Please click on the video below to view Dr. Martire's May message.

Have a wonderful summer!

On Friday, May 20, The Kinkaid School said farewell to the Class of 2016. Friends and families of the 139 seniors listened as Governing Council President Mason Mings, Headmaster Andy Martire and guest speaker Joe Ehrmann, who founded Coach for America, a division of Building Men and Women for Others, delivered memorable words of wisdom. 

To view graduation in full, please click on the videos below.Congratulations to the Class of 2016!

Part I

Part II

Part III

Three Falcon hoopsters have been named to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) 2016 All-State Large School Private Teams. For the TABC All-State Girls Team, Kinkaid girls varsity basketball players Alexis Johnson '17 and Jasmine Smith '18 were selected. For the TABC All-State Boys Team, Kinkaid boys varsity basketball player Jae LeDee '18 made the cut. All-State nominees are voted on by TABC members, which number more than 4,500. To see all of the All-State teams, please go to TABC All-State Private. Congratulations to Alexis, Jasmine and Jae!

The Middle School choir and band both competed this past weekend at the Houston Symphonic Band (HSB) Concert and Sightreading Contest.

The choir performed three selections - an a cappella African spiritual featuringZach Nicolaou ’20 and Sam Snoots ’20 as soloists, a contemporary song featuring Larsen Weber ’21 and Bradyn Robertson ’21 as soloists and a selection in Latin. They sang for three judges and earned an overall 1st place rating. Sam and Zack also were awarded ribbons for their outstanding solo performances!

The seventh and eighth band members also competed this weekend.  They performed three prepared pieces for judges and were scored on their performance against a set of standards - perfection! They then read a new piece they had never seen before (sight-reading), which is true test of musicianship and skill.

The band averaged a score of “ONE” in both concert and sight-reading categories, which is the highest score possible, taking home a Sweepstakes trophy.

Congratulations to the band and choir on hard work and monumental effort that they put into the contest.

Former Falcon basketball player Jeff Roberson '14 has been stepping up his game as a sophomore player at Vanderbilt. SB Nation mentioned Roberson, who wears #11 for Vandy, could be a key player to the Commodores returning to the NCAA Tournament in 2017. According to a recent article in SB Nation, "During this past season, his ability to shoot from behind the arc and draw fouls in the paint made him a dynamic halfcourt threat. He had 13 different games in which he averaged at least two points per field goal attempt. He made 80 percent of his shots in a 20-point performance against then-No. 8 Texas A&M. He had a ridiculous 16-point, 11-rebound, five assist showing against a solid Alabama team and only needed seven shots to get there. While Roberson may not have been especially consistent, he could pilot this team to new heights on good nights." To read the article, go to SBNation.

Rice junior David Warren '13 and doubles partner Tommy Bennett had a late-season run of success, which earned them the highest ranking for a Rice doubles team since 2006. The duo finished 27th in the nation and became the first Rice doubles team to reach the NCAA Doubles tournament since 2008.

To read the full article, go to the Rice Owls Men's Tennis page. 

With the closing of every school year, The Kinkaid School honor members of the faculty and staff with three awards that have a special meaning to the School.

The Columbiana Award for Excellence in Teaching is presented annually since 1984 and recognizes a member of the Kinkaid faculty who has demonstrated outstanding pedagogy within his or her field, and who reaches out beyond the classroom to serve as a mentor and role model for students and colleagues. The recipient of this distinguished award exemplifies the abilities, dedication and inspiring qualities that define great teaching. This year’s recipient is Bryon Williams. Bryon is an intellectual and his students become intellectuals as they explore the world beyond the classroom. He is dedicated to the success of each student, providing customized academic instruction when necessary, while consistently reflecting upon his own teaching practices. Bryon is a collaborative, team-oriented and student-centered example of teaching excellence.

The Georgia and Eddie Leonard Staff Excellence Award is named in honor of two long-time staff members who were adored and respected by students, faculty and staff, parents and alumni. The award is presented annually to a member of the Kinkaid staff that has demonstrated the highest levels of excellence in his or her own work over the course of the year. Georgia and Eddie embody the values of warmth, generosity, respect, commitment and integrity. This year’s recipient, Dorothy Barnes, embodies the very same qualities. Dorothy is the friendliest, most cheerful, most upbeat and positive with whom many people have ever worked with in his or her careers. Her attitude is infectious and can brighten any day regardless of the circumstances. In addition, she is incredibly hard working, she is truly outstanding at her job, efficient and effective, extremely professional, accurate, and manages to juggle many tasks and projects at the same time. She is extremely well liked, well respected, admired and she is a role model for us all.

