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A Thanksgiving Reflection from Dr. Carrie Steakley
November 20th, 2025

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Dear Episcopal Families,
There truly is transformative power in hope. As parents, grandparents and families, I know you can relate to the hope I feel with the birth of my first grandchild. My heart overflows with hope that my son and daughter-in-law feel the joy of parenthood that I feel, and that my granddaughter will realize all her dreams. Having this type of hope in a tumultuous world is a gift. This hope inspires me to strive for excellence to ensure a bright future for the next generation, and I believe that is what we are doing here at Episcopal. Even as we all face adversity in our lives, we hold on to that spirit of hope, and quite remarkably, we find the compassion and love to share it with others.
My favorite part of being in our school community is when we are all together. There is shared pride in our students and our school when we gather at an all-school chapel, the annual Veterans Day Parade or a holiday arts performance. These occasions highlight how blessed we are to be part of a PreK-12 school, where students are known, valued and connected.
Our home football games also reflect the depth of our community. Recently, these community events have had an electric atmosphere, with Middle School team recognition, Kindergarten Buddies enthusiastically supporting their Senior Buddies, Squires tailgates and even an Upper School field goal kicking competition. As confirmation that Episcopal encourages students to pursue their interests and excel in a variety of ways, the winner of that contest was Lauren Bradford, a Webster Scholar, National Merit Semifinalist and the 2025 Episcopal Homecoming Queen.
While these moments of celebration are remarkable, I am always in awe of your response in moments of challenge. Under the lights of Memorial Stadium this fall sports season, our community showered fifth grader Talyn Jones with love. Our football team, which shared a special video message with her earlier this season, designated her the honorary captain during the coin toss. The Knights began the season by honoring Kareem Badawi’s family in a similar fashion, answering that call to uplift, serve and support.
Our community also answers the call to service beyond our campus through meaningful service-learning experiences. For example, our first graders and girls soccer team shared letters of encouragement with local cancer patients. Our families stepped up to support the Great Turkey Giveaway with the Shepherd’s Market. Our Upper School students helped make an area family's dream of homeownership a reality through Habitat for Humanity. These are just a few of the many service-learning projects undertaken so far this year, and how the love and support we share make a positive difference in the world. Thank you to everyone who has been involved in service learning this semester.
As we count our blessings and take a breath from a busy semester, there is much for which to be thankful. We recognized seven National Merit Semifinalists, four Commended Scholars, 75 AP Scholars, and hosted successful Mu Alpha Theta and Quiz Bowl tournaments. Our Middle and Lower School students impressed us with “High School Musical Jr,” and our student athletes earned championships and represented our school well. I am also proud of the team of faculty, staff and student volunteers who organized STEAM Knight to share their love of learning with our younger Knights.
As we look forward to the holiday season, our talented student artists take center stage. I know you will join us in supporting these outstanding artists, who dedicate a great deal of time to their craft. You don’t want to miss the beloved Lessons and Carols on December 11th at 7 pm. This special event is a fitting reminder of the reason for the season.
While this first semester may have been challenging, our community rose to the occasion as we have done time and time again. I am proud to be among you and so grateful for the community that we have built.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Thank you for your partnership with Episcopal.
The Episcopal School of Baton Rouge 2025-2026 application is now available! For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the private school, contact us at [email protected] or 225-755-2685.
Posted in the categories All, Head Of School.
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