The Good News November | 2010
In This Issue: 1
From the Headmaster
2
Board of Trustees
3
Christian Education Peace Prayer
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4, 5 Campus Clips Lower School Athletics Annual Fund Operating Principles for Students
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7
CESPA News
Mark your calendars! AATP 2011 will host a “Fais Do Do” April 15 th & 16 th, 2011. See page 7 for more information.
From the Headmaster... Instruments of Peace t a recent Middle and Upper School chapel, on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, I spoke about the life of that great saint, particularly about his love for all of God’s creatures. I suggested to the students that, were he alive today, St. Francis would have admired Christ Episcopal School, particularly our wilderness education program which teaches respect for the environment and a comfort with the outdoors. And I told the students that, of course, St. Francis would have particularly loved The Barn and Clearwater Wildlife Sanctuary, with that program’s emphasis on rehabilitating injured and orphaned animals and teaching our younger students to respect and love those creatures who most need our help. Then I went a bit further, suggesting that St. Francis would have also loved our school Mission and Operating Principles. His life was spent imitating Christ and instilling peace; he showed what it means to be a Christian. And so I challenged our students with an assignment to be completed in their Christian Ed classes: list three ways you can imitate Christ and instill peace at school at school. Their responses helped create a new set of Operating Principles for Students, listed on page 6. Finally, the students were introduced to The Prayer of St. Francis, also called the Peace Prayer (see p. 3), which they pray daily in their Christian Education classes.
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ll this provided the students a meaningful backdrop to their introduction to the books of Greg Mortenson: Listen to the Wind (Lower School and ECC), Three Cups of Tea (Middle School), and Stones Into Schools (Upper School). Mr. Mortenson’s story is now well known by every student at CES: An attempt in 1993 to scale the world’s second highest mountain, K2, resulted in Mortenson’s becoming disoriented and lost, and he stumbled into a poor village in Pakistan called Korphe. Moved by the kindness of the villagers, he promised to return and build a school there for its children. His journey to build that first school, and his subsequent efforts in building over 150 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, is a remarkable chronicle of overcoming adversity and learning to work with diverse people to accomplish extraordinary things. In addition to reading the books, we have invited our students and the entire school community to participate in the “Pennies for Peace” program, which supports the efforts of Mortenson’s Central Asia Institute in building schools and creating educational opportunities for the children, especially for girls, in that impoverished region.
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he overarching message for our students is this: they need to become Instruments of Peace at home, at school, and in the world. I believe that St. Francis and Greg Mortenson would passionately encourage our students in that quest. With concern being voiced nationwide about bullying in schools, and the attention being paid to the often mean-spirited relationships among school-aged children, Christ School must remain a beacon of peace, a place where children can express their individuality as unique children of God, without fear of insult or abuse. We are determined that our school remains a sanctuary for every child who enters our doors, where kindness and respect define every relationship, where imitating Christ and instilling peace are living principles which inform everything that we do. John Morvant, Headmaster
from the Board of Trustees.... When I walk through the Early Childhood Center, I hear the voices of the youngest students of our school and see their joy as they work and play. There is an overwhelming sense of purpose, love, and belonging. When I walk through the Lower School hallways. I see neatly hanging art, class projects, and colorful surroundings. I see work that far exceeds what I was doing at that grade level when I was a child. I marvel at the potential of the children whose work fills these classrooms. When I walk through the middle school, I see faces of children I have known since my son was in kindergarten at CES. They are quickly becoming teenagers, and discovering their own identities, character, purpose, and dreams. In the classroom, they are mastering material that at times seems more like college courses than middle school. I am impressed by their abilities to discern, assimilate, and balance.
Our Board has a full plate this year as we move forward with the needs depicted in our Master Site Plan. Our vision is a fully developed campus that preserves the much cherished green space while designating permanent space for enrichments and sports programs. Specifically, we need a place for indoor worship, a second gym, a track, a soccer field, additional parking, a new library, a multipurpose space and additional specialized classrooms. We are also discussing the Early Childhood Center and the possibility of relocating it to the Christwood Boulevard campus, but there are no definitive plans at this time. As we move forward with developing our campus, we see great opportunities for children in the ECC, Lower School, Middle School and Upper School, and we will do all that we can as a Board to ensure CES continues to grow to meet our students’ needs.
