At St. Paul’s, all the extras add the finishing touch to a great school. Various opportunities exist for our students outside of the normal school day, including trips, special performances, opportunities to lead in worship, and special times of celebration.

Trips

Camp Allen ~ 4th and 5th graders take an annual trip to Camp Allen, located near Navasota, Texas. The Discovery Program at Camp Allen provides “hands on” educational experiences that enhance classroom learning. While there, students participate in team-building activities and a variety of nature classes. This trip takes place about six weeks into the school year, toward the end of the September.

Mo Ranch ~ 6th graders travel each fall to Mo Ranch in Hunt, Texas. Mo Ranch’s Environmental Leadership Program gives our students an opportunity to explore life in the outdoors. Students experience nature up close and personal, looking at insects and reptiles and studying water and wildlife ecology. One evening on their trip, they travel about an hour away to visit the Devil’s Sinkhole, where a colony of bats lives, and they witness their awe-inspiring flight out at dusk. Students also get to complete a low ropes course, working together to solve problems, as well as a high ropes course, challenging them individually to be risk-takers in a safe environment.

Washington, D.C. ~ Each spring, 6th graders have the opportunity to go to Washington, D.C. for a four day fun-filled educational experience. Students visit the Capitol building for a tour of its inner workings and visit with our local Congressman. Tours of the famous monuments and Arlington National Cemetery are a must, and a day at the Smithsonian museums is always a highlight for the students. Students get to view the intricate mosaics in the Library Congress and visit Mount Vernon to see the estate of our first president. Other activities depend on the year, but have included visits to the spy museum, the Holocaust museum, the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, the Postal museum.

Special Performances

Circus McGurkus ~ Every other year, our preschool and kindergarten students enthrall an audience with our very own St. Paul’s Circus McGurkus. Each grade level is responsible for an aspect of the circus, including our two-year-old clowns and the three-year-old Circus McGurkus band. PreKindergarten and Kindergarten students are the various acts, including animals and their trainers, acrobats, strongmen, and magicians.

Plays/Musicals ~ Our music teacher, Mrs. Basden, works with the students to design and present information they are learning in class in musical form. Special performances take place throughout the year, and range from a few songs sung during our morning all-school meeting to full-length evening performances.

Leading Worship

Weekly chapel services ~ 4th, 5th, and 6th graders help lead our weekly chapel services. They serve in various leadership roles, including the leader, reader, psalmist, banner, crucifer, acolytes, and ushers. In their Christian Education and music classes, the students often prepare special music or a skit to add to the worship experience.

Episcopal School Sunday ~ In October, students from St. Paul’s School help lead the Sunday morning worship by serving as readers, banner bearers, and crucifers and by sharing special music for this service.

Thanksgiving Service ~ Prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, students and their families are invited to reflect on the things for which they are thankful. Students help with this service and present songs and readings that enhance this service.

Advent Services ~ We have two services to celebrate the season of Advent, in preparation for Christmas. During the school day, our preschool and kindergarten classes present the Christmas story in a special way. The kindergarten students play the roles of the main characters and our younger students enhance the presentation through singing. In the evening, we hold a very reverent, special Advent service led by our first through sixth graders. The sixth graders take a special role in leading this service through song.

Yearly Celebrations

Blessing of the Animals ~ St. Francis of Assisi was known for his love of all creatures. In celebration of his feast day in October, families of St. Paul’s bring beloved pets to have them blessed by the priests of the church.

Kinder Reflections ~ On the last day of school for our younger students, our kindergarteners reflect back on the year they have had and look forward to moving on to first grade. This special time allows them to celebrate all that they have accomplished.

Sixth Grade Graduation ~ As the leaders of our school, the sixth grade students mean a great deal to St. Paul’s. We love celebrating with them all of the accomplishments they have achieved in their time at St. Paul’s School. The graduation service is held in the church as the church is the foundation of what we do at St. Paul’s. Special memories of the sixth graders are shared and the sixth graders look toward the future and what it holds for them. We are sad to see them leave, but love being able to see where life takes them.