Parent Ed Events

Birds & Bees Online Course
January 15 - February 15

The Birds & Bees online course will be available for parents from January 15 through February 15. The course is comprised of 10 sessions and encourages and equips parents to have age appropriate conversations with their young children about sex. Where do babies come from? How is that baby going to get out of there? The Birds & Bees wants parents to answer these questions when their kids are asking them in order to create a foundation for future conversations. In today's sex saturated culture, the idea of "the talk" at age 13 is too late. Their goal is to replace that one talk with several smaller talks so that your kids can hear your voice and values. They want parents to be prepared and have a plan for when the questions start, because it will be sooner than you think.  

7th Grade Parent Sex Ed Meeting
Wednesday, January 15 | 11:30 a.m. | Zoom

7th Grade parents are invited to join our Middle School Counselor, Cortney Kindall-Ritchey, for a Zoom meeting on Wednesday, January 15, at 11:30 a.m. for a brief overview of our 7th grade sex-ed curriculum, answer any questions you may have about the content, and help
prepare you to have the conversations with your students at home.

Heading to High School Panel
Thursday, January 16 | 12:30 p.m. | LC181

Each year, we invite Presbyterian School alumni to share about their high school experiences with our 8th grade students. This year, we are opening up this opportunity so 5th-8th grade parents can hear from our alumni as well. 8th grade students will have a session with alumni followed by a session just for parents.  A panel of alumni consisting of high school students from the following schools will be sharing:

• Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart
• Emery Weiner School
• Episcopal High School
• Houston Christian High School
• Lamar High School
• St. Agnes Academy
• St. John's School
• St. Thomas High School
• Strake Jesuit College Preparatory School

Alumni will share insights about their high school, activities they are involved in, and answer questions from the audience. This is a great opportunity to get an inside scoop on how each high school is unique. All parents are invited to join. 

Unlock the Power of CliftonStrengths
Wednesday, January 22 | 8:15 a.m. | Living Room

Join Christy Heno, our Culture and Engagement Coach and Gallup-Certified Strengths coach, for an inspiring presentation that dives deep into the transformative world of CliftonStrengths. Christy will discuss how CliftonStrengths impacts the work of our faculty and staff. She will also discuss the work being done with Middle School students through StrengthsExplorer and how they benefit from learning about their own unique talents.

Preview Our Middle School
Wednesday, January 29 | 8:15 a.m. | LC181

It's never too early to think about Middle School! Each of the School's three divisions is unique and we would love to share what makes our Middle School program distinct. Please join our Middle School leadership as they speak about our Middle School curriculum and philosophy in addition to sharing the numerous opportunities available to students. The morning will also include a tour of the Middle School.

Learn More About Odyssey of the Mind
Friday, September 6 | 8:15 a.m. | FPC Living Room

Presbyterian School invites all 2nd-8th grade students to participate in Odyssey of the Mind (OM) for the 2024-25 school year. The School's OM program began in 2011 and since then, the School has seen over 80 teams participate with 18 teams advancing from regional competition all the way to world finals. Last year, Presbyterian School had 17 teams participate in Odyssey of the Mind with 5 teams advancing to the World Finals, which was the most teams we have ever sent.

Children form teams of 5-7 students to solve problems and bring those solutions to an Odyssey of the Mind regional  competition in the Houston area. Parents volunteer as coaches and help guide the teams. If teams score in the top six within their problem's division, they will advance to the Texas state tournament and have an opportunity to compete for a spot in the world finals competition.  

Odyssey of the Mind (OM) is an educational program designed to encourage children to think creatively and solve problems on their own without any outside assistance from adults. OM's creative problem-solving process rewards thinking "outside of the box." Children learn how to brainstorm, organize, be creative with materials, and work as a team. By tapping into creativity, and through encouraging imaginative paths to problem-solving, students learn skills that will provide them with the ability to solve problems — great and small — for a lifetime.

To learn more about Odyssey of the Mind at Presbyterian School, and how to join a team, please join Gail Kirkconnell, Lower School Think.Make.Talk Teacher on September 6 for a parent meeting.

LEARN MORE

High School Workshop
Saturday, September 7 | Fellowship Hall

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM for last names A-H
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM for last names J-Y

This workshop will equip 8th grade students and parents with the tools to navigate the high school admissions process. Attendees will rotate through a series of informative workshops that cover essential topics such as:

• Preparing for the ISEE
• Interview Preparation
• Writing Effective Essays
• Organizing your Applicant File

This workshop is required for all 8th grade students to attend with at least one parent. 

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness
Wednesday, September 18 | 8:15 a.m. | LC181

Pick up a copy of The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt and join Head of School, Dr. Mark Carleton, as he explores the book's topics in depth.

In The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that hit many countries at the same time. He investigates the nature of childhood, including why children need play and independent exploration to mature into competent, thriving adults. Haidt shows how the “play-based childhood” began to decline in the 1980s, and how it was finally wiped out by the arrival of the “phone-based childhood” in the early 2010s. He presents more than a dozen mechanisms by which this “great rewiring of childhood” has interfered with children’s social and neurological development, covering everything from sleep deprivation to attention fragmentation, addiction, loneliness, social contagion, social comparison, and perfectionism. 

