This weekend 19 Model UN students competed at Central Texas Model UN (CTMUN) in Austin. All students competed well and three students won the award of "Commended Speaker" for their performances. Congratulations to:

Kaveh Badrei ’16 for playing the role of Lin Biao in The Chinese Civil War

Noah Pintar ’17 for playing the role of US Senator Maria Cantwell

Zubair Mukhi ’17 for playing the role of Li Zongren in The Chinese Civil War

A small group of the Model UN group will be traveling to Budapest for a Model UN Conference hosted by Yale University over the Thanksgiving break. Good luck to those students! 

Name: Courtney Greer
Current grade: 12
Years at Kinkaid: 4

Sports you participate in at Kinkaid and outside of school:  Cross Country and Track & Field

Accomplishments: Two-time All SPC athlete in cross country, three-time All SPC in track, member of 2014 SPC Championship Cross Country team, Senior Captain of the Cross Country team. 

What Cross Country and Track & Field Program Head Cheryl Mitchell has to say about Courtney Greer:  "Courtney spearheaded the Race for the Cure community service project for Kinkaid, is engaged in classes and her own learning, and races with heart each and every weekend for the Falcons.  During practice, she works hard, creates an atmosphere of fun, encourages her teammates to run with her, and doles out advice about health, staying positive, and the importance of racing as a team.  She is a three-time All-SPC athlete in cross country and remains humble and hard-working!"

Why do you participate in your sports?:  "I run cross country and track for many reasons, but mainly for the people and how rewarding the sports are. The running community is composed of such fun and friendly people. Participating in track and cross country has allowed me to make lifetime friendships with people of all different ages. I likewise enjoy the satisfaction I get from finishing a hard workout or after crossing the finish line."

Person who Inspires you as an athlete and why?:  "My twin brother, a runner as well, inspires me as an athlete because he trains with so much passion and dedication. He has worked incredibly hard to become the best runner he can be, and, due to his hard work, he has improved tremendously over the past few years. He is planning on running in college, and I could not be prouder of him and his achievements."

Goals as a student athlete:  "My goal as a student athlete is to be the very best that I can be while having a great time with my teammates and coaches."

What 3 words best describe you?:  "Caring, determined, and creative."

Favorite Athletics Experience:  "My favorite experience was the summer before my freshman year when I travelled to California with the Kinkaid cross country team. The trip was so much fun because everyone was extremely kind and welcoming. It was a great bonding experience and helped me create special bonds with my older teammates, who I now consider some of my closest friends."

Favorite part of being a Falcon:  "My favorite part of being a Falcon is undoubtedly the community. I have the best and most supportive coaches in the world, as well as the funnest and most caring teammates. Kinkaid parents are also great because they are so supportive. I can always expect to see parents, rain or shine, cheering on the team."

Favorite food:  "My two favorite foods are Caesar salad and salmon."

Interests outside of Athletics:  "I love fashion! I also love to write, and watch documentaries."

Something most people do not know about you:  "Most people do not know that last winter I did the skeleton on the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Course. Skeleton is a sport where you lay on your stomach, head first, on a tiny sled and slide down an ice track while going up to 80 miles per hour and experiencing forces up to 5G. I had a great time. It was a great adrenaline rush, but it was also painful because if you are not a professional, which I most definitely am not, it is likely that you will bang into the sides of the track as you are finishing.

The 8^th graders will be with The Creative Team all day on the Dec. 1^st.
The Creative Team will allow the students who are not a part of the cast to help out during rehearsals.

Kate Hinnant has dreamed of playing on the Kinkaid varsity girls basketball team since she was a little girl.  It is no surprise Kate has had purple and gold in her veins all of her life because her paternal grandmother Winifred Wheeler Hinnant played basketball for the Falcons in the early 1950's.  When Kate started playing softball and basketball for Kinkaid, her grandmother gave her the All-Tournament basketball necklaces she was awarded from the St. John's School and Kinkaid tournaments.  Mrs. Hinnant also gave Kate the Kinkaid varsity letter she earned when she played basketball for the Falcons.  Kate proudly wears her grandmother's "K" on her letter jacket. According to Girls Basketball Program Head Stacey Marshall, "Kate is a hard worker and the consummate team player. She works hard even when no one watches and values team above everything."  "The Falcon" newspaper articles from 1953 refer to Mrs. Hinnant as "a pillar of Kinkaid" and a "sports queen". The years in which grandmother and granddaughter played for the Falcons may be decades apart, but the love of team and Kinkaid is exactly the same.

