Parish Episcopal School

Infobox_School2
name = Parish Episcopal School


established = 1972
motto = Wisdom, Honor, Service
type = Independent School, Episcopal
head_name = Head of School
head = Gloria H. Snyder
city = Dallas
state = Texas
country = USA
campus = 50 acres
faculty = 150
students = 1,187
free_label = Student:Teacher ratio
free = 8:1
mascot = Panther
free_label = Athletics
free = 15 varsity sports - boys & girls
website = [http://www.parishepiscopal.org www.parishepiscopal.org]

The Parish Episcopal School is a co-educational early developmental and preparatory day school located on two campuses in Dallas, Texas, USA. The school begins at pre-kindergarten and continues through the senior year in high school.

History

For three decades the school (formerly The Parish Day School) has offered an enriched academic environment which has become well known for its contributions toward the development of students' confidence, spiritual anchoring, and inclusive outlook. Parish was founded in 1972 for students through the elementary grades. The school began its 9-12 program with the addition of 50 ninth graders in the Fall of 2003. [http://parishepiscopal.org/]

The school today

Parish graduated its first senior class of approximately 46 students in May 2007 and 75 students graduated in May 2008. In five years, the Upper School has grown tremendously from 50 students to 380, from 5 teachers to more than 45. Guiding the school’s program and environment is The Parish Episcopal School mission: to provide an enriching and challenging educational experience within a Christian community of service and worship. In its efforts to afford students an enriched academic experience, the Upper School curriculum progresses from strong basic college preparation in the humanities and sciences to the challenges of AP curriculum in math, English, history, sciences, world languages, fine arts and computer. Students are expected to take a course of study which meets the requirements of major colleges and universities. Yet each is also encouraged to take risks, explore avenues of special interest, and combine studies with a healthy menu of extracurricular activities. [http://parishepiscopal.org/]

Announced in May of 2007, the school is conducting a nationwide search for a new head of school. Current head of school, Gloria Snyder plans to retire in June of 2009, after twenty-nine memorable and special years. The Board of Trustees has carefully selected a committee in which all of the members are capable and willing to give extreme thought and time into this difficult process. The committee realizes that they are choosing a head of school for everyone associated with the school and are making sure that they receive lots of input from the staff, faculty, parents, and all others involved. The latest update on the search occurred on April 14, 2008, in which the committee stated that they are "pleased to announce the completion of the profile to guide the search for the new Head of School". They have also said that they will not have many updates on the search until October. Although no one will ever be able to replace the current head of school, Gloria Snyder, Parish is eager to bring a new member into the community to better the school even further and create new traditions.

Campus life

The Parish Midway campus comprises a state-of-the-art facility centered around a convert|337000|sqft|m2|sing=on academic building designed by the world renowned architecture team of I.M. Pei & Henry N. Cobb. A former Exxon/Mobil office complex, the building and its 50 acres have undergone a dramatic transformation from research center to an independent elementary and secondary school. The building’s soaring atrium has become a lively, central dining hall. The corridors are spacious walkways filled with natural light. Many of the classrooms overlook Farmer's Branch Creek that flows along the north side of the campus. A two-story library has been retrofitted from a research center for Exxon/Mobil to a center for younger researchers, Parish Episcopal’s middle, high school and upper elementary students. The new Upper School includes science labs, a teaching darkroom, classrooms with smart boards, a world languages lab, and a counseling center. Each faculty member enjoys an individual office space. Surrounding this central building are wonderful new athletic facilities complete with gymnasium and playing fields and stadium. The original Hillcrest Campus is located convert|5|mi|km east of Midway on the grounds of The Church of the Transfiguration. The Hillcrest environment provides the instructional spaces for the school’s pre-k through grade 2. [http://parishepiscopal.org/]

