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		<title>Episcopal School of Baton Rouge Middle School Newsletters</title>
		<description>Episcopal School of Baton Rouge Middle School Newsletters</description>
		<link>http://episcopalbr.org/episcopal-middle-school-newsletters?rss=1</link>
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					<guid>https%3A%2F%2Fepiscopalbr.org%2Fepiscopal-middle-school-newsletters%2Fmiddle-school-parent-newsletter-september-18th-2026</guid>
					<title>Middle School Parent Newsletter | September 18th, 2026</title>
					<pubDate>Thu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
					<link>https%3A%2F%2Fepiscopalbr.org%2Fepiscopal-middle-school-newsletters%2Fmiddle-school-parent-newsletter-september-18th-2026</link>
					<description>&lt;p&gt;In this week’s newsletter, you’ll find details about Teacher-Student-Parent Conferences, Academic Study Hall, upcoming parent webinars, picture retakes, the Academic Resource Center, and a few important Middle School reminders. There is a lot happening over the next few weeks, so please take a few minutes to read through everything!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;As always, thank you for reading and for helping us keep Middle School running smoothly!&lt;/p&gt;
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					<content:encoded>&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap&quot; data-title=&quot;Family Update - Middle School&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap-inner&quot;&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt;Student-Teacher-Parent Conferences are Wednesday, October 14th. These conferences provide an opportunity for students, parents, and teachers to talk together about progress, challenges, and goals.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Conferences are optional. If your student is doing well and you do not have any concerns, please feel free to skip conferences this time.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you attend, please bring your student! Their voice is an important part of the conversation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The conference sign-up link will be included in next week’s newsletter. If a teacher’s schedule fills, families are always welcome to arrange a meeting for another time.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Students will not have classes or remote learning on October 14th.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;KNIGHTS FOOTBALL TAILGATES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Squires would like to invite everyone to join the Episcopal community for our Knights Football Tailgates this season, kicking off at 5:00 p.m. in Lot 18 behind the Graves Family Field House before every home game! Enjoy great food, friends, and school spirit as we rally behind our Knights under the Friday night lights. Best of all, the tailgates are free and open to everyone, so bring your family, friends, and Knight spirit! Join us for our Homecoming game on Friday, September 18th. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/images/screenshot-2026-09-10-191018.webp?v=1789085483220&quot;&gt;More information&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;br&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
KARNIVAL KNIGHT:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;Get ready to tee off for &lt;b&gt;Karnival Knight 2026: The Masters&lt;/b&gt;! &lt;a href=&quot;https://episcopalschoolstore.com/collections/2026-karnival-knight&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;Order now&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; through &lt;b&gt;September 8th&lt;/b&gt; at the school store. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;Students may wear their Karnival Knight T-Shirt the whole week of Karnival.&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; The Karnival Knight store is officially LIVE! Sponsorships, T-shirts, hats, wristbands, and tickets are all available for purchase. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
ACADEMIC STUDY HALL (ASH):&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Middle School Academic Study Hall, or ASH, starts next week!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;ASH helps students build habits they need for high school. It also adds structure and accountability around homework and missing work. Many of us have heard, “I don’t have any homework.” Sometimes that is true. Sometimes students forget. Sometimes they avoid it. Then work piles up fast. ASH interrupts that cycle early.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;ASH is a quiet, focused work time for students who are missing multiple assignments, especially when work is more than a few days late. Faculty assign ASH. It meets every Thursday from 3:20 to 4:00 p.m. ASH overrides any school practice, rehearsal, or activity.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;ASH assignments will begin the week of September 6th. The first ASH session will be Thursday, September 10th.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Teachers will assign ASH by 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday so families can plan for the Thursday dismissal change. When a student is assigned ASH, the teacher will email both the student and parent with a list of missing assignments for that class and the order of priority.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes the ASH notice prompts a student to submit work quickly. We love that. Still, once ASH is assigned, the student must attend that session even if the work is turned in before Thursday.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If a student is assigned ASH by more than one teacher for the same week, the student will attend multiple Thursdays to account for each class.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;ASH is not a last-minute consequence at the end of a quarter. It is a steady support we use throughout the quarter to help students stay on track.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PICTURE RETAKES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Picture retakes will be the morning of Tuesday, September 29th. The updated order form will be in the newsletter as we get closer to the day.&lt;br&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PARENT SERIES WEBINARS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Episcopal families have access to the 2026–27 SAIS/ISACS Parent Series, featuring respected speakers and experts on topics designed to support parents and families throughout the school year. Parents may choose to participate live or watch the recordings, but you &lt;b&gt;must sign up individually in advance&lt;/b&gt;.  Once registered, parents will receive a Zoom link to the live webinar and a follow-up link to the recording.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Upcoming programs include:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;September 29, 2026&lt;br&gt;
School Readiness: Executive Function Needed to “Do School”&lt;br&gt;
Sarah Ward&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;December 1, 2026&lt;br&gt;
The Power of Beliefs: How Strengthening Seven Core Beliefs Predicts Greater Success and a Better Life&lt;br&gt;
Shawn Achor&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;January 13, 2027&lt;br&gt;
The Family Guide to Screen/Life Balance: What to Do About Tech &amp; Kids&lt;br&gt;
Catherine Price&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;February 9, 2027&lt;br&gt;
Protecting Your Child in the Age of Deepfakes&lt;br&gt;
Evan Harris&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;April 8, 2027&lt;br&gt;
How Temperament Shapes Who We Become: Why Some Children Need More Than Others to Flourish&lt;br&gt;
Aliza Pressman&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;May 4, 2027&lt;br&gt;
The Power of One&lt;br&gt;
John O’Leary&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;All sessions are held virtually from 6:30 – 7:30 pm. Central and will be recorded for families unable to attend live.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Please see the Parent Series information &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/parentseries26-27_zoomguide_sais.pdf?v=1787601089098&quot;&gt;HERE&lt;/a&gt; &amp; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/parentseries-participationtips.pdf?v=1787601111161&quot;&gt;HERE&lt;/a&gt; for additional details and register using the Episcopal community link:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;isacs.ws/PS26-27SAIS&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Please note: This registration link is exclusively for members of the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge community. Please do not forward or share it outside our school community.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
ACADEMIC RESOURCE CENTER:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Middle School students are encouraged to utilize the Academic Resource Center! ARC is a free-of-charge, Upper School-student-run operation that offers peer-to-peer tutoring and studying. It is located upstairs in Aldrich Library and is staffed by 10th-12th grade Fellows (peer tutors) throughout the school day. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Fellows specialize in all subject-areas and can help students with a number of tasks, including writing, revising, studying for an upcoming assessment, working a tricky math problem, or even speaking a foreign language! The Fellows are here to lend a helping hand to any student who comes to visit us.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Middle School students can access ARC during their Flex period by appointment. If students ever have questions about utilizing ARC or are having trouble booking an appointment, they can simply email Mrs. Sutcliffe at sutcliffek@ehsbr.org. Our booking page can be found on the ARC Canvas Page, as well as here: &lt;a href=&quot;https://calendly.com/episcopalpeertutoring&quot;&gt;https://calendly.com/episcopalpeertutoring&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We look forward to having another successful year of this meaningful collaboration between US and MS!&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
COMMUNICATION:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Parents, please encourage your children to check their school email regularly. This is one of the primary ways we share important information directly with students. We also like to tuck in a few fun “Easter eggs” from time to time, so students who are not reading their email might miss something!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dr. Wharton sends a Friday Focus each Friday afternoon to help students prepare for the week ahead. Please make sure your child is reading it. I will continue to share lots of information with you, but many of the reminders and details specific to students and daily Middle School life will come directly to them through email and the Friday Focus.&lt;br&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BUST BREAST CANCER:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;On Wednesday, October 7th, students are invited to donate $1 and wear &lt;span&gt;PINK&lt;/span&gt; free dress in support of Woman’s Hospital’s BUST Breast Cancer initiative. Students should bring their $1 donation to their homeroom teacher, who will collect and record donations that morning. We hope our Middle School students will join us in wearing pink and helping BUST breast cancer! Please refer to the Student Handbook for free dress guidelines.&lt;br&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;LEARNING LAB:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Learning Lab provides homework support and executive function coaching to small groups of middle school students.  It&#039;s available on Mondays and Thursdays from 3:15 - 4:15 pm. Families will be charged by quarter at a rate of $25 per session. For more information or questions, please contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:sticklem@ehsbr.org&quot;&gt;Ms. Stickle&lt;/a&gt;. To sign up, please do so &lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7IVWfG560C4FAqo4W9MTa1qwX61N1jbrexH-xVUvw7C4uyg/viewform&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. This opportunity is open to all Middle School students.&lt;br&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
8th-GRADE FAMILIES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Please make sure you have read the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/camp-cho-yeh-july-2026.pdf?v=1786240080537&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;Camp Cho-Yeh communication&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; sent in July. This trip is a fantastic opportunity for students to bond, learn, and create lasting memories. To ensure an accurate count, if your student chooses not to attend, please notify me by &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;September 1st via email.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; After this date, refunds cannot be offered for the trip cost.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Please take a minute to sign the &lt;a href=&quot;https://app.waiversign.com/e/63941d02b8b4150018f66d7f/doc/69dfff9eca2067001226ef46?eventName=Episcopal%20School%20of%20Baton%20Rouge&amp;eventDate=2026-10-20T23:59:59.999Z&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;Assumption of Risk Forms&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
7th-GRADE FAMILIES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Details about the 7th-grade trip was shared Tuesday afternoon! Please see the note &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/7th-grade-trip-letter-2026-2027-2.pdf?v=1787164797947&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;here&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Our trip to NEW ORLEANS will be October 28th &amp; 29th.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br&gt;
CLUB DISMISSAL PROCEDURES:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Please see &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/club-dismissal-update_-2026-2027.pdf?v=1787165152047&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;this link&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; for new club dismissal &amp; pick-up procedures.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
MAGNUS &amp; HEALTH INFORMATION:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Please remember to complete all required forms and health information in Magnus. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Please remember to complete all required forms and health information in Magnus before Labor Day. This includes uploading any required documents and completing all questions in the system. This is due August 21st. Students with incomplete Magnus requirements will not be permitted to attend school beginning August 24th. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you have questions or need assistance with Magnus, please contact MS/US &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:johnsa@ehsbr.org&quot;&gt;Nurse Amy Johns&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;You may access Magnus by clicking &lt;a href=&quot;https://secure.magnushealthportal.com/&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
PORTRAIT ORDERS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;School &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/spencer-photo-order-form.pdf?v=1786476867052&quot;&gt;picture order forms&lt;/a&gt; are due by Friday, August 21st. Late orders will be charged a $15 processing fee.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
BADGES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Badges were handed out this week. Please help your student remember to wear their badge to school each day. Badges are an important security measure and also provide students access to badge-protected buildings across campus. Please help your student remember to bring their badge to school each day. If a badge is left at home, a replacement will need to be printed, and a $15 replacement fee will apply each time.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Canes &amp; Pizza:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A quick note about Cane’s &amp; Pizza orders: Some students have noticed their order is not showing on their badge. If an order was not placed during the pre-sale by July 25, it will not appear yet. Once the final sale is complete, those orders will be added and students will receive a reprinted badge at no charge. You can still order Cane&#039;s &amp; Pizza until August 21st.&lt;br&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
ATTENDANCE:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To ensure consistency across divisions, please remember that all absences must be reported through &lt;a href=&quot;https://episcopalbr.powerschool.com/public/home.html#/public/&quot; id=&quot;OWA671ecbe2-db49-5a19-f058-fb62f5a3231b&quot;&gt;PowerSchool&lt;/a&gt;. Please note, this must be done through a browser not the app. Students being picked up or released during the school day will not be released until the absence has been submitted through PowerSchool.&lt;br&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
MEDICATION:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; If you need to turn in medications, please drop them off with Nurse Amy in the infirmary.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
CONTACTS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Feel free to reach out to any of us - we&#039;re here to help and support you. If we&#039;re not the right contact, we’ll connect you with someone who can assist you best.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Anne Dalton&lt;br&gt;
MS Division Head&lt;br&gt;
daltona@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-755-2724&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Taylor Wharton&lt;br&gt;
MS Dean of Student Life &lt;br&gt;
whartont@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-753-3655&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Katie Carpenter&lt;br&gt;
MS Counselor&lt;br&gt;
carpenterk@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-755-2735&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dana Heuvel&lt;br&gt;
MS Assistant &lt;br&gt;
heuveld@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-755-2725&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;h4&gt;Upcoming Dates&lt;/h4&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Friday, September 18th&lt;/strong&gt;. First TAILGATE of the season (more information in newsletter) and HOMECOMING Game. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Monday, September 28th&lt;/strong&gt; at 8:00 am. Join us for an All School Coffee: Security &amp; Safety at Episcopal in the Alumni House.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Tuesday, September 29th&lt;/strong&gt; at 6:30 pm. Virtual SAIS/ISACS Parent Session. More information &amp; how to register in Newsletter.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Wednesday, October 7th. &lt;/strong&gt;$1.00 &lt;span&gt;Pink Free Dress&lt;/span&gt;. More information &amp; guidelines in Newsletter.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Wednesday, October 14th.&lt;/strong&gt; Teacher-Student-Parent Conferences. More information in Newsletter.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Monday, November 2nd.&lt;/strong&gt; Navigating the AI World. All Divisions. 8:00 am. Alumni House.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Fridays.&lt;/strong&gt; Spirit Dress. Uniform bottoms. Episcopal spirit shirt. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/calendar&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;All School Calendar&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Keep track of school holidays, major events, and important dates across all divisions—updated year-round for your planning needs.&lt;/p&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/resources?section_id=101634&amp;q=&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MS Resources&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Find supply lists, summer reading logs, orientation info, required forms, club sign-ups, and more—all in one place.&lt;/p&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/lunch-menu&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Lunch Menu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See what’s being served in Webster&#039;s Refectory. Updated every Friday with daily options&lt;/p&gt;
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					<guid>https%3A%2F%2Fepiscopalbr.org%2Fepiscopal-middle-school-newsletters%2Fmiddle-school-parent-newsletter-september-11th-2026</guid>
					<title>Middle School Parent Newsletter | September 11th, 2026</title>
					<pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
					<link>https%3A%2F%2Fepiscopalbr.org%2Fepiscopal-middle-school-newsletters%2Fmiddle-school-parent-newsletter-september-11th-2026</link>
					<description>&lt;p&gt;In this week’s newsletter, you’ll find details about Homecoming Week dress-up days, Academic Study Hall, upcoming parent webinars, picture retakes, the Academic Resource Center, and a few important Middle School reminders. There is a lot happening over the next few weeks, so please take a few minutes to read through everything!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;As always, thank you for reading and for helping us keep Middle School running smoothly!&lt;/p&gt;
</description>
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							&lt;p&gt;We have some fun theme dress days coming up!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;*Homecoming Week&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;is next week!&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;Here are our Homecoming theme dress-up days:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul&gt;
	&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Monday, 9/14 – Pajama Day&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;
	&lt;li&gt;
	&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Tuesday, 9/15 – Twin Tuesday&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

