Mu Alpha Theta has had a busy month. On Saturday, November 9th we hosted our tournament that included 330 students from 21 schools. We had approximately 60 of our club members contribute to the tournament either with preparing materials ahead of time, setting up testing locations, running competitions, or presenting awards. We will be making a $500 contribution to the Food Bank with part of the proceeds from the tournament. Read about the Middle School team's results here.

​In addition, on Saturday, November 16th we placed 2nd overall at the Ben Franklin Mu Alpha Theta tournament in New Orleans. Results of that tournament are below.

Individual Tests
Geometry                  
1st  Joie Lee
2nd Lauren McGrath 
 
Calculus BC            
1st Justin Dynes
2nd Arya Patel
Honorable Mention Gregory Field

​On November 9th, 21 Middle School students competed in our Mu Alpha Theta Tournament at Episcopal.  We competed in Division 1 against nearly 200 students from around Louisiana, including Catholic High School and Baton Rouge High School.  
 
Our team finished third in sweepstakes in the entire Division 1, which is incredible considering we only competed with our Middle School students and our high school students didn’t compete at all. Congratulations to our students for a great showing. The results are below.

Individual Tests:
Pre Algebra
Nate McLean (5th grader) - Third Place 
Harrison Willett - Second Place
 
Algebra I 
Blaise Richard - 3rd place
Luke Stelly - 2nd place
Cameron Augustine - 1st place 
 
Geometry
Hayden Willett - Honorable Mention 
Hayden Singh - Honorable Mention 
Joie Lee - 2nd place
 
Algebra 2 
Ivy Jiang - Honorable Mention 
Joey Roth - Honorable Mention 

The truth about adolescence is that it’s hard. It’s just hard. Think back to your own Middle School experience for a moment. My guess is that there were some awkward moments. Whether it was a first audition, getting picked near last in dodgeball, or asking/getting asked out… there are new and strange situations that happen while we are in Middle School. In Middle School, there are so many weird social status aspects to life. It’s also true that they are usually public and how things play out matters tremendously in the moment. 
​
While Middle School is a strange experience, it’s also true that children are testing boundaries and learning a lot more about themselves each day in this window of development. This is when many students take on leadership roles for the first time, whether it’s earning the lead in the school play or being selected as the captain of the swim team. This is the first time in their lives when adults ask them what they are going to do in a situation, rather than simply tell them. The world is also asking these malleable, inexperienced adolescents to do things for which they may not be ready. To help them handle this new sense of responsibility and to ease the transition, my philosophy is that we need to keep talking to our kids and loving on our kids. We need to be aware of what they are morally capable of and allow them to test their skills. We also need to remember that if their attempts don’t go as planned, it doesn’t mean we’re a failure as a parent.

So if it’s true that it’s hard and they are exploring who they are.. what can we do? Helping them through this transition is important work that we can accomplish together by doing the following:

• Be present with your child- including listening when they want to open up.
• Be patient as they test boundaries and explore their new sense of responsibility.
• Encourage them to be their best selves.
• Give them advice when the opportunities seem ripe and always remind them that you  love them no matter what.
• Communicate with us at Episcopal as is helpful.
• We also need to remember that if their attempts don’t go as planned, it doesn’t mean we are failing as parents. It’s just a natural part of the maturation process.

​As a Middle School team, we are committed to partnering with you and helping to mold your children into the best people they can possibly be. Academics are important for future success, but we know that being a good person is the more critical component on the journey to happiness and success. As your partner, we invite you to reach out to us with open communication about any concerns you may have. Please don’t wait until May or let a small concern turn into a problem before reaching out via a phone call, a chat or an email. Together, we can make Middle School more rewarding for your children... and maybe even a little less hard.

Middle School athletes have already had a great fall season. Here are highlights of recent action. Click here to access the Middle School athletic calendar and make plans to cheer on your Middle School Knights!

The boys and girls had a great showing at the recent Catholic High Invitational. Pearson Spender led the way with a first place finish in 11:11 in the boys two mile. For the first time, Scarlett Spender and Ivy Jiang ran in the varsity three mile race, with Spender putting up a time of 19 minutes. In the Middle School race, Anna Kate Yale led the way for the Knights with a great two mile time of 13:29.
​
The Middle School boys had a dominating win at the St. Joseph’s Invitational. Eighth grader Abram Johnston finished second. The girls squad placed second overall in the meet. Eighth grader Ivy Jiang placed fourth and Rebekah Reid and Anna Kate Yale were among the top 10 finishers.

