The Good News July | 2014
School Administration Mr. John Morvant Headmaster Dr. Carol Barlow Junior High Division Head Mr. Jeff Brock High School Division Head Mrs. Reina Gardner Early Childhood Division Head Mrs. Molly Heurtin Lower School Division Head Mr. Jerry Henson Director of Advancement Mrs. Pam Perry Admission Director
Second Grade Biography Day
Mr. John Pousson Director of Finance and Operations
Oratory Finalists Mission Statement
Christ Episcopal School is an ISAS member. We seek to enroll all qualified students regardless of race, creed, or ethnic background.
The philosophy of Christ Episcopal School reflects the reasons for its origin: to provide a superior academic opportunity within the framework of a warm and nurturing Christian environment. Each child is special, an individual. Therefore, at the heart of Christ Episcopal School is the belief that the development of the intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual needs of each child must be tailored, to the greatest extent possible, to the individual child. We seek to give our children an awareness of God’s love and, through such an awareness, to foster those ideals - self-esteem, independence, and self-motivation - which will prepare each child for the continuing educational process. Our goal is to prepare our children for living in God’s world, with all their rights and privileges, duties and responsibilities.
In This Issue
Kindergarten Circus
High School Induction On the Cover: In keeping with the Valentine’s Day holiday, service learning project leader and art teacher, Ruth Siporski, had students sit in the shape of a heart to help them visualize the service program’s motto, “Educating the heart through service to others.”
2. From the Headmaster 3. From the Board Chairman 4. Write ON! CES 7. Around Campus 8. The Class of 2014 10. Academic Awards 12. Focus on the Early Childhood Campus 13. Focus on the Lower School 14. Focus on the Junior High School 15. Focus on the High School 16. Athletic Awards 17. Booster Club and AATP 18. From the CESPA President 19. Teacher Feature 20. CES @ 30
From the Headmaster
CES @ 30 As CES prepares to celebrate its thirtieth birthday, I’m confident that the school’s founders would be both amazed and pleased by the growth the school has experienced since 1984. Since its inception, the original vision of the school – a commitment to the development of the whole child and a focus on the individual student -- has remained central to its mission. The 2014 version of Christ Episcopal is a living testimony to that vision. We remain a school which promotes intellectual curiosity and joy in learning. Our unique emphasis on self-expression, on the arts, on outdoor education, and on intellectual rigor define CES brand. As we embark upon our next thirty years, the future of Christ Episcopal appears just as promising. The start of the high school program five years ago was a catalyst for an expansion of facilities on the Christwood Blvd. campus, including the Center of Inquiry, now one year old. Next on the drawing board is the completion of our new track and athletic field and the addition of three new tennis courts for use by our expanding student population. The school recently was re-accredited for another ten years by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS), and we remain the only northshore school so accredited. The fifteen members of our second high school graduating class, the class of 2014, included four students who had attended CES since Pre-Kindergarten, the school’s first “lifers.” Four members of the class were honored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, with three National Merit Finalists and one Commended Scholar. And you can view the impressive list of college acceptances for the class of 2014 on page 8. As we prepare for the start of the 2014-15 school term, we pledge to continue to offer our students and families the quality educational experience they have come to expect from CES. And as I begin my fifth year as Headmaster, it remains a singular honor for me to lead this outstanding school, which began quite humbly in 1984 with 34 students. When we celebrate the 30th anniversary on August 29, there will be nearly 600 students in attendance! Happy Birthday, CES! Ad multos annos!