 Falcon hoopsters Winifred Wheeler Hinnant '53 and granddaughter Kate Hinnant '16.

On Sunday, November 23, ABC Channel 13 featured Claire McCarthy's ’15 volunteer project at Nora's Home.  Nora’s Home was established for organ transplant patients and their families to recuperate after surgery in Houston.

Claire’s project involves painting tiles with the patients.  Once the artwork is completed, Claire brings them to Kinkaid where they are fired in the School’s kiln for completion.  The tiles are then placed on wall at Nora’s Home.  In addition to the currently established wall, the center is expanding their facility with 20 additional rooms, which will include a tile wall as well. 

Please click on the video link below to watch the Channel 13 feature. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQF5TMwRyBw

Name:  Dr. Aliaa Remtilla
Educational background:  BA Visual and Environmental Studies, Harvard University; MA Social Anthropology, University of Manchester; PhD Social Anthropology with Visual Media, University of Manchester
Year hired at Kinkaid: 2014

Sports you played in high school, college and/or professionally:
High School: Field Hockey and Ringette
College: Varsity Field Hockey, JV Ice Hockey, Club Crew
Post-Graduate: Premier League Field Hockey (UK)
Other: Junior National Canadian Field Hockey Team, British Columbian Field Hockey Team, Vancouver Hawks Premier League Field Hockey

Sports/Skills you Coach:  Field Hockey JV Purple Head Coach; Field Hockey Goalie Coach

Persons who Inspire you as a Coach and why:  "My players are my inspiration.  There’s nothing more encouraging than seeing a skill you’ve taught be used in a drill or a game."

Why do you coach?:  "I coach because I love the sport.  Field hockey makes my life feel complete (yes, I know that sounds lame, but it’s true!)."

Interests outside of Athletics:  "I am a documentary filmmaker and an academic.  My latest film is about Ismaili Muslims who live on the border of Tajikistan and Afghanistan, where I lived for a year while conducting my Ph.D. research.  Clearly, I love to travel and have lived or conducted research in a number of countries including Thailand, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.  Thanks to all this travel, I speak about 7 languages." 

Something most people do not know about you:  "I went on a 250 mile bike trip along the river Nile in Egypt.  I completed the trek in 5 days…with a very, very sore rear end!"

This fall, Martha House '16 took her love of fly fishing and created a wonderful nonprofit organization called Catch and Give. The first annual Fish-A-Thon tournament raised over $30,000 for the Children's Community School in the small town of Ennis, Montana. With an operating budget around $60,000, the funds raised this fall are truly life changing for the school and town. Martha's organization was featured in December issue of Houston Magazine Buzz.

Read her story below! 

http://tanglewoodbuzz.com/2014/12/buzz-kidz-by-martha-house-age-17/

Kinkaid recently had the unique opportunity of hosting adults with special needs from the Brookwood Community.  Upper School student volunteers talked and interacted with the Brookwood citizens while having fun exploring nature right here in Kinkaid's Backyard!  By buddying up, students really had some great fellowship with the citizens. "I felt a little anxious before interacting with the citizens since I had never really worked with adults with special needs before, but by the end of this event, I felt very comfortable socializing with them and really enjoyed myself" said sophomore Noah Pintar.  Senior Nicholas Ho commented, "It was really cool to see how much they appreciated us and genuinely enjoyed what we were doing with them."  After the visit to the Backyard, the students and citizens had a great time showing their falcon spirit and cheering on the JV Girls Basketball team! 

