Happy Valentine’s Day!

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I hope you enjoy some of our Valentine’s Day photos!

We Helped Tackle Hunger!

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Excitement was high on Friday as our Lower School Student Council counted food items collected for the Souper Bowl of Caring. The Souper Bowl of Caring is a national movement created by young people working to fight hunger and poverty in their own communities. In the weeks leading up to Super Bowl Sunday, Lower School students began taking up collections, asking for one dollar or one food donation for people in need.

I’m proud to announce that they raised $106 (each dollar provides 3 meals) and a total of 785 non-perishable food items! Our students donated all the food items directly to the Houston Food Bank. Way to go Lower School!

Our First Snow Day!

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Although no snow has fallen in Houston this winter, Grace Primary School students had the opportunity to explore snow during their First Annual Snow Day on Wednesday! As you know, I’m originally from Iowa (snow is nothing new to me and my friends from up North:) so it’s exciting to see some of our PS students experience snow for the first time.

Our Kids Say it Best

If you haven’t seen it, here’s the video we created for yesterday’s Spring Open House. This video features our students (from all three divisions), Mrs. McColloch and Mrs. Dye talking about what they like most about Grace School. The message was so powerful that we decided to use it as a promotional tool! I hope you enjoy!

Winter Wonderland Event

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As part of their science unit, fourth grade students invited the Grace community to join them for our annual Winter Wonderland Event. Students were asked to construct a light-weight electric building containing at least one series of circuits consisting of Christmas lights, a switch powered by a nine-volt battery, floor plan rendering and circuit drawings, and of course, snow! Each team comprised of two students was assigned a building type (house, bank, school, etc.) and put their new knowledge to the test by creating a city. The intention of the project was to teach the students how to build a functioning series of parallel and combined circuits and build a basic understanding of electricity. I’m so proud of our fourth graders!

Primary School receives NAEYC Accreditation

 As you may have heard, the Primary School just received notification of their accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)! To earn NAEYC Accreditation is no simple task.

 Our Primary School faculty and staff went through an extensive self-study process, measuring the program, teachers, processes and services against the 10 NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and more than 400 related Accreditation criteria. Along with all the paperwork, NAEYC also sent a visiting committee to inspect every nook and cranny of our Primary School’s program. The 10 standards our program was measured against were: relationships, curriculum, teaching, assessment of child progress, health, teachers, families, community relationships, physical environment, leadership and management.

I’m proud to say that Primary School achieved 90 percent or better in all ten of the Program Standards and scored 100 percent or better in eight of the ten program standards! One of the commendations regarded our program for “employing and supporting a teaching staff that has the educational qualifications, knowledge, and professional commitment necessary to promote children’s learning and development” and “supporting families’ diverse needs and interests.”

I’m sure you’re as thrilled as I am to hear the committee’s warm praises for our Primary School. Go Gators!

More Than $255.00 Raised for the Gateway School!!!

I’m absolutely speechless! So far, we’ve raised more than $255.00! Thanks to your generous gifts, we have enough money to help three child at the Gateway Day School in Kenya! Once we purchase our gift, we’ll receive more information about the recipients. I’ll continue to post updates on the blog…so stay tuned! I would like to personally thank every student, teacher, staff and parent for your contributions:

• Mrs. Linda Addison
• Paige & Kate Bortner
• Mrs. Jean Bosch
• Blaze Layton & Mr. Preston Bridgewater
• Ella & Jill Drury
• Griffin Fitzgerald
• Kristi Gallo
• Mr. Ron Graves
• Mrs. Debbie  & Cody Hanlen
• Mrs. Rebecca Hemley
• Anthony Hovsepian
• Caroline Jennings
• Ashley & Allyson Joyce
• Mrs. Diana Knowlton
• Cole Kubala
• Mrs. Michelle Larson
• Timothy Lee
• Mrs. Mindy Livingston
• Ms. Brandice Lockett
• Grace & Lily McClanahan
• Mrs. McColloch’s Second Grade Class
• Mrs. Martha McKinstry
• Mrs. K.C. McMordie
• Aaron & Lucas Mendiola
• Claire Moon
• Mrs. Janet Mueller
• Dylan & Hudson Muse
• Caroline Noyola
• Mrs. Martha Jane Osbeck
• Mrs. Linka Pace
• Mrs. Dana Pagel
• Abbey Pittenger
• Tate Porchey
• Mrs. Becky Sebastian
• Erin Sullivan
• Mrs. Sheila Townsend
• Mallory & Samantha Wagner
• Dr. Liz Walgamuth
• Mrs. Sheri Walters
• Parker Weiss

  

  

  
  

  

  

  
  
  

Christmas at Grace School!

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This is the most wonderful time of the year!!! You can feel the excitement of Christmas vacation drawing near from students and faculty. We’ve had a wonderful celebration of Christmas at Grace this year. A successful Madrigal Feaste, a beautiful Christmas Chapel, and a wonderful showcase of talent at last night’s PreK 4-5th Grade Christmas Program. Grace School is a great place to be during the holidays and all year long!

I would like to wish you and your family a Christmas filled with the special warmth of friendship, the precious joy of sharing and the enduring love of Jesus!

Making a Difference Around the World

After the All-School Christmas Chapel, I decided to stop by the Joy To The World Gift Market in the Grace Presbyterian Church Library. The Joy to the World Gift Market is an alternative to the usual consumerist approach toward Christmas. Grace Church works with their mission partners around the world to offer gift ideas for all ages.

While browsing, I stumbled upon a gift item that is near and dear to my heart; one year tuition at Gateway Day School in Kenya. For $85, the Gateway Day School in Embu, Kenya, will provide a child with a uniform, books, a quality education in a Christian environment and one hot meal a day.

I’m asking everyone who reads and follows my blog to donate $2 towards purchasing this gift in the name of Grace School. You and/or your child can drop your donation off in my office anytime before December 16^th. All the money received will go towards purchasing this gift, and we’ll provide follow-up information on the child that receives our donation!

Join me in helping others in need around the world, as we celebrate the real reason for the season.

6th Grade Students Share their Love for Reading!

Our  6^th grade class hosted the 2011 Author Expo! This celebration of literature was an effective and enjoyable way to promote reading. The students did a wonderful job unfolding the life and writings of their favorite authors, and presenting their research to the Grace School community.

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