Previous editions of The Hallway
Friday, April 19, is Early Dismissal for Teacher In-Service.
On In-Service days, students enrolled in Gap Care or After Care (Monday – Friday) will continue to receive care as follows.
- 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM: students enrolled in Before Care and Gap Care
- 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM: students enrolled in Before Care and After Care
- 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM: students enrolled in Gap Care
- 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM: students enrolled in After Care
Students not enrolled in Gap Care or After Care may receive care if purchased at least 2 business days prior to the date of In-Service Care or Conference Care. Purchase In-Service Care here: https://ssesh.org/extendedcare/
The Montessori Event 2024
Standing Together at The Montessori Event 2024: A Recap of the American Montessori Society’s Annual Conference
More than 4,000 educators from across the globe—representing 900 schools and teacher education programs in 25 countries—gathered virtually and in person in Orlando for The Montessori Event 2024. During these dynamic four days, attendees heard from over 275 inspiring speakers, attended 170+ engaging sessions, discovered new resources offered by 120 vendors in the online and in-person exhibit hall, and much more. This year’s event featured a “Standing Together Student Showcase” with art created by Montessori students and expanded Days of Collective Action activities.
Following an exciting introductory video, American Montessori Society (AMS) executive director Munir Shivji energized the crowd and set the tone for the weekend. He reminded attendees that The Event is not just an opportunity to celebrate the enduring legacy of Dr. Maria Montessori but is also a time to collaborate with colleagues and prepare for the bright future of Montessori education. He encouraged everyone to reflect on the principles, goals, and values that drive their commitment to Montessori philosophy, education, and the betterment of our communities and world. In-person attendees wrote their response on placards that they held up and shared with their colleagues.
In his speech, Munir addressed the key themes of the profound impact of Montessori, global community-building, and research and innovation. He recapped AMS achievements from the past year, including the contributions of the 2023 Living Legacies Susie and David Shelton-Dodge; the AMS Regional Symposium and other travels across the US, Asia, and Europe; the Labposium events held in the US and China; the work of the Innovation Fellowship Think Tank; and the graduates of the AMS Teacher Education Instructor Academy. He also announced exciting plans for the year ahead including the release of an updated 2024 version of Dr. Peggy Loeffler’s work “Montessori in Contemporary Culture;” the new “Educating the Human Potential” podcast launching in the spring; and the Montessori Action Research Summit.
Watch the Montessori Event Kickoff Video featuring Ian, Micah, Peter, Ms. Liz, Eva, Sofia, Rohan, William, and many more St. Stephen’s students!
With the help of the Annual Fund, Ms. Celia Hughes and Ms. Nahla Nasser attended the Montessori Event.
Did you know that St. Stephen’s is finishing up the AMS self-study, due on May 1? St. Stephen’s acknowledges the teachers and administrators who have dedicated many days to the process of evaluating and celebrating the Montessori principles in practice at our school.
STEAM @ SSESH – Monday, April 8
The clouds parted for just a moment — long enough for students to experience the eclipse at 94% totality — on Monday, April 8. Students in Kindergarten and above also enjoyed presentations by the Texas Wildlife Association. Many thanks to Ms. Celia and Ms. Kim for organizing a day of STEAM @ SSESH.
Girl Scouts Need Your Help!
SSESH! Junior Girl Scouts are working on their Bronze award and need your help. We are collecting used T-shirts to make into dog toys for donation to the Houston Humane Society. Please join us to increase our impact, you can help in the following ways:
- We are collecting used T-shirts from April 15th through the 26th in the Upper El classroom area. T-shirts with stains and holes are acceptable! These will be made into materials for dog toys.
- Join us on May 5th from 3 to 5 to help build dog and cat toys for the Houston Humane Society. Details to follow.
Thank you for supporting Girl Scouts!
Scroll through the images to see APRIL Events
Scroll through the images to see MAY Events
Join Us for some Derby fun on Saturday, May 4, 2024, from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Havens Center!
Put on your favorite hat, bow ties, and frills.
Get ready to come out and enjoy some thrills!
Southern cuisine, charm, a silent auction, and more.
Just wait until you see what else is in store!
Please come out and support St. Stephen’s Episcopal School at Hats & Hooves: A Derby Fundraiser. Hats & Hooves benefits Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math (STEAM) @ SSESH.
Tickets and tables are on sale now on the Hats & Hooves web page.
Dear St. Stephen’s Families,
We are looking forward to the South by St. Stephen’s (SXSS) Showcase on May 6 at 6 pm in Pecore Hall. For families familiar with Coffee House, the SXSS Showcase will continue to feature student talent in the form of solo performances. New this year, we will be adding previews of the SXSS week ahead and bilingual performances led by Ms. Gi as follows.
- Primary – “Hello to All the Children of The World” (We encourage Primary students to wear clothes that represent their heritage or culture.)
- Select Upper El Students – “Mix of the World”
- Middle Years – “We are the World Bilingual Version”
Kindergarten through 8th-grade students are invited to submit via this form – https://ssesh.org/sxss-showcase-signups/ – their act of 3 minutes or less. We would ask that students only submit one solo performance proposal.
Students will present their performance piece to Ms. Grace (aka the “audition”) so that we can place the performance in the run of show and, importantly, so that Ms. Grace can work with the students in advance of the SXSS Showcase on May 6. For these reasons, we are asking for all performances to be submitted by Monday, April 22, 2024.
Please take this opportunity to encourage your student in K-8th to put forward their best foot and courageously sign up to be part of the SXSS Showcase. We will endeavor to give as many students as possible an opportunity to perform either before or during the SXSS Showcase. Please reach out to Ms. Grace (hsung@ststephenshouston.org) if you have any questions.
It’s a great day to be a Bulldog!
With gratitude,
Troy
Troy P. Roddy, Ph.D., Head of School
Clothing Drive for CCSC
‘Please bring your gently worn clothes to the School (Gathering Area by the main reception desk) for our community partner, Christian Community Service Center (CCSC), between April 7 and May 5, 2024! Men’s and children’s clothing is particularly needed. Underwear and socks must be new and in a wrapper. The mission of CCSC is to serve the poor, hungry, disabled, and otherwise needy while respecting their religious, ethnic, or cultural differences. Visit www.ccschouston.org to learn more.
Bulldog Compliments
At St. Stephen’s, we have an easy way for anyone in the St. Stephen’s community to show their appreciation for a faculty, staff, or leadership team member. We call it sending a “Bulldog Compliment.”
Here is how it works. Click the Send A Bulldog Compliment image and follow the prompts. It only takes a few clicks, and you are done.
All compliments are anonymous and will be sent to the person (or persons) you choose to recognize. There is no limit to how many you can send, so be as generous as you wish!