring in computer science at the University of Houston-Downtown.

Chandni Jaggi (Duchesne ’12, Texas A&M ‘16) will be graduating in August with a Bachelor in Science following an internship this summer at the Texas State Health Department. After graduation Chandni is moving to Atlanta to begin her masters degree in public health at Emory University. She plans to study epidemiology with a concentration on global epidemiology.

Leo Linbeck (St. �omas ’12, University of Notre Dame ‘16) worked on the Keenan Revue, a campus wide comedy show with over 1,500 attendants. Leo worked with the O� Campus Council on various events for o�-campus housing, including a Gala. He has also volunteered for Notre Dame’s Appalachia service project, where he helped build and mend houses for low-income families. See page 10 to read more about Leo.

Sarah Rohrman (St. Agnes ’12, University of Notre Dame ‘16) is graduating with a Bachelor of Science. �is past year, she took the MCAT and applied to medical school. Sarah plans to attend Baylor College of Medicine in Houston next year.

Andrew Winters (Kinkaid ‘12, Wake Forest University ‘16) was a member of the men’s golf team at Wake Forest. He is graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in �nance. After graduation Andrew will start work as an analyst in corporate banking for Wells Fargo in Charlotte.

Hugh Zabriskie (Episcopal ’12, Harvard ‘16) is graduating with honors. During college he played piano for the Hasty Pudding, as well as for chapel, orchestra, chamber groups, and musicals. �is summer, Hugh plans to travel across Europe on a 1,200-mile bike trip from Pula, Croatia up to Gdansk, Poland. After he returns, Hugh will move to Seattle to start work at Microsoft as a software engineer.

Kenneth Ankoma-Sey (St. John’s ’13) continues his studies as a junior at Texas Christian University (TCU).

Audrey Eyring (St. John’s ’13) is a junior at Villanova University. She thoroughly enjoyed watching the Wildcats win the NCAA championship in Houston. Audrey enjoyed internships at RTO+P advertising �rm in Philadelphia and at QVC. She looks forward to her next internship at Turner Broadcasting in New York City.

Joseph Fisher (Principia ’13) is �nishing his junior year as a business major at Southwestern University. He plays the bass in the Southwestern University Jazz band. He is a member of Alpha Phi Omega, a coed fraternity focused on service and leadership.

2009


James Russell (St. �omas ’13) is a chemical engineering major and a treasurer of Sigma Alpha Epsilon at Texas Tech University.

Nathaniel Wallace (Strake ’13) has been recognized by the University of Texas and his fraternity to be a member of the prestigious group, �e Texas Silver Spurs. �e group’s main tasks are to take care of Bevo as well as to tutor underprivileged youth around Austin. Nathaniel has also started a club about sustainable investment.

2010Benjamin Burnett (Episcopal ’14) is currently a sophomore at the University of Texas. He is pursuing a major in history and is a proud member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. �is year, Ben will serve as the chapter’s Rush Captain. He looks forward to staying in Austin over the summer to take summer courses and prepare for recruitment.

Kelly Oubre (Findlay Prep ’14) was the 15th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. He was selected by the Atlanta Hawks and later traded to the Washington Wizards.

Max Rank (Strake Jesuit ‘14) is a sophomore at McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas. He is studying �nance and computer science.

Maggie Rippeto (Episcopal ’14) was the Homecoming Chair for Chi Omega, the Editor for the lifestyle section of theGrind online magazine and a published writer for Spoon University. As part of Rhodes’ D3 womens lacrosse team, Maggie was awarded �rst team all conference. Her team won the SAA conference championship and played in the NCAA tournament winning their �rst round game. �is summer, Maggie plans to do an observership with a psychologist and work as a counselor at Camp Ozark.

Maddie Zabriskie (Kinkaid ’14) is a sophomore at Harvard University and is majoring in government, minoring in psychology, with a certi�cate in French. She is a cox for the men’s heavyweight crew team. �is summer she hopes to work in Washington D.C.

Emmalie George (University of North Carolina School of the Arts ’15) completed her �rst semester on the Dean’s List at SUNY Purchase College and was chosen to participate in their spring dance, performing in George Balanchine’s “Four Temperaments.” She was accepted into both BalletX, and Hubbard Street’s summer intensives where she will be training for four weeks in Philadelphia and California on the USC campus. While in California, Emmalie will work with Robyn Mineko-Williams, who will be creating a piece that will premiere at the program.

