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Pumpkins with Pops

10/31/2017

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We love our Pops! First graders had a great time carving jack-o-lanterns.  After the seeds settled there were vampire bats, scary teeth and even a cupcake!
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Gaining Insight from the Past

10/28/2017

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​On Saturday morning, October 28, students and faculty from Episcopal travelled to River Lake Plantation, in Oscar, LA, to help a community beautify Mt. Zion River Lake Cemetery – a cemetery surrounded by cane fields and covered by beautiful oak and giant pecan trees.  Ernest Gaines, a well-known, influential author of African-American and Southern literature, annually invites people to clean the grounds of this cemetery and to whitewash the graves of five generations of the Gaines’ family.  Some of the graves are unmarked; some of the graves even date back to slavery.  After caring for the sacred ground, all participants are invited to Gaines’ home where they tour the church/school in his backyard, eat a hearty meal, and meet him in person.  Students enrolled in Faith in Southern literature particularly enjoyed hearing Gaines discuss a few of the characters from his novel A Lesson Before Dying. Gaines once commented, “I hope this place [Mt. Zion River Lake Cemetery] will be here forever. This is my prayer. This is my hope."  What a wonderful opportunity for our students and faculty to help keep that hope alive!    
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The Admission Visit

10/27/2017

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Narrowing the list of schools you are interested in applying to for your child can be an overwhelming task. Once you have completed your research, contacted each school’s Admission Office and completed the campus tour, you are faced with the next task: completing each school’s admission application process. Not to worry - here at Episcopal, admission staff members are only a phone call or email away and stand ready to walk alongside you throughout the application process.

Each year prospective parents ask a myriad of questions related to their child’s consideration for admission. Primarily questions relate to their child’s school visit to the school: what can we expect and what should we do to prepare our child? Regardless of the age or grade of your child, there is a shared purpose of his or her admission visit: this on-campus experience is intended to help us get to better know your child while giving you and your child the opportunity to get to know us better.

Below you will find specific details related to the Episcopal campus visit along with general admission visit tips. To help your child prepare for his or her time on campus, we invite you to share as much - or as little - of the information as you see fit. You know your child best, so follow your parental instinct as you help prepare your child for the visit.
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A few general tips for your child’s school admission visit:

  • We caution you against over-prepping your child for an admission test or screening; for some children, this can result in increased anxiety. 
  • Ideally, your child will have a restful night’s sleep and a meal or snack before his or her visit. We realize this ideal scenario may not play out! Again, do not worry - the visit can always be rescheduled if it presents an unreasonable struggle for you or for your child. 
  • Be clear with your child about your plans - will you remain on campus during his or her visit? If not, let your child know that you will be back at pick-up time. You are welcome to reassure your child that a member of the Admission Team will be available should we need to reach you during the visit.
  • If your child has any specific dietary needs, please let a member of the Admission Team know in advance. 
  • If your child has an educational evaluation that allows for extended time on tests, it is important you share this information with a member of the Admission Team in advance of the scheduled screening or test day. The team may not be able to provide extended time without advanced notice.​

What can your child expect during his or her Episcopal admission visit? See below our summary of the applicant visit process for prospective students:

PreK-3, PreK-4 and Kindergarten Screenings
  • Applicants to PreK-3, PreK-4 and Kindergarten attend small group screenings with 4 to 5 other prospective students. Visits last about an hour and include a combination of individual work with a Lower School teacher and group work with student peers. PreK-3 screenings are play-based and are designed to assess an applicant’s school readiness. PreK-4 and Kindergarten screenings integrate more academic elements used as predictors of future school success. 
  • For most applicants in this age group, the most difficult part of the screening process is the initial separation from parents to join the Lower School teacher in the classroom. 
  • To help prepare your child for the screening, we suggest clearly explaining each step of the screening process. Let your child know that you will stay to talk with the other parents while he or she explores Episcopal and meets our teachers. 
  • We encourage you to arrive 5 minutes prior to your scheduled visit so you and your child have time together to get comfortable before the screening begins. If your child has trouble separating, don’t worry! Our team is well-prepared to care for your child; if the visit becomes overwhelming, we will be happy to reschedule a follow-up visit.
  • If you find your child would benefit from a campus visit prior to his or her screening, we are happy to arrange a “kiddie tour” in advance of his or her scheduled screening. To schedule a “kiddie tour,” please contact the Admission Office. 

