Oasis The ESA Experience
Winter 2021
Drawing by Taylor Guillotte, ’22
Celebrating 2020’s Successes We made it to 2021! ESA’s small class sizes and outdoor campuses gave us the ability to stay in-person through the fall of 2020, but not without adaptations. I’m thankful for the creativity of our faculty and students as they re-imagined traditional events and found new ways to connect and learn. We’ve held chapel both virtually and outdoors. Classes have welcomed guest speakers via Google Meet. The Performing Arts Department set up an outdoor stage with curtains, lighting, and sound for fall drama performances. ESA Music held a Spooktacular concert on the soccer field. And Student Council has led with grace and enthusiasm despite last minute changes to scheduled activities. We’ve been blessed with the leadership of our two COVID heroes - Lafayette Campus Nurse Christie Kane (left) and Cade Campus Nurse Laura Magann. Beginning with the establishment of campus protocols for masks, social distancing, temperature checks, student groupings, quarantine procedures, contact tracing, and so much more, they have worked nonstop to keep us safe and together as much as possible. Our whole community is grateful for their patient, compassionate, and professional care. As schools across the country have addressed issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, I have been extremely proud of the students who have approached me, Upper School Head Dr. Kat Movassaghi, and Dean of Students Dr. Chad Lee to thoughtfully discuss these issues at ESA. Those conversations, and ones I’ve had with ESA alumni who have reached out as well, have led to further discussions and plans that will evolve in the coming months with input from students, alumni, and faculty. In laying the groundwork for these discussions, Dr. Movassaghi started by surveying upper school students about how members of the Cade Campus community engage with each other (details on following page). In addition, the Board of Trustees has adopted a diversity statement that can be found at ESAcadiana. com/DEI. I’m excited about the progress we’re making in this area and in so many others. Areté!
Paul Baker, PhD Headmaster
A Conversation About Dialogue Upper School Head Dr. Kat Movassaghi and the upper school administration have taken the first steps in a project to increase on-campus awareness about the impacts of everyday conversations and behaviors. Their goal is to ensure that ESA is a place where individuals with a wide range of beliefs, opinions, and identities can respectfully discuss, debate, disagree, and support one another. The project began with a survey of upper school students that asked about inappropriate remarks heard on campus, students’ levels of comfort expressing their opinions, and student suggestions for areas to address. Academic support coordinator Lahna Roche compiled the data and shared the students’ answers in a presentation that identified several themes, including their suggestions for education shown below.
Provide educational tools Examine intent & impact
Encourage respect
Increase selfawareness
Educate
Encourage openmindedness
Increase social awareness
Teach appropriate dialogue
Dr. Movassaghi invited faculty and staff to join a new Behavioral Awareness Group to review the students’ contributions, identify priorities, and map out a plan to make the ESA community a place where everyone feels welcome to be who they are.
2020-2021 Cum Laude Society Inductees ESA’s chapter of the Cum Laude Society was formed in 2019, and this year we welcomed members from the third and fourth eligible classes. To be considered for induction, a senior must be in the top 20% of the class, have attended ESA for the last four consecutive semesters and have a cumulative GPA of at least 4.00. Class of 2021 Inductees Ava Allam Hayden Boagni Emme Clement Jae Fabre Arden Frantzen Christian Herpin Luke LeGoullon Aline Malek Maggie Shuffler Grant Suire
This is the first year that ESA is able to admit juniors to the Cum Laude Society. To be considered, a junior must be in the top 10% of the class, have attended ESA for the last four consecutive semesters and have a cumulative GPA of at least 4.20 at the conclusion of the fall semester. Class of 2022 Inductees Anil Cacodcar Matthew Gary Emma Gombos Regan Manning Ali Munshi Congratulations to these students (photo above) for their exceptional records of academic achievement!
Will Bako, ’20
Congratulations to National Merit Semifinalists (top left to right) Ava Allam, Luke LeGoullon, and Arden Frantzen! Over 1.5 million juniors took the PSAT in 2019. These three students are among the approximately 16,000 top scorers who have been named Semifinalists. Matthew Bush (bottom left) and Corbitt Driskell (bottom right) have been named Commended Students, placing among the top 50,000 scorers. Luke, Corbitt, Ava, and Arden have been recognized as Rural & Small Town Scholars as well.
