Student Spotlight

Student Spotlight

Walking in Nya’s Shoes: Briarwood 6th Graders Reflect on “A Long Walk to Water”

Walking in Nya's Shoes: Briarwood 6th Graders Reflect on "A Long Walk to Water"

Two students smile while holding gallon jugs of water.

In January, Briarwood 6th Grade English students finished reading the novel A Long Walk to Water, based on the true story of Salva Dut, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. He became a leader among the boys and was later a refugee moving to New York to live with a family which loved and mentored him. While in New York Salva learned that his father was alive, but very ill with a waterborne illness. He committed to figuring out how to help his father, family, and others in South Sudan have clean water, eventually establishing the non-profit Water for South Sudan. Hundreds of wells have been drilled through this non-profit. One of the characters in the book is eleven-year-old Nya. Seven months of the year, she walks 8 hours a day gathering water from a lake for her family. The 6th graders had the opportunity to walk around our track carrying a gallon of water for approximately 1 mile to get an idea of what it may be like to walk carrying a jug of water. They wrote about their experiences. 


Period 1

“The experience was fun and you would have to push yourself…”

“If I was Nya, I would get at least a few blisters every week.”

“The experience was not hard but not easy. I walked a mile and a quarter. The [gallon of] water did not weigh that much. It was fun because I got to talk with a classmate, but it would have been harder if I had to walk seven to eight miles twice a day.”

Period 2

“It was hard for Nya, and even after [she walked each day] she couldn’t go to school. The experience was hard. My fingers are feeling like they’re going to fall off and my legs are burning. How did she do it?”

“I would not want to be Nya and walk that far with water. I would think it would be dreadful and you could get very bored. The water in a gourd on your head is so annoying.”

“I could not imagine walking 24 miles in 75-120 degree weather every day.”

“Today in class we went outside and walked a mile while holding a gallon of water.  I hadn’t done anything like it before. It was pretty easy but I wasn’t doing it with 5 gallons of water and walking 24 miles.  This experience helped me understand how Nya did this tiring chore.  I couldn’t imagine walking in the different weather conditions.”

“If I was like Nya, I would have been so tired and exhausted.”

Period 5

“I’d die because I cannot walk for that long.”

“It was probably hard for Nya to do that.”

“It was very hard to walk and very tiring.”

“If I was Nya, I would cry and push myself at the same time.”

“It’s impressive that Nya walks 8 hours a day.”

Period 6

“My feet were burning.”

“When I was walking, the [water] jugs were heavy. My fingers were burning. I kept dropping my jugs.”

“The water bottles are very heavy. At first I thought it [would] be fine, but for three laps, it was HARD.”

“It feels really trying. It makes your hands hurt and you get tired of holding it. You keep wanting to drop it on the floor but you can’t. You can’t run fast at all without breaking it. Your arms get numb, and your hands are shaking.”

“It was hard and my hands started to hurt. I now definitely know that it was insanely hard walking 24 miles or more daily.”

Period 7

“The mile was exhausting. Nya carried way more than I was. I am so lucky to have water whenever I want.”

“My arms hurt and it was fun and not fun…I would not want to do it everyday.”

“It was really hard and I walked only one mile. I had sweat on my hands and held [the gallon of water] on my head/arms. I could not imagine doing that all day and that’s 96 laps [around the track].”

“It was super duper fun, but doing it every single day for 24 miles (I only did one mile)…would be painful. How did she do it? She must be crazy strong. It’s honestly remarkable as anything.”

Packing Hope: Briarwood Middle Schoolers Partner with Hope Impacts

Packing Hope: Briarwood Middle Schoolers Partner with Hope Impacts

Middle schoolers and adults stand in front of a packed car trunk with food packs.

In honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service, Briarwood Middle School students partnered with Hope Impacts, a nonprofit that supports individuals experiencing homelessness. Led by the eighth grade student council officers and Mrs. Traynor, Director of Middle School, students organized a division-wide initiative to collect and assemble food packs containing essentials including water, canned protein, fruit cups, granola bars, and chips.