I would also like to thank each member of our Board for their hard work and service. As a board, we meet once a month, and we divide our core duties into committees which meet regularly during the month. Jim Miles leads the Facilities Committee; Matt Holzhalb heads Finance; Colin McComiskey chairs Development; Bill Colomb serves as Governance Chair; and Father Tom Blackmon chairs the Nominating Committee. Erin Berrigan serves as our CESPA representative and Jeff Bell as our Vestry representative. There is also an
When I walk through the new building where our current high school classrooms are located, I see the mission above the lockers and the near-adult sounding voices discussing geometry, chemistry, Shakespeare and more with great interest and confidence. It is as if the teachers have become coaches knowing just what plays to call, when more practice is needed, and which talents to strengthen. Executive Committee which I chair, and we have our officers. In addition, each board member serves on one to two committees Just as each child grows and makes his or her journey through which meet regularly and then report back to the full board. ToCES, our school itself is growing up as well. Please know that gether, we discuss and at times vigorously debate but always with as we continue to add grades, the Board of Trustees is commit- one purpose -- to ensure the sustainability of the CES mission. ted to conserving the uniqueness of each level of our school I have absolute confidence in the 17 members of our CES board -- ECC, Lower School, Middle School and High School -- and am grateful for their service to our school. with an appreciation that together we are one school with one mission. Chandra Gordon, Chair, Board of Trustees
2010-2011 CES Board of Trustees: Left to right - Jim Miles, Bill Colomb, Jill Giberga, John Morvant, Lain St. Paul, Anne Bailey, Erin Berrigan, John Dubreuil, Erika Briggs, Chandra Gordon, Jeff Bell, Colin McComiskey, Barbee Ponder, Billy Preau, Bert Duvic. Not pictured: Rev’d Tom Blackmon.
“The Board of Trustees is committed to conserving the uniqueness of each level of our school -with an appreciation that together, we are one school with one mission. ” The Good News, Summer 2010
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The Peace Prayer
In our Pre-K through Fourth Grade classes we are using a method of teaching called Godly Play. In Godly Play we have developed an environment, a sacred space that fosters discovery learning in which children feel safe and welcomed. It is a place where the children can come together and build community; where together we learn the art of using religious language to encounter the elusive mystery of God and then to use that language to find meaning in our lives. Jerome Berryman, the founder of Godly Play says “what children need is not to be filled with facts or to be entertained but to learn the art of how to use the best language possible to identify their experience of God. Intuitively, play seemed to be the way to help children learn and practice this language and to name and express what they already know”. This is our work in Godly Play.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled, as to console; To be understood, as to understand; To be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Christian Education...
In his book Telling Secrets, Frederick Buechner says “Maybe nothing is more important than that we keep track, you and I, of the stories of who we are and from where we have come from and the people we have met along the way. Because it is precisely through these stories and all their particularities, as I have believed and often said, that God is known most powerfully and personally. If this is true, it means to lose track of our stories is to be profoundly impoverished not only humanly but also spiritually”. In Christian Education at CES, we use religious language in the telling of sacred stories, parables, and liturgical action.
In the Fifth through the Eighth grade the students have been studying the rich language and imagery of the Psalms as well as the poetry and stories of “wisdom” literature in the Old Testament. The curriculum they are following is called Episcopal Children’s Curriculum from the Virginia Theological Seminary. They have been studying about the suffering of Job, rules for living a good life in the book of Proverbs and the story of Tobit. In Ecclesiastes, they studied how to deal with the big questions of life and death while talking about everyday life. Exposure to a variety of biblical literature helps the students appreciate more fully the long story of God’s people – their times of joy and of sorrow, of triumph and of despair. The Seventh and Eighth Grade is also using the Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens to help these teens cope with tough issues and life-changing decisions. The stories in the book are written by and about teens and address issues like self image, peer pressure, achieving goals and even getting along with parents. Character education has always been woven into our classes. After all, how can you study scripture and not be talking about core ethical values? This year we expanded the Second Step curriculum from Pre-K and K to our First through Sixth grade classes. The foundation of the curriculum rests on three essential social competencies: empathy, impulse control and problem solving, anger management. The lessons provide opportunities for students to develop core values through developmentally appropriate modeling, reinforcement, and practice. Having said all this, this is the work that is set before us and it is big work. Through God’s help the teachers of these students will continue to serve the students of CES and together they will journey with the students in finding where they are in the stories or what part of the story is about them and even maybe even make the story their own. Barbara Sears, Christian Formation Chair
“Exposure to a variety of biblical literature helps the students appreciate more fully the long story of God’s people – their times of joy and of sorrow, of triumph and of despair.” 3
The Good News, Summer 2010
Campus Clips.....