Thank You, Ms. Mary! Lower School movement teacher Mary Frances LeBlanc retired in the fall after 16 years of encouraging PK3 through 5th grade students to be active. Ms. Mary was one of the founding members of the Lower School faculty, and created the Movement program. Her Field Day themes and activities are legendary, and her enthusiasm for ESA Athletics as both coach and spectator are inspiring. As one teacher noted, “Ms. Mary was serious about helping students move their bodies and live healthy lifestyles. She taught with passion and she called things as she saw them, never bothering to ‘sugar coat’ anything. I learned a tremendous amount from her teaching style, and her willingness to use large vocabulary with students because she appreciated that the students would be able to understand. She was a fun teacher, brought happy energy to the campus and was the type of coworker who would support you in any way that you needed. She will be missed!”
Mary Frances has been a pillar of our community. She is one of a kind! Her boundless energy, great sense of humor and commitment to ESA will be missed tremendously by all, students and teachers, alike! All the best to you, Mary Frances!
Mary Frances epitomizes the ESA Spirit and what it means to be an ESA Falcon.... spirit, dedication, hard work, and team. She expressed her love of movement with her joyous enthusiasm and her 'kid at heart' personality. Mary Frances loves ESA and we LOVE Mary Frances!!!
Churches of the Realm In Introduction to Religion, Fr. Andrew Armond challenged his eighth grade students to design churches in Minecraft. After studying church architecture, the students worked in pairs to create their own structures, following guidelines based on common architectural elements found in different types of churches. Each church was required to have one of four specific floor plans, an altar, lectern, baptismal font, pulpit, pews, and various Christian symbols. The pairs designed exteriors, interiors, and settings, with attention to both aesthetics and function. Introduction to Religion is a semester-long course that offers eighth graders the chance to see how religions attempt to address the three central “meaning” questions that have guided human inquiry since time immemorial — Who are we? Why are we here? Where are we going?
The Magic of Small Groups
ESA’s mission and the Lower School’s model can be found in these daily rotations. Peek into a kindergarten classroom at reading or math time, and the idea of a unified lesson plan may not seem to fit. Students are scattered throughout the room, some working in a small group with a teacher or assistant, others working independently in groups of two or three to write, cut, color, or create with beads. Yet underlying the variety of activities is an orchestrated rotation of learning that makes ESA’s early childhood program unique. These small groups allow differentiation, a core component of the Lower School’s Schoolwide Enrichment Model. Working with a few students at a time, teachers can meet students where their needs are and move them to the next level. Instead of trying to bring all students to the same place, teachers can ensure that each child continually progresses.
“We’re blessed to have assistants who are highly qualified and highly skilled,” says teacher Sandy Thompson. “They’re able to take on the role of teacher and to work with one group of students while we work with another group.” The day’s lesson is taught in the two teacher stations, and while each group works on the same skills, the teacher is able to respond to what the students in the group are thinking. A comment may spark a discussion or a modification to an activity within the framework of the lesson plan. A more advanced group may be given less direction and support, and
may work at a different pace. One group may take a deeper look at the concept, while another group may move on to the next step. With anywhere from three to eight students in a group, the teacher has the room, and the expertise, to creatively adapt to the children in front of her. Each day for reading and math, students rotate through the teacher stations and two independent stations. Unlike the open exploration found in PK centers, the kindergarten independent stations present students with activities that give them the opportunity to practice the day’s lesson. Students move between a fine motor station and a game-based station or a technology station. At independent stations, the students tackle tasks without supervision. Teachers encourage students to use their “figure it out brains” to complete the activities. As they build autonomy, students learn how to initiate, organize, manage their time, collaborate with partners, deal with problems, and make mistakes then move on.
“It’s amazing how far they come,” says teacher Julie Miller. “They love doing things by themselves, and it gives them responsibility for their own learning.” Beyond reading and math, the students begin forming the habits of scholarship that they’ll build on throughout their time at ESA.
Our mission is to instill in every student the habits of scholarship and honor. From the ESA Mission Statement
Finding Ways to Serve
Teacher Joanne Broussard’s first grade students (above) joined Upper School Community Service Club members in thanking doctors for their hard work during the COVID-19 pandemic by putting together gift baskets full of goodies. Ali Munshi, ’22, who coordinated the project, delivered the Adopt-a-Doc baskets to medical residents at University Hospital during Thanksgiving Break. Ali (next page top right) has been dedicated to thanking frontline workers since last spring, when he led an effort to recognize hospital maintenance and food service workers with posters expressing gratitude.
