Five and half miles away from Parish Episcopal School sits Leonides Gonzalez Cigarroa, M.D. Elementary School (Cigarroa), a PreK – 5th grade school serving 635 students, most of whom are considered disadvantaged – 96% to be exact. Of the 3rd – 5th grade students, 37% are not proficient in reading and 47% are not proficient in math. Since 2013, through its partnership with Commit! (a coalition of Dallas organizations working to benefit students throughout Dallas County, from cradle to career), Parish has formed a relationship with Cigarroa to serve the elementary school’s student body in several ways. Last year, Parish 6th graders, whose service focus is literacy, and  the Upper School Book Club collected more than 700 books so that each Cigarroa student could take a book home for summer reading. The 6th grade students also frequently visit Cigarroa to read to its 3rd grade students during the school day.

Likewise, Parish Upper School students have built a tutoring program for Cigarroa’s 3rd – 5th grade students that now includes Saturdays. Parish sophomore Amanda D'Auria is a part of the “10 Saturday Schools” and said, “I tutored my student in math [during the first session]... I am confident that by the end of the lesson he was feeling good about it. I hope to not only help him with his studies, but that we will develop a relationship where he feels like I am a big sister to him. I'm excited [to] go back!”

Adding to what is already a strong relationship, Parish community members came together this holiday season to help support the students of Cigarroa in another way.

Because of Parish faculty/staff, parents and students, the School was able to deliver: 50 new navy blue uniform pants for all ages; more than 180 new board games and puzzles that will help ease the burden of the holidays and bring joy to many Cigarroa families; and 20 large packing boxes full of snacks, because often a student’s last meal for the day is at school, and Cigarroa works to provide nutritional snacks to help fuel their students until the next school day. 

As highlighted in a recent DISD Common Sense newsletter, "Parish and Cigarroa are one great example of a mutually beneficial partnership" among public and private schools. As Parish students live the messages of the ParishLeads framework, by sharing their time, talents and donations with Cigarroa without expectation of rewards and empowering the potential in the Cigarroa students, they are also leading their own community by example.

Parish is grateful to work with its friends at Cigarroa, and thankful to the entire Parish community for its collective leadership through service to others this holiday season. 

The new CEO of Perot Museum of Nature and Science visited Parish Episcopal School to tour the STEM design spaces and meet with school leadership. Colleen Walker met with Head of School Dave Monaco and Director of STEM Education Jennifer Makins, and discussed the organizations’ common commitment to the goal of increasing knowledge and understanding across all STEM subjects — science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Parish is proud to have a close partnership with the Museum, with more than five years of collaborative study and programs.

Walker was visiting in advance of the First LEGO League (FLL) Regional qualifying tournament which was held at Parish on December 13. Parish has also been selected by the Perot as the host of the 2015 FLL Regional Championship Tournament, and the School is honored to host more than 500 qualifying robotics students from across the entire region in February.

The Perot Museum is the Affiliate and Operational Partner for the North Texas Region of FLL, and coordinates and oversees all FLL events for the North Texas area. The largest of these events is the Regional Championship Tournament, which will be held at Parish on February 14, 2015.

From the Perot Museum Website:

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen to foster interest and participation in science and technology. Based in Manchester, NH, FIRST inspires young people to be science and technology leaders by engaging them in exciting, mentor-based programs that build math, science, and technology skills—abilities that, in turn, lead to a more well-rounded life through greater self-confidence, communication, and leadership. This invaluable mission is shared by the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. As a research and informal science education institution, we believe that children learn best when they overcome challenges through hands-on learning, project design, and experimentation. It’s an experience that gives them the opportunity to view science as a process, rather than merely an end result. This is why we are proud to support the North Texas Regional Tournament.

FIRST LEGO® League (FLL) is one of four competitive levels designed by FIRST, using LEGO® Mindstorms NXT robotics kids as its platform. Aimed at an international audience of students ages 9 through 14, this competition teaches real-world problem solving through engineering design and teamwork. Beyond the events, FLL also works closely with schools and other youth-based organizations to transform the perception of science and technology—inspiring kids who might not otherwise have found a love for these fields to pursue further studies and career paths in science and technology.

In 2008, the Museum became the Affiliate and Operational Partner for the North Texas Region. The Museum coordinates and oversees all FLL events for the North Texas area. The largest of these events is the Regional Championship Tournament, typically held in January or February of each year.

