Town & Country Summer Newsletter

Dear Families, Staff, and Donors,

As our summer is quickly approaching, I would like to express how grateful I am to be leading such an amazing community of students, parents & staff. It has been a busy and successful school year! I am so proud of the achievements and accomplishments of our students here at Town & Country School.

This school year, we were able to provide academic, social, and emotional support to 177 students. Of those 177 students, we will be graduating 20 high school seniors which is a 100% graduation rate. I am proud to say our retention rate, rolling into the 24-25 school year, is at an incredible 99%. Additionally, we were fortunate to receive a YASS Prize for Educational Freedom which included a monetary award for $150,000 to expand our number of classrooms to accept additional students. Morningcrest Foundation awarded us a grant for a little over $100,000 to add a nurse’s office, counseling office, and visiting professional’s office. Parents, board members, and staff provided Town & Country School with a total of 725 volunteer hours. These achievements are possible because of the commitment and support from the parents, staff, board members, and donors. Your dedication surpassed expectations and contributed to our remarkable success. Thank you for going above and beyond. Your continual support and feedback have allowed us to consistently improve and maintain our excellent standards throughout the year.

Our year will end with wonderful award ceremonies filled with pride and celebration of student accomplishments. We are immensely proud of our students and their successes.

Together, we have learned much and shared experiences that will remain in our hearts for years to come such as the school-wide science fair, our first transition fair, recitals, sporting events, of course the eclipse. The passion and strength within our community makes our school truly a special place for our children and a place that I am not only extremely proud to lead, but also one that I can call HOME. Have a safe and fun filled summer! See you next year!

Dear parents,

Believe it or not, I am already preparing to spend time here at school this summer to begin planning for the 2024-2025 school year. Though I am looking forward to the kids returning in August, I can't help but reflect on this past year and the wonderful things that happened here at Town and Country.

The faculty, staff, and the students had such a good year. From going on field trips such as the Tulsa Air and Space Museum, seeing movies down at the Performing Arts Center to other activities such as dances, hayrides at Fiery Trails, Bingo Night for our Lower School kids and Trivia Night for our Middle School kids. The children have been given the opportunities for social engagement outside of a regular school day. In addition to providing the best academic environment that we can, the amount of extra-curricular activities available here at school were endless. The different clubs such as art club, lego club, astronomy club, and production club, which provided us with fantastic opportunities to display our musical talents, the choices were endless, and the kids absolutely loved them.

When I reflect on the well-rounded education available to our kids, I applaud our faculty and staff who work extremely hard daily. They provide individualized curriculum, social skills programs, speech, and pull-out enrichment opportunities for different academic subjects. I know that there is not another school around that provides a well-rounded education for our kids both academically and socially, and I am blessed to be part of this environment.

I hope that your family is enjoys this wonderful upcoming break. Thank you for all your support you provide to us for your kids. I look forward to the next school year and hope you have a restful and safe summer.

Wow! What a year! To better state that – what a great year! I honestly did not know what to expect as a first-year principal, but this year has been a ride. There have been ups and downs, there’s been a learning curve but seeing the students smile and hearing them laugh trumps it all! Each one of our students has brought so much joy and happiness. I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful group of students and families this year and it has been my pleasure to get to know each and every student.

The teachers, assistants, and students have had some great times during the 23-24 school year. They have gone on field trips, attended the winter ball, spring fling, fiery trails hayride, skate nights, danced the night away at prom, experienced the solar eclipse, made friends and most importantly learned a little bit.

This year could not have been a success without my staff. They are the best around and deserve all the credit. As this year is coming to an end, I am sad as we will miss the graduating class but also excited for the future here at Town & Country.

Kathy Murphy

Hi! My name is Kathy Murphy, and I am a mother of 2 beautiful daughters and the wife of my husband of 31 years. I have lived in Tulsa for the most part of 26 years. I became interested in Town and Country School after my girls went off to college and we began the empty nesting stage. My youngest daughter had learning disabilities and I remember what a scary and uncertain time that was for us. I decided that helping other parents through that uncertainty was where I wanted to spend my newfound free time. A tour of Town and Country led to becoming a board member and I have been on the board for 6 years and I have been president of the board the last four years. It is such an amazing place for those who need it. The teachers and staff are amazing, and I appreciate all the work and love this place offers the learning different students.