	&lt;ul&gt;
		&lt;li&gt;
		&lt;p&gt;2, 3, or a Whole Crew!&lt;/p&gt;
		&lt;/li&gt;
	&lt;/ul&gt;
	&lt;/li&gt;
	&lt;li&gt;
	&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Wednesday, 9/16 – Wacky Wednesday&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

	&lt;ul&gt;
		&lt;li&gt;
		&lt;p&gt;Mix it up and get creative!&lt;/p&gt;
		&lt;/li&gt;
	&lt;/ul&gt;
	&lt;/li&gt;
	&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Thursday, 9/17 – Color War&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;
	&lt;ul&gt;
		&lt;li&gt;
		&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;6th Grade: Orange&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
		&lt;/li&gt;
	&lt;/ul&gt;

	&lt;ul&gt;
		&lt;li&gt;
		&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;7th Grade: Purple&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
		&lt;/li&gt;
		&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;8th Grade:&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;b&gt;Blue&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
	&lt;/ul&gt;
	&lt;/li&gt;
	&lt;li&gt;
	&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Friday, 9/18 – Fan Friday&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

	&lt;ul&gt;
		&lt;li&gt;
		&lt;p&gt;Wear your favorite team jersey or jersey-style shirt with uniform bottoms or jeans!&lt;/p&gt;
		&lt;/li&gt;
		&lt;li&gt;
		&lt;p&gt;Homecoming Pep Rally at 2:30 pm&lt;/p&gt;
		&lt;/li&gt;
		&lt;li&gt;
		&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Homecoming Football Game vs. CHSPC 7:00 pm&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
		&lt;/li&gt;
	&lt;/ul&gt;
	&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;A few reminders:&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;All theme dress should be school-appropriate. Clothing should not include political messaging, inappropriate language or images, or anything that does not align with our school expectations.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;From our Handbook: &quot;These are the minimal standards that must exist to ensure that all dress choices reflect proudly on the spirit of our learning community at all times. These apply to all dress on campus throughout the variety of school activities and events - including “special dress/” &quot;theme&quot;&amp;nbsp;days. There are never exceptions to these Dress Standards: anything worn to school must be (1) in good physical condition, (2) free of any images, words, or symbols that are inappropriate, (3) safe and comfortable in all school activities, and (4) covering all undergarments throughout range of motion of the school day.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;We&#039;re looking forward to a fun Homecoming week!&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;KNIGHTS FOOTBALL TAILGATES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Squires would like to invite everyone to join the Episcopal community for our Knights Football Tailgates this season, kicking off at 5:00 p.m. in Lot 18 behind the Graves Family Field House before every home game! Enjoy great food, friends, and school spirit as we rally behind our Knights under the Friday night lights. Best of all, the tailgates are free and open to everyone, so bring your family, friends, and Knight spirit! Join us for our Homecoming game on Friday, September 18th. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/images/screenshot-2026-09-10-191018.webp?v=1789085483220&quot;&gt;More information&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
KARNIVAL KNIGHT:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;div&gt;Get ready to tee off for&amp;nbsp;&lt;b&gt;Karnival Knight 2026: The Masters&lt;/b&gt;! &lt;a href=&quot;https://episcopalschoolstore.com/collections/2026-karnival-knight&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;Order now&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; through&amp;nbsp;&lt;b&gt;September 8th&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;at the school store. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;Students may wear their Karnival Knight T-Shirt the whole week of Karnival.&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; The Karnival Knight store is officially LIVE!&amp;nbsp;Sponsorships, T-shirts, hats, wristbands, and tickets are all available for purchase.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
ACADEMIC STUDY HALL (ASH):&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Middle School Academic Study Hall, or ASH, starts next week!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;ASH helps students build habits they need for high school. It also adds structure and accountability around homework and missing work. Many of us have heard, “I don’t have any homework.” Sometimes that is true. Sometimes students forget. Sometimes they avoid it. Then work piles up fast. ASH interrupts that cycle early.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;ASH is a quiet, focused work time for students who are missing multiple assignments, especially when work is more than a few days late. Faculty assign ASH. It meets every Thursday from 3:20 to 4:00 p.m. ASH overrides any school practice, rehearsal, or activity.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;ASH assignments will begin the week of September 6th. The first ASH session will be Thursday, September 10th.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Teachers will assign ASH by 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday so families can plan for the Thursday dismissal change. When a student is assigned ASH, the teacher will email both the student and parent with a list of missing assignments for that class and the order of priority.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Sometimes the ASH notice prompts a student to submit work quickly. We love that. Still, once ASH is assigned, the student must attend that session even if the work is turned in before Thursday.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If a student is assigned ASH by more than one teacher for the same week, the student will attend multiple Thursdays to account for each class.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;ASH is not a last-minute consequence at the end of a quarter. It is a steady support we use throughout the quarter to help students stay on track.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PICTURE RETAKES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;Picture retakes will be the morning of Tuesday, September 29th. The updated order form will be in the newsletter as we get closer to the day.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PARENT SERIES WEBINARS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Episcopal families have access to the 2026–27 SAIS/ISACS Parent Series, featuring respected speakers and experts on topics designed to support parents and families throughout the school year.&amp;nbsp;Parents may choose to participate live or watch the recordings, but you&amp;nbsp;&lt;b&gt;must sign up individually in advance&lt;/b&gt;.&amp;nbsp; Once registered, parents will receive a Zoom link to the live webinar and a follow-up link to the recording.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Upcoming programs include:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;September 29, 2026&lt;br&gt;
School Readiness: Executive Function Needed to “Do School”&lt;br&gt;
Sarah Ward&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;December 1, 2026&lt;br&gt;
The Power of Beliefs: How Strengthening Seven Core Beliefs Predicts Greater Success and a Better Life&lt;br&gt;
Shawn Achor&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;January 13, 2027&lt;br&gt;
The Family Guide to Screen/Life Balance: What to Do About Tech &amp;amp; Kids&lt;br&gt;
Catherine Price&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;February 9, 2027&lt;br&gt;
Protecting Your Child in the Age of Deepfakes&lt;br&gt;
Evan Harris&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;April 8, 2027&lt;br&gt;
How Temperament Shapes Who We Become: Why Some Children Need More Than Others to Flourish&lt;br&gt;
Aliza Pressman&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;May 4, 2027&lt;br&gt;
The Power of One&lt;br&gt;
John O’Leary&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;All sessions are held virtually from 6:30 – 7:30 pm. Central and will be recorded for families unable to attend live.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please see the Parent Series information &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/parentseries26-27_zoomguide_sais.pdf?v=1787601089098&quot;&gt;HERE&lt;/a&gt; &amp;amp; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/parentseries-participationtips.pdf?v=1787601111161&quot;&gt;HERE&lt;/a&gt; for additional details and register using the Episcopal community link:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;isacs.ws/PS26-27SAIS&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please note: This registration link is exclusively for members of the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge community. Please do not forward or share it outside our school community.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
ACADEMIC RESOURCE CENTER:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Middle School students are encouraged to utilize the Academic Resource Center! ARC is a free-of-charge, Upper School-student-run operation that offers peer-to-peer tutoring and studying. It is located upstairs in Aldrich Library and is staffed by 10th-12th grade Fellows (peer tutors) throughout the school day.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Fellows specialize in all subject-areas and can help students with a number of tasks, including writing, revising, studying for an upcoming assessment, working a tricky math problem, or even speaking a foreign language! The Fellows are here to lend a helping hand to any student who comes to visit us.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Middle School students can access ARC during their Flex period by appointment. If students ever have questions about utilizing ARC or are having trouble booking an appointment, they can simply email Mrs. Sutcliffe at sutcliffek@ehsbr.org. Our booking page can be found on the ARC Canvas Page, as well as here: &lt;a href=&quot;https://calendly.com/episcopalpeertutoring&quot;&gt;https://calendly.com/episcopalpeertutoring&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;We look forward to having another successful year of this meaningful collaboration between US and MS!&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
COMMUNICATION:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Parents, please encourage your children to check their school email regularly. This is one of the primary ways we share important information directly with students. We also like to tuck in a few fun “Easter eggs” from time to time, so students who are not reading their email might miss something!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Dr. Wharton sends a Friday Focus each Friday afternoon to help students prepare for the week ahead. Please make sure your child is reading it. I will continue to share lots of information with you, but many of the reminders and details specific to students and daily Middle School life will come directly to them through email and the Friday Focus.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;BUST BREAST CANCER:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;On Wednesday, October 7th, students are invited to donate $1 and wear &lt;span&gt;PINK&lt;/span&gt; free dress in support of Woman’s Hospital’s BUST Breast Cancer initiative. Students should bring their $1 donation to their homeroom teacher, who will collect and record donations that morning. We hope our Middle School students will join us in wearing pink and helping BUST breast cancer!&amp;nbsp;Please refer to the Student Handbook for free dress guidelines.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;LEARNING LAB:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Learning Lab provides homework support and executive function coaching to small groups of middle school students.&amp;nbsp; It&#039;s available on Mondays and Thursdays from 3:15 - 4:15 pm. Families will be charged by quarter at a rate of $25 per session. For more information or questions, please contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:sticklem@ehsbr.org&quot;&gt;Ms. Stickle&lt;/a&gt;. To sign up, please do so &lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7IVWfG560C4FAqo4W9MTa1qwX61N1jbrexH-xVUvw7C4uyg/viewform&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. This opportunity is open to all Middle School students.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
8th-GRADE FAMILIES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please make sure you have read the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/camp-cho-yeh-july-2026.pdf?v=1786240080537&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;Camp Cho-Yeh communication&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; sent in July.&amp;nbsp;This trip is a fantastic opportunity for students to bond, learn, and create lasting memories. To ensure an accurate count, if your student chooses not to attend, please notify me by &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;September 1st via email.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; After this date, refunds cannot be offered for the trip cost.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please take a minute to sign the&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://app.waiversign.com/e/63941d02b8b4150018f66d7f/doc/69dfff9eca2067001226ef46?eventName=Episcopal%20School%20of%20Baton%20Rouge&amp;amp;eventDate=2026-10-20T23:59:59.999Z&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;Assumption of Risk Forms&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
7th-GRADE FAMILIES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Details about the 7th-grade trip was shared Tuesday afternoon! Please see the note &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/7th-grade-trip-letter-2026-2027-2.pdf?v=1787164797947&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;here&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Our trip to NEW ORLEANS will be October 28th &amp;amp; 29th.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br&gt;
CLUB DISMISSAL PROCEDURES:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please see &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/club-dismissal-update_-2026-2027.pdf?v=1787165152047&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;this link&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; for new club dismissal &amp;amp; pick-up procedures.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
MAGNUS &amp;amp; HEALTH INFORMATION:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please remember to complete all required forms and health information in Magnus.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please remember to complete all required forms and health information in Magnus before Labor Day. This includes uploading any required documents and completing all questions in the system. This is due August 21st. Students with incomplete Magnus requirements will not be permitted to attend school beginning August 24th.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If you have questions or need assistance with Magnus, please contact MS/US &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:johnsa@ehsbr.org&quot;&gt;Nurse Amy Johns&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;You may access Magnus by clicking &lt;a href=&quot;https://secure.magnushealthportal.com/&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
PORTRAIT ORDERS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;School &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/spencer-photo-order-form.pdf?v=1786476867052&quot;&gt;picture order forms&lt;/a&gt; are due by Friday, August 21st. Late orders will be charged a $15 processing fee.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
BADGES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Badges were handed out this week. Please help your student remember to wear their badge to school each day. Badges are an important security measure and also provide students access to badge-protected buildings across campus. Please help your student remember to bring their badge to school each day. If a badge is left at home, a replacement will need to be printed, and a $15 replacement fee will apply each time.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Canes &amp;amp; Pizza:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;A quick note about Cane’s &amp;amp; Pizza orders: Some students have noticed their order is not showing on their badge. If an order was not placed during the pre-sale by July 25, it will not appear yet. Once the final sale is complete, those orders will be added and students will receive a reprinted badge at no charge. You can still order Cane&#039;s &amp;amp; Pizza until August 21st.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
ATTENDANCE:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;To ensure consistency across divisions, please remember that all absences must be reported through &lt;a href=&quot;https://episcopalbr.powerschool.com/public/home.html#/public/&quot; id=&quot;OWA671ecbe2-db49-5a19-f058-fb62f5a3231b&quot;&gt;PowerSchool&lt;/a&gt;. Please note, this must be done through a browser not the app. Students being picked up or released during the school day will not be released until the absence has been submitted through PowerSchool.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
MEDICATION:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;If you need to turn in medications, please drop them off with Nurse Amy in the infirmary.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
CONTACTS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Feel free to reach out to any of us - we&#039;re here to help and support you. If we&#039;re not the right contact, we’ll connect you with someone who can assist you best.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Anne Dalton&lt;br&gt;
MS Division Head&lt;br&gt;
daltona@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-755-2724&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Taylor Wharton&lt;br&gt;
MS Dean of Student Life&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;
whartont@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-753-3655&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Katie Carpenter&lt;br&gt;
MS Counselor&lt;br&gt;
carpenterk@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-755-2735&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Dana Heuvel&lt;br&gt;
MS Assistant&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;
heuveld@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-755-2725&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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							&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;h4&gt;Upcoming Dates&lt;/h4&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Monday, September 14th - Friday, September 18th.&lt;/strong&gt; Homecoming Week. Spirit dress information in newsletter.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Friday, September 14th&lt;/strong&gt;. First TAILGATE of the season (more information in newsletter) and HOMECOMING Game. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Monday, September 28th&lt;/strong&gt; at 8:00 am. Join us for an All School Coffee: Security &amp; Safety at Episcopal in the Alumni House.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Tuesday, September 29th&lt;/strong&gt; at 6:30 pm. Virtual SAIS/ISACS Parent Session. More information &amp; how to register in Newsletter.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Wednesday, October 7th. &lt;/strong&gt;$1.00 &lt;span&gt;Pink Free Dress&lt;/span&gt;. More information &amp; guidelines in Newsletter.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Monday, November 2nd.&lt;/strong&gt; Navigating the AI World. All Divisions. 8:00 am. Alumni House.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Fridays.&lt;/strong&gt; Spirit Dress. Uniform bottoms. Episcopal spirit shirt. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
						&lt;/div&gt; &lt;!-- /.ss-content-block --&gt;
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							&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
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					&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;!-- /.ss-section-wrap --&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap&quot; data-title=&quot;Links&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap-inner&quot;&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/calendar&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;All School Calendar&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Keep track of school holidays, major events, and important dates across all divisions—updated year-round for your planning needs.&lt;/p&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/resources?section_id=101634&amp;q=&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MS Resources&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Find supply lists, summer reading logs, orientation info, required forms, club sign-ups, and more—all in one place.&lt;/p&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/lunch-menu&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Lunch Menu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See what’s being served in Webster&#039;s Refectory. Updated every Friday with daily options&lt;/p&gt;
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					<guid>https%3A%2F%2Fepiscopalbr.org%2Fepiscopal-middle-school-newsletters%2Fmiddle-school-parent-newsletter-september-4th-2026</guid>
					<title>Middle School Parent Newsletter | September 4th, 2026</title>
					<pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
					<link>https%3A%2F%2Fepiscopalbr.org%2Fepiscopal-middle-school-newsletters%2Fmiddle-school-parent-newsletter-september-4th-2026</link>
					<description>&lt;p&gt;This week’s Middle School newsletter is packed with reminders and opportunities! Please take a look at information about Karnival Knight, upcoming Parent Series webinars, the Academic Resource Center and Learning Lab, and a few important school procedures. You’ll also find grade-specific updates for our 7th- and 8th-grade trips, plus reminders about student email, badges, attendance, and staying home when sick.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;As always, thank you for reading and for helping us keep Middle School running smoothly!&lt;/p&gt;
</description>
					<content:encoded>&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap&quot; data-title=&quot;Family Update - Middle School&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap-inner&quot;&gt;
						&lt;div class=&quot;ss-content-block col-2&quot;&gt;
							&lt;p&gt;We are officially back in the swing of school, and unfortunately, the germs seem to have gotten the memo too!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If your child is sick, running a fever, or simply not feeling well, please keep them home and give them time to rest and recover. We love having everyone here, but school is hard enough when you feel good. It is even harder when you feel lousy.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Thank you for helping us keep our Middle School community as healthy as possible. Here’s hoping the germs move along quickly!&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
KARNIVAL KNIGHT:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;div&gt;Get ready to tee off for&amp;nbsp;&lt;b&gt;Karnival Knight 2026: The Masters&lt;/b&gt;! &lt;a href=&quot;https://episcopalschoolstore.com/collections/2026-karnival-knight&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;Order now&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; through&amp;nbsp;&lt;b&gt;September 8th&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;at the school store. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;Students may wear their Karnival Knight T-Shirt the whole week of Karnival.&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; The Karnival Knight store is officially LIVE!&amp;nbsp;Sponsorships, T-shirts, hats, wristbands, and tickets are all available for purchase.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
ACADEMIC STUDY HALL (ASH):&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Middle School Academic Study Hall, or ASH, starts next week!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;ASH helps students build habits they need for high school. It also adds structure and accountability around homework and missing work. Many of us have heard, “I don’t have any homework.” Sometimes that is true. Sometimes students forget. Sometimes they avoid it. Then work piles up fast. ASH interrupts that cycle early.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;ASH is a quiet, focused work time for students who are missing multiple assignments, especially when work is more than a few days late. Faculty assign ASH. It meets every Thursday from 3:20 to 4:00 p.m. ASH overrides any school practice, rehearsal, or activity.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;ASH assignments will begin the week of September 6th. The first ASH session will be Thursday, September 10th.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Teachers will assign ASH by 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday so families can plan for the Thursday dismissal change. When a student is assigned ASH, the teacher will email both the student and parent with a list of missing assignments for that class and the order of priority.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Sometimes the ASH notice prompts a student to submit work quickly. We love that. Still, once ASH is assigned, the student must attend that session even if the work is turned in before Thursday.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If a student is assigned ASH by more than one teacher for the same week, the student will attend multiple Thursdays to account for each class.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;ASH is not a last-minute consequence at the end of a quarter. It is a steady support we use throughout the quarter to help students stay on track.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PICTURE RETAKES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;Picture retakes will be the morning of Tuesday, September 29th. The updated order form will be in the newsletter as we get closer to the day.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PARENT SERIES WEBINARS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Episcopal families have access to the 2026–27 SAIS/ISACS Parent Series, featuring respected speakers and experts on topics designed to support parents and families throughout the school year.&amp;nbsp;Parents may choose to participate live or watch the recordings, but you&amp;nbsp;&lt;b&gt;must sign up individually in advance&lt;/b&gt;.&amp;nbsp; Once registered, parents will receive a Zoom link to the live webinar and a follow-up link to the recording.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Upcoming programs include:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;September 29, 2026&lt;br&gt;
School Readiness: Executive Function Needed to “Do School”&lt;br&gt;
Sarah Ward&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;December 1, 2026&lt;br&gt;
The Power of Beliefs: How Strengthening Seven Core Beliefs Predicts Greater Success and a Better Life&lt;br&gt;
Shawn Achor&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;January 13, 2027&lt;br&gt;
The Family Guide to Screen/Life Balance: What to Do About Tech &amp;amp; Kids&lt;br&gt;
Catherine Price&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;February 9, 2027&lt;br&gt;
Protecting Your Child in the Age of Deepfakes&lt;br&gt;
Evan Harris&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;April 8, 2027&lt;br&gt;
How Temperament Shapes Who We Become: Why Some Children Need More Than Others to Flourish&lt;br&gt;
Aliza Pressman&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;May 4, 2027&lt;br&gt;
The Power of One&lt;br&gt;
John O’Leary&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;All sessions are held virtually from 6:30 – 7:30 pm. Central and will be recorded for families unable to attend live.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please see the Parent Series information &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/parentseries26-27_zoomguide_sais.pdf?v=1787601089098&quot;&gt;HERE&lt;/a&gt; &amp;amp; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/parentseries-participationtips.pdf?v=1787601111161&quot;&gt;HERE&lt;/a&gt; for additional details and register using the Episcopal community link:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;isacs.ws/PS26-27SAIS&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please note: This registration link is exclusively for members of the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge community. Please do not forward or share it outside our school community.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
ACADEMIC RESOURCE CENTER:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Middle School students are encouraged to utilize the Academic Resource Center! ARC is a free-of-charge, Upper School-student-run operation that offers peer-to-peer tutoring and studying. It is located upstairs in Aldrich Library and is staffed by 10th-12th grade Fellows (peer tutors) throughout the school day.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Fellows specialize in all subject-areas and can help students with a number of tasks, including writing, revising, studying for an upcoming assessment, working a tricky math problem, or even speaking a foreign language! The Fellows are here to lend a helping hand to any student who comes to visit us.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Middle School students can access ARC during their Flex period by appointment. If students ever have questions about utilizing ARC or are having trouble booking an appointment, they can simply email Mrs. Sutcliffe at sutcliffek@ehsbr.org. Our booking page can be found on the ARC Canvas Page, as well as here: &lt;a href=&quot;https://calendly.com/episcopalpeertutoring&quot;&gt;https://calendly.com/episcopalpeertutoring&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;We look forward to having another successful year of this meaningful collaboration between US and MS!&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
COMMUNICATION:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Parents, please encourage your children to check their school email regularly. This is one of the primary ways we share important information directly with students. We also like to tuck in a few fun “Easter eggs” from time to time, so students who are not reading their email might miss something!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Dr. Wharton sends a Friday Focus each Friday afternoon to help students prepare for the week ahead. Please make sure your child is reading it. I will continue to share lots of information with you, but many of the reminders and details specific to students and daily Middle School life will come directly to them through email and the Friday Focus.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;BUST BREAST CANCER:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;On Wednesday, October 7th, students are invited to donate $1 and wear &lt;span&gt;PINK&lt;/span&gt; free dress in support of Woman’s Hospital’s BUST Breast Cancer initiative. Students should bring their $1 donation to their homeroom teacher, who will collect and record donations that morning. We hope our Middle School students will join us in wearing pink and helping BUST breast cancer!&amp;nbsp;Please refer to the Student Handbook for free dress guidelines.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;LEARNING LAB:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Learning Lab provides homework support and executive function coaching to small groups of middle school students.&amp;nbsp; It&#039;s available on Mondays and Thursdays from 3:15 - 4:15 pm. Families will be charged by quarter at a rate of $25 per session. For more information or questions, please contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:sticklem@ehsbr.org&quot;&gt;Ms. Stickle&lt;/a&gt;. To sign up, please do so &lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7IVWfG560C4FAqo4W9MTa1qwX61N1jbrexH-xVUvw7C4uyg/viewform&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. This opportunity is open to all Middle School students.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
8th-GRADE FAMILIES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please make sure you have read the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/camp-cho-yeh-july-2026.pdf?v=1786240080537&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;Camp Cho-Yeh communication&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; sent in July.&amp;nbsp;This trip is a fantastic opportunity for students to bond, learn, and create lasting memories. To ensure an accurate count, if your student chooses not to attend, please notify me by &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;September 1st via email.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; After this date, refunds cannot be offered for the trip cost.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please take a minute to sign the&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://app.waiversign.com/e/63941d02b8b4150018f66d7f/doc/69dfff9eca2067001226ef46?eventName=Episcopal%20School%20of%20Baton%20Rouge&amp;amp;eventDate=2026-10-20T23:59:59.999Z&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;Assumption of Risk Forms&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
7th-GRADE FAMILIES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Details about the 7th-grade trip was shared Tuesday afternoon! Please see the note &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/7th-grade-trip-letter-2026-2027-2.pdf?v=1787164797947&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;here&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Our trip to NEW ORLEANS will be October 28th &amp;amp; 29th.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br&gt;
CLUB DISMISSAL PROCEDURES:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please see &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/club-dismissal-update_-2026-2027.pdf?v=1787165152047&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;this link&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; for new club dismissal &amp;amp; pick-up procedures.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
MAGNUS &amp;amp; HEALTH INFORMATION:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please remember to complete all required forms and health information in Magnus.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please remember to complete all required forms and health information in Magnus before Labor Day. This includes uploading any required documents and completing all questions in the system. This is due August 21st. Students with incomplete Magnus requirements will not be permitted to attend school beginning August 24th.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If you have questions or need assistance with Magnus, please contact MS/US &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:johnsa@ehsbr.org&quot;&gt;Nurse Amy Johns&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;You may access Magnus by clicking &lt;a href=&quot;https://secure.magnushealthportal.com/&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
PORTRAIT ORDERS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;School &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/spencer-photo-order-form.pdf?v=1786476867052&quot;&gt;picture order forms&lt;/a&gt; are due by Friday, August 21st. Late orders will be charged a $15 processing fee.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
BADGES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Badges were handed out this week. Please help your student remember to wear their badge to school each day. Badges are an important security measure and also provide students access to badge-protected buildings across campus. Please help your student remember to bring their badge to school each day. If a badge is left at home, a replacement will need to be printed, and a $15 replacement fee will apply each time.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Canes &amp;amp; Pizza:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;A quick note about Cane’s &amp;amp; Pizza orders: Some students have noticed their order is not showing on their badge. If an order was not placed during the pre-sale by July 25, it will not appear yet. Once the final sale is complete, those orders will be added and students will receive a reprinted badge at no charge. You can still order Cane&#039;s &amp;amp; Pizza until August 21st.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
ATTENDANCE:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;To ensure consistency across divisions, please remember that all absences must be reported through &lt;a href=&quot;https://episcopalbr.powerschool.com/public/home.html#/public/&quot; id=&quot;OWA671ecbe2-db49-5a19-f058-fb62f5a3231b&quot;&gt;PowerSchool&lt;/a&gt;. Please note, this must be done through a browser not the app. Students being picked up or released during the school day will not be released until the absence has been submitted through PowerSchool.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
MEDICATION:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;If you need to turn in medications, please drop them off with Nurse Amy in the infirmary.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
CONTACTS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Feel free to reach out to any of us - we&#039;re here to help and support you. If we&#039;re not the right contact, we’ll connect you with someone who can assist you best.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Anne Dalton&lt;br&gt;
MS Division Head&lt;br&gt;
daltona@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-755-2724&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Taylor Wharton&lt;br&gt;
MS Dean of Student Life&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;
whartont@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-753-3655&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Katie Carpenter&lt;br&gt;
MS Counselor&lt;br&gt;
carpenterk@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-755-2735&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Dana Heuvel&lt;br&gt;
MS Assistant&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;
heuveld@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-755-2725&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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							&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;h4&gt;Upcoming Dates&lt;/h4&gt;&lt;p&gt;Grade-Level Coffees provide a great opportunity to meet your child’s teachers and ask any questions you may have as the year begins.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;*&lt;strong&gt;Monday, September 7th&lt;/strong&gt;. Labor Day. No School.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;*&lt;strong&gt;Tuesday, September 8th&lt;/strong&gt; at 8:00 am. Join us for an &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;8th-Grade&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; Parent Coffee in Quest.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Monday, September 28th&lt;/strong&gt; at 8:00 am. Join us for an All School Coffee: Security &amp; Safety at Episcopal in the Alumni House.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Tuesday, September 29th&lt;/strong&gt; at 6:30 pm. Virtual SAIS/ISACS Parent Session. More information &amp; how to register in Newsletter.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Wednesday, October 7th. &lt;/strong&gt;$1.00 &lt;span&gt;Pink Free Dress&lt;/span&gt;. More information &amp; guidelines in Newsletter.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Fridays.&lt;/strong&gt; Spirit Dress. Uniform bottoms. Episcopal spirit shirt. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
						&lt;/div&gt; &lt;!-- /.ss-content-block --&gt;
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							&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
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					&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;!-- /.ss-section-wrap --&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap&quot; data-title=&quot;Links&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap-inner&quot;&gt;
						&lt;div class=&quot;ss-content-block col-3&quot;&gt;
							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/calendar&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;All School Calendar&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Keep track of school holidays, major events, and important dates across all divisions—updated year-round for your planning needs.&lt;/p&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/resources?section_id=101634&amp;q=&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MS Resources&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Find supply lists, summer reading logs, orientation info, required forms, club sign-ups, and more—all in one place.&lt;/p&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/lunch-menu&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Lunch Menu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See what’s being served in Webster&#039;s Refectory. Updated every Friday with daily options&lt;/p&gt;
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					<guid>https%3A%2F%2Fepiscopalbr.org%2Fepiscopal-middle-school-newsletters%2Fmiddle-school-parent-newsletter-august-28-2026</guid>
					<title>Middle School Parent Newsletter | August 28, 2026</title>
					<pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
					<link>https%3A%2F%2Fepiscopalbr.org%2Fepiscopal-middle-school-newsletters%2Fmiddle-school-parent-newsletter-august-28-2026</link>
					<description>&lt;p&gt;This week’s Middle School newsletter is full of information to help us keep the year moving smoothly. You’ll find details about the SAIS/ISACS Parent Series, the Academic Resource Center and Learning Lab, student communication and Friday Focus, upcoming trips, club dismissal procedures, attendance reminders, badges, and more.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;IMPORTANT FOR 8TH-GRADE FAMILIES: September 1st is the deadline to let us know if your student will NOT be attending Camp Cho-Yeh. If your student is attending, there is nothing you need to send me, but please make sure you complete the Camp Cho-Yeh release form linked in the newsletter.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>
					<content:encoded>&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap&quot; data-title=&quot;Family Update - Middle School&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap-inner&quot;&gt;
						&lt;div class=&quot;ss-content-block col-2&quot;&gt;
							&lt;p&gt;Dolly Parton. I’ve found myself thinking about one of her songs, “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There is something about the beginning of a school year that feels a little like a clear blue morning. Everything is still new. Our students are finding their rhythms, building relationships with their teachers, navigating friendships, and figuring out who they are going to be this year.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Of course, not every day will feel clear and blue. This is middle school! There will be hard days. Our children will make mistakes. They will struggle with something they thought would be easy. They may face disappointment, friendship challenges, or moments when they aren’t quite sure of themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And that is where so much of the growing happens.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;As parents and educators, our job isn’t to clear every cloud from their sky. It is to walk beside them as they learn that clouds move. Hard moments pass. Mistakes can be repaired. Tomorrow offers another opportunity to try again.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;At Episcopal, we talk about nurturing the whole child. Part of that work is helping our students develop the confidence and courage to navigate both the sunny days and the cloudy ones.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We are still at the beginning of this year, and there is so much possibility ahead for these wonderful middle schoolers.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here’s to the light of a clear blue morning and all that is still to come.&lt;br&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PARENT SERIES WEBINARS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Episcopal families have access to the 2026–27 SAIS/ISACS Parent Series, featuring respected speakers and experts on topics designed to support parents and families throughout the school year. Parents may choose to participate live or watch the recordings, but you &lt;b&gt;must sign up individually in advance&lt;/b&gt;.  Once registered, parents will receive a Zoom link to the live webinar and a follow-up link to the recording.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Upcoming programs include:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;September 29, 2026&lt;br&gt;
School Readiness: Executive Function Needed to “Do School”&lt;br&gt;
Sarah Ward&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;December 1, 2026&lt;br&gt;
The Power of Beliefs: How Strengthening Seven Core Beliefs Predicts Greater Success and a Better Life&lt;br&gt;
Shawn Achor&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;January 13, 2027&lt;br&gt;
The Family Guide to Screen/Life Balance: What to Do About Tech &amp; Kids&lt;br&gt;
Catherine Price&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;February 9, 2027&lt;br&gt;
Protecting Your Child in the Age of Deepfakes&lt;br&gt;
Evan Harris&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;April 8, 2027&lt;br&gt;
How Temperament Shapes Who We Become: Why Some Children Need More Than Others to Flourish&lt;br&gt;
Aliza Pressman&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;May 4, 2027&lt;br&gt;
The Power of One&lt;br&gt;
