Earlier this fall, students in Episcopal art instructor Michelle Krueger's Draw, Paint, Print I classes began a project where they created sculpture from old books using scissors, glue, tape and scalpels. The lesson was a partnership with the Downtown Library. Tonight at First Wednesday Art Walk, the students' work will be displayed at the Downtown Library, and will be available for viewing the month of November.

In the last week of class, seventh graders in social studies instructor Dani Waler’s class tested their knowledge and helped end world hunger during a week long competition on www.freerice.com

FreeRice is a non-profit website run by the United Nations World Food Programme. The website offers trivia questions in different subject matters. For each answer the test taker gets right, the site donates 10 grains of rice through the World Food Programme to help end hunger. Corporate sponsors pay for the rice itself. Subjects include math, geography, English, chemistry, art, and language learning (German, French, Italian, Spanish.)

Students from Jacksonville Country Day School (JCDS) took dance classes with Episcopal dance instructors Daron Wehle and Jimmy Morrow Friday.

The gentle strumming of guitars, youthful and lovely voices and guitar cases open with dollars and change inside - these are sights and sounds from a "Music for a Cause" concert.

Members of the new Episcopal club, Music for a Cause, started by freshman Madison Hughes, spent two Saturdays playing and singing music and selling baked goods to raise money for Sanctuary on 8th St. and the City Rescue Mission.

Episcopal's Class of 2011 has fifteen students who have committed to play a sport at the collegiate level! A full list is available on the Episcopal website.

Members of the Episcopal High School Chorale, Honors Chorale members and other students enjoyed a concert presented by the University of North Florida Chorale, directed by Dr. Cara Tasher. Our students commented on the "passion" and "remarkable sound" this college group displayed. Many of the pieces were performed a cappella and the pitch and tone were perfect. The UNF singers were excited about singing in the chapel in the Munnerlyn building because of the excellent acoustics.

Danielle Waler’s eighth graders learned about history first hand this semester by interviewing relatives, teachers and community members who had witnessed or participated in historically significant events, such as September 11, Hurricane Katrina and the Persian Gulf War.

If you’ve ever painted a perch pink, chances are you’ve been in Episcopal instructor Janet Buford’s class. Friday three marine biology classes practiced Japanese fish painting, or Gyotaku, by covering one side of a perch with acrylic paint of all colors. While traditional Japanese fish printing is done with rice paper and sumi ink, Episcopal students instead pressed, rolled and squished fish and their fins onto white t-shirts.

Students in Honors Chemistry classes toured the University of Florida’s chemistry labs on March 31st. The day was exclusively arranged for the Episcopal students by Ms. Katie Meese of UF’s Center for Precollegiate Education and Training. A dozen professors, graduate students and lab technicians teamed up to give the students a glimpse of the chemical research conducted at the university.

Episcopal Senior Katie Bauman was named a University of Florida Lombardi scholar yesterday, an honor conferred on only 10 high school seniors applying to UF. The Lombardi Scholars program is the most prestigious a student may receive from the University of Florida.

Caroline Bateh’s participation in the Florida Swimming Senior Championships two weeks ago on Episcopal’s AmberJax team earned her a time of 2:03.96 for the 200 yard backstroke. Last week she learned that time placed her as the eleventh fastest 15-year old in the country! She is also ranked 30th in the country for her time in the 100 yard backstroke.

Episcopal's French program hosted 16 students and four teachers from Bayonne, France, last week. Bayonne has been a sister city of Daytona Beach since 1998. Episcopal instructor Sara Merrill has been instrumental in building a relationship with Lycée Largenté in Bayonne.

Angela Blackledge, Director of Dance at the Bolles School, graced the Episcopal Mini-Theatre stage as she choregraphed the number "Heaven Hop" for Episcopal's upcoming production of Anything Goes yesterday.

Episcopal celebrated Chinese New Year during Chapel this week, with a traditional lion dance by Jacksonville area performers, and a presentation by Chinese instructor Jennifer Dulaney and her husband, Mr. Dave Dulaney, in which they explained various Chinese characters, shared Chinese words with students, and explained the significance of the Chinese New Year.

The Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, previously Bishop of Nevada, is the twenty-sixth Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, and Episcopal students and other youth were able to meet with her and discuss questions about the church and religion and the world last weekend at conference in Jacksonville.

Episcopal History Department faculty and their 10th, 11th and 12th grade classes are participating in a countywide effort sponsored by the Duval County Supervisor of Elections to register high school students to vote. To pre-register to vote, students must be at least age 16 and have a driver’s license. When these students turn 18, they will automatically receive their voter registration card.

Episcopal’s Honors Chorale performed in New York City over the Martin Luther King Day long weekend. The Chorale presented a program celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. at St. Paul's Chapel, Wall Street.

Four Episcopal students were honored Friday, January 14, at the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce’s 23rd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast. The students, Manny Walton ‘12, Madison Hughes ‘14, Katie Bauman ‘11 and Morgan Monroe ’11, received Leaders of Tomorrow awards, and were all recognized for their work in the community.

Episcopal Science instructor Marion Zeiner has won The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Pre-college Education Committee Educator-Engineer Partnership Award! The award “recognizes collaborative activities between K-12 educators and technical professionals who are IEEE members,” states the IEEE website. Ms. Zeiner is the only instructor in the country to receive this award. She has been working for many years with students and Butch Shadwell, a Beaches area resident and professional engineer, who also is involved with the regional science fair.

The Florida Times Union published a short story on Episcopal’s Amberjax Swim Team and the City of Jacksonville’s Department of Recreation and Community Services (JaxParks) partnering to send 100 area youth between the ages of 5 and 18 to the 2011JaxParks Swim Classic, being held this weekend, January 14-16, 2011 at Cecil Aquatic Center.

Daron Wehle’s dance classes welcomed visiting artist James Boyd this week, a Jacksonville native and Douglas Anderson graduate, who performs all over the world with the Bad Boys of Dance Company.

“We took 11 pieces and received seven “superiors” and four “excellents,” said Taylor Horne, Middle School Drama Instructor. “That's the best we've ever done.”

Tess Ferguson ('08) choreographed all of the musical pieces.

Episcopal's Fine Arts Department presents Gaudete! Christmas at St. John's Cathedral this Friday, December 3 at 7 p.m. Admission is free and the doors open at 6:30.

The concert will feature Episcopal High School's Music Ensembles: the Concert and Honors Chorale, the Vocal Ensemble, Instrumental Ensemble, and Jazz Ensemble. A reception follows in Taliaferro Hall.

Four teams of economics students presented UrbanPlan proposals to a mock city council Thursday morning in the Mini-Theatre, hoping to be selected as the land use project that the “city” implements in their planning. Episcopal economics instructor Jake Nash assigned the project as a way for “students to immerse themselves and think about issues to which they had never been exposed.”

So inspired was Madison Hughes ’14 by her summer reading book "Three Cups of Tea," written by Greg Mortensen, that she decided to run her own Pennies for Peace campaign at Episcopal -- and raised $2,616.00!

Congratulations to Episcopal’s Upper School Thespians! Nearly 50 Episcopal students participated in Thespian District competitions at Bartram Trail High School on Saturday. Hundreds of students participated from Jacksonville, Gainesville and St. Augustine area schools to compete for a spot at the State Thespian Festival.

Despite an inclement weather delay and a muddy course, Episcopal’s girls and boys Cross Country teams competed impressively yesterday in the 2A District 2 competition, performing so well the teams will advanced to the Regional meet next Saturday.

Eager players, video projection, pop culture, and an Episcopal alumna, all add up to Episcopal’s Fall Show – As You Like It – opening tomorrow!