2011

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Brooke Jenkins (Houston Christian ’15) is a freshman at Samford University. She plans to major in pre-business marketing with a concentration in sports. During her fall semester, Brooke became a member of Zeta Tau Alpha and made the Dean’s List. In the spring, she was hired to work in Samford’s athletic department of marketing and was selected as VP of Communications for the American Marketing Association at the Brock School of Business. Brooke is also excited she was selected as one of twelve students in the Brock School of Business to be on the Dean’s Student Advisory Council during her sophomore year.

Emery Larkin (Episcopal ’15) is a freshman at Baylor and made the Dean’s List in her fall semester. She pledged Kappa Kappa Gamma and is involved in a life group at a local church.

Adam Nunez (Second Baptist ‘15) is currently studying strategic communications at TCU. As a redshirt freshman, Adam was part of a once in a lifetime experience at the Alamo Bowl this past season. �e Horned Frogs had an epic win against the University of Oregon coming back from a 31-0 de�cit at half time to a 47-41 win in triple overtime. It was a game for the history books. Adam has signed an athletic scholarship to be the punter for the Horned Frogs for the 2016 season.

Jack Rogers (Strake Jesuit ’15) has had a good year at Bucknell and really enjoyed swimming for the Bisons. �e team came fourth in the Division 1 Patriot League.

Charlie Russ (Phillips Exeter ’15) is studying at Haverford College. He went to Lima, Peru over Christmas to work in a public maternity ward in a poor neighborhood. Charlie shares, “It was a very shocking, but valuable experience as I learned about the struggles of being a poor teen mom. I am glad I could help just a little bit.”

Shelby Zimmermann (Episcopal ’15) is a freshman at Baylor. Her current roommate is PS alum, Emery Larkin. Shelby keeps busy with school, sporting events, and her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma.

Caroline Ankoma-Sey (St. John’s ‘16) will attend University of Texas in the fall and major in Plan II Honors. At St. John’s, she participated in the dance program all four years and played three sports her freshman year, continuing with basketball and track after. She was the girls’ track team captain as a junior and senior. Caroline recently received the Girl Scout Gold Award for her project with the Bellaire Department of Public Works.

Suman Atluri (St. John’s ‘16) was recognized as a National Merit Semi-Finalist, an AP Scholar, and received the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Suman held many leadership positions at St. John's including Co-Chair of the Unity Council, Co-Chair of the Tour Guild, Assistant Chair of the Chapel Guild, President of South Asian A�nity Group and section leader in Chorale and Kantorei. Last summer, Suman worked as an executive intern in the Department of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and hopes to intern for a third time this summer. Suman will travel to England and Scotland with the Kantorei choir this summer to sing at several venues. He continues to work on his non-pro�t organization (www.creatingahealthierindia.org) and was accepted early decision to Emory University, where he plans to major in anthropological biology and minor in �nance on a pre-med track.

2012


Caroline Ankoma-Sey University of Texas at Austin

Suman Atluri Emory University

Gentry Barton University of Mississippi

Harrison Barton Southern Methodist University

Elena Benn Samford University

Sarah Benstock University of St. Andrews (Scotland)

Thomas Best Trinity University

Chris Borders Abilene Christian University

Curtis Brady University of Alabama

Adeline Braverman Dartmouth College

Kendyl Bree Duke University

Claire Brito Georgetown University

Jared Burch Baylor University

Aubrey Calaway Brown University

Sam Clark University of Texas at Austin

Jackson Cook Sewanee: The University of the South

Ethan Corban Texas A&M University

Margo Cox University of Mississippi

Aidan deLaunay University of Texas at Austin

Lane Drager Sewanee: The University of the South

Ca’Rhonda Evans Grambling State University

Morgan Feanny Texas A&M University

Henry Fisher University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Jack Frank University of Missouri

Magnus Fyhr Marquette University

Matthew Goodrich Santa Monica College

Emily Guyton Auburn University

Daniel Hancock New York University

Preston Heard Baylor University

Maddie Heno Philadelphia University

Peter Kennedy Texas Christian University

David King Texas Christian University

Trey King University of Mississippi

Sam Kretzschmar Louisiana State University

Alexa Lednicky University of St. Andrews (Scotland)

