The Good News Summer | 2015
Celebrating the Start:
The Early Childhood Campus and the Path to Graduation
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 Campus Head Mr. Jerry Henson Director of Advancement Mrs. Molly Heurtin Lower School Division Head Mrs. Pam Perry Admission Director Mr. John Pousson Director of Finance and Operations
School Board of Trustees Mr. Barbee Ponder, Chairman Mr. Steve Croxton, Vice-Chairman Mr. Charlie Caplinger, Treasurer Mrs. Erika Briggs, Secretary Mrs. Nicole St. Paul, Vestry Representative The Rev’d Bill Miller, Rector, Christ Church Mr. Adam Currier Mr. Bert Duvic Mr. Sam Giberga Mr. Clark Heebe Mrs. Beverly McQuaid Mr. Pramod Menon Mr. John Morvant, Headmaster Mrs. Jane Preau Mrs. Jane Slatten Mrs. Kelli Blessey, CESPA Representative
Christ Episcopal School is an ISAS member. We seek to enroll all qualified students, regardless of race, creed, or ethnic background.
In This Issue 2. 3. 4. 5. 10. 11. 13. 14. 16. 18. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26.
Mission Statement 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.
Headmaster’s Welcome Board Chairman’s Welcome Teacher Feature Early Childhood Campus The Class of 2015 Senior Night and Baccalaureate Graduation High School Awards Junior High Awards Athletic Awards Kindness Week Focus on the Lower School Focus on the Junior High Focus on the High School Booster Club From the CESPA President Art at the Park 2015 Goes Under the Big Top
Headmaster’s Welcome Great Expectations Early in the summer, I attended the annual conference of ISAS Heads of School in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The final presentation at the conference was delivered by a gentleman named Wes Moore, and his story was compelling. Wes Moore grew up in the Bronx and in Baltimore, the product of an inner city upbringing. His parents, understanding the value of a good education, enrolled young Wes in a private high school, but he flunked out. His next stop was a military school, Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania, where he excelled and became class president his senior year. He graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 2001 and later earned a Master of Letters from Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. Mr. Moore went on to a distinguished career in the military, serving with distinction in Afghanistan and was appointed in 2006 as a special assistant to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He presently works for Citigroup in New York as an investment counselor. As Wes was being lauded by the media in Baltimore for his exceptional success, he learned about another young man from Baltimore, also named Wes Moore, whose story was quite different. This “other” Wes Moore was two years older, had grown up in the same Baltimore neighborhood, but he was heading to prison for life for murdering an off-duty police officer. Wes Moore decided to meet the other Wes Moore and through visits in prison and conversations with family and friends, they learned of many parallels in their lives. The result was a book called The Other Wes Moore, which was widely read and well-received critically. In relating their story at our conference, Wes Moore told about one particular conversation he experienced with the other Wes Moore, during which they questioned and tried to identify the factors which caused their paths to be so divergent. The environments in which they grew up were similar, so that seemed not to be the answer. And it was actually the other Wes Moore, from his prison cell, who suggested the following: We are not simply products of our environment, but we are products of our EXPECTATIONS. I believe that to be a simple but profoundly important thought for us all, and certainly a worthy one for any of us engaged with children, whether we are parents or teachers or clergy or coaches or employers. I told this same story to our teachers at our beginning-of-the-year faculty meetings, and I suggested to them that at CES, we need to do everything we can to inspire our students to believe in themselves and to reach high. If our students truly know that their teachers believe in them and they also believe firmly in their own ability to achieve, then their chances of doing so are greatly enhanced. And so I told our teachers that it is their responsibility to communicate that very message to every student: “I believe in you. I know you can do this. I expect great things of you this year!” And so I invite all of you to approach your children and the new school year with the same perspective. We all need to have great expectations for the coming year, and we all need to believe that 2015-16 can be the best year ever for every student and in every classroom at Christ Episcopal School! John Morvant Headmaster
2
Board Chairman ’s Welcome As we start the 2015-16 school year, I want to update you on the various initiatives on which your Board of Trustees has been focused over the past year, and also let you know where we intend to concentrate our efforts over the final ten months of my term as Chairman. In January, I wrote to you that we would be commencing construction of the track and field complex only after ensuring that it was properly sited so as to maximize its long-term future value to our School and utilize our scarcest natural resource - land - in the most efficient manner. That process took much longer than we ever anticipated, but I am extremely pleased to inform you that FINALLY! - the planning is complete, the permits are in hand, the construction contract is signed, and work has commenced on this $1.2 million improvement to our campus. Our current plans call for the complex to be substantially complete and usable by December of this year. Go Wildcats! In January, I also explained how important our ongoing discussions were with the Church and Christwood to obtain additional land on the other side of Christwood Boulevard to support the School’s future expansion. We worked diligently over the summer to reach agreement on this transaction, and I am, again, extremely pleased to report that earlier this month, the School acquired an additional 8.7 acres of land on the other side of Christwood Boulevard. This represents a substantial increase in the School’s “paw print”, being the last undeveloped parcel of land contiguous