Posts by Claire St. Amant
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Pint-Sized Scientist Sheds Light on Solar Energy
Bradfield Elementary recently held its annual science fair, and fourth-grader Crawford McSpadden took home top honors. His project exploring the temperature of white versus black solar heaters, aptly named “Sunshine Showdown” clearly impressed the judges. Being a minimalist, I’m a fan of his no-frills presentation board.By Claire St. Amant May. 23, 2012 | 6:21 am | 1 Comment | Comments RSS -
HPMS Celebrates Spirit Day
Lindsay Rather and Maddie Fehlman
On Friday, eighth-graders at Highland Park Middle School celebrated the final days of their junior high years with a Spirit Day. HPMS PTA volunteers Michelle Fehlman and Laura Yancy co-chaired the day’s events for the more than 500 students of the Class of 2016. The day’s events included a group breakfast and lunch in the gym, as well as a dance in the evening.
By Claire St. Amant May. 16, 2012 | 6:00 am | No Comments | Comments RSS -
Sex Offender Found Loitering Near Hockaday
UPDATE: Hockaday reports that the sex offender has been taken into custody. While Dallas County arrest records indicate a 74-year-old white male was detained late Thursday for failing to register as a sex offender, Dallas Police officers could not confirm this was the same individual found loitering near Hockaday.
Hockaday Letter 3
According to a letter written to parents earlier this week, a registered sex offender was found and questioned by Dallas Police just outside of Hockaday’s Welch Road campus on Monday. The 74-year-old man was parked in a dodge truck painted to resemble a security vehicle, with white and black markings as well as sticker reading “Dallas Unit 51.”The letter, which was signed by head of school Kim Wargo, noted that no criminal activity had taken place. Wargo exhorted the Hockaday community to be mindful of the “potential risk” and, in a separate letter to boarding parents, restricted boarding students from walking off campus. Read More…
By Claire St. Amant May. 11, 2012 | 1:09 pm | No Comments | Comments RSS -
Hyer Students Welcome Grandparents
Farley Sedina and his Gram, Carol Burrow
In April, the Hyer Huskies celebrated Grand Friends Day. Kindergartners greeted their guests in the classroom sharing smiles, hugs and even flowers. Grades first through fourth entertained their grand friends with a special performance followed by a classroom tour showing them examples of their latest work. See more photos in the May 18 edition of Park Cities People.
By Claire St. Amant May. 11, 2012 | 10:00 am | No Comments | Comments RSS -
NorthPark Center Institutes Curfew
Gone are the days of dropping the kids off at the mall. Effective yesterday, children 17 years old and younger will no longer be allowed to independently patronize NorthPark Center after 6 p.m. The curfew is part of a set of new policies instituted at the upscale Dallas mall that includes restrictions on language and attire.
While you may recall a certain pseudo-scandal involving a 2011 viral email and what reports indicate was a group-beating of a Dallas Academy student in January, spokesman Mark Annick said the updated policies were not in response to a specific incident, but reflect a growing trend nationwide.
“As much as it’s new here at NorthPark, it’s really not so new around the country,” Annick said.
The curfew will not apply to movie-goers, who will be allowed to go in and out of the AMC Theater located inside the mall until 11 p.m. Sunday — Thursday, and until 12:01 a.m. Friday and Saturday. There’s also a loophole for NorthPark employees under the age of 18.
As far as enforcement goes, Annick said the mall will “rely on the judgment and discretion of NorthPark security.”
The policy will be enforced by NorthPark security officers, and violating it is not a criminal offense. Security officers will ask children to produce an acceptable form of ID, or show that a guardian is nearby, or they will be asked to leave. Annick said the officers will call home and request a parent pick up their child.
Sean Bavies, who manages the Lego store at NorthPark, is pleased with the new policy.
“It’s great,” he said. “It’s really going to promote better family-friendly shopping.”
By Claire St. Amant May. 9, 2012 | 3:48 pm | 27 Comments | Comments RSS -
Lanning Named Teacher of The Year by PC-TAG
PC-TAG Teacher of the Year Carol Lanning and PC-TAG chair Andrea Hamilton
Park Cities Talented and Gifted has selected Bradfield TAG Specialist Carol Lanning as its Teacher of the Year. Lanning was selected from teacher candidates across all seven Highland Park ISD campuses.
Lanning, who has a 35-year teaching career with HPISD, launched the Talented and Gifted program at Bradfield more than 20 years ago. PC-TAG is honoring her based on her capacity to inspire students, her commitment to staying informed about current educational theories and practices, and her deep commitment to the education of her students.
The organization accepted nominations from students, parents, and faculty, and support for Lanning was overwhelming. One parent noted that she teaches children “to question why things happen, to be creative, and to find an answer. All of this is done with patience, humor, straightforward answers, and a deep understanding of thought processes.”
PC-TAG chair Andrea Hamilton presented the award to Lanning and offered these words of support. “Ms. Lanning has inspired countless children during her long teaching career and truly enjoys teaching and meeting the unique needs of gifted and talented students,” Hamilton said.
By Claire St. Amant May. 9, 2012 | 6:10 am | 1 Comment | Comments RSS -
Highland Park HS: The 92nd Best School in America
U.S. News & World Report has released its ranking of the top 100 schools in our fair land. Highland Park High School slipped in at No. 92 on the list and is also ranked 10th in Texas. The Scots likely won’t argue with those favorable ratings, but I do have one question about the numbers.
According to the report, “Highland Park High School is 1 of 2 high schools in the Highland Park School District.” Boy, is our face going to be red at Park Cities People if we’ve been neglecting an entire campus for 30 years.
By Claire St. Amant May. 8, 2012 | 1:47 pm | 2 Comments | Comments RSS -
Did You Miss us?
So much for Macs being invincible. For about 16 hours, your beloved parkcitiespeople.com was taken offline by a virus. Our web team has fixed the problem, and we don’t expect it to plague us again. Nevertheless, if you notice anything fishy going on (be it online or otherwise), email editor@peoplenewspapers.com.
By Claire St. Amant May. 8, 2012 | 11:31 am | No Comments | Comments RSS -
Lamplighter Honors Alumna Kate Mosle
Spirit of Lamplighter winner Kate Mosle, along with parents Jennifer and Jon and brother Michael
A Spirit Award ceremony was held recently at Lamplighter to honor renowned Dallas architect, Frank Welch, and alumna, Kate Mosle, a University Park resident. The pair was selected because of their contributions that embody the spirit of Lamplighter. The award was established in 2003 by the school’s Alumni Council during its 50th anniversary and is given to an individual or group that has the “qualities of a lifelong learner, is willing to take risks, and displays creativity in their work.”
Welch designed the school’s fine arts wing, including the Jonsson Media Center, and the Cook Gymnasium from 1986-1988. He was an associate of O’Neil Ford, who designed Lamplighter’s original school building completed in 1969. Mosle, a 2004 graduate of Lamplighter, and a senior at Hockaday, has been an outspoken advocate of Lamplighter. Last year, she organized the school’s first Young Alumni fundraiser, a carwash that raised $7,000 with the help of 50 young alumni.
By Claire St. Amant May. 7, 2012 | 1:39 pm | 2 Comments | Comments RSS -
Five HPHS Students Win Tom Landry Scholarship
Former Dallas Cowboy Drew Pearson helped honor 16 local high school students, including five from Highland Park High School, at the 12th annual Tom Landry Scholarship Banquet on April 29 at Maggiano’s in NorthPark Center. Pearson was the guest speaker at the event. Read More…
By Claire St. Amant May. 3, 2012 | 2:27 pm | No Comments | Comments RSS