1st through 5th Grade Screenings
  • Applicants to grades 1-5 spend a combination of their screening in the classroom with student peers and working individually with Lower School teachers. This format allows applicants to experience a typical Lower School class and meet current Episcopal students. 
  • Applicants will work with teachers to complete a combination of math, reading, and writing work in class. This work is used to assess the applicant’s familiarity with and mastery of  topics relative to our grade level academic milestones.
  • Encourage your child to give his or her best when completing work and to ask questions when unsure or confused. Our teachers love seeing applicants use their problem-solving skills, logic and a positive attitude when faced with a challenge. We don’t expect them to have all of the answers!
  • The length of your child’s screening will vary based on the grade in which you apply. First grade applicants typically spend a little over an hour on campus, while applicants to 5th grade spend over 4 hours on campus.
  • Students are encouraged to wear their current school uniform, if applicable, or appropriate school attire. 

Admission Testing Grades 6-12
  • Applicants to grades 6-12 are required to attend one of two Saturday admission test sessions, typically scheduled in December and January. 
  • Episcopal will administer an age-appropriate standardized test, typically lasting around 2.5 to 3 hours for Middle School applicants and 4 hours for Upper School applicants. Following the timed test, students will complete an untimed writing sample. 
  • Calculators, scratch paper, pencils, water and snacks will be provided. Students are encouraged to dress comfortably and bring a sweatshirt in the event the room is cold. 
  • Episcopal will administer a traditional standardized test; there is no advanced preparation required. We encourage each student to get a full night’s sleep prior to the test and eat a balanced breakfast before attending test day. 
  • The results of your student’s admission test will be used to help the Admission Committee determine how well your child may perform within our academic setting. The test is a piece of the admission puzzle and is considered alongside your child’s application, student statement, current school records, teacher recommendation forms, and writing sample. 
  • Note: If your child is an applicant to 6th grade from an Episcopal Parish Day School, the current school will provide ERB scores in place of admission testing. A member of the Admission Team will administer the writing sample at the Day School in December. 

Shadow Day Grades 6-12
  • Applicants to grades 6-8 are invited to attend a half-day shadow visit from 7:40 a.m. to noon. If your child is an applicant for 6th grade, he or she will be paired with a current 6th grade host student; applicants to 7th Grade and 8th Grade will shadow with a host student in the applicant’s current grade. Visiting students will attend three classes, Middle School break, and lunch.
  • Applicants to grades 9-12 are invited to attend a full-day shadow visit from 7:40 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. If your child is an applicant for 9th grade, he or she will be paired with a current 9th grade host student; applicants to grades 10-12 will shadow with a host student in the applicant’s current grade. Visiting students will attend six classes, Upper School break, lunch and tutorial during the shadow visit.
  • Students are encouraged to wear their current school uniform, if applicable, or appropriate school attire. 
  • If your child would benefit from a campus tour prior to attending a shadow day, we invite you to register for Test Drive Tuesday or contact the Admission Office to arrange an individual meeting. 

Student Interview Grades 9-12
  • Applicants to Upper School are required to attend an on-campus interview typically hosted on a Saturday in early February. 
  • Prior to the interview, students and parents will attend a 30 minute small-group College Counseling presentation. This session is designed to introduce you to course selection,  the scheduling processes, and provide your child an overview of the opportunities available in our Upper School. 
  • Following the College Counseling session, your child will interview with two members of the Episcopal faculty; the interview will last approximately 20 minutes. 
  • The interview is intended to help us learn more about your child’s interests and experiences. 
  • Students are encouraged to wear interview attire and be prepared to engage in a conversational discussion with their interviewers.
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Amanda Grace

Amanda joined the Episcopal team in 2014 and currently serves as the Associate Head of School for Enrollment & External Affairs. Prior to relocating back home to Baton Rouge, she served as Director of Admission at St. Mark’s Episcopal School in Houston, Texas. Amanda earned a BA in Mass Communication from LSU where she later spent five years working to support the University’s scholarship and recruitment efforts. As the Associate Head of School, Amanda leads all facets of enrollment management and oversees the school's marketing and communication. 