to our existing campus. Significantly, we were able to acquire this acreage without incurring any additional debt or relinquishing any of our existing acreage. In August, the School entered into an agreement with Christwood and Stirling Properties regarding the much needed extension of Christwood Boulevard to East Brewster Road. This extension will provide a second, safer entrance to our campus, while ensuring that Christwood Boulevard never becomes a through street. The initial planning for this extension project has commenced with Stirling Properties acting as the developer. With all of the above described events behind us, the Board will now focus on finalizing a Master Plan in order to guide future efforts to put our entire 44+ acre campus to use in continuing to fulfill our core mission - providing our students with the preeminent academic experience on the Northshore. All of these accomplishments have been made possible by the tireless devotion of your School Administration, a dedicated Board of Trustees, the support and guidance of the Vestry of Christ Episcopal Church, and the incredible generosity of our families. L. Barbee Ponder IV Chairman, Board of Trustees
3
Teacher Feature 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 benefited greatly from the dedication and rich experience of these individuals. We recognize and thank those faculty and staff members who celebrated a five-year increment of service to Christ Episcopal School during the 2014-2015 school year! Five Years
Cindy Cusimano
Laney McKnight
Peggy Aultman
Amy Clark
Suzanne Varney Ten Years
Maurine Magne
Gayle Croxton
Amanda Rushing
Vicky Vaughn
Fifteen Years
Reina Gardner
Svetlana Marr
Becky Roth
Twenty Years
Patti Daigle-Brown
Twenty-Five Years
4
Robin Cardinale
Sally Cromwell
Cindy Dean
Lana Dessauer
Pam Perry
Early Childhood Campus The Early Childhood Campus at Christ Episcopal School is located in Old Covington, directly next to Bogue Falaya Park. It is our first opportunity to live out our mission statement, which is to provide a safe and nurturing environment, predicated upon Christian principles, which will provide children with the opportunity to develop emotionally, physically, cognitively, creatively, and spiritually. The program is conducted in an atmosphere of dedication and love, working in close partnership with the parents who have entrusted their children to our care. The staffing and programming is designed to ensure that each child is recognized as a unique individual, created in God’s image. As such, the program recognizes and values each child’s personal pattern and timing of growth in relation to developmental goals. Meet the Faculty and Staff Reina Gardner
Sara Pellegrini
Bridget Chatham
Mary Patterson
Julie Christopher
Revé Pounds
Pre-kindergarten Teacher Early Childhood Education, University of Alabama, Birmingham, BA Elementary Education, Mississippi College, MA 19 years experience; 4 years at Christ Episcopal School
Pre-kindergarten Teacher Early Childhood Education, Southeastern Louisiana State University, BS 8 years experience; 8 years at Christ Episcopal School
Cindy Cusimano
Allison Smith
Patti Daigle-Brown
Pattie Taylor
Melissa Hall
Vicky Vaughn
Early Childhood Campus Division Head Psychology/Early Childhood Education, Tulane University, BA Early Childhood Special Education, University of New Orleans, M.Ed. 27 years experience; 15 years at Christ Episcopal School
Early Pre-kindergarten Teacher Early Childhood Education, Concordia University, BS 20 years experience; 9 years at Christ Episcopal School
Art and Library Teacher Occupational Therapy, Louisiana State University, BS 6 years experience; 6 years at Christ Episcopal School
Spanish and Christian Education Teacher Elementary Education, Loyola University, BS Reading Specialist, Loyola University, M.Ed. 36 years experience; 20 years at Christ Episcopal School
Pre-kindergarten Teacher Early Childhood Education, College of Charleston, BS Elementary Education and Reading Specialist, Loyola University, MA 15 years experience; 2 years at Christ Episcopal School
Music and Physical Education Teacher General Studies, Louisiana State University, BA 4 years experience; 3 years at Christ Episcopal School
Office Manager Nursing Science, Nicholls State University, BS Registered Nurse for 19 years; 6 years at Christ Episcopal School
Kindergarten Teacher Early Childhood Education, University of New Orleans, BS Early Childhood Education, University of New Orleans, M.Ed. 22 years experience; 7 years at Christ Episcopal School
Kindergarten Teacher Elementary Education, Southeastern Louisiana University, BS Curriculum and Instruction, Southeastern Louisiana University, M.Ed. 15 years experience; 12 years at Christ Episcopal School
Kindergarten Teacher Elementary Education, University of New Orleans, BA 32 years experience; 10 years at Christ Episcopal School
5
Early Childhood Campus Philosophy Christ Episcopal School (CES) views Early Childhood education as a child’s first opportunity to experience the exciting process of learning and self-discovery. This high quality, excellent learning environment is supported by best-practice teaching guidelines and responsive care giving, surrounded by authentic learning experiences. The Early Childhood program at Christ Episcopal School consists of one early pre-kindergarten class (called the Busy Bees), three pre-kindergarten classes and three kindergarten classes. In each classroom there is one full-time degreed, certified teacher in addition to a qualified assistant. Children also attend art, music, physical education, Christian education (Godly Play), Spanish and library. The program runs from mid-August to the end of May, with an all-day, five-days-per-week schedule. With 22 adult faculty and staff, the Early Childhood Campus (ECC) prides itself on providing a safe, nurturing, caring, Christian environment that fosters learning in a developmentally appropriate way. The program is conducted in an atmosphere of dedication and love, working in close partnership with parents who have entrusted their children to our care. The staffing and programming is designed to ensure that each child is recognized as a unique individual created in God’s image. As such, the program recognizes and values each child’s personal pattern and timing of growth in relation to developmental goals.
