September 2010
From the Head of School
Welcome back to the 226th start of
school for the Episcopal Academy.
We are delighted to have your
children with us and hope that this
will be a great year for all our
students as we live out our new
mission statement, “Challenging and
nurturing Mind, Body, and Spirit, we
inspire boys and girls to lead lives of
purpose, faith, and integrity.”
Opening Day for MS & US
September 8
This will be a busy year as we move forward with
our departmental reviews (math last year and
science over the next nine months), begin our self
study for PAIS and Middle States accreditation in
October 2011, and begin to implement our strategic
plan.
Columbus Day (Holiday)
October 11
The plan was completed last spring, Ed Vick ’62
and parent Debby Hirtle presented it to the faculty
last week, and you will receive a brochure outlining
our strategies and goals in the next ten days. I
hope you will read the plan carefully and that you
will be as excited about the future it portends as I
am.
Here are the plan highlights: The strategic plan
reaffirms our historical roots in the Episcopal
Church, and it reaffirms our desire to both challenge
and nurture each child. The plan focuses us on the
value of successful athletics and the integration of
mind, body and spirit in all that we do. We do not
want to separate these three, but bring mind, body,
and spirit together holistically in every activity we
take on at school. The most significant change in
the new plan will come with curriculum where we
will focus more on student centered learning, active
and experiential learning, on life preparation, and
helping students to gain international perspective.
Finally, the plan will direct us to enhance our sense
of community at Episcopal.
Take a close look at the strategic plan when you
LS Parent/Teacher
Conferences
September 8
LS Opening Day
September 9
Professional Day (No School)
October 8
Thanksgiving Break (Regular
Dismissal, Tuesday,
November 23)
November 24, 25, & 26
Professional Day (No School)
November 29
Winter Vacation (Noon
Dismissal, Friday, December
17)
December 18 - January 2,
2011
Classes Resume
January 3, 2011
MLK Day (Holiday)
January 17
Presidents' Day Weekend
(Holiday)
February 18 - 21
Spring Vacation
March 25 - April 4
Professional Day (No School)
April 5
Classes Resume
April 6
Good Friday (Holiday)
April 22
Memorial Day (Holiday)
receive it and I will keep you updated as we begin
our implementation.
There are three other points I want to mention as
we start the school year. We have a superb lineup
of speakers this fall, the first being bestselling
author, Wes Moore. Wes will be with us on Monday,
September 20 at 9:40 a.m. in the Class of 1944
Chapel. All of you are welcome to attend. Wes is a
lifelong friend of our own Justin Brandon, Form
Dean in the Upper School, and his book “The Other
Wes Moore” explores the issues of race,
opportunity, choice, and the importance of positive
role models in the lives of children. You can find
more information on all of our speakers further
down in this newsletter.
May 30
Graduation - Class of 2011
June 9
For a compete list of calendar
dates and events click here.
I will continue my Town Hall Meetings with parents
this year, and each meeting will have a focus or
theme. My first meeting with be on Tuesday,
September 21st at 7:00 p.m. in the Sherrerd
Board Room in the Campus Center. I will be
discussing our new Strategic Plan and our new
mission of both challenging and nurturing our
students. Chair of the Strategic Plan Steering
Committee, Debby Hirtle, will be joining me. I invite
you all to attend and bring your questions.
Information on future Town Hall meetings will be
coming to you shortly.
On the safety front, I want to direct your attention to
several traffic improvements we made over the
summer. All of the changes were made in response
to a thorough traffic study conducted by outside
consultants and will improve both student and
faculty safety and traffic flow during peak hours.
Please note that both the Lower School entry off
Bishop White Drive and the T-intersection of Bishop
White Drive and Vesper Lane (near the tennis
courts) are now both three-way stop intersections.
All traffic entering this intersection must stop before
proceeding. An additional crosswalk has also been
installed along the Lower School pickup road near
the EAPA announcement board. This crosswalk will
provide a safe crossing area for faculty, staff, and
visitors that park in the Lower School lot. All traffic
must yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk. Lastly, all
Admission Events
A Parents’ Closer Look
Thurs., September 30, 2010,
8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Parents have an opportunity to
have a ‘closer look’ at our school
by attending classes, touring and
talking with students, meeting
traffic must now turn right when exiting the Middle
School circle during drop-off and pick-up times; left
turns across traffic are not permitted.
faculty and administration, and
attending Chapel. Reservations
required.
