Magazine
Welcome to the first issue of Roots, the magazine of The Post Oak School.
Post Oak students and their families belong to a group of individuals who come together on their learning journeys for the good of others. Dive into their stories, and if you have one to share about your time at Post Oak or your child’s experience, we’d love to hear it. Please email us at development@postoakschool.org.
The Magazine, Roots, is produced in-house by the Development and Communications Office at Post Oak and is distributed to current families, employees, alumni, and friends.
(Special Note: P after a name indicates they are a Post Oak parent along with their child’s graduation year.)
The Development & Communications Team, August, 2022
Christina Kopanidis-Cantu, P ’22 & ’24, Development Director
Elaine Schweizer, Senior Communications Specialist
Lucía Cerritos, Marketing Specialist
Juliette Casas, Development Assistant
Featured Article
- Montessori
Mobeena Husain, Middle School Teacher
This past 2021–2022 school year, the Middle School students spent the entire fall semester learning about environmental sciences. The students were introduced to concepts in such a way that would allow them to understand and connect them to their daily personal lives. Connection with the environment is such a fundamental aspect of Montessori.
Articles from the August 2022 Issue
- Head of School
Maura Joyce, Head of School
In the book, The Good Ancestor, Krznaric invites us to reorient our sense of time and think about a future, not to benefit us now, but to think about the future of our children’s children, and beyond. He asks us to consider what we can do to be good ancestors.
- Board
Greg Han, P ’18 & ’20, High School Faculty, Strategic Planning Committee, Former Trustee
Over the past year, Post Oak has been in a process of reviewing and revising its mission statement.
- Community-Building
James Quillin, PhD, High School Director
Post Oak’s inaugural High School class began in the 2012–2013 school year. Here’s a look back at the last ten years of the Museum District Campus.
- Community-Building
- Parents
- Students
Christina Kopanidis-Cantu, Development Director
Organizing support and raising awareness for a cause is typical work for Post Oak students who have been learning about the importance of community service their whole lives.
- Montessori
- Students
Alex Abel, Middle School Director
As we eased our way back into providing our students with this quintessential element of the Post Oak Middle School experience, this observation was affirmed and reaffirmed through various extended day trips.
- Alumni
Elaine Schweizer, Senior Communications Specialist
Meet Post Oak’s newest alumni, the Class of 2022! After two years of distanced outdoor ceremonies, Commencement returned to the Rice University campus in Hamman Hall.
- Faculty & Staff
Maura Joyce, Head of School
With great respect, we share news of long-time Post Oak School employee Mirani Smith having moved on to new Montessori adventures.
- Faculty & Staff
Lucía Cerritos, Marketing Specialist
Post Oak art specialist Saida Fagala will have artwork on virtual display at the 59th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.
- Faculty & Staff
Development & Communications Team
Each May, we celebrate milestone anniversaries at our end-of-year employee luncheon. This year saw two reach the 30-year mark! Congrats, all!
- Community-Building
- Fundraising
Christina Kopanidis-Cantu, Development Director
Three years in the making, our Biennial Gala: Peace, Love, and Montessori on March 5, 2022, was a rocking record-breaker!
- Community-Building
- Parents
- Students
Christina Kopanidis-Cantu, Development Director
Organizing support and raising awareness for a cause is typical work for Post Oak students who have been learning about the importance of community service their whole lives.
Elaine Schweizer, Senior Communications Specialist
The Bissonnet Campus sees new improvements, some due to wear and tear, and some thanks to opportunities brought by the pandemic.
Alumni Spotlights
In Memoriam: Joseph “Joe” Orr ’19
We lovingly and fondly pay tribute to Joseph Orr, who passed in September 2021. Joseph graduated from Post Oak in 2019, after attending from the age of three through twelfth grade. He was 20 years old, a student at the University of Denver, and admired and loved by those who knew him.
Joseph had a brilliant mind and always kept his teachers on their toes with his incredible wealth of knowledge and his skills in discussion. He was an asset to the Post Oak community, as are his parents, Katie and Robert Orr.
A celebration of Joseph’s life was held in June 2022. The family humbly invited those wishing to make a memorial donation to consider supporting organizations important to Joseph such as Montessori Model United Nations, Aurora Picture Show, or Writers in the Schools.
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