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Speaker 1 0:00
Hello, this is mrs. Quintero, the proud head of school, the Honor Roll School, and welcome back to the pod, the Dolphin Podcast. Please follow us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Search us as the Tank THRS Official Dolphin Podcast. Don't forget to turn on those notifications so you don't miss the next episode. Today I will be celebrating our 35th anniversary by reading the Honor Roll School's founder statement from Lisa Liang, sharing why she chose the dolphin as our mascot and talking with some of our very special teachers you all know who started their careers here at the Honor Roll School in the the 1990s, but first let's dive right into what's coming up. Everybody loves a parade. The Honorable School will have a float in the Fort Bend County Fair Parade on Friday, September 25th. With no school on that day, we are encouraging the THRS school community to come out and proudly cheer us on. We are holding a lottery for students to be picked in grades third through eighth to ride on the float. Submissions will close on Monday the 21st at noon. Lottery draw will take place Monday afternoon, so get those names submitted. Please see the Dolphin Days newsletter for more details. Now, the history of the Honor Roll School, written by our founder Lisa Liang. After working as a public school teacher, I realized that many educational philosophies, pedagogies, and instructional methodologies could never be applied to the classroom due to the constraints and realities that public schools face. When I relocated from Los Angeles to Houston, I had the opportunity to either return to teaching at a public school or start a school where I could apply what I had learned. In 1991, I founded the Honorable School. The school opened with 50 students in the infant through pre-K programs, aiming to add one grade each year until we reached eighth grade. This gradual expansion allowed us to create a cohesive educational program focused on child development and high student achievement. I knew that our education must begin in the earliest years of a child's life. Its impact can foster interest and success in students' later learning. Research and my own experience have shown me that when children are nurtured in an enriched, motivating environment during their formative years, they not only acquire academic knowledge and skills, but also foster curiosity, build confidence, and develop a genuine love for learning. As the school community grew, so did our need for space and opportunity. In 1994, we constructed a new building on a four-acre campus, creating additional space for both physical and educational expansion. Over the next six years, we continued to invest in our facilities, adding a building approximately every three years to support our growing student body and evolving program offerings. At the heart of the school was a clear vision and philosophy to create a stimulating, creative, and challenging learning environment through age-appropriate strategies that inspired students to become lifelong learners. Equally important was our commitment to character development. We emphasized the values of honor, responsibility, and respect, as well as a strong work ethic, believing that education must shape not only the mind but also the character of each child. We provided a strong framework for both students and teachers, establishing clear achievement goals and equipping classrooms with abundant learning resources. At the same time, we trusted and empowered our teachers by giving them the freedom to bring creativity and individuality into the bring creativity and individuality into their instruction. This balance allowed educators to focus their time and energy where it mattered most, engaged and inspiring their students. We also recognize that education is. We also recognize that education is a shared journey. Parents were not just observers but partners in their children's education. Their involvement and support were integral in the success of our students and school. In 2005, I decided to sell the Honor Roll School, embracing a new opportunity to extend my educational vision internationally by building a school abroad. While that chapter marked a transition, the foundational principles on which. The school was built. Continue to guide and extend its original vision through many more committed and caring educators. Over the years, I have continued to run into many former parents who let me know about their children's accomplishments and the foundation we have given them.