I hope everyone had an enjoyable and restful
summer and I wish you all the best for a terrific year
at Episcopal.
Fall Open House
Saturday, October 16, 2010,
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
An informal and informative way
for families to learn about our
school by meeting faculty and
students and touring the campus.
From the Nurse
1. Please welcome our new Lower School Nurse,
Mrs. Sheila Garrity RN, BSN.
2. Reminder to all families that EA requests that all
foods that are brought in to be shared or sold on
campus are to be peanut/nut free. Due to the
number of students and employees that have food
allergies we do not sell any items that contain
peanuts/nuts. We request that all special party food,
bake sale foods and food to be eaten on buses
during field trip to be peanut/nut free. If you have
any specific concerns please contact our office.
3. Be sure to update the Nurse’s office of any
changes in your child’s health and emergency
contact information throughout the year. Review “To
Sick for School” guidelines found in Blackboard for
when to keep your child home from school.
Tuesday Tours
Every Tuesday, from
October 5 – November 16,
9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Parents interested in Middle
and/or Upper School ‘walk and
talk’ the campus with a member
of the Admission Office.
Wednesday Walk-ins
Every Wednesday from
October 6 – November 17,
9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Parents interested in Lower
School ‘walk and talk’ the campus
with a member of the Admission
Office.
To contact the Admission Office,
call 484-424-1444.
Looking forward a Healthy and Happy School Year!
Directory Updates
From the Athletic Department
Do you know?
How to reach the Athletic Department?
Find out where a game is being played?
Learn if a game is cancelled on game day?
Here is how to reach us and our information:
Contests:
~ Go to our Web site ~ www.episcopalacademy.org
LS Faculty, pg v
Ms. Sylvia Davis should be
Ms. Silvia Davis
Add Mrs. Nancy Haas, 4th Grade
MS Faculty, pg. vi
Todd Fairlie
MS History and Athletics
Directory of EA Families
~ and choose "Athletics" at the top of the page and
then, on the left, choose "Team Schedules."
~The flat-screen monitors in the lobby of each
building run the contests and locations for that day.
~Directions to away games can be found by
choosing "Athletics" and then "Directions."
Athletic Office Numbers:
Gina Buggy, Athletic Director
484-424-1412; buggy@episcopalacademy.org
Jim Farrell, Associate Athletic Director
484-424-1413; Farrell@episopalacademy.org
Kim Piersall, Director of Middle School Athletics
484-424-1512; Piersall@episcopalacademy.org
Mary Gallagher, Athletic Office
484-424-1411; mgallagher@episcopalacademy.org
John Smith, Head Trainer
484-424-1418; jsmith@episcopalacademy.org
D'Ambrosio, Alexa Nicole
Sixth Grade
New Student
Mr. & Mrs. Louis D'Ambrosio
100 Overlook Lane
St. Davids, PA 19087
Louis & Kimberly
Archambault, Adam Shawn
2nd Grade
New Student
Add to Existing Family
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Archambault
DeSantis, Erika Nicole
Sixth Grade
Correct Street Name to Patriot
140 Patriot Drive
Collegeville, PA 19426
Thompson, Benjamin C.
Cathy Holt, Asst. Trainer
cholt@episcopalacademy.org
Mike Herron, Equipment Manager
herron@episcopalacademy.org
Athletic Hot Line
484-424-1414 – This line gives the contest for the
day. It also gets updated on days when contests are
cancelled throughout the day.
Additional Athletic Information:
The Sport Expectations for each varsity team can
be found in the parent section of Blackboard under
Athletic Information.
The 2010 Student Parent Athletic Handbook can
now be found in the parent section of Blackboard
under Athletic Information..
The 1410 extension, which was previously an
ATHLETIC office number is now a line dedicated to
DIRECTIONS to our school.
Second Grade
Thompson, Cameron P.