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Act Justly Imitate Christ Instill Peace
From the Board Chairman
Dear Friends, I am honored to serve as the Chairman of Christ Episcopal School’s Board of Trustees for the upcoming 2014-2015 school year. My wife, Ashley, and I settled in Covington with our boys, Barrett and Marshall, in the summer of 2005 prior to Katrina and their first grade year. We had visited schools in the area, meeting with Mr. Homer as he fit us in between washing the sidewalks and blowing the leaves. Of course, the kids were drawn to the barn and all of the resident animals. At the end of our school visits, we asked the kids which school they liked best. Barrett immediately responded, “We like the goats, Dad.” We chose the goats. Over the past nine years, Ashley and I have watched our children and the school grow up together. Certainly, we have experienced some of the school’s growing pains, but have always believed that CES, along with its unique sense of community and freedom amongst the students and faculty, offers the finest educational experience for our sons. We will be proud to see them as part of Christ Episcopal School’s graduating class of 2017. This school year, like the proceeding ones, will be marked by substantial additional progress to solidify Christ’s position as the preeminent educational institution on the Northshore. I wish all of you a wonderful school year. L. Barbee Ponder IV
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Write On! CES At Christ Episcopal School, we are indeed proud of our well-earned reputation within the community for nurturing young authors and poets who are well prepared for the challenges of high school and college writing programs. We recognize and appreciate the many incredible talents of our students. As we all know, writing is a skill that can be taught, and it is a skill that is used widely in just about every profession, especially in today’s technological world. Therefore, in order to further extend our student writing skills in all areas of the curriculum, we have emphasized ways for students to utilize a variety of skills specific to each individual course of study. Many mathematical and scientific processes require a synthesizing of information in order to be fully understood, and through writing, mental processes help this assimilation of information to occur. In math, a student might be asked to verbalize and then write down the steps used to solve a problem. In that way, the student is building critical thinking skills. In science, it is much more meaningful for students to explain the rock cycle, for example, in their own words than to simply recite or memorize a diagram. In social studies, art, music and language, students research people and periods in history and read literature relating to their courses of study or simply write creatively about them. When students use written self-expression, they tend to gain deeper insights and understandings. In writing labs, students develop skills in a variety of writing genres while honing specific writing techniques that are needed in all subject areas. At CES, opportunities exist for students to build authentic skills in researching and writing. The actual writing process involves multiple steps, including: prewriting or brainstorming of ideas, writing multiple drafts; selfand peer-editing; meeting deadlines; using rubrics to aid in self-assessment and proofreading processes; final document production, creative presentation and publication whenever possible; and building portfolios for the collection and storage of best works from quarter to quarter and from year to year. It is through varied and complex literature that we stretch our realm of understanding and our imagination to genuinely know how to rejoice, weep, and truly empathize with characters that live inside of books. When students then immerse themselves in writing experiences that allow them to deepen their literary and factual thought processes and understandings, they are better able to know themselves and begin to decipher the world around them. It is often the very process of writing that helps us achieve more--more insight, more depth, more understanding of subject matter, and yes, more literacy and proficiency in the skill of writing itself. We are incredibly proud of our CES student writers. Our very own student literary magazine, “The Athenian,” contains marvelous examples of junior and senior high school student writings from the 2013-14 school term. Additionally some of our CES student authors and poets won very prestigious awards for their writing during the past school year. -Maurine Magne, Curriculum Specialist, Junior High School
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“So You Think You Can Write” Contest Winners
Young Authors and Literary Festival Winners Pitch Black in Sight By Rachel Leith, Sixth Grade Honorable Mention, Poetry Louisiana Young Authors Blisters on my feet Mud in my hair Edge of the highway Not a penny to spare Teeth rotting out Torn shorts and shirt No friend at all Ravenous without food Blind as I can be No happiness no smiles In this land I can see Downcast and gloomy Stricken with grief Filled with fright In the pitch black night No sleep no doze With the noises of cars Sitting by the road With nothing at all
Night Hawks By Coleman Guidry, 7th Grade Poetry, Third Place Hammond Regional Arts Writing Contest in Response to Specific Artwork Dark night in Chicago The usually loud and bustling streets Halt all activity The only emanating light A small diner A cheerful couple Chats of mundane topics The tired workman Sleepily and gloomily sips his coffee The waitperson Dressed in bleached white attire Works at a lackadaisical pace The outside streets are silent Closing time The couple and a workman exit The waitperson polishes the counters Grabs his coat On the way out, shuts off all light Making Chicago once more Cloaked in darkness
Where I’m From By Ashtyn LeDoux, Fifth Grade First Place, Poetry, Louisiana Young Authors I am from bruises and scratches, from Clorox and Band-Aids. I am from the house, not big, but not small. It is bricks and living; it feels like love. I am from the trees, the pinecones, green and brown. I am from helping others and brown hair, from Joanna and Andre and Susan. I am from hunting and fishing, from “be good” and “be polite”. I am from Covington, the Philippines, Washington, fried rice, and barbecued shrimp, From the USAF that my grandfather was in. I am from Covington and you can’t change who I am.
