Campus Construction and Safety
The ongoing construction of the Kinkaid campus of the New Dining and Learning Center and Parking Garage calls for the delivery of large concrete pieces over the course of six to eight weeks starting starting Oct. 12. Deliveries will take place between 9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. and throughout the day on Saturdays. Students, faculty and visitors on campus should expect delays during these times. The delivery trucks will arrive from the main entrance and head towards the parking garage construction site toward the West Lot. Dr. Martire has advised the community to look for periodic, important email updates in the coming months from Director of Facilities Mr. Ed Jordan, regarding the construction of the new 575-car parking garage that is set to be finished next spring. As far as the New Dining and Learning Center goes, architects are placing final touches on the designs of classrooms and the cafeteria seating area, and it is set to be ready in time for the start of the 2016-2017 school year.
Scholarly Recognition
Congratulations to the National Merit Scholar recipients, current seniors whose PSAT scores were all above 220! The National Merit Scholars for the Class of 2016 includes Kaveh Badrei, Kendyl Bree, Worthley Burke, Joe Cozby, Joseph Edwards, Colby Gottschalk, Alex Kalai, Mason Mings, Tarun Srinivasan, Clara Tian, and Sita Yerramsetti.
Aerospace Scholars Program
Mason Mings (12) was selected as a Texas High School Aerospace Scholar (HAS) from a pool of 261 high school students, which lead to an internship at the Johnson Space Center, where he had the opportunity to learn from seasoned NASA scientists. Not only did Mings learn about space exploration under NASA employees, but his team also worked under the management of a NASA flight surgeon. At the end of his internship, Mings brought back with him an understanding of what he may want his future to have in store: lots of life-changing science.
Search for New Upper School Principal
On Tuesday, Sept. 22, Headmaster Dr. Andy Martire sent an email to the Kinkaid Upper School parents, sharing Mr. Patrick Loach’s announcement that this would be his fifth and final year at Kinkaid. Mr. Loach plans to leave Kinkaid in June and take his family to the East Coast, closer to family. Mr. Loach expressed his excitement for what the the future holds in store. The search for the Head of Upper School is ongoing; Dr. Martire hopes to have a final candidate by the end of 2015. The Finney Search Group, based in Baltimore, will be consulting with Kinkaid to help find the best individual for the job, and met with students and faculty at the end of September.
Women of Distinction
For the first time in history, ABC-13 honors a rising young woman, naming Bradlee Olivia Few (12) as the Rising Star of Women of Distinction for 2016. In the past, ABC-13 has recognized women in the Houston community who make a difference in their distinct ways, whether it is through countless volunteer hours or their own charities. This year, ABC-13 changed up their game by announcing a 2016 Rising Star. Few is a familiar face in the Kinkaid community, as she participates in athletics, arts, and many extracurricular activities. Most recently, Few created a blog, www.shouldieatthisorthat.org, where she hopes to inspire readers to make healthy choices and shares healthy recipe options. For her work in childhood obesity and health, Few was recently awarded the Girl Scout Gold Award.
Tragic Boating Accident on Lake Travis
The Kinkaid community was saddened by the loss of husband and father Shawn Hurwitz on the morning of Sunday, Oct. 11. Dr. Martire called an assembly on the morning of Tuesday Oct. 13 to inform the Upper School student body of Mr. Hurwitz’s tragic passing and to hold a moment of silence. At the assembly, Dr. Martire outlined his personal connection to Mr. Hurwitz, including the fact that the Hurwitz family is his neighbor. The memorial service took place on Thursday afternoon, and was attended by many seniors as well as students who graduated in the Class of 2015.
Alumni Leadership Day
On the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 14, the entire graduating class of 2016 filed into the Moss Amphitheaterto begin the 10th Annual Kinkaid Alumni Leadership Day. With 54 alumni present, ranging from the graduating classes of 1995-2010, Dr. Andy Martire was bound to find a quirky Keynote speaker to jump start the morning, none other than Pierce Bush (Class of 2004), Vice President of Kinkaid Young Professionals Organization (KYPO). In kicking off the day, Dr. Martire declared that he is not aware of any other schools in our area with an alumni program as established as Kinkaid. Seniors Kate Hickman and Ryan Smith, who serve as the Alumni Board Senior Representatives, followed Dr. Martire onstage to introduce a few of the alumni speakers. The Class of 2016 also learned about Kinkaid Connect, an online database packed full of Kinkaid alumni for the use of Kinkaid students to search for possible internships to start them on their career paths.
Performing Arts
Theatre Company’s rendition of William Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen of Verona opened up with their performance for the Upper School on Wednesday, Oct. 14 as a dress rehearsal, followed by performances on Oct. 16 at 7:00 p.m. and Oct. 18 at 2:00 p.m. Jenny Miller (12) said, “I enjoyed the 80’s interpretation of the play and watching my friends in their funny costumes.”
