The Good News December | 2012
In This Issue: 1
From the Headmaster
2
From the Rector
3
From the Board of Trustees
4 Campus Clips 5
Campus Clips
6 Athletic Update 7 CESPA News/ 8
Art at the Park Mistletoe Market/ Upcoming Events
Mistletoe Market Friday December 7 Noon to 6:00 p.m. Saturday December 8 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
From the Headmaster... “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” -Proverbs 22:6 Wednesday, November 14, was a picture-perfect day in Covington. Early morning clouds and chilly temperatures gave way to brilliantly clear skies and piercing sunshine as the ceremony began promptly at 10:00 AM. In a service both spiritual and celebratory, Fr. Tom Blackmon led our school community in a ceremonial groundbreaking and blessing, as we marked the start of construction for the Center of Inquiry, Christ Episcopal School’s newest and grandest building. As a backdrop to the proceedings, a banner had been hung behind the stage, and the quotation it contained served as a meaningful reminder to all of the real reason we assembled that morning. Amidst all the excitement surrounding the groundbreaking, and after the months of hard work required by our capital campaign, we all needed that reminder: that our mission at the school is not simply to build a better campus or a larger enrollment, but to “train up a child in the way he should go.” Although I love the biblical language, in more contemporary terms, the quote serves as notice to us all that our fundamental responsibility is to teach our students the message of the gospels and to instill in them Christian values which will enrich and inform their lives. As I addressed our 550 students who were assembled on the athletic field at the Christwood Blvd. campus that morning. I reminded them that they were present for an incredibly important moment in the twenty-eight year history of the school. I wanted them to understand that at a school like Christ Episcopal, the decision to build a new building
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From the Rector... Shhhh.....! It’s Advent.....The Baby is coming again..... We must be ready: Food for thought from Fr. Tom. THE DAY is drawing nigh. The pressure for the frenzy is growing. For your own sake, don’t let it take over. Being with God takes time. Advent reminds us that God, blessedly and miraculously, took time to be with us! It must be important. And spending some quiet thought with God will open your mind and your heart. Your Christmas celebration will be richer and deeper for it. Here are some thought-full words that I hope will help that happen for you and your household. And please be sure to worship throughout the remainder of Advent and into the twelve days of Nativity celebration. Worship makes it easier for God to get at you. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a gift is given.”
Some Refection Questions for Late in Advent. Stop and Think! What important and particular faith issues or spiritual issues need to be strengthened and nurtured in your life between now and Christmas? Who else needs to be involved for that to happen? How can you be more deeply, more frequently “at home” spiritually between now and Christmas? What wishes do you need to let go of in order to become more open and more aware of God’s presence in your daily life? What is the most important non-purchasable gift you need to give this Christmas? To whom? Why? Will they be receptive to it? What non-purchasable gift do you most need to be given? Who can give you that gift? Will you be willing to receive it? Have you expressed your need for that gift to the people who need to hear it? Is there anyone important in your life from whom you are isolated or cut off this Advent? Is it within your power and will to change that for the better? What would need to happen to accomplish reconciliation? Where would you begin?
Prayer for a Blessing on New Enterprises Lord, we desire to place ourselves and what we are about to undertake in your strengthening hands. Guide, direct, and prosper us, we beseech you; and as you see that this undertaking will be for your glory, grant us good success. Make us, and those who act with us, remember that, except the Lord build the house, their labor is but lost that build it. Direct us, then, O Lord, in this and all our doings with the most gracious favor, and further us with your continual help, that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may accomplish our mission and glorify your Name; through Jesus Christ. Amen.
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From the Board of Trustees... An exciting milestone in Christ Episcopal School’s evolution and growth was achieved on November 14th when we formally broke ground and blessed the site of what will be our school’s marquee centerpiece, the Center of Inquiry. For those of you who didn’t have the opportunity to attend the ceremony, I can tell you that it was inspiring to look out into the sea of our children’s faces and to observe the excitement and anticipation in their eyes at what will become a great addition to our school’s campus. I was humbled and honored to stand in front of this great school and thank all of the incredibly important and hardworking individuals who have helped make the Center of Inquiry a reality. It was virtually impossible to avoid a tear as Greg Homer received a standing ovation when his name was mentioned. I hope that each of you in the Christ Episcopal family are as excited as I am about the future of CES. I would like to again thank some of the most important individuals and teams who worked tirelessly to bring us to this great accomplishment: Past School Board Chairs Colin McComiskey and Chandra Gordon Greg Homer
Tom Blackmon
John Morvant
John Pousson
Mark Mercante
Randy Aultman
Spartan Construction
The Whitney Bank
Christwood
The Entire CES Board of Trustees
The Seniors And last but not least, a very big thanks to our incredibly generous families and friends who stepped up to make this the most successful capital campaign in CES history. Over the years I have had the opportunity to accumulate several golden handled shovels, and even a fancy silver hard hat to commemorate significant construction projects. However, I’ve never been more proud of what we, as a school community, have accomplished with this project, and I now intend to replace those artifacts with a new white hard hat that has a CES sticker perfectly placed on the front. As the late Steve Jobs said, “Everyone here has the sense that right now is one of those moments when we are influencing the future.” We can all be very proud of the fact that WE are influencing the future, and it is going to be great for our school and for our children. Jim Miles Chairman of the Board of Trustees
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The Good News, Fall 2012
Campus Clips.....
