Senior Thesis Presentations

As their final project at School of the Woods, the Woods High School Seniors (12th grade) present their Senior Thesis to the school community, their advisors, and their Senior Thesis Teacher.   

Below is a listing of their thesis titles, the name of the student, and the date and time of the presentation.  You are invited to attend these presentations.

The presentations take place in Woods High School.  

We ask that you arrive a few minutes prior to the start time and stay through the entire presentation.  Once the presentation starts, you will not be permitted to enter the room and you must stay until the end.

We hope you are able to attend and support the students while hearing about a topic that interests you.  This is a great way to learn about Woods High School and the Senior Thesis Program.

April 15, 2019

11:30-12:15 Vitaliy Williams

“The Therapeutic Value Drumming Has on Musicians”

4:15-5:00 Harrison Walz

“Capitalism: Is It a Dying System?”

April 16, 2019

11:30-12:15 Sophie Pink

“What Languages Have to Tell Us: The Importance of Preserving Endangered Languages”

April 17, 2019

11:30-12:15 Hannah Froming

“The Imaginary Cannibal: Using Cultural Relativity to Counter Ethnocentrism”

4:15- 5:00 Sarah George

“Why Mars is not Plan B: The Effects of Microgravity Environments on the Human Body”

April 18, 2019

11:30-12:15 Sydney Salvatierra

“Preying on the Vulnerable: the Psychology of Cult Leaders”

4:15- 5:00 Lily Pando

“Erasing the Stigma: Finding the Source of Our Generation’s Depressive Attitudes”

April 22, 2019

11:30-12:15 Ryan Gwinn

“Emotions In The Brain: What Causes Them and Why Do We Have Them?”

4:15-5:00 Jennifer Deden

“Taming the Wild: Positive Effects of Mustangs as Therapeutic Animals”

April 23, 2019

4:15–5:00 Avery Tomlinson

“Colors on the Mind: How We Can Use Color to Improve Our Lives”

April 24, 2019

11:30-12:15 Eleanor Spain

“A Broken System: Exploring America’s Troubling Recidivism Rates and Effective Solutions for Change”

4:15-5:00 Tessa Krauser

“Arguments for Legalization of Prostitution in America”

April 25, 2019

11:30-12:15 Mason Holt

“Safety or Stupidity: Has Car Safety Reached Its Peak?”

4:15- 5:00 Cameron Lewis

“Formula One Technology: What It Is and How It Works”

April 29, 2019

11:30-12:15 Gavin Minor

“Mending The Broken Heart: Why We Should Care More About Heart Disease”

4:15-5:00 Deia McGuire

“Nobody’s Perfect; Should We Just Work It? Drawing the Line Between Genetics and Eugenics”

April 30, 2019

4:15-5:00 Julie Martinez

“How Do Eating Disorders and Depression Relate?”

May 1, 2019

4:15-5:00 Martin Dolence

“In Fur-therance of First-hand Research: How the Anthropomorphic Community Benefits the Mind of the Individual”

DECODING THE DISTRACTIONS

I hear from parents regularly about their frustrations that although they set limits around their phones and game consoles when it’s time to do homework, they then have found out that the child/teen simply resumes their social media interactions and gaming on their homework device, i.e. tablets, laptops or desktops.

So you can be better prepared to stop these workarounds, I’ve outlined what popular apps and games work on which devices.

Learn More …

12 Screen-less Gift Ideas Children will Love

With every passing year finding presents for your children that don’t involve some sort of attention-demanding tech becomes more and more difficult.

A new phone. A new video game. There’s always something else that, if you buy it, can ultimately create friction between you and your child when you are trying to support less screen time.

Then, there’s the problem of making this gift, which can be seen as a compromise for some kids, as fun. After all, what good is a screenless present, if your child isn’t going to use it?

So to make this holiday a little easier on all you parents, for this Tech Talk Tuesday, I’ve created a list of more than a dozen great gifts that can really help you make this holiday season a win for both you and your child!

Start here

 

Volleyball Wrap-Up

Our volleyball program had 24 participants this year. Our JV squad, which was composed of both middle school and high school players, played a full schedule against both JV and some Varsity level schools. Many of our JV players are playing for the first time, and it is always exciting to see how the team progresses over the season. We start playing games soon after practice starts, so it is a crash course for many of the players. Every single player improved, and that is always the goal for this team. “The JV team had a great season with many role players and newcomers. The girls started the season undefeated, and continued to gain experience together, and built skills that improved throughout the season. I’m proud of the effort put into the season and I am looking forward to next season” says JV Coach Ashton Jones.