Kyra Link Tufts University

Lerah Lockett University of the Incarnate Word

Kylie Lohrenz Kenyon College

Ryan Mangin Louisiana State University

Luke Morille Texas A&M University

Cassidy Newsome University of Oklahoma

Meredith O’Neal Samford University

Alena Peters Texas A&M University

Brittney Reese University of Tulsa

Harrison Reid Loyola Marymount University

Hunter Reinertsen-Forehand Louisiana State University

Lovell Smajstrla The New School

Jack Talkington Southern Methodist University

Joseph Trujillo Trinity University

Ashley Walker Undecided

Gracey Wallace Georgetown University

William Weinheimer Texas Christian University

Sam Wempe Louisiana State University

Camille Williamson Baylor University

Joyson Zhang University of Texas at Austin

Kyle Zhu Southern Methodist University

CLASS OF 2012 COLLEGE DECISIONS

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Gentry Barton (Houston Christian ’16) will attend Ole Miss and plans to study pharmaceutical science. At Houston Christian, she played varsity tennis for four years, traveled extensively and was the school yearbook editor.

Harrison Barton (Houston Christian ’16) will be attending SMU on a full-ride athletic scholarship for football. He will be number 56, playing center in the o�ensive line. He was also admitted to the Cox School of Business and plans to study international �nance.

Chris Borders (Westbury Christian ‘16) received an academic scholarship to Abilene Christian University and will attend there in the fall. He also had football scholarship o�ers from Sterling College and Texas A&M- Commerce.

Kendyl Bree (Kinkaid ’16) received a scholarship from Duke University. She recently signed her National Letter of Intent to fence with the Duke University Women’s Division I Fencing team. See page 28 to read more about Kendyl.

Claire Brito (Tabor Academy ’16) was the captain of the cross country team and coxswain for the boy’s varsity crew team at Tabor Academy in Marion, MA. She has enjoyed proctoring in her dorm, working as the editor of the school paper, and participating on the community service team. �is summer, Claire will travel to Ecuador to volunteer at the SEA- EL Carmen Elementary School in Guayaquil, Ecuador, which is the same school she supported by making Christmas stockings during her 8th grade year at Presbyterian School. �is fall, Claire looks forward to joining the women’s crew program at Georgetown University and living in D.C.

Aubrey Calaway (St. Agnes ’16) spent six weeks in a Spanish home-stay immersion program in Ecuador with Amigos de las Americas last summer. �is past year, she served as the St. Agnes senior class vice-president and helped organize class-wide events. She also organized Welcome Week, where seniors are assigned a freshman “little sister” who they help bring into the

St. Agnes community. Outside of student council, Aubrey served as president of the Students Against Modern-Day Slavery Club and the Junior Statesmen of America chapter. She was accepted to Brown University through early decision in December and hopes to study social science with a sociology concentration.

Sam Clark (Strake Jesuit ’16) interned at MD Anderson Cancer Institute last summer. He scored a perfect score (36) on the ACT while maintaining above a 4.0 GPA at Strake. Additionally, Sam played lacrosse and held several leadership positions around campus such as Class Representative for Key Club. �is summer, Sam will volunteer as a counselor at Camp Blessing, a camp for special needs children. In the fall, he will begin studying at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. See page 22 to read more about Sam.

Henry Fisher (St. �omas ’16) has signed a National Letter of Intent to play Division 1 golf and will study �nance at University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley. Henry shot 6-under-par (68-70) to win the TAPPS 5A Boys State Championship. His team came in second place.

Huyen Tran


Preston Heard (Episcopal ‘16) was honored by the Touchdown Club of Houston as O�ensive Player of the Year. He will continue his football career at Baylor in the fall.

Maddie Heno (St. Agnes ‘16) will attend Philadelphia University in the fall and study to be a Physician Assistant. She was one of twenty students from across the nation selected to be part of the �ve-year Physician Assistant Studies Masters of Science program. Additionally, Maddie was invited to participate in the PhilaU Honors Program. She was awarded both academic and athletic scholarships and will be playing softball as a member of the PhilaU Rams softball team.