Most important, Haidt issues a clear call to action. He diagnoses the “collective action problems” that trap us, and then proposes four simple rules that might set us free. He describes steps that parents, teachers, schools, tech companies, and governments can take to end the epidemic of mental illness and restore a more humane childhood.

Helpful Parenting Webinars
September - April

Join ISACS (The Independent Schools Association of the Central States) for a Parent Ed Webinar Series. The six one-hour webinars are for parents in all stages of their children’s growth and will give you an opportunity to from leading experts in the fields of education, parenting, and child development. Every parent must pre-register one time in order to have access to the webinars and recordings. The one time pre-registration will allow you to register for all of the webinars at once. Webinars recorded in 2024 will be available until December 31, 2024 and webinars recorded in 2025 will be available until June 30, 2025. Please click here for webinar descriptions.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

• Back-To-School Momentum: Prepping Children of All Ages for the Challenges (& Successes) of a New School Year
  Wednesday, September 25 | 6:30p.m. | Zoom
• Never Enough: When Achievement Pressure Becomes Toxic - And What We Can Do About It
  Tuesday, November 19 | 6:30p.m. | Zoom
• How to Raise Socially Skilled Tweens & Teens Who Can Navigate Friendship Challenges
  Wednesday, January 15 | 6:30p.m. | Zoom
• Squish the Peas: Life Lessons from Toddlers on How to Live a Happier, Healthier Life
  Wednesday, February 12 | 6:30p.m. | Zoom
• Raise Your Children & Adolescents to be Authentically Successful, Emotionally Healthy & Prepared to Thrive
  Tuesday, March 11 | 6:30p.m. | Zoom
• Planning for Summers of Growth & Joy
  Wednesday, April 9 | 6:30p.m. | Zoom

Dad's Breakfast
Thursday, October 3 | 7:30 a.m. | LC181

Join Head of School, Dr. Mark Carleton, for breakfast and conversation with Episcopal High School's Athletic Director and former PS parent Jason Grove (Cole '24).  Jason holds a B.S. in History and Secondary Education from Toccoa Falls College, where he lettered in both baseball and basketball, and an M.S. in Athletic Administration from Ohio University.  He has served as the EHS Athletic Director for the past 11 years and has seen the Knights capture 36 SPC titles during that time.  All dads with an interest in sports, the intersection of sports and parenting, and the high school sports landscape in the new era of NIL will enjoy this conversation.

Tickets are $10 and available for purchase using the link below. As a reminder, PK4-8th grade students may participate in Early Care from 7:15 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. 

RSVP for Dad's breakfast

Restless Devices: Recovering Personhood, Presence, and Place in the Digital Age
Tuesday, October 8 | 7:00 p.m. | St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church

Join us for a joint lecture with St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church and Rice University as Felicia Wu Song dives deeper into her book Restless Devices.

Felicia Wu Song has spent years considering the personal and collective dynamics of digital ecosystems. She combines psychological, neurological, and sociological insights with theological reflection to explore two major questions:

• What kind of people are we becoming with personal technologies in hand?
• And who do we really want to be?

​​​​​​​Song unpacks the soft tyranny of the digital age, including the values embedded in our apps and the economic systems that drive our habits. She then explores pathways of meaningful resistance that can be found in Christian tradition—especially counter-narratives about human worth, embodiment, relationality, and time—and offers practical experiments for individual and communal change.

ArtReach
Wednesday, October 30 | 1:30 p.m. | Founders Hall Plaza

Join us for a guided tour at the MFAH to view the temporary exhibit Grounded in Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery. Enjoy a museum experience curated just for PS parents, as well as a chance to meet other members of our community. This is an excellent opportunity to experience Presbyterian School's special partnership with local museums. 

RSVP for aRtreach 

The Anxiety Opportunity
Tuesday, November 12 | 7:00 p.m. | St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church

Curtis Chang will host a joint lecture with St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church and Rice University to discuss his book The Anxiety Opportunity.

Chang has challenged the assumption that anxiety is the enemy.  A theologian, popular podcaster, and fellow sufferer of chronic anxiety Chang gives you a different framework for approaching fears. You will discover profound new ways of relating to Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and those you love.

Chang knows what it's like to view anxiety as a sin to overcome. He also knows how trying to get rid of anxiety through sheer faith or willpower usually leads to feelings of shame and frustration. Combining years of personal experience, spiritual practice, and biblical study, Curtis discovered an alternative approach--one that sees anxiety as the path to our best selves in Christ. The Anxiety Opportunity offers:

• Biblical wisdom about how anxiety can lead to rich spiritual growth
• An invitation to examine our fears as a way of pursuing our calling
• Simple practices for converting nervous energy into fruitful energy
• Insights into why trying to avoid loss generates more anxiety
• A renewed sense of peace as we realize what God can do through our fears

Click here to view Curtis Chang introduce The Anxiety Opportunity.