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THE PARISH POST
SPRING 2015 • parishschool.org
UNMASKING
SUCCESS
Annual gala celebrates
Parish mission and people
T
here was no mystery… The
Parish School mission was
alive and thriving at The Parish
School Masquerade Gala Friday, January 30 at the Red Oak
Ballroom, CityCentre. More than 250 guests gathered to celebrate the students and families who continue to make The Parish
School a dynamic place for children with language and learning
differences. The event raised more than $250,000 to support
ongoing initiatives and operations in helping the school’s vision
become a reality thanks to current parent and Chair Andrea
Chambliss. Dr. Michelle Forrester, PhD, PC, a prominent child
psychologist and Parish School advocate, received the 2015 Golden Oak Award for her longtime commitment to early intervention
for young children. “We are so thrilled to honor Dr. Forrester,”
Parish Head of School Nancy Bewley said. “She has touched the
lives of so many young people at The Parish School, in the Houston community and beyond.” The event included dinner, dancing,
a live and silent auction, and opportunities to witness the Parish
mission in action. Please plan now to join us for next year’s event!
UNDERWRITERS
Venetian
Andrea & Darrell Chambliss
The Ellwood Foundation
Friends of Dr. Michelle Forrester
Grand Canal
Amegy Bank of Texas
Kay & Robert M. Bryant
Christine McCoy Duncan –
Heritage Texas Properties
Rialto
Nick Noecker
Link Smith
Bree & Chris Walker
Murano
Ivette & Kyle Chapman
Dr. Michelle Forrester
Heather & Jeff Huddleston
Legacy Asset Management
Lido
Camila & Corbin Barnes
Delaney & Jack Bellinger
Shea & Brittain Fraley
Janice & Charlie Hall
Marcia & Thomas Mazingo
Kirsten & Houston Netherland
Amber & Robert Rosenblum
Lizzie & Stephen Clarke
SPONSORS
Nancy & Tom Bewley
William V.H. Clarke
Gail & Fred Coveler
Christine McCoy Duncan –
Heritage Texas Properties
Jill & Todd Fisk
Laurie & Alfredo Gutierrez
The Huddleston Family
Dr. Moona Haque &
Dr. Amer Khan
Stacey & Brian Merchant
SUPPORTERS
Anonymous
Access Energy
Marilyn Caul & Thomas McClure
Anissa & Reid Friedman
Janet & Bud Hughes
The Kennelly Family
Ellen Pearlman
Tish Prior Peden
Raymond Perreault
Martha Keller & Ronald Ripley
River Oaks Banks
Danielle & Patrick Simpson
Dr. Daniel Williamson
Dr. Leighton & Mollie Wood Hill
Parish Post | Spring 2015 • Page 1
OUR MISSION
To identify, educate and empower children who have language and
learning differences.
OUR VISION
The Parish School will be the model educational and training facility
serving children who have language and
learning differences.
Table of Contents
Administrative Team
Board of Trustees
COVER ➤
2015 Masquerade Gala Recap
Nancy Bewley, MAT, CCC-SLP
Head of School
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
PAGE 3 ➤
From the Head of School
A Letter From Our Board President
Amy Richard, MS, CCC-SLP, CALT
Director of Elementary
PAGE 4 ➤
Teacher Spotlight
PAGE 5 ➤
Around Parish
In Memoriam
Anne Powers, MA, CCC-SLP
Director of Preschool & Level II / III
Sarah Martin, M.Ed., LPC
Director of Admissions
Brooke Medina, LCSW, RPT
Director of Student & Family Services
Laurie H. Gutierrez
President
Peter M. DeFazio, C.F.A.
Vice President
Steven Gordon
Treasurer
James Prappas
Secretary
BOARD MEMBERS
Gregory V. Brown
Bob Bryant
PAGE 6 ➤
Winning All The Way
Wendy Airlie, CPA, CIA
Chief Financial Officer
PAGE 7 ➤
Bird Bonanza
Head of School For A Day
Name That Road
Amy Tanner
Director of Advancement
Bruce Holzband, M.Ed, C.E.T.
Jennifer Wismer, MA, OMHR, SPHR
Director of Human Resources
Ann Neyland, M.A. CCC-SLP
PAGE 8 ➤
Parish Perspective
Karen Dickerson, Ph.D, CCC-SLP
Caruth Center Director
Thomas Scott
ALUMNI:
We want to hear
from you!
Keep us updated with your contact
information and life happenings. Please
share your news with us at
[email protected].
parishschool.org
Page 2 • Parish Post | Spring 2015
Edward N. Goldsberry
Paula Katz
Tish Prior Peden
Melanie Seigle, M.A., CCC-SLP,
LCSW
SAVE THE DATE:
Camp Acorn
Summer Camp @ Parish!