David King (Episcopal ’16) will attend TCU in the fall. He continued his Presbyterian tradition in sports by playing varsity football and also varsity golf during his senior year. David is going to be a counselor at Camp Longhorn this summer.

Laura Knaus (Aspen High School ’16) graduates in June and will be attending the University of Texas, Austin this fall.

Sam Kretzschmar (Strake Jesuit ’16) played lacrosse for four years, playing D-pole and most recently goalie, and serving as team captain for two years. He is a member of the National Honor Society, and wrote articles for the Buzz Magazine as a student editor for the Strake Jesuit chapter. Sam

enjoyed service projects that included volunteering at the Belmont Retirement Home, Houston Food Bank, & Neville Street Outreach. �is summer, he plans to return to Camp Blessing as a camp counselor. In the fall, he is headed to LSU to study �nance.

Kyra Link (St. John’s ’16) will attend Tufts in the fall, majoring in �lm and media studies and minoring in music. During her senior year, she had the opportunity to travel to Dallas as part of the TPSMEA All-State Choir and was cast as the lead in Oklahoma, the St. John’s spring musical. �is summer, she will tour in England and Scotland with the SJS acappella choir, Kantorei.

Cassidy Newsome (Episcopal ’16) spent her senior year in the photojournalism department taking photos and videos for the school website, yearbook and newspaper and has been featured in a number of photography shows and publications. �is summer, she will study abroad in a Spanish language immersion program in Costa Rica and work as a counselor at Camp Lonehollow. Cassidy will head to college at OU in the fall.

Gracey Wallace (Kinkaid ’16) won second place for her photo, Wavy, in the "Advanced Architecture/City Scape" category of the ATPI fall contest. Last January, she interned at Randi Rahm Atelier in New York. In the fall, she will attend Georgetown University.

Sam Wempe (Episcopal ’16) continued his love of sports, playing for the EHS football and basketball teams all four years, winning the SPC football title his junior year, and achieving SPC runner-up for football and basketball his senior year. Over the past four years, EHS helped Sam explore his interests in the Arts Pillar, and he became passionate about broadcast journalism. He recently won the EHS Best Performance in Broadcast Journalism award. Last year, he was selected to represent EHS at the National Student Television Network Convention in San Diego, where he received Honorable Mention in sports broadcasting. Sam is also a member of Student Government, National Honor Society and has received Honors or Highest Honors each semester. Sam will attend LSU in the fall.

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Matt Ballard (Episcopal ‘17) has become an Eagle Scout with Troop 55 and celebrated his Court of Honor on May 10, 2016, at St. John’s Church.

Max Bowen (Principia ’17) won the boys state soccer championship this fall with Principia Upper School in St. Louis Missouri.

Julia Calaway (St. Agnes ‘17) was elected the 2016-2017 St. Agnes senior class vice-president, and will serve alongside fellow Presbyterian alum, Tess Peterson, who was elected president. She is also President of the Diversity Club and Students Against Modern-Day Slavery Club, and a member of the Mock Trial team. Outside of school, her nonpro�t Julia Builds a Playground has had a great year. With funds raised from her pop-up shop, she is beginning construction on a project in a small village outside Leon, Nicaragua. She will visit the playground this summer after she completes her service work in the Amigos de las Americas summer program. Julia is also working on a project in Ecuador, but there has been a delay due to a recent earthquake.

Gracie Duson (HSPVA ’17) is a junior at HSPVA in the theatre department. Last summer she had the opportunity to travel with her mom and brother to Zambia to work with

orphaned children through a mission organization called Family Legacy. �is experience was deeply impactful and upon returning home, her family helped to get 24 orphans connected with American sponsors so that they can attend the Family Legacy private schools in Lusaka. Gracie spoke about its impact on her during 7th grade chapel at PS and has sang in a Family Legacy bene�t concert for the past �ve years.

Laird George (�e Hill School ’17) is on the tennis team and is starting the college search process.

Joe Gobillot (St. John’s ’17) was on the West U Little League Seniors team that won the World Series in Bangor Maine for the second time last August. PS Class of ‘13 Alums, William James, Mitchell Black and Owen Holt, as well as PS Class of ‘12 alum, Jared Burch, were on the team with Joe. Another milestone for Joe this year was achieving the rank of Eagle Scout in October.