The CESPA 2010 Family Picnic was held on September 12th. Families brought food and CESPA provided old fashioned fun. There were games, relay races, volleyball, obstacle course, tug of war, and crafts. Everyone had a great time.
The school year started out with the traditional back to school hot dog lunch. Mr. Morvant enjoyed his time at the ECC luncheon, above.
The Kindergarten Fish Fest gave everyone the opportunity to learn about fish through a variety of fun, creative hands-on activities.
The CBC Campus was crawling with entomologists and their parent helpers for the Bug Bash in October. Not only did they learn about insects and bugs, but they created unique hats and eyewear during the day.
Fifth graders traveled to Dauphin Island Sea Lab in early November. The weather was chilly, but they got to experience marine life from a variety of perspectives. In the Touch Lab they learned about different marine invertebrates and vertebrates and get to touch the animals. In the same lab they also dissected a squid. In the Plankton Lab, they also collected samples and viewed plankton under microscopes and then built their own plankton.
The Good News, Summer 2010
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High school math classes have a new look this year: Here, math teacher Kitty Pellisier, works with students at the new ceiling-to-floor chalk boards. “It’s great to be at CES!”, says Kitty. “ I already feel at home here. One program I’ve found particularly exciting is the Exeter method used in many of our high school math courses. This student-centered approach focuses on developing problem-solving skills on a daily basis.”
Once again we were blessed with wonderful weather for our annual Grandparents’ Day. Chapel services, tours of classrooms as well as wonderful food provided by CESPA volunteers were the order of the day. The 4th grade “Butter Buddies” Popcorn Company also held their official ribbon cutting. Everyone had so much fun! Mr. Soto challenged his ninth and tenth grades to use Halloween trick or treat time to collect canned goods for the fourth grade Food Drive. They collected so much that the cans filled the window ledges that circle the high school building!
GO SAINTS!!!!!!! Prospective students and their parents gathered together at the second annual upper school Open House on November 11, and were welcomed by CES headmaster John Morvant. There was a panel discussion during which many of the current high school students discussed the privileges and responsibilities incumbent upon them as the first students to forge the CES high school program. Younger students considering the CES high school option asked them a variety of questions. Parents formed several visiting groups and met with each of the school’s teachers, who personally described their educational philosophies and the student experience in the classroom. The evening concluded with a power point presentation during which Mr. Morvant described the high school curriculum, electives, activities, sports, his vision for academic excellence, the future Center of Inquiry, and the plans for expansion of the CES campus.
CESPA sponsored gradelevel coffees were held at the beginning of the year at both the ECC and CBC. These coffees gave parents a chance to reconnect, hear from their school division Head, from Mr. Morvant and learn about planned CESPA activities.
In October, the Middle School held its annual Crazy Hat Day culminating in the Crazy Hat Contest in the gym. Donations of $1.00 were accepted, and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes were awarded. The Outreach Committee raised $127 which was donated to St. Jude's Hospital to help purchase hats for cancer patients. Thank you for your support.
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The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra performed for the first through fourth grades in the first of 3 concerts they are giving throughout this school year. They introduced the french horn, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon in an interactive session in the CBC gym.
The Good News, Summer 2010
Lower School...
Athletics...
It is my pleasure to head the Lower School for the 2010-2011 school year. My husband, Chris, and I moved to Louisiana 3 ½ years ago from Ohio after he accepted a new job. This move fulfilled a lifelong dream of mine to live in the South. In March 2010, Chris and I welcomed a son, Will, who never fails to intrigue us more and more each day. The leisure activities that I enjoy include spending quality time with my family, cooking, shopping, and traveling.