The Curriculum The curriculum is theme-based and incorporates five developmental learning domains: social/emotional, physical, cognitive, creative, and spiritual. All of these domains play a vital role in the development of the whole child. By integrating cross-curricular units based on specific themes, children are provided with opportunities to further develop socially and emotionally, physically, cognitively, creatively, and spiritually. Communication and cooperative effort between grade levels ensures consistency and continuity in each child’s individual learning experience. Social and emotional development is a main goal at CES. The children are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions, possessions and jobs in the classroom. An environment has been created that encourages confident, happy, independent learners and friends, and one that also promotes behaviors needed to live and work successfully in a community. The physical learning domain is addressed through the daily opportunity to develop fundamental fine motor skills, as well as gross motor skills in the classroom, on the playground, and during enrichment classes. Purposeful activities are used to promote the development of key performance components needed to complete a task. These activities provide opportunities for the development of sensorimotor, neuromuscular, gross motor, and fine motor functioning. The cognitive domain is divided into four categories: Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science. The children participate in activities throughout the school day: in small-group learning during center time, in whole-group learning during circle and calendar times, during free play and working with peers, and during one-on-one time with teachers. Teachers use an integrated approach, in which all concepts are taught under common thematic units.
6
Early Childhood Campus The language arts program (linguistic development) focuses on the development of expressive and receptive language to foster emergent reading and writing skills. In addition, focus is placed on the enhancement of listening skills and vocabulary growth, acquisition of alphabetic principles, introduction to phonemic awareness and early literacy skills. Literary experiences support studies of genres such as nursery rhymes and fairy tales, and also incorporate story elements, sequencing, and dramatic expression. CES recognizes the importance of instilling a love of reading and writing in all children, and is committed to meeting the needs of children with different learning styles. Teachers model strategies of good readers and writers, and as the students proceed through our curriculum they learn to recognize sight words, decode words, and put their thoughts on paper in large groups, small reading groups, and during individual conference time. Creative writing is included across the curricula to reinforce the skills of inventive spelling, punctuation and sentence structure, word building and segmenting, and sequencing and story elements. The children regularly write in personal journals and collaborate with teachers and peers in creating class books, as well as participate in creating a print-rich environment. The math program includes hands-on activities and materials in order to give concrete meaning to abstract mathematical concepts. Through the math program, the children develop mathematical concepts that help them understand their world, lending it to child-initiated higher-level thinking. The children are provided with hands-on manipulatives, as well as abstract methods of manipulating mathematical concepts. The program presents children with concepts of mathematical vocabulary, number and shape recognition and identification, counting, place value, sorting and patterning, problem solving, comparison of quantity, charting and graphing, measurement, estimation, higher order thinking skills, adding and subtracting, making sets, and tallying. The social studies curriculum emphasizes what is necessary to live and work in a community. Children are viewed as valued members of the school family who are integral to the day-to-day success and positivity of our environment. Focus is placed on providing children with a sense of local and global awareness. The routine and structure of the classroom environment helps the children understand how it parallels real world situations and encourages independence in self help skills. In the science program, discovery, observation and exploration provide the foundation for thematic units of study. The innocence of a young child’s wonder and inquisitiveness is valued and embraced. It is from here that the curriculum takes shape – as a springboard from the children’s inquiries. Using various child-appropriate materials, they are encouraged to explore and experiment. While teachers ask open-ended questions, children are urged to ask their own questions and use the scientific method as a way to discover the answers. Within the creative domain, the school’s philosophy is that artistic expression is basic to an individual’s intellectual and emotional development; therefore, students participate in a broad range of activities and media that encourage the individual’s creativity. The creative arts are interwoven throughout the curriculum, in addition to the enrichment classes. The spiritual learning domain is addressed in the classroom, through regular prayer and reflection, in Chapel and Eucharist services, in Monday Meeting, and during weekly Godly Play (Christian education classes). These opportunities help to prepare our students with an awareness of God’s love, and to foster ideals of self-esteem, independence, and self-motivation.