Katharine Juden (St. Agnes ’17) is involved in the three branches of the National Honor Society (regular, Spanish and science) and a member of the varsity lacrosse team at St. Agnes. Outside of school, Katharine volunteers at the Houston SPCA on a weekly basis, participates in the WULL challenger baseball program for mentally disabled children, and coaches her brother’s Rec soccer team. �is summer, she plans to go back to Costa Rica for her third mission trip to work with underprivileged children and the Episcopalian Diocese of Costa Rica. Katharine was one of eighteen girls accepted into the St. Agnes “Be the Change” program, a two-week summer camp that promotes empowerment and self-love for 7th and 8th grade girls in lower socioeconomic groups.

Hannah Liter (St. Agnes ’17) continued to be an active member of the St. Agnes student council, varsity golf member, and fashion club president this year. �is summer she will be in Latin America for six weeks serving the community and learning about the Spanish culture.

Cooper Lueck (St. John’s ’17) continues to swim for both club and school. Cooper served as captain of the SJS swim team this past winter season and was voted to be captain again next year. He helped lead his swim team

2013


to second place at the SPC, which was an all time best standing. Cooper was also selected for his school’s elite travel acappella choir, Kantorei, and will be traveling with them to England and Scotland this summer. Cooper was named a team leader specializing in budgeting and procurement for the SJS Shell Eco Marathon team. Shell Eco Marathon is an annual competition between universities and a few high schools across the Americas to design and build the most e�cient car. In addition to working with Eco Marathon, Cooper is an active board member for the SJS Young Political Organization. Cooper’s great leadership qualities also helped him stand out among a larger-than-usual pool of applicants to become selected to as one of the counselors for the annual SJS eighth grade trip to Big Bend National Park.

Tess Peterson (Episcopal ’17) was elected the 2016-2017 senior class president at St. Agnes. She will serve alongside fellow Presbyterian alum, Julia Calaway, who was elected as the 2016-2017 class vice-president.

Abbey Rank (St. Agnes ’17) is a junior at St. Agnes and is the varsity goalie for the soccer and water polo teams.

Caroline Rippeto (Episcopal ’17) was elected at the end of sophomore year to be junior class president. She is on her third year with the varsity lacrosse team. Most recently, she was elected by her class to be the student body president for the 2016-2017 school year.

Christina Rockrise (Episcopal ’17) was accepted into Student Year Abroad for her junior year and left last August to live and study in Viterbo, Italy. She will return to the United States to

complete her senior year at Episcopal High School. While in Italy, Christina visited many Italian cities, as well as traveling to Paris, London, Greece, and other European locales. During Christmas break, her family visited, and Christina served as their Italian-speaking tour guide, taking them to Venice, Rome, and Sorrento. Christina is pictured with her brothers, Troy and Alek (Class of 2006).

Lindsay Rogers (Colorado Rocky Mountain School ’17) had an easy transition to her new school in Colorado. She was chosen to be a spring trip leader for her school kayaking trip. She went on a Spanish cultural trip to Costa Rica in February.

Hall Sasnett (Episcopal ’17) had a great year at Episcopal High School. His varsity soccer team won the SPC Championship for the �rst time in 24 years and Hall scored the winning goal with a header. What an incredible season!

Eva Kramer (Schneller) (HSPVA ’17) is in her junior year and studies creative writing with an emphasis on dramatic writing. Outside of school, she likes to spend her time reading, playing guitar, occasionally working at Pampered Pet Inn, and hanging out with friends. �is summer, she will work in the kitchen at Camp Waldemar. Additionally, Eva started a GoFundMe to fund a gap year in Nepal before college (www.gofundme.com/myyearinnepal). She wants to spend a year giving back and will live at the foothills of Mount Everest in an orphanage that services mostly HIV kids.

Dana Wempe (Episcopal ’17) has continued to pursue her passion in dance and cheer while at EHS. Dana was awarded the Most Improved Repertory Dancer at EHS in April 2016. She was also selected to represent EHS at the IASA 2016 Arts Festival in San Antonio. �is year, Dana

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choreographed her �rst dance for the EHS Dance Chemistry performance and looks forward to choreographing again next year. For her senior year, Dana has earned a place on the EHS Impact Dance Team, the highest level of dance o�ered at EHS. Dana participated on the junior varsity and varsity cheer teams, serving as captain of the JV cheer team during her sophomore year. �is past year, Dana enjoyed participating on the varsity cheer team and cheering for her brother, Sam, while he played varsity football and basketball.