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Moving By Mia Migliore, 7th Grade Writing Lab Chosen by Mr. Morvant for the CES Admissions Packet I was eleven. I was moving to a new school, Christ Episcopal School, in Covington, Louisiana I remember my dad saying, “I was in the same grade you’re in now when I moved, Mia. It was the best year I ever had. I’m sure yours will be, too.” In my mind I say, “I hope.” I am riding in the car To my new school I can feel my heart pounding in my chest Rising in my throat and ears As we get closer The louder the pound gets “You’re going to be fine,” my mom says. I didn’t know what to expect Not one idea I didn’t really like change Not one bit I walk into my homeroom There I see smiling faces Welcoming me Right then I knew this was the place for me Three Flags (Excerpt) By Rebecca Bell, 8th Grade Essay, First Place, Hammond Regional Arts Writing Contest in Response to Specific Artwork America, with its proud inhabitants, freedom drenched laws, and a history strengthened with each telling, began from the ground up, with passion and desperation. America started small, with hazy stars and blended stripes, but gradually and steadily grew. The story of America is one commonly known. A country of freedom emerged from the ruins of war, and became, with time and freedom, a melting pot of cultures and beliefs. The story of America is still developing today, and it’s a story which is not quite as clear. The painting by Jasper Johns, Three Flags, can be interpreted in multiple different ways. Are the three flags growing in size? Or shrinking? Why are the flags weathered? How does this relate to the evolving story of America? Let us imagine for a moment that we see the flags shrinking, with their stripes and stars faded from neglect and a lack of care. America has turned into a place where freedom is limited. Political parties have turned against each other, defeating their original purpose, which was to strengthen the voice of each individual. The political parties are favored by specific regions where their belief is so strong that they begin to see the other party as the enemy. The freedom of living where you want and believing what you want without being ridiculed for it is now nonexistent. A type of war has started in America, a war where people believe so strongly in their own mindset that the hatred they have for the other party clouds their ability to listen and learn from them. What started as a desire to strengthen and help America has hindered it, turning its own citizens against each other.
Varsity vs. St. Peter
ECC Art Stroll
Literary Week - Rhythm and Soul
Cinco de Mayo
SELU Regional Science Fair
A Capella Performance at Parent Appreciation Night
Lower School Chapel with Bishop Thompson
Wildcat Den
Spirit Week
Headmaster for the Day
A r o u n d C a m p u s
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Congratulations to the Class of 2014
Christ Episcopal School celebrated the graduation of the 15 members of the Class of 2014 with two special events. A Baccalaureate Service was held on Thursday, May 15 at Christ Episcopal Church in Covington. The Commencement Exercises took place in the Center of Inquiry on Friday, May 16. A particularly academically talented and artistically inclined group, the members of the Class of 2014 possess many unique areas of interest, among them classical debate, philosophy, 4-H, cinema, linguistics, and music. Four members of the graduating class have attended Christ Episcopal School since PreKindergarten, the school’s first “lifers.” Four members of the class have been honored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, with three National Merit Finalists and one Commended Student. As this phenomenal group leaves CES for college, we wish them well and hope that they stay in touch and visit often!