7
Early Childhood Campus Enrichments The enrichment programs at the Early Childhood Campus (ECC), regardless of the specific subject being taught, reflect the CES mission with the intention of fostering self-esteem, independence, and self-motivation in the students. They provide opportunities to help the children accumulate skills that will be important in future academic accomplishments, while being educated within a framework that demonstrates an awareness of God’s love. Always, it is a joyful process, one that gives the children an opportunity to create while encouraging a lifelong love of learning. The art program is geared towards motivating and challenging children to express their ideas, thoughts and feelings through the use of an ever changing variety of art media. Students exhibit independence, selfexpression and a willingness to use imagination while taking risks by engaging in art work. During class, children enjoy and take pride in their work, while also understanding and using correct art vocabulary. The children make discoveries about color, line, shape, form and texture through art experiences. Materials used throughout the year include: color wheels, paint, crayons, glue, sponge paint, clay, paper maché, textured rollers, wax, brushes, and miscellaneous materials used for sculpture. The Spanish curriculum is designed to help the youngest students engage in foreign language with great pride and enthusiasm, through new vocabulary, ideas and concepts. The program balances strengthening fundamental foreign language skills with cultural awareness based on the joy of learning and exploration. Academic goals include the introduction of basic Spanish vocabulary, greetings, songs, prayers, and expressions. Equally important is the goal of fostering students’ awakening cultural understanding that each individual student is a part of a global community, in which different cultures are expressed verbally and socially in distinct ways. Students are exposed to the concept of what it means to be a child in another culture, complete with different vocabulary, clothing, architecture, music, food, and holiday traditions. Each Spanish class offers a consistent foundation of Spanish vocabulary to appeal to a variety of learning styles, addressed through games, songs, poetry, finger play, props, art, stories, scavenger hunts, small motor movement, class games, drama, and critical thinking questions against the backdrop of its larger thematic unit and/or holiday theme. Second Step is a character development program. It is designed to reduce aggressive behavior and increase social competence in children. School provides a setting where children develop personal and social skills that promote the development of productive relationships while acquiring ways to deal with conflict, develop personal responsibility, and internalize positive attitudes. Stories, puppets, songs, role play, and group discussions are used to engage the children and reinforce the lessons. During music class the children are exposed to seasonal, spiritual, and thematic songs. Selections of music include songs from different cultures and time periods as well as various styles. Classical, folk and local music are introduced in addition to traditional children’s songs. Students prepare for various school performances and church services and are provided the opportunity to become familiar and creative with musical instruments such as drums, rhythm sticks, bells and tone bars. Sound is explored through singing, moving, listening, and playing instruments. Aspects of sound such as loudness and softness, rhythm, high and low sounds, and duration are discovered. Children engage in group dance exercises and dramatic play activities. Class lessons develop community building, cooperation skills, and self-discipline, and improve self-image.
8
Early Childhood Campus Activities in the physical education program are presented in a way to encourage a noncompetitive, lifelong love of exercise and physical fitness. During full-body warm-up routines set to seasonal and thematic music, students are provided with a foundation of general body awareness and motor skills for future sports and fitness programs. Group activities and traditional games strengthen cooperation and listening skills. The children have many opportunities to develop strength, flexibility, eye-hand coordination, agility, and cardiovascular strength during curricular units. The Christian education program includes Godly Play, Chapel service, Eucharist and Monday Meeting. The Godly Play curriculum is one where the classroom is set up according to Montessori methods to teach about Bible stories, the sacraments, the Church year, the Saints, and how people behave in a Christian community. The remaining aspects of the program give the opportunity to provide a framework of a warm and nurturing environment‌to give the children an awareness of God’s love (as stated in the CES Mission Statement). Lessons are based on what is happening on our campus, in our world, and in our lives, and relate to the church calendar, thematic operating principles for the students, or global events. The mission of the library program at CES is to foster a community of lifelong learners and to encourage students and staff to become active, independent and discriminating users of ideas and information. The librarian plans lessons in coordination with the classroom teachers to support, reinforce, and extend the curriculum. Here, the opportunity is taken to introduce children to different genres as well as to teach them how to recognize book award seals, how to look for a specific book, and to develop an appreciation for authors and illustrators. The children learn to become responsible for their checked-out books and learn about the process used in the library to help it remain organized and structured.
9
The Class of 2015 Congratulations to the Class of 2015
Christ Episcopal School celebrated the graduation of the 13 members of the Class of 2015 with two special events. A Baccalaureate Service was held on Thursday, May 14, at Christ Episcopal Church in Covington. The Commencement Exercises took place in the Center of Inquiry on Friday, May 15. The class Valedictorian was Gordon Bailey and the Salutatorian was Asha Thomas. Other major award winners included: American Legion Award - Gordon Bailey and Asha Thomas Greg Homer Award - Graham Guillory Headmaster’s Award - Gordon Bailey and Matt Snitzer The Class of 2015 is a tight-knit group with myriad interests and accomplishments. Of our 13 CES seniors, two, Armand de Laureal and Graham Guillory, have been at Christ Episcopal since pre-kindergarten, our so-called “lifers.” This class and its achievements give Christ Episcopal School so many reasons to be proud. As this group leaves CES, we wish them well and hope that they stay in touch and visit often!
College Acceptances Auburn University Chapman University Lewis and Clark College Louisiana State University Louisiana State University, Honors College Loyola University of New Orleans Millsaps College Pennsylvania College of Art and Design Rhodes College
10
Savannah College of Art and Design School of the Art Institute of Chicago Southeastern Louisiana State University Spring Hill College Trinity University Tulane University University of Alabama University of the Arts, Philadelphia
University of Colorado, Boulder University of Louisiana, Lafayette University of Mississippi University of New Orleans University of Southern Mississippi The University of the South University of Virginia Washington and Lee University
Senior Night On Thursday, May 14, Christ Episcopal School celebrated the 59 students who comprise the Class of 2015! If that number appears large, that’s because it is. We are used to hearing about the 13 seniors, our third high school graduating class. But 59 is the number of students who have attended CES at some point between pre-kindergarten and 12th grade. Most are alums, but not graduates, and we still count them as members of the Class of 2015. 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
11
Baccalaureate Baccalaureate Speech Anne J. Bailey, May 14, 2015 When Mr. Morvant asked me if I would like to say a few words about what Christ Episcopal School means to me and our family, my first reaction was to say: “Oh no, it’s not my thing to give speeches!” But then, on reflection, especially since John asked me at the intermission of last week’s Senior Speak, I thought, “If these 13 young men and women can all get up on stage at Senior Speak, then the least I can do is to say a few heartfelt words about the institution that guided them to this pivotal point in their lives.” Christ Episcopal is much more than a school where we just hand over our children in the morning and get them back eight hours or so later. CES is a dynamic partnership between teachers, staff, parents, and students. We are all working towards the same goal: namely, giving our children the best possible foundation for their futures, both academically and ethically. You may say that’s the mantra of all schools, but, as in all things, not all schools are created equal.
