education

education

Celebrating World Literacy Day with Briarwood Structured Literacy Teacher Stella Mercker

Erin Gregg on September 6, 2024

Celebrating World Literacy Day with Briarwood Structured Literacy Teacher Stella Mercker

Stella sits on a desk and looks at a student who is holding flashcards.

World Literacy Day, celebrated on September 8, is a global reminder of the importance of literacy for all. At The Briarwood School, structured literacy is key in supporting students with dyslexia and other learning differences. In celebration of World Literacy Day, we asked Stella Mercker, a Structured Literacy Teacher in her ninth year at Briarwood, to share her thoughts on the impact of structured literacy and what World Literacy Day means to her.

Six structured literacy interventionists support Briarwood’s Lower School students. “Certified Structured Literacy/Dyslexia Interventionists provide targeted or intensive reading intervention services using structured literacy principles. They focus on phonological awareness, phonics (decoding and encoding), and fluency to help students improve their decoding skills,” according to the Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI).

When asked how structured literacy supports students with dyslexia and other learning differences, Mercker explained:

“Structured literacy supports all students! For one, it provides equity to the classroom and allows students to uncover the structure, complexities, and nuances of our language. People often assume that English doesn’t make sense and that it breaks all these rules — but if you use structured literacy in the classroom, students can see that English is wonderful and amazing. It has a structure, follows many generalizations, and the spelling of the words rarely breaks the rules. Structured Literacy means that literacy is taught systematically, sequentially, and explicitly — so nothing is left to chance — we cover it all.”

World Literacy Day holds special meaning for Mercker, as she reflected on the day’s significance.

“World Literacy Day is a day that we can celebrate equity in our learning — everyone deserves to learn how to read, and they should be taught in a way that helps them learn best. Structured literacy is designed to create strong, independent readers and writers. A reader is a leader, a change-maker, and an equalizer. ”

Mercker’s dedication to creating strong readers echoes the mission of our founder, Yvonne Tuttle Streit: Every child can learn and has the right to be taught in the way they learn best.

Introducing Winston: Briarwood’s First Official Therapy Dog Thursday

Erin Gregg on August 22, 2024

Introducing Winston: Briarwood's First Therapy Dog Thursday

There’s a new furry member of our Mustang community! The Briarwood and Tuttle Schools are thrilled to introduce Winston, an almost 2-year-old King Charles Cavalier, as the star of our Therapy Dog Thursdays. Winston, a certified therapy dog, spent the day visiting students across the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools and The Tuttle School. He offered his calming presence and provided an awesome brain break for students and faculty. The school counselors, Ms. Chapman and Ms. La’Zurs, utilized Winston in their daily activities, doubling the emotional support.

 

Winston’s first day was a success. One student shared, “It was the best day ever — he helped me so much.” Owned by Erica Zack, Executive Assistant to the Head of School, Winston is set to become a cherished part of the school community, providing comfort to students, faculty, and staff alike.

 

Therapy Dog Thursdays with Winston are sure to bring even more smiles and comfort to our Mustang community. We can’t wait to see the difference he’ll continue to make!

A Successful Start to Our 2024-2025 Parent Education Speaker Series

Erin Gregg on August 22, 2024

A Successful Start to Our 2024-2025 Parent Education Speaker Series

On Tuesday, August 6th, The Briarwood and Tuttle Schools hosted Sarah Ward, M.S., CCC/SLP, for the first event in our 2024-2025 Parent Education Speaker Series. With over 25 years of experience in treating executive dysfunction, Ward is an internationally recognized expert in the field, renowned for her innovative 360 Thinking Executive Function Program.

Throughout the day, Ward presented division-specific information to our faculty and staff members in Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools and The Tuttle School. She focused on executive function — a critical skill set that helps students manage their time, plan their tasks, and achieve goals. Parents attended a dedicated session in the evening, where Ward shared practical strategies for supporting their children’s executive function skills at home.

One parent enthusiastically shared how they were able to immediately apply what they learned, using Ward’s strategies to help their child visualize the process of getting ready for the day.

“We are excited to continue our Parent Education Speaker Series, which helps to create an informed and collaborative school community. We look forward to upcoming sessions in the winter and spring. Renee Attaway-Storer will share insights on integrating Social Thinking across our classrooms, while Erik Shonstrom will guide us in understanding the impact of embodied cognition and outdoor play on student learning and development. These sessions will enhance our journey to excellence at our schools,” said David Mendlewski, Head of School.