Speaker 1 5:17
After 35 years, it is truly gratifying to see that this school, which began with the simple desire of promoting an enriched education to a small group of students, has grown into a vibrant learning community grounded in its vision, values, and commitment to excellence. It has been one of the greatest blessings and privileges to have founded the Honor Roll School, which has definitely made my life more meaningful. I had the opportunity one day to meet with Lisa. She often visits our campus, and she's really a unique and wonderful lady, and has so many great things to share and to speak about, and I did ask her one time. I said, you know, our the kids have been asking me because I've been here 12 years, but I really, really, really need to know when they do ask me, like, how did our mascot get chosen? And her answer to me was, our dolphin mascot also holds the greatest meaning and influence. Dolphins are intelligent, curious, self-aware risk takers. Dolphins have unique personalities. They value their pod family, continually communicate, and protect one another. It was intentional that the dolphin was chosen as the creature to represent the vision Of the Honor Roll School. 35 years later, we still embrace the value of the family community, the importance of academic rigor, and the pride of being a dolphin. Our pod is strong. I personally have had the pleasure of meeting Lisa many times in the 13 years I have been here. She drops by to visit teachers she's worked with way back in those early years, and to see how the school she built continues to evolve and thrive. And one of those teachers we're going to catch up with today is mr. Adrian. Hi, mr. Adrian. Thank you for being a guest on the tank. mr. Adrian, when did you start at the Honor Roll School?
Speaker 2 7:25
Oh, it was way back, 1991. And thank you for having me. I appreciate that. It was so fun, though. I was fresh and new, 22 years old, you know, and it was wonderful. It was a new experience. I wouldn't change anything.
Speaker 1 7:42
So I'm assuming that Lisa Liang hired you.
Speaker 2 7:45
Yes, and I didn't even apply. She just came to me and asked me to to work here because she saw me with my nephew here. I would drop him off and stay a little bit. She goes, "Oh my gosh, you're really good with kids. She goes, "Would you like a job? 35 years later, I'm still here.
Speaker 1 8:02
Yeah. So, listening to you talk about the 35 years, I mean, I've been here 13 years, and I've still, and I already see kids, you know, that have crossed my path, and I've gotten a wedding invitation recently. So, it's I can only imagine all the kids, right, that have gone through in and out of your doors that you have seen in front of your eyes just grow up.
Speaker 2 8:26
Yes, it's it's amazing to see these little people that you used to help, you know, wipe noses and write letters, and now they're adults with their own children, and some have come through. And I had one who was married and had four kids already. I'm like, oh my gosh! Like, Katie, when did you have kids? She's like, when did you get married? She was, oh, it happens, but um, it's it's it's also rewarding if they still remember you. That's the thing. Like, oh my God, it's been so long, but you still, oh, of course, it was so fun at the honor roll, you know. And that's one of our main goals: is the security, the comfort, the stability, and us. And for teachers, our part is to create that atmosphere and to be nurturing when nurturing is required. You know, not all. I don't think no judgment, but I don't think all schools offer that enough. You know,
Speaker 1 9:13
right? There is no judgment. We can be as biased as we want to be because we love the honor rolls. Oh, we do. And you especially for 35 years. So, mr. Adrian, thinking about all of these years you've been here, what is one of your favorite memories that you want to share with us about having been at the Honorable School so long?
Speaker 2 9:30
Well, I think you know, for me, it was because it was so new, and because I started as an assistant, and because I was able to be under mentorship of Miss Joy Desgupta, who was amazing? She is. There's nothing about teaching that she's not familiar with or can't do. She's everything I've learned. I've learned through her, and you know it's because of her and her. She had a Montessori degree, and because of that, those teaching she would also implement and with her class. It would, I think, it's one of the reasons we also. Are able to administer a lot of those Montessori teachings that kind of also help, which was not the plan, I don't think, initially, but it helps. You you got to be open. You got to be open, and so she's so just. You know how some people are just born to do this. She is born to do this. Just never an off day, always pleasant, and she never looked tired. I don't know how she did it. She always never looked tired. Always, always dressed nice. I'm like, how do you do that? She had her own kids.
Speaker 1 10:30
That's so awesome. I and I love that Joy was here when I started, so I I did get to meet her. And everything you're saying is absolutely true. Impeccably dressed. Like, how are you in heels, going around with three and four year olds? But I do love that, right? And always so sweet and kind. So for you to share that being your best memory of the school and having had a mentor such as her, and having her have retired from our school, right? That was that was a great day too. Where for her, she was so excited to retire. We were sad to see her go, but the way she also keeps up with the school, I love that. So, well, thank you, mr. Adrian, for joining us. So now joining me is Miss Tempe Julian. Hey, Miss Tempe. Hello.