College Acceptances Pomona College Yale University Dartmouth College Columbia University Brown University University of Pennsylvania USC School of Cinematic Arts Georgetown University Duke University Emory University Roanoke College Loyola University of New Orleans 8
University of Mississippi Tulane University Macalester College U Mass Amherst Centre College Millsaps College Rhodes College Samford University The University of the South Chapman University University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Loyola Marymount University New York University Northwestern University St. John’s College Belmont College LSU Honors College Spring Hill College St. Edward’s University Sam Houston State University University of Southern Mississippi Southeastern Louisiana State University
Senior Night 2014 On Wednesday, May 14, Christ Episcopal School celebrated the 59 students who comprise the Class of 2014! If that number appears large, that’s because it is. We are used to hearing about the 15 seniors, our second high school graduating class. But 59 is the number of students who have attended CES at some point between PreKindergarten and 12th Grade. They are alums, but not graduates, but we still count them as members of the Class of 2014. It was great to catch up with so many former students, who provided updates on their high school experiences and plans for the fall.
Baccalaureate
Graduation
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Junior High Awards National Geographic Bee Award First Place - Aidan Gagliano Second Place - Colin Rice Science Fair Achievement Award Seventh Grade - John Paul Boyer, Colin Cottrell, Abbey Daniel, Josh Devier, Cullen Irwin, Sophia Leith, and Julia Rabito Eighth Grade - Rebecca Bell and Emmett McComiskey Iota Sigma Pi Award for Outstanding Project by a Female Junior High School Student - Rebecca Bell Southeast Louisiana District Literary Rally Spanish I - Rebecca Bell Physical Science - Emmett McComiskey Louisiana High School Rally Association Spanish I – Division V – Second Place - Rebecca Bell Louisiana Young Authors Rachel Leith – Honorable Mention - Fiction Zoe Couch – Second Place – Poetry Olivia Fried – Third Place – Short Story Coleman Guidry – Third Place – Poetry Rebecca Bell – First Place – Essay Ellie Miles – Second Place – Short Story
Golden Apple Awards Writing Sixth Grade - Rachel Leith and Brooke Lyons Seventh Grade - Olivia Fried, Colin Rice, Lauren Sliman and Shelby Smith Eighth Grade - Rowan Abadie and Rebecca Bell Language Sixth Grade - Alexandra Coughlin and Reece Loustalot Seventh Grade - Mary Claire Dubreuil, Mia Migliore, Julia Rabito, and Shelby Smith Eighth Grade - Lilli Mast and Ellie Miles Math Sixth Grade - Callan Danenhower, Justin Guidry, Rachel Leith, and Drew Putfark Seventh Grade - Eli Applebaum, Madeleine Berrigan, Coleman Guidry, and Riley Whitehead Eighth Grade - Annabel Bailey and Ellie Miles Science Sixth Grade - James Bradford and Alainah Grace Reidy Seventh Grade - Josh Devier Eighth Grade - Emmett McComiskey Social Studies Sixth Grade - Patrick McQuaid Seventh Grade - Ethan Farrow Eighth Grade - Ellie Miles Spanish Sixth Grade - Dakota Charity, Ann Baker Lagarde, and James Miles Seventh Grade - Meg Mercante, Lily Miller, Reagan Rovira, and Zachary Uson Eighth Grade - Spanish I, Rowan Abadie Spanish II - Rebecca Bell Physical Education Sixth Grade - Alyssa Acosta, Jack Ballard, Keaton Boucher-Isbell, Ann Margaret Christopher, and Daniel Nunez Seventh Grade - Christopher Flood, Blake Lewis, Emma Pollet, and Ava Williamson Eighth Grade - Aiyana Thomas Art Sixth Grade - Alexandra Coughlin, Gracie Lagarde, Jane Nelson, and Drew Putfark Seventh Grade - Zoe Couch, Ethan Farrow, Mary-Kate Murphy, and Kathleen Sullivan Eighth Grade - Rebecca Bell Music Sixth Grade - Bronson May Seventh Grade - Christopher Comeaux Eighth Grade - Emma Rosenfeld
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Service Learning Sixth Grade - Ladd Duvic and Gracie Lagarde Seventh Grade - Luci Eberly and Aidan Gagliano Eighth Grade - Lilli Mast and Emmett McComiskey
High School Awards Academic Awards