Black and Gold Day was November 9th. Students donated a dollar to wear Saints attire to help raise money for the Children’s Museum of St. Tammany
The 1st grade annualBug Bash was held late October in great weather. Students learned all about the life of bugs. The Audubon Nature Instutute insect van came by to give each class an up close look at the creepy -crawlies.
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Drop Everything and Read was a great day for everyone to spend some time with their favorite books. A prime reading space in Mrs. Todd’s class was certainly full of readers.
Grandparents Day in November was the perfect chance for grandparents to visit our beautiful campuses and see what CES is all about. Thank you to everyone who made this day a success. If you’ve made it to one of our chapel services lately you may have heard the new precussion performances. This is a new program Mrs. Marr has been able to teach this year and we are all very greatful for it.
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The Good News, Fall 2012
CES Athletic Update... CES athletics are in full swing, having completed a successful fall season we are now transitioning into our winter sports. The CES Cross Country program came away from the NIAL Championship meet with 4 team championships, while the Volleyball program won 2 team championships. Coaches Dan Ciufi, Ashley Ponder, Sheri Nozik and Mary Kay Holmes guided the CC team through a great season. The CES Sailing team has been practicing and competing since September with a highlighted team championship in the Mississippi State High School Championship Regatta. Mason Sheen has managed the sailing program with passion and drive, giving our high school students a unique opportunity to learn and excel in sailing. The high school and middle school Swim Teams finished a successful season. Swimmers placed in their divisions at various meets across St. Tammany Parish and at UNO. Basketball has already begun, with 7 teams representing grades 5-8. We have two 5th grade teams, two 6th grade teams, two 7th/8th Grade Varsity Boys’ teams (divided into Division I and Division II) and a Girls’ JV Division I team. Soccer and Lacrosse are ready to start, with these seasons going into the spring. Nathan Guice and Gina Beck are coordinating these programs and they always do a superb job. The Cheer and Spirit squads continue to practice and perform, supporting all of our sports with great enthusiasm and skill. We are fortunate to have Jane Slatten managing the Cheer and Spirit teams. We have tremendous participation and support for all of our athletic programs, and we look forward to continuing to represent CES with skill and high character. We also have a new and exciting development to promote and recognize our athletic programs, the CES Wildcat Athletic website. Please visit this site at www.wildcatathletics.org and check out the high-quality sports photography as well as articles that cover our sports teams. We are very fortunate to have this site with Gary Lee and his staff providing the coverage. Please visit and take advantage of the opportunity to experience our athletic teams in action. Doug Saylor Athletics Director (continued from cover) is made only after careful consideration and planning, and that improvements on the campus are made only because of the determination, dedication, and generosity of their parents, grandparents, and other friends of this school who sacrificed to help make it happen. We are certainly indebted to each of them for helping us reach this significant point in our campus expansion program. As we concluded that remarkable ceremony, as the scores of red and blue balloons were released in celebration and as the music and dancing began, I think it was obvious to all in attendance that this was a very special day for Christ Episcopal School -- a day of well-deserved pride, of heartfelt enthusiasm, and of tangible promise for the future. John Morvant Headmaster
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2013 Art at the Park...
