Tag Archives: Garden Oaks Montessori

Garden Oaks Montessori community hears about renovation and expansion plans

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More than 70 members of the Garden Oaks neighborhood came out to learn about initial design concepts for Garden Oaks Montessori. The meeting on Tuesday was the first of at least three community meetings that will be held at various phases of the project.

As part of HISD’s current bond program, the school will receive new additions and general renovations to accommodate up to 900 students in pre-K through 8th grade.

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Garden Oaks, Washington students team up to launch rocket

GOES_BTW_Rocket_400Students from Garden Oaks Montessori collaborated with students from Washington High School’s engineering magnet program over the past school year to design and fabricate a payload for the One Mile-One Pound Rocket Challenge.

After their teachers were connected through a mutual colleague, students from both schools began researching, designing, building, and testing a stable rocket capable of attaining a height of one mile with a one pound payload that could be recovered safely.

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HISD Board of Education to consider 7 more contracts under bond program

Recommended contracts represent nearly $223 million in school construction work

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday will consider authorizing the district to negotiate contracts with three firms to provide construction manager at risk (CMAR) services on selected bond projects. Continue reading →

Design process kicks off for Garden Oaks Montessori, Pilgrim Academy, Wilson Montessori

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Project Advisory Teams for Garden Oaks Montessori, Pilgrim Academy and Wilson Montessori spent two days last week in a design charrette, where they worked with architects and facilities planners to put together initial design concepts for their schools.

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Steady encouragement, support lead to success for HISD students with autism

This week marks the end of Autism Awareness Month, so we asked some of our parents of students with autism about their families’ experiences with HISD, to find out what they felt contributed the most to their students’ successes.

Noah poses with a trophy he won in a robotics competition.

Noah poses with a trophy he won in a robotics competition.

Kristi Anders, the parent of a 12-year-old who is finishing up his last year in elementary school, says her son has flourished at two different campuses due to the inclusive environments created there by caring staff members.

“Noah’s teachers and principal at Garden Oaks Montessori were so accepting and supportive of him,” she said. “He has had to learn his limits and figure out what works for him and what doesn’t, but we bought him noise-reducing headphones and he learned to tell people when they were in his personal space. His teacher would also send him on errands or to get a drink of water when she could see he was getting frustrated. In the third grade, Noah’s friends voted him class president.”

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Local chamber of commerce recognizes Heights-area educators

Two HISD employees were recognized recently for their contributions to the education of Heights-area children.

Shakiri Hooper, a clerk at Garden Oaks Montessori, has been named the Paraprofessional of the Year, while Joyce Rogers, an instructional specialist at Waltrip High School, was named the Educator of the Year by the Greater Heights Area Chamber of Commerce.

Nominees were judged by a committee on the basis of their experience and evidence of leadership, service, and dedication to making a difference in students’ lives.

“Ms. Hooper is extremely hard-working and goal-oriented,” wrote Garden Oaks Principal Lindsey Pollock. “She is a team player who seeks win-win solutions even when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds.”

“Joyce has served as a role model not only for staff, but also for students,” said former Waltrip High School Principal Andria Schur. “She takes a personal interest in motivating people to be their personal best, while also challenging them to serve as models and motivators to those around them.”

Both women will be formally recognized during the organization’s annual education luncheon on May 18.

Garden Oaks becomes first public school to participate in Montessori Model UN

GOMont_MMUN_300Almost two dozen seventh- and eighth-graders from Garden Oaks Montessori are in the process of making history for HISD.

The students are participating in the Midwest Regional Middle School Conference of the Montessori Model United Nations (MMUN) on March 13 and 14 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and according to Principal Lindsey Pollock, this is the very first time a public school has done so.

“This is only our first year to have a Model UN, but the experience is life-changing for students,” said Dr. Pollock. “Our kids will meet people from across the country and they have researched topics that are impacting lives all over the world. It broadens their horizons and helps them recognize our inter-connectedness and our responsibility in making the world a better place.”

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High school students lead STEM lesson for elementary, middle students

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Booker T. Washington High School teacher Dr. Nghia Le and his students recently led hands-on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities for students and parents at Garden Oaks Montessori.

Students collaborated in their efforts to design the perfect landing vehicle for their precious cargo – an egg. Students worked together in small groups and learned that sometimes failure is part of the process for scientists who learn from practice in order to perfect a design.  Continue reading →

Fund for Teachers helps Garden Oaks educator renew her adventurous spirit

Deadline to apply for next year’s Fund for Teacher grants is Thursday, Jan. 29

When Shana Steinhardt applied for a Fund for Teachers grant earlier this year, she did so for a very specific reason.

Garden Oaks Montessori teacher Shana Steinhardt milks a camel (or a yak) while on a trip to Mongolia this summer. The trip was underwritten by a grant from Fund for Teachers.

Garden Oaks Montessori teacher Shana Steinhardt milks a yak while on a trip to Mongolia this summer. The trip was underwritten by a grant from Fund for Teachers.

“After 15 years of teaching, I risked becoming stagnant,” said the Garden Oaks Montessori social studies teacher. So to expand her knowledge of Asian culture, history, and ecology, Steinhardt traveled to the steppes of Mongolia, where she met with six different herding families living a nomadic lifestyle.

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Board of Education to consider design contracts for remaining projects under 2012 bond program

Administrators are recommending that the HISD Board of Education authorize the district to negotiate design contracts with 13 firms on the remaining 14 projects within the 2012 bond program.

The latest round of contract recommendations comes ahead of schedule in response to the booming construction market in Houston. Although architect selections for schools in Groups 3 and 4 of the program weren’t slated to take place until next year, the district wanted to move forward as quickly as possible to minimize the impact of escalating construction inflation.

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