The seventh/eighth grade team recently had a huge victory against Dunham with a final score of 40 to 16.  This was the team's second win against Dunham this season. This week, the students faced pouring rain in a hard fought home contest versus Our Lady of Mercy. The football Knights will play their final game of the season here at Episcopal on Tuesday, October 22nd at 6:30PM.

The softball Knights are playing great this season. The sixth grade team has had nice wins over Dunham and U-High. The seventh/eighth grade team had two wins versus Parkview and fought hard against U-High and Central. The athletes have shown significant progress this season.

Middle School is making a splash. The boys and girls teams recently placed first in the 200-medley relay. Relay team members include Olivia Melancon (backstroke), Ryann Richard (breaststroke), Lucy Cramer (butterfly) and Rylee Simoneaux (freestyle). Olivia Melancon and Rylee Simoneaux each qualified for high school state swimming cuts in the 100 freestyle and Olivia was the 50 backstroke champion, while Rylee Simoneaux was 50 backstroke runner-up and Matt VanDeMaele was the 50 breastroke boys runner-up. 

It was a fun-filled week on Episcopal’s campus as students celebrated Homecoming. All three divisions displayed school spirit with theme dress days, pep rallies and campus decorating. Everything culminated with the Knights' Homecoming victory over Catholic Pointe Coupee. Congratulations to the 2019 Episcopal Homecoming King and Queen - Griff Strain and Sarah Collier!

Alumni also got in on the celebration with a Cochon De Lait in the alumni tent. We hope the classes of 1979 and 1989 enjoyed their time back on campus.
​
Go Knights!

It’s not every day that a Middle School book study leads to students wielding screwdrivers and working with wood in the VPAC theater shop. However, that very thing happened this week.
​
Students in English teacher Martha Guarisco’s class who chose to read Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hinton, were in for a memorable experience. The book follows the story of Mimi who has relocated to a new town in 1969 and is struggling to fit in. Unlike the other girls, she chooses to take shop class instead of the more traditional home economics course.  Flash forward to 2019 and the Episcopal students who are currently reading the novel. Guarisco realized that the students have never taken shop or even home-ec and had no frame of reference for what the courses entailed. To make the book come to life for her students, Guarisco elicited the help of the Episcopal experts. “I’ve never had a home-ec or shop class, either,” Guarisco explains, “so I went straight to the people on our campus who could help.  We are lucky to have staff who are not only good at their jobs but who jump at every opportunity to help kids learn. After all, that’s what Episcopal’s all about.”

As the students continue to study Full Cicada Moon, they will work with Chef Pat in a version of a home-ec class where they will learn to make sushi. Teaching the whole child requires a community of dedicated professionals. On any given day you may find Deputy Daniels visiting with PreK-4 students for their community helpers project or Coach Dupe teaching students the art of making Cajun music. Many of the project-based learning units require a team to be successful. For example, the physical education teachers play a huge role in projects such as the first grade triathlon or the fourth grade landform study. 
​
The Episcopal experience is enriched by the contributions of the entire community. Involving campus experts helps lessons come to life and provides hands-on experiences that make lasting memories. ​

On September 21st, 39 Middle and Upper School students competed in the St. Paul’s math tournament in Covington. Nineteen schools and 336 students competed. Episcopal placed 1st overall in Division 2! 