Save the dates. The 27th annual Art at the Park takes place on April 19th and 20th, 2013. “Tours the Museum,” this year’s theme, will be represented throughout the exciting activities scheduled during this two day event. Friday April 19th, will begin with a fun run. Next will be the Box Parade where our students will be judged on their incredible creativity. Back by popular demand will be the parade to The Christwood Retirement Community. Lunch and a spirited talent show will round out the day. Friday evening is the Opening Night Party where sponsors, parents, alumni and friends will gather to enjoy live music and dinner. Imagine walking into a museum to view your child’s artwork. Along with the student art show will be a silent auction featuring the student class art projects along with many items donated from the community. The party will also include artist demonstrations, a live auction, raffles and a photo booth to capture all the fun. Saturday’s events will include class performances and many hands-on student art and enrichment activities. Don’t forget the smoker! The 2nd annual “Pork in the Park” BBQ contest will get you in the mood to indulge in the many concessions offered throughout the day. There are a wide variety of sponsorship opportunities and volunteer positions available. Both forms can be downloaded from ArtAtThePark.org or I will be happy to mail you a copy. If you have any questions please contact Lisa Rice at lrice@me.com. I hope you will join us in making the 2013 Art at the Park “Tours the Museum” another resounding success! Lisa Rice 2013 Art at the Park Chair
CESPA Update
It’s hard to believe Christmas is just around the corner! Where has the time gone? CESPA has been busy with a number of fundraisers and events…Blues, Brews and BBQ, Innisbrook gift wrap, Grandparents Day, the Scholastic Book Fair, Box Tops, and Christmas Greens and Poinsettias! I am pleased to report that response has been remarkable, both from our volunteers and from our parents who participated. My heartfelt thanks to you all. Amy May, Rachel Ward and a team of volunteers made our first annual Blues, Brews and BBQ a big hit. More than 150 parents attended the event and were treated to BBQ from VooDoo BBQ, brews from Abita Beer and amazing music by our very own CES parents, Michelle and Brad Burris of the New Orleans Rhythm and Blues Company. The Innisbrook fundraiser, chaired by Michelle Braswell, set a new record this year, and Mrs. Roniger’s fifth grade class enjoyed a catered lunch from The Chimes to celebrate winning the class competition for most sales. Thanks to Michelle for not only organizing a terrific fundraiser, but also for coordinating this delicious prize for our students. Beth Tees has also been very busy these past few months chairing the committee for Box Tops and organizing the Scholastic Book Fair. Both were a resounding success! Beth and her team of volunteers also did a spectacular job on Grandparents Day. We were blessed with perfect weather and a wonderful turn out of grandparents who enjoyed their visit to our school. Special thanks are also due to Wendy Brown and Catherine LaGarde who have dedicated their time and effort to making this year’s Christmas Greens and Poinsettia sales a huge success. If you didn’t get your order in, we will also be selling greens and poinsettias at Mistletoe Market. Finally, it’s almost time for the 2nd Annual CES Mistletoe Market, December 7-8, in the school gym. Chairperson Kris Muntan reports that 39 vendors have signed on to participate in the market. This is the perfect place to start or finish your holiday shopping. We’ve had a great start to the year and we look forward to serving our school in the months ahead. Sincerely, Sue Loustalot
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The Good News, Fall 2012
2nd Annual Mistletoe Market Friday, December 7, Noon to 6:00 p.m. Saturday, December 8, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CES Gym, Christwood Blvd. Campus $5.00 admission…the first 75 shoppers will receive a CES tote bag Lunch will be available both days Vendors Include: Orient Expressed Matilda Jane Blue Juniper LA Gator Leslie Dudley Art Ruth & Dennis Siporski Kelly Land Splenderfic Tama Art Tervis Tumblers
The Villa Simply Southern Not So Plain Jane Kiddie Bird Tales The French Mix Welcome Home Blossom Girl Thirty One Bella Girl Kay-la Handbags
Lucky Dog Plum Print Freebird Designs Mariel Melissa Susannah Elle Designs String Your Neck Nancy Fe Designs Caritas Stella & Dot H2O
Rodan & Fields Mary Kay Georgie’s English Kitchen Infuse Oil & Vinegar CES Greens & Poinsettias CES Spirit Apparel Bella B Pampered Chef Simplee Gourmet
Upcoming Events: December 7 -8 Mistletoe Market December 11-12 8th Grade Acadiana Trip December 14 1st Grade Mexican Possada December 14 D.A.R.E. Graduation December 17-19 HS Exams December 19 Lessons & Carols @ Christ Church 7:00 P.M. December 20 Lessons & Carols @ECC 8:45 P.M. @CBC 10:30 P.M. December 20 Noon Dismissal December 21 January 2 Christmas Holidays (No School) January 3 Classes Resume January 17 100th Day of School January 18 Faculty Retreat (No School) January 21 MLK Holiday (No School) February 4-8 Literary Week February 11-15 Mardi Gras Holidays (No School) February 22 K Fairytale Follies February 25 - March 1 MS Exams
80 Christwood Boulevard Covington, LA 70433
(985) 892-9156 Early Childhood Campus (ECC) (985) 871-9902 Christwood Boulevard Campus (CBC) www.christepiscopalschool.org
2012-2013 Board of Trustees Anne Bailey Melissa Biggs, CESPA Rep. Rev’d Tom Blackmon, Rector Erika Briggs, Secretary Charlie Caplinger, Treasurer Bill Colomb Patterson Conner, Vestry Rep. Steve Croxton John Dubreuil
Bert Duvic Sam Giberga Jim Miles, Chairman John Morvant, Headmaster Barbee Ponder, Vice Chairman Billy Preau Matthew Wilson
Admission to Christ Episcopal School is open to all qualified students regardless of race, creed or ethnic background.