Speaker 3 11:16
How are you?
Speaker 1 11:18
Oh, I'm doing great. I have let the audience know that I'm going to be up here with the 1990s crew. So, what year did you start at the Honor Roll School?
Speaker 3 11:28
1993.
Speaker 1 11:32
And were you at this campus or the other campus?
Speaker 3 11:35
I was at the other campus, the two-story building where Child Time is now, I think.
Speaker 1 11:40
Okay. And what grade were you teaching, or what age?
Speaker 3 11:43
I started with supplemental kindergarten, and that was four and a half.
Speaker 1 11:48
Okay.
Speaker 3 11:48
Okay.
Speaker 1 11:49
And then, have you stayed in with that age group this whole entire time?
Speaker 3 11:52
This whole entire time.
Speaker 1 11:54
Because that's like 33 years now.
Speaker 3 11:56
Yes, 33 years. 33 beautiful years.
Speaker 1 12:00
And I know that with all of these 33 beautiful years you've had, and all the students that have come and gone, and the teachers you've made friends with, and the connections you've made, think about those 33 years and share with us one of your favorite memories that you have of being here at the Honorable School.
Speaker 3 12:19
Like you said, I have like a million great memories, but the one that I really had so much excitement and fun was I think it was in 2003, and one of my students, her name was Joanna Liu, if I'm not mistaken. She had a birthday party, and her mom wanted to bring a camel, a real live camel. Okay, she brought the camel, and all the kids were excited, but they were scared. Well, guess what? Miss Tempy was excited but scared too. But I put on a brave face, so the kids could see. Well, if Miss Timmy can do it, then I could do it, so I said, "Chanda, yes, we can. So I got up on the camel, I rode the camel with the birthday girl, and then once all the kids saw me riding the camel, they all started riding. Everybody had a good time; it was so much fun. That's the biggest excitement experience because I was-I couldn't believe that she brought a camel to the school because when she says she was bringing a camel, I'm thinking she don't mean a real camel, just like a paper camel or a puppet. No, she bought an actual camel, and it was great. We had a wonderful time. Yes, it was really nice, and I have the pictures to show you guys.
Speaker 1 13:39
Well, I can't wait to see! I can't wait to see that, Miss Tempe. I can only imagine in today's world bringing a camel to school for that. Yeah, we'd have to get waiver signed. I'm not sure what we would have to do. You
Speaker 3 13:54
have to do so many things now. You can't do this. You can't do that.
Speaker 1 13:57
I know, but the evolution of the times has been a wonderful thing for the honor roll school, and definitely appreciate your service here. I know that when I started here 13 years ago, you were one of those people that I knew that I could just look at and be feel happy, right? And I think that's exactly how our parents feel when they come back and have made those relationships with everybody. They just look at the teachers that have been that foundational person, and it just makes them happy. Makes
Speaker 3 14:26
them happy. That's right.
Speaker 1 14:27
All right. So thank you, Miss Temby, for joining us today. You're so welcome. Hey, Miss Sue, how you doing?
Speaker 4 14:34
I'm well, Miss Quintero. How are you?
Speaker 1 14:36
Oh, I'm doing great. Sitting here having great conversations with some of our originals down in the early childhood department. We'll be moving out of that department soon, but I wanted to talk to you a little bit about some of the memories that you've had being in this school, having had Lisa Liang as probably. Your director at the time, and then you had a transition with Joy. So we had some great conversations about Joy. But all the kids that have come into your classroom and have come and gone, I'm sure there's some kind of memory that just always sits with you. Because as a teacher, I have a few that I could just tell you right now, right? Of course. So go ahead. What do you have going on?
