 Transitioning to online learning can present some challenges for everyone. What will be critical early on is setting up a routine, and making adjustments as needed. Coordinate with peers and adults you trust to get ideas for what is working for them. Strategies to consider:
Apps That Act Like Math and Science Tutors for Homework Help Free Educational Apps, Games, and Websites Top Time-Management Apps As mentioned above, having a daily schedule will be extremely helpful. Remember, that your school day always includes recess/break, lunch, and often P. E. Here is a sample schedule below that can be a guide: Sample Schedule
Our counseling team is here to support you during these times. Please email your division counselor, or Robin Talamo (LSS Coordinator) if we can be of assistance.
Robin TalamoRobin Talamo, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, who has been practicing for over twenty years. She has served as the Episcopal Learning Support Services Coordinator since 2012. With the assistance of the other counselors, she guides the three divisions with support for students with various learning differences. She leads such groups as Parents U-Knighted, the OYES program, and other important campus support activities. The Episcopal 2020-2021 application is now available! For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the school, contact us at enrollment@ehsbr.org or 755-2684.
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 Congratulations to the Middle School MATHCOUNTS team! The seventh and eighth graders won first place in the MATHCOUNTS Chapter Competition at LSU. With 13 schools and 115 students competing, Episcopal’s Autumn Reynolds placed seventh individually. The team, which is coached by Middle School math teacher James Moroney, now qualifies for the state competition. This is Episcopal’s first time returning to the state competition in many years, making the achievement even more special. MATHCOUNTS is a national organization which seeks to make learning math fun and to encourage a love of math among Middle School students. The state competition is set for March 6th in Pineville. Congratulations to the Episcopal MATHCOUNTS team: Autumn Reynolds (8th) Joie Lee (7th) Hayden Singh (8th) Joey Roth (8th) Ivy Jiang (8th) Luke Stelly (7th) Hayden Willett (8th) Noah Vincent (8th) Ahebwa Muhumuza (8th) Ayush Patel (8th)  On Saturday, February 1st Episcopal placed 2nd in Division 1 at the Baton Rouge High Mu Alpha Theta math tournament. The tournament was attended by 222 students from 16 schools. Episcopal brought 39 students in grades 5th – 12th that competed in subjects from Algebra 1 to Calculus BC. Individual Tests Algebra 1 1st Luke Stelly Geometry 2nd Joie Lee Honorable Mention – Ahebwa Muhumuza Algebra 2 2nd Joey Roth Honorable Mention – Akshay Basireddy and Autumn Reynolds Precalculus 2nd Joy Lee Calculus BC 2nd James Christian Honorable Mention – Arya Patel Team Tests 1st Algebra 1 – Luke Stelly, Nate McLean, Autumn Baldridge Anshu Padigala 2nd Comprehensive Math 1 – Hayden Singh, Hayden Willett, Joie Lee, Rebekah Reid 3rd Comprehensive Math 1.5 – Scott McAdams, Akshay Basireddy, Shreya Kamath 2nd Comprehensive Math 2 – Tanvi Dhaka, Aadit Narayanan, Joy Lee, Eugene Jiang 1st Calculus A – Savannah York, Shuhei Niwano, Evan Jurkovic 2nd Calculus B – James Christian, Arya Patel, Elaine Gboloo 1st Lower Interschool 3rd Upper Interschool  Joan MoroneyJoan Moroney began teaching in 2007. She has taught Honors Geometry, Algebra II, and Honors Algebra II at Episcopal and is a co-sponsor of the Mu Alpha Theta math competition team. Before coming to Episcopal in 2014, Joan taught high school credit math courses to gifted students at Glasgow Middle School in Baton Rouge. She has a Bachelor of Science in secondary mathematics education from North Carolina State University and a master’s degree in education from Louisiana State University in gifted education. The Episcopal 2020-2021 application is now available! For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the school, contact us at enrollment@ehsbr.org or 755-2684.