Science Biology I - Theresa Lieth Biology II - Sarah Robinson Physics - Gordon Bailey English Athenian Olive Tree Award - William Willis and Cody Smith American Literature Honors Excellence in Literature - Oliver Jenkins and Jonah Philippi Excellence in Writing - Catherine Zelenka American Literature Excellence in Literature - Sean Claiborne and Austin Doherty Most Improved in Writing - Ale Smith and Armand deLaureal English IV Excellence in Literature - Karen Robbins and Cody Smith Excellence in Writing - Madison Monroe AP Language and Composition - Carter Friend and Jack Bevolo Poetry - William Willis and Cody Smith 20th Century Literature - Sarah Robinson and Leah Bell Spanish Spanish I - Cameron Smith Spanish II - Lauren Carrere Spanish III - Cove Geary Spanish IV - Gordon Bailey Spanish V - Jack Bevolo and William Willis Publications Publications I - Karen Robbins Publications II - Ingrid Sjunnesen
Physical Education 9th - Andrew Newberry 10th - Austin Doherty Art Fine Art Survey - Caroline Clark Studio Art I - Martha Ann Croxton Studio Art II - Oliver Jenkins Service Awards 10th - Max Cook 11th - Christian Hastings 12th - Emma Costa Perfect Attendance - 1st -12th grade 2,160 Days Christopher Koehl National Honor Society Inductees Juniors Gordon Bailey Graham Guillory Christian Hastings Oliver Jenkins Matthew Snitzer Seniors Leah Bell Jack Bevolo Carter Friend Madison Monroe Jonah Phillippi Sarah Robinson Ingrid Sjunnesen Cody Smith William Willis
Math Algebra II - Armand deLaureal 9th - Theresa Leith 10th - Alexandra Vining 11th - Gordon Bailey 12th - Jack Bevolo History Western Civilization - Ashley Gilly AP European History - William Willis U.S. History - Asha Thomas World History - Jonah Philippi Speech Speech I - Andrew Newberry Speech II - Emma Costa Multimedia - Gordon Bailey
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Early Childhood Campus
Top Left - Mrs. Odenwald has students help her mix the ingredients for love on Valentine’s Day. Top Right - Students dressed as their favorite superheroes on Heroes Day during Literary Week. Mid Left - Birdhouse Breakfast is a time for Kindergarten students to sit down with dad and create memories before going to First Grade. Mid Right - In celebration of Mother’s Day, Early Pre-Kindergarten has a day to share with mom, which included letters written to mom and a picnic near the Bogue Falaya.
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Bottom Left - Dressed to represent different countries, students stand in unity during the Early Pre-K Multicultural Day, Petit Monde.
Lower School
Top Left - Studying magnets, First Grade had an opportunity to invent toys and helpful items powered by magnets. Pictured is a race car arcade. Top Right - World’s Fair made a return to Third Grade. Students told traditional stories and sang traditional songs from the areas of the world they studied and represented. Mid Left - Having a chance to see the fruits of their labor. Second Grade visited a local Habitat House to plant flowers around mailboxes they helped purchase with the proceeds from the CES Express Post Office. Mid Right - On their visit to the state capitol, Fourth Grade also got to take part in a mock committee meeting lead by Representative Paul Hollis. Bottom Right - The Lower School enjoyed a full talent show production that included singing, dances, gymnastics, and comedy acts.
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Junior High
Top Left - After a full year of hard work students got a chance to taste their harvest with the help of local chef Jared Tees. Top Right - The Junior High Student Council hosted a Hollywood themed dance to dress up and let loose. Mid Left - Freezing temperatures finally gave way in late February for Eighth Grade to take their much delayed bike trip. Mid Right - Seventh Grade had a chance to hit the rapids on their end-of-the-year trip to North Carolina.
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Bottom Right - Another highlight of the Seventh Grade North Carolina trip was being “blobbed”. Using this large inflatable platform students enjoyed taking turns launching one another into the cool lake on Camp Carolina’s grounds.
High School
Top Left - Early April in Boston still proved very cold for our students on their Senior Trip. Top Right - High School Spanish students participated in Spanish Oratories given before their peers. Mid Left - Ninth Grade’s trip to Yosemite still had plenty of snow in April for our Louisiana students to experience on this Outdoor Education trip. Mid Right - Our Eighth Grade students officially became high schoolers at the High School Induction Ceremony Bottom Right - Our first Senior Speak event allowed students a chance to present a multi-genre project that they worked on all year before other students, parents, and the community.