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Cross Country Team Takes on ALS: Episcopal Community Responds Big

10/27/2017

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Episcopal truly is a community uKnighted.  After finding out that fellow Cross Country team member Louie Ballard’s mother Donna Britt had been diagnosed with ALS, Todd McInnis, David Whitehurst and Austin Broussard felt they had to do something to help.  As Cross Country runners, what better way than to organize a fun run to raise money to fight the disease?!  The Episcopal community responded big, and students from all three divisions hit the track.   Everyone from the smallest Lower School students to members of the Middle and Upper School basketball and football teams hit the lanes.  Teachers, coaches and parents also got into the action.  
​It was a proud day to be a Knight.  Go Knights!
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Lights, camera, action.  Empathy?

10/26/2017

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There is much more to theater than learning lines, hitting your mark and knowing your cues.  One of the most meaningful parts of theater is something of which the actors, support staff and audience members are not even aware. Something a spotlight cannot reveal.  Empathy.

“Empathy is the root.  When we stop working to understand each other, that’s when we cave in,” says Paige Gagliano, or “Mrs. G.” as the students refer to her.  Paige, Episcopal’s Director of Performing Arts, says the ability to create connections and establish understanding among different people makes the arts so important for the human experience.  She points to one of her favorites – “Ragtime” – as an example.  She says the piece helps the audience understand the “un-understandable” or the “un-comprehensible”, as the audience is introduced to three groups struggling with their circumstances in early 20th century America.  “We’re scared to look at this,” says Paige. She says we struggle to imagine that we could feel the same or act the same in a similar setting.  
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The magic of theater is that the actor is tasked with becoming another person.  Paige says to do this they must first discover two things – What does this person want?  What will they do to get it? As the actor embarks on this journey of understanding, they learn the why behind the actions and understand more about the person’s behavior and how something so unimaginable could occur.  

Part of this journey to understand the other’s perspective is learning more about your own.  In a recent Theater and Religion class, Paige asked students to think about the positive and negative people in their lives.  Students reflected on the traits of these people and determined which traits they value most.  From this reflection, students were then asked to write a personal creed.  

Such a personal, vulnerable assignment could only be completed in a safe, trusting environment. Paige creates that for her students.  She advises them that there is no judgement or need for fear. In her theater there is acceptance and understanding. Often she even tells students that nine out of ten times what they try might “really stink”.  However, it’s on that tenth try that they will soar.
Episcopalbr.org
Ethan Massengale
One student who has truly soared since his first involvement in theater is 11th grader Ethan Massengale.  Massengale was not initially a theater kid.  In fact, at one point he says he was a full-on athlete playing multiple sports.  Then Paige recruited him for “High School Musical” and everything changed.  While still a member of the Knights football team, he now dedicates considerable time to theater.  

“I’ve learned from my characters who I want to be and don’t want to be,” says Massengale.  “You learn how to be true to who you are when others judge you because they’re afraid to be themselves.”
Such insight and personal understanding creates new opportunities and unexpected bonds.  For example, as the actors learn more about why their characters say or do things, they understand and relate better with their cast mates.  Students who may not have been friends otherwise, connect.  Common ground is found among students who previously overlooked or misunderstood each other.

Paige says her goal in teaching theater is to develop empathetic people who can take a risk and fail. Developing empathy for others will serve students well in all aspects of their life, for all of their life.  She says it helps students have better control of their own emotions and a better understanding of the emotions of others.  Empathy helps students be better prepared to diffuse problems and more willing to take responsibility for their own actions.  