 Congratulations to this year’s Battle of the Books winners! Middle School - Sixth grade wins! Autumn Baldridge Ella Brien Finn Fontenot Reece Hinton Airi Homma Anshu Padigala Daniel Piazza Wylie Schexnayder Pahi Sthanki Lower School - And the top seven teams are!
The Battle of the Books competition is an exciting way to encourage a love of reading among students. After reading the assigned books, students compete in teams to determine the Lower and Middle School division champions. Middle School students participate in a multiple-choice, short answer and puzzle round, while Lower School students compete in a multiple-choice round in the Greer Center. Battle of the Books has become an annual event at Episcopal. This year, 23 fourth and fifth grade teams participated in the Lower School competition. Lower School librarian Catherine Word says even the younger students are aware of the event and express interest in reading the books. “Kids this age are excited about reading,” she says. “They love reading.” To ensure that the competition has something for everyone, Word chooses books from three different genres that represent different characters and reading levels. She says English teachers Liz Crawford and Margaret Boudreaux keep students motivated throughout the competition by providing time for students to read and encouraging student participation. The Middle School Battle of the Books competition day is a lively occasion with fist pumping and chest bumping. This year, five teams competed with the sixth grade team coming out on top. Library Director Tiffany Whitehead used the competition to encourage reading and to promote library services. The winning team now has two weeks to prepare for the READgional Battle of the Books event where they will face off against Central Middle School, Denham Springs Junior High School and Runnels. Looking for a good book recommendation for your little reader? Check out the Battle of the Books reading lists below. Have you read a great book recently? Share the title in the comments section below. Lower School: “Bob” by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead “The Trumpet of the Swan” by E.B. White “Wedgie & Gizmo” by Suzanne Selfors Middle School: “Aru Shah and the End of Time” by Roshani Chokshi “Beyond the Bright Sea” by Lauren Wolk “Brave” by Svetlana Chmakova “Clayton Byrd Goes Underground” by Rita Williams-Garcia “Greetings from Witness Protection” by Jake Burt “In the Shadow of the Sun” by Anne Sibley O’Brien “Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus” by Dusti Bowling “Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe” by Jo Watson Hackl “Suspect Red” by L.M. Elliott “The Red Bandana” (Young Readers Edition) by Tom Rinaldi The Episcopal 2020-2021 application is now available! For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the school, contact us at enrollment@ehsbr.org or 755-2684.
 From left to right: Ryan Richard, Hayden Singh, Ahebwa Muhumuza, Nick Musso, Baylen Sim Almost completely destroyed during World War II, Minsk was rebuilt and is the most populous city in which landlocked European country? A port city along the Indian Ocean on the Horn of Africa, Mogadishu is the most populous city in what country? Located near extinct volcanic cones and home to Waitemata Harbour, Auckland is the most populous city of what island country? If you knew that Belarus, Somalia and New Zealand were the correct answers to the questions above, you might just be Middle School Geography Bee material. This week, eighth graders Ahebwa Muhumuza, Nick Musso, Ryan Richard, Baylen Sim and Hayden Singh competed in Episcopal’s 2020 National Geographic Geography Bee on the VPAC stage in front of the entire Middle School. After five rounds of competition and a tiebreaker, Ahebwa Muhumuza was declared the Episcopal Geography Bee Champion. The geography knowledge exhibited by this group of Middle School students was remarkable. “Perhaps the best aspect of the Geography Bee was that all contestants went through the first three rounds without missing a question,” says Division Head Mark Engstrom. “We also had a tie after five rounds that led to a tiebreaker.” Despite the difficulty of the questions, the answers seemed to come easy for the students. “The speed with which they could rattle off answers like Myanmar and Yemen was extremely impressive,” says geography teacher Kristina St. George. “While we study these areas in class, the students' intrinsic motivation to learn about our world goes well beyond what we do in a classroom setting.”  The competitors’ teachers weren’t the only ones impressed by the performance. As the bee progressed, the tension in the VPAC among the student spectators was palpable. Murmurs could be heard among the crowd as each student somehow correctly answered questions about remote islands or ancient civilizations. There was a sense that the students truly appreciated the knowledge on display. Once Muhumuza was crowned the winner, the tension broke and everyone enthusiastically congratulated him and the others. In speaking with the competitors, they seem humble and unphased by their geography recall. They say their knowledge is simply a compilation of information they’ve picked up throughout their studies. Now that the school geography bee is complete, Muhumuza will take an online exam in an attempt to qualify for the state geography bee in March. The winner of the state geography bee then moves on to the nationals in Washington, D.C. this spring for an opportunity to win cash prizes and college scholarships. Good luck, Ahebwa. We’ll be cheering you on! The Episcopal 2020-2021 application is now available! For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the school, contact us at enrollment@ehsbr.org or 755-2684.