The original goal was ambitious: 150 food packs. But the students’ determination and teamwork helped them surpass expectations, creating 262 food packs for Hope Impacts. Reflecting on the project, one student shared, “It’s important to always help other people, especially your community.” Advisory classes competed for service awards, free-dress days, and pizza parties. Ms. Louviere’s advisory took home the top honors for contributing the most food packs.

On January 17, Hope Impacts founder and executive director Tina Hatcher visited Briarwood to collect the food packs and share how they would impact the community. “At Hope Impacts, we connect those experiencing homelessness with organizations that provide safe housing, showers, meals, food pantries, medical services, dental services, and more. By providing a safe environment, intentional community partnerships, a vast referral and resource system, meeting basic essential needs, and providing connection and ongoing relationship-building opportunities to walk the journey of life together, we have been honored and privileged to help over 250 people go from unhoused to housed in the Katy Community since 2016 when Hope Impacts began operating full time.” Hatcher highlighted in her talk with Middle School that everyone is one unforeseen event away from homelessness; the only difference between the homed and homeless is where they lay their head at night.  She talked a lot about and gave examples of the ‘unexpected’ people who become homeless rather than the stigma.

This service project allowed Briarwood Middle School students to live out their core value of community through connections, channeling their efforts into a cause that directly supports people in need. Advisory lessons leading up to and after revolved around Dr. Martin Luther King’s vision of a beloved community.

For more information on how you can help Hope Impacts, visit hopeimpacts.org/contact-us.

Capturing Excellence: Briarwood Freshman Honored in ATPI Fall Contest

Capturing Excellence: Briarwood Freshman Honored in ATPI Fall Contest

Photo of water coming out of a balloon.

In November 2024, Briarwood photography students entered 56 of their favorite photos to the Association of Texas Photography Instructors Fall Contest. Overall, more than 6,200 photos were submitted by 120 schools from across Texas, including Arizona, California, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and Great Britain! There were 595 winners in 33 categories for both beginner and advanced divisions.

Congratulations to freshman Jack, who was awarded an Honorable Mention for “Water Syth” in the Beginning-Time Exposure category! Congratulations to all the photography students for their outstanding work!

The winning photo and a collection of other work can be viewed on the bulletin board outside the Digital Creativity Lab.

The Association of Texas Photography Instructors (ATPI) provides information and resources to teachers and students who work with photography, whether in Art, Journalism, Industrial Technology, or Vocational curriculum areas. The association sponsors several contests and workshops for students and instructors throughout the year. In short, ATPI, a Texas non-profit organization, works to help photography instructors of all disciplines work to achieve a higher quality of knowledge and teaching of photography.

Briarwood at the Region 4 Dyslexia Conference

Briarwood at the Region 4 Dyslexia Conference

Group puohot of students and admin smiling in front of a tv screen.
Students sit and look at another student as she speaks.
Briarwood at the Region 4 Dyslexia Conference

This year, The Briarwood School participated in the Region 4 Dyslexia Conference, a gathering dedicated to the latest in dyslexia research, intervention strategies, assessment methods, and classroom accommodations. Educators and advocates from across the area came together to learn, share, and connect — working toward better outcomes for students with dyslexia.

Students and administration attended to share The Briarwood Way — Briarwood’s unique approach to teaching students with learning differences — and to spotlight the growth and success our students achieve every day.

Student Panelists Stealing the Show

Four Briarwood students from Middle to Upper School shared their experiences on a panel, speaking about how The Briarwood Way has impacted their lives.