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A t h l e t i c A w a r d s
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Sport
Team
Swimming Swimming Cross Country Cross Country Cross Country Cross Country Volleyball Volleyball Volleyball Flag Football Flag Football Flag Football Cheer Cheer Sailing Equestrian Equestrian Equestrian Basketball Basketball Basketball Basketball Basketball Basketball Basketball Soccer Soccer Soccer Lacrosse Lacrosse Track & Field Track & Field Track & Field Track & Field Tennis Baseball Golf Golf
Junior High Julia Rabito Christian Kramer High School Max Cook Gordon Bailey JH Boys Aidan Cambre Patrick Elliott JH Girls Ann Margaret Christopher Alexandra Coughlin JH Boys Samuel Kellum Alexander Preau JH Girls Zoe Couch N/A JV2 Ashtyn LeDoux Emma Lambert JV1 Anna Camille Braud Margaret Rose Manshel Varsity Abbey Daniel Lilly Miller JV2 Patrick Brown Andrew Slatten JV1 Miles Gensler Davis Heebe Varsity Christopher Flood Blake Lewis Varsity Squad Meg Mercante Riley Whitehead Spirit Squad Claire Berrigan Emory Thomas Powell High School Alexander Preau Maya Anderson Elementary Logan Barowka N/A Junior High Isabella Rodwig Megan Cato High School N/A N/A JV2 WHITE Andrew Addison Andrew Kerr JV2 RED Cooper Brennan William Zinsel JV2 Girls N/A Kaylin Thomson JV1 Miles Gensler Davis Heebe Varsity RED Wyatt Pinto Reiss Plauche Varsity WHITE Ben Seiden Nicholas Briggs High School JV Kyle Swords Jonah Phillippi High School Marshall Ponder Asha Thomas NIAL Team Matthew Vicknair Ethan Plauche RED Team Reece Loustalot Sarah Massey U11 Patrick Brown Andrew Addison U13 Christopher Flood Hyde Healy JH Boys Samuel Kellum Reiss Plauche JH Girls Ava Williamson Madeleine Berrigan MS Boys Patrick Elliott Ethan Plauche MS Girls Alexandra Coughlin Ashtyn LeDoux MS/Jr. High/HS Mary Claire Gianoli Nicholas Briggs MS/Jr. High Patrick Thompson Luke Croxton 6th Grade & Under 7th/8th Grade Emmett McComiskey Joshua Verges
Most Valuable
Most Improved
Wildcat Award Wildcat Award
Male Female
Character Award Hope Robinson Sarah Robinson Nicholas Ditta Alyssa Acosta N/A N/A Shea McQuaid Anna Brown Mia Migliore Ben Broussard Justin Guidry and Bronson May Zachary Uson Lauren Sliman Meg Morris Payton Beck and Coleman Guidry N/A Molly Heurtin N/A Shepherd Schaumburg Preston Dotson Shea McQuaid Nicholas Ditta Beck Heebe Hyde Healy Gordon Bailey Barrett Ponder Aiyana Thomas Sam Davidson William Ragan Jakob Massey Bailey Smith Sydney Schultz Andrew Slatten Anna Brown Sam Muntan Bronson May James Miles Grant Addison
Christopher Flood Ava Williamson
Wildcat Award Winners
Booster Club It’s official! After many years in the making, the Christ Episcopal School Athletic Booster Club has been formalized and everyone is invited to participate. The Booster Club’s primary goal is to enrich the experience of our student athletes by providing financial support for CES’s athletic programs. In addition to financial support, the Booster Club recognizes that participation in athletics benefits everyone and promotes opportunities to build and strengthen relationships among all involved: the student body, coaching and teaching staff, parents, and the community. The mission of Christ Episcopal School athletics is to teach character through sport, build confidence, develop social skills, sports skills, and physical fitness, and to cultivate a culture of servant leadership. The Booster Club will support the school in all of its fundraising efforts to enable the school to maintain its commitment to our student athletes and meet the objectives of the master plan: To construct outstanding athletic facilities, to retain current students and attract new students, and to continue to engage the community in the strategic growth and development of our campus. The Booster Club aims to develop athletic facilities and programs that match the caliber of the academic opportunities available at CES. Our outstanding PE teachers and coaches deserve facilities that are representative of their commitment to our students and that will best enable them to succeed. There are three fundraisers planned for the upcoming school year, so please plan to support the Booster Club and CES athletics by getting involved in the golf tournament, 5K, or tennis tournament. Players, runners, sponsors, donors, and volunteers are always welcomed! If you are interested in participating in the Booster Club in any capacity, please contact Jane Slatten, this year’s Booster Club President, or any member of the PE department. Thank you for your ongoing and enthusiastic support of the CES Wildcats!
