Overlooking the city landscape on the 4th floor of Presbyterian School, fifth-grade students are interacting with more than just textbooks and worksheets. They are immersing themselves into the world of environmental science. Aligning with Presbyterian School's ethos of environmental respect, students are tackling current environmental issues, researching causes and brainstorming solutions. The culmination is the Environmental Summit Museum, where each student creatively presents their findings. Through diverse mediums like posters, model displays, and iMovies, they inspire action and reflection, prompting us all to consider our role in nurturing our planet.

In a world where technology often competes with the joy of picking up a good book, initiatives like the PS Book Drive and Nehemiah Book Fair stand as beacons of hope, nurturing a love for reading in young hearts. Led by PS Chaplain, Brenton Smith, and being an added bonus for the year-long fourth-grade service project, this unique opportunity not only fosters a passion for reading but also cultivates empathy and leadership skills among the participants.

Embarking on an extraordinary voyage of discovery, the PK4 students recently took flight aboard Pre-K Airlines, venturing into the captivating realm of ancient Egypt at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. As part of our immersive Pre-K Airlines curriculum, students embark on a global adventure, traversing seven different countries, including Colombia, India, Italy, and Egypt. Each stop along their journey offers a rich exploration of art, music, food, language, and culture, fostering a deep appreciation for our shared humanity.

Students Blake and Sean proudly showcased their innovative projects at the 8th grade STEAM Museum, marking the culmination of a month-long exploration into a diverse array of scientific subjects. From the fascinating realm of visualizing sound waves to the practical application of honey as a preservative, these young minds delved into the realms of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM). 

In the realm of early childhood education, Presbyterian School (PS) stands out as a beacon of innovation and uniqueness. Unlike other peer schools, PS takes pride in offering formal art and music instruction to students as young as PK 3. This distinctive feature not only sets the institution apart but also provides a valuable and enriching experience for the fortunate students who are part of this educational community.

In this week's snapshot, we delve into the fascinating world of opera with Ben Rorabaugh, Presbyterian School’s Middle School Choir Director, a talented singer and performer currently involved in the upcoming production of Wagner's "Parsifal" at the Houston Grand Opera. Ben shares his journey, experiences, and insights into the intricate world of opera.

In the heart of Houston at Presbyterian School, a shining beacon of dedication to the well-being of students, staff, and families has been recognized with the prestigious Good Samaritan Foundation Gold Medal Award. Julie Brunson, the school nurse, has not only been nominated for this esteemed honor but has emerged as one of the six gold medal recipients for the 2023 Excellence in Nursing, a remarkable accomplishment given the record-breaking 1229 total nominations this year.

In an effort to expand the amazing world of music, Early Childhood and Lower School Music Teacher, Vasti Adkins, is taking students beyond the vocal and performing outlets to a behind the scenes approach to the process. A surge of student interest has led to the creation of a unique and innovative course: Panther Music Lab. We sat down with the creative force behind this musical venture to explore the inner workings of the class and the exciting projects that have emerged from it.

In the heart of a vibrant middle school, a unique and innovative approach to student leadership is taking root—the Middle School Student Senate. This revolutionary student council, inspired by the Roman Senate's egalitarian model, aims to provide every student with an equal voice and a chance to shape their school's future.  Read more about the process of selecting these young leaders and the exciting journey that lies ahead.

Art has the power to transcend time and connect generations. In this insightful conversation with Brandy Collins, our early childhood art teacher, we explore the creative and innovative ways art history is introduced to young minds. Brandy shares her passion for teaching art through the lens of history and the magical "aha" moments that occur in her classroom.

In honor of kindness month, PS Grandparent, Kelly Penrod (Olivia '27), brought her sculpture "Kindness" to display in Founders Hall. Created as a labor of love and collaboration, "Kindness" showcases how small acts of kindness, much like the recycled materials that form it, can be transformed into something beautiful and meaningful in a world that yearns for unity and compassion.

Last week, our 8th grade students found perseverance and courage on their class trip to Colorado as they embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime backpacking journey into the Collegiate Peaks.

In the fall of 2009, PK4 teacher, Lindsay Renken, sat down with colleague, Leanne Gotcher, with a simple idea of incorporating travel into the curriculum spurred on by her personal experiences in travel. This was the beginning of Pre-K Airlines. The curriculum now encompasses multiple countries that change year to year based on students' interests and the freedom teachers have to design a unique curriculum.