June 8-July 2, 2015
Parish School Fall Luncheon
11001 Hammerly Blvd.
Houston, Texas 77043
713-467-4696
Darrell W. Chambliss
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015
Junior League of Houston
Parish School Gala
Winter 2016
Chairs: Lizzie & Stephen Clarke
Whitney & Eric Holzer
NEW DATE!
Parish SPRING Carnival
Sunday, April 3, 2016
The Parish Post is printed three times a year and is published by The Parish School for
students, parents, alumni and friends. For information or questions regarding The Parish
Post, please contact Megan Dillingham – [email protected].
FROM THE HEAD
OF SCHOOL
Nancy Bewley, MAT, CCC-SLP
Not only are our roots deep at The Parish
School, but our branches spread far beyond
this campus and into the world around
us – budding into successful moments and
experiences that showcase our growth and
tradition of excellence.
A packed house greeted Laurel Oak
Cottage teacher Libby Hall and Parish
Speech-Language Pathologist Bonnie
Jones when they presented on the importance of language, reading and vocabulary
at the Houston Branch of the International
Dyslexia Association (HBIDA) conference
earlier this year. Teachers, parents and
speech-language pathologists from across
the region attended this heralded session
led by our faculty. Kudos to Amy Richard,
Parish School Director of Elementary, who
organized the conference and made it a
truly outstanding event.
was the purpose of a Dallas trip for several
members of our staff. Preschool educators
attended a conference aimed at continuing
the success of Social Thinking® with our
youngest students. Members of our elementary team attended a similar program
in San Antonio in March. We are so proud
of our staff reaching, teaching, inspiring
and branching out to other professionals
across the state and nation!
Erstaunlich! (Amazing!) Celebrating cultural
diversity at Parish continues to be one
of our most special and unique times of
the year. Germany was in the spotlight
in March as we dressed, ate, listened to
music, learned customs, danced, created art
and watched a film focused on this great
country as our “Culture in Focus” nation
this year.
Nurturing others in the garden of life is
something I am so proud to see our staff
achieve throughout the year. A large group
headed to the Houston Food Bank in late
December to work hard in helping others.
Another group of DIYers lent their time to
Habitat for Humanity in March building
homes. And we had a brave group learn
self-defense and martial arts at the Elite
MMA gym in early March.
As we continue to sprout toward summer,
I thank you for your unwavering support
of The Parish School as we reach new
heights!
The travel itinerary continues to grow for
Renee Attaway, Director of SociaLearning
at The Parish School, who brings focus
to the importance of how we think about
people and how that affects how we behave, which in turn affects how others respond to us and affects our own emotions.
Most recently, she’s taken her important
work to Pensacola, FL; Lafayette, LA; Concord, CA; Boston; Houston and Waco.
Our intrepid Adventure Play Director Jill
Wood showcased the importance of play
on our campus in her presentation to the
Ithaca Day of Play Conference at The
Ithaca Children’s Garden in early March.
Talking about play continued for Jill,
as well as Renee, as they co-presented a
session at The Association for the Study of
Play in San Antonio earlier this spring.
The ongoing implementation of Social
Thinking® as part of the curriculum framework for the Parish preschool program
dent School Management, which will lead
us in the school’s governance, management,
finance and marketing. Independent
School Management is a management-support services firm for independent schools
with over 40 years of experience.
We are grateful to the many Parish friends
and supporters who assisted this process by
completing surveys, answering questions
and presenting ideas to the school’s Board
of Trustees and leadership. I am thrilled to
share the results with you!
Strengthening the long-term financial and
organizational frameworks of the school;
continuing to invest in the culture and
professional development of faculty and
staff; and providing competitive salaries
and benefits for the faculty and staff were
three important themes that emerged from
the strategic-planning process. I was so
heartened that each topic and every conversation during the weekend-long planning
efforts kept Parish students and families at
the forefront of the school’s future.
Each of these central themes was broken
down into action items that were plugged
into a timeline with associated costs, revenue sources and responsible parties. The
board, faculty and staff have already begun
working on the goals for the first year of
this effort!
As The Parish School continues to grow –
one thing remains steadfast – the school’s
commitment to children who experience
challenges with early language development. I speak for the Board of Trustees
when I say that we are committed to upholding our core philosophy of identifying,
educating and empowering children who
have language and learning differences;
supporting all of our students with the best
resources for lifelong success; and ensuring the ongoing excellence of The Parish
School as a model of educational excellence
and training.
