From the Director’s Chair
Dear DECATS Families,
What an incredible final week we’ve had as we wrapped up our 31st year of DECATS. This summer has truly been a celebration of growth, leadership, and transformation. Thank you for entrusting us with your Scholars. We are honored to have been part of their journey.
Throughout our final week, Scholars completed their culminating activities, each designed to reflect how far they’ve come and how prepared they are to take their learning to The Next Level. Our Manners Scholars confidently demonstrated their etiquette and social skills at the DECATS Café luncheon. Executive Functioning Scholars applied planning, focus, and time management to solve real-world challenges. Wellness Scholars showcased their understanding of physical and mental well-being, while Values and Morals Scholars completed their give-back project and served their peers during the luncheon.
Our Closing Celebration was filled with joy and energy as we honored each Scholar’s growth. The stone jars, symbols of kindness, creativity, and leadership were overflowing, a beautiful testament to the DECATS spirit. Together, our Scholars collected over 600 pounds of food for St. Vincent de Paul.
A crucial component in improving the DECATS experience for future Scholars is the feedback we receive from you. Your feedback is critical to the success of our future programs. Both the Parent Evaluation and Scholar Evaluation are available to you on the checklist in your myStatus portal. We would love to hear from you and your Scholar about their DECATS experience!
We encourage parents and Scholars to send thank you letters to DeBusk Foundation, as its team enjoys hearing about the experiences your Scholars had during DECATS. You may send your correspondences electronically via the form on the homepage in your myStatus portal.
You can help us continue to make a difference by contributing to the DECATS Scholarship Fund. Our program in Houston began 30 years ago with its first gift from Manuel DeBusk and his foundation’s ongoing commitment to fund programming for gifted children in Texas. We humbly ask you to prayerfully consider helping continue Mr. DeBusk’s legacy with a tax-deductible donation. Corporate matching gifts are a great way to maximize a personal contribution to our tuition assistance program.
While it’s bittersweet to say goodbye, we do so with full hearts, knowing that our Scholars leave this summer stronger, braver, and more compassionate. We look forward to the ways they will lead, serve, and inspire others in their schools, homes, and communities.
Wishing you a restful and joy-filled remainder of your summer.
Sincerely in Christ,
Dr. Kendall Shamas
Program Director, St. Anne