Anne and Glyn Bailey with their son, Gordon Bailey ‘15, at the Senior Ring Ceremony. Photo Courtesy of Eric Suhre
My personal relationship with CES, both as a board member for six years and now as a member of the high school advisory committee, has been one of the most rewarding relationships of my life. I’ve had the privilege of seeing our son, Gordon, grow into a fine young man whose strengths, both in and out of the classroom, were recognized early on by the gifted and insightful teachers who guided and nurtured him in an unusually open-minded and fertile environment. I’m reminded of the scene in the Monty Python movie, The Life of Brian, where the character Brian shouts out to a ranting mob from his balcony window – “You’re all individuals” – to which just one man in the crowd of a thousand raises his hand and replies: “I’m not!” Brian’s words could be the mantra of Christ Episcopal School: “You are all individuals”. Turning out cookie-cutter students is not what education should be based on. CES is not a purveyor of ‘conveyor belt’ education and one of its great strengths is recognizing the uniqueness of each student. CES encourages individuality. It encourages children and young adults to think out-of-the-box and it is not afraid to be challenged, even on matters of faith. Open-mindedness in all things is healthy and it’s one of the many reasons why we, as a family, love this school so much. We moved to Covington from England two years before Hurricane Katrina. From out of the blue, my husband, Glyn, was offered a job in New Orleans at Delta Queen Steamboat Company and we spent an agonizing couple of weeks deciding whether we should pack our bags and make this life-changing move. Our children, though both born in New York City, were attending an English school at the time – a bit like Hogwarts actually – and they had developed rather sweet British accents. For instance, our daughter, Annabel, used to say, “Mummy, can I please have a glass of water?” Nonetheless, after much deliberation, we decided to make the move. However, Glyn insisted that we live in Covington. But having grown up in New Orleans and not having spent much time in Covington, I was worried about what school we should send our children to. But then … we met the one and only Greg Homer, who was the Headmaster at the time. Greg is certainly not a cookie-cutter teacher and he epitomizes the uniqueness of this school and its core philosophy. It truly is: A Center Of Inquiry. Now, under the sensitive and tireless direction of John Morvant, this school is growing from strength to strength and we look forward to Annabel growing within this same nurturing environment. Having the faith not to go to one of the more established high schools in the area has paid off many times over. Instilling in our children the pioneering spirit to be part of something new and vibrant has been a priceless experience, not only for them, but for us as their parents. It goes back to this feeling of individuality that I spoke of a moment ago. In a world where we can sometimes be tricked into thinking that we are just another cog in another wheel, CES stands out as a school that celebrates and encourages the fact that there is only one of each of us. We can never be repeated and we can never be replaced. WE ARE UNIQUE. So, as these young adults take their first steps from childhood into adulthood, and as sad as it is to see them go, I know that they could not have been given a better foundation for life than here at Christ Episcopal School. And for this beautiful gift . . . we are eternally grateful.
12
Graduation
13
High School Awards Art
English
Theater Tech Ruth Siporski........................................Mason Hayward
Speech Anne-Liese Fox.......................................Asha Thomas
Art I Sarah Sparkman-Boyd....................................Ellie Miles Art II Sarah Sparkman-Boyd.................................Hayden Beck Art III Sarah Sparkman-Boyd...............................Oliver Jenkins
Debate Anne-Liese Fox.........................................Cove Geary
Health & P. E.
