Magazine

a middle school student holds up a plant with a long root

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

middle school students planting sprouts in the ground
  • Montessori
Cultivating Care for the Earth
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.

Read More about Cultivating Care for the Earth

Articles from the August 2022 Issue

  • Head of School
What the World Needs Now
Maura Joyce, 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.

Read More about What the World Needs Now
  • Community-Building
  • Parents
  • Students
Giving as a Community
Post Oak families at community service
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.

Read More about Giving as a Community

High School Internship Program Spotlights

student intern
Leon H. ’23 | Asia Society

Leon started interning with the Asia Society in the fall of 2021. Leon was interested in working in a professional work environment and learning more about the cultures of Asia as he is a student of Mandarin at the High School. Leon was placed in the Education and Outreach department, where he researched various topics and learned to organize events such as the Lunar New Year and Ramadan celebrations at the Asia Society. This helped Leon develop his skills as a manager and leader and build his interpersonal skills.

student intern
Vee A. ’23 | Bissonnet Campus

Vee started interning at The Post Oak School Bissonnet Campus library in the fall of 2021. One of Vee’s interests is library sciences, and it seemed befitting to match her with the library at the school’s lower school campus. She learned about shelving books, the Dewey System, scanning books, managing the library, organizing a book fair, and growing her organizational and management skills. She even got an opportunity to serenade the Primary students with sing-alongs and dancing.

student intern
Everest L. ’24 | Asia Society

Everest started interning with the Asia Society in October 2021. Everest is a student of the Japanese language, an artist, and part Chinese, so he wanted to get closer to his Chinese roots. Everest was matched in the Education and Outreach department, where he researched activities and worked on skills in communicating effectively with others. In addition, Everest got to work alongside an Asian artist on a mural displayed at the Asia Society. 

student intern
Sabrina G. ’24 | Bee2Bee & Bellaire Nature Center

Sabrina was a natural fit for the Bellaire Nature Center and the Bee2Bee Honey Collective, as she loves animals and aspires to be a veterinarian. At the Bellaire Nature Center, she worked as an animal care intern and got hands-on experience with various species. Observing and caring for the animals gave Sabrina insight into animal behavior and preferences. At Bee2Bee, Sabrina was matched to learn more about beekeeping and the business aspect of bee husbandry and honey production.

student intern
Gloria M. ’25 | Bissonnet Campus

Gloria started interning in a Post Oak Upper Elementary classroom in the spring of 2022. Her interest in learning about the Montessori system and being with young students made her the perfect match for the class. Gloria helped students with one-on-one projects, sharing her knowledge and learning interpersonal skills in a classroom environment different from what she experienced as an elementary student in a traditional educational setting.

student intern
Noor Q. ’25 | St. Paul’s Methodist Church

Noor started interning at the St. Paul’s Methodist Church in fall 2021. A lifelong Montessori student, she expressed a desire to be involved with students from different backgrounds and school systems. She was matched at the after-school program where students are offered a safe space after school to do homework and develop their interests. Noor learned skills such as implementing activities for these students and looking at the world from a different perspective.

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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