From Our Upper School Head
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For over 50 years, the Upper School at Episcopal has provided students with a dynamic and nurturing community in which to holistically grow. Through personalized guidance and a range of opportunities, our students find their paths to excellence at Episcopal in and out of the classroom. Our alumni have accordingly experienced tremendous success at the very best universities, are leaders in all sectors of industry throughout the world, have competed as Olympians and professional athletes, and lead lives of service in their communities every day.
Academically, our students’ days are filled with challenge and opportunity as they make the most of a variety of challenging offerings, including AP, Honors, and Dual-enrollment courses, deep mentorship and original research in our signature Honors Thesis and lab-based ESTAAR programs, global learning journeys, as well as innovation and hands-on learning as members of our award-winning Robotics team. We also offer a broad spectrum of arts courses taught by masters in their fields, through which students develop different aspects of their creativity and take part in sold-out productions that draw audiences from throughout the region. Our highly-successful athletic teams also give our Episcopal “Knights” the opportunity to contend for championships and learn lifelong lessons about teamwork, perseverance, and leadership under the guidance of coaches who have competed at the highest levels of their sports and are renowned for producing top athletes. Underpinning these pursuits is our Episcopal spiritual identity, which is warm, open, and focused on developing young people who live lives of purpose and service in college and beyond. Through regular Chapel service, as well as the dynamic activities of our Center for Service Learning, we integrate our spiritual lives into all aspects of the Episcopal experience. So, come see Episcopal in action! You may find yourself enjoying our jazz band playing beneath the oaks at midday, our annual national college fair drawing hundreds of students and dozens of universities, or our cross country team breaking records on a beautiful Saturday morning. Or you may bump into our students as they perform, compete, and serve throughout the region. In any place you find us, we welcome you to reach out, connect, and learn more about the Episcopal experience. Regards, Dr. Thomas "Spree" MacDonald Head of Upper School |
‘‘Episcopal prepared me well for college and a life of leadership and service.” “Episcopal is a part of us wherever we go, and we must remember the place where we began in order to be successful in life.” Upper School Calendar |
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Upper School
Episcopal’s Upper School students launch their futures through a college-preparatory curriculum with a focus on individual strengths, spirituality, character building and service learning. The heart of the Upper School curriculum requires critical thinking and problem solving. A talented faculty, a flexible schedule and hands-on learning opportunities lead to a deep understanding of course material.The performing and visual arts program encourages students to express ideas, collaborate, and connect across cultures in a variety of disciplines. Guided by artists as teachers, students excel towards their creative potential in the arts. Mentored by an award-winning coaching staff, many athletic teams advance to state playoffs and earn championship titles. The 56-acre campus features numerous playing fields, gyms, a swimming pool and a wooded cross country trail.
UPPER SCHOOL Community
The Community of Trust
The EHS community is built on supportive and trusting relationships between students, faculty, administration, and parents. Daily life supports reflection and prayer, cultivated along with the physical, mental and emotional health of all.
The Honor Code
The concepts of equity, justice and honoring diversity are practiced daily. The student-led Honor Council expects students to uphold the Honor Code, which calls for respect and integrity in all interactions.
Episcopal Identity
Episcopal schools are Christian communities whose mission is to integrate spiritual formation into all aspects of the educational experience. They are populated by a rich variety of human beings, from increasingly diverse religious, cultural, and economic backgrounds. Episcopal schools exist not merely to educate, but also to demonstrate and proclaim the unique worth and beauty of all human beings and encourage all to seek clarity about their own beliefs and religion and to honor those traditions more fully and faithfully in their own lives.
The EHS community is built on supportive and trusting relationships between students, faculty, administration, and parents. Daily life supports reflection and prayer, cultivated along with the physical, mental and emotional health of all.
The Honor Code
The concepts of equity, justice and honoring diversity are practiced daily. The student-led Honor Council expects students to uphold the Honor Code, which calls for respect and integrity in all interactions.
Episcopal Identity
Episcopal schools are Christian communities whose mission is to integrate spiritual formation into all aspects of the educational experience. They are populated by a rich variety of human beings, from increasingly diverse religious, cultural, and economic backgrounds. Episcopal schools exist not merely to educate, but also to demonstrate and proclaim the unique worth and beauty of all human beings and encourage all to seek clarity about their own beliefs and religion and to honor those traditions more fully and faithfully in their own lives.
Identifying Strengths
Students benefit from small classes, advisor/student pairings, individualized college counseling, and interpersonal relationships, all of which provide the structure necessary to become familiar with student strengths, passions, and challenges. Through knowing our students well, Episcopal is able to guide and maximize the opportunities before them.
Service Learning
Service learning empowers students to understand the challenges that face our community socially and environmentally and to take ethical actions to solve them. Through these opportunities students learn, serve and reflect.
College Counseling
Episcopal’s student to college counselor ratio of 30:1 is significantly below the private school national average. Each student is able to develop a unique rapport with his or her assigned counselor. Episcopal graduates matriculate at schools that offer them the best fit – schools where they are happy to live, comfortably challenged, and poised to succeed.
Student Clubs
Students may choose from an abundance of clubs, providing service and leadership opportunities. Club creation is student led and a small sampling includes Sr. Beta, Mu Alpha Theta, Robotics, Film, Ukulele, Fan, S.T.E.M., French, Spanish, Junior Classical League, Model United Nations, Troubador, Thespians, Mock Trial, Book, Art, Grill, Astronomy and more.
Students benefit from small classes, advisor/student pairings, individualized college counseling, and interpersonal relationships, all of which provide the structure necessary to become familiar with student strengths, passions, and challenges. Through knowing our students well, Episcopal is able to guide and maximize the opportunities before them.