John O’Leary&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;All sessions are held virtually from 6:30 – 7:30 pm. Central and will be recorded for families unable to attend live.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Please see the Parent Series information &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/parentseries26-27_zoomguide_sais.pdf?v=1787601089098&quot;&gt;HERE&lt;/a&gt; &amp; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/parentseries-participationtips.pdf?v=1787601111161&quot;&gt;HERE&lt;/a&gt; for additional details and register using the Episcopal community link:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;isacs.ws/PS26-27SAIS&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Please note: This registration link is exclusively for members of the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge community. Please do not forward or share it outside our school community.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
ACADEMIC RESOURCE CENTER:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Middle School students are encouraged to utilize the Academic Resource Center! ARC is a free-of-charge, Upper School-student-run operation that offers peer-to-peer tutoring and studying. It is located upstairs in Aldrich Library and is staffed by 10th-12th grade Fellows (peer tutors) throughout the school day. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Fellows specialize in all subject-areas and can help students with a number of tasks, including writing, revising, studying for an upcoming assessment, working a tricky math problem, or even speaking a foreign language! The Fellows are here to lend a helping hand to any student who comes to visit us.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Middle School students can access ARC during their Flex period by appointment. If students ever have questions about utilizing ARC or are having trouble booking an appointment, they can simply email Mrs. Sutcliffe at sutcliffek@ehsbr.org. Our booking page can be found on the ARC Canvas Page, as well as here: &lt;a href=&quot;https://calendly.com/episcopalpeertutoring&quot;&gt;https://calendly.com/episcopalpeertutoring&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We look forward to having another successful year of this meaningful collaboration between US and MS!&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
COMMUNICATION:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Parents, please encourage your children to check their school email regularly. This is one of the primary ways we share important information directly with students. We also like to tuck in a few fun “Easter eggs” from time to time, so students who are not reading their email might miss something!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dr. Wharton sends a Friday Focus each Friday afternoon to help students prepare for the week ahead. Please make sure your child is reading it. I will continue to share lots of information with you, but many of the reminders and details specific to students and daily Middle School life will come directly to them through email and the Friday Focus.&lt;br&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BUST BREAST CANCER:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;On Wednesday, October 7th, students are invited to donate $1 and wear &lt;span&gt;PINK&lt;/span&gt; free dress in support of Woman’s Hospital’s BUST Breast Cancer initiative. Students should bring their $1 donation to their homeroom teacher, who will collect and record donations that morning. We hope our Middle School students will join us in wearing pink and helping BUST breast cancer! Please refer to the Student Handbook for free dress guidelines.&lt;br&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;LEARNING LAB:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Learning Lab provides homework support and executive function coaching to small groups of middle school students.  It&#039;s available on Mondays and Thursdays from 3:15 - 4:15 pm. Families will be charged by quarter at a rate of $25 per session. For more information or questions, please contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:sticklem@ehsbr.org&quot;&gt;Ms. Stickle&lt;/a&gt;. To sign up, please do so &lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7IVWfG560C4FAqo4W9MTa1qwX61N1jbrexH-xVUvw7C4uyg/viewform&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. This opportunity is open to all Middle School students.&lt;br&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
8th-GRADE FAMILIES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Please make sure you have read the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/camp-cho-yeh-july-2026.pdf?v=1786240080537&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;Camp Cho-Yeh communication&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; sent in July. This trip is a fantastic opportunity for students to bond, learn, and create lasting memories. To ensure an accurate count, if your student chooses not to attend, please notify me by &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;September 1st via email.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; After this date, refunds cannot be offered for the trip cost.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Please take a minute to sign the &lt;a href=&quot;https://app.waiversign.com/e/63941d02b8b4150018f66d7f/doc/69dfff9eca2067001226ef46?eventName=Episcopal%20School%20of%20Baton%20Rouge&amp;eventDate=2026-10-20T23:59:59.999Z&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;Assumption of Risk Forms&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
7th-GRADE FAMILIES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Details about the 7th-grade trip was shared Tuesday afternoon! Please see the note &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/7th-grade-trip-letter-2026-2027-2.pdf?v=1787164797947&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;here&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Our trip to NEW ORLEANS will be October 28th &amp; 29th.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br&gt;
CLUB DISMISSAL PROCEDURES:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Please see &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/club-dismissal-update_-2026-2027.pdf?v=1787165152047&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;this link&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; for new club dismissal &amp; pick-up procedures.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
MAGNUS &amp; HEALTH INFORMATION:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Please remember to complete all required forms and health information in Magnus. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Please remember to complete all required forms and health information in Magnus before Labor Day. This includes uploading any required documents and completing all questions in the system. This is due August 21st. Students with incomplete Magnus requirements will not be permitted to attend school beginning August 24th. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you have questions or need assistance with Magnus, please contact MS/US &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:johnsa@ehsbr.org&quot;&gt;Nurse Amy Johns&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;You may access Magnus by clicking &lt;a href=&quot;https://secure.magnushealthportal.com/&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
PORTRAIT ORDERS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;School &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/spencer-photo-order-form.pdf?v=1786476867052&quot;&gt;picture order forms&lt;/a&gt; are due by Friday, August 21st. Late orders will be charged a $15 processing fee.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
BADGES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Badges were handed out this week. Please help your student remember to wear their badge to school each day. Badges are an important security measure and also provide students access to badge-protected buildings across campus. Please help your student remember to bring their badge to school each day. If a badge is left at home, a replacement will need to be printed, and a $15 replacement fee will apply each time.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Canes &amp; Pizza:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A quick note about Cane’s &amp; Pizza orders: Some students have noticed their order is not showing on their badge. If an order was not placed during the pre-sale by July 25, it will not appear yet. Once the final sale is complete, those orders will be added and students will receive a reprinted badge at no charge. You can still order Cane&#039;s &amp; Pizza until August 21st.&lt;br&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
ATTENDANCE:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To ensure consistency across divisions, please remember that all absences must be reported through &lt;a href=&quot;https://episcopalbr.powerschool.com/public/home.html#/public/&quot; id=&quot;OWA671ecbe2-db49-5a19-f058-fb62f5a3231b&quot;&gt;PowerSchool&lt;/a&gt;. Please note, this must be done through a browser not the app. Students being picked up or released during the school day will not be released until the absence has been submitted through PowerSchool.&lt;br&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
MEDICATION:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; If you need to turn in medications, please drop them off with Nurse Amy in the infirmary.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
CONTACTS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Feel free to reach out to any of us - we&#039;re here to help and support you. If we&#039;re not the right contact, we’ll connect you with someone who can assist you best.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Anne Dalton&lt;br&gt;
MS Division Head&lt;br&gt;
daltona@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-755-2724&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Taylor Wharton&lt;br&gt;
MS Dean of Student Life &lt;br&gt;
whartont@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-753-3655&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Katie Carpenter&lt;br&gt;
MS Counselor&lt;br&gt;
carpenterk@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-755-2735&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dana Heuvel&lt;br&gt;
MS Assistant &lt;br&gt;
heuveld@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-755-2725&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;h4&gt;Upcoming Dates&lt;/h4&gt;&lt;p&gt;Grade-Level Coffees provide a great opportunity to meet your child’s teachers and ask any questions you may have as the year begins.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;*&lt;strong&gt;Monday, August 31st&lt;/strong&gt; at 8:00 am. Join us for a &lt;u&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;7th-Grade&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/u&gt; Parent Coffee in Quest.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;*&lt;strong&gt;Wednesday, September 2nd&lt;/strong&gt; at 8:00 am. Join us for a &lt;em&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;strong&gt;6th-Grade&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/em&gt; Parent Coffee in Quest. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;*&lt;strong&gt;Monday, September 7th&lt;/strong&gt;. Labor Day. No School.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;*&lt;strong&gt;Tuesday, September 8th&lt;/strong&gt; at 8:00 am. Join us for an &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;8th-Grade&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; Parent Coffee in Quest.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Monday, September 28th&lt;/strong&gt; at 8:00 am. Join us for an All School Coffee: Security &amp; Safety at Episcopal in the Alumni House.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Tuesday, September 29th&lt;/strong&gt; at 6:30 pm. Virtual SAIS/ISACS Parent Session. More information &amp; how to register in Newsletter.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Wednesday, October 7th. &lt;/strong&gt;$1.00 &lt;span&gt;Pink Free Dress&lt;/span&gt;. More information &amp; guidelines in Newsletter.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Fridays.&lt;/strong&gt; Spirit Dress. Uniform bottoms. Episcopal spirit shirt. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
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							&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
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					&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;!-- /.ss-section-wrap --&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap&quot; data-title=&quot;Links&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap-inner&quot;&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/calendar&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;All School Calendar&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Keep track of school holidays, major events, and important dates across all divisions—updated year-round for your planning needs.&lt;/p&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/resources?section_id=101634&amp;q=&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MS Resources&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Find supply lists, summer reading logs, orientation info, required forms, club sign-ups, and more—all in one place.&lt;/p&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/lunch-menu&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Lunch Menu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See what’s being served in Webster&#039;s Refectory. Updated every Friday with daily options&lt;/p&gt;
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					<guid>https%3A%2F%2Fepiscopalbr.org%2Fepiscopal-middle-school-newsletters%2Fmiddle-school-parent-newsletter-august-21-2026</guid>
					<title>Middle School Parent Newsletter | August 21, 2026</title>
					<pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
					<link>https%3A%2F%2Fepiscopalbr.org%2Fepiscopal-middle-school-newsletters%2Fmiddle-school-parent-newsletter-august-21-2026</link>
					<description>&lt;p&gt;This week’s Middle School newsletter information has updates about the Academic Resource Center, Club dismissal &amp;amp; pick-up procedures, Learning Lab, 7th &amp;amp; 8th-grade trips, Magnus requirements, school portraits, student badges, attendance procedures, and medication drop-off.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>
					<content:encoded>&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap&quot; data-title=&quot;Family Update - Middle School&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap-inner&quot;&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt;Meet the Parent was such a wonderful evening! A huge thank you to our Parents&#039; Guild volunteers who made the evening so lovely. We loved seeing so many of you, and if you were unable to join us, we missed you!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please know we are always here for you. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming grade-level coffees and Teacher-Student-Parent Conferences in October. If we ever have the opportunity to answer a question or support you as you help your children navigate middle school, please do not hesitate to reach out.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
ACADEMIC RESOURCE CENTER:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Middle School students are encouraged to utilize the Academic Resource Center! ARC is a free-of-charge, Upper School-student-run operation that offers peer-to-peer tutoring and studying. It is located upstairs in Aldrich Library and is staffed by 10th-12th grade Fellows (peer tutors) throughout the school day.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Fellows specialize in all subject-areas and can help students with a number of tasks, including writing, revising, studying for an upcoming assessment, working a tricky math problem, or even speaking a foreign language! The Fellows are here to lend a helping hand to any student who comes to visit us.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Middle School students can access ARC during their Flex period by appointment. If students ever have questions about utilizing ARC or are having trouble booking an appointment, they can simply email Mrs. Sutcliffe at sutcliffek@ehsbr.org. Our booking page can be found on the ARC Canvas Page, as well as here: &lt;a href=&quot;https://calendly.com/episcopalpeertutoring&quot;&gt;https://calendly.com/episcopalpeertutoring&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;We look forward to having another successful year of this meaningful collaboration between US and MS!&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
COMMUNICATION:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Parents, please encourage your children to check their school email regularly. This is one of the primary ways we share important information directly with students. We also like to tuck in a few fun “Easter eggs” from time to time, so students who are not reading their email might miss something!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Dr. Wharton sends a Friday Focus each Friday afternoon to help students prepare for the week ahead. Please make sure your child is reading it. I will continue to share lots of information with you, but many of the reminders and details specific to students and daily Middle School life will come directly to them through email and the Friday Focus.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;BUST BREAST CANCER:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;On Wednesday, October 7th, students are invited to donate $1 and wear &lt;span&gt;PINK&lt;/span&gt; free dress in support of Woman’s Hospital’s BUST Breast Cancer initiative. Students should bring their $1 donation to their homeroom teacher, who will collect and record donations that morning. We hope our Middle School students will join us in wearing pink and helping BUST breast cancer!&amp;nbsp;Please refer to the Student Handbook for free dress guidelines.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;LEARNING LAB:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Learning Lab provides homework support and executive function coaching to small groups of middle school students.&amp;nbsp; It&#039;s available on Mondays and Thursdays from 3:15-4:15. Families will be charged by quarter at a rate of $25 per session. For more information or questions, please contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:sticklem@ehsbr.org&quot;&gt;Ms. Stickle&lt;/a&gt;. To sign up, please do so &lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7IVWfG560C4FAqo4W9MTa1qwX61N1jbrexH-xVUvw7C4uyg/viewform&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. This opportunity is open to all Middle School students.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
8th-GRADE FAMILIES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please make sure you have read the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/camp-cho-yeh-july-2026.pdf?v=1786240080537&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;Camp Cho-Yeh communication&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; sent in July.&amp;nbsp;This trip is a fantastic opportunity for students to bond, learn, and create lasting memories. To ensure an accurate count, if your student chooses not to attend, please notify me by September 1st via email. After this date, refunds cannot be offered for the trip cost.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please take a minute to sign the&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://app.waiversign.com/e/63941d02b8b4150018f66d7f/doc/69dfff9eca2067001226ef46?eventName=Episcopal%20School%20of%20Baton%20Rouge&amp;amp;eventDate=2026-10-20T23:59:59.999Z&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;Assumption of Risk Forms&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
7th-GRADE FAMILIES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Details about the 7th-grade trip was shared Tuesday afternoon! Please see the note &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/7th-grade-trip-letter-2026-2027-2.pdf?v=1787164797947&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;here&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Our trip to NEW ORLEANS will be October 28th &amp;amp; 29th.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br&gt;
CLUB DISMISSAL PROCEDURES:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please see &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/club-dismissal-update_-2026-2027.pdf?v=1787165152047&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;this link&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; for new club dismissal &amp;amp; pick-up procedures.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
MAGNUS &amp;amp; HEALTH INFORMATION:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please remember to complete all required forms and health information in Magnus.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please remember to complete all required forms and health information in Magnus before Labor Day. This includes uploading any required documents and completing all questions in the system. This is due August 21st. Students with incomplete Magnus requirements will not be permitted to attend school beginning August 24th.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If you have questions or need assistance with Magnus, please contact MS/US &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:johnsa@ehsbr.org&quot;&gt;Nurse Amy Johns&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;You may access Magnus by clicking &lt;a href=&quot;https://secure.magnushealthportal.com/&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
PORTRAIT ORDERS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;School &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/spencer-photo-order-form.pdf?v=1786476867052&quot;&gt;picture order forms&lt;/a&gt; are due by Friday, August 21st. Late orders will be charged a $15 processing fee.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
BADGES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Badges were handed out this week. Please help your student remember to wear their badge to school each day. Badges are an important security measure and also provide students access to badge-protected buildings across campus. Please help your student remember to bring their badge to school each day. If a badge is left at home, a replacement will need to be printed, and a $15 replacement fee will apply each time.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Canes &amp;amp; Pizza:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;A quick note about Cane’s &amp;amp; Pizza orders: Some students have noticed their order is not showing on their badge. If an order was not placed during the pre-sale by July 25, it will not appear yet. Once the final sale is complete, those orders will be added and students will receive a reprinted badge at no charge. You can still order Cane&#039;s &amp;amp; Pizza until August 21st.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
ATTENDANCE:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;To ensure consistency across divisions, please remember that all absences must be reported through &lt;a href=&quot;https://episcopalbr.powerschool.com/public/home.html#/public/&quot; id=&quot;OWA671ecbe2-db49-5a19-f058-fb62f5a3231b&quot;&gt;PowerSchool&lt;/a&gt;. Please note, this must be done through a browser not the app. Students being picked up or released during the school day will not be released until the absence has been submitted through PowerSchool.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
MEDICATION:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;If you need to turn in medications, please drop them off with Nurse Amy in the infirmary.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
CONTACTS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Feel free to reach out to any of us - we&#039;re here to help and support you. If we&#039;re not the right contact, we’ll connect you with someone who can assist you best.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Anne Dalton&lt;br&gt;
MS Division Head&lt;br&gt;
daltona@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-755-2724&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Taylor Wharton&lt;br&gt;
MS Dean of Student Life&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;
whartont@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-753-3655&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Katie Carpenter&lt;br&gt;
MS Counselor&lt;br&gt;
carpenterk@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-755-2735&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Dana Heuvel&lt;br&gt;
MS Assistant&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;
heuveld@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-755-2725&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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							&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;h4&gt;Upcoming Dates&lt;/h4&gt;&lt;p&gt;Grade-Level Coffees provide a great opportunity to meet your child’s teachers and ask any questions you may have as the year begins.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;*&lt;strong&gt;Monday, August 31st&lt;/strong&gt; at 8:00 am. Join us for a &lt;u&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;7th-Grade&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/u&gt; Parent Coffee in Quest.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;*&lt;strong&gt;Wednesday, September 2nd&lt;/strong&gt; at 8:00 am. Join us for a &lt;em&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;strong&gt;6th-Grade&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/em&gt; Parent Coffee in Quest. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;*&lt;strong&gt;Monday, September 7th&lt;/strong&gt;. Labor Day. No School.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;*&lt;strong&gt;Tuesday, September 8th&lt;/strong&gt; at 8:00 am. Join us for an &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;8th-Grade&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; Parent Coffee in Quest.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Monday, September 28th&lt;/strong&gt; at 8:00 am. Join us for an All School Coffee: Security &amp; Safety at Episcopal in the Alumni House.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Wednesday, October 7th. &lt;/strong&gt;$1.00 &lt;span&gt;Pink Free Dress&lt;/span&gt;. More information &amp; guidelines in Newsletter.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Fridays.&lt;/strong&gt; Spirit Dress. Uniform bottoms. Episcopal spirit shirt. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
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						&lt;div class=&quot;ss-content-block col-3&quot;&gt;
							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/calendar&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;All School Calendar&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Keep track of school holidays, major events, and important dates across all divisions—updated year-round for your planning needs.&lt;/p&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/resources?section_id=101634&amp;q=&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MS Resources&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Find supply lists, summer reading logs, orientation info, required forms, club sign-ups, and more—all in one place.&lt;/p&gt;
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						&lt;div class=&quot;ss-content-block col-3&quot;&gt;
							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/lunch-menu&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Lunch Menu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See what’s being served in Webster&#039;s Refectory. Updated every Friday with daily options&lt;/p&gt;
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					<guid>https%3A%2F%2Fepiscopalbr.org%2Fepiscopal-middle-school-newsletters%2Fmiddle-school-parent-newsletter-august-14-2026</guid>
					<title>Middle School Parent Newsletter | August 14, 2026</title>
					<pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
					<link>https%3A%2F%2Fepiscopalbr.org%2Fepiscopal-middle-school-newsletters%2Fmiddle-school-parent-newsletter-august-14-2026</link>
					<description>&lt;p&gt;This week’s Middle School newsletter celebrates the start of a new school year and introduces our Developing Leaders theme. You’ll also find important updates about Learning Lab, 7th &amp;amp; 8th-grade trips, Magnus requirements, school portraits, student badges, attendance procedures, and medication drop-off.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>
					<content:encoded>&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap&quot; data-title=&quot;Family Update - Middle School&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap-inner&quot;&gt;
						&lt;div class=&quot;ss-content-block col-2&quot;&gt;
							&lt;p&gt;Dear Middle School Families,&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Welcome back! There is something so special about the start of a new school year. It always makes me think of You’ve Got Mail. Kathleen Kelly loves daisies because they are so friendly, and Joe Fox talks about fall making him want to buy school supplies and send a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils. I get it. There is something about fresh pencils, new notebooks, new teachers, new classes, new friendships, and all of the possibility ahead that makes the beginning of a school year feel special. We are so happy to have our students back on campus, and I am excited for the year ahead.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;This year, our all-school focus is developing leaders. In Middle School, we will spend time helping students understand leadership is much bigger than holding a title or being the person in front. Leadership happens in everyday moments. It is noticing someone who needs a friend, choosing kindness, speaking up, stepping in, helping without being asked, and using your influence for good.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;I challenged our students this week to look for those moments. Who needs to be included? Where do you need to step up? How will you make the people around you better? Those small choices matter, and over time, they shape who we become.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;My hope is for each of our students to see themselves as a leader and to recognize the many opportunities they have each day to make a difference. I am so excited to watch them learn, grow, lead, and take care of one another this year. It is going to be a great year in Middle School!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;LEARNING LAB:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Learning Lab provides homework support and executive function coaching to small groups of middle school students.&amp;nbsp; It&#039;s available on Mondays and Thursdays from 3:15-4:15. Families will be charged by quarter at a rate of $25 per session. For more information or questions, please contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:sticklem@ehsbr.org&quot;&gt;Ms. Stickle&lt;/a&gt;. To sign up, please do so &lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7IVWfG560C4FAqo4W9MTa1qwX61N1jbrexH-xVUvw7C4uyg/viewform&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. This opportunity is open to all Middle School students.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;8th-GRADE FAMILIES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please make sure you have read the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/camp-cho-yeh-july-2026.pdf?v=1786240080537&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;Camp Cho-Yeh communication&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; sent in July.&amp;nbsp;This trip is a fantastic opportunity for students to bond, learn, and create lasting memories. To ensure an accurate count, if your student chooses not to attend, please notify me by September 1st via email. After this date, refunds cannot be offered for the trip cost.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please take a minute to sign the&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://app.waiversign.com/e/63941d02b8b4150018f66d7f/doc/69dfff9eca2067001226ef46?eventName=Episcopal%20School%20of%20Baton%20Rouge&amp;amp;eventDate=2026-10-20T23:59:59.999Z&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;Assumption of Risk Forms&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;7th-GRADE FAMILIES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Details about the 7th-grade trip will be shared Tuesday afternoon. Please be on the lookout for an email from Ms. Weaver.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WANT TO UNSUBSCRIBE?:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;A quick word on communications: &amp;nbsp;at the very bottom of this email, you will see a message reading &#039;To stop receiving all email messages distributed through our SchoolMessenger service, follow this link and confirm.’ &amp;nbsp;Please know that clicking this email will remove you from&amp;nbsp;&lt;b&gt;all&lt;/b&gt;​ Episcopal newsletters and notifications, including Knightly News, division newsletters, and important notifications from the Head of School.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MAGNUS &amp;amp; HEALTH INFORMATION:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please remember to complete all required forms and health information in Magnus before Labor Day. This includes uploading any required documents and completing all questions in the system. This is due August 21st. Students with incomplete Magnus requirements will not be permitted to attend school beginning August 24th.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If you have questions or need assistance with Magnus, please contact MS/US &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:johnsa@ehsbr.org&quot;&gt;Nurse Amy Johns&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;You may access Magnus by clicking &lt;a href=&quot;https://secure.magnushealthportal.com/&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PORTRAIT ORDERS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;School &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/spencer-photo-order-form.pdf?v=1786476867052&quot;&gt;picture order forms&lt;/a&gt; are due by Friday, August 21st. Late orders will be charged a $15 processing fee.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BADGES:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Badges were handed out this week. Please help your student remember to wear their badge to school each day. Badges are an important security measure and also provide students access to badge-protected buildings across campus. Please help your student remember to bring their badge to school each day. If a badge is left at home, a replacement will need to be printed, and a $15 replacement fee will apply each time.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Canes &amp;amp; Pizza:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;A quick note about Cane’s &amp;amp; Pizza orders: Some students have noticed their order is not showing on their badge. If an order was not placed during the pre-sale by July 25, it will not appear yet. Once the final sale is complete, those orders will be added and students will receive a reprinted badge at no charge. You can still order Cane&#039;s &amp;amp; Pizza until August 21st.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ATTENDANCE:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;To ensure consistency across divisions, please remember that all absences must be reported through &lt;a href=&quot;https://episcopalbr.powerschool.com/public/home.html#/public/&quot; id=&quot;OWA671ecbe2-db49-5a19-f058-fb62f5a3231b&quot;&gt;PowerSchool&lt;/a&gt;. Please note, this must be done through a browser not the app. Students being picked up or released during the school day will not be released until the absence has been submitted through PowerSchool.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MEDICATION:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;If you need to turn in medications, please drop them off with Nurse Amy in the infirmary.&lt;span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CONTACTS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Feel free to reach out to any of us - we&#039;re here to help and support you. If we&#039;re not the right contact, we’ll connect you with someone who can assist you best.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Anne Dalton&lt;br&gt;
MS Division Head&lt;br&gt;
daltona@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-755-2724&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Taylor Wharton&lt;br&gt;
MS Dean of Student Life&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;
whartont@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-753-3655&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Katie Carpenter&lt;br&gt;
MS Counselor&lt;br&gt;
carpenterk@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-755-2735&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Dana Heuvel&lt;br&gt;
MS Assistant&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;
heuveld@ehsbr.org&lt;br&gt;
225-755-2725&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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							&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;h4&gt;Upcoming Dates&lt;/h4&gt;&lt;p&gt;*&lt;strong&gt;Thursday, August 20th.&lt;/strong&gt; Middle School Parents’ Knight, 6:00 p.m. We will begin in VPAC.&lt;br&gt;
This is a parent-only event. Please ask your child to share a copy of their schedule with you!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Grade-Level Coffees provide a great opportunity to meet your child’s teachers and ask any questions you may have as the year begins.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;*&lt;strong&gt;Monday, August 31st&lt;/strong&gt; at 8:00 am. Join us for a &lt;u&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;7th-Grade&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/u&gt; Parent Coffee in Quest.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;*&lt;strong&gt;Wednesday, September 2nd&lt;/strong&gt; at 8:00 a.m. Join us for a &lt;em&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;strong&gt;6th-Grade&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/em&gt; Parent Coffee in Quest. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;*&lt;strong&gt;Monday, September 7th&lt;/strong&gt;. Labor Day. No School.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;*&lt;strong&gt;Tuesday, September 8th&lt;/strong&gt; at 8:00 a.m. for an &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;8th-Grade&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; Parent Coffee in Quest.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Monday, September 28th&lt;/strong&gt; at 8:00 am for an All School Coffee: Security &amp; Safety at Episcopal in the Alumni House.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
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						&lt;div class=&quot;ss-content-block col-3&quot;&gt;
							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/calendar&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;All School Calendar&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Keep track of school holidays, major events, and important dates across all divisions—updated year-round for your planning needs.&lt;/p&gt;
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						&lt;div class=&quot;ss-content-block col-3&quot;&gt;
							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/resources?section_id=101634&amp;q=&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MS Resources&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Find supply lists, summer reading logs, orientation info, required forms, club sign-ups, and more—all in one place.&lt;/p&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/lunch-menu&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Lunch Menu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See what’s being served in Webster&#039;s Refectory. Updated every Friday with daily options&lt;/p&gt;
						&lt;/div&gt; &lt;!-- /.ss-content-block --&gt;
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					<guid>https%3A%2F%2Fepiscopalbr.org%2Fepiscopal-middle-school-newsletters%2Fmiddle-school-parent-newsletter-july-1-2026</guid>
					<title>Middle School Parent Newsletter |July 1, 2026</title>
					<pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
					<link>https%3A%2F%2Fepiscopalbr.org%2Fepiscopal-middle-school-newsletters%2Fmiddle-school-parent-newsletter-july-1-2026</link>
					<description>&lt;p&gt;In this summer newsletter, you will find important back-to-school information, summer reminders, upcoming dates, parent organization details, and helpful resources to support a smooth start to the year.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>
					<content:encoded>&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap&quot; data-title=&quot;Family Update - Middle School&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap-inner&quot;&gt;
						&lt;div class=&quot;ss-content-block col-2-3&quot;&gt;
							&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Dear Middle School Families,&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;We hope this letter finds you well and that you are enjoying your summer break. As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we would like to share some important information and reminders with you.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;I am happy to share a few staffing updates for the year ahead.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mr. Patrick Doring&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;will support Middle School as we launch our Middle School Honor Council. As we prepare students for Upper School and continue helping them understand what integrity looks like in academics, we believe this will be an important addition to our division. Mr. Doring will work closely with the MS Dean of Student Life to create meaningful leadership opportunities for students.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mr. Robby Hernandez&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;will continue teaching 8th grade Computer Science. We are grateful our students will continue to learn from him.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ms. Hannah Knoff&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;will join Episcopal as our dance teacher. She brings experience in dance performance, choreography, and education, along with work teaching students ages 3 through 18. A graduate of Northwestern State University with a BFA in Dance, she performed with Of Moving Colors and later served as Associate Director. Most recently, she taught physical education and coached at BASIS Materra. We are excited for her to bring her creativity, energy, and love of movement to Episcopal.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mr. Miles Landry&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;will join our division and Episcopal as our World Geography teacher. He brings extensive teaching experience in American history, civics, and U.S. History, including 13 years at the Lab School. He is engaging, collaborative, and eager to be part of Middle School. In addition to teaching, he will coach football.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ms. Jessica O&#039;Neal&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;will move from Life Science into Physical Science, where she will teach both 8th and 9th graders. We are grateful for her willingness to step into this role and excited for our students to learn from her in this new way.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mr. Tommy Rhea&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;will return to a familiar classroom and subject as our Life Science teacher. We cannot wait for students to see science through his eyes.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dr. Taylor Wharton&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;will serve as our Interim Middle School Dean of Student Life as Mr. Stephen Anderson transitions to his new role. Dr. Wharton is an Episcopal alumna and has served our community as Head Girls Basketball Coach and PE teacher. She has a deep love for Episcopal and a heart for student leadership. We are grateful for the way she will help our Middle School students grow as leaders.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;We are excited about the year ahead, whether your family is new to Middle School, new to Episcopal, or finishing the journey with your last child after many years in Middle School. Welcome.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Each child, each day, each year, and each class brings something different, and that is part of what makes this work so meaningful and exciting.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;As a reminder, your student will receive a weekly email from Dr. Wharton to help them prepare for the week ahead. You will also receive a weekly email from me with important highlights and updates.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2&gt;Summer To Do Tasks:&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;h5&gt;*Complete Magnus Health Forms&lt;/h5&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Before school in August, all families must complete a host of forms and questionnaires via the&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://secure.magnushealthportal.com/&quot;&gt;Magnus Health Portal&lt;/a&gt;. This information helps us maintain a safe and healthy environment for all students. Without completion of these forms, students may not be eligible for athletics or participation in other school activities, including field trips, etc.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;div&gt;Familiarity with Magnus is important. When your student visits the nurse during the day, the visit will be recorded in Magnus. If the visit is for a minor concern, but the nurse has information to share with you, such as an OTC medication given, you will receive an email from Magnus asking you to log in and view a shared treatment note.&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;You will not receive a treatment note for minor visits when no follow-up information needs to be shared, such as bug bites, small cuts, or minor bumps and bruises. If the visit is more urgent, the nurse will call you.&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If you have questions, please reach out to the Middle &amp;amp; Upper School nurse, Amy Johns (&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:johnsa@ehsbr.org&quot;&gt;johnsa@ehsbr.org&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h5&gt;*Purchase School Supplies&lt;/h5&gt;