Briarwood Athletes Shine in Spring Sports Season

Erin Gregg on April 25, 2024

Briarwood Athletes Shine in Spring Sports Season

As the spring season draws to a close, the Briarwood Mustangs have again demonstrated their athletic skills in tennis, track and field, and golf. At Briarwood, our students begin their student-athlete journey in Middle School, a unique aspect of our athletic program. Daily movement and participation in sports offers numerous benefits to students with learning differences, such as enhancing motor skills and boosting focus and self-esteem.

Briarwood is a proud member of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools, or TAPPS, enabling our students to compete with other schools across Texas. 

Tennis

Our boys’ varsity tennis team secured the TAPPS 1A State Championship, capping off a rewarding season after a 1A District championship win. Ian J. and Andres B. continued their district success and won the 1A boys’ doubles state championship. Senior Brandon H. finished third place in the individual state rankings.

District awards were also earned by Andres B. and Ian J. (district doubles champions), Brandon H. (runner up), Sawyer K. (5th), Carter C. (5th), and Ashton K. and Christopher Y. (3rd in doubles).

In Middle School, doubles team Paolo C. and Cal G. won 3rd place.

Track and Field

Our Middle School track teams concluded their season on a high note at their final meet, bringing home several awards and breaking multiple records – both personal and school-wide. Record breakers included Parker B., Sydney C., William F., Hunter H., Ryan S., and Jaden S. The boys’ team successfully defended their 1A conference championship title for the second consecutive year, while the girls’ team finished third. Our Mustangs broke seven records this year, including the boys’ 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 4×100 relay, 4×200 relay, discus, and girls’ 55 meters.

There were also several record breakers in Upper School throughout the season: Kate B., Brooke M., Petra S., Ellie R., and Nate S. At the state level, Christiane G. placed 7th in the 3200m. Boys’ relay team Nate S., Rhys D., James W., Graves G., and Landon B. (alt.) secured 7th in the 4×200 relay and 4th in the 4×400 relay. Girls’ relay ream Kate B., Brooke M., Petra S., Ellie R., and Christiane G. (alt.) placed 4th in the 4×400 relay.

Golf

The varsity golf team had a successful season, ending in a trip to the TAPPS 1A State Championship. The girls’ team placed fifth in the state. Their skill, focus, and determination were evident throughout the season.

Each of these achievements represents the talent and commitment of our Mustang student-athletes and the support from our coaches and community. Congratulations to all our student-athletes for a successful sports season.

 
Media Contact: Erin Gregg, egregg@briarwoodschool.org

Career Day Inspires Briarwood Students

Erin Gregg on April 16, 2024

Career Day Inspires Briarwood Students

“I’m not sure what I want to be when I grow up, but I bet I’ll have some good ideas later!” This was just one of the statements made by Lower School students on Wednesday, April 3, during The Briarwood School’s second annual Career Day.
 
Thanks to the participation of our Mustang parents, students had the chance to explore a diverse range of professions. From chefs to engineers, ballerinas to pediatric doctors, airline pilots to chief administrative officers, graphic designers to financial advisors, and even senior medical consultants to the Department of Defense, ICU nurses, media directors, and more, there was a wealth of career options to discover.
 
Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for students with learning differences to be told that they won’t succeed in higher education or certain careers. At Briarwood, we reinforce the belief that you can do hard things and anything you set your mind to. We equip our students with the tools they need to succeed, such as diagnostic-prescriptive instruction and a voice and choice in their learning. Career Day takes that mission a step further, showing students the vast array of opportunities available to them.
 
A special thank you to faculty members Evelyn O’Krinsky, Thaint Elliott, Chelsea Glenn, and Kate McCauley for their student-centered focus, passion, and effort in making Career Day a success.
 
Media Contact: Beth Anchondo, banchondo@briarwoodschool.org
The Briarwood School prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national and ethnic origins in administration of educational policies, admissions policies, loan and scholarship programs, and athletic and other administered programs. ©2023, all rights reserved.
12207 Whittington Drive
Houston, TX 77077
Phone: 281.493.1070
Fax: 281.493.1343
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