Third Grade
Add Address
611 Woodleave Road
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
Wilson, Kathryn Elizabeth
Seventh Grade
New Student
Mr. Robert & Ms. Nancy Wilson
1003 Bala Farms Drive
West Chester, PA 19382
610-692-1851
Robert & Nancy
EA School Store
The Episcopal Academy School Store will be open
Mon/Wed/Fri from 9:00 a.m. -3:00 p.m. and
Tues/Thurs from 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. School
supplies, novelties, and athletic wear may be
purchased at the school store.
EAPA Thrift Shop Hours
The EAPA Thrift Shop collects and sells gently-used
school uniforms. The shop hours will be every
Friday from 8:00-9:00 a.m. The shop is newly
located in the Campus Center across from the
EAPA office.
2010 Lecture Series
Episcopal Academy announces the speakers for the
2010 Lecture Series. Be sure to mark your
calendars for these wonderful speakers.
Wes Moore
Author of the bestselling book, The Other Wes
Moore
September 20 at 9:40 a.m. in the Class of 1944
Chapel
André Robert Lee
Director and producer of the documentary Prep
School Negro
October 8 at 9:00 a.m. in the Mainstage Theater,
Crawford Campus Center
David Maxwell ’48
Alumnus and retired CEO of Fannie Mae
October 14 at 9:40 a.m. in the Class of 1944 Chapel
John Medina
Author of "Brain Rules for Babies: How to Raise a
Smart and Happy Child"; October 14 at 5:30 p.m. in
the Mainstage Theater
Rev. Graeme Paul Knowles
Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
October 29 at 9:40 a.m. in the Class of 1944 Chapel
Gordon Cooney ’77
Alumnus, noted attorney, and legal activist
November 5 at 9:40 a.m. in the Class of 1944
Chapel
David Fricke ’52, 2010 Ben Read Lecturer
Alumnus, noted surgeon, and mentor for “Doctors in
Far Off Lands”
November 17 at 9:00 a.m. in the Class of 1944
Chapel
September Lecture
Wes Moore EA is pleased to welcome best-selling
author, Wes Moore, to campus on Monday,
September 20th at 9:40 a.m. in the Class of 1944
Chapel. Moore’s hit book, The Other Wes Moore
focuses on two individuals with the same name who
are born in the same Baltimore neighborhood within
one year of each other. One Wes Moore, the
author, became a Rhodes Scholar, U.S. Army
officer, White House fellow, and an investment
banker. The other Wes Moore is serving a life
sentence in prison for murdering a policeman.
Moore explores how two radically different life
experiences can spring from essentially the same
childhood circumstances and how race, education,
and family support can affect a child’s development.
Justin Brandon, Episcopal’s Junior Class Form
Dean, is a close friend of the author and is featured
in the book.
Global Youth Leadership Institute
Episcopal Academy rising seniors Michael Jahnle,
Monique McKinney, Elizabeth Picciani, Angira
Pickens, and Cameron Maple travelled with faculty
member Dan Clay to Costa Rica this summer where
they stayed at the United World College and Earth
University as part of the Global Youth Leadership
Institute (GYLI). While in Costa Rica, the group
toured the rainforest, stayed with Costa Rican
farmers, worked on the Earth University campus,
and learned about world food systems and
environmental sustainability. This experience was
the third and final one for this group of students who
have travelled together each summer since starting
the program the summer after 9th grade.
GYLI is “a non-profit organization that offers
leadership programs for schools around the world.”
(http://gyli.org/) Episcopal Academy sends a
number of students and faculty each year to
participate in GYLI’s three-year high school
program, which begins the summer after 9th grade
and ends the summer before 12th grade. Groups of
2-5 students and 1-2 faculty members travel each
summer to a new location for the next three years.
The first year is an “exploration of the self in the
context of community.” Participants stay on a
historic schooner in the Great Lakes or the Atlantic
Pictured are: Michael Jahnle, Monique
McKinney, Elizabeth Picciani, Angira
Pickens, and Cameron Maple. All are
Class of 2011.
Ocean. The second year, they “travel to a unique
region of the country, to explore the ‘personal
geography’ of leadership.” Time is spent at the
Lama Foundation, an amazing mountain sanctuary
in New Mexico. Finally in year three, they are invited
to choose one of two international gatherings, either
Costa Rica (Environmental Sustainability and World
Food Systems) or India (Global Poverty and
Economic Development).
