The Kinkaid School
The Kinkaid School is a private PK-12 non-sectarian college preparatory school in Piney Point Village, Texas, United States in Greater Houston.
The Kinkaid School
Latin: Lux per Scientiam
(Light through Knowledge)
1906
Jonathan Eades[2]
1,375[1] (2015-16)
9.6:1 (2015-16)[1]
Large suburb
Purple
Gold
Basketball • Soccer • Swimming & Diving • Wrestling • Baseball • Golf • Lacrosse • Softball • Tennis • Track & Field • Cheerleading • Cross Country • Field Hockey • Football • Volleyball
Falcons
The Falcon
Kinkaidian
The Kinkaid School is the oldest independent coeducational school in Greater Houston. The student body is divided into the Lower School (PreK - 4th Grade), the Middle School (5th grade - 8th grade) and the Upper School (9th grade - 12th grade). The school motto is: "Lux per Scientiam" meaning, "Light through Knowledge". The School colors are purple and gold, and the school mascot is the falcon. The school is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest.
The current head of school is Jonathan Eades. The current chairman of the Board of Trustees is Kenneth D. Cowan.[2]
A feature of Kinkaid's Upper School is its Interim Term, which provides three weeks in January for teacher-designed and student-selected curricula. Teachers at the School provide classes that they would otherwise not be able to teach as part of the normal semester, including military histories of the Civil War and World War II, introductory courses in digital programming and engineering, courses in photography and art history, and a course in Disney films. Students may also go on international trips sponsored by the school, such as tours of China, Italy and Greece; homestays in Mexico and France are also possibilities. Finally, the School provides connections with companies throughout the greater Houston area and, if the students prefer, throughout the world, in which its senior students may find internships.[3]
Athletics[edit]
Kinkaid sports teams compete in the Southwest Preparatory Conference of the Independent Schools Association in the Southwest.[4] An alumni event is the Kinkaid vs. St. John's School football game played each year at Rice Stadium, with the winning record belonging to Kinkaid.
Kinkaid offers multiple sports per each sports season (fall, winter and spring). In the fall, it offers football (boys only), cross country, volleyball, cheerleading and field hockey (girls only). In the winter, it offers soccer, basketball, wrestling (boys only) and swimming. In the spring, it offers lacrosse, baseball (boys only), softball (girls only), track & field, tennis and golf.[5]
For students who don’t choose to play competitive team sports, Kinkaid offers yoga, badminton, cardio fitness, beginner golf, physical conditioning, and recreational tennis as alternatives.[5]
The Kinkaid School Archives[edit]
The Kinkaid School Archives contain the historical materials of The Kinkaid School including some of the earliest records of founder Margaret H. Kinkaid, as well as yearbooks, scrapbooks, newspapers, and photographic materials.
The Archives became the repository of the School in 2005 when a committee of school faculty, staff, and volunteers began collecting and organizing the materials. Located in the Upper School Moran Library, the Archives has since grown to a collection of faculty manuscripts, school administrative records, athletics records, architectural plans, early student records, present-day digital records, and some of the earliest class photos. The Archives are accessible to the general public.[13]
"The Tipping Point" controversy[edit]
On November 11, 2009, a Kinkaid parent, Hugh "Skip" McGee III, sent an irate letter (entitled "The Tipping Point") to the School's board of trustees.[16] An investment banker, McGee was angry that a teacher's comment about bankers had upset his son. The letter led to tension among the student body in response to the letter's reference to the student body president dressing in drag for a skit used during his campaign.[17][18]
In popular culture[edit]
Philip Roth's novel, Exit Ghost, features a character who is described as having been a valedictorian at Kinkaid, prior to attending Harvard.[19]
In 1998, the movie Rushmore filmed scenes at Kinkaid. St. John's alumnus Wes Anderson used the now demolished Lower School Building for scenes set in an elementary school.[20]