Many CES students were busy after school and on week-ends this fall with Cross Country, Flag Football and Volleyball. All of the results are posted in the athletics section on Sycamore but we have to note the highlights here. Congratulations to the 2nd grade boys’ half-mile cross country team, who won first place in the NIAL Championship with a perfect score of 15! Kudos also to the Elementary Boys’ one-mile (3rd & 4th grade) team, and the Middle School Boys’ 1 1/2 mile (5th and 6th grade) team, who also won 1st place in the NIAL Championship.
At CES, we feel each day presents wonderful opportunities to make a difference in the lives of our children. Students in grades 1 - 4 enjoy busy school days. First Grade has been diligently studying bugs. They enjoyed their annual Bug Bash and plan on visiting the Insectarium in mid-November. Second Grade has been hard at work studying and writing research papers on Sharks. The hallway has turned into a “sea of great work”. Third graders have been busy studying the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. Each student created a 3-D model of a creature from the reef and wrote a report. Students really enjoyed sharing them with the class! Fourth Grade’s grand opening of their popcorn company, “Butter Buddies”, was a success on Grandparents’ Day. The Company sells popcorn every Thursday for 25 cents per bag.
In volleyball, the Varsity Division I, JV division I, and JV 6th grade division II all won 2nd place in the NIAL championship. Flag football JV A Division II won 2nd place in the NIAL championship.
“Celebrate Each Student”
We begin and end each week with a chapel service, which is typically held in the outdoor chapel area behind the 1-2 building. Please feel free to come with your child and join us for our biweekly celebrations. We are very fortunate to have a part-time teacher for each grade level to assist with reading and math skills, which allows for small groups. Enrichments play an important role in facilitating a well-rounded child. Students in the lower school have Physical Education, Library, Art, Spanish, Music, and Christian Education built into their weekly schedules.
CES Annual Fund
The Annual Fund is a critical component that helps maintain a balance between affordability for families and financial stability for our school, while preserving the excellence of our programs. All gifts are used to enhance and strengthen the day to day life of the students at Christ Episcopal School. The funds are included in the general operating budget and support the academic programs, faculty salaries and benefits, financial aid, the arts, athletics, technology, library, facility upkeep and maintenance and debt service. These funds are not used for capital construction projects.
I believe that children truly are our future. Each and every child has the potential to bring something unique and special to the world. As the Lower School head, I will help the children develop their potential by believing in them as capable individuals. I will assist the teachers to ensure that the children discover who they are, so they can express their own opinions and nurture their own ideas. I have a vision of a world where we all learn to respect, accept, and embrace the differences between us, as the core of what makes life so fascinating. Julie Estep, Lower School Head
Our 2010-2011 Annual Fund goal is to achieve 100% participation from CES parents. With 100% participation, we hope to reach last year’s goal of $200,000. The amount of your gift is not as important as your participation. You can give a gift by mail or online. The Annual Fund ends on June 30, 2011. All gifts are tax-deductible, so please remember CES in your yearend tax planning. Thank You!
“OPERATING PRINCIPLES FOR STUDENTS” Respect others. See God in everyone. Do a good deed daily. Embrace differences. Listen to what others have to say. Reach out and help others. Be kind. Be kind. Be kind. The Good News, Summer 2010
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Art at the Park - 2011
We are so excited to be a part of the 25th anniversary of ART AT THE PARK!! Our theme is “AATP Hosts a FAIS DO DO” and plans are well underway to making this “FAIS DO DO” an unforgettable event.
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On April 15th, we will start out the day with the Fun Run and the annual Box Parade. The student “box creations” are so creative you won’t want to miss them. Come join the excitement as we march with the band around the Christwood Campus and ring in the 25th AATP! The fun doesn’t stop there…
CESPA News...
It is hard to believe we are approaching the holiday season. It feels like we just started back to school. CESPA volunteers have been working very hard over the past couple of months. As school began, we had a great turnout at our coffees, which gave parents an opportunity to learn what to expect for the coming school year. The back-to-school picnic was held in September and the students and families had a wonderful time. There were many activities for parents and students to enjoy. What a great event!
That evening, the Opening Night Party showcasing Cajun music, a GRAND 25th silent auction and a few of our CES Artist painting live during the party for your enjoyment and silent bidding!!! The cuisine will again be provided by Chef John Besh Restaurant Group/Chef Jared Tees and promises to be fabulous! Saturday April 16th offers all the Food, Fun, Music, Talent, and Art Activities that you and your family could possibly enjoy!