English I Honors Chad McElveen........................................Rebecca Bell .................................................Emmett McComiskey
Lana Dessauer......................................Morgan Fulgenzi .............................................................James Bevolo Luke Beudean.....................................Andrew Newberry
English II Chad McElveen.....................................Barrett Ponder ........................................................Cameron Smith
History Civics Jeff Brock ................................................Asha Thomas American History Jerry Henson..........................................Hadlee Calvert AP American History Suzette Day.............................................Heath Rushing Western Civilization Greg Homer...................................Emmett McComiskey ................................................................Ellie Miles AP American Government Gina Villar.............................................Heath Rushing ........................................................Alexandra Vining ...........................................................Gordon Bailey 20th Century History Gina Villar...................................................Max Cook Psychology Gina Villar.....................................................Zach Ivy
14
English I Chad McElveen....................................Anastassia Marr .......................................................Morgan Fulgenzi
English III Chad McElveen...........................................Max Cook English II Honors Amy Clark...............................................Davis Levine .............................................................Ashley Gilly AP Literature Amy Clark............................................Gordon Bailey ....................................................Christian Hastings Poetry Amy Clark............................................Oliver Jenkins ......................................................Graham Guillory Athenian Olive Tree Award..........................Davis Levine Publications I Matt Hernandez................................Catherine Zelenka Publications II Matt Hernandez.................................Alexandra Vining
Math
Spanish
Math II-III Kitty Pellissier.........................................Theresa Leith
Spanish II Dawn Cox.............................................Rowan Abadie ................................................................Lilli Mast
Math III-IV Fred Hosch...................................Emmett McComiskey
Spanish III Dawn Cox.................................................Ellie Miles
Math IV Kitty Pellissier....................................Alexandra Vining ..........................................................Gordon Bailey
Spanish V Dawn Cox.........................................Graham Guillory
Music
Spanish I Elizabeth Ryan.........................................Corinne Roe
9th Grade Choir Svetlana Marr...........................................Nina Abadie ..........................................................Rowan Abadie .............................................................Megan Cato ........................................................Anastassia Marr ......................................................Emma Rosenfeld
Spanish IV Elizabeth Ryan...........................................Cove Geary .............................................................Ashley Gilly ...........................................................Theresa Leith
Science
9th Grade................Addie Caplinger and Rory O’Meallie 10th Grade...........Marshall Ponder and Eleanor Robinson 11th Grade.................................................Max Cook 12th Grade.............................................Asha Thomas
Chemistry Joe Soto................................................Theresa Leith Biology Joe Soto.......................................Emmett McComiskey Anatomy/Physiology Joe Soto............................................Graham Guillory Environmental Science Suzette Day......................................Christian Hastings
Service Awards
Key Club Service Award..............................Ashley Gilly Student Council Award............................Gordon Bailey Princeton Book Award..................................Max Cook Harvard Book Prize.............................Alexandra Vining Sewanee Book Award.................................Corinne Roe Eagle Scout Award 2015.....................Taylor MacEachern
15
Junior High Awards National Geographic Bee Award
Golden Apple Awards:
First Place............Christopher Comeaux Second Place...................William Zeller
Writing 6th Grade: Isabella Devraj Emily Farrow Tyler Voyles Meghanne Willie 7th Grade: Rachel Leith Patrick McQuaid Jane Nelson Sophia Sacco 8th Grade: Christopher Comeaux Language 6th Grade: Betsy Cook Chandler Copeland Charlie Lopez Will Ragan 7th Grade: Jack Ballard Ann Baker Lagarde Alainah Grace Reidy Kate Tournillon
Science Fair Achievement Award Regional Placement Second Place – Chemistry ....................................Rachael Leith
Third Place – Environmental Science ....................................Graydon Hall Honorable Mention – Physics .........................Christopher Comeaux State Placement First Place – Chemistry ....................................Rachael Leith
Southeast Louisiana District Literary Rally Spanish I...........................Luci Eberly
Writing Contest Recognition Hammond Regional Arts Center 7th Grade: 1st Place – Poetry ................................... Ethan Leggio 2nd Place – Poetry ......................................Jane Nelson 8th Grade: 1st Place – Short Story .........................Christopher Comeaux 2nd Place – Short Story ....................................... Lily Miller 3rd Place – Short Story .......................................Luci Eberly 3rd Place – Poetry ................................McKenna Fussell
16
8th Grade: McKenna Fussell Sydney Schultz Math 6th Grade: Nathan Hernandez Olivia Loukatos Will MeGehee Ethan Plauche 7th Grade: Reid Brasuell Mary Claire Gianoli Sophia Sacco Wyatt Saucier 8th Grade: Sophia Leith Eleanor Stelz-Sullivan
Science 6th Grade: Rod Chandler Andrew Slatten 7th Grade: Rachel Leith 8th Grade: Lily Miller Social Studies 6th Grade: Davis Lagarde 7th Grade: Natalie Scriabene Paul Stolin 8th Grade: Luci Eberly Spanish 6th Grade: Bianca Busse Ashton LeDoux Lise St. Paul 7th Grade: Alexandra Coughlin Margaret Rose Manshel Emmie Ravain 8th Grade: Spanish I Zoe Couch Spanish II Luci Eberly
P.E. 6th Grade: Ben Broussard Isabella Devraj Christian Kramer Will McGeehee Emma Pagliarulo Olivia Tees 7th Grade: Alyssa Acosta Ann Margaret Christopher Scott Manifold Bronson May Alainah Grace Reidy Dayton Shirah 8th Grade: Luci Eberly Wyatt Pinto Art 6th Grade: Cooper Brennan Dell Montelaro-Mokry Gabrielle Uson Meghanne Willie 7th Grade: Jack Ballard Alexandra Coughlin Grace Lagarde Drew Putfark
Music 6th Grade: Andrew Addison Rod Chandler Betsy Cook 7th Grade: Ann Baker Lagarde Bronson May Wyatt Saucier 8th Grade: Christopher Comeaux Kathleen Sullivan Christian Ed. 6th Grade: Anna Brown Lucy Holzhalb Emma Lambert 7th Grade: Anna-Camille Braud Mary Francis Scoggin Michael Valliant 8th Grade: Zoe Couch
8th Grade: Wyatt Pinto
17
Athletic Awards High School Athletic Awards
Grades 5 - 8 Athletic Awards
High School Sailing Team Coaches Dave Boylard and Billy Ross
Equestrian Team - Junior High Team Manager Kristie Cato