&lt;p&gt;You are welcome to purchase supplies on your own, and you can find the supply lists&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/resources&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. You may also purchase supplies through&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/application/files/ehs-ordering-info-sheet-26-27.pdf&quot;&gt;LA Office Solutions&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If you purchase through LA Office Solutions, please note that &quot;S&quot; is the code for Spanish and &quot;F&quot; is the code for French. You will select the package based on your child&#039;s language selection.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If your student is taking any middle school visual arts class, please also purchase the additional, appropriate, art package. Please note: These elective requests have been added to PowerSchool. You can see course requests/recommendations by going to the&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://episcopalbr.powerschool.com/public/home.html&quot;&gt;Parent Portal in PowerSchool&lt;/a&gt;. After logging in, select &quot;Class Registration&quot; from the menu on the left.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The arts courses, while we try to honor all requests, will not be finalized until the end of July. Students do not need art supplies on the first day of school. If you would prefer to wait until the schedule is released to pick up the arts course supplies, that would be fine.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h5&gt;*Complete Summer Reading&lt;/h5&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please remember that summer reading is a required activity. The reading guidelines and assignments can be found&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/resources/summer-reading&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. We encourage all students to complete their reading to ensure a smooth start to the academic year.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h5&gt;*Purchase School Uniform&lt;/h5&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Episcopal Middle School students are expected to dress in accordance with the same&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.canva.com/design/DAGF-g4uVuY/4hdpiOnNd8B7TzqAL3sZyA/edit?utm_content=DAGF-g4uVuY&amp;amp;utm_campaign=designshare&amp;amp;utm_medium=link2&amp;amp;utm_source=sharebutton&quot;&gt;Dress &amp;amp; Uniform Standards&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;as Upper School students.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Uniform apparel can be purchased from the online&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://episcopalschoolstore.com/&quot;&gt;School Store&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;as well as from several vendors online or in-store locally, including&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.schooltimeuniforms.com/&quot;&gt;School Time&lt;/a&gt;,&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.inkas-uniforms.com/&quot;&gt;Inka&#039;s&lt;/a&gt;, and&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.inkas-uniforms.com/&quot;&gt;Young Fashions&lt;/a&gt;. They can also be purchased from&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.landsend.com/school&quot;&gt;Land&#039;s End&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;online. Additionally, there are several planned used uniform sales that the Parents&#039; Guild manages throughout the year.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;All Middle School students take PE and will need a PE uniform, which is available for purchase in the School Store.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If there are questions about the&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.canva.com/design/DAGF-g4uVuY/4hdpiOnNd8B7TzqAL3sZyA/edit?utm_content=DAGF-g4uVuY&amp;amp;utm_campaign=designshare&amp;amp;utm_medium=link2&amp;amp;utm_source=sharebutton&quot;&gt;Dress &amp;amp; Uniform Standards&lt;/a&gt;, please reach out to the Interim Middle School Dean of Student Life, Dr. Taylor Wharton (&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:whartont@ehsbr.org&quot;&gt;whartont@ehsbr.org&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h5&gt;*Purchase Optional Pizza &amp;amp; Cane&#039;s Lunches&lt;/h5&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Designated Fridays through the year, students who have pre-purchased either or both&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://episcopalschoolstore.com/&quot;&gt;Pizza &amp;amp; Cane&#039;s&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;will enjoy those lunches (regular lunch will still be served).&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h5&gt;*Order School Photos&lt;/h5&gt;