Individual Test Results:
Pre-Algebra             
2nd  – Luke Stelly

Algebra I                  
Honorable Mention – Joie Lee

Geometry                 
​2nd – Akshay Basireddy  
Honorable Mention – Autumn Reynolds, Sacha Dernoncourt  

Algebra II                
1st – Joy Lee
Honorable Mention –  Eugene Jiang, Anna Katherine Whaley 

Pre-Calculus           
​1st  - Abhay Basireddy  
2nd – Arya Patel
3rd – KC Shimada
Honorable Mention – Justin Dynes, Shuhei Niwano, Gregory Field  

Team Test Results:
Algebra I -  3rd – Ayush Patel , Ahebwa Muhumuza, Hayden Willett, and Joie Lee
Geometry - 1st – Joey Roth, Akshay Basireddy, Sacha Dernoncourt, Thomas O’Connor
Comp. Math II - 1st – Katie Knight, Shuhei Niwano, Arya Patel
Calculus - 3rd – Adam Reid, Gautam Mahes, Elaine Gboloo
Algebra 2 Ciphering - 2nd – Joy Lee, Anna Katherine Whaley, Aadit Narayanan, Eugene Jiang
Pre Calc Ciphering - 2nd – Justin Dynes, Abhay Basireddy, KC Shimada, Gregory Field 

Interschool Tests:
​1st Place – Middle School Interschool
1st Place – Upper School Interschool      

Episcopal’s mission is to prepare graduates for college and for purposeful lives. The recent ninth grade retreat highlights the commitment to making this mission a reality. Each August members of the freshman class spend a Friday volunteering with local organizations. “It’s important for us to have students realize that service to others is one of the things that we view as important,” says Father Skully.

Students begin retreat day at one of five locations throughout Baton Rouge. This year students volunteered at the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, Melrose Elementary School, the Knock Knock Children’s Museum, Front Yard Bikes and the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired. Students assisted with everything from sorting food and cleaning up, to setting up for an event and painting.

​“I want our students to be exposed to people who saw opportunities and made things happen,” says Father Skully. At each volunteer site, Father Skully ensures that an organization representative speaks with students about the organization’s mission and purpose. At the food bank students learned about the reality of Baton Rouge food shortages, the need for volunteers and the importance of food donations. At Front Yard Bikes students learned how the organization began because the founder saw a need and addressed it. Interaction with the representatives helps make the volunteer experience much more meaningful for students. The hope is that students feel empowered to serve others and to address the needs of their community.
​
The need to act and make a difference is a key component of the Episcopal experience. The National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES) believes that one of the principal qualities of an Episcopal school, is that the institutions work for social justice through community service and service learning. Through service learning, students connect what they learn in class to real world issues, then explore and work toward solutions, all while reflecting meaningfully on their experiences and efforts.

Problem solving and building new friendships outside of the classroom are hallmarks of the annual sixth grade retreat. “Friendship Retreat gives 6th graders an opportunity to begin forging an identity as a group,” says English teacher Martha Guarisco. Guarisco and her fellow teachers will make the day even more exciting this year by setting everything to a Harry Potter theme. (It’s hard to say who loves the book series more, the students or the teachers.) The excitement of the day helps students make friendships and develop the peer support system that will be there for them during the Middle School transition years. “Sixth grade retreat is a chance for students to get to know each other,” says math teacher Nancy Callaway. “They get to enjoy each other’s company in a very relaxed atmosphere.” Such an experience is also good for the teachers. “I think the retreat gives teachers a chance early in the year to see the students in a relaxed, non-academic setting, which is usually fun and enlightening,” says science teacher Stacy Hill. “This is a fun day away from campus that allows us to come together as a sixth grade community,” says social studies teacher Virginia Day.
​
This year’s sixth grade retreat is slated for Friday, September 13th.

“I call on you to imagine what it looks like to be a leader of Lower School.” Bridget Henderson
​
Episcopal fifth graders recently participated in a retreat day of their own. Lower School Division Head Bridget Henderson advised students that the day would focus on their new role as Lower School leaders. Students self-organized and led group activities. The ten year olds also discussed meaningful topics such as altruism, supporting each other and serving as a role model for their younger Lower School counterparts. “The fifth grade year at Episcopal is special because fifth graders are the leaders of the Lower School,” says Henderson. “We wanted to provide a chance for the students to bond as a class and to prepare themselves for the leadership opportunities ahead.”