Second grade students have spent the year learning the process of how food goes from farm to table. As a culmination of what they have learned, they presented their commercials and projects to fellow students and families at their Farm to Table Museum. 

4th grade students work with Glassell School of Art staff on the installation of the Middle School Encounters with the Natural World exhibit. The artwork will be on display March 2-24 and spans two stories in the Glassell School of Art building. Read more about this incredible collaboration.

Since the founding of our Middle School, the Middle School Day of Service has been an important part of the curriculum. Chaplain Brenton Smith shares, “this important practice of time set aside to actively love our city is foundational to the PS middle school faith programming.” At Presbyterian School, our goal is for every student to be involved with service to our community. 

PS Director of Communications, Andrea Lawless, is gifting the world by teaching others how they can grow their faith through her incredible artistic ability and love for crafting. Read more about how Andrea is doing God’s work through art.

5th grade students hosted an Environmental Summit Museum this week for parents and students to learn more about our human impact on the Earth. Students researched and shared about how humans contribute to light, ocean and air pollution, habitat loss, invasive species, beach erosion, flooding and overfishing. The Environmental Summit Museum is the capstone grade level exhibition for 5th grade.

Nehemiah Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4 students were the guests of honor at the PS Book Fair Wednesday. Students were able to browse through and take home books that were donated by PS families this week during the Book Drive.

PS Faculty and Staff participated in making king cakes this week at a PS Pop Up Cooking Class taught by second grade teacher Patricia Tamminga. These delicious traditional pastries were made with a little bit of cinnamon, a little bit of icing, and a whole lot of love and laughter.

PS hosted a Heading to High School panel this week consisting of recent PS alumni to come and talk to the 8th grade class about high school. Students shared stories, insight, and tips to the soon-to-be freshmen.

8th grade students were excited to participate in a recent presentation of their mock trial case in a courtroom at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center. Students swapped out their PS uniforms for dress suits and ties Wednesday as they took their murder trial before the judge, a jury, and a galley of excited parents. 

PS mom, Karmel Garcia (Augie ‘30) was given a Down Syndrome diagnosis for her daughter, Zoe, at her 20 week ultrasound At the time, the diagnosis felt unbearably heavy and she wasn’t sure what it meant for her family and for Zoe’s future. Two weeks later, she was told that Zoe would need heart surgery within the first few months of her life. What Karmel didn’t know is that this terrifying experience would lead her to creating a non-profit that is modeling kindness and cultivating compassion by helping others with Down Syndrome.

Middle School Performing Arts Teacher, Brigette O’Brian’s passion for dancing has led her into the professional world of choreography. Not only is she teaching PS students during the day, but she’s choreographing dances at multiple pageants and most recently, has spent some time on Broadway. 

In May of 2017, First Presbyterian Church unveiled a financial incentive to entrepreneurs who were looking to transform and renew the Houston community. Project Flourish was born as a shark-tank type model where $250,000 seed money was up for grabs. PS Art teacher, Terry Flores, and Head of Middle School, Brandon Walker, are proud recipients of Project Flourish funding for the development of their non-profit organizations, ArtPark Studios and The Summer Institute.

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, PS will host the performers Undebel Flamenco at special assemblies in Fellowship Hall on Friday. An art form originally from Spain but which has captured the imagination of people around the world, flamenco has been described as “magical and curious,” but it has a complicated history.

What if you could take the imagination of a child and collaborate with an older or more experienced artist to magically bring your ideas to life? This is the concept behind a current 1st and 8th grade art collaborative project.

Ahh, College Colors Day is when we show our school spirit and welcome back the collegiate fandom, and kickoff of college football’s opening weekend. PS faculty and staff dusted off their old collegiate apparel to celebrate College Colors Day with a spirit that only PS can bring. 

For many of us, strapping a 35 lb backpack, lacing up some hiking boots, and hitting the trails of Colorado for a couple of days isn’t an item on our bucket list of things to do. However, for our 8th grade students, this is an important milestone in their middle school experience. Getting outside of their comfort zone and persevering through a challenging and new experience has taught our students that the journey is so much more than the physicality of the endeavor. 

Imagine what can happen when time and gifts are pooled together, shared and extended back out to the community. Every day, our parent volunteers share their time and talents to create an incredible learning environment for students.