&lt;p&gt;School photos, for Middle &amp;amp; Upper School, will be taken on orientation day. Students should be in uniform. Please refer to the order form &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/images/screenshot-2026-06-30-213846.webp?v=1782873572092&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; for ordering details. The deadline to place orders is Friday, August 23rd.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2&gt;Back To School&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;h5&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Orientation Day, Thursday, August 6th&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h5&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/orientation/middle-school-orientation&quot;&gt;Orientation Day&lt;/a&gt;: Middle School Orientation Day for all students is scheduled for Thursday, August 6th. Please click the link for full details including if supplies are needed for Orientation Day.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Students should arrive by 7:50 a.m. and report directly to the VPAC, our Visual &amp;amp; Performing Arts Center. Orientation begins at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 10:15 a.m. Students will be dismissed to the front lawn.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Students will take their school picture. Please make sure your student is in school uniform.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h5&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*E-Shop&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h5&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Our on-campus store in Perkins Hall will be open from 8:00 a.m. to noon on Orientation Day. Available items include PE uniforms (mandatory for all middle school students), t-shirts, sweatshirts, and various accessories. (Payment via checks or credit cards only.)&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h5&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*First Day of School, Friday, August 7th&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h5&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Students should report to VPAC. They may drop their bags outside the MS Building or VPAC. Students will not report to homeroom first.&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PPq4L4hsC7385iXop5Xt3M1eBXxm6amq1PXUG_emobw/edit?tab=t.0&quot;&gt;Special First Day of School Schedule&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h5&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*After-School Club Offerings&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h5&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The 2026-2027 Club Offerings brochure will be emailed to families by Ms. Crochet on July 15.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2&gt;Be Involved&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;h5&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Parent Organizations&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h5&gt;