School colors, uniforms and Panther Pride

The school colors are red, blue, and white. The lower school uniform consists of a red plaid jumper with a puffy, white dress shirt underneath and simple white and black Keds for girls, and a white dress shirt with navy blue pants or shorts complete with a belt and black tennis shoes for boys. The current school uniform for middle and upper school consists of saddle-oxfords complete with knee socks, white dress shirts or polo shirts, and a red and navy plaid skirt for girls. With the exception of seniors, who gain the privilege of wearing navy blue shirts and knee socks. This privilege is shown great honor and respect by younger students, who await their turn to wear blue. For boys, the uniform consists of the same that is worn at the Hillcrest campus. However, in sixth grade the choice to wear a polo shirt is available. For upper-schoolers part of the Eucharist dress uniform is wearing a navy blue blazer and traditional navy blue ties, yellow for the senior boys. The girls in grades kindergarden through six wear ties that form a bow. While girls in grades seven through twelve must wear traditional men's ties. Students are referred to only as "Parish Panthers" and there is some great interaction between students of all ages in the school's Legacy program.

Religious life

A Christian school firmly rooted in the Episcopal tradition, Parish is an inclusive community grounded in respect and honor for each of its members. The religious pluralism of the school community provides a magnificent opportunity to foster the spiritual formation of its students from a variety of faith traditions. The phrase a “Christian community of service and worship” is incorporated into every aspect of student life and community service is required of each student. There are daily enriching chapel services and a weekly formal Eucharist service. The chapel services at the Hillcrest campus take place in the beautifully crafted Church of Transfiguration. Complete with stained glass windows and high ceilings it is a wonderful place for young children to discover and grow. The weekly eucharist services at the Midway campus provide an opportunity for all students in grades 5-12 to join together in praising and worshiping God. This service is complete with dress uniform, choral offerings from the middle school choir and Parish singers, and student servers who help to provide the communion. It is a formal and enriching time that students can cherish each week as they grow together in wisdom, honor, and service. Beginning in 8th grade there is a world religions study which is required and lower grades take part in age-appropriate religion classes. [http://parishepiscopal.org/]

Visual and Performing arts

The Parish Fine Arts Department is the hub of culture at Parish Episcopal School. Its dedicated team of professionally trained teachers brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the department. From pre-kindergarten through high school, Parish students are encouraged to express themselves through a variety of visual and performing arts. Parish offers its lower school students a chance to explore music, colors, art materials and techniques, shapes, patterns, and textures. As students move into the upper elementary and middle school grades, they are introduced to art and music from different cultures, as well as theory concepts. Students also receive continued choral training and are encouraged to audition for school productions. Middle and Upper School students learn photography, ceramics, studio art and sculpture, as well as drama productions, such as Flowers for Algernon, Footloose and Steel Magnolias, the school's first Student-directed play. [http://parishepiscopal.org/]

Achievements

In spite of its young years, the Upper School has realized significant achievement from its students. Seven of the 2007 seniors received recognition through the National Merit Scholarship competition. Student performance has been rewarded with successful achievement on 81% of AP exams. [http://parishepiscopal.org/] In athletics, teams won championships in golf, tennis & swimming/diving through TAPPS state competitions. [http://www.tapps.net] Numerous district and regional championships have also been won continuing the school's long history of successfully combining academics and athletics. Middle school students received an article in the Dallas Morning News for their performance of the play, The Diviners. Student leadership is a high priority at the school with Student Government, Honor Council, the Community Service Leadership Board, yearbook, the student newspaper, Multicultural Club, Parish Singers, and National Honor Society among the many formal offerings to students.

External links

* [http://www.ParishEpiscopal.org Parish Episcopal School website]
* [http://www.parishepiscopal.org/html/graduate_profile.htm A Profile of the Parish Graduate]
* [http://www.privateschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/27599 Private School Review website]
* [http://www.episcopalschools.org NAES National Association of Episcopal Schools website]
* [http://www.k12academics.com/tx_episcopal.htm K12 Academics website]
* [http://www.dfwprivateschools.com/html/about.html DFW Private Schools website]
* [http://www.swaes.org/AboutSAES/texasschools.htm SWAES Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools website]
* [http://www.tapps.net/ TAPPS Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools website]
* [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/highschools/leaderboard/ Dallas Morning News website]
* [http://www.dallasparochialleague.com/ Dallas Parochial League website for grades 5-8]
* [http://parishepiscopal.org/pdf/hos_profile_0408.pdf Interesting history of the school included in the 2008 Head of School search process]