2014Chance Allshouse (Kinkaid ‘18) stays busy with football and track and also participates in some of the school’s stage productions.

Lizzie Burnett (Episcopal ’18) is currently enjoying her time as a sophomore at Episcopal High School. �is year she participated in the Spring Dance Concert.

Gabrielle Heal (St. John’s ’18) was awarded the varsity soccer SPC All South Zone Award for her outstanding achievement this season as a defender on the SJS varsity girls soccer team. She also just won a junior varsity tennis tournament trophy.

Colby Heno (St. Agnes ’18) was recently selected to serve on the St. Agnes Dominican Preaching Team serving as a member of the sophomore and junior retreat teams and Campus Ministry. She is also a pitcher for the St. Agnes varsity softball team and was named to the TAPPS 5A First Team All District and the TAPPS 5A First Team All State as a freshman.

Robin Mathison (Episcopal ’18) is the president of the debate club and a member of the student senate and varsity debate team at Episcopal High School. She was recently chosen for an upcoming summer internship at Kimberly Public A�airs, a Houston public relations agency.

Jack McInnis (Strake Jesuit ’18) is completing his sophomore year at Strake. He was a starter on the JV football team last year and is looking forward to playing on the varsity squad this fall. He has been on the Honor Roll every quarter of high school and was inducted into the National Honor Society. He was recently selected as a Crusader Crew Leader to mentor and help incoming freshman have a successful transition into high school.

Mackenzie Parsons (Bellaire ’18) is �nishing out her second year on BHS’ varsity swim team. She was awarded most valuable female athlete freshman year and she continues to swim for Dads Club, her club team. Last summer, Mackenzie interned for Angela House, a half-way house for women recently released from incarceration. �is summer, she is looking forward to interning for Baylor’s International Pediatric AIDS Initiative, where she will be working on establishing an internship program there for future students.

Jack Pokluda (Second Baptist ’18) has completed his sophomore year at Second Baptist High School where he is on the tennis team and active in the business club. Outside of school, Jack is pursuing his personal interest in digital and drone video photography.


Will Rippeto (St. John’s ’18) is currently a sophomore at St. John’s School. He plays tennis in the spring, and has been involved in theater for both years of high school. Freshman year he was a lead role in a fall one-act play and one of the principle characters in the spring musical, �e Drowsy Chaperone. In his sophomore year, he participated in both the fall and spring musicals. He played the second male lead in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and was in the ensemble of Oklahoma! He is also involved in choir, participating in the prestigious acappella group, Kantorei, and the regular school choir. Lastly, he is involved in tour guild, chapel guild, young conservatives club and bible study. He plans on starting a new club in the fall.

Chloe Roman (St. Agnes ’18) is on student council, JV lacrosse team, and newspaper for St. Agnes Academy. She also participates in the St. Agnes spirit club.

2015

Cassie Barham (HSPVA ‘19) has grown a tremendous amount as an artist and student this year. As a freshman at HSPVA she has learned

to build sets, construct costumes, draft set designs, along with receiving invaluable performance instruction. She was also in a musical production with a theatre, which performed at Miller Outdoor �eatre. �is year, Cassie traveled to New York and experienced Broadway for the �rst time and saw the show Hamilton. Most recently, Cassie completed auditions for freshman and sophomore theatre showcases at HSPVA and is looking forward to beginning work on those.

Lewis Chandler (Kent School ’19) is a freshman (3rd form) at Kent School in Connecticut. During the winter sports season, he played basketball for the school and is currently on the junior varsity lacrosse team. Kent competes against schools from all over New England. Lewis really enjoys Kent School and will be returning to Connecticut for his sophomore year.

Dorothy Davis (DeBakey ‘19) has had a challenging year at DeBakey but feels, “my background in Presbyterian adequately prepared me for high school.” Dorothy enjoyed her school’s recent International Festival, where the various cultural groups and clubs performed dances and wore traditional clothing to school.