&lt;p&gt;There are several ways for parents to remain engaged and supportive of their child&#039;s success at Episcopal. But one of the most impactful ways is to join and participate in the work of our parent organizations. Each is dedicated to supporting the work of the school through volunteer and fundraising efforts, which start even before the school year begins.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Parents&#039; Guild&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The largest parent organization,&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/parent-support/parents-guild&quot;&gt;Parents&#039; Guild&lt;/a&gt;, supports the work of the school throughout every division, contributing volunteer hours, resources, and spirit to the life of the school. Every parent is automatically a member of the Parents&#039; Guild.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;PG volunteers are a vital presence at many school events, helping with Parents&#039; Knights, Teacher Appreciation Week, and more. There are also many fundraising opportunities over the summer, all accessible through the&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://episcopalschoolstore.com/&quot;&gt;School Store&lt;/a&gt;. There, you can purchase&amp;nbsp;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pizza &amp;amp; Cane&#039;s lunches&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&amp;nbsp;for your child on designated Fridays throughout the year. (They will also still have access to the cafeteria&#039;s options on this day of course.) Also at the School Store, you can find E-Gear items that students can wear, including hoodies and sweatshirts, which are&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.canva.com/design/DAGF-g4uVuY/4hdpiOnNd8B7TzqAL3sZyA/edit?utm_content=DAGF-g4uVuY&amp;amp;utm_campaign=designshare&amp;amp;utm_medium=link2&amp;amp;utm_source=sharebutton&quot;&gt;uniform-approved&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;You can always reach out to the Parents&#039; Guild presidents (&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:episcopalpgpresidents@gmail.com&quot;&gt;episcopalpgpresidents@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;) at any time for questions, ideas, or other ways to get involved.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Squires Club&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/parent-support/squires&quot;&gt;Squires Club&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;is a service organization that supports the school&#039;s athletic program and individual teams. It aims to make participation in Knights athletics an even more rewarding and proud experience for all student athletes.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Squires volunteers often help out selling fan gear at sporting events or help run ticket booths, and the opportunities are shared with members throughout the year. On top of that,&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://episcopalschoolstore.com/collections/squires-online-store&quot;&gt;Squires Fan Gear&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;sold through the&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://episcopalschoolstore.com/&quot;&gt;School Store&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;as well as the&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://episcopalschoolstore.com/pages/squires-game-day-pass-formerly-membership&quot;&gt;Squires Club Game Day Pass&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;help Squires fulfill its mission of cheering the Knights. Please email the Squires presidents (&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Squires@ehsbr.org&quot;&gt;Squires@ehsbr.org&lt;/a&gt;) to get involved!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Arts Krewe&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://artskrewe.org/about-the-arts-krewe#getinvolved&quot;&gt;Arts Krewe&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;members provide volunteer support including backstage assistance, concession staffing, coordinating events and fundraisers, providing snacks, and more. Every parent with a child engaged in an Episcopal arts program is automatically members of the Arts Krewe. But each parent has the opportunity to become a&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/parent-support/arts-krewe/about-the-arts-krewe#becomeamember&quot;&gt;Supporting Member&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;who receives additional perks because of their enhanced support of the arts.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://artskrewe.org/about-the-arts-krewe#getinvolved&quot;&gt;Get involved today&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;by visiting&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://artskrewe.org/about-the-arts-krewe#getinvolved&quot;&gt;Arts Krewe online&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;or emailing us (&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:artskrewe@gmail.com&quot;&gt;artskrewe@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2&gt;Looking Ahead&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;h5&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Upcoming Dates&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h5&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Thursday, August 20th:&lt;/strong&gt; Middle School Parents&#039; Knight, 6:00 p.m.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Monday, September 7th:&lt;/strong&gt; Labor Day. No School.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Wednesday, October 7th:&lt;/strong&gt; End of 1st Quarter.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Thursday, October 8th &amp;amp; Friday, October 9th:&lt;/strong&gt; Fall Holiday. No School.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Wednesday, October 14th: &lt;/strong&gt;Middle School Teacher-Student-Parent Conferences. No classes on this day. Sign-ups will be forthcoming. These conferences are not mandatory but your student is required to attend, should you desire a conference.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Tuesday, October 20th - Friday, October 23rd:&lt;/strong&gt; 8th Grade Camp Cho-Yeh.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Friday, October 23rd:&lt;/strong&gt; Faculty &amp;amp; Staff Development. No School for Students.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Monday, October 26th:&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;No school for 8th graders who attended Camp Cho-Yeh&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h5&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Parent Coffees&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h5&gt;

