St. Stephen's Episcopal School Houston

St. Stephen’s Episcopal School of Houston, founded in 1971, is a small private school located in Houston, Texas. The initial educational intentions of the school targeted younger students; the school currently admits children from the age of eighteen months to the age of eighteen years. The St. Stephen’s mission is to "nurture the gifts and character of each student to inspire academic success, spiritual growth, and compassionate, responsible citizenship." [http://www.ssesh.org/Welcome.html] The school utilizes Maria Montessori’s philosophy to help accomplish the school’s mission.

The school is associated with the St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, which incorporates a weekly church service into the students’ agenda.

St. Stephen's is one of two Montessori-inspired high school programs in the Southwestern United States and the third in the United States.Fact|date=April 2008

Lower School

The [http://www.ssesh.org/LS.html lower school] of St. Stephen’s ranges from eighteen months, the orientation program, to twelve years, upper elementary. The lower school is designed to focus on developing a student’s overall comprehension of independence. In addition, these programs teach students to bestow respect towards others.

The beginning stages of the lower school, such as the primary and orientation programs, focus on developing a student's social, motor, and language skills. In addition, the lower school focuses on building the student’s confidence level through means of encouragement; the students are encouraged to explore their surroundings, attempt new challenges, and work at a pace with materials of their choosing.

Middle School

The St. Stephen's Middle School was established in 1991. [http://www.ssesh.org/MS.html Middle school] students, seventh to eighth grade, are encouraged to continuously question and critique ideas. The school promotes basic Montessori principles (Indepence, working at your own pace, etc.). In addition, the program addresses the many intellectual, social, and creative needs of the students.

Students are taught how to care for those in society by participating in community service projects and social events. In addition, the students run what is known as “Salad Bar,” where the students prepare food to serve to the entire school. The money earned from Salad Bar finances a trip for students and faculty at the end of the school year.

The middle school curriculum includes computer skills, creative and factual writing, fine arts, language arts, mathematics, physical fitness, science, social studies, Spanish, and French.

High School

The St. Stephen’s [http://www.ssesh.org/HS.html high school] , established in 1998, provides both a college-preparatory and Montessori environment for the students. The high school focuses on developing a student’s intelligence, social life, and overall wellness through rigorous curricular requirements.

High school activities are designed to develop students' communication and critical thinking skills. Students are challenged to meet deadlines based on individual academic ability, building self-confidence.

Students are encouraged to respect others by listening and understanding another student’s opinion and then learning more regarding their opinion through friendly debate. The school instills the understanding, respect, and appreciation for cultural and personal differences. In addition, the community is encouraged to share and discuss their cultural background and personal beliefs in relation to the world and life.

St. Stephen's competes in the Texas Christian Athletic League, and the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools, in flag football, soccer, tennis, and volleyball. Every student is eligible to participate in the school’s athletics programs, and all students are encouraged to participate in at least one sport during.

The high school has been unable to achieve many awards for their sports teams; however, in the 2005 flag football season, the team achieved seven wins, with only one loss, and placed fourth in the post-season.

The current flag football season and stats can be found [http://gaijin15.googlepages.com/home here]

The first graduating class was in 2002.

Trips

During the school year, classes ranging from 1st grade to 12th grade, through school funding, take trips to different parts of the country [http://www.ssesh.org/trips.html] . Grades first through sixth, on different occasions, go to Camp Allen for a three-day period. In addition, fourth and fifth graders go to Camp Champions for four days, while the sixth graders go to Barrier Island in South Carolina for five days.

During the two year program, the middle school (seventh and eighth graders) go to Mo Ranch, Belize, and Washington D.C. for a five to six-day period.

During the four-year program, the high school (ninth to twelfth graders) goes to various places in the United States, the Yucatan, and other various locations in the World for a six to seven-day period.

In addition, St. Stephen’s students take field trips to Jones Hall and other music venues in Houston, Texas. Public transportation is usually utilized on these field trips, to preserve the environment.

See also

* Montessori method
** Camp Champions
** Camp Allen
** Mo Ranch

External links

* [http://www.ssesh.org St. Stephen's Episcopal School Houston's Website]
* [https://www.edline.net/pages/St__Stephen_s_Episcopal_School St. Stephen's Episcopal School Houston's Website (A.K.A.: Edline)] Also known as ParentNet

ee also

* [http://students.wikia.com/wiki/St._Stephen's_Episcopal_School_Houston St. Stephen's Episcopal School Houston's Mini Wiki]