Episcopal School Blog

Congratulations College Bound Athletes!

4/29/2016

Photos:
Lauren Camille Harper
Dianne Madden
Emma Markert
Diamond Spears

Please join the athletic department in celebration of Episcopal students who will participate in sports at the collegiate level:

Christopher Beckman, Nicholls State - Baseball
William D’Armond, Samford University - Football
Mckenzie Dorris, Rhodes College - Swimming
Kayeci Harvey, TCU - Cheer
Parish Kitto, Tulane - Track & Field
Madison Underwood, Manhattan College - Track & Field
Kydris Washington, Centre College - Football

Go Knights!

Students Attend Burkenroad Reports Investment Conference

4/29/2016

Photos:
Diamond Spears
Dr. Reuter

Episcopal students attended the 2016 20th Annual Burkenroad Reports Investment Conference on April 22, 2016 sponsored by the Tulane University A.B. Freeman School of Business in New Orleans, LA. The conference spotlights companies found in the Burkenroad Small-Cap Mutual Fund and provides an opportunity for the companies to explain their direction and current status to a group of potential investors in attendance.

The students were allowed to participate with undergraduate and graduate Tulane students in attending multiple informational sessions by some of the leading small-cap companies in Louisiana, and the surrounding region. Using this opportunity, our students were able to look at different investment instruments, from mutual funds to commodity goods. The students from the Episcopal Entrepreneurship Class received a rare chance to meet and listen to CFOs, CEOs, and other high- profile positions of the companies that attended the conference.

This is the fourth year Episcopal students have attended the Burkenroad Conference, which was introduced to us by Patty and Carl Newton. We appreciate their ongoing support for entrepreneurial learning opportunities for our students.

Louisiana State Envirothon Competition

4/28/2016

Congratulations to Lucy Silverman, Emily Lynch, Arohi Gopal, Jilly Grace Eskew, and Ellie Sim who competed at the Louisiana Envirothon on April 16th and took home fourth place! They did a great job for their first year! They were only 7.75 points away from the third place team. The team competed in five subject areas: forestry, soil, wildlife, aquatics and current issues, in addition to preparing a 10-minute oral presentation. The team tied second overall for their oral presentation on invasive species and third in the current issues category. This was quite an achievement since Louisiana Envirothon is a high school competition and these ladies, all seventh graders, were the youngest team in attendance. Way to go!

Episcopal Students Participate in Louisiana International Film Festival Mentorship Day

4/22/2016

On Friday, April 15th, a small group of Upper School students had a very personalized educational experience during Louisiana International Film Festival’s Mentorship Day, which was also sponsored and promoted by New South Story Lab. Sophomore Chris Clarke, juniors Mac Bridges, Gabe Wisham, Nina Jalenak, and Bailey Stevens, and senior Cate LeBlanc participated in a day full of activities designed for Baton Rouge students interested in the film industry.

In the morning, the group toured the Celtic Media Centre, where they attended sessions on film creation, editing, and production. Cinematographers, editors, directors, camera operators, and other professionals shared the different paths they took in finding their careers and also gave specifics about their individual jobs. A highlight included hearing from actor Dwight Henry, who told the story of his unlikely entry into acting through his audition for the Oscar-nominated Beasts of the Southern Wild. The group also enjoyed seeing a demonstration for a SteadiCam video stabilizer and the set used for WGN’s hit show Underground. After lunch, students traveled to Cinemark Perkins Rowe, where they met puppeteers from Shreveport-based Swaybox Studios and attended a Apple workshop on creating movies using an iPhone.

Overall, the group had an informative and fun trip. “Listening to the puppeteers describe their groundbreaking technology in that field was by far the most enjoyable part of the day. It was also cool to speak with the professional cameraman and his stunning gyroscopic camera mount,” said Gabe Wisham.

Bailey Stevens served on the LIFF volunteer crew for the day and helped with events over the weekend. She reflected, “The mentorship opportunities are important to LIFF for continuing the success of the film industry in Louisiana, and hopefully helping students better understand or find an entrance into that industry. Meeting the mentors and seeing facilities such as celtic studios was a fantastic opportunity.”

Futuristic Invention Wins Exceptional Merit at ExploraVision

4/20/2016

Mrs. Rosalyn Won, Joshua "Reed" McMains, Mrs. Betsy Minton and Joseph Roth with their ExploraVision awards!