Art at the Park 2014 Art at the Park has been a fixture at Christ Episcopal School and in Covington since 1986. Annually, the event brings in significant funds that go toward supporting the school’s most pressing programmatic concerns. At the same time, the event celebrates the arts and allows members of our community (students, teachers, parents, and locals) an opportunity to create, view, demonstrate, and celebrate the arts. An event with components geared toward students, then our parents, then the broader community, Art at the Park is two days of “fun raising” and fund raising with educational and financial benefits for our program and every member of the Christ Episcopal School community. At right, Jennifer Wieseneck, 2014 Art a t the Park Chair, presents the Big Check to Headmaster John Morvant
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From the CESPA President Dear Parents, I am so excited to be a part of the 2014–2015 CES Parents Association (CESPA) Board! It’s going to be a fun year celebrating 30 years of Christ Episcopal School education. CESPA’s focus is on building community by engaging parent education opportunities, networking and socializing among parents, steering volunteer opportunities within the school community, and fundraising. Blues, Brews & BBQ Back to School Bash (set for August 15), Raising Up for Living Strong speaker series, Grandparents & Special Friends Day, Mistletoe Market, Literary Week, and Art at the Park are just a few of the events and activities sponsored by the parents’ association. CESPA also sponsors From Our Table to Yours, the school’s network to assist any member of our school community during a time of need. And this fall we will host our first school-wide Bingo Night. The CESPA Board invites all parents, and grandparents, to be a part of this wonderful experience by taking a role that best fits your busy life. Do as little or as much as you can. Every hour that you spend volunteering makes it possible for us to achieve our goals in making our children’s experience at Christ Episcopal a joyous one. I hope to see you at Blues, Brews & BBQ on Friday, August 15! And for you new-to-CES parents, please plan to attend our orientation for new parents that evening, which begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Center of Inquiry theater. This will be an excellent opportunity to meet the school administration, hear an overview of the school programs, meet your CES Connections host family, and participate in a brief question and answer session with the school’s leadership team. For more information about CESPA, or to volunteer and get involved, feel free to email me at CESPA@ christepiscopalschool.org. Beth Tees CESPA President 2014-2015
Mistletoe Market
Blues, Brews, and BBQ Art at the Park Patron Party 18
CES Recognizes Faculty and Staff Anniversary Milestones Christ Episcopal School is so privileged to have such a committed faculty and staff, over half of whom have served the school for more than 12 years. Our community of students, parents, and colleagues has benefitted greatly from the dedication and rich experience of these individuals. This year, we recognize and thank those faculty and staff members celebrating a five-year increment of service to Christ Episcopal School!