 On Saturday, January 25th Episcopal placed 1st in Division 2 at the Catholic High Mu Alpha Theta math tournament. The tournament was attended by approximately 550 students from 32 schools. Episcopal brought 60 students in grades 5th – 12th that competed in subjects from Pre-Algebra to Calculus BC. Individual Test
Team Tests1st Comprehensive Math 0.5 – Luke Stelly, Nate McLean, Autumn Baldridge 1st Comprehensive Math 1 – Hayden Singh, Hayden Willett, Ahebwa Muhumuza, Ayush Patel 2nd Comprehensive Math 1 – Caroline Chick, Lauren McGrath, Shreya Kamath, Joie Lee 2nd Comprehensive Math 1.5 – Joey Roth, Ivy Jiang, Autumn Reynolds, Rebekah Reid 1st Calculus A – Allison Binning, Grace Scott, Sevie Breaux 1st Calculus B – Justin Dynes, Katie Knight, Arya Patel, Ryan Field 2nd Potpourri – Nick Johannessen, Andrea Norwood, Alex Nelson, Elaine Gboloo 2nd Middle School Interschool 1st Lower Interschool 1st Upper Interschool  Joan MoroneyJoan Moroney began teaching in 2007. She has taught Honors Geometry, Algebra II, and Honors Algebra II at Episcopal and is a co-sponsor of the Mu Alpha Theta math competition team. Before coming to Episcopal in 2014, Joan taught high school credit math courses to gifted students at Glasgow Middle School in Baton Rouge. She has a Bachelor of Science in secondary mathematics education from North Carolina State University and a master’s degree in education from Louisiana State University in gifted education.  The Middle School navy boys and gold girls soccer teams are champs! Both squads won their divisions in last weekend’s Baton Rouge Soccer Association tournament. “There is an incredible amount of talent in Middle School,” says girls soccer coach James Moroney. This talent is enhanced by the positive, enthusiastic attitudes of the players. Moroney says the girls simply love to play and always play hard. For example, he says when the goalkeeper couldn’t play due to injury, another player who had never played the position gladly stepped up and did the job. He says when needed, the leading scorers willingly played defense. “Whatever is needed for the team, they were happy to do that,” he says. Fellow coach Rhys Lopiparo says she was happy for the opportunity to work with the girls. “They always went above and beyond my expectations, and I could not have asked for a better first season of my coaching career,” she says. “I am incredibly proud of the hard work the girls put in over the past few months, and I can’t wait to see how their knowledge of the game continues to grow.” The gold team ended the season with a perfect record of 8 and 0, allowing only one goal all season in the final contest. The navy team advanced to a semi-final match, playing what Moroney considered their best outing of the season. Moroney says the girls were supportive of each other all season, helping each other develop their skills and grow in the game. When he’s not coaching soccer, Moroney, who was a high school soccer player, can be found teaching eighth grade math. He sees coaching as a way to connect with students outside of the classroom. “It’s rewarding to see them be successful,” he says. “It’s a fulfillment of the time and hard work the girls and coaches put into the season.”  On the boys side, there was also tremendous success. The navy team won the Division I trophy. Coach and Episcopal dad Paolo Messina says this championship is especially meaningful because the boys were competing in the highest and toughest division of the tournament. The tournament includes teams from throughout the Baton Rouge region and competitions are set without regard to school size. Messina says the Episcopal squads included players who have never played soccer or haven’t played in years as well as highly competitive players who are training for the next level. He says the players really played hard with several leaders developing. “Not having the entire team for any game allowed kids to get playing time and improve their skills,” says Messina. “They meshed and played well together.” Fellow coach and