Faculty Summer Enrichment
With help from the Crawford Hill Fund for Faculty
Enrichment, Jen (US English) and Rob Maier (US
History/art history) traveled to Los Angeles for six
days in July. Rob captured a thousand images from
Frank Gehry's Disney Concert Hall and L.A.'s
fabulous museums, including the Museum of
Contemporary Art and the Los Angeles County
Museum of Art. Rob was also treated to behind-thescenes tours of the Getty Center and Villa by his
best friend, Jack Ludden, the head of Web
Development at The Getty. In support of her senior
English seminar exploring the evolution of the hardboiled detective novel, Jen visited many sites of her
novels, all set in L.A., and took a bus tour of
Raymond Chandler's gritty, seedy Los Angeles. The
Maiers were two of a number of faculty who were
able to take advantage of grants to enhance their
classroom teaching.
To read more about all of the work our faculty
completed this summer, click here.
The Arts at Episcopal
Domino Club Fall Production The 2010-2011
Domino Club presents "The Farndale Avenue
Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic
Society’s Production of Macbeth," a comedy by
David McGillivray and Walter Zerlin Jr. The intrepid
ladies of the Farndale Avenue Housing Estate
Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society, together
Jen Maier visiting locale
Rob Maier experiencing art
with their daring director, Mr. Plummer, and stage
manager, Henry, have decided to produce their
version of the classic tragedy, Macbeth, in order to
win a place in Drama Finals in Garden City. But
after nine months of painstaking rehearsals, the
fates conspire to ensure that everything will NOT be
all right on performance night. Actors get injured,
cues get missed, Lady Macbeth misses her bus
stop and gets carried away by public transportation,
and the show’s adjudicator announces that the
ladies have eight-and-a-half minutes left in which to
finish the final act or the group is disqualified.
This fall, The Domino Club will produce its own
version of this slapstick comedy first developed by a
British theatre group to perform at the Edinburgh
Theatre Festival. Performances will be Friday
October 29th at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday October
30th at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the Ridgway
Blackbox Theater. Tickets go on sale October
9th. In the cast are: Emma Kloppenburg '12, Liza
Fryman '12, Michael Eichert '12, Sarah Mezzanotte
'11, Jackie Blickman '12, Devi Loftus '11, Sarah
Bernhardt '11, Kate Ruggiero '11, Paul Riley '11,
Sean Purcell '11, Swanson Ninan '11, John Nickolas
'12, Katie Gallagher '12, Caroline Hunter '14, Kayla
Coleman '14, and Laura Fabius '11. Working on
stage crew are: JP Waldron '11, Chloe Perate '11,
Alex Bilotti '12, Annie Dunlap '11, Julia Philips '11,
and Laura Agosto '11.
October Artist of the Month
Episcopal Academy Parents Association Art Edge
Committee presents Art Chair David Sigel as the
artist for October. His work will be on display for the
entire month of October in the Campus Center
Gallery. There will be a reception on October 6th
from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Gallery.
Department of Theatre and Dance Needs
Volunteers and Donations
EA Costume Stitchers
Can you offer your sewing skills and expertise to the
Department of Theatre and Dance to aid in the
creation and alteration of costumes for our Middle
and Upper School plays and musicals throughout
the year? The Department of Theatre and Dance
welcomes any and all parents, grandparents, alums,
and other friends of EA to join this 'pool' of helpers
to be called on, as needed, throughout the course of
the year. Please email department chair, Susan
LaPalombara, at LaPalomb@ea1785.org if you can
lend a hand.
Costume Donations
The Department of Theatre and Dance is looking for
costume contributions for the Middle School fall
musical, Bugsy Malone Junior. In particular we are
looking for any and all child/young adult suits and
suit jackets that would fit students in grades 6-8.
Additionally, we would welcome any clothing
for females, that 'reads' as 1920s--flapper style
dresses, drop waist dresses, shifts, etc. Please
email department chair, Susan LaPalombara at
LaPalomb@ea1785.org if you have anything you
would like to donate.