Speaker 4 15:21
I have so many fond memories from my years here at the Honorable School. But one that sticks out, just stops me in my tracks, is when students come back and visit me after they've been gone for a while. A few years ago, the eighth graders had an assignment to write about things they were grateful for, and one little boy gave me a little card, and he said he was grateful that I was his pre-K teacher, and that on the note he remembered that I liked koalas. After all that time, he remembered I liked koalas, and he drew a koala on the card for me. Another student who had moved away and returned gave me a note saying, "You are and always will be my favorite teacher. So that was really meaningful for me. And when you're in early childhood, you always wonder what happens to these kids. You always wonder, did they learn the songs? Do they learn the stories? But what I've learned is that it's how you make them feel, and they come back and remember you. So my memories are about all my amazing students and their sweet families. Those are the memories that I hold dear to me from the honorable school.
Speaker 1 16:23
Oh my goodness! You know it is so true. It's something that we talk about, right? Every school year, we talk about building those relationships, and then everybody having that connection, and the parents and the kids. And it's not just the kids, right? We have those connections with fellow teachers too, and the families, and and the memories and and for those little notes and I know you can't see it because we're talking but she brought one of the notes with her and it's just so just so so darling, oh my goodness, Miss Sue, can you just read that for us? It
Speaker 4 16:54
says, "Dear Miss Sue, thank you for being my one of my best teachers I ever had. I am grateful for my time with you, and I'm glad that you, as my, had you as my teacher. I'm sorry, the the printing's kind of faded. I'm honestly surprised that you still remembered me. Thank you sincerely. And then the child's name, and then he wrote, "I drew you a koala.
Speaker 1 17:18
It is. I mean, it's a little bit tattered. It is kind of like worn away in this little pencil, but my God, that is so special and so sweet. So thank you for sharing that with us, Miss Sue. Thank you, and thank you for having been part of the foundation of this beautiful school that we all love so much.
Speaker 4 17:35
Thank you.
Speaker 1 17:38
And so now I am here, joined with Miss Lisa all the way down from the early childhood building. Hey, Miss Lisa, how are you? Good.
Speaker 5 17:48
Good morning. Good morning.
Speaker 1 17:50
Yeah. So, Miss Lisa, it's very kind, kind of cool to have you up here because we've been talking to some of the teachers that started in the 90s. Can you tell me what year you started?
Speaker 5 18:00
I started in 1999.
Speaker 1 18:04
Wow, that's amazing! Here you were right before Y2K, right? Right before it, right
Speaker 5 18:09
before
Speaker 1 18:10
it. Oh my goodness! And I mean, how many kids do you think have crossed your threshold to your classroom?
Speaker 5 18:18
Oh wow! At this time, I would probably have to say hundreds in this 27 years I would have to say hundreds, hundreds.
Speaker 1 18:26
You know, and since we started doing the grad walk that was four years ago, and then we invite back all the kids that graduate in high school that year, have you seen any of them come down the hallway?
Speaker 5 18:37
Absolutely. I even had Lucas come to see me this year, Lucas Duhan. He was one of my students in pre-K, and he came to visit. Absolutely wonderful, wonderful! I absolutely love
Speaker 1 18:50
it. Oh my goodness! And then, you know, with with all those years of teaching and having those memories with those kids, I'm sure that you have a memory that just stands out to you that you, I'm hoping you would share with us today.
Speaker 5 19:05
I do, I do. I was in class one day, and I get a phone call from one of my parents, and her son had been gone from the school for a few years, but she said he's graduating this year from high school. We need you there, and we want you right there beside us because this all started with you. Would you please join us for his graduation? They saved me a seat. I joined them from graduation. I was screaming and clapping right along with them as he crossed the stage, and it was absolutely wonderful, wonderful. And I just can imagine that he had remembered me all of those years. But he gave me hugs and he thanked me. The family thanked me, and it was just a wonderful, absolutely wonderful moment.
Speaker 1 19:51
Oh, did you get pictures?
