All Saints’ News

During my 36 years in Early Childhood Education, I have seen trends in the field come and go. The importance of play for young children has never been emphasized more than today. The latest brain research supports the significance of play in developing neural pathways, enhancing cognitive function, emotional regulation, and social skills. Young children’s brains are different; they learn best through hands-on experience. During play, children engage in problem solving, decision making, and creative thinking. They are also continually creating connections to what they already know. One of my favorite videos of my son, Wes, shows him playing outside…

When my daughter Hazel was three years old, she went to the Nutcracker ballet for the first time. She fell in love. She was thrilled by the beautiful dancing, and a little scared by the Rat King causing her to hide under her seat. We enrolled her in classes at Ballet Austin. For three years, she attended classes and danced at home non-stop. Her dream was to be in the Nutcracker. When she was seven, the opportunity arrived. The word among the experienced ballet moms was that almost all the students at that level would be able to perform. The…

When I was in second grade, my family went through a hard year financially. We moved across the country, and we were surviving on a school bus driver’s income. Luckily, we had a roof over our head, thanks to a family friend who had taken us in, but I remember eating a lot of soup and buying second-hand clothes for $1.00 a bag. I never wanted my children to experience the shame that comes from comparing yourself to others and feeling that others are looking down on you. As an adult, I have had the privileges that allowed me to…

After several years of playground improvements, we are excited to announce that All Saints’ Episcopal Day School has received official certification from Nature Explore for our Outdoor Classroom. Nature Explore is leading a movement to bring the benefits of learning with nature to all children. We are delighted to meet their research-based requirements for outdoor classroom design and align perfectly with their mission to inspire joy and wonder in children, educators, and communities with a heart centered approach to early education. The latest educational research shows the benefits of outdoor learning. When children play outside, they learn about STEM (science,…

Getting teens excited can be a challenge, but when it comes to camp, that has not been true in my family. My fourteen-year-old son, Wesley, attends Camp Capers, an Episcopal camp in the Hill Country. When he returns home, he is feeling like his best self. He beams with joy, talking non-stop, and singing camp songs all the way home. My daughter, Hazel, also loved camp. She attended RockyRiver Ranch, an all-girls camp in Wimberly. Camp was transformative for her as well. I barely recognized the child I picked up. She glowed with happiness, and she was thrilled to share…

I don’t want to give away my age, but I was born right after the counterculture movement of the late 60’s. My mom and dad were high school sweethearts. My dad was a star football player, and my mom was on the drill team and into fashion. They evolved quickly with the times and ended up married and at Woodstock just a few years later. I was given the name Gurugian. Growing up with a name that is unusual and hard to pronounce was challenging. I was a shy child and it felt excruciating to be set apart as different.…