Her teaching approach is working.  There are 150 students currently involved in the Peter Pan Jr. production and more than 100 interested in this spring’s run of Evangeline!   
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The Middle School production of Peter Pan Jr. runs November 13th – 17th.  It’s Mrs. G’s hope that when the lights go up, the actors will have been transformed by the journey and will find themselves more open and connected with the world around them.  We invite you to be a part of that experience. Get your tickets now.
Reserve your seat
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Writing Center Waffle Workshops

10/26/2017

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The Writing Center is a smaller community within Episcopal School of Baton Rouge with the goal of building the necessary skills and confidence that writing requires. As a community, we hope to foster a culture of writing and consequently nurture the students as a whole by teaching them creative ways to express themselves through writing. One unique way the Writing Center does this is by periodically hosting Waffle Workshops. As expected from their catchy title, Waffle Workshops combine the thrill of workshopping unique writing styles and techniques with enjoying delicious cinnamon roll waffles. Our favorite part about the Writing Center’s Waffle Workshops is that there are no thematic limits. In the past, we’ve held journalism workshops, humor writing workshops, and storytelling workshops. The goal of these specialized workshops is to better expose students to the Writing Center and the variety of services we offer as well as to give students a safe and nurturing place to express their creativity and discover new passions.
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This September, the Special Events Committee of the Writing Center held a Waffle Workshop that specialized in Argumentative Writing. The overarching goal of this workshop was to expose freshmen to the Writing Center, as they are the students who are usually most hesitant to seek help with something as personal as writing.

Another specific goal was to give a brief introduction to argumentative essays, one of the most common types of essays written in high school. At the workshop, we taught the fifteen-member audience how to form claims, provide adequate evidence for those claims, and deconstruct opposing arguments. 

Overall, the students participated robustly in the activities we planned as they savored every bite of the cinnamon roll waffles. Leading the workshop was rewarding because it was evident that the students learned something valuable and were clearly attempting to apply the skills we taught them to other disciplines. For example, one participant asked how she could apply the skills to a World History document-based question essay, and we were able to discuss that with her. However, the most rewarding part of developing and hosting this Waffle Workshop is knowing that the people who attended left with newfound knowledge and vocalized their now-enthusiastic inclinations to visit the Writing Center again in the future.
However, the importance of these Waffle Workshops extends beyond that of the lesson being taught or of the enticing waffles: we create and depend upon a community in these events. The workshops create a bond of trust between the students and writing fellows, which is very productive in later sessions when students visit with fellows for one-on-one help. During these workshops, we also depend on the other fellows in the Writing Center and the director, Dr. Newton, to help promote the event and make and distribute waffles. Events like the Waffle Workshops help bring our Writing Center community together while also connecting us to the rest of the student body. 

Waffle Workshops are not only challenging and rewarding for fellows, they are also creative outlets. As we brainstormed one night about ideas for the workshop, the topic of argumentative writing jumped out to us, so we set a date, researched the topic, and prepared a Prezi presentation and an outline of talking points.  We had fun with the whole process. Though giving a presentation to a roomful of students that you may or may not know can be intimidating, the experience pushes fellows to connect with more of the student body and fulfill our mission of creating better writers.​

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ALYSSA MACALUSO

Alyssa Macaluso is an Episcopal junior.  This is her second year as a Writing Center Fellow.  She is also the co-president of the Poetry Club, a Troubadour editor, a Model UN participant and a Lower School play stage manager.  Alyssa's favorite classes are English and Honors Seminar.

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MORGAN BERNARD

Morgan Bernard is an Episcopal senior.  She has been a Writing Center Fellow since her sophomore year.  Morgan is president of the French Club, chief editor of Troubadour and a speech and debate participant.  Morgan plans to study economics or business and eventually pursue a law degree.

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Connecting through Dance Brings Park Forest and Episcopal Together

10/25/2017

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"I had been looking forward to doing the performance and teaching for a while, then I learned we were teaching to more than 300 kids.  It was more than I had expected but the reward was greater.  All in all this was an amazing experience and I’d love to do something like it again.” Mackenzie Bell, Episcopal 11th grader.