recent Episcopal grad Eliott Reimann ’19 agrees. “I am extremely proud of how the team grew as the season progressed,” he says. “Not in a single game this season was our full roster present, but they never made excuses and stuck to the game plan. They played with heart, and tenacity, I couldn’t have asked for anything else.” The navy team finished the season with five wins, two losses and one tie. The team fought through several close contests to finish the tournament with a perfect 3 and 0 record. Winning the championship was the highlight of the season. “It’s a pretty big deal,” says Messina. “This is a citywide tournament. I don’t think Episcopal has ever won the tournament.” Messina, who is a full-time attorney, began coaching eight years ago as a way to spend time with his own children. As a high school soccer player, he always loved the game and he found he also loved coaching. He says when the opportunity arose to coach this year’s boys squad, he was excited for the chance to get involved. “It was a pleasure to watch them win it all,” says Messina. It wasn’t only soccer fans who were excited about Middle School soccer this season. Soccer fever swept through Middle School with the trophies shared with classmates at Morning Meeting. “While what we care the most about is teamwork, effort, and character, it’s also true that those things in combination also commonly lend themselves to success,” says Division Head Mark Engstrom. “I’m so proud of our soccer teams for their recent victories. Their effort and attention to detail has led them to where they are now, and we couldn’t be happier for them and the example they are setting for those who will come after them.” The Episcopal 2020-2021 application is now available! For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the school, contact us at enrollment@ehsbr.org or 755-2684.
 Greek and Latin have been the cornerstone of a classical liberal arts education since the very foundations of Western Civilization. For centuries, a sound education in the classics was the hallmark of a liberal arts education. But today’s students are growing up in a different world, one of rapid innovation that is constantly looking forward, not backward. So how do you teach today’s students about the importance of their past when they are always looking forward to the next big thing?
Latin teacher and Episcopal technology guru Steve Latuso’s goal for this school year was to make the Cambridge Latin course material accessible and exciting for his eighth grade Latin II students. He did this by issuing a challenge to students – build a digital model of the Roman baths found in Bath, England using the video game Minecraft: Education Edition. Gone were the days of recreating a structure with popsicle sticks and macaroni noodles. Students responded to this new technological challenge with tremendous enthusiasm. “The Minecraft project was something we had never done before because we had previously made drawings and sketches of buildings but never built them in 3D,” says Sam Messina. “I think this was the most engaging way to learn about the Roman Baths as we were able to recreate the baths using our creativity,” says Ayush Patel. Before the virtual blocks ever began stacking, the class researched the bathhouses and their role in first century Roman culture. Using virtual reality glasses, students toured a Roman bath facility reconstructed by the British in Bath, England without having to make the long trek across the globe. It wasn’t long before they were discussing bathhouse components such as the apodyterium, caldarium, natatio and palaestra. In addition, this lesson in Latin bolstered their knowledge in subjects such as physics, engineering, environmental science and even coding. “We learned how Romans implemented arches in their buildings while researching the structure of the bath complex,” says Ayush Patel. “We learned how a hypocaust (heating system for the baths) system was built in Ancient Rome and recreated it using modern materials in Minecraft.”