See the trailer for the play, a spoof on the hit TV show Glee. (Select “glee promo med.m4v”)

Episcopal High School faculty member Richard N. Chamberlain, a lifetime painter and teacher, will be exhibiting more than 50 pieces of his work in a show that opens Thursday, November 4 at the School’s Munnerlyn Center for Worship and Fine Arts. “Twenty-five Years, a Retrospective,” features salt prints, portraits and monochrome transparencies.

Episcopal Senior Catherine Bauman has a 4.07 GPA, over 100 hours of community service, and six Varsity sports letters. For all that she’s accomplished on and off the field, First Coast News named Katie their Athlete of the Week on Wednesday, October 27. She appeared on First Coast News during the station’s 11 p.m. broadcast.

The Episcopal Cheerleaders will finish their pink cupcake fundraising this Friday for The Donna Foundation – and expect to raise more than $1,000. A cupcake “Throw Down” and judging contest for the best cupcake will be held during the Friday Varsity football game against Bolles. Donna Foundation Director Julie Terrazzano and Tony Jarvis, Chef and Owner of the Cool Moose cafe in Riverside will be judges.

Episcopal has received a $750 2010 Educational Alliance Math and Science Grant sponsored by Exxon Mobile. The funds will help the Episcopal Science Department to present two new Middle School Science Nights for Episcopal students, their parents and younger siblings. The first event, 2010 A Space Odyssey, is Thursday, November 18 in the Mini-Theater and Science Classrooms from 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm.

As You Like It, this year’s Fall Show, is November 4 and 5 at 7 p.m. Opening night begins at 6 p.m. with a special reception for Episcopal faculty member Richard Chamberlain will feature his work in a show titled "Retrospective - 25 Years of Teaching."

Episcopal Junior and Varsity Football player Shakeel Rashad has received verbal scholarships offers from five Division I schools, including Wake Forest University, the University of Central Florida, the University of North Carolina, the University of Maryland and the University of South Carolina.

Britt Shuttlesworth & Company, a band that includes three Episcopal students, recently played at West Elm at the St. Johns Town Center for the store’s first Artist Series Event, a monthly reception that features local artists.

Senior MiKyle Crockett was crowned Miss Florida Teen USA 2011 at Broward College in Davie, Florida, this weekend. She competed against 56 other teenagers, representing cities and counties across the state, in three categories: personality, swimsuit and evening gown.

Senior Mia Kelly has returned from Belgrade, Serbia, from the 2010 WAKO (World Association of Kickboxing Organizations) world championships with her ninth World Championship Kickboxing title.

Episcopal faculty members Dr. Allyson Charbonnet and Mr. Brian Francois incorporated a new project into their 8th grade Physical Science classes this year. For a lesson on Accuracy and Precision, the classes were instructed to build a catapult that was capable of launching marshmallows two to four meters.

Episcopal High School sixth graders practiced their conversational skills and enjoyed brownies and cookies, cheese and fruit, and tea, as part of the grade’s annual tea party on Wednesday. Each student brought their own treat to share, and cup, saucer and spoon.

At special Middle and Upper School Chapels on Wednesday students were inducted for the year for the School’s Honor and Discipline Councils. New faculty, staff and students also signed the Honor Code, entering into Episcopal’s community of trust.

Episcopal’s freshman class enjoyed an action-packed orientation adventure Friday and over the past weekend as they camped out at Unicoi State Park in Northern Georgia. The Freshman Orientation Adventure, a 17-year Episcopal High School tradition, helps create a sense of community within the class while meeting specific English, history, math, art and science objectives.

Julia Rogers was recently announced as a winner in the Southern Teachers Art Calendar Contest. The contest honors Julia’s overall aesthetic sense, technical abilities and creativity in the field of fine arts. Her winning piece can be seen attached to this article. The calendar will be printed and distributed to schools in July. To obtain a copy, please call Southern Teachers at (434) 295-9122.

Episcopal’s Fine Arts Awards Luncheon took place under the portico in front of the Munnerlyn Center on Tuesday, April 27^th. The following awards were presented to students for their outstanding achievements:

Honors in Ceramics Award - Mac Seibler. Mr. Kirk stated that Mac’s attention to detail and craftsmanship are evident in all stages of his work from the initial sketches to the finished pieces.