Our Varsity squad saw many changes this year. We had a large group of Seniors that worked really hard to bring the team together and supported the younger players. We were very balanced this year. In the beginning, it was all about figuring out who could help us the most in each position. Most of the girls that were on the starting line up were starters for the first time. We were fortunate enough to get many games in before district, so we were ready to be competitive once we got going. Our district was mixed up this year with all levels playing together. We beat all 1A and 2A schools and split with a large 3A school. This was our fifth district title in consecutive years. We ended the regular season with a third place seeding for the state tournament. We won our first game in the tournament and that put us in the semi-finals versus Boerne Area Christian Homeschoolers. We lost that game in four sets and were placed in the consolation game. We won that game versus Texas Christian to end our season with a 19-13-1 record.

I feel the biggest impact on our Varsity team was the leadership provided by the Seniors. This was a very unselfish class that always supported the younger players and themselves. I am thankful for strong leaders and the younger group of players that really stood out and have a bright future ahead. They have big shoes to fill, but I am confident they are ready to step up to the challenge. We are all thankful for the fans that came out to all of our games, and the noise they made to help elevate our play.

It was a season to remember and I am already looking forward to next year!

Go Wildcats!
Coach Amanda

Open House Programs

Mark your calendar and plan to attend our upcoming Open House Programs. They are grouped by level:

The High School Program will be held at 7814 Bobbitt, 77055. All other programs are at the main campus, 1321 Wirt Road.

WOODS MIDDLE SCHOOL: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2018 at 7 PM
The faculty of Woods Middle School will present a program to discuss and demonstrate the ways that Montessori philosophy impacts and promotes love of learning in 7th and 8th grade students.

WOODS HIGH SCHOOL: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2018 at 7 PM
Learn about College Prep curriculum in the Montessori environment. The Woods High School faculty and students discuss how Montessori education tenets and fundamentals apply to the older student.

UPPER ELEMENTARY: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2018 at 7 PM
In this evening event, the focus is on the Woods Upper Elementary Class. Faculty will discuss Montessori principles and educational experiences for grades 4, 5, 6.

LOWER ELEMENTARY: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018 at 7 PM
See Montessori cross-age instruction in action for students in the first, second and third grades. After Pre-K and Kindergarten, children are ready for their step into a lifetime of learning.

EARLY CHILDHOOD & KINDERGARTEN: TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2019 at 7 PM
The very foundation of Montessori education: you will observe how the fundamentals and specific lessons and materials of the Montessori system develop a child’s intellect from the earliest ages.

Please call 713-686-8811 for more information.

SCREEN AGERS – Growing Up in the Digital Age

PARENT GUIDE

Having weekly, short, calm conversations with your family about tech is so important. Tech Talk Tuesday (TTT), our weekly blog, offers you tools and tips for discussions. Families tell us it’s making a huge difference. Visit our website www.screen ersmovie.com/tech-talk-tuesdays/  to try one. It’s never too late to start a conversation about technology but often doing it in baby steps is more effective. —Delaney Ruston, MD. filmmaker of Screenagers

4 Basic rules to consider— (go to www.screenagers.movie.com to find ways to enforce rules)

  1. No screens in bedrooms when kids and teens go to sleep (for younger kids keep screens out completely). Fact: 75% teens get inadequte sleep. The presence of devices disrupts sleep.
  2. Set time goals for studying without multitasking and then. also, take tech breaks. Fact: Multitasking is linked to less retention and poorer academic outcomes.
  3. Eat family meals without devices. Fact: Face—to—face conversations improve mood and empathy.
  4. Put phones and devices away in the car. Fact: More than half of kids report seeing their parents text while driving.

3 Tips to help your child build self-control

  1. Science shows that positive rewards work better than punishment. For example, if you observe your child focused while doing their homework without their device. praise them.
  2. Build times when tech is out of sight Self-control is hard, so decrease temptations.
  3. Use TTT to let your kids share with you about the reasons they like tech in their lives-the more they feel understood, the more they’ll work with you on tech limits.

Discussion questions

  • How much time do you think kids in the US spend looking at screens? (Kids spend an
    average of 6.5 hours a day on screens, not including classroom or homework.)
  • How much time do you think you spend each week on screen-related activities?
  • The film featured a study in which baby mice exposed to screen time developed fewer
    cells in the areas of learning and memory than non-exposed mice. 00 you think this is
    true for humans too?
  • Do you think violent video games desensillze people to violence?
  • What are some popular games that don’t involve violence?
  • Have you experienced people using screens to avoid face-to-face interactions? Do you
    ever make comments onllne that you wouldn’t make in person?

Resources at www.screenag_ersmovie.com

  • Screen Time Contracts–Tips and screen time contracts templates. including Tessa’s
    contract
  • Parenting Apps—Tools that automatically turn off tech at certain times
  • Digital Citizenship——Links to help teach this at home and in schools
  • Parenting Tips—Ongoing practical advice from our blog, TTT and more