TJS Summer School is One Big Family Reunion

BY LAURA SPAULDING Staff Writer / Educational Consultant

During morning drop-off on the very first day of summer school this year, Laura Rodriguez recognized a familiar face she had not seen in over 20 years. David Gullickson smiled as he approached her, eager to catch up on the decades worth of life that has passed since the last time they connected. It was likely also in a Joy School carpool line when his own son, Clark, was a student in Mrs. Rodriguez’s 4th-grade class. The impact The Joy School has had on the Gullickson family continues as his grandson, John Waldo, is now receiving academic intervention through both TJS summer school and tutoring. We have also learned that Laura’s former student, “Uncle Clark”, is married and devoted to his family, as well as being devoted to helping others through personal wellness and fitness coaching. Such a fun moment for Laura to get to catch up with her former TJS parent who is now a current TJS summer school grandparent! 

Our former parents are not the only ones who find ways to stay connected even after their children are grown. Many of our former students come back every year as summer school interns. This year we are fortunate to have Maddie Herz and Jenny Reynolds interning in our Kindergarten through second-grade classrooms as teaching assistants. Maddie attended TJS from 2nd through 7th grade when she moved with her family to Austin. She is currently a junior at Texas Christian University where she is studying Early Childhood Education. She chose to spend her summer in Houston solely for this internship, where she has the chance to reunite with her TJS family. "When asked why she came back, Maddie said “What better way to practice teaching than going back to the school that made me fall in love with the school.” 

Jenny attended TJS for 7th and 8th grade before mainstreaming to Memorial High School in Spring Branch Independent School District. She is currently a senior at The University of St. Thomas where she is majoring in Early Childhood Education and minoring in Special Education. She chose to spend her summer at The Joy School because she is eager to help students with ADHD and Dyslexia “learn how to learn,” the same way her former TJS teachers here have helped her.

Summer School at The Joy School is an opportunity for students to find the JOY in learning through direct, purposeful instruction in a safe, supportive environment with peers who share similar needs. They return to their home schools in the fall with a renewed sense of confidence and a stronger understanding of themselves as learners. Amanda Lyttle, PE coach extraordinaire, teaches one of our Executive Functioning summer school classes for middle school students called Business of Sports. This class teaches executive functioning skills while emphasizing a variety of sports-related topics including sports management, marketing, facilities, recruiting, and negotiation. The students in this class have already visited several organizations and venues in the Houston area including organizations where other former Joy School students are currently working. TJS Alumni Mitchell Mateja, Lead Groundskeeper and Technician for The Houston Dash, and Henry Caldwell, Special Assistant to the Head Coach of the SaberCats, have shared with our students their journeys from The Joy School to thriving professionally in the world of sports and recreation. Both Mitchell and Henry were thrilled for the opportunity to reconnect with The Joy School this summer, sharing how their own time as TJS students helped build their confidence and awareness to pursue passions and professions they love. While students had the incredible opportunity to visit Mitchell at the Houston Dash facility, Henry visited our campus to share about his journey from TJS to Strake Jesuit, to UT, to his work as a Player Development Coach for the Houston Rockets, to his current role with the Sabercats - Houston’s professional rugby team. Henry made sure to stop by and say hello to his 3rd grade teacher Ms. Negrin before leaving, noting that the last time he saw her, he was smaller than her.

My own daughter has been struggling in math this last year, and I knew there was no better option for building her skills and her confidence than The Joy School’s academic summer program. Lacey was not thrilled about the idea of “summer school” but was excited to come every day last week and is now sad the program is already halfway over. I have loved to hear her proclaim how, for the first time ever, she is not embarrassed to ask a question. I have loved to see her eyes light up as she describes how much fun she is having while working so hard and learning so much. And I have loved the way she adores (and is adored by) her summer school teachers who have quickly become her favorite teachers ever! As much as I love the impact TJS Summer School is having on my own child, nothing beats getting to see our former students all grown up and hearing about the lifelong impacts The Joy School continues to have on every student and family we’ve taught, years (and even decades) after they have moved on. 

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