Written by, Grant Martin '15

Senior Tyler Higby has been named the All-Greater Houston Private High School Outstanding Lineman of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Houston.  Higby was announced as the winner at the third annual Private High School Awards Dinner on December 3, 2014.  Higby's outstanding career on the gridiron has earned him numerous accolades including:  SPC All Conference 2013 & 2014; 2013 Private School Elite Team; All-Greater Houston First Team Pre-Season Team 2014; Dave Campbells’ Top 300 List; Vype 100; and Texas Magazine Top 100.  Kinkaid Football Program Head Nathan Larned says, "On the field, Tyler has the skill set to play at the highest level of football for many years. His combination of size, speed, and athleticism is extremely unique.  Off the field, Tyler is a gentle spirit that looks to serve others. His teddy bear personality and unique sense of humor make him a guy that others want to be around."  Higby will graduate as a 3-Sport Letterwinner in football, basketball and track and field, and has committed to play football at Michigan State University in 2015. 

Please join us for the the annual Margaret Kinkaid Holiday Concert & Visual Arts Exhibit on Sunday, December 7. This event is a very special kick-off to the holiday season for the entire Kinkaid community.

The Visual Arts Exhibit opens at 3:00 pm in the hallways of the Student Life Center, showcasing the talents of our Upper School artists.  While viewing the art, guests will be entertained by the Middle School Band, Choir and Orchestra in the Commons.

The Holiday Concert starts at 4:00 pm in the Brown Auditorium with performances by the Lower School Treble Choir and the Upper School Band, Concert Choir and Orchestra.

Stay afterwards for a special Holiday Drive-In to kick-off the Building Together campaign at 5:00 pm. To RSVP for the Holiday Drive-In, click here.

Name:  Colin Lawler
Current grade:  9th 
Years at Kinkaid:  1

Sports you participate in at Kinkaid and outside of school:  Folkstyle, freestyle, Greco-Roman and Catch wrestling; Jiu-Jitsu; and weightlifting

What Varsity Wrestling Program Head Bobby Eggleston says about Colin Lawler:  "Colin is what the Kinkaid wrestling program needed-a big man who is mean on the mat. Colin is fearless and looks to attack his opponent from the very first whistle.  Don't be fooled by his size and weight, because he moves like a lighter weight wrestler.  Colin will be a force to be reckoned with during the state and national meets."

Why do you participate in your sport(s)?:  “It is a cultural extension of my warrior heritage.  Wrestling teaches me the values of hard work, dedication and sacrifice."

Person(s) who Inspire you as an athlete and why?:  “My family and my father, in particular.  My family supports me in everything I do.  My father has trained me and coached me since I was five years old."

Goals as a student athlete:  "I want to be a high school state wrestling champion and someday wrestle in college."

What 3 words best describe you?:  “Tough, hard-working, intelligent.” 

Favorite Athletics Experience:  “Representing New York state for my weight class at Schoolboy Nationals in Indianapolis."

Favorite part of being a Falcon:  “Top-notch facilities and great coaching."

Favorite food:  “Pizza” 

Interests outside of Athletics:  “I enjoy reading and watching movies.”

Something most people do not know about you:  “I like comic books and Sci-Fi movies.”

Kinkaid eighth grade science students recently built mousetrap cars from a basic kit.  Some of the students modified the car design a little.  The students measured distances and times to help them review the concepts of motion including the forces exerted by the mousetraps to make the cars move.  With this activity, the students reviewed all of the concepts covered during the first semester of science in a very practical application.  The students ran the cars and they measured the distances on the sidewalk outside the cafeteria on December 5^th & 8^th, 2014.

Zoom, zoom!  

- Middle School Science teacher Shari Hiltbrand

Senior Emma Eggleston has been selected by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) to the 2014 Harrow Sports / NFHCA High School All-Region Team for the West.  NFHCA High School All-American Teams will be announced on Wednesday, December 17, 2014.  Eggleston, who is one of only six field hockey players chosen for the West Region, recently signed her National Letter of Intent to play field hockey for The Ohio University and led the 2014 Falcon field hockey team to the finals of the SPC Championship.  The NFHCA strives to cultivate and recognize the professional contributions of its membership and to foster and promote the growth of the sport. The NFHCA is responsible for providing a recognizable presence and voice in regard to legislation affecting the sport as well as interscholastic and intercollegiate programs.  To see the list of All-Region teams, please go to NFHCA.  Congratulations, Emma!