A LETTER FROM OUR
BOARD PRESIDENT
Laurie Gutierrez
In February, The Parish School Board of
Trustees voted to approve a strategic plan
that will guide the school’s leadership over
the next four to six years in fulfilling our
vision and mission. This document culminates an intense process led by IndepenParish Post | Spring 2015 • Page 3
TEACHER SPOTLIGHT
FAIRY TALE COMES TRUE FOR
LONGTIME PARISH TEACHER
For more than 23 years, Drama Teacher and ICATS Coordinator Terri
Garth explored classic Brothers Grimm tales to connect and engage with
students as part of her Parish School classes. She stumbled across Germany’s famed Fairy Tale Road – beginning in Frankfurt, where the Grimm
brothers were born, and ending in Bremen Town – while planning her
curriculum several years ago. Inspired by the rich history of the Grimm
Brothers’ stories, Terri dreamed of connecting these real-world locations
in northern Germany with the tales her students continue to find so
inspiring. Thanks to a grant from the Fund for Teachers, an organization aimed at financially supporting teachers’ efforts to develop skills,
knowledge and confidence in impacting student achievement, Terri
lived her dream in summer 2014 with travels to France and Germany.
Terri carried her excitement and her learning opportunities home to
Parish with presentations to staff and a daylong celebration of German
art, culture and history as part of the students’ Culture in Focus Day in
March. A true happy ending, indeed!
what I had learned about Van Gogh through the exhibit and share
pictures with them.
After leaving France, I traveled to Hanau, Germany, the birthplace
of the Brothers Grimm, to begin the Fairy Tale Road portion of
my journey and visit the enormous monument dedicated to them.
I traveled to Stenau to the Broders Musuem, the Grimms’ childhood home. Visiting the museum was a dream come true! All of
my questions regarding the birth of the tales and who should have
credit for writing them were answered in an exhibit devoted entirely
to my pursuit.
I also saw Germany’s version of Sleeping Beauty’s castle, Castle Sababerg. While beautiful, it was not quite as impressive as the Chateau d’Usse! I climbed the stairs of Rapunzel’s tower and I saw an
outdoor production of “The Bremen Town Musicians” in Bremen
Town Square! I went to Hamelin and saw an amazing mechanical
puppet show of the “Pied Piper of Hamelin” – a true work of art. I
visited The Grimm Brothers Museum in the beautiful city of Kassel
which was a breathtaking experience for me.
I have been so inspired by my trip to Europe!
Since my return my teaching has been so
much more visual than before. I have shown
my students videos of my travels as I have introduced the fairy tales to them. It was incredible to read the story of Rapunzel and then
watch students’ expressions as I showed them
a video clip of me talking to them as I climbed
the 142 stairs up to the top of the tower!
Last summer, I began my journey to Europe with five days in
France exploring places connected to Charles Perrault’s life. Stops
along the way included the Palace of Versailles, the Loire Valley’s
Chateau d’Usse - which is said to have inspired Charles Perrault to
write Sleeping Beauty and is also the inspiration of the castle that is
the Disney logo. Another highlight of my time in Paris was an incredible exhibit of Vince Van Gogh’s work at the Museum d’Orsay.
At Thanksgiving, I read my Parish students a book about children
who were trying to save turkeys and realized the illustrations were
based on Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.” I was able to tell the children
Page 4 • Parish Post | Spring 2015
The Parish ICATS have worked together to study
the art, music, games, castles and culture of Germany for our Culture in Focus month in March.
Our studies culminated with a performance of
“The Pied Piper of Hamelin” and a party where
we celebrated with the food, games and music
of this beautiful country. Parish School students
want to know where I am going next and many
of them have asked to go with me! I am so grateful to the Fund for Teachers for making this trip
possible and for the generous spirit of The Parish
School. Danke!
AROUND PARISH
IN MEMORIAM
Barb Devetski,
former Director of Development
It is with a heavy heart we share with our
Parish friends and supporters the passing of
our beloved former Director of Development Barb Devetski April 8 from a lengthy
battle with cancer. Her formidable spirit
and passion for the Parish mission will long
last in our community, and we will continue
to celebrate her enormous contribution to
our school. Barbara was born in Steubenville, OH and spent her formative years in
Indiana. She graduated from Indiana University-Bloomington and received a master’s
degree from Valparaiso University. She and
her husband Greg spent their first years of
marriage overseas before settling in Houston with daughter Cara, and welcoming
daughters Erin and Megan not long after.
Barb’s passion for mission-based non-profit
organizations led to her to a long career at
The Women’s Fund followed by The Parish
School. She poured her heart and soul into
these organizations, raising countless dollars
to support the causes and mentoring many
young non-profit professionals along the
way. In 2014, Barb and Greg retired to the
beautiful Texas Hill Country in Austin to
be closer to their children and grandchildren. Gifts in her memory can be made to
an organization of choice, including The
Parish School.
