School News
Weekly Wolverine
June 1, 2009
Update from the Head of School
Dear Parents,
Our graduation ceremony last Thursday night for the class of 2009 was a moving occasion. This is truly a very special group of students. Each senior gave a short speech thanking family and special teachers. Our seniors talked about how Woodlands Prep made such a difference in their lives. Four of our graduates joined the Woodlands Prep family for their junior and senior years and talked about how happy they are with their decision to come to our school. Thanks to our staff and student body for making this a very special place. I would like to thank Mrs. Amanda Smith for doing a great job coordinating the ceremony. The seniors were very appreciative of all Mrs. Smith has done to guide them through their senior year and for her help in keeping them on track during their college admissions process.
Thanks to our teachers, parent volunteers, and students for a great afternoon at the Math Blast. Each station had a math application while providing an entertaining way to look at learning math.
Lower school will have special recognition of the cheerleaders and the show choir at 8:15 a.m. on June 2nd. Thanks to all of you for all of your hard work and many performances this year.
Middle and upper school students will attend an awards ceremony Thursday June 4th at 10:00 a.m. All students will be dismissed at noon on June 4th our last day of school.
Final exams for 5th – 11th grade will be June 1st through June 4th. Students will have two exams per day. We will dismiss at noon to allow students additional review time and to limit testing to no more than two finals per day. The schedule for 5th -11th grade only is listed below. Kindergarten through 4th grade students will have normal release days until June 4th where everyone gets out at noon for the last day of school
Monday, 1-June Tuesday, 2 - June Wednesday, 3 - June Thursday, 4 - June
8:00 – 9:55 8:00 – 9:55 8:00 – 9:55 8:00 – 9:55
1st Period Final 2nd Period Final 4th Period Final 6th Period Final
10:00 – 12:00 10:00 – 12:00 10:00 – 12:00 10:00 – 12:00
7th Period Final 3rd Period Final 5th Period Final Ceremony/Awards
Ken West
Head of School
Notes from the PYP
PYP Authorization Journey
For Woodlands Prep School, the International Baccalaureate PYP journey began in 2007 with an application for candidacy being submitted to the head office in New York City. Fueled by the enthusiasm and commitment by our staff, administration, board and family members, our improvements to our program have been ongoing. On June 1, 2008, Woodlands Prep submitted application for authorization. The authorization journey requires many hours of discussion, planning, reflecting and fine tuning in order to become an IB World School. All PYP teachers will participate in professional training next week in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the requirements associated as well as continue their desire to include best teaching practices in the classroom. I leave you with this note:
The Important Thing about the PYP
It is all of us, asking questions and learning new things all the time.
It means that we have to think in new and different ways.
It requires us to work in many groups and also to work on our own.
It shows that we are all important and valued
BUT, the important thing about the PYP is inquiry.
Have a wonderful summer.
Linda Johnson
ljohnson@woodlandsprep.org
Counselor’s Corner
We are looking for WPS students (6th-12th grade) to volunteer for our summer camp. If your son/daughter is interested in volunteering please have them sign the volunteer form on Mrs. Smith’s office door. This is a great opportunity for students to earn community service hours.
Week 1: June 22-June 26
Week 2: June 28- July 3
Week 3: July 6- July 10
Juniors and sophomores! Now is the time to think about enrolling in a Testmasters or Princeton review SAT preparation summer course! Both programs offer summer courses in The Woodlands and surrounding areas! Click on the web sites or call to learn more:
www.testmasters.com or 281-276-7777;
Princeton Review www.princetonreview.com or 800-273-8439.
Congratulations to Sean Eli for his recognition last week at Texas A & M. Sean was recognized for his outstanding achievement on the Duke TIP. The Duke University Talent Identification Program is a global leader in identifying academically gifted students and providing them with innovative programming to support their development.
Hats off to all of our seniors, we are so proud of you all!
Hayley Morgan Bourgeois: St. Edward’s University
John George Hanna: Hendrix College
Andrew Chase Korkmas: Baylor University
Teagan Mary Lehrmann: Harvard University
Rhonda Amelia Nasser: Texas Tech University
Katy Lyn Spearman: Georgia Institute of Technology
Chelsea Ann Wylie: Austin College
Marco Antonio Flores: University of California, Irvine
Melissa Arteaga Placencia: Monterrey Institute of Technology
From the Studio:
A View from Under the Umbrella
Student artists are busily working to complete their portfolios and last creations. Each student should arrive home with a portfolio and a sketchbook. Most sketchbooks have some empty pages which I encourage our artists to fill with observations, ideas, creations and notes as they journey through their summer activities. Whether packing for vacations, weekend excursions, summer camps or enrichment programs, encourage your child to pack his/her sketchbook. The sketchbook is an invaluable tool to capture those “ah-ha” moments or just to sketch the back of Mom’s head while she is driving or the new baby elephant at the zoo. Encourage strong compositional skills by taking photos; these often become prompts for future special paintings and sketches.