Honors in Photography Award - Cat Schulz. Mr. Chamberlain said Cat is a prolific, as well as gifted, artist.

Honors in Visual Art Award - Sofia Chabolla. Sofia has the ability to express herself through her interesting combination of science and nature. Story continues...

Four Episcopal High School chemistry students earned the First Place trophy for their lab work at Jacksonville University's Science and Engineering Day in March. The students competed against students from other First Coast high schools in practical exercises and a chemistry titration lab. The students are Brigitte Wittmer, Matthew Harwood, Ali Wells and Ben Wilson. They are enrolled in Honors Chemistry taught by Marion Zeiner.

Tickets for Friday, April 23 performance is SOLD OUT! Tickets are still available for our Saturday, April 24 matinee performance at 2 p.m. You may purchase tickets in the fine arts office or at the door prior to performance.

Episcopal is celebrating family, creating community, and transcending tradition with its upcoming production of Fiddler on the Roof! For the first time ever Episcopal will offer students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, grandparents, and friends of the School the opportunity to participate in the spring performances of Fiddler on the Roof.

Friday, March 12th the school was invaded by pirates! The Pirates of Penzance, the concert version of the classic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta was performed by 50 singers of the Concert Chorale, the Honors Chorale and the Episcopal High School Vocal Ensemble. The students filled the stage of the mini-theatre and their voices streamed "topsy-turvy" - or in true Savoy style - through the full house.

The principles included Jaime Revollo as the Pirate King, Aidan Triola as Frederic - the pirate apprentice, Liz Pilcher as the beautiful Mabel, Andrea Baxter as the pirate maid, Alec Hadden as the Major-General, Liam Gentry as Samuel - assitstant to the Pirate King and William Thompson, III as the Police Sergeant. They together with the pirate chorus and General Stanley's daughters romped and sang with energy and style.

At the close of the concert our singing seniors of the Vocal Ensemble were honored for their performance with the group over the years. Those seniors receiving a "parting glass" included: Alec Hadden, Ashley Jackson, Jaime Revollo, Katie Stewart, William Thompson, III and Sarah Reid Vinyard, who served as our Vocal Ensemble President this past year. Previous members of the ensemble, who are now alumni, joined us on stage for our traditional finale, the Irish song, "The Parting Glass." Following the performance the wonderful FANS parent support group delivered a tasty reception.

Summer programs at Episcopal High School are all about fun and self-improvement. The classes give students the opportunity to enjoy the subject matter at a relaxed pace, with fewer students and greater teacher attention. The camps stress the love of the game, whether it be pole-vaulting or dancing. The safe, secure environment at Episcopal allows students and parents to focus on what is important: improving academics, athletics, and fine arts skills. Story continues...

Nine seniors were honored on February 3 during National Signing Day for their commitments to continue their sports in college. Click here to see coverage from Channel 4, and here to see video from First Coast News. Congratulations to the following athletes:

• Christian Addison, Virginia Military Institute/lacrosse
• Nick Branholm, Trinity College/lacrosse
• Theresa Diederich, University of Alabama/soccer
• Endea Ellison, University of South Carolina Aiken/volleyball
• Stefan Furris, Sewanee: The University of the South/football
• Calvin Orth, The Citadel/baseball
• Tyler Parkinson, Florida Southern College/lacrosse
• Justin Russell, The Citadel/baseball
• Paige Shirley, Air Force Academy/track

Maria Boyance ’13 was awarded a Toshiba laptop computer by Jacksonville Periodontist Dr. Gary Perlman for winning a Good Deed essay contest. The contest was open to students under age 18 in Duval and Clay Counties. Maria’s essay was selected as the best of 50 entries.

Perlman held the contest as a way to move the emphasis from a society that “seems to be living in a ‘me and I’ kind of culture.” Perlman said of Maria, “our winner showed a sense of caring and maturity seldom seen in a ninth grader. Her fine character is a tribute to her family, classmates, and school.”