In January, the entire Kinkaid community suffered a tragic loss when fourth grader Faris Virani passed away after a three-year battle with cancer. To honor and remember Faris’s remarkable legacy, The Kinkaid School—in conjunction with the Virani Family, has established the Faris D. Virani Memorial Award. The Award will be given at the conclusion of the academic year, in perpetuity, to a faculty member who “displays a positive ‘go with the flow’ attitude and embodies the inspiring and joyous spirit that made Faris so special.” This year’s recipient is Meredith Kottler. Meredith is an exemplar of Kinkaid’s core values and consistently models what makes Kinkaid such a special place for children and adults alike. Intelligent, kind, patient, thoughtful and dedicated are just a few of her abundant positive qualities.  Entering her classroom, it is easy to recognize her passion for teaching as she cultivates an environment in which all students are truly visible and valued. Like Faris, Mrs. Kottler’s “go with the flow” attitude and joyous spirit serve as a beacon in Lower School to be our best selves and to support each other with compassion and respect.

Congratulations to all three recipients.

Kinkaid track and field record-holder and current Oregon sophomore Raevyn Rogers'14 has dominated the 800m for the past year and enters the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships this week at Hayward Field as the favorite to win her second national title. It won’t be the last meet of the season for Rogers who will attempt to become the first active member of the Oregon women’s team to make the Olympics when she competes in the 800 at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials in July at Hayward Field. Last year, Rogers shocked the field with a dramatic win at the NCAA meet, slowly reeling in leader Natoya Goule of Clemson until finishing with a massive kick to win in 1:59.71 — the fourth-fastest time in NCAA history and fastest ever by a freshman. Rogers is currently No. 4 all-time at Oregon, behind Claudette Groenendaal, Laura Roesler and Leann Warren, who aren’t on the NCAA all-time list because all three ran their times after their NCAA seasons had concluded. Rogers' upcoming NCAA race schedule:

Former Falcon great and current Dartmouth baseball pitcher Duncan Robinson '12 was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 9th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. Robinson is a member of the 2016 All-Ivy 1st Team and was the Ivy League Pitcher of the Year for the 2015 season. Robinson will be graduating from Dartmouth College on Sunday, June 12, 2016. Robinson is also one of 30 baseball players nominated for the 2016 Senior Class Award which honors NCAA Division I senior student athletes who demonstrate notable achievements in four areas of excellence-community, classroom, character and competition. The winner of this award will be announced at the NCAA College World Series. To read more about Robinson's career and recent MLB draft, go to Dartmouth. To learn more about the NCAA Senior Class Award, go to Senior Class Award.

This summer, UT students Ellen Thanheiser '13 and Lou Posada '12 will both be participating in a 4,000+ mile bike ride from Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska as part of the Texas 4000 organization. This 70-day ride is the longest annual charity bike ride in the world.

The Texas 4000 team starts together in Austin and then riders split into Sierra, Rockies, and Ozarks routes and later reunite in Canada to ride the last nine days together into Anchorage. Ellen will be taking the Rockies route and Lou will be taking the Sierra route. Visit Ellen's Team Page and Lou's Team Page for more information on each of their journeys.

As part of their mission to fight cancer, riders share messages of prevention and early detection through educational programs in many of the towns they ride through. They also talk with communities about how cancer has affected their lives. Daily ride dedications are made in honor or in memory of a loved one or someone they have met along the road who is fighting cancer.

Every year Texas 4000 competitively selects University of Texas students for an 18-month program designed to cultivate the next generation to lead the fight against cancer. The organization empowers each student to raise $4,500, ride 2,000 training miles with his/her team, volunteer more than 50 hours in the community and play an active role in planning every aspect of the ride to Alaska by attending weekly meetings and taking leadership positions within the team. To learn more about the Texas 4000 organization, click here. 

The 2015-16 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Boys Golf Teams were selected based on performance and level of competition primarily at the high school level. Junior golf success was a secondary consideration, and those who did not compete regularly for their high school were not considered.