Community Outreach and Service
Learning
Summer, 2010
In June, 13 rising juniors and two teachers traveled
to San Antonio, Guatemala to improve the grounds
of the Colegio Kubin Junan, a small elementary
school. The team stayed with families throughout
the town, and impressed theirs hosts with their
fluency in Spanish! Over the10-day stay, we were
able to complete several projects, including
installing new playground equipment, painting a
mural, building a wall around the playground,
putting up a fence, and planting a new garden
around the border. In doing so, we learned to mix
cement by hand, use a pick axe, anchor equipment,
and install fencing. We also discovered some real
undeveloped talent there in wiffle ball, and had a lot
of fun playing endless soccer games with the
locals. The children at school were ecstatic when
we were finished the playground, and they were
able to use it. We made life-long friends with our
host families and hope to return some time.
Later in June, eight rising seniors and two teachers
traveled to Arusha, Tanzania to volunteer in two
orphanages. The group stayed together as guests
of the Mallya family in the village of Usa River,
where they enjoyed delicious local cuisine and
Tanzanian hospitality. They were able to volunteer
at the Tumaini Children’s Foundation helping some
of the older children there plant an enormous
vegetable garden and weeding the existing
gardens. When not in the gardens, the group
enjoyed playing games with the younger orphans
there too. Most days were spent at the Kibowa
Orphans Centre, where they taught some English
classes, built a chicken house from the ground up,
and painted all the buildings inside and out. Eliza
Strong designed and outlined a beautiful wildlife
mural for the outside walls of the orphanage. It was
a huge undertaking and required everyone’s help,
but what a difference it made! When the group
arrived, the walls were a dirty whitewash, and when
they left, there were vibrant African animals
frolicking all over the walls! We became very close
to the children who live there and will really miss
them!
Be a part of the summer service trips of 2011! See
Pictured are: (l to r) Will Blommer,
Charlie Caraher, Noel Swanson, Tim
Longen, Zach Caraher, and Jack
Dordelman with their friends from the
Collegio Kuban Junan in San Antonio,
Guatemala. All are Class of 2012
EA volunteers at Kibowa Orphanage, in
Arusha, Tanzania were: (l to r) in back,
Andrew Levine (5th grade teacher),
Connor McElwee, Kacey Hirtle, Chris
Paterno, Eliza Strong, and Susan
Swanson; and in front, Katie Fell,
Polina Turner, Michelle Chen, Abby
Sarmiento, and Joseph. All students
are Class of 2011. Eliza Strong's mural
is in the background.
Susan Swanson also travelled with the
III Form on the Outward Bound trip in
August, where she got these great
photos. Above is Korey Leidheiser
climbing "The Chimneys" and below,
Noah Reape rappelling at Outward
Director Susan Swanson for details.
Fall, 2010
Zelda has returned to The Seeing Eye for her formal
training. Zelda lived with Cheryl McLauchlan last
year and could usually be found in the junior lounge.
She has an enormous personality and will no doubt
be a wonderful companion while helping a blind
person live independently. We will miss Zelda and
wish her well!
The school year will kick off with the Sophmore Day
of Service on September 16th. The sophmore class
will divide and serve in various locations in and out
of Philadelphia for the day. We will begin serving
dinner at UCHC on Thursday nights beginning the
same date. Keep an eye on the Community
Outreach Bulletin Board for other opportunities to
serve!
Community Cares Collection for September is
school supplies! As you do your back-to-school
shopping, consider filling a backpack with essential
school supplies for our neighbors in need.
Collection bins will be in the lobby of each academic
building.
Bound.
Annual Giving News
As the 2010-11 academic year opens, it is time to
salute the generous support of all parents, past and
present, who made a gift to the 2009-10 Annual
Fund. On June 30, 2010, the closing date of the
campaign year, total donations to the Annual Fund
and PA-EITC exceeded $2 million, marking the
fourth consecutive year that total support has
surpassed this benchmark! Thank you to all who
contributed! This is an extraordinary achievement
given the continued uncertain economy, as
evidenced by the struggles many peer schools have
reported in meeting their goals. Even better for EA
is the increase in overall parent participation from
50% to 58%, and an increase in parent participation
percentage in 11 of 14 grades! This is a significant
improvement in the strength of the Annual Fund,
which in turn strengthens Episcopal.