Speaker 5 19:53
I did. I did, and I still remember him right now. He's a student at UT, so he's doing really, really well. Really well.
Speaker 1 20:00
Oh my goodness, that's amazing! Well, you never know what's going to happen next.
Speaker 5 20:04
Never. They
Speaker 1 20:05
might be sending you a wedding invitation in four years. I
Speaker 5 20:08
haven't gotten a wedding invitation yet, but I'm waiting on that one. That's what I'm waiting on.
Speaker 1 20:12
Oh my gosh, Miss Lisa. Well, thank you for joining us.
Speaker 5 20:15
Thank you so much for having me. Thank you. You are just
Speaker 1 20:18
a pleasure and an amazing teacher, and all the kids that have had you all these years are so lucky to have had you. Thank
Speaker 5 20:25
you so much. It's an honor and a joy to be here at the Honorable School. Thank you.
Speaker 1 20:29
Thank you, Miss Lisa. So I think we've heard from all of our early childhood people, and now we're moving on down the hall. And here I am joined with Miss Holmes, hey Miss Holmes, how you doing?
Speaker 6 20:43
Hi, Miss Quintero. Thank you for having me in today.
Speaker 1 20:45
Yeah, well, this is an exciting time for us because we'll be celebrating our 35th anniversary, and so we went back in time in our little time capsule, and we're talking to some of the teachers that started their careers here at the Honor Roll School. So, Miss Holmes, when did you start?
Speaker 6 21:02
I started in 1997,
Speaker 1 21:05
and were you Miss Holmes back then?
Speaker 6 21:08
I was Miss Holmes. I had just gotten married, graduated from the University of Houston, and just got married and came here.
Speaker 1 21:16
Wow! So you've been here this whole entire time.
Speaker 6 21:19
Yes,
Speaker 1 21:19
that's amazing. And I when I started 13 years ago, your boys were here. So now I'm putting like little timeline together. So you even had your babies while you were teaching here at this school.
Speaker 6 21:32
Had two boys before that. I was just a cat mom. That's all I had.
Speaker 1 21:38
Cat and all the kids from your classroom, right? All the
Speaker 6 21:41
children, yes.
Speaker 1 21:42
So, with all of those years, how many students do you think have crossed your your door into your classroom, and you've seen go off and do great things?
Speaker 6 21:53
You know, I started adding it up, and it came to over 500 students that I've had the pleasure of teaching at Honor Roll.
Speaker 1 22:00
Oh my goodness! So 500 students, 500 families, all those relationships-do they reach back out to you sometimes?
Speaker 6 22:08
Always, you know. I can be at the mall, I can be shopping, I can be having dinner, and I'll hear "Hi, Miss Holmes, from across the grocery store, and they they come back and they talk to me. I take selfies with them. I have a whole wall in my classroom dedicated just to my former students, and the wall keeps growing.
Speaker 1 22:32
And thank goodness for technology changing so that we could do those selfies because that wasn't happening in the '90s.
Speaker 6 22:38
No, not at all. I have to go back into my photo file and get some of the older pictures.
Speaker 1 22:46
Yeah, and but now we have technology; we can scan them, right? Because that's what we've been doing.
Speaker 6 22:50
Exactly.
Speaker 1 22:51
So, and now that you've had like over 500 students, and you've been here your entire career, which I think is still so amazing, I have a question. Oh, and did you teach second grade this whole time?
Speaker 6 23:04
I have. I've been in second grade the whole time.
Speaker 1 23:07
Wow, that's amazing as well. Amazing as well. I love
Speaker 6 23:11
it. It's my favorite grade. I did have some experience with pre-K before coming to honor roll. I had some experience a little bit with first grade, but that was all student teaching or summer jobs or jobs before I got my degree.
Speaker 1 23:26
Okay, so second grade, you are it. Miss Holmes is the epitome of second grade. What do the kids say? If you open up a dictionary and you turn the page to second grade, we'll see Miss Holmes's picture.