Thanks to all parents and to our WPS faculty, administration, and board for your many kindnesses as I began my first year here at WPS. It has been a joy to me to work with some many vibrant and dedicated teachers and so many creative and contemplative young artists.
When we return in the fall, we plan to host a showing of the oil paintings by 5th -11th grade students that are nearing completion. If you have an artist in this age group, most will be bringing home their paintings on Thursday in order to allow a little more dry time.
I hope everyone has a wonderful, colorful, artful summer, filled with images and memories that touch your heart. Help your artist observe and notice the many greens of summer, the colors of our bountiful produce and the rainbow of flowers, birds and insects. I will leave you with the words of Beauford Delaney, the 20th century African-American painter who faced many difficulties during his life. During America’s great depression he earned his living as a bellhop, telephone operator, doorman, and janitor. Delaney used his art work and particularly his use of color and texture to express his frustrations, inner struggles, celebrations, and memories. He advised: “I’m trying to merge color and form into the essence of things felt and remembered.” Let us encouraged our young artists to “feel and remember” the things that are important and to record and note them in their sketchbooks this summer. Help them “color” their worlds and thank you again for allowing me to join in that journey.
Best,
Sherry Morris-Imhoff (Mrs. Sherry)
Summer Reading Lists:
Woodlands Preparatory
Summer Enrichment: Middle and Upper School
Summer 2009
Summertime reading is a great way to keep your child’s mind active and enrich their summer lives. It also provides an opportunity for children and their parents to discuss together themes and ideas that such reading introduces. We encourage this dialogue, as it enhances understanding and brings parents and their children closer together. Below you will find the outside reading lists for each grade; note that each grade level has an assignment to choose from the appropriate list. There will be a variety of assessments for the summer reading, all of which will count as a grade in the upcoming fall semester.
Entering 6th: Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrik
Choose one more from the following HAISLN 6th grade reading list: http://www.haisln.org/images/HAISLN_6_2009_Reading_List.pdf
Entering 7th: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Shakespeare Stealer by Margaret Blackwood
Entering 8th: Fever 1793 by Laurie Anderson
The Goddess of Yesterday by Caroline B. Cooney
Entering 9th: Flowers for Algernon- Daniel Keyes
Mythology by Edith Hamilton
Pre-AP: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Entering 10th: Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achabe
Pre-AP: A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Entering 11th Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
AP students As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Entering 12th: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
AP students read any one book from http://als.lib.wi.us/Collegebound.html
Area Summer Reading Programs
Public Libraries: Texas Teens Read (ages 12-18): Sign up 10:00 am, June 8th at South Regional Library’s Summer Reading Kickoff Party. All teens who meet their personal Book Goal by July 29th are invited to attend the VIP End of Summer Reading Party. Prizes from: Barnes & Noble, Cinemark, Hollister, Best Buy, Life Way Christian Store and a GGP Mall Card.
Barnes & Noble: Summer Reading with Percy Jackson & the Olympians!
Pick up form at B&N (Grades 1st-6th): Read any 8 books & record them on the journal form, bring the completed form to B & N between May 26th and Sept. 7th, choose your free book from the B & N list. Your name will automatically be included in the drawing for an autographed Percy Jackson novel.
Borders: Reading Summer Challenge ’09! Pick up form at Borders (must be 12 or under): Read 8 books, list them on the Borders’ form, come back and choose one of the $4.99 Reading challenge items – as savings of 50% or more.
Scholastic: Summer Reading Challenge! Check it out at:
www.scholastic.com/summer . A web-based program designed to motivate all children to read 4 or more books over the summer. Kids sign up to be part of a team and read, earn points, play games, etc…
Reminder: Please return WPS Library books!
Please look for any WPS library books at home. The WPS library does not charge fines for late materials. However, you are required to pay replacement costs for any lost or damaged materials. Thank you and enjoy your summer!
Mrs. Adam
WPS Librarian
Wolverine Summer Adventures
We want to know how you are spending your summer!
Summer camp?
Road trip?
Relaxing by the pool?
Traveling abroad?
Reading a good book?
Just hanging out with your friends?
Send us a photo or postcard capturing your summer adventures. All photos and postcards will be displayed this summer and for everyone to see when school resumes in August.
wolverinesummer@gmail.com
The Woodlands Preparatory School
27440 Kuykendahl Road
Spring, TX 77389
Upcoming Events:
June 4th
What: Kindergarten Celebration
When: 10:30 a.m.
Where: WPS Library
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