We just finished up our Sally Foster, cookie dough, and Christmas greens sales which were all a big success. Poinsettias and Tervis tumblers are on sale now; both make great gifts.
There are a wide variety of sponsorship opportunities available. If you have a business or would personally like to participate as a sponsor, please contact Susan Morgan at susantmorgan@bellsouth. net or go to our website, www.artatthepark.org for a sponsorship brochure.
Grandparents’ day took place at the end of October. It was a delightful day for students and grandparents to spend together. A great big thank-you goes out to all of the volunteers who worked so hard on making it such a huge success.
So, Come one ..Come all…STUDENTS, PARENTS, ALUMNI, and FRIENDS. We invite you all to come join us at this FAIS DO DO and ….
CESPA has also been providing meals and treats to the faculty, administration and staff to show our appreciation for all they do.
LAISSEZ LES BON TEMPS ROULER!!!!
As the holiday season approaches we have many wonderful events coming up. Pre-K Breakfast with Santa, 1st Grade English Tea, and Lessons and Carols, just to name a few.
Susan Morgan AATP 2011 Chair
When we return from the holidays, Literary Week will take place in February. It is a week-long event which brings much excitement. The students really enjoy it, as it encourages students to develop a love for reading. Before we know it, Art at the Park will be here in April. This is the 25th anniversary of AATP and many plans are underway to ensure a fun-filled event.
Cindi Raymond AATP 1986 Chair AATP 2011 co-Chair
Don’t Forget the $5000 Raffle Tickets on Sale Soon! At all School Offices, Simplee Gourmet, and Braswell Drugs.
There are so many more activities happening which would be impossible without the ongoing support of our volunteers. It is truly what makes CES such a special place. Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season.
Drawing at Opening Night Party. Winner does not need to be present to win.
Sincerely, Jill Heebe CES Parents’ Association President
All CES students are invited to participate in the AATP design contest. All designs must have a Fais Do Do theme, and may incorporate the 25th Anniversary of AATP. They must use primary colors and be 8 1/2” by 11”. These designs will not be returned to the student. Entries must be submitted to the office by December 17th to be considered. The winning designs will be used on the AATP T-shirt. 7
The Good News, Summer 2010
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Custom Mailer
80 Christwood Boulevard Covington, LA 70433 (985) 892-9156 Early Childhood Center (ECC) (985) 871-9902 Christwood Boulevard Campus (CBC) www.christepiscopalschool.org RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
2010-2011 Board of Trustees Anne Bailey Jeff Bell, Vestry Representative Erin Berrigan, CESPA Representative Rev’d Tom Blackmon, Rector Erika Briggs Bill Colomb John Dubreuil Bert Duvic
Jill Giberga, Secretary Chandra Gordon, Chair Matthew Holzhalb Colin McComiskey Jim Miles John Morvant, Headmaster Barbee Ponder, Vice-Chair Billy Preau, Treasurer Lain St. Paul
Admission to Christ Episcopal School is open to all qualified students regardless of race, creed or ethnic background.
Yes, I’m a CES Alum! Here’s what I’m doing now:
Name: Address: City: State: Zip: Phone: Email: CES Graduation Year: High School & Graduation Year: College & Graduation Year: What I’m Doing Now:
We really want to hear from you!!! Please cut this out and send it to Christ Episcopal School, 80 Christwood Blvd., Covington, LA 70433, attn: Alison Greffenius. Information may also be emailed to alumni@christepiscopalschool. org. or submitted online at www.christepiscopalschool.org/alumni.
Upcoming Events: November 22 - 28 Thanksgiving Holidays November 29 School Resumes December 4 ECC Breakfast with Santa December 22 Lessons & Carols ECC Service: 8:45 Christwood Blvd. Service: 10:30 December 22 Half Day of School December 23 - Jan. 2 Christmas Holidays January 3 School Resumes January 15 AATP Sponsorship Deadline to be Listed on Invitation January 17 Martin Luther King Day - No School January 24 2011-12 Contracts Out January 30 Episcopal School Sunday February 4 End of Second Trimester February 14 - 18 Literary Week February 28 2011-12 Contracts Due March 7 - 11 Mardi Gras Holidays - No School March 14 School Resumes