&lt;p&gt;We will host parent coffees throughout the year on a variety of topics, including math, ERB testing, meeting the 6th-grade team, and more. Please be on the lookout for those dates. As always, they will be included in the weekly newsletter, which will be emailed each Friday morning during the school year and linked&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/episcopal-middle-school-newsletters&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h5&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Camp Cho-Yeh&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h5&gt;

&lt;p&gt;This trip is a fantastic opportunity for students to bond, learn, and create lasting memories. Eighth-grade parents will receive a letter on July 15 with initial details about the Camp Cho-Yeh trip. Please be on the lookout!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2&gt;Policies&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;h5&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Absences&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h5&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Parents should complete the Report New Absence form found through&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://episcopalbr.powerschool.com/public/home.html#/public/&quot;&gt;PowerSchool&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;for each absence, including checking in late or checking out early. Completing the form as soon as an absence is anticipated is most helpful. Please note that email or telephone calls are no longer accepted as a form of reporting attendance.&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EJmJLDWWElKzsqors03oNZx2qgNRUf1K/view&quot;&gt;Here&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;is a quick tutorial.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h5&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Early Pick-Up/Checkout&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h5&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If a parent is picking up their child and has sent in the&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://episcopalbr.powerschool.com/public/home.html#/public/&quot;&gt;PowerSchool&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;form, please call the Middle School office at 225-755-2725 when you have arrived. Your student will then be called out of class to sign out in the office and then dismiss them to where you are parked on campus. Parents do not need to come into the Middle School office. There are no student check outs after 2:30 p.m.&amp;nbsp;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The PowerSchool form MUST be completed before a student will be released.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h5&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Carpool&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h5&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Middle School carpool drop off and pick up is on the Front Lawn. Afternoon Carpool begins at 3:15 p.m. and ends at 3:45 p.m.&amp;nbsp;&lt;em&gt;For morning drop-off only, Middle School students with Lower School siblings are welcome to use the Lower School drop-off area with their sibling.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h5&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Parking &amp;amp; Visitor Check-in&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h5&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If you are visiting campus for any reason, you must check in at the Alumni House and receive a visitor badge. A driver&#039;s license or state ID is required for check in. When leaving campus please check out at the Alumni House. Visitor parking is available in the lot in front of the Alumni House. Parking on Woodland Ridge Boulevard is available only between 8:00 a.m. &amp;amp; 2:00 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2&gt;Additional Resources&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;h5&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/resources&quot;&gt;Resources&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h5&gt;

&lt;p&gt;This webpage contains many additional downloads and links that can help students and families stay informed and connected to policies, procedures, and support services.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/calendar&quot;&gt;Calendar&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p&gt;This calendar shares all events that are happening on campus throughout the year.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/application/files/academic-calendar-2026-27-rev-1.pdf&quot;&gt;Academic Calendar&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p&gt;In addition to the calendar above, this provides students and families a quick reference of key dates, including school breaks and quarter &amp;amp; semester ends.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U3FSTlvCj0HpP3giP8bK_t6QYT2eghWE/view&quot;&gt;Curriculum Guide&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p&gt;This resource is key to understanding our overall academic program. Please refer to it for information about courses and graduation requirements.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h3&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/admission/new-family-resources&quot;&gt;New Family Resources&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;

&lt;p&gt;For further information that is helpful to those new to our community, this website is a strong resource.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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							&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Upcoming Dates&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Thursday, August 6th: &lt;/strong&gt;Orientation.&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Friday, August 7th:&lt;/strong&gt; First Day of School.&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Thursday, August 20th&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;:&lt;/strong&gt; Middle School Parents’ Knight, 6:00 p.m.&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Monday, September 7th&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;:&lt;/strong&gt; Labor Day. No School.&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wednesday, October 7th:&lt;/strong&gt; End of 1st Quarter.&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Thursday, October 8th &amp; Friday, October 9th:&lt;/strong&gt; Fall Holiday. No School.  &lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wednesday, October 14th: &lt;/strong&gt;Middle School &lt;strong&gt;Teacher-Student-Parent&lt;/strong&gt; Conferences. No classes on this day. Sign-ups will be forthcoming. These conferences are not mandatory but your student is required to attend, should you desire a conference. &lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Friday, October 23rd:&lt;/strong&gt; Faculty &amp; Staff Development. No School for Students.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
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					&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;!-- /.ss-section-wrap --&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap&quot; data-title=&quot;Line Break&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap-inner&quot;&gt;
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							&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
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					&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;!-- /.ss-section-wrap --&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap&quot; data-title=&quot;Links&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap-inner&quot;&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/calendar&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;All School Calendar&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Keep track of school holidays, major events, and important dates across all divisions—updated year-round for your planning needs.&lt;/p&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/resources?section_id=101634&amp;q=&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MS Resources&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Find supply lists, summer reading logs, orientation info, required forms, club sign-ups, and more—all in one place.&lt;/p&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/lunch-menu&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Lunch Menu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See what’s being served in Webster&#039;s Refectory. Updated every Friday with daily options&lt;/p&gt;
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					<guid>https%3A%2F%2Fepiscopalbr.org%2Fepiscopal-middle-school-newsletters%2Fmiddle-school-parent-newsletter-may-14th-2026</guid>
					<title>Middle School Parent Newsletter |May 14th, 2026</title>
					<pubDate>Thu, 14 May 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
					<link>https%3A%2F%2Fepiscopalbr.org%2Fepiscopal-middle-school-newsletters%2Fmiddle-school-parent-newsletter-may-14th-2026</link>
					<description>&lt;p&gt;Here’s what’s inside this week’s newsletter: Semester Exam information, Extended Care ends, Summer Smash Camp begins, Rising 9th-grade summer opportunities, Exam Testing Dates, &amp;amp; Summer Camp!&lt;/p&gt;
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					<content:encoded>&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap&quot; data-title=&quot;Family Update - Middle School&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap-inner&quot;&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;As we come to the end of the year, with finals almost behind us and summer ahead, I want to take a moment to say how grateful we are for your children and for the year we have shared with them.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;p&gt;To our 8th-grade families, as your children depart Middle School, please know they will always have a home here. We have been their advocates, and we will continue to be their advocates. They will always have a place to land, to check in, to be known, and to be loved.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;This is what I shared with our 8th graders at the end of our awards ceremony on Tuesday:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;So, 8th grade, as you move on from Middle School, I hope you remember this:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Keep your joy.&lt;br&gt;
Keep your curiosity.&lt;br&gt;
Keep your kindness.&lt;br&gt;
Keep asking good questions.&lt;br&gt;
Keep making room at the table.&lt;br&gt;
Keep trying hard things.&lt;br&gt;
Keep laughing with your whole self.&lt;br&gt;
And please, for the love of all things holy, keep your ID around your neck.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;We are proud of you.&lt;br&gt;
We love you.&lt;br&gt;
And we cannot wait to see who you become.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;To our 7th-grade families, we are excited to watch your children step into their role as the leaders of Middle School. They have brought tremendous spirit this year, and we cannot wait to see how they lead, encourage, and set the tone next year.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;To our 6th-grade families, your children are now in the middle of Middle School. The new 6th graders will look to them to show the way, and it is a big responsibility. We know they are ready.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Thank you for sharing your children with us this year. I hope your family has a summer filled with rest, joy, and time together. We are proud of your children, grateful for them, and already looking forward to welcoming them back.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;_________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
SEMESTER EXAMS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;p&gt;As a reminder, &lt;em&gt;we will not dismiss students from classes during exam blocks,&lt;/em&gt; so please plan accordingly and avoid appointments during this time.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Seventh and eighth grade students:&lt;br&gt;
If your student has an anticipated absence and will miss an exam, have your student email Ms. Dalton and the appropriate teachers immediately, if this has not already happened, and record the absence in PowerSchool. Please note, these absences will count towards the &quot;no more than four.&quot; Ms. Dalton will coordinate make-up arrangements, including taking an exam before departure when possible. In some cases, your student will need to take the exam after Memorial Day. Please help your student begin a study and work plan now so they stay ahead.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Sixth-grade students:&lt;br&gt;
This week still includes important academic work. Many classes schedule culminating tests, projects, and presentations. Encourage your student to begin a study and work plan now so they stay ahead.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If your student has an anticipated absence and will miss an exam, have your student email Ms. Dalton and the appropriate teachers immediately, if this has not already happened, and record the absence in PowerSchool. Please note, these absences will count towards the &quot;no more than four.&quot; Ms. Dalton will coordinate make-up arrangements, including taking a test before departure when possible. In some cases, your student will need to take the exam after Memorial Day. Please help your student begin a study and work plan now so they stay ahead.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
SUMMER SMASH CAMP:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The last day for Extended Care is Monday, May 18, 2026. &lt;/strong&gt;We are excited to offer Summer Smash Camp for the early dismissal days. Summer Smash Camp will be offered from 11:30-3:30 Tuesday, May 19th - Thursday, May 21st, 2026. You may purchase camp at a daily rate or for all three days. Please make sure to complete all steps of the registration process so that your child is registered for camp.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Please register for camp &lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2lZYWY_ABpA09UWNBrcuLrGI2ceIVuBEKTY82eKADtrCm5A/viewform&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;Make sure to complete your camp purchase after completing the registration form. Your child will not be registered for camp if you do not complete this step.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;We look forward to kicking off summer with your child!&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;8th-GRADERS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/2026-summer-weight-training-informational-letter.docx?v=1776975566271&quot;&gt;Summer Weight Training Opportunity&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;amp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/typing-knights-camp-flyer.pdf?v=1776975735139&quot;&gt;Summer Typing Knights Camp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;7TH-GRADE PARENTS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;As we look ahead to next year, I wanted to share an exciting update about the 8th-grade retreat.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Next year (2026-2027), our 8th-grade class will travel to a new location, Camp Cho-Yeh in Livingston, Texas. We are excited about this change. Camp Cho-Yeh is a newer site and much closer to Baton Rouge, which means we will save a travel day and have more time together as a class. Camp Cho-Yeh&#039;s purpose is to host schools and facilitate student summer camps. This is who they are!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The trip will take place October 20th through 23rd, 2026. Students will also have Monday, October 26th, 2026, off from school.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Our hope is to keep all of the meaningful and memorable parts of this special 8th-grade experience while building on them in new ways. Students will enjoy many of the activities and traditions that have made this trip so special in past years, along with new opportunities for prayer, reflection, and time together in community. As they move into the final stretch of middle school, this retreat will offer space to deepen friendships, strengthen class bonds, and mark this important season in their lives.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;We are truly excited about what this new setting will offer our students, and we look forward to sharing more details, later this spring and in August, with you as the trip gets closer. Please know, we want your students to attend the trip. If they do not attend, they will be expected to attend school.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
SUMMER CAMPS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;Episcopal is pleased to host a wide range of activities, we hope your children will have a fun-filled summer with us. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/summer-camps&quot;&gt;Learn more.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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							&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;h4&gt;Upcoming Dates&lt;/h4&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Tuesday, May 19th - Thursday, May 21st.&lt;/strong&gt; Exams. Noon dismissal.&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Friday, May 22nd.&lt;/strong&gt; Exam. 10:15 am dismissal.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/summer-camps&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Summer Camps at Episcopal&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
						&lt;/div&gt; &lt;!-- /.ss-content-block --&gt;
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							&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
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					&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;!-- /.ss-section-wrap --&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap&quot; data-title=&quot;Links&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap-inner&quot;&gt;
						&lt;div class=&quot;ss-content-block col-3&quot;&gt;
							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/calendar&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;All School Calendar&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Keep track of school holidays, major events, and important dates across all divisions—updated year-round for your planning needs.&lt;/p&gt;
						&lt;/div&gt; &lt;!-- /.ss-content-block --&gt;
					
						&lt;div class=&quot;ss-content-block col-3&quot;&gt;
							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/resources?section_id=101634&amp;q=&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MS Resources&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Find supply lists, summer reading logs, orientation info, required forms, club sign-ups, and more—all in one place.&lt;/p&gt;
						&lt;/div&gt; &lt;!-- /.ss-content-block --&gt;
					