Clockwise from top left: All of our students had
a great Dictionary Day; Rodeo Day brought out
Parish cowboys; Magic at Parish is a fun afternoon for our students; Parish staff spent a fun
morning at the Houston Food Bank; Nursery
Rhyme Week is a big hit for staff and students
alike; Grandparents Day brings wonderful
guests to campus each fall; Soccer kickstarted at
Parish again this spring; Nancy Kaufman, MA,
CC-SLP, visited Parish and Carruth Center staff
in early 2015; Elementary students performed
in “The Pied Piper.”
Parish Post | Spring 2015 • Page 5
PARISH SCHOOL AND THE CHEVRON HOUSTON MARATHON
WINNING ALL THE WAY
Parish School participates in Chevron Houston Marathon weekend
The Parish School descended on the streets of Houston Sunday, Jan. 18, alongside
its famous Adventure Play art car, to cheer on 250,000 runners at the Chevron
Houston Marathon – including 38 of our very own. Many thanks to The Parish
School team of parents, staff and friends who raised more than $40,000 to support
the school’s ongoing mission. The Parish team also included Austinite Cara Fox,
running in honor of her mom, Barb Devetski, the school’s former development
director. The school’s hoopla station was among the biggest and brightest along
the course, and included parents, students and supporters cheering runners on
throughout the morning.
Allison Welo • Amanda Canto • Amy Myers • Andrea Chambliss • Cara Fox
Carl Heinrichs • Demi Jessett • Edward Simpson • Emma Nguyen • Eric Zoerb
Gavin Dillingham • Helen McCartney • James Porter • Jay Hudgins
Jennifer Spisak • Jo Walski • Joelle Nelson • Joshua Septimus • Julie Millen
June Yao • Kayman McIver • Kerri McCurdy • Leslie Biggs • Lizzie Clarke
Marcia Mazingo • Mark Evans • Martha Pincoffs • Michelle Little • Nancy Bewley
Peng Chen • Peter McLaughlin • Reid Hudgins • Scott Singletary
Teri DeFazio • Tina Strautman • Todd Fisk
Tom Bewley • William Lewis
Page 6 • Parish Post | Spring 2015
BIRD BONANZA
SOARING HIGH
Students study bird species to learn research techniques
Giving flight to students’ reading, presentation and research skills
was the purpose of the 2015 Bird Bonanza in The Parish School
Level IV/V Rockets and Wranglers classes. In late March, students
gathered in the Schissler Library to present their findings on 19
different bird species native to Texas – educating fellow students,
parents, teachers and administrators on the lifestyles, habitats and
lifespan of regional feathered friends. As part of the project, students
were required to complete a bird brochure and a model of a nest,
feeder or home specific to the species.
“The work gives students the opportunity to complete a larger academic project that involves gathering research, while including valuable nature learning,” said Megan Beard, Parish elementary school
teacher. “We also use this project to promote public speaking and
build confidence as the students take great pride in their finished
product,” Beard said. “Our Wranglers and Rockets did
an amazing job!”
HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR A DAY
NAME THAT ROAD
Head of School Trey Bryant mandated recess and early dismissal for
all when he served as Head of School for a Day in January! Trey was
a benevolent boss and The Parish School is grateful for his leadership. Head of School Bryant is pictured here with his grandparents,
Bob and Kay Bryant.
Congratulations to Parish student Deacon Wells! Deacon’s Lane,
the main road through The Parish School campus, was unveiled in
February. Deacon celebrated the exciting day with family, classmates
and friends.
Parish Post | Spring 2015 • Page 7
11001 Hammerly Blvd.
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THE PARISH PERSPECTIVE
ADAM PERKINS
Former Parish School Student: 1991-1995
W
hen I was younger, I had great difficulty communicating and interacting with
others. But with the help of my teachers and classmates at The Parish School, I
was able to significantly improve my communications skills and general sociability. I also
really enjoyed the school and my teachers.
Since moving on from Parish, I have come a long way. I earned a degree in economics and
political science from the University of Chicago, and dual graduate degrees in law and
public affairs at the University of Texas-Austin. Currently, I am working as a law clerk for
a federal judge in El Paso and am looking forward to what the future will bring.
It was a joy to visit The Parish School’s new campus several years ago and observe what
a difference the school continues to make in children’s lives, as well as see
quite a few of my teachers - like Nancy Mosley and Terri Garth. They
are still doing a wonderful job helping kids! I am convinced that
The Parish School helps create bright futures.
Page 8 • Parish Post | Spring 2015