What is the Annual Fund, otherwise referred to as
"Annual Giving?" Why is it important?

The Annual Fund is an ongoing, regular part
of EA's income stream, financed by
voluntary donations by parents, alumni,
students, faculty and friends. Tuition alone
does not cover the school’s full operating
costs. Every year, 6 percent of EA's
operating budget is financed by Annual Fund
contributions.

It is the campaign for unrestricted funds for
EA. Proceeds are deposited into the
General Fund and can be immediately
dispersed into any number of areas at EA's
discretion, providing EA with valuable daily
flexibility in executing its mission.

It is a visible benchmark of the support EA
receives from its community of supporters,
which reflects the level and enthusiasm of
its commitment to EA's mission. This can be
a difference maker in the awarding of grants
to EA, which forms another part of its
budgeted income.
Our theme this year is Mind, Body, Spirit…The
Episcopal Academy Annual Fund: Supporting
the Episcopal Experience. Please consider
making a gift to the 2010-11 Annual Fund, of any
size. Our goal this year is to once again increase
parent participation across the board. A
contribution in any amount will help us accomplish
this and your support will send a strong message
about the tradition of giving at Episcopal.
There are many ways to make a gift to the Annual
Fund – visit www.episcopalacademy.org/supportingea for more details or contact Jen Fifer in the
Development Office – 484-424-1783 to make a gift
directly over the phone.
After three very capable years as the parent chair of
the Annual Fund, Pat McKay (Sarah '12 and David
'18) has stepped down, and I have the daunting but
exciting challenge of succeeding her. What Pat
has achieved during her stewardship is a
strengthened network of class volunteers who have
lent their own style and energy to each campaign.
My goal is to sustain that momentum into 2010-11
and beyond, and to lend my own experience as a
14-year, cradle-to-grave (pre-K to VI Form) alumnus
to the cause.
As my 85-year-old aunt always tells me, "Life is full
of new beginnings," and she's right! Welcome to
another year at Episcopal!
Very truly yours,
Ted Stone '78 (Elizabeth '16 and Will '18)
Chair, Parent Annual Fund
Dixon Athletic Center
Get back in gear after a fun-filled summer. Boot
Camp and Basic Training are just starting. The EA
Women's Workout Series begins September 8th.
Personal Trainer Steve Musacchio is available for
personal training during AM hours and limited PM
time slots. If you are interested in personal training,
please contact Steve Musacchio at
smusacchio@ea1785.org to book a “meet and
greet” to go over a plan to start the year off. Spots
are limited. New to the training programs are two
new meal plans allowing clients to eat fun foods and
still lose weight! Check out the Dixon Athletic Center
programs at
http://www.episcopalacademy.org/about/communityathletic-programs/index.aspx.
Squash Club
The squash club brings together all passionate
squash enthusiasts and introduces squash to new
players so that they may benefit from what squash
has to offer. The club caters to players of all ages
and level of play, and offers a fun and casual
environment in which to develop squash skills.
Check out the Squash Club Web site at
http://www.episcopalacademy.org/about/communityathletic-programs/dixon-athletic-centermembership/index.aspx.
EAPA Events
THIRD ANNUAL MICHELLE’S MILES race will be
held on Sunday, October 3rd, at 9:00 a.m. This
family event in honor of Michelle Deasey includes a
5K race, 1-mile walk and a Kids’ Run. Proceeds
from the event will benefit EAPA and the Michelle
Deasey Scholarship Fund. Register at
www.michellesmiles.org. To make donations and
volunteer or for more information, contact Candace
Gantt at candace.gantt@verizon.net.
EAPA GOLF CLASSIC WILL BE
HELD Friday, October 15th, at St. David’s Golf
Club. Parents, enjoy a great day of golf followed by
dinner and dancing. For more information, contact
Loraine Jones at loraco@comcast.net.
For information on the Episcopal Academy Parents
Association and upcoming activities, go the EAPA
Web site.
The Episcopal Academy | 1785 Bishop White Drive | Newtown Square, PA 19073