Congratulations to Joseph Roth and Joshua “Reed” McMains being selected as 2015-2016 Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Honorable Mention Winners. They were selected by the judges to receive this distinction of exceptional merit. The Honorable Mention award places their team’s project among the top 10% of all ExploraVision projects submitted to the competition this year.

These students are commended for a job well done in demonstrating innovative thinking in their exploration of science and its impact on technology and the future. There futuristic invention was a sand proof shoe that sensed bugs and dispensed bug spray when needed. It was battery powered and the battery was charged while the person was walking using a heel strike generator. This is especially significant since they were competing against 4th-6th grade across the team and they are only in 4th grade . Please congratulate them if you see them on a job well done.

6th Grader Achieves Perfect Score on National Latin Exam

4/19/2016

Congratulations Julian!

In March, 6th Grade Latin student Julian Romano accomplished what very few Latin students do. Less than 2% of the 154,000 students taking the annual National Latin Exam score a perfect 40 out of 40. The results just came in, and Julian is in that small percentage. His Latin teacher, Nathalie Roy, is super proud of him. Julian will receive his certificate and purple ribbon at the 6th grade awards ceremony in May. A framed copy of his certificate will be added to the National Latin Exam “Wall of Perfection” in Mrs. Roy’s classroom where students enjoy eternal praise for this amazing achievement.

Teachers Michael Posey and Nathalie Roy also wish to congratulate the following students who will be recognized at end of the year award ceremonies:

Seniors:
Joe Leo
   Maxima Cum Laude (certificate and silver medal)
Mary Beth Barksdale
   Maxima Cum Laude (certificate and silver medal)
Wendy Conklin
   Maxima Cum Laude (certificate and silver medal)
Caroline Hixon
   Magna Cum Laude (certificate and silver medal)

High School:
Hayden Cresson
Summa Cum Laude (certificate with gold medal)
Rory McCracken
Maxima Cum Laude (certificate with silver medal)
Davis Singletary
Maxima Cum Laude (certificate with silver medal)
Deven Kimbrell
Magna Cum Laude (certificate)
Rachel Posner
  Magna Cum Laude (certificate)
Wilson Russ
Magna Cum Laude (certificate)
Olivia Grice
Magna Cum Laude (certificate)
Kenneth Schafer
Magna Cum Laude (certificate)
Meg MacMillan
Magna Cum Laude (certificate)
Sienna Williams
Cum Laude (certificate)
Sydney Veazie
Cum Laude (certificate)
Will Bodron
Cum Laude (certificate)
Charles Barksdale
Cum Laude (certificate)
Owen Johnson
Cum Laude (certificate)

8th Grade:
Eason Guirard
   Maxima Cum Laude (certificate and silver medal)
John Pojman
   Maxima Cum Laude (certificate and silver medal)
Jack Ter Haar
    Maxima Cum Laude (certificate and silver medal)
Alex Harlan
    Magna Cum Laude (certificate)
Henry Kissam
Magna Cum Laude (certificate)
Hudson Graham
   Cum Laude (certificate)
Kaplan McMains
   Cum Laude (certificate)
Savannah York
Cum Laude (certificate)
Lane Grigsby
   Cum Laude (certificate)
Stephen Barker
   Cum Laude (certificate)

7th Grade:
Abhay Basireddy
   Summa Cum Laude (certificate and gold medal)
Jillian Eskew
   Summa Cum Laude (certificate and gold medal)
Robert Xing
  Maxima Cum Laude (certificate and silver medal)
Adam Azmeh
  Maxima Cum Laude (certificate and silver medal)
Jack Safer
   Magna Cum Laude (certificate)
Wes Coleman
Magna Cum Laude (certificate)
William Conger
Cum Laude (certificate)

6th Grade:
Julian Romano
   Outstanding Achievement Certificate and Ribbon
Arya Patel
Outstanding Achievement Certificate and Ribbon
Justin Dynes
Outstanding Achievement Certificate and Ribbon
Ella Harper
   Excellent Achievement Certificate
Skyler Adams
Excellent Achievement Certificate
Alexa Ryon Bennett
   Excellent Achievement Certificate
Thomas Hansbrough
Excellent Achievement Certificate
Will Edwards
Excellent Achievement Certificate

Episcopal's Mu Alpha Theta Team - Fifth in the State!

