Much work has been done this summer to prepare for the return of the children. The school has been scrubbed, cleaned, waxed and painted. There are some enhanced outdoor areas. As part of the completion of the “Building on the Legacy” campaign, the Meditation Garden, between the Upper Elementary and Adolescent rooms, has been installed. Thanks to the donated design work of Keiji Asakura, well-known Houston landscape architect, we have a clever and interesting design using a “Hugelculture” method which is mounds built on top of logs and organic matter that will provide nutrients and moisture as they decompose. Also in the garden is a beautiful marble statue of the Virgin Mary.
As you enter the campus grounds, you will notice that the Dominican Peace Garden is under transformation. We will soon have a permanent labyrinth at the school. Originally slated to be in the Meditation Garden, the space did not accommodate it. Having the labyrinth in the front of the school alleviates the difficulty we have had in maintaining the landscaping in that space and provides an opportunity for all to walk the labyrinth either before or after school or while waiting for dismissal. The adolescents and high school students will have a role in creating the labyrinth. Jay Stailey, who has installed many labyrinths in Houston and around the world, has generously been helping us with the planning and installation.
The third transformed area is the Cypress Patio. This is the outdoor area between the High School classroom and the gym which is now available for use by the high school students throughout the day and for all faculty and staff to enjoy lunch. This peaceful area is nestled under the arms of the cypress trees which provide a cooler, shady area to enjoy being outside.
Thank you to all of the people who worked throughout the summer to prepare for the new school year!
Susan Tracy
Head of School