Josiah Sutton

Town and Country is a beacon of hope to so many children and parents in Oklahoma. The programs offered at Town and Country, and the structure available to the kids, provide opportunities for students to learn, grow, and gain confidence. I can confidently say, from personal experience, that without Town and Country there would be hundreds of kids that would struggle to graduate high school and live full, independent lives outside of school. The opportunity to contribute as a board member, even though it is nothing compared to the heroic work of the teachers and staff, brings so much joy and fulfillment. Town and Country is a special place that is making a forever difference in the lives of so many children.

Robert Hibbert

My family’s involvement in Town & Country School is based on our personal positive experience for the past 8 years. Our son JD started attending Town & Country in second grade when it became clear the public school system was not working for him. A family friend had a child attending Town & Country School who had learning differences like JD. All she could talk about is how he had progressed in his ability to learn and the difference in class size. In public schools the typical class size is 20 to 25 students with one teacher and usually no assistants. With the smaller class sizes the teachers at Town & Country can customize the learning experience to individual child needs. I decided to join the Board of Directors with the hope of giving back to the institution that has given so much to my family. I believe in the mission of the school and the ability of the teachers to make a positive change in the lives of the children they teach. If you have a child who is struggling in school, I recommend that you consider Town & Country School as a viable alternative.

Peterson Wilson

I have lived in Tulsa for roughly 19 years working in commercial banking for that entire time. I am currently the Director of Commercial Credit at WeStreet Federal Credit Union. My wife Lindsay is a kindergarten teacher with TPS and we are expecting twins in May. I am a graduate of Oklahoma State University and an avid supporterof Oklahoma State athletics. I was introduced to Town & Country through a previous banking position and truly fell in love with its mission to support students of all types to make sure everyone receives a quality education.

Josh Lamberton

I am the proud father of a T&C Senior, Jackson Lamberton! Born and raised in Tulsa, I went away to college at Texas Christian University before returning to Oklahoma and gaining an MBA at Oklahoma State University. I have been fortunate to spend my career in the oil and gas industry for the last 25 years and currently work for Whiptail Midstream. One of my most important and enjoyable side hustles has involved helping Coach Ray Odor run the basketball program. Town & Country has been a tremendous resource for Jackson and I am truly thankful as his father for its influence on his life. I love how Town & Country, with its 6 to 1 student to teacher ratio, customizes its teaching approach to each of its students in a way where they draw so much more out of the experience. Add in the sports offerings and after school clubs, and the school offers the student a truly well-rounded education.

Tom Noulles

Tom Noulles, retired Senior Counsel (legal) from the Williams Cos. and WPX Energy, Inc. “I strongly support Town & Country School because its only agenda is to meet the needs of kids with learning differences, without regard to religion, class, race, sex or any other differences that are not learning differences.”

Rob Gardenhire

Rob currently serves as the Vice President of Development with Green Country Habitat for Humanity where he leads their development efforts including fundraising, event management and donor relations. A Tulsa native, Rob brings a diverse development background to the board from his experience in nonprofit fundraising, sales, professional sports, event management and marketing.

Rob has played an integral role in a number of transformational civic projects including the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits' $10.5M capital campaign, the Tulsa Drillers 2010 move to ONEOK Field in downtown Tulsa, and led the fundraising efforts for the USA BMX headquarters in the historic Greenwood District of Tulsa.

Rob earned his undergraduate degree from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and went on to obtain his MBA in Marketing Management from the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas. Rob and his wife, Carrie, returned to Tulsa in 2008 where they raised their two daughters Emma and Ainsley.

Ryan Lynch

Ryan Lynch serves as the Chief Lending Officer and Executive Vice President for First National Bank and Trust of Broken Arrow where he leads their Commercial Bank and is responsible for growth, profitability, and regulatory compliance. Ryan has been in Tulsa for 13 years and served on several Non-Profit Boards but has been involved with Town and Country since 2013 and is currently our longest standing board member. He brings a diverse background in financial analysis, fundraising, and governance that is helpful in his capacity as a board member. Ryan graduated from Southern Nazarene University and lives in Tulsa with his wife Christy and their 4 kids Dawson, Taylor, Legend, and Jackson. Ryan was involved and contributed to the Capital Campaign that helped build the new gym and enjoys the time he spends at the school visiting with staff and students. Ryan is a firm believer in the mission of Town and Country and believes helping enrich the lives of young people through quality education no matter what their difference might be, has a real impact not only on those families but our community. His favorite stories to hear are from parents that describe school as a battle and source of tension at their home until they get to Town and Country. Once their kids feel at home in school and in a place, they belong school is no longer a battle but the highlight of their kid’s week.