						&lt;div class=&quot;ss-content-block col-3&quot;&gt;
							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/lunch-menu&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Lunch Menu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See what’s being served in Webster&#039;s Refectory. Updated every Friday with daily options&lt;/p&gt;
						&lt;/div&gt; &lt;!-- /.ss-content-block --&gt;
					&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;!-- /.ss-section-wrap --&gt;</content:encoded>
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					<guid>https%3A%2F%2Fepiscopalbr.org%2Fepiscopal-middle-school-newsletters%2Fmiddle-school-parent-newsletter-may-8th-2026</guid>
					<title>Middle School Parent Newsletter |May 8th, 2026</title>
					<pubDate>Thu, 07 May 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
					<link>https%3A%2F%2Fepiscopalbr.org%2Fepiscopal-middle-school-newsletters%2Fmiddle-school-parent-newsletter-may-8th-2026</link>
					<description>&lt;p&gt;Here’s what’s inside this week’s newsletter: Semester Exam information, 8th-Grade parent invitation, Extended Care ends, Summer Smash Camp begins, Rising 9th-grade summer opportunities, 8th-grade dance date, MS Awards Ceremony, Exam Testing Dates, &amp;amp; Summer Camp!&lt;/p&gt;
</description>
					<content:encoded>&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap&quot; data-title=&quot;Family Update - Middle School&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap-inner&quot;&gt;
						&lt;div class=&quot;ss-content-block col-2-3&quot;&gt;
							&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;As we head into Mother’s Day weekend, I want to offer my appreciation to all the mothers, mother figures, and fathers who have stepped into that role. Every one of our students has someone who mothers, nurtures, guides, or stands in the gap for them, and we are grateful for you.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;I also want to hold space, love, and prayer for those of you and your children for whom this weekend feels hard or bittersweet. For those facing firsts. For those who wish things were different. For those carrying both love and loss.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Terri St. Cloud wrote, “She could never go back and make some of the details pretty. All she could do was move forward and make the whole beautiful.” That feels especially true on weekends like this one.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;As I often remind your students, you have never been more loved than you are right now. Be kind and gentle with yourself, and honor those in your life who are mothers, or who stand in that sacred space.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SUMMER SMASH CAMP:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;The last day for Extended Care is Monday, May 18, 2026. We are excited to offer Summer Smash Camp for the early dismissal days. Summer Smash Camp will be offered from 11:30-3:30 Tuesday, May 19th - Thursday, May 21st, 2026. You may purchase camp at a daily rate or for all three days. Please make sure to complete all steps of the registration process so that your child is registered for camp.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Please register for camp &lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2lZYWY_ABpA09UWNBrcuLrGI2ceIVuBEKTY82eKADtrCm5A/viewform&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;Make sure to complete your camp purchase after completing the registration form. Your child will not be registered for camp if you do not complete this step.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;We look forward to kicking off summer with your child!&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SEMESTER EXAMS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As a reminder, &lt;em&gt;we will not dismiss students from classes during exam blocks,&lt;/em&gt; so please plan accordingly and avoid appointments during this time.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Seventh and eighth grade students:&lt;br&gt;
If your student has an anticipated absence and will miss an exam, have your student email Ms. Dalton and the appropriate teachers immediately, if this has not already happened, and record the absence in PowerSchool. Please note, these absences will count towards the &quot;no more than four.&quot; Ms. Dalton will coordinate make-up arrangements, including taking an exam before departure when possible. In some cases, your student will need to take the exam after Memorial Day. Please help your student begin a study and work plan now so they stay ahead.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Sixth-grade students:&lt;br&gt;
This week still includes important academic work. Many classes schedule culminating tests, projects, and presentations. Encourage your student to begin a study and work plan now so they stay ahead.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If your student has an anticipated absence and will miss an exam, have your student email Ms. Dalton and the appropriate teachers immediately, if this has not already happened, and record the absence in PowerSchool. Please note, these absences will count towards the &quot;no more than four.&quot; Ms. Dalton will coordinate make-up arrangements, including taking a test before departure when possible. In some cases, your student will need to take the exam after Memorial Day. Please help your student begin a study and work plan now so they stay ahead.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;8th-GRADE PARENTS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;You are invited to attend our first annual Faculty vs. 8th Grade Students Volleyball Game!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please join us for a little friendly competition as we celebrate and say goodbye to our 8th graders.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Thursday, May 14th&lt;br&gt;
1:55 to 3:15 p.m.&lt;br&gt;
Phillips Gym&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Come cheer, laugh, and see whether wisdom and experience can triumph over youth and energy. Bring your school spirit, your loudest applause, and possibly a few ice packs. A stretcher might not be a bad idea either. (Check-in at the Alumni House.)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;8th-GRADERS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/2026-summer-weight-training-informational-letter.docx?v=1776975566271&quot;&gt;Summer Weight Training Opportunity&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;amp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/typing-knights-camp-flyer.pdf?v=1776975735139&quot;&gt;Summer Typing Knights Camp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;7TH-GRADE PARENTS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;As we look ahead to next year, I wanted to share an exciting update about the 8th-grade retreat.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Next year (2026-2027), our 8th-grade class will travel to a new location, Camp Cho-Yeh in Livingston, Texas. We are excited about this change. Camp Cho-Yeh is a newer site and much closer to Baton Rouge, which means we will save a travel day and have more time together as a class. Camp Cho-Yeh&#039;s purpose is to host schools and facilitate student summer camps. This is who they are!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The trip will take place October 20th through 23rd, 2026. Students will also have Monday, October 26th, 2026, off from school.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Our hope is to keep all of the meaningful and memorable parts of this special 8th-grade experience while building on them in new ways. Students will enjoy many of the activities and traditions that have made this trip so special in past years, along with new opportunities for prayer, reflection, and time together in community. As they move into the final stretch of middle school, this retreat will offer space to deepen friendships, strengthen class bonds, and mark this important season in their lives.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;We are truly excited about what this new setting will offer our students, and we look forward to sharing more details, later this spring and in August, with you as the trip gets closer. Please know, we want your students to attend the trip. If they do not attend, they will be expected to attend school.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;b&gt;END OF YEAR AWARDS CEREMONY:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Tuesday, May 12th. All Middle School Awards Ceremony. 8:15 am. VPAC. Parents, please check-in to receive your visitor sticker at the Alumni House.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Parents of 6th &amp;amp; 7th-grade students receiving awards will be emailed about their child’s achievement so that you can make plans to attend.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;While all parents are welcome, we highly encourage 8th-grade parents to attend as able.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
SUMMER CAMPS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;Episcopal is pleased to host a wide range of activities, we hope your children will have a fun-filled summer with us. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/summer-camps&quot;&gt;Learn more.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
ATTENDANCE UPDATE:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please note that, whenever a student is absent and the “Report New Attendance” form is not submitted in PowerSchool, the absence is marked as an Unreported Absence (UA). Parents have &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;three school days&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; to either submit a doctor’s note to the division office or complete the form in PowerSchool. This does not necessarily exempt the absence from the “more than four” rules.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Any unresolved UAs after the three-day window will result in late penalties and disciplinary consequences for affected student work. Please help us support your child’s learning by reporting all absences promptly.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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							&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h4&gt;Upcoming Dates&lt;/h4&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Friday, May 8th. 7:00 - 9:00 pm. VPAC LOBBY.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/images/screenshot-2026-04-01-210806.webp?v=1775095786422&quot;&gt;8th-Grade&amp;nbsp;Luau Dance&lt;/a&gt;. Hawaiian Dress for ALL Middle School.&lt;b&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
*Tuesday, May 12th. 8:15 am. VPAC.&lt;/strong&gt; MS End of Year Awards Ceremony. More information in newsletter. *8th-Graders are to wear their 8th-Grade shirt which they will be given on Monday.*&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;*Thursday, May 14th. 1:55 pm. Phillips Gym.&lt;/strong&gt; 8th-Grade vs. Faculty Volleyball Game. More information in newsletter.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;*Tuesday, May 19th - Thursday, May 21st.&lt;/strong&gt; Exams. Noon dismissal.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;*Friday, May 22nd.&lt;/strong&gt; Exam. 10:15 am dismissal.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/summer-camps&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Summer Camps at Episcopal&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

						&lt;/div&gt; &lt;!-- /.ss-content-block --&gt;
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					&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;!-- /.ss-section-wrap --&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap&quot; data-title=&quot;Links&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap-inner&quot;&gt;
						&lt;div class=&quot;ss-content-block col-3&quot;&gt;
							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/calendar&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;All School Calendar&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Keep track of school holidays, major events, and important dates across all divisions—updated year-round for your planning needs.&lt;/p&gt;
						&lt;/div&gt; &lt;!-- /.ss-content-block --&gt;
					
						&lt;div class=&quot;ss-content-block col-3&quot;&gt;
							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/resources?section_id=101634&amp;q=&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MS Resources&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Find supply lists, summer reading logs, orientation info, required forms, club sign-ups, and more—all in one place.&lt;/p&gt;
						&lt;/div&gt; &lt;!-- /.ss-content-block --&gt;
					
						&lt;div class=&quot;ss-content-block col-3&quot;&gt;
							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/lunch-menu&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Lunch Menu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See what’s being served in Webster&#039;s Refectory. Updated every Friday with daily options&lt;/p&gt;
						&lt;/div&gt; &lt;!-- /.ss-content-block --&gt;
					&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;!-- /.ss-section-wrap --&gt;</content:encoded>
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				<item>
					<guid>https%3A%2F%2Fepiscopalbr.org%2Fepiscopal-middle-school-newsletters%2Fmiddle-school-parent-newsletter-april-30th-2026</guid>
					<title>Middle School Parent Newsletter |April 30th, 2026</title>
					<pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
					<link>https%3A%2F%2Fepiscopalbr.org%2Fepiscopal-middle-school-newsletters%2Fmiddle-school-parent-newsletter-april-30th-2026</link>
					<description>&lt;p&gt;Here’s what’s inside this week’s newsletter: Semester Exam information, 8th-Grade parent invitation, Extended Care ends, Summer Smash Camp begins, Rising 9th-grade summer opportunities, 8th-grade dance date, MS Awards Ceremony, Exam Testing Dates, &amp;amp; Summer Camp!&lt;/p&gt;
</description>
					<content:encoded>&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap&quot; data-title=&quot;Family Update - Middle School&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;ss-section-wrap-inner&quot;&gt;
						&lt;div class=&quot;ss-content-block col-2-3&quot;&gt;
							&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SUMMER SMASH CAMP:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;The last day for Extended Care is Monday, May 18, 2026. We are excited to offer Summer Smash Camp for the early dismissal days. Summer Smash Camp will be offered from 11:30-3:30 Tuesday, May 19th - Thursday, May 21st, 2026. You may purchase camp at a daily rate or for all three days. Please make sure to complete all steps of the registration process so that your child is registered for camp.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Please register for camp &lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2lZYWY_ABpA09UWNBrcuLrGI2ceIVuBEKTY82eKADtrCm5A/viewform&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;Make sure to complete your camp purchase after completing the registration form. Your child will not be registered for camp if you do not complete this step.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div&gt;We look forward to kicking off summer with your child!&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SEMESTER EXAMS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As a reminder, &lt;em&gt;we will not dismiss students from classes during exam blocks,&lt;/em&gt; so please plan accordingly and avoid appointments during this time.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Seventh and eighth grade students:&lt;br&gt;
If your student has an anticipated absence and will miss an exam, have your student email Ms. Dalton and the appropriate teachers immediately, if this has not already happened, and record the absence in PowerSchool. Please note, these absences will count towards the &quot;no more than four.&quot; Ms. Dalton will coordinate make-up arrangements, including taking an exam before departure when possible. In some cases, your student will need to take the exam after Memorial Day. Please help your student begin a study and work plan now so they stay ahead.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Sixth-grade students:&lt;br&gt;
This week still includes important academic work. Many classes schedule culminating tests, projects, and presentations. Encourage your student to begin a study and work plan now so they stay ahead.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If your student has an anticipated absence and will miss an exam, have your student email Ms. Dalton and the appropriate teachers immediately, if this has not already happened, and record the absence in PowerSchool. Please note, these absences will count towards the &quot;no more than four.&quot; Ms. Dalton will coordinate make-up arrangements, including taking a test before departure when possible. In some cases, your student will need to take the exam after Memorial Day. Please help your student begin a study and work plan now so they stay ahead.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;8th-GRADE PARENTS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;You are invited to attend our first annual Faculty vs. 8th Grade Students Volleyball Game!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please join us for a little friendly competition as we celebrate and say goodbye to our 8th graders.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Thursday, May 14th&lt;br&gt;
1:55 to 3:15 p.m.&lt;br&gt;
Phillips Gym&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Come cheer, laugh, and see whether wisdom and experience can triumph over youth and energy. Bring your school spirit, your loudest applause, and possibly a few ice packs. A stretcher might not be a bad idea either. (Check-in at the Alumni House.)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;8th-GRADERS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/2026-summer-weight-training-informational-letter.docx?v=1776975566271&quot;&gt;Summer Weight Training Opportunity&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;amp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/files/typing-knights-camp-flyer.pdf?v=1776975735139&quot;&gt;Summer Typing Knights Camp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;7TH-GRADE PARENTS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;As we look ahead to next year, I wanted to share an exciting update about the 8th-grade retreat.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Next year (2026-2027), our 8th-grade class will travel to a new location, Camp Cho-Yeh in Livingston, Texas. We are excited about this change. Camp Cho-Yeh is a newer site and much closer to Baton Rouge, which means we will save a travel day and have more time together as a class. Camp Cho-Yeh&#039;s purpose is to host schools and facilitate student summer camps. This is who they are!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The trip will take place October 20th through 23rd, 2026. Students will also have Monday, October 26th, 2026, off from school.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Our hope is to keep all of the meaningful and memorable parts of this special 8th-grade experience while building on them in new ways. Students will enjoy many of the activities and traditions that have made this trip so special in past years, along with new opportunities for prayer, reflection, and time together in community. As they move into the final stretch of middle school, this retreat will offer space to deepen friendships, strengthen class bonds, and mark this important season in their lives.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;We are truly excited about what this new setting will offer our students, and we look forward to sharing more details, later this spring and in August, with you as the trip gets closer. Please know, we want your students to attend the trip. If they do not attend, they will be expected to attend school.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;b&gt;END OF YEAR AWARDS CEREMONY:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Tuesday, May 12th. All Middle School Awards Ceremony. 8:15 am. VPAC. Parents, please check-in to receive your visitor sticker at the Alumni House.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Parents of 6th &amp;amp; 7th-grade students receiving awards will be emailed about their child’s achievement so that you can make plans to attend.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;While all parents are welcome, we highly encourage 8th-grade parents to attend as able.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
SUMMER CAMPS:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;Episcopal is pleased to host a wide range of activities, we hope your children will have a fun-filled summer with us. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/summer-camps&quot;&gt;Learn more.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
ATTENDANCE UPDATE:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Please note that, whenever a student is absent and the “Report New Attendance” form is not submitted in PowerSchool, the absence is marked as an Unreported Absence (UA). Parents have &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;three school days&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; to either submit a doctor’s note to the division office or complete the form in PowerSchool. This does not necessarily exempt the absence from the “more than four” rules.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Any unresolved UAs after the three-day window will result in late penalties and disciplinary consequences for affected student work. Please help us support your child’s learning by reporting all absences promptly.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;span&gt;__________________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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							&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h4&gt;Upcoming Dates&lt;/h4&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Friday, May 8th. 7:00 - 9:00 pm. VPAC LOBBY.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/uploads/images/screenshot-2026-04-01-210806.webp?v=1775095786422&quot;&gt;8th-Grade&amp;nbsp;Luau Dance&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;b&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
*Tuesday, May 12th. 8:15 am. VPAC.&lt;/strong&gt; MS End of Year Awards Ceremony. More information in newsletter. *8th-Graders are to wear their 8th-Grade shirt which they will be given on Monday.*&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;*Thursday, May 14th. 1:55 pm. Phillips Gym.&lt;/strong&gt; 8th-Grade vs. Faculty Volleyball Game. More information in newsletter.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;*Tuesday, May 19th - Thursday, May 21st.&lt;/strong&gt; Exams. Noon dismissal.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;*Friday, May 22nd.&lt;/strong&gt; Exam. 10:15 am dismissal.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/summer-camps&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;*Summer Camps at Episcopal&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

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							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/calendar&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;All School Calendar&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Keep track of school holidays, major events, and important dates across all divisions—updated year-round for your planning needs.&lt;/p&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/resources?section_id=101634&amp;q=&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MS Resources&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Find supply lists, summer reading logs, orientation info, required forms, club sign-ups, and more—all in one place.&lt;/p&gt;
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							&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;button&quot; href=&quot;https://www.episcopalbr.org/lunch-menu&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Lunch Menu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See what’s being served in Webster&#039;s Refectory. Updated every Friday with daily options&lt;/p&gt;
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