September 2007
Betsy Ross, a.k.a. Ginny Evans, TPS grandmother, recently showed students how she designed the first American flag. Students in the Laurel Oak and Post Oak classes heard a presentation by the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution about the Revolutionary War, including what soldiers wore and the different flags used during battle. |
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Nancy Bewley wins Oustanding Principal
June 2007
Parish School Principal Nancy Bewley was honored in June as the Houston CPA Society’s Outstanding Principal for 2007.
She was recognized for her record of student achievement, recognition as an instructional leader, development of innovative programs, involvement in civic and community activities and the school’s high daily average school attendance. The award included a $1000 cash gift to be used for the purchase of educational materials.
Additionally, Bewley received commendations from her professional peers and The Parish School community in support of her nomination for this distinguished honor and in praise of her achievements and professionalism.
“Nancy maintains a high level of professional performance in her staff. It has been my experience in working with schools that the quality in the classroom is in direct proportion to the quality at the helm,” Ann Neyland, a Speech Language Pathologist at the Speech and Language Remediation Center, said.
Nancy received praise, too, from her employees for her leadership on campus.
“She is the most positive, compassionate and involved principal I’ve ever had the pleasure to know, and she is always willing to think outside traditional parameters to meet the needs of the children and families she is serving,” Ginny Buschbom, former Assistant Director of Admissions and Family Services at The Parish School, said.
While elementary school principals serve many functions, the most important is the ability to educate a child. While Nancy maintains a high record of achievement in her student body, her approach to her job has made her stand out among Parish parents as well.
“I know that she has made a difference in the life of my child and I will be forever grateful for her leadership at this unique and special school,” Christi Coster, former Parish School parent, said.
She has held her position as principal of The Parish School for three years and has a history of excellence in her professional endeavors. Her past commendations include Cy-Fair ISD Teacher of the Year in 1997 and The Parish School Teacher of the Year in 2001.
Bewley is a certified and licensed Speech-Language Pathologist and is certified to teach special education for students in Pre-K through grade four. She is active in her involvement with many professional organizations, including the Houston Association for the Education of Young Children, the Houston Branch of the International Dyslexia Association, The Texas Speech Language and Hearing Association and the American Speech Language and Hearing Association. She currently serves as President of the Houston Association of Communication Disorders.
The Houston CPA Society, a Chapter of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, was organized in 1928 for the purpose of networking and social interaction. In the 1940s the Chapter began offering continuing education for its members. Since then the organization has become a permanent source of continuing education as well as a professional network for CPAs, not only in Houston, but throughout Texas. With a membership base of 8,000 CPAs from a 13-county area, the Chapter is the largest CPA Chapter in Texas and larger than 42 state CPA societies.
The Parish School and Neuhaus Education Center form Partnership to Provide Teacher Training
June 2007
The Parish School has partnered with The Neuhaus Education Center to provide specialized training for school staff.
Through a generous scholarship award from The Neuhaus Education Center, sixteen Parish School teachers will be continuing training to meet the unique needs of the population at The Parish School.
“The Parish School provides a tremendous service to students who need assistance with spoken and written language,” Kay Allen, Neuhaus Education Center Director, said. “Neuhaus Education Center is eager to collaborate with schools committed to implementing the training their teachers receive. This training will help students become better readers with brighter futures.”
Parish School Principal Nancy Bewley plans for all elementary teachers and speech-language pathologists at the school complete the coursework required to be eligible to apply for Certified Academic Language Therapist status.
“Our students learn differently and teachers need to be able to have a variety of teaching approaches to reach all learners, especially struggling readers or students with dyslexia,” Bewley said. “These courses will give our elementary teachers additional instructional tools to provide the most effective instruction to Parish students.”
Certified Academic Language Therapists undergo extensive training in order to specialize in the remediation of learning problems associated with written language such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, developmental reading disorder, disorders of written language, and other related language learning disabilities. In addition to rigorous coursework, eligible applicants must complete many hundreds of clinical hours and pass a qualifying exam, as well as other requirements.