Sophia Haugh (Episcopal ‘19) is involved in junior varsity cheerleading, junior varsity basketball, varsity lacrosse, and student senate. She will be an acolyte next year for weekly chapel.

Olivia Mandola (Episcopal ’19) was on junior varsity cheerleading and junior varsity lacrosse this year.

Delaney Newsome (Episcopal ‘19) has enjoyed her freshman year at Episcopal High School. She was selected as MVP for the varsity girls swim team. At the SPC Championship meet

Delaney swam in all the relays and won second place in the 200 Free, setting a new school record. She made SPC �rst team all conference and second team all state.

Stone Simmons (Kinkaid ‘19) is a freshman at Kinkaid High School playing baseball. He is enjoying making new friends and adjusting to high school life. �is summer, he and his family will be moving to Memorial.

David Southerland (Strake Jesuit ‘19) is on the Honor Roll at Strake and �nished the �rst semester with a 3.9 GPA. He placed into both Spanish 2 and Geometry, while also electing to take AP World History. He has made many great friends at both Strake and St. Agnes.

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Top Left: Katy Odom Sermas '03, Julia Wood '04, Kelsey Rodriguez '04, Ben Clemenceau '03, and Andrew Rosales '06 Top Right: Class of '08 alumni Leo Linbeck, Jean Edwards, Maggie Elliott, and Blaine Williamson Bottom Left: Class of '11 alumni Robert Larkin, Harrison Bingham, Nicki McNear, Akshay Jaggi, and Dewey Gonsoulin, with Señora Hanhausen Bottom Right: Class of '11 alumni Braxton Reese, Elizabeth Copper, and Katherine Ten Eyck with PS Chaplain, Jo Leever

Top Left: Shuni Wilson '14 and Dorothy Davis '15, with PS Art Teacher, Jacqui Chaltain Top Right: Class of ‘15 alumni, Emerson Knapp, Sam Anderson, Gray Watson, and Albert Salazar Bottom Left: Hallie Krudy '15, Hannah Windle '15, Chase Brosig '14, Chance Allshouse '14 and Catherine Cohn '14 with their PS classmates Bottom Right: Chase Brosig '14, Jackson Williams '15 and Will Keenan '15

alumni summer reunionAugust 5, 2015

alumni christmas reunionDecember 18, 2015

Alumni Reunions | 69

Top Left: Class of ‘08 alumni, Blaine Williamson, Calum Mitchell, and Isidora Stankovic with Señora Leyva Top Right: Katy Odom Sermas '03 and Katherine Egner '06 Bottom Left: Class of ‘08 alumni Hugh Zabriskie, Calum Mitchell, Will Johnston, Isidora Stankovic, and Blaine Williamson Bottom Right: Andrew Tharp '06 with Señora Hanhausen

Top Left: Allison Hay, Patty Kallmeyer, Stacie Williamson, and Debbie Thompson Top Right: Lisa McCollam and Efua Ankoma-Sey Bottom Left: Alanna Bree, Sherron Watkins, Teri Peterson. and Lisa Powell Bottom Right: Candy Roberts, Gigi Hsieh, and Amanda Dearborn

alumni christmas

reunion January 5, 2016

alumni moms

reunionApril 20, 2016

70 | �e Window

country meets in high school, where we would catch up on time passed. Truly, she was more than a teacher, but a mentor and a friend. Sra. Hanhausen taught me to approach life with determination and hard work. She taught me to respect e�ort and to appreciate the most vivid moments in life. Harrison Bingham, Class of 2011

All of us who knew Sra. Hanhausen, know that she was so much more than just a teacher. She quickly became a second mother to me, and I am so grateful for the many things she taught me over these last eight years. Suman Atluri, Class of 2012

Sra. Hanhausen, you taught me a di�erent language and a di�erent culture, and you also taught me about love and kindness and compassion. You were one of the most amazing teachers I have ever had. You supported me when I needed it most in 8th grade; you spent lunch with me almost every other day telling me stories about your life experiences while teaching me to play bridge. �e game and skill you taught me has brought me new friends and amazing life experiences that never would have happened otherwise. You told me fantastic stories about your life and experiences that inspired me to go outside of my comfort zone and �nd my own crazy experiences at Kent and beyond. Sarah Benstock, Class of 2012