Alexander Preau..........Sailor of the Year James Bevolo.................Most Improved High School Swimming Team Coaches Shannon and Chris Prator
Molly Heurtin..........Outstanding Award Logan Barowka............Character Award Ella Hysom...................Most Improved
Max Cook..................................MVP Gordon Bailey..............Character Award High School Equestrian Team Team Manager Kristie Cato Megan Cato.............Outstanding Award Ellie Miles..................Character Award Morgan Fulgenzi............Most Improved Junior High Boys Cross Country Team Coach Lana Dessauer Alexander Preau.........................MVP James Bevolo.................Most Improved High School Boys’ JV Basketball Team Coach Anthony Andre Kyle Swords...............................MVP Andrew Newberry.........Character Award Taylor MacEachern.........Most Improved High School Soccer Team Boys’ and Girls’ Coaches Greg Carnovale, Luke Baudean, and Tony Judice Marshall Ponder...................Boys’ MVP Addie Caplinger..................Girls’ MVP Davis Levine.........Boys’ Character Award Aiyana Thomas.....Girls’ Character Award Cove Geary...................Most Improved High School Tennis Team Coaches Kris Muntan and Jennifer Fell Emmett McComiskey....................MVP High School Track and Field . 11 Coaches Drew Mizell, Kendell Richter, and Luke Baudean Zach Ivy......................Character Award
18
Cheer Spirit Squad Coaches Shelly Deynoodt and Ashtyn Hurst Riley Lagasse.............................MVP Bree Hollis.................Character Award Sydney Cardwell.............Most Improved Cheer Varsity Squad Coaches Shelly Deynoodt and Ashtyn Hurst Ann Margaret Christopher............MVP Emory Thomas Powell...Character Award Brooke Lyons................Most Improved Boys’ Sailing Coaches Dave Boylard and Billy Ross Dayton Shirah..........Outstanding Award Miles Lindsey...............Character Award Hal Fox........................Most Improved Girls’ Sailing Coaches Dave Boylard and Billy Ross
Volleyball JV1 Coach Luke Baudean Anna Brown...............................MVP Ashtyn LeDoux............Character Award Peyton Abney.................Most Improved Volleyball Varsity Coach Luke Baudean Anna-Camille Braud....................MVP Margaret Rose Manshel..Character Award Lily Miller....................Most Improved Flag Football JV2 Coach Gavin Guidry Brody Reina...............................MVP Gregory Gilmore.........Character Award Thomas Ward................Most Improved Flag Football JV1 Coach Gavin Guidry Ben Broussard............................MVP Patrick Brown..............Character Award Andrew Slatten..............Most Improved Flag Football Varsity Coach Gavin Guidry Paul Stolin.................................MVP Abhijay Purohit............Character Award Keaton Boucher-Isbell.....Most Improved Boys Swim Team Coaches Chris and Shannon Prator Drew Putfark.............................MVP Hunter Hall................Character Award Girls Swim Team Coaches Chris and Shannon Prator
Emmie Ravain...............Most Improved Cross Country Middle School Coach Lana Dessauer Chandler Copeland.....................MVP Sam Davidson..............Character Award Tyler Voyles...................Most Improved Cross Country Junior High Hope Robinson...........................MVP Lillie Upton................Character Award Coach Lana Dessauer Olivia Tees....................Most Improved Patrick Elliott.............................MVP Basketball JV 2 Nicholas Ditta..............Character Award Coach Vinnie Ledonne Ben Davidson................Most Improved Volleyball JV2 Cameron Smith..........................MVP Bennett Briggs.............Character Award Coach Luke Baudean Will Zeller.....................Most Improved Olivia Loukatos...........................MVP Elizabeth Gray.............Character Award Ella Hysom...................Most Improved
Basketball JVl Coach Vinnie Ledonne Cooper Brennan.........................MVP Andrew Slatten............Character Award Charlie Lopez................Most Improved Basketball Varsity Coach Anthony Andre
Lacrosse U11 Coach Derek Kopp
Tennis RED Coaches Kris Muntan and Jennifer Fell
Trévon Johnson..........................MVP Thomas Rushing..........Character Award Forrest Lagarde..............Most Improved
Andrew Kerr..............................MVP Chandler Copeland.......Character Award Austill May....................Most Improved
Lacrosse U13 Coach Derek Kopp
Tennis WHITE Coaches Kris Muntan and Jennifer Fell Patrick Brown.............................MVP Mary Claire Gianoli.....................MVP Patrick Thompson.......................MVP Dayton Shirah.............Character Award Sander McComiskey......Character Award Nicholas Ditta..............Character Award Michael Valliant.............Most Improved Natalie Scriabine............Most Improved Paul Stalin....................Most Improved Track and Field Middle School Boys Baseball JV Basketball Varsity Girls Coaches Drew Mizell, Kendell Richter, Coach Craig Pierce Coach Kendell Richter and Luke Baudean Tate LeDoux...............................MVP Sydney Schultz..............,,,,,.........MVP Tyler Guice................................MVP William Ditta...............Character Award Kate Tournillon...........Character Award Connor Caplinger........Character Award Ashtyn LeDoux..............Most Improved Kiley McDonnel.............Most Improved Tyler Voyles...................Most Improved Baseball Varsity Soccer Boys’ Red Team Track and Field Middle School Girls Coach Craig Pierce Coaches Greg Carnovale, Luke Baudean, Coaches Drew Mizell, Kendell Richter, Oden Pierce...............................MVP and Tony Judice and Luke Baudean Bronson May...............Character Award Will McGehee................Most Improved Walker Dubreuil..........................MVP Claire Berrigan...........................MVP Callum Newberry..........Character Award Chloe Chehardy...........Character Award Wildcat Awards Brennan LeJeune............Most Improved Laura Slatten.................Most Improved Patrick Thompson....Boys’ Wildcat Award Sydney Schultz........Girls’ Wildcat Award Track and Field Junior High Boys Soccer Girls’ NIAL Team Coaches Drew Mizell, Kendell Richter, Coaches Greg Carnovale, Luke Baudean, and Luke Baudean and Tony Judice Patrick Elliott.............................MVP Alyssa Acosta..............................MVP Drew Putfark...............Character Award Sarah Massey...............Character Award Ladd Duvic...................Most Improved Chloe Chehardy.............Most Improved Track and Field Junior High Girls Soccer Boys’ NIAL Team Coaches Drew Mizell, Kendell Richter, Coaches Greg Carnovale, Luke Baudean, and Luke Baudean and Tony Judice AlexandraCoughlin......................MVP Daniel Nunez.............................MVP Kate Tournillon...........Character Award Vageli Liokis................Character Award Luke Croxton................Most Improved Golf Coach Shawn Doyle Shawn Doyle..............................MVP Rod Chandler..............Character Award Nicholas Cusimano.......Character Award Luke Croxton................Most Improved Sander McComiskey........Most Improved
19
Kindness Week
A focus on kindness and compassion contributes to improved wellbeing, and ultimately, students who perform acts of kindness inspire greater kindness among their peers. By participating in Kindness Week 2015, students experienced the positive impacts of kindness on themselves and those around them.