Mathew Morico ’15, Amy Pascoe ’15 and John Pederson ’15 were 2014 recipients of the W.T. and Louise J. Moran Foundation’s Young Philanthropist Award for their excellence and dedication in volunteer service to the Houston Museum of Natural Science.  

As recipients of the award, the students were given the opportunity by the Moran Foundation to select an item for the Museum’s permanent collection.  The three Kinkaid seniors met with the HMNS curator and they chose a very special fossilized shell to display in the Malacology section of the Museum.

Congratulations to these three seniors!

Community Dress Guidelines
Rockets jerseys OR white, yellow or red (non-collared) shirt with …
Boys: Khaki or athletic shorts, jeans or regular uniform
Girls: Jeans, athletic shorts, or regular uniform bottoms
Faculty/Staff: Jeans

On Sunday, November 8, the Kinkaid seventh grade speech students competed at the Cypress Falls Speech and Drama Tournament under the direction of Ms. Patty Edwards.  With over 700 students competing from 16 schools, Kinkaid had the highest number of finalists, winning a Sweepstakes Trophy. Students reaching finals had to compete in preliminary rounds and semifinals to be in the top 8 of each division.

TV Commercials
Meredith Huston with Andrew Linhart, 6th place
Sahar Punjwani with Piper Reilly, 7th place

Duet Improvisations
Meredith Huston with Katie Brooks, 2nd place

Humorous
Andrew Linhart, 1st place
Meredith Burpeau, 6th place

Duet Acting
Lee Saunders with Sasha Busa, 4th place
Scott Morey with Andrew Linhart, 5th place
Sofia Bajwa with Alex Nigro, 6th place
Alex Skidmore and Katie Brooks, 7th place

Solo Improvisations 
Alex Caldwell, 2nd place

Oratory
Sahar Punjwani, 2nd place

Individual Pantomime
Andrew Linhart, 7th place

Semifinalists

Solo Mime
Sahar Punjawani
Megan Maclay
Andrew Linhart
Sally Buck

Reader’s Theatre
Russell Burrow, Lauren Hankamer, Adelaide Randall             

Oratory
Sahar Punjwani, Sophia Bajwa                                                    

Duet Acting Katie Brooks and Alex Skidmore
Megan Maclay and Claire Richey
Alex Nigro and Sophia Bajwa
Ryan Erikson and Corbin Kinder
Scott Morey and Andrew Linhart
Derin Baysal and Alex Caldwell
Ellen Chamblee and Carson Keller
Sasha Busa and Lee Saunders
Payton Herleth and Charles Crighton Jeffers
Meredith Huston and Spencer Powers
Strater Zarr and Braxton Robison

Solo Improvisations 
Sahar Punjwani, Alex Caldwell, Russell Burrow and Matthew Riley 

TV Commercials
Russell Burrow, Alex Caldwell, Matthew Riley, Meredith Huston, Andrew Linhart                                              

Humorous
Piper Reilly, Meredith Burpeau, Matthew Riley, Andrew Linhart

Group Improv: Eliza Lawrence, Matthew Bale, Christian Moore, Lee Saunders, Alex Skidmore, Corbin Kinder, Marley Orange, Derin Baysal, Ryan Erikson, Alex Caldwell, Jonathan Mitchell, Matthew McHenry, Jonathan Frumovitz, Michael Camp, Wilson Kelsey, Evelyn Mineo, Scott Morey, Catherine Scott, Brian Shortt, Charles Garrison

Congratulations to all the seventh grade speech students and our finalists.

Senior Emma Eggleston signed her National Letter of Intent to play field hockey for The Ohio University on November 12, 2014.  This past season, Eggleston had 7 goals and 17 assists and lead the Falcon field hockey team to a second place finish in the SPC Championships.  According to Field Hockey Program Head Jackie Ciconte, "Emma is a very versatile player, has great speed and is comfortable receiving the ball all over the field in high pressure situations.  She's a play maker and will be an asset at the next level with her great work ethic and athletic ability."  Kinkaid looks forward to watching Emma's career as a Bobcat.  Congratulations Emma!