Speaker 6 23:38
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 23:40
So, Miss Holmes, with all of that being said, what is one of your favorite memories that you could share with us about being here at the Honor Roll School?
Speaker 6 23:49
You know, we've had so many great things happen, and over the course of the years, you know, I thought back about all the field trips, all of the activities we had at Honor Roll, but I think the one thing that really sticks in my mind is when we were in the middle of COVID, trying to give the children fun at Halloween, and we couldn't do the traditional trunk or treat, trick or treat. So they, we decorated the hallways to look like a magical fantasy wonderland, and I will always have that memory.
Speaker 1 24:24
Oh my gosh, I remember that too. It was one of those things that we worked so hard for the kids during COVID, but in the end, we had so much satisfaction. You know, looking at their their joy. Absolutely,
Speaker 6 24:36
I remember looking at Miss Andrea's desk and seeing an inflatable dragon sitting there, while Harry Potter music is playing, and we had flying hats and brooms, and it was it was like being at Disney.
Speaker 1 24:50
Yeah, yeah. Oh my goodness. Well, that's the advantage, right, of being a student here at the Honor Roll School, right? Absolutely. We care so much about them so deeply.
Speaker 6 24:59
Absolutely. All
Speaker 1 25:00
right. Well, thanks, Miss Holmes, for sharing that with me. That brought back great memories to myself as well.
Speaker 6 25:05
Well, thank you so much for having me in today.
Speaker 1 25:07
All right. Hi, Miss Delory. I just had Miss Holmes in here, your partner from your hallway. Yay! And she had a lot of things to say, and I wanted to ask you, Miss Jelory, what year did you start at the Honor Roll School?
Speaker 7 25:26
Oh boy, 1995 or 94-I forgot. Oh
Speaker 1 25:30
my goodness! And what were you teaching at the time?
Speaker 7 25:33
I started with pre-K, but I knew I'll be coming back to coming to TK. Then, in few months, maybe six months or so, I came to TK, and then I continued TK. Then came back to 2000. I started kindergarten.
Speaker 1 25:52
Oh my goodness! Kindergarten. Kinder. Then I think
Speaker 7 25:57
I did maybe 11 years or 12 years. I've been here too long to remember all that. I said I'm not going to make any new resume, so I said why remember?
Speaker 1 26:08
Exactly. There you go.
Speaker 7 26:10
This is my permanent job.
Speaker 1 26:11
Okay, and then you moved to first grade eventually. Yes.
Speaker 7 26:15
Yes.
Speaker 1 26:16
Okay. Have you been in any other higher grades? No. No. No. Okay. Because when I started 13 years ago. You were in first grade. You've been there the whole time. Yeah. Oh my goodness! I did ask Miss Holmes this question: like, how many kids do you think you've taught over all of this time? And she's like, I think I counted them around 500. So if you've been here longer than her, how many do you think?
Speaker 7 26:38
Oh my goodness! But then the last few years, you know, I have three classes. So like last year, 6060, 6060, I mean, definitely 800, maybe.
Speaker 5 26:49
Yeah,
Speaker 7 26:50
I'm going by Miss Holmes.
Speaker 1 26:51
Yeah, with one of your friends who's been here almost as long as you, but you were a little bit longer. So definitely. Yeah. So Miss Jelory, what are some of your favorite memories, or one that you want to share with us today? Because I've been asking, and you've been here many, many, many years, so you've got to have tons. But what is one that you would like to share today?