Service Learning
Service learning empowers students to understand the challenges that face our community socially and environmentally and to take ethical actions to solve them. Through these opportunities students learn, serve and reflect.
College Counseling
Episcopal’s student to college counselor ratio of 30:1 is significantly below the private school national average. Each student is able to develop a unique rapport with his or her assigned counselor. Episcopal graduates matriculate at schools that offer them the best fit – schools where they are happy to live, comfortably challenged, and poised to succeed.
Student Clubs
Students may choose from an abundance of clubs, providing service and leadership opportunities. Club creation is student led and a small sampling includes Sr. Beta, Mu Alpha Theta, Robotics, Film, Ukulele, Fan, S.T.E.M., French, Spanish, Junior Classical League, Model United Nations, Troubador, Thespians, Mock Trial, Book, Art, Grill, Astronomy and more.
The Right Choice?
Since 1965, Episcopal has provided students with an academically challenging, college-preparatory education that is spiritually rooted in the inclusive tradition of the Episcopal Church.
Episcopal parents, students and teachers often describe the education that Episcopal provides with two words: “excellence” and “opportunity.”
Does Episcopal seem like the right place for you? Contact one of our admissions staff below and arrange a visit.
Episcopal parents, students and teachers often describe the education that Episcopal provides with two words: “excellence” and “opportunity.”
Does Episcopal seem like the right place for you? Contact one of our admissions staff below and arrange a visit.
Upper School Curriculum
Episcopal offers a rich and varied program of academic opportunities that connects students to their passions. Driven and supported by outstanding faculty/mentors, the curriculum at Episcopal is meant to evolve as human knowledge advances. Students are given the freedom to explore and discover new interests, and apply what they've learned to real-world problems.
College-Level Research Programs
A two-year program affording selected students an opportunity to develop critical reading, research and analysis skills through a junior year interdisciplinary seminar and an original thesis or project reflecting scholarly research and investigation in a field of their choice. Each thesis is submitted, defended, and presented in the spring of the senior year.
E-STAAR
A comprehensive, one to two-year program in which EHS students partner with Louisiana State University professors, or other researchers and graduate students, to conduct scientific or mathematical research. Students spend as many as 100 hours engaging in lab work, reviewing scholarly research, and preparing presentations.
Advanced Placement*
Students who are ready for the challenge can take any one of the more than 20 AP* courses offered in the Upper School. Courses include AP Calculus (AB or BC), AP Statistics, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics (two levels), AP French, AP Latin, AP Spanish, AP English (two levels), six AP courses in social studies and four AP courses in the arts. Honors courses exist at all levels in the core courses for students who want to engage with the subject matter at the highest level.
*Advanced Placement, AP are registered trademarks of the College Board.
*Advanced Placement, AP are registered trademarks of the College Board.
World Language and Culture
Our World Language Department offers advanced language study beyond the AP Level language courses in French and Spanish and to the AP Level in Latin. Other languages are available through one or more online providers that meet our rigorous standards. We also offer an array of in-country, immersion experiences through various exchange programs and international trips. Recent destinations have included Spain, Chile, Costa Rica, Australia, France, Ireland, Scotland, and Italy.
Writing & The Writing Center
Students have innumerable opportunities in and out of the classroom to develop written communication and the expression of ideas—analytical essays, persuasive pieces, reflective writing, short-answer responses, lab reports, creative work, research projects, etc. Staffed by student writing fellows and a faculty advisor, The Writing Center supports writers of all levels of expertise, ability and interest.
Robotics and Engineering
Our robotics and engineering program extends throughout the year in and out of the classroom. Our First Robotics League team works throughout January and February to prepare for the spring completion season and extends their work into the fall. Students may also opt to take one of our two engineering classes and advanced students often qualify for guided independent study. These year-long, project-based classes offer hands-on experience in coding hardware and software, design, 3D-printing, and a host of other interdisciplinary work.
Entrepreneurship
Students interested in understanding more about business, finance, and economics can enroll in one of our entrepreneurship or economics courses, participate in the Burkenroad Reports conference, or attend on-campus seminars by experienced business leaders. Some students have started their own businesses as a part of their experience.
College counseling
As a college preparatory school both in curriculum and philosophy, Episcopal has a comprehensive college counseling curriculum that engages students every year beginning in eighth grade. The curriculum is designed to guide students with age appropriate topics to discover personal strengths, values, and passions. This self-awareness allows students to ultimately discover the best college to help them achieve their goals and dreams.
Our college counseling staff helps students understand how different aspects of their lives shape the college search process and inform their final college decision. As the only independent school in Louisiana with three full-time college counselors, Episcopal provides unparalleled access to individualized college guidance for students and families. Our dedicated counselors use many tools to guide students including:
Personality inventories
Career surveys
Online search tools
One-on-one counseling
Small group sessions
Monthly presentations for families
Naviance: a comprehensive online college and career exploration tool
Episcopal graduates matriculate at schools that offer them the best fit along the criteria they established in their search – schools where they are happy to live, comfortably challenged, and poised to succeed.
Our college counseling staff helps students understand how different aspects of their lives shape the college search process and inform their final college decision. As the only independent school in Louisiana with three full-time college counselors, Episcopal provides unparalleled access to individualized college guidance for students and families. Our dedicated counselors use many tools to guide students including:
Personality inventories
Career surveys
Online search tools
One-on-one counseling
Small group sessions
Monthly presentations for families
Naviance: a comprehensive online college and career exploration tool
Episcopal graduates matriculate at schools that offer them the best fit along the criteria they established in their search – schools where they are happy to live, comfortably challenged, and poised to succeed.
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