20
Lower School
Second Grade Biography Day For the Second Grade’s Biography Day, the students dress as a famous person whose life and accomplishments they have researched. Each year, the students participate in a “Who am I” presentation for their classmates and parents, which is always entertaining and informative.
21
Junior High
Harry Potter Day Mrs. Todd’s 6th grade Language Arts class started a new tradition with Harry Potter Day. Students from our very own “Hogwarts Houses” gathered for magical snacks, a viewing of the movie, and a competition for the coveted House Cup. Although the Windhorse, Stonedragon, and Phoenixfire houses battled fiercely in both the Bertie Botts Bean Battle and the Quidditch Tournament, the first year’s House Cup went to Waverider.
22
High School
Field Day The High School Field Day provided a great end-ofthe-year event to showcase the many amusing and amazing talents of our high school students. The competition was serious, but all in fun at the same time.
23
Booster Club Athletic Booster Club’s First Annual King Cake 5K and Fun Run Thanks to our sponsors for their generous support of our Booster Club, the King Cake 5K, and The Race is On!, our fundraising campaign for the track and field. With the expert assistance of the 15th Street Flyers, we raised $9,868 toward funding our new track and field facility and had 493 total participants in this, our first outing. The Second Annual King Cake 5K will be January 30, 2016. See you there! The winners of the one mile “fun run” were: Overall: 1st Male 1st Female
Cameron Smith at 6:51 Christen Chehardy at 6:53
The winners of the 5K were: Overall: 1st Male 1st Female
Stephen Schlottman Allison Laird
Overall Master: 1st Male Mel Ferlita 1st Female Perry Clark Overall Grandmaster: 1st Male Dave Dessauer 1st Female Lisa Rustemeyer Overall Racewalker: 1st Male Tony Lemon 1st Female Linda Hemberger
24
From the CESPA President Dear Parents, I am so excited to be a part of the 2015–2016 CES Parents Association (CESPA) Board! It’s going to be a fun year as we celebrate our 30th year of Art at the Park! CESPA’s focus is on building community by offering parent education opportunities, networking and socializing among parents, steering volunteer opportunities within the school community, and fundraising. Blues, Brews, and BBQ Back to School Bash, Family Bingo Night, Raising Up for Living Strong speaker series, Grandparents and Special Friends Day, Mistletoe Market, Literary Week, and Art at the Park are just a few of the events and activities sponsored by the parent 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. The CESPA Board invites all parents, and grandparents, to be a part of this wonderful experience by taking on 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. For more information about CESPA, or to volunteer and get involved, feel free to email me at michellecbraswell@yahoo.com. Michelle Braswell 2015-2016 CESPA President Blues, Brews, and BBQ
Grandparents and Special Friends Day
Literary Week
Art at the Park
25
April 17 & 18 2015
24 26
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 allows students, teachers, parents, and other members of our community 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.
25 27
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.
October 2 Parish Fair Holiday October 16 Grandparents Day (half-day) October 21 Admission Open House at ECC October 22 Fore! Wildcats Golf Tournament October 29 High School Admission Open House October 30 Faculty In-service Day (no school) November 20 Parent/Teacher Conferences (no school) November 23-27 Thanksgiving Holiday December 21 - January 3 Christmas Break January 18 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday January 30 Booster Club King Cake 5K February 8-12 Mardi Gras Holiday March 20 Booster Club Tennis Tournament March 25 Good Friday Holiday March 28 - April 1 Easter Holiday April 15 AATP Box Parade and Opening Night Party April 16 Art at the Park May 20 High School Graduation May 25 Last Day of School ECC May 27 Last Day of School CBC (half-day)
Stay in Touch with CES! LinkedIN: linkedin.com/company/christ-episcopal-school-covington Facebook: facebook.com/christepiscopalschool Twitter: @CESWildcats84