The Parish Episcopal football team is seeking out a second State Championship title this weekend.

The Panthers will play Dallas Christian in the battle for state Saturday, December 6  in Corsicana.

As a PreK-12 school, Parish has continued their traditions of including all ages in the team excitement. From the smallest members of the Cub Club who run out before the team during every home game, to the Middle and Upper School students who come out in full force to support the team, this has been a community-wide event this season. 

TAPPS Division II Football State Championship
Saturday, December 6^th
Parish Episcopal vs. Dallas Christian
7:00 p.m., Tiger Stadium (6:00 p.m. tailgate)
3701 W State Highway 22
Corsicana, Texas

Housed within the walls of the innovative I.M. Pei designed school in North Dallas is more than 12,000 square feet of “maker space” for STEM and innovative designs and thinking, and many leading educators are taking notice.

These spaces have been turning heads and creating discussions in public and Independent schools nationwide, and many administrators are taking time to travel to Parish Episcopal School in Dallas to see these spaces in action and bring ideas back to their own schools. From the CEO of the National Math and Science initiative to leaders of top independent schools, Parish is excited to share these facilities and discuss future ideas.

The emphasis that Parish Episcopal School puts on STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math - provides inspiration and resources for all students in PreK – 12^th grade, and the three spaces they have dedicated reinforce their commitment to this initiative.

In the fall of 2013, Parish celebrated the opening of its hands-on, learning kitchen – The Fleeger Family Kitchen. As part of the Beasley STEM Center, the kitchen serves every Hillcrest campus student (PreK – 2^nd grade) in their daily learning experiences. Their traditional disciplines are combined with creativity, collaboration and critical thinking skills in the technologically enhanced facility.  The Nausler Family Garden, also a part of the Beasley STEM Center, opened in the spring of 2014. The garden offers an environmental testing ground for seeds, sunlight and plants which yield useable fruits and vegetables, planted and tended by PreK – 2^nd grade students.

In the awe-inspiring Design Den, Upper School and Middle School students can work toward building an entry in the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge, qualifying for regionals in the FIRST® LEGO® League robotics competition or reaching the semifinals of the Dallas BEST™ robotics tournament. The Design Den is equipped with a welding shed, 3D printer, a new ShopBot CNC Router for prototypes, and countless materials and tools for student use.

When students became more invested and involved in the classes offered in these spaces, Parish built a third space to meet the increasing demand for STEM programs – the Little Den on the lower level of the Midway campus.

As STEM initiatives are implemented in many schools nationwide, Parish developed a program for their earliest learners to develop a solid foundation. This forward thinking model was created to prepare their students who are looking to gain the competitive edge needed in today’s technologically driven world. STEM is embedded across all divisions providing what the school describes as “more opportunities for relevant hands-on applications, ensuring that Parish graduates will be the innovative doctors, scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs of the 21st century.” When Parish looked to expand its programs, it turned toward Stanford University's Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, which has been recognized for introducing the problem-solving concept known as "design-thinking" to educators and students.

Dave Monaco, Parish’s Allen Meyer Family Head of School, has a solid commitment to the learning philosophies implemented at Parish and affords Parish’s faculty to visit places such as Stanford, Georgia Tech’s Invention Studio and the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen at Rice University to further their own strategies for implementing STEM-thinking throughout the Parish curriculum, and not just in STEM-based classes.

The design-thinking, maker-space programs weave together traditional classroom learning with hands-on curiosity. Students working in the Parish, Inc. class, which gives Middle School students an opportunity to develop business plans, work on product prototypes to take to market. Art students use the welding shed for metal sculptures, and aspiring fashion designers use the space to sew fabrics and create costumes.

In the Little Den, 3rd graders have been building the obstacles for their miniature golf course holes. After designing the obstacles, they have been in the shop using the band saws and drill/screw drivers.

With design thinking, potential solutions of products, processes or services can take the form of brainstorming sessions, making model prototypes using simple materials like white boards, markers or computers, and ideas can be adjusted quickly based on group feedback.

Parish continues to develop new tools and spaces to stay steps ahead of the ever changing STEM landscape, and to be innovative to ensure the positive future of STEM education. It’s Monaco’s goal that Parish students have a front row seat to that future, and he looks forward to welcoming many more visitors to tour the STEM facilities this year.