This week, former Chief Meteorologist George Winterling dropped by Fred Lind’s Aviation Science class and gave Upper School students a glimpse into the world of Channel 4 News. George discussed the recent cold winter season, global warming, and more recent headlines that included the Haitian earthquake tragedy. His unique insight into weather forecasting enabled the students to understand the importance of meteorology and the responsibilities of a high-profile weather man.

This week, approximately 55 students from the eighth grade and nine from the Upper School participated in the Episcopal High School Science Fair. Twenty-eight representatives from the local science community, including Satchel Siegel ’11 and alumni Greg Goebertus ’05 and Jason Marks ’08, visited Episcopal to judge students’ projects. This year’s fair represented a community-wide effort. Past International Science and Engineering Fair winners have been mentoring and assisting younger students as they develop their projects. David Drew ’10 mentored Siddharth Yarlagadda ’14, who received an honorable mention for his project, “the effects of sulfuric acid on building materials.” Meredith Boulos ’10 will advise all of the students who are advancing to the Regional Science & Engineering Fair. (story continues)

After completing a unit on stoichiometry, the study of mass relationships in elements of compounds, students in Marion Zeiner’s Honors Chemistry class put their newfound knowledge to work. Culminating their study, students worked in groups during their lab period to prepare the perfect fudge. Following the fudge recipe on the Marshmallow Crème jar for the base, students customized their creations with secret ingredients including fresh mint, nuts, and raspberries. As they prepared the fudge on Monday, the students learned first-hand about the Law of Definite Proportions, limiting reactants and the pitfalls of using excess reactants. (story continues)

Episcopal dancers Jacqueline Sutton ’12 and Reilly Edwards ’15 will both play the role of Clara in The Nutcracker ballet this year. Jacqueline is performing in her third year at the Community Nutcracker, which supports many local charities and sponsors multiple dream children from Dreams Come True every year. She will perform in the historic Florida Theatre; performances for the 18th annual show are December 11 and 12. Reilly is playing Clara in the Florida Ballet. She will also be performing in the Florida Theatre December 19-21.

Seventh-grade geography teachers Kevin Day and Danielle Waler brought a whole new meaning to hands-on teaching on Friday, November 20, when they led the first Darfur Simulation Day. The Episcopal High School campus underwent substantial changes, morphing from a typical high school campus in Jacksonville, Florida, to a refugee camp in Darfur, Sudan. The entire seventh grade was given the difficult task to live a day in the life of a Darfurian refugee.

Students, under the supervision of faculty and parent volunteers, were each assigned a role. Most acted as refugee families, while five had the opportunity to play a journalist, either in Chad or embedded with United Nations peacekeepers in Darfur. Sixteen students were handpicked as Janjaweed, the armed gunmen in Darfur. Adults served as Sudanese government officials, UN peacekeepers, and Red Cross workers. According to Mr. Day, the simulation exercise was one “that will challenge our students to empathize, strategize, and survive the afternoon.” (story continues)

In honor of Veterans’ Day, Episcopal recognized the men and women of the Armed Forces with a special Upper School Chapel service. The patriotic spirit was in the air as all assembled sang “America the Beautiful,” “The Star Spangled Banner,” and “My Country ’Tis of Thee.” Special guest The Right Reverend Charles Keyser, the assistant bishop of Florida and the retired suffragan bishop of the Armed Forces, presented a homily on the importance of the men and women who serve this country. (story continues)

The Episcopal dance ensemble traveled to Orlando November 7 and 8 to participate in a two-day intensive with world-famous choreographers. The girls had the opportunity to learn from the best, including Mia Michaels, Wade Robson, Laurie Anne Gibson, Dave Scott, and Chris Judd. Missy Ponder-Reston's choreography for the contemporary dance piece "What Will Be" received Critic's Choreography Choice. Congratulations to Maggie Austin ’10, Marie Sullivan ’12, Alex Ferebee ’10, Meghan Slevin ’12, and Alexandra Rubin ’10, who all performed in the piece. (story continues)

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, Episcopal's German students paid tribute to the people of Berlin by creating their own versions of the graffiti that was a popular form of protest in the West. Students drew graffiti-style pictures celebrating reunification. Some of the students had previously enjoyed viewing similar artwork on original pieces of the wall at the East Side Gallery in Berlin during the 2009 German Exchange.