4/15/2016

Congratulations to the Mu Alpha Theta team for placing 5th overall out of all schools in Louisiana! Congratulations, also, to the following individual and team placements:

Area Tests
Advanced Algebra: 13th – Will Bodron
Geometry: 7th – Tomohiro Niwano
Pre-calculus: 11th – Michelle Lee
Trigonometry: 1st – Wayne Hu; 11th – Madison Ruston
Open Functions: 3rd – Samuel Li

Individual Tests
Geometry: 2nd – Tomohiro Niwano
Theta: 14th – Puru Yan; 17th – Will Bodron; 20th – Chima Mbagwu
Alpha: 3rd – Wayne Hu; 9th – Samuel Li;
Mu B: 6th – Akbar Zamin

Games
Descartes Theta: 2nd – Kade Edenfield
Descartes Alpha: 5th – Camille Petty
Gemini Theta: 3rd – Kenny Schafer and Chima Mbagwu; 9th – Tomohiro Niwano and Will Bodron
Gemini Alpha: 8th – Jacob DeWitt and Samuel Li
Theta Math Bowl: 4th – Ajit Alapati, Wendy Wang, Puru Yan, and Anna Garrett
Alpha Ciphering: 7th – Wayne Hu, Michelle Lee, Madison Ruston, and Caroline Casey
Mu B Math Bowl: 2nd – Courtney Gregoire, Akbar Zamin, Alex Dunbar, and Joe Leo
Scholarship Test: 5th – Alex Dunbar

8th in Theta Interschool and 9th in Alpha Interschool Tests

Happy 50th Birthday Party

4/15/2016

Friday, April 8 - a beautiful spring day many Episcopal students and teachers will remember for a very long time! Our community of leaders, teachers, learners and friends, gathered together on the front lawn to dance, drum, cheer and pose for the largest group photo in the school's history...and of course share birthday cake and ice cream in celebration of Episcopal's 50th birthday.

Many thanks to the Parents' Guild and the leadership of Aimee Broussard '85 and Deane Frazier '82 for coordinating this special celebration of gratitude, love and friendship.

"Only the Parents' Guild of Episcopal School of Baton Rouge could organize and serve graciously ice cream and birthday cake to over 950 students and more than 100 faculty and staff in 30 minutes! The Parent's Guild leaders came up with the idea of an "all hands" birthday party and carried it off well.

I wanted current students to hear where they fit into the whole 50 year thing. I tried to express to them how the school founders -- some of whom I know -- would be gratified with the accomplishments and character of the present student body. They heard me say that I sense in our students today not only grand potential but, more importantly, an admirable quality of character. Like our Mission & Ministry foresees, I believe they will have purposeful lives. The pictures tell a joyous story," commented Hugh McIntosh, Head of School.

Stauss Earns Her Way to National History Day Competition

4/13/2016

Episcopal 9th grader, Jenny Stauss, won 2nd place at the recent State National History Day contest held at the World War II museum in New Orleans. Her 2nd place finish qualifies her to represent the state at the national contest in June.

The theme for the 2016 National History Day Contest is "Exploration, Encounter & Exchange." Students will look at any era in history and any across any geographic region to find examples of individuals, groups or nations who took a risk and made a change in history.

The National Contest consists of around 3,000 of the nation’s brightest young scholars competing for cash awards and scholarships. Students will have their projects judged by professionals from the Smithsonian, National Archives, and major universities. The National Museum of American History holds a National History Day Showcase in which one project from each state is displayed in the halls of the museum.

Congratulations and best wishes to Jenny!

Three Artists Added to Episcopal's Permanent Student Art Collection

4/13/2016

Episcopal and the Art Department is pleased to celebrate the work of student artists, Cate LeBlanc, Libbie Kelly and Sophia Graves. Their work is now a part of the permanent art collection on display in the VPAC. All three divisions; upper school, middle school and lower school are represented in this selection.

On Wednesday, April 13, the artists, family members and their teachers shared a special lunch hosted by Head of School, Hugh McIntosh. After the lunch, the group went to the vpac for an informal "opening" and art talk.

“I have the pleasure of walking by our permanent art collection every day. Whether it’s noticing something new in a piece, remembering moments from the openings, or reaffirming the importance of the Arts at Episcopal; it’s a great way to start my day.” - Shawn Halliday, Art Department Chair

Congratulations to these students and to the art department for challenging and nurturing the creativity of Episcopal students.