Jo Dufour 25 Years
Melinda Weissman 25 Years
Angel Carter 5 Years
Suzette Day 20 Years
John Morvant 5 Years
Sonia Hernandez 15 Years
Mary Patterson 5 Years
Important Dates for 2014-2015 August 7 August 8 August 11 – 15 August 29 September 1 October 3 October 17 October 22 October 23 November 21 November 24-28 December 23 – January 4 January 19 February 16-20 April 3 April 6-10 April 17 April 18 May 15 May 22
First Day of School at CBC First Day of School at ECC (half-day) Half-Day Schedule at ECC 30th Anniversary Celebration Labor Day Holiday Parish Fair Holiday Grandparents’ Day (half-day) Admission Open House at ECC Fore! Wildcats Golf Tournament Parent/Teacher Conferences (no school) Thanksgiving Holiday Christmas Break MLK, Jr. Holiday Mardi Gras Holiday Good Friday Holiday Easter Holiday AATP Box Parade and Opening Night Party Art at the Park High School Graduation Last Day of School (half-day)
*Some dates subject to change
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C e l e b r a t e 3 0 Y e a r s 20
Christ Episcopal School was established in 1984 as an outreach of Christ Episcopal Church. Its founding was the result of a recommendation by the Long Range Planning committee to the Vestry, and under the leadership of the Reverend Steve Holzhalb the need for a school was identified. Reverend Craig Wylie came to Christ Church in 1983 as Associate Rector with responsibility for youth and Christian Education. He would become the first Headmaster of the school. The members of the initial planning committee were: Gina Stone, Denny Charbonnet, Jeanne Crotty, Ann Forster, and Suzy Graham. The members of the first Board of Trustees, originally called the School Committee of the Vestry of Christ Episcopal Church, for the school were: Don Bann, Denny Charbonnet, Gill Dyer, Suzy Graham, Martha Greene, Bill Hurt, Ted Mortenson, Oran Stewart, and Gina Stone. Many of those names are still spoken in the halls of Christ Episcopal School, and we are so grateful for their leadership and vision. The Vestry approved the opening of the school on February 15, 1984 and the Founding of the School Ceremony was held on June 24, 1984. Christ Episcopal School opened its doors to students on August 29, 1984, utilizing the church’s Sunday School classrooms. That first day, there were seven teachers, a Headmaster and 34 students in grades one through four. By the end of the first year, enrollment had climbed to 45 students. Tuition the first year was $1,795.00 with a $200 registration fee. The initial faculty included Mrs. Jane Butler (music), Ms. Francie Rich (art), Mrs. Cindi Raymond (Physical Education), Mrs. Lynn Hladkey (first grade), Mrs. Joan Gunderson (second grade), Mrs. Rebecca Redmond (third grade) and Mrs. Gina Stone (fourth grade). In September, Mrs. Catherine Goodman joined the faculty as its eighth member to offer Spanish language classes. As we look forward to the first day of the 2014-2015 school year, enrollment is approaching 600 students. CES now offers a program that includes 15 years of instruction, from Young Pre-Kindergarten through 12th Grade. Those earliest days in the Sunday School seem a distant memory as we now enjoy the use of two campuses and spend much time considering the wise development of our 36-acre Christwood Boulevard Campus. As the only school on the Northshore accredited by ISAS, Christ Episcopal School has not just grown in physical size and enrollment, but also in the quality and rigor of our academic offerings, with the number of faculty and staff approaching 70 members. After 30 years, the original vision for the school has not changed. CES remains committed to the development of the whole child – intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. The philosophy of Christ Episcopal School reflects the reasons for its origin: to provide a superior academic opportunity within the framework of a warm and nurturing Christian environment. On behalf of every student who has benefited from the support of the Christ Episcopal School community, thank you!
Growing with Grace
From the CES Archive
First Seventh Grade Graduation 1988
School Groundbreaking 1984
Kindergarten Pumpkin Patch Visit 1989
Pet Blessing 2000
Post Office Opening 1994
Field Day 2004
Non-Profit Presort Standard U.S. Postage Paid Covington, LA 70433 Permit No. 80
80 Christwood Boulevard Covington, LA 70433 (985) 892-9156 Early Childhood Campus (ECC) (985) 871-9902 Christwood Boulevard Campus (CBC) www.christepiscopalschool.org RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Admission to Christ Episcopal School is open to all qualified students regardless of race, creed or ethnic background.
Stay in Touch with CES! LinkedIN: linkedin.com/company/christ-episcopal-school-covington Facebook: facebook.com/christepiscopalschool Twitter: @CESWildcats84
Photo Courtesy of Chris Granger