The Episcopal Dance Ensemble recently performed Louisiana Strong for the entire student body of Park Forest Elementary School.  The dance ensemble consists of 14 dancers.  That’s 14 teen dancers for 300 elementary kids! Those numbers might intimidate most, but the dancers delivered a powerful performance that captivated even the youngest in the crowd.  
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Park Forest, like Episcopal, was significantly impacted by the 2016 flood.   One year later, this common experience has led to a meaningful connection between the two schools, forged by a love of dance.  Louisiana Strong was choreographed by Episcopal Dance Instructor Christine Chrest to evoke the sense of chaos that was felt during the flood and the positive sense of community that followed.  Chrest says it was exciting to see students from both schools connect through the piece.

“They were absolutely in awe of the beautiful choreography and costumes. The following week at school we were able to have discussions during dance class about how the dance made them feel, and how dance, like all art forms, can be used as a means of communicating ideas and emotions,” said Park Forest Dance Instructor Anna Schwab.

In addition to performing for the elementary students, the Episcopal dancers also taught the students dance terminology and the moves to match.  “Every grade had one or two terms to look for and every grade got their term correct.  I know dancers who are sixteen and can’t recognize half of the terms the little kids did.  They surpassed my own expectations for them,” said Lauren Reed.  
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The Park Forest experience is something the Episcopal dancers will likely remember for some time.  Chrest says it is these types of occasions that help a dancer realize the impact of what they’re doing and that the art form can communicate in ways others cannot.

“They really touched my heart, and I hope we can go back next semester,” said Reed.

The Episcopal Dance Ensemble is comprised of students from every Upper School grade.  These young women have a passion for dance and not only attend dance class at Episcopal, but also train and rehearse at area dance studios. The ensemble participates in local festivals and dance productions.  Last year they also competed in the American College Dance competition – the only high school to enter.


Don’t miss your opportunity to see the graceful movements of this group.  We invite you to this year’s Fall Dance Concert, which is scheduled for November 30th at 7 pm in the VPAC.  ​​​
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Episcopal Alumnus Handcrafts New Chapel Altar

10/18/2017

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The Episcopal community offers a sincere thank you and much gratitude for the beautiful altar given to the Chapel by alumni Rachel ‘89 and David ‘89 Dansky.  Mr. Dansky personally handcrafted the piece from unused sections of the Chapel’s existing altar rails, and the result is remarkable.  

The altar will be officially blessed and dedicated by the Rt. Rev’d Morris King Thompson, Jr.  We know that our students and community will enjoy this tremendous blessing as it is used during Eucharistic services.

Thank you.
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Brains AND Brawn!

10/18/2017

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Episcopal students are proving that they have academic and athletic ability.  Recently, Episcopal student athletes have received impressive honors.  Congratulations!
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Senior defensive football player Cam Dumas was recently named the WBRZ Fan’s Choice Award winner.  The recognition comes after the Port Allen game, where he had three interceptions, including a 95 yard touchdown return.
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Senior Mary Brandon Harrell has been named to the 2017 LHSAA All Academic Composite Girls Cross Country Team.  To be selected for this honor the student must be a senior, have played the sport for two years and achieved a six-semester cumulative GPA of at least 3.5.

The Episcopal Boys Cross Country team is ranked number two nationally in All-Time State Championships and in All-Time Consecutive State Championships.
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The 2016-2017 Episcopal Boys and Girls Soccer teams have both earned the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for their performance in the classroom.  Episcopal is one of 46 schools in the country and the only school in Louisiana to have both teams honored.  The boys earned an average 3.56 GPA and the girls averaged a 3.71.

We are proud of our student athletes and wish them continued success in and out of the classroom.
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Go Knights!
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Congratulations to the 2017 Episcopal Homecoming Court!

10/17/2017

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Seniors

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Shannon Ahmad
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Cliff Daigle
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Rogee Clark
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Rachel Posner
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Angelina Leo
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Graham Frazier

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Freshmen

Naya Batiste                  
Oliver Jack
Allen Stewart          

Maria Underwood          

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Sophomores

Grant Coffman
Dariah Deskins                 
Addie Owens                    
​Ian Sabolik
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Juniors

Ajit Alapati
Maggie LaFerney 
Mason LaFerney            
Brenley Rinaudo              

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