​The retreat culminated with the traditional fifth grade sweatshirt ceremony in the Chapel. Together, students sang songs reflecting a commitment to servant leadership and gratitude.  Amid the Louisiana heat and humidity, students then donned Class of 2027 sweatshirts. By design, the sleeves were too long and the hems fell well below the waist so that they can be worn for multiple years. Father Skully advised the students that the sweatshirts represent their unity as one class working together toward the common goal of completing their education. While the shirts appear large now, the students will quickly grow and one day those sleeves that fell below the hand will barely reach the wrist. As this transformation accelerates, hopefully the students will remember the lessons on leadership and compassion that were imparted to them on fifth grade retreat day.
​
Episcopal offers numerous retreat opportunities to help students develop a sense of community. The bonds created as a result of these experiences can last a lifetime and will be remembered long after they leave Woodland Ridge Boulevard.

Do you have a favorite retreat memory? Share it in the comments below.

Episcopal eighth graders have the music in them! A recent visit to the VPAC highlighted just a few of the electives Episcopal students can explore. In addition to band, theater and dance, students can also explore choir. 

Members of the eighth grade band class practiced notes from the song “Go for Excellence” with new Band Director Doug Gay. ​

​In musical theater class students discussed the soundtrack of their lives with Arts Department Chair Paige Gagliano. Class favorites included a few oldies like Queen, the Beatles and the Steve Miller Band as well as more modern artists such as Drake, Lizzo and Post Malone.

Meanwhile, in the dance studio eighth grade dancers practiced steps to a Lauryn Hill classic. To break up the practice, Dance Teacher Christine Chrest even had students run races across the practice floor.

Even though the school year has only just begun, Middle School students are already off to a good rhythm. They are sure to continue making great music together throughout the year.

​​Don’t miss your opportunity to catch Middle School performers in action.
​Lower/Middle School Play: November 18th - 21st VPAC
Winter Band Concert: December 5th VPAC
Fall Dance Concert: December 10th VPAC

My family and I have officially completed our first full week as members of the Episcopal community. The experience has been fulfilling, exciting and inspiring, and we are grateful for the opportunity. In February, my wife, Nicole, and I made the decision to move to Baton Rouge to join this community so that I could serve as the new Middle School Division Head. Starting a new school year is an exciting adventure for most of us, but taking on this new role and finally getting to meet our students has made the start of this year even more so for me. Nicole shares in this feeling as she has also joined Episcopal as the Lower School’s fifth grade science teacher.  Our children, Alex, who is a sophomore and Emma, who is an eighth grader, are also happy to be Knights.

Based on our first impression of the Episcopal community, we are ecstatic with our decision to come here. We have encountered wave after wave of nice kids and families, which aligns with the waves of nice faculty, staff and administrators we met over the summer.  Nicole and I are also thankful to be back in Louisiana. I was born just down the road in New Orleans and graduated from Ben Franklin High School. I am also a graduate of the University of Kentucky, the University of New Orleans and Framingham State College in Massachusetts – if I could, I would be a full-time student every year of my life! Over the course of my career, I have taught in South Korea, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil and was most recently the Middle and Upper School Division Head at Allen Academy in Bryan, Texas. My heart has always been working closely with Middle School students, faculty and their families so that we can help them through this critical period of their lives. The window to impact young people is smaller than we realize sometimes and I want to capitalize on those moments when we can help build character. 

I believe that the foundations of guiding Middle School students are compassion for what is hard about this stage and a celebration of all the opportunities that are presented. Tween and teen children want and need guidance. I hope that our theme of respect and gratitude will add to their family values/faith to help them lead fulfilling lives. Middle School is a time of significant transformation for our students as they discover new things about themselves and the world around them. It is an honor to help them grow and navigate this time in their lives.

As my wife and I navigate the change in our own lives, we are enjoying the opportunity to show our children Louisiana culture. How can we go wrong with some of the best food in the country right here? Already, we have tickets for the Angola rodeo this October and we plan to visit Avery Island once the heat subsides. We’re also looking forward to cheering on the Knights and really getting to know our new school family.

We look forward to next Thursday, August 22nd and the Middle School Parents Night. This fun evening allows us to share all the amazing things that are going on each school day. I hope that parents enjoy the night and walk away with a stronger sense of the amazing learning experiences available to their child each day. I also invite anyone who would like to meet to contact me. I am happy to meet with any parents interested in sharing more so that Episcopal can be a stronger partner in helping their child learn, grow and achieve their dreams.
​
Thank you again to everyone who has welcomed us to the Episcopal community. I pledge to pay forward the incredible welcome we have felt each day.