The team consists of representatives from 10 states, with only Texas and California boasting two members.

Hammer introduced himself to golf fans when he teed it up at Chambers Bay last summer as the third-youngest competitor ever to play in the U.S. Open. He nabbed the Southwest Preparatory Conference individual title for Kinkaid this spring by draining a birdie putt on the first playoff hole after firing rounds of 67 and 72 to finish tied for first. He is 22nd in the AJGA Polo Rankings.

To read the full article, please click here. 

The kickoff for the National Week of Making (June 17-23) was held at The White House honoring ten Champions of Change in making and 50 invited Maker Ambassadors, one from each state in the US.  Kinkaid's Lower School Innovation Coordinator Krissy Venosdale was part of the action, representing Texas.

Also at the gathering were Dale Dougherty, founder of MAKE Magazine, Megan Smith, White House Chief Technology Officer and Andrew Coy, White House Senior Advisor for Making.  Following the White House visit, Ambassadors were guests at the National Maker Faire, a celebration of creativity, innovation and learning held at the University of District of Columbia.

Krissy is back and enjoyed the trip. She explains, "My highlights included celebrating the creativity and innovation happening daily at Kinkaid, a visit to the Truman Bowling Alley and connecting with makers from all over the country to further build a network to benefit our students and teachers."

Senior Captain Kaylie Mings and incoming freshman goalkeeper Annabel Skubisz were selected to participate in the U19 and U16 USA Field Hockey National Camps in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania last week.

Varsity Field Hockey Coach and Program Head Jackie Ciconte was eager to share the exciting news. “Both Kaylie and Annabel put in countless hours to perfect their craft on the field. Their commitment to further advancing their skills, as well as the exceptional performances they have displayed on an elite level has not gone without notice. This incredible honor is greatly deserved! I couldn't be prouder of them!”

Follow the links below to see the full list of players selected to participate:

http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Field-Hockey/Features/2016/June/29/USA-Field-Hockey-Announces-U19-Junior-National-Camp-Selections

http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Field-Hockey/Features/2016/June/27/USA-Field-Hockey-Announces-U14-U16-Junior-National-Camp-Selections

Sophomore Bar Pierce and her Houston Express 01G Navy club team traveled to San Sebastián, Spain to compete in the Donosti Cup. After winning their first game 3-1, they went on to win SIX more games and bring home the first place gold cup.

Varsity Girls Soccer Coach and Program Head Angie Shotzberger was proud to hear of Pierce’s teams’ accomplishment, “Bar is an exceptional athlete who really started to come into her own on as the season progressed last year scoring 2 goals along with 3 assists. I can not wait to see what she brings to the field this season.” She added, “We have several other soccer players playing in Europe this summer. Its wonderful to see these young women find so much joy in a sport they love and have the opportunity to use that sport to travel the world. It also makes all of the hard work even more rewarding when you can bring home the first place trophy.”

Click on the link below to see more pictures from Pierce’s teams’ victory. http://houstonx.org/archives/8672

Rising freshman Camila Vicens wins the 3000m racewalk at the USATF Junior Olympics in Sacramento, California. With a time of 15:34.47, this victory gives Vicens the USATF Junior Olympics Champion title.

It has been a busy summer for Vicens. She finished 1st in the 3000m racewalk, 4th in the 3,000 run, with a PR of 10:36, and 6th in the 1,500 run at the Hershey USATF Youth Outdoor Nationals in Pennsylvania. Camila also competed at the AAU Club National Championships in ESPC Orlando in the same events and finished 1st in the 3,000 racewalk again, 2nd in the 3,000 run and 6th in the 1,500 run.

Girls Cross Country and Track & Field Program Head Cheryl Mitchell had this to say, “Camila thrives when challenged. She is hard working and smart about training. She races with heart and enjoys being pushed by other competitors.” She went on to add that [Vicens] “loves the team aspect of cross country and track and is one of the best recruiters on our team. She consistently encourages her friends and classmates to join the cross country team.”

Vicens will go on to compete in two more big meets this summer before returning to Houston to join her fellow Falcons as a member for the Girls Cross Country team.