Once students began creating their virtual bathhouses, Latuso says they let their imaginations run wild. Evidence of the enthusiasm can be seen in the images they created. One apodyterium features flickering torches and intricate details. There is a natatio that is open to the sky with lush greenery growing from the second floor. Using the book and quill feature in Minecraft, students even composed their own version of curse tablets that were found by archeologists who excavated the baths. These 21st century students have successfully brought the ancient world to life in a virtual world. Energy, enthusiasm, focus and engagement. When it comes to project-based learning, these are the feelings a teacher hopes to elicit. The Latin Minecraft project accomplished all of this and more. “I think one of the reasons this project was fun was because it took a game that a lot of people like and play regularly and turned it into something educational that people still wanted to play,” says Messina. “It made the research more fun and the information stayed with me because I got to put it to use doing something fun.” Latuso says the study of ancient languages and cultures has many benefits for students today. “While conventional wisdom acknowledges the usefulness of Latin in improving students’ communication and critical thinking skills, our class embraced a modern twist on an ancient subject in order to personalize the experience for Episcopal students,” says Latuso. By emphasizing 21st century project-based learning ideals, Latin students had an opportunity to transfer their knowledge of one subject to a variety of subjects through innovative problem solving. Clearly, this modern take on learning Latin resonates with today’s Middle School students. What a great example of the personalized and innovative nature of an Episcopal education. The Episcopal 2020-2021 application is now available! For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the school, contact us at enrollment@ehsbr.org or 755-2684.
 Bonjour Episcopal Family! Having taught here for more than twenty-five years now, I mean that sincerely: the faculty, staff, students and parents of Episcopal feel like a real second family to me. Episcopal has changed so much during my tenure here, and so has teaching for that matter. High-tech twenty-five years ago meant an overhead projector, and maybe a television in the classroom. Today, everyone has a personal device or two, and classrooms are connected to the internet. Even teaching methods have changed. When I first started learning French back in the eighties, we had to memorize scripted dialogues, vocabulary lists and verb conjugations. If you were good at memorizing and nerdy about grammar (like me), then learning a language could be easy. But, learning about a language via its individual parts and rules is not the most effective or long-lasting way to go about it. Honestly, how much French/Spanish/Latin/German do you remember from high school? Exactly. So, over the years I’ve begun to integrate other methods and strategies into my teaching. Last year I started teaching my sixth graders in an entirely different way, using the Comprehensible Input (CI) approach and scrapping everything else I had ever done with this level. To put it briefly, CI is not a grammar or textbook-driven curriculum. It is not long lists of vocabulary words, nor the teacher talking at the students; it is not learning about a language; it is not immersion either. CI is speaking in a way such that every student can understand what the teacher is saying at all times. It incorporates relevance by exploring topics to which students have a connection and that relate to real life; it is student driven and student centered because students give input and direction to the flow of conversation. So, since we’re talking about middle schoolers, our topics of conversation can be quite varied and, more often than not, weird. No matter. Together, we talk, create, read, draw, sing and write -all in French, and all in a low-stress environment. Changing my way of teaching this class has challenged me greatly but has also wrought great rewards. The students’ understanding and ability to effectively communicate in French grew quickly throughout the school year, and we had a blast together. They are my seventh graders this year, and our journey continues. My hope for them is that this skill they now possess -speaking and understanding a foreign language- serves them well for the rest of their lives. Beth Lemoine was recently named a Newton Distinguished Faculty honoree. You can read more about that here. To read more about global education at Episcopal and to see photos from last year's trip to Quebec, click here.  Beth LemoineBeth Lemoine has a master's degree in teaching French from Louisiana State University. She joined Episcopal’s faculty in 1994, and has taught every level of French from second grade to seniors. She has studied in France and led numerous student trips to France and Quebec, including Episcopal’s first ever French exchange. She believes that the study of foreign languages empowers individuals by building confidence, creating empathy and instilling a better-informed worldview. Madame Lemoine sponsors the Middle School French Club and co-sponsors the Middle School Cheerleaders. The Episcopal 2020-2021 application is now available! For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the school, contact us at enrollment@ehsbr.org or 755-2684.
 Congratulations to the 2019 Penniman Scholars. This year’s honorees are:
Episcopal is honored to award the Penniman Scholarship on an annual basis to a sixth grader, seventh grader and eighth grader. The scholarship was established in Mary Virginia Penniman’s memory and is an on-going reminder of the devotion of one of the school’s founders for his commitment to Episcopal and its students. The Episcopal community is grateful to have the continued leadership of a founding member for over 50 years.
The Episcopal 2020-2021 application is now available! For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the school, contact us at enrollment@ehsbr.org or 755-2684.
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