When Father Bob announced in Chapel that Pastor Leon Dorleans of Haiti, or Pastor Leon to those who know him, would be a special guest at Episcopal on October 28, he was met with a thunderous round of applause from the student body. Continuing his tradition of an annual visit to Jacksonville, Pastor Leon is not just a guest of the School anymore, but a friend. As Sally Deming perfectly explained in her introduction, he has “a sparkle, an energy, a radiance, a smile, a warmth” that reaches all who know him.

Each year, the Episcopal community becomes more entwined with Pastor Leon’s Haiti Outreach Ministries. From sponsoring students to visiting Haiti, Pastor Leon has inspired involvement around campus. (story continues)

Sally Maguire Deming was recently awarded Administrator of the Year by the Florida Association of Theatre Education. Members of FATE, which just celebrated its 30th anniversary, include fine arts educators and administrators throughout the state. Deming is a founding member and past president of the organization. Often times, the award is given to a principle or superintendent, but Deming’s position as fine arts director is unique in comparison to other schools.

It is with great sadness that the School shares the news of the death of one of its principal founders, The Reverend Dr. Robert R. Parks. Dr. Parks died while attending church services on Sunday morning, October 18. His wife Nancy was with him. (story continues)

The Episcopal community celebrated Oktoberfest on Monday, October 19, on the patio of the Munnerlyn Center for Worship and Fine Arts. German students, band students, and faculty and staff enjoyed a lunch of bratwurst, German-style potato salad, sauerkraut, red cabbage, apple strudel, and root beer. Entertainment was provided by the band which performed oompah music. German Teacher Kate Pritchard coordinated the event—her ninth at the School. The celebration began with previous German teachers. “It was a beautiful day to celebrate a German tradition at Episcopal High School,” she said.

During an October Chapel service, the wrestling team announced plans to raise college funds for two young athletes, Dartanyon Crockett and Leroy Sutton, who rely on one another for friendship and support. Dartanyon has suffered from Leber’s Disease, a condition causing chronic visual loss, for most of his life, and is legally blind. That did not stop him from carrying his wrestling teammate and best friend, Leroy, on his back to and from every wrestling match they competed in this past season. At age eleven, Leroy lost his left leg below the knee, and his right leg below the hip, when he was struck by a train on his way to school. The two were inseparable through their season—the wrestler with no legs being carried by the one who cannot see.

The bond between the two young men has prompted a remarkable reaction regarding their future hopes to continue their educational goals. Each has been accepted to college, but needs help with tuition and the associated costs of pursuing a degree. (story continues)

In support of the sixth-annual Row for the Cure Jacksonville, the Episcopal crew team—led by Coxswain Alayna Bradley '11—will be hosting several "pink sales," in support of the Susan G. Komen North Florida Row for the Cure, a project in which rowers from Episcopal and greater Jacksonville work together to support the fight against breast cancer. These pink sales will take place each day, starting on Monday, October 26, through Thursday, November 19.

Episcopal’s Theological Arts class is a relatively new offering that focuses on turning Theology class lessons into speeches and performances that bless others. Members of the class regularly read in chapel (and work behind the scenes) and, most recently, traveled to St. John’s Cathedral for an Episcopal Schools Day performance. Story continues

First Coast News recognized Episcopal’s varsity volleyball team during the game against Creekside High School on Wednesday night. The game and an earlier bake sale helped to raise $1000 for the Mammogram Hotline, which provides free screenings to women on the First Coast. Read the full story online here.