To hear all of Camila’s interview from her Junior Olympic success, please click on the link below:

http://www.dyestat.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=44531&do=videos&video_id=184286

Over the last couple of weeks, rising junior, Kennedy Gamble has been busy running in Junior Olympic competitions.

Last weekend, Kennedy finished 5th in the 15-16 yr old 100M and her 4x100M relay finished 5th at the USA Track and Field Junior Olympics in Sacramento, CA. Yesterday at the 50^th Annual AAU Junior Olympic Games in Humble, Gamble and her 4x100M Track Houston relay team broke the national record (46.11s) not once but twice. The team ran 45.64s in the semifinals and then topped themselves by running 45.49s in the finals to take home the gold and set a new national record.

You can watch the record breaking relay below. (Track Houston is in lane 4 and Gamble is the 3^rd leg for her team.)

Rising freshman Camila Vicens finishes her summer with another accolade to add to her growing collection. This weekend she broke the National AAU Junior Olympic record for the fourth consecutive year earning the gold medal in the 3000m-race walk with a time of 15:21. Camila now holds the 11,12,13, and 14 year-old national AAU record. 

At the same AAU Junior Olympic national meet, Vicens finished 3rd in the 3000m run, 6th in the 1500m run, and she helped Houston's B team to an 8th finish in the 4 x 800m relay, earning a 4th medal at the AAU Junior Olympic National meet. 

Camilla will be a member of the cross country and track & field teams at Kinkaid this upcoming school year. 

Over the summer, Middle School Science Teacher Shari Hiltbrand was selected from across the nation for the prestigious LiftOff Summer Institute held at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. This program is sponsored by NASA’s Texas Space Grant Consortium and selects teachers from across the U.S. to increase their knowledge of space education. The theme of this year’s Institute was Exploration: Past, Present and Future.  The competitive week long institute featured a series of workshops, hands-on activities, field investigations and presentations by NASA scientists and engineers working on various missions.

Mrs. Hiltbrand had the opportunity to interact with astronauts, flight directors and engineers affiliated with the Apollo, Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs.  She toured research facilities at JSC exploring comets, meteor impacts, Lunar rocks and Mars, seeing the most up to date information being processed by the “Curiosity” rover.  Speakers included: Apollo 13 astronaut, Fred Haise; Apollo 13 (and other Apollo and Space Shuttle Missions) Flight Director, Gene Kranz, who is known for his vests; “The Ordinary Spaceman” Clayton Anderson; and senior engineer, Norman Chaffee, who is known for directional engines on both Apollo and Space Shuttle vessels.  Scientists and engineers from the OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Program and the Mars Rover Program also spoke to the group of teachers.  

In between speakers, Mrs. Hiltbrand worked with other teachers doing hands-on activities to reinforce ideas and concepts being explored during the week “creating” a comet, comparing the Earth and the Moon and other planets, making mini-spectroscopes and other activities that can be used in the classroom.  Besides doing hands-on activities, teachers shared a lesson with the group that teachers can then take back to their classrooms. Mrs. Hiltbrand presented her “Physics of Angry Birds” lesson as it helps students better understand how things move, which is important for objects moving in space.  The group of teachers also toured the training facilities that are used by astronauts and scientists in preparation for ISS missions, going into “badge only” areas including Mission Control and Robotics and Neutral Buoyancy Lab where astronauts train for ISS missions.  Wrapping up the week, Mrs. Hiltbrand went through a NASA certification process that allows her to check out Lunar and Meteorite samples for use at Kinkaid with students.          

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) recently named 89 colleges and universities and 12 independent schools as recipients of its 2016 Educational Fundraising Awards, which recognizes institutions for overall performance and improvement in educational fundraising programs.

This year, The Kinkaid School was selected as the Category 22 (elementary/secondary day schools with more than 4,500, but less than 5,500 alumni) Award for Excellence. Kinkaid also received this award in 2013.

While there is not a nominating process for the award, an expert panel of volunteer judges selects recognize institutions that show solid program growth, support in relation to alumni base, breadth in the base of support and other indications of a mature, well-maintained program.

Upon being notified of this honor, Headmaster Andy Martire remarked, “Kinkaid is very humbled and grateful to receive this award. The recognition is a testament to the long tradition of outstanding generosity across the School community.”

For more on the award and the list of winners, please click here.

http://www.case.org/Awards/Educational_Fundraising_Awards/2016_Winners.html