Spring 2015
Children first learn about the world around them balanced on the knee of a parent, who knows the child best. With this perspective in mind, parents should seek a safe, loving, interactive preschool that ideally suits their expectations and their child’s needs.
Ask the Right Questions
Children may spend many of their best and brightest hours in preschool. In order to choose the right one, Romana Syed of Cypress Kids Learning Center suggests these questions and answers, “How are classes structured? Classrooms should be child-centered to provide a comfortable environment that tends to the needs of each individual child. Are the teachers qualified? Teachers should be Child Development Associates.” Continue reading “The ABC’s and 123’s of Choosing Your Child’s Preschool”
February 2015, Issue #134
January/February 2015
Chicken and waffles is as 
American as apple pie. But after digging into this sweet and savory combo, full of Southern comfort and mama, you probably won’t have room for the pie. Nevertheless, Field House Chicken & Waffles Restaurant offers a decadent maple bacon cupcake moist enough to tempt you to go for it. Owners Ryan Field and Brian Terpay opened the down-home eatery—the only “southern-styled, tried and true” in town—across from their other project, Taverna, which opened more than five years ago. 
As the cold creeps in, it’s time for winter warmers. Soup is a top pick for nutrition, variety and comfort reasons. Dietary standards urge us to eat eight servings of veg daily, and blending them into a soup helps us to reach that goal. And when pureed, it also fools the finicky eater. Tossing leftovers and the odd vegetables into the slow cooker clears out the fridge and creates one-of-a-kind meals. Then, add lean protein and beans for extra fiber and cook them in the pot to retain the ingredients’ full potential.
Winter 2014
Sen Sen’s mother, Atashi Das, was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer in early 2008, it was a shock to the family. Not only was her loving mother’s health threatened, but there was no family history of cancer. Sen’s mother’s yearlong fight was fierce.
Rachel McNeill wasn’t born in Texas—in fact, it was Jamaica. Her family moved to the U.S. when she was four years old. The local gal spent many of her early years preparing for her career in broadcasting: playing talk show host and asking hardball questions on the playground at Moore Elementary; researching a ninth- grade study skills assignment on schools, skills, and salary at Cypress Creek High School; and earning an inevitable broadcast journalism degree from University of Texas at Austin. The KPRC Channel 2 anchor pushed forward the old-school way, working markets from Midland to Raleigh, North Carolina and New Orleans before coming home to Houston in 2001. 
Birkes Elementary is now celebrating 12 years in Cy-Fair ISD, essentially a graduating senior. So how far have the Bulldogs come? “We’re a really big school, and we do big really well,” says principal Carla Brosnahan, who opened the school in 2003. “Rezoning has come up several times, but nobody wants to go.” The school has resorted to eight portable buildings, adding 16 classrooms, which has mollified their growth so far. Brosnahan credits her dedicated, professional staff, coupled with good support from the parents and community, for this devotion. It’s a winning combination at any size school.