A lot of people come and go in life but there are some you will never forget. Sra. Hanhausen was one of them. I will never forget the life lessons and hilarious stories she would tell me. She helped me through one of the hardest times of my life and truly impacted me. Margo Cox, Class of 2012 It is a rare occasion that you have a teacher that you love outside of the classroom just as much as you love inside of the classroom. �ank you for some of my favorite middle school memories. Emma Robinson, Class of 2013

Sometimes you don’t realize how special a teacher was in your life until you leave their classroom. Don’t miss the opportunity to tell a teacher, a parent, or a friend how much they changed you or how well they loved you. Te extrañaré. Shelby Zimmermann, Class of 2011

A Tribute to Andrea HanhausenSeñora Hanhausen passed away on Tuesday, April 19, 2016. She touched the lives of many PS students for over a decade and most recently served as the Upper School Spanish teacher at St. John’s. Andrea's passion for teaching Spanish impacted many students. If you would like to make a contribution in her memory, please direct your gift to the Andrea Pinson Hanhausen Education Fund For Her Children at Chase Bank, account 3046061064, routing number 111000614. Many PS alumni expressed and shared heartfelt memories of her devotion as a teacher, mentor, and friend.

Sra. Hanhausen was one of the most amazing teachers. She instilled in me an a�nity for Spanish, passion for perfection, con�dence that I could do anything, and so much more. I’ll always cherish memories of our shared classrooms, stories of her childhood, our incredible trip to Spain, her infectious laughter and positivity, and mostly, what grew into a friendship. Andrea imparted a gift that I carry daily: �uency in Spanish. �is gift will live with me forever, in her memory. Por siempre te extrañaremos, descansa en paz, y nos veremos muy pronto. Andrew �arp, Class of 2006

Sra. Hanhausen was an incredible teacher and friend to me. I had the pleasure of having her as a teacher multiple years through lower and middle school. She challenged all of her students to be the best Spanish speakers they could be. She was enthusiastic and loved her students as much as if not more than we loved her. Chandni Jaggi, Class of 2008

Sra. Hanhausen taught me to love learning, to love school, and to love Spanish. I continued to see her at my cross

in memoriam


Alumni Board Blair Bradford: [email protected] Clemenceau: [email protected] Odom: [email protected] Winters: [email protected]

Class Agents Class of 2016 Lauren Erasmus: [email protected] | David Nunez: [email protected] Class of 2015 Hannah Windle: [email protected] | Jackson Williams: [email protected] Class of 2014 Grace Graubart: [email protected] | Sachin Jaggi: [email protected] Class of 2013 Julia Calaway: [email protected] | Cooper Lueck: [email protected] Class of 2012 Aubrey Calaway: [email protected] | Suman Atluri: [email protected] Class of 2011 Katherine Ten Eyck: [email protected] | Akshay Jaggi: [email protected] Class of 2010 Kelly Buckner: [email protected] | Phillip James: [email protected]

School Website Alumni Portal www.pshouston.org/alumniportal Go to the portal for our alumni directory, alumni updates and alumni events. Please send alumni updates to Lizzie Voss, Communications Associate, at [email protected].

PRESBYTERIAN SCHOOL

5300 Main Street Houston, Texas 77004 www.pshouston.org BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Brady Carruth Kim Clark, Vice Chairman Lisa Coleman, Secretary Nora Dobin Martha Erwin Jonas Georgsson Julie Harris Sharon Henry, Treasurer Laura Higley Brock Hudson Quang Le Bill Lee Lea Aden Lueck Sam Murray Adam Peakes Taylor Reid Kelli Rhee Jenn Rustay Claudia Stewart, Chairman Patrick Trask Tim Williamson Ex-Officio Members Rev. Dr. Jim Birchfield Dr. Mark Carleton ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP

Dr. Mark Carleton, Headmaster Janet Fox, Academic Dean Christy Heno, Head of Early Childhood and Lower School Philip Cannon, Head of Middle School THE WINDOW Andrea Lawless, Editor Lizzie Voss, Design Nancy Baltodano & Jessica Wright, Photography A special thank you to the alumni and parents who contributed to this magazine. We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the printed information.

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