Speaker 7 27:15
I have many, many, many. But one of them I want to share is this is when before COVID, I was teaching self-contained, so I was teaching ELA as well. So I read a story, mr. Tannen's try trouble. What happens in the story is like they needed a new playground, but they didn't have enough funds. So the pres, I mean the principal has so many ties, and then he's like every day he would wear new tie, and then he's like fascinated with the ties, like the way I do earrings. Every time I go to the store, I think I need this pair of earrings. So then he said, "How can I raise the money? So he wanted to auction off his ties, and then he auctioned off, and then kids all together made the signs and everything. So they made in the auction they made enough money to get the new playground. And then at the end of the story, you know that all the parents gave the tithes back to him. So we, I said in the in the class also, why can't I do that, so I did that, and then we made the ties, and then parents donated. But then parents were notified already that the raised money will be going to the firefighters. So we raised the money, and then guess what? mr. Heinley also bought one tie, and he paid not dolphin dollars, but he paid real money. So we all went in there, and then we took a data. You know, like we did the information survey, and then where you want to donate this, and then firefighters was the number one. So we gave it to them. So anyway, mr. Hindley wore that tie and came to the class, and then I had parents also like dads wore the almberjay wore this tie, and then took a picture and sent it to me as well. And then, 10 years after or eight years after, this parent moved to Singapore, different places. He met somebody there, and then that he mentioned about my name, and then how I did that. I how I incorporated all the subjects into one. So this parent also came, this brand new parent, and he said, "Mijaluri, you know such and such, you know, parents mentioned about you, and then we requested you, and then now that child was in my class, and then after that many years, I thought that was good memory. And then one was mr. Heinley was wearing one of those paper ties that kids decorated, so you know, like that was good memory. You know, like especially how somebody out of the country, in different continent, they mentioned. My name, and then that parent happened to be in Somberjay in Houston, and then asked. I thought that was one of the best memories, and then we enjoyed that. And then firefighters were really thankful, and then they send a like a thank you card. So we just took cake, and then I we generated the rest of the money, whatever you want to do, you know, it was not much, but you know, dollar, $2, $1, whatever. But the the thought was, you know, kids kids were excited, and then I I and then this was a story that it's not non it's realistic fiction. So that realistic fiction, also the genre, they understood. Oh, the stories in the in the book can really happen in life as well. I thought that was my best memory, but I do have a lot more. You know, I'm glad you do. I know. Then I'll be sitting here and I have to pick up my kids.
Speaker 1 31:00
Oh my gosh, mr. Lori. But the thing that I hear is like, look at the reach, right? Your one project that you did had such an impact-one on the kids-that mr. Heinley got involved, which I think is so amazing, and that the dad that went to Singapore and then shared that story. So the dad himself felt that his child had such an experience at the honor roll school that, hey, anybody heading back over to the United States and you're going to Houston really just shows that our school has such a reach right outside of the country. You added some community service in there, which is also part of our school. It's just embedded in us, right? To be to be those helpful individuals. Wow, Miss Jelory. Well, thank you for sharing such a great story. Thank
Speaker 7 31:48
you so much for giving me that opportunity, and then just go back to that memories. You know?
Speaker 1 31:52
Yeah, definitely. Thank you. Okay. Thanks, Miss Jelory. So now I'm joined with Miss Newman. So we're moving up to middle school now. We've had all the what did we? What did Miss Tempe say? The OGs from the ECP world, and then we had them from elementary. And now I'm here with Miss Newman talking about middle school. So hey, Miss Newman, how you doing? I am
Speaker 8 32:17
well, Miss Quintero. How are you doing?
Speaker 1 32:19
I'm doing so good. I've had the best time interviewing the teachers that have been here since the '90s, and all of the great things and the memories that they have come up with, and just makes me feel so proud to be part of the school. Even though I didn't start with the school in the '90s, but I just feel like it just brings a lot of clarity to how we are as a community and how we are invested and the relationships that we make-not just with our students and parents, but with each other. So it's just been a pleasure and a joy to be meeting with everyone. And I did want to ask you, when did you start here?
Speaker 8 32:55
I started here originally back in 1997.
Speaker 1 32:59
My goodness! So tell me a little bit about because you've always been in middle school. So how did that all work?
