Categories
Community

Delivering Smiles

By Nia Rasheed, ’11
Marketing Intern, Lakehill Preparatory School

When I was younger, we always knew that when my grandmother came into town we would have less responsibilities because she was always willing to help cook and clean. As she has gotten older and less independent, she has not been able to do various things, including cooking essential meals during the day. Thankfully, my grandmother has a friend volunteer to help her purchase food and make sure she is receiving the necessary things for her health.

Seeing the assistance that my grandmother needs allowed me to witness the importance of caring for senior citizens. As Marketing Intern, I have the privilege to participate in Meals on Wheels, a program motivated to increase the lifespan of seniors by providing health food and nutritionists facts. Through this program, I have the opportunity to deliver food to residents in the Dallas community.

The best part about participating in Meals on Wheels is seeing the smiles on the residents faces when they receive their meals. From the moment we walk in, we are greeted with hugs and gratitude. Knowing that your service may be the only love some of residents see that day makes the experience even better.

“Caring has the gift of making the ordinary special.” – George R. Bach

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Categories
Lower School Traditions

Three Simple Rules

By John Trout
Head of Lower School, Lakehill Preparatory School

How may rules did you have when you were in elementary school? I remember giant lists hanging on my classroom walls when I was growing up, and they all seemed to be telling me what I shouldn’t be doing. Ask any Lakehill Lower School student how many rules they have, and they can tell you. Three. Just three! And, rather than telling students which behaviors are unwanted, our rules remind children how a Lakehill student should behave. Students are expected to Be Safe, to Be Respectful, and to Welcome Others.

Such vague, nebulous rules don’t tell kids very much, and that’s their genius. They require students to think before they act, to imagine the natural consequences of their choices, and to craft a school environment that is warm and friendly. The Safety Rule reminds students to be aware of their surroundings and their bodies. When students push the boundaries, we, as teachers, ask them to tell us what could go wrong, and to decide how to correct the situation. The Respect Rule encourages empathy. Students are asked to imagine how a situation might look from another point of view, and to imagine how they would feel if roles were reversed. The Welcome Rule promotes togetherness. It reminds students to reach out to others to ensure that their peers feel wanted and have a place in the group.
This year, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of a special tradition in Lower School, the annual Triangle Rules Poster Contest. Dozens of Lower School students submitted posters to creatively remind their classmates of our Triangle Rules. The winners and runners up were celebrated at our Triangle Rules Assembly on Monday, October 17. The winning poster, a construction-themed illustration by third grader Madeline Jones, will be reproduced for display in every Lower School classroom and along the hallways as a year-long reminder of who Lakehill students are meant to be.
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Categories
College Readiness

Taking a Risk

By Heather Dondis
Director of College Counseling, Lakehill Preparatory School

Earlier this fall, I unintentionally performed a social experiment.  A representative from the University of Southern California was coming to present on the university and I had nearly 50 students signed up for the lunchtime visit.  The best place to accommodate this number of students and their lunches was obviously the lunchroom.  So I instructed the students who signed up for the visit to sit on the right side of the cafeteria.  Easy, right?  Well, little did I know how attached students were to their tables and their groups of friends.  I even heard one student say, “I guess I’ll learn more about USC,” as he didn’t want to move from his place, and he hadn’t signed up for the visit.

Fast forward a few weeks later.  At our annual presentation to our freshman and parents of freshman, we had a student panel of seniors offering their advice on how to be successful.  One piece of advice that they offered was to try something new, don’t just follow friends.

So this is my advice to students reading this blog…there are so many opportunities out there.  Do not let something pass you by because you were afraid to step out of your comfort zone.  Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School each has its unique set of activities and events.  College will offer you even more–some colleges have over 700 clubs and organizations!  And to parents reading this blog, encourage, but do not force your children to do something new.  Continue to offer new opportunities and be confident that something will click.

Life is too short to sit at the same lunch table every day.

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Categories
Environmental Education

Aquatic Adventures

Lakehill Preparatory School biology students recently spent five days in Galveston, adding hands-on experience to their classroom lessons. Students visited the NOAA turtle research facility in Galveston where they raise loggerhead sea turtles to use in testing the turtle exclusion devices required in all shrimp and fish nets. They visited the salt marsh and captured dozens of fish and invertebrates to discover what kind of animals live in that habitat. They also learned about the value of the salt marsh to human society, including its role in controlling flood waters, holding the soil in place, and detoxifying the water of chemical run-off from farms and urban areas. Students were also able to understand how freshwater rivers mix with ocean water by measuring the salinity and water clarity.

 

Students were able to sample marine life in the deeper water of the Houston Shipping Channel using a trawl net similar to what shrimpers use to haul in their catch. They caught a variety of fishes as well as a few invertebrates. They then returned to the salt marsh for a 2.5-mile kayak tour through small channels of water, allowing them to get a close-up view into salt grass habitats far from human disturbance. Students gained a better appreciation for the detail of this habitat by painting a water-color portrait of the scenery. “I think it helped students understand that we need both a scientific understanding of the biome and a personal artistic connection with the habitat to create policies to help preserve it for future generations,” said Biology teacher and trip sponsor Jeremy Holman.

 

The group enjoyed a tour of the Houston Museum of Natural Science, which houses one of the finest paleontology exhibits in the country. At Brazos Bend State Park, they hiked around the lakes that are home to a robust alligator population. They also participated in a space station simulation and had a star-gazing party hosted by professional astronomers at the George Observatory. In the simulation, students assumed roles in navigation, communication, engineering, geology, biology, life support, and medical to successfully land a probe on the surface of the moon. This team-building exercise is used by corporations throughout Houston, and Lakehill students solved every challenge in under an hour to complete the mission. Through the 36-inch domed telescopes, they were able to see Saturn and Mars, various star clusters, and several nebula (planet- or star-forming dust clouds) in deep space.

 

They ended their adventure with a visit to the Kemah Boardwalk, where they fed sardines to the stingrays in the aquarium and rode on the various amusement rides, including the famed Boardwalk Bullet wooden roller coaster.

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