High-profile choreographer Rujuta Vaidya has returned to Episcopal to give Upper School Dance Ensemble students a second week-long lesson in Bollywood-style choreography. Vaidya had previously visited Episcopal in February of last year, teaching the group a production piece in classical Bollywood for the Spring 2009 Dance Concert. This year, Vaidya is teaching the group a classical Bollywood piece, which tells the story of a beautiful Goddess-like woman plagued by gift-giving suitors in an Indian village. Story continues on next page.

As part of the team’s second-annual game in support of breast cancer research, the varsity volleyball team hosted a bake sale, earning $560 in two days, and sported pink uniforms during their game against Creekside High School on Wednesday night. With the help of the Creekside team and additional donations from fans during the game, the team will give the earnings—totaling $1,000—to the Mammogram Hotline. The team plans to continue its tradition of service by holding a canned-food drive in November, during regional competition. Story continues on next page.

For the second consecutive year, Episcopal’s girls varsity volleyball team will team up with Creekside High School to support breast cancer research. The Episcopal squad will sport pink uniforms for their Wednesday, September 30, match, and will raise funds with a school-wide bake sale.

In the summer 2009 issue of the Journal of College Admission, Director of College Counseling Ryan Riggs was a featured author for an article describing his summer 2008 college tours (see lists of schools below). The Journal is produced by the National Association for College Admission Counseling. The Episcopal College Counseling Office traditionally uses the summer months to travel around the country visiting colleges and universities.

The cast and crew of the spring performance of Fiddler on the Roof was announced Friday. For a complete list, including alumni, faculty, staff, and parents, click here.

This summer, Episcopal’s varsity and junior varsity cheerleaders attended a camp at Embry-Riddle University in Daytona. The teams stole the show during competitions! The JV team took first place in the dance competition, and third in the cheer competition, and the varsity team took first place after performing a home dance routine. Additionally, Sarah Chandler ’11 was announced an All-American Cheerleader, giving her the opportunity to perform at a later date in either Europe or Hawaii. (Story continues)

Episcopal welcomes 20 new legacy students to school for the 2009-2010 academic year. Legacy students are the children of Episcopal alumni, now enrolled in the School—many learning from the same teachers and taking the same classes that their parents did. (Story continues)

Episcopal alumni James Stursberg ’09, Nathan Monroe ’09, Gardner Davis ’09, and brothers Will and Greg Kennedy ’08 ’08 chose to reunite this summer by giving back to the community. Though all had graduated and no longer needed service hours, the friends decided to volunteer for Camp I am Special for a full week before heading off to college for the start of the fall semester.

Camp I am Special is an annual summer camp that caters to mentally challenged adults, giving them the opportunity to make friends; participate in activities, like arts and crafts; enjoy special events, like dances, visitors from the zoo, and magic acts; and to be active, with swimming and physical education classes. The volunteers aren’t considered counselors; rather, they are the campers’ “buddies” for the week, offering assistance and friendship. The pairs stay together 24 hours a day for the full week. (story continues)

As a way of bringing the Episcopal community closer, the Fine Arts Department has plans to open its spring Fiddler on the Roof performances to those within the School family. In addition to student thespians auditioning, parents, grandparents, alumni, teachers, staff, and friends of Episcopal are being encouraged to show up and give it all they’ve got! Talented folks—including some that have never auditioned for any production before!—will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of ways, such as a basic single song-and-dance routine, a volunteer position behind the scenes, or a more involved role during the performances. “The family of Episcopal High School is more than just the student population. In a musical that revolves around the story of a family holding onto their faith in trying times, it seemed fitting that our entire school family participate. We have worked hard to find ways to make that happen.” explained Director Katie Lebhar Black ’95. (story continues)

This week marks the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year. And thanks to the work of the student-led Honor and Discipline Councils, it’s already shaping up to be a good one. The teams of students—who were elected to serve by the graduating members from the Class of 2009—are already making plans to ensure that Episcopal’s standard of excellence and honor is upheld. (Read on to learn how the Councils plan to do so.)