  • Dax (Middle School) impressed attendees by demonstrating a Makerspace robot and explaining how organizational tools like the Briarwood Binder have helped him stay on top of his work.
  • Paolo (Upper School) spoke about the confidence he’s gained through Briarwood’s supportive teaching methods and the difference it’s made in his academic success.
  • Channing (Upper School) reflected on balancing academics with her extracurricular passions, like theater, thanks to Briarwood’s individualized approach.
  • Millie (Upper School) inspired the room by sharing how Briarwood has prepared her for college, giving her the skills and time to excel both in and out of the classroom.

Their responses were a testament to their hard work and what’s possible when students are taught in a way that works for them.

Proud family members of panelists attended, wearing “Proud Briarwood Parent” lanyards, making the day even more special. The smiles from our students, their parents, and panel attendees said it all: Briarwood changes lives.

Media Contact: Erin Gregg, egregg@briarwoodschool.org

Briarwood Junior Selected for NASA Texas High School Aerospace Scholars Program

Briarwood Junior Selected for NASA Texas High School Aerospace Scholars Program

Student and head of school stand together outside of Briarwood building and smile. Student holds a newspaper, head of school holds an astronaut stature.

HOUSTON – The Briarwood School junior Luke Bruno has been selected to participate in the prestigious Texas High School Aerospace Scholars (HAS) program. This immersive STEM experience connects students with NASA’s missions and future space exploration initiatives. The year-long program begins in the fall and allows Texas high school juniors to engage in online coursework focusing on space exploration, Earth science, technology, and aeronautics.

Bruno, who has attended Briarwood since third grade, will spend five months completing rigorous online modules, learning about NASA’s work, and preparing for a possible invitation to the Moonshot summer experience. In this five-day virtual event, students collaborate with NASA scientists and engineers. Top-performing teams from Moonshot may receive an all-expenses-paid residential trip to NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

“Our students always reach for the stars, but Luke is proving that the stars aren’t so far away for Briarwood students,” Briarwood Head of School David Mendlewski shared. Next year, Bruno plans to apply to the U.S. Military Academy, the Naval Academy, and the Air Force Academy, aiming to continue his pursuit of excellence beyond high school.

Bruno’s father expressed his gratitude for the support Briarwood has provided. “I can’t explain in words what the school has done for our son and what it has to offer a child with learning differences.”

The Texas High School Aerospace Scholars program allows students like Bruno to dive deep into STEM education and opens the door to a potential future career in aerospace, engineering, and space exploration.

The Briarwood School congratulates Luke Bruno on this outstanding achievement and looks forward to seeing him soar in his journey with NASA and beyond.

Media Contact: Erin Gregg, egregg@briarwoodschool.org

Briarwood’s Eagle Scout Crafts Legacy with Project

Colin, an Upper School student at Briarwood, recently completed a remarkable two-part Eagle Scout project. The first part, undertaken before the school year began, involved Colin’s dedicated work on crafting benches for the hallways. These benches, created with care and skill, were designed for use by classmates and future Briarwood students, offering a comfortable addition to our school’s hallways. With determination and support from his family and friends in Pearland Troop 446, he brought this multifaceted project to life.

On the first day of the second part of the project, Colin and his team began by dismantling the old pergola, a structure built back in 1999 by another Briarwood student named Michael for his Eagle Scout Project. The memories of the past were carefully taken apart, making way for a new beginning. They poured the concrete bases for the upcoming pergola, setting a strong foundation for what was to come.

The second day was all about the construction of the new pergola. Colin’s passion and craftsmanship shone as he and his team worked tirelessly, turning raw materials into a stunning piece of architecture for our school. With each swing of the hammer and every precise cut, the pergola took shape, symbolizing a blend of past and present – a legacy of both Eagle Scout projects and Briarwood students. It was a labor of love, made possible by the generosity of Colin’s family and friends. The photos from the project work days stand as a testament to his dedication and the community spirit that made this project a reality.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Colin and Troop 446 for gifting us with the beautiful pergola and benches, two wonderful additions that will be appreciated by all and continue to inspire future generations at our school.