Speaker 8 33:05
It worked well. We were much smaller back then. I taught fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth, and we had 1/5 grade class, 2/6 grade classes, 1/7 grade class, and 1/8 grade class at the time.
Speaker 1 33:19
Oh my goodness! Do you know about how many students that was?
Speaker 8 33:23
Together, no. But I can tell you, my first year, my largest class was probably 12 or 13 students, and my smallest was six.
Speaker 1 33:32
Wow! So was 97 the first year that the middle school opened?
Speaker 8 33:36
It had been open. I think it opened a year or two before I actually got here. Yeah.
Speaker 1 33:40
Okay. That's awesome. And did you remember like what sports and things they were offering then?
Speaker 8 33:46
Basketball, track, soccer. A little bit later, there was wrestling that didn't last very long. But yeah, the ones that we still have now are still pretty much the ones that we had way back when. Yeah.
Speaker 1 34:00
Oh, that's so cool. It's like interesting to really see the evolution of a school, you know, from other people's eyes. And then I've been just enjoying very much the posts that we've had on social media, right? The then and now. Yes. Just looking at those memories and digging through the things to find for our anniversary, just to see how the school really was, and the other thing that I was really impressed with, and I I'm one that goes and reads all the comments, right? So I look at the post, and then I open up the comments because I want to know, and it was really cool for some of the things they were reaching out to you. They were like, oh, that's Miss Newman, and you know, and you were answering them back, you know, because you remembered them from the day. So I'm sure you have so many connections, right? And
Speaker 8 34:51
it's been phenomenal. And I don't do much social media, but I am grateful for it because it has allowed me to be connected with all of. Former students of mine, and to watch them grow into adults and grow into parents, and to see where life has taken them-it's been a very, very nice experience as an educator to see where they have landed.
Speaker 1 35:12
Yeah, I remember was it a couple years ago, two years ago, or maybe it was just last year. We had a family on a tour that came just to see the school, and she had said, "Oh, I'm an alumni. You know, I'm bringing my daughter now for middle school. And what happened?
Speaker 8 35:29
They signed up, and that was the year I officially started teaching the child of a child I taught. Right. So I remember the mom
Speaker 1 35:39
was like, "Miss Newman, that's you.
Speaker 8 35:41
And I remember years ago, my principal at the time, a wonderful woman by the name of Danna Reilly, said to me, "You know, you've been teaching a long time. When you start teaching kids of kids you taught, so here I am.
Speaker 1 35:56
Yeah, and they find us, right? They find us on Facebook. I don't answer them. Just don't. I do on LinkedIn. So anybody listening, I'll I'll I will connect with you on LinkedIn. But it is it is crazy to know that we've been in this industry long enough that we have kids of kids.
Speaker 8 36:13
Absolutely, absolutely, yes, yes.
Speaker 1 36:16
So thinking back with your time here at the Honorable School, just share with us a memory that just sticks with you. That's all about the school.
Speaker 8 36:25
All about the school. I don't even know where to start because this is truly such a special place. But I'm going to say so many of the field trips we went on. We went on the outdoor school for several years, and just being able to connect with the kids outside of the classroom in in various arenas. Whether we were traveling to Austin or whether we went once upon a time, we went overseas with the kids. We were much smaller then, and it was a different time. But taking these trips to Italy and to Spain with these middle schoolers, which is unheard of in this day and age, but we actually did it, and I look back thinking, I can't believe we did that, but we did. So just being able to connect with the kids in the classroom and outside of the classroom for sure.
Speaker 1 37:11
Yeah, that is that is definitely true, definitely true. So Miss Newman, thank you for concluding our '90s teachers edition. My
Speaker 8 37:21
pleasure.
Speaker 1 37:23
Remember, you can find the Dolphin Podcast in the weekly Dolphin Days newsletter on the THRS app on Spotify and Apple Podcast. Look for the Fighting Dolphin logo. Until next time, this is mrs. Quintero signing off from the Tank.
Speaker 9 37:38
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