The Grounds and the Mansion
The Mansion at 4100 Red River, as it is known today, was
built in 1927 by E.H. "Commodore" Perry, a cotton baron and land developer
who became one of Ausitn's most prominent civic leaders. Perry led the
city's first polio drive and chaired the Austin Housing Authority when
it built 330 low-cost homes in 1938. In the early 1950s, the Catholic
Church bought the property and built St. Mary's High School. The 10-acre
estate was later home to a succession of six more private schools, the
latest being Sri Atmananda Memorial School. The mansion, the former
chapel known now as Ceremony Hall and other facilities on the grounds
are available for rental and are popular for weddings, meetings and
other functions. Over the past three years, the property has hosted
more than 50 schools, churches, summer camps, and many other groups.
The property thus has a tradition of involvement with both education
and community service.
Come visit the Mansion and grounds during the 5th Annual
Discovery Fair and Lantern Fest. There's plenty of room on the lovely
tree shaded grounds and docent led tours of the Mansion will be given.
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Open House for
Sri Atmananda Memorial School
The Austin branch of Sri Atmananda Memorial School (SAMS), established
in 1995, is based on the innovative KPM Approach to Children developed
at the model school founded in Kerala, India in 1987. This non-religious
elementary and secondary school is currently serving grades K-7 with plans
to add 8th grade this fall and one additional grade each year until the
high school is completed.
At SAMS, a teacher's first role is to insure the security and happiness
of each child. The teacher-child relationship is education's most powerful
tool in addressing children's needs. When adults value children's thoughts
and feelings, children learn that their ideas are important. They are
then free to express themselves and their interests. In our school, the
curriculum is introduced through the child's own interests and activities.
The low ratio of students to teachers allows teachers to know the children
well and to follow, encourage, and gently guide each of them through the
day. In this environment, redirection replaces discipline, and multi-age
groupings promote social development and learning in a natural way. We
also find that young children develop problem solving and decision making
abilities and become exceptionally attentive to others' needs. In this
teacher-child relationship, learning is fun, and what the children learn
stays with them. This sets the foundation for a lifelong love of learning.
We encourage you to come by the Open House during the Fest. To see this
approach in action and/or for more information, please call 451-7044 to
set up a time to visit or see the school web site www.samschool.org.
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Generous
Sponsors