Here are just a few of the organizations ESA students have found ways to serve this school year: Solomon House A Pregnancy Center & Clinic The residents of School Days Apartments Down Syndrome Association of Acadiana Big Brothers Big Sisters Special Olympics Miles Perret Cancer Services Habitat for Humanity St. Joseph’s Diner Rebuilding Together Coastal Roots Acadiana Animal Aid Lourdes Hospital University Hospital Boys and Girls Clubs of Acadiana NAACP of UL Lafayette Vitalant CODOFIL The Eco Club (right) picked up trash and hurricane debris at Cypremort Point State Park in October after the late season storms.
State Champs
ESA State Championships #88 and #89! Boys Cross Country won their seventh championship in a row. Running for the Falcons were Christian Herpin, 2nd place; Peter Kaiser, 5th; Charlie Blanchard, 9th; Tate Broussard, 14th; Ian Waskom, 16th; Will Brown, 19th; and Matthew Bush, 20th. ESA Girls finished with all seven runners in the top 11 to take their second championship in a row and their fifth in six years. Racing for ESA: Aline Malek, 2nd place; Taylor Guillotte, 3rd; Ava Grace Hebert, 4th; Maddie Breaux, 8th; Bailey Guillotte, 9th; Ellianna DesOrmeaux, 10th; and Gase Broussard, 11th. Congratulations to the runners and coaches for this legacy of success!
And School Records ESA Girls Swim placed third at State and set four school records. Honors went to the 200 medley relay team of Lucia Weiner, Rory Daigle, Regan Manning, and Elena Alvarado, 2nd (school record); the 200 free relay team of Elena Alvarado, Lily Pillaro, Rory Daigle, and Regan Manning, 2nd (school record); Elena Alvarado, 2nd in 200 IM and 100 breast; and Regan Manning, 1st in 200 free and 500 free (school records). Congratulations, Falcons!
Aline Malek, ’21 A three-sport athlete, Aline Malek manages to excel in all three seasons while leading the school as Student Council President, maintaining a vigorous piano practice, and performing among the top students in her class academically. A member of five cross country state championship teams, Aline finished second in the state five times in the past six years. She contributed to four track & field state championships, with one individual state title in the 1600 relay and three titles each in the 400 relay and the 3200 meters. This winter, she and her teammates took the Girls Soccer team to the state quarterfinals. Aline and fellow seniors Ava Allam and Arden Frantzen were recognized as Composite All-Academic Scholar Athletes, earning unweighted six-semester GPAs of 4.0. All three are members of ESA’s chapter of the Cum Laude Society (p. 4). Aline will attend Duke University in the fall and plans to follow a pre-med track. Asked what she’d tell younger students about their time at ESA, Aline advises, “Take advantage of every opportunity. It’s worth it. Try different things until you find what’s good for you. It’s not about doing everything. It’s about finding what’s unapologetically yours.”
Spirit Week Falcon Fans made the most of the not-quite Homecoming Week held in January. On both campuses, students and teachers got creative for Mickey Mouse Monday, Twin (and triplet and quadruplet...) Tuesday, Wacky Western Wednesday, Throwback Thursday, and Spirit Friday!
Pottery Sports Outdoor Exploration Sewing Space Games Improv Cooking Animals Computers LEGOs Cheer Music and more
Adventure Awaits at ESA Summer! ESAcadiana.com/Summer Registration opens March 1st.
Career Day 2021
With the switch from in-person to virtual for Career Day this year, juniors and seniors connected with alumni in Atlanta, Washington, DC, Houston, Charleston, and New Orleans, as well as with alumni and current and past parents in Opelousas, Crowley, and Lafayette. Thanks to these professionals for sharing their time and experiences with members of the Classes of 2021 and 2022!
Scott Chappuis, ’97 Architects Beazley Moliere Robbie Trahan Co-owner, Falcon Rice Mill Brenda Ahrabi Stelly, ’85 President, Oil Center Research International Kenny Boagni, ’91 Civil Engineer and Land Surveyor, Morgan Goudeau and Associates
Avery Alpha, ’99 Foreign Service Officer, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, U.S. State Department Dr. Nick Pyenson, ’98 Research Geologist and Curator of Fossil Marine Mammals, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Charles Malespin, ’98 Chief, Planetary Environments Laboratory, NASA
Dr. Kam Movassaghi President, Movassaghi, LLC
Dr. Josh Caffery, ’93 Director, Center for Louisiana Studies, UL Lafayette
Greg Hernandez Sr. Facility Engineer, Arena Offshore
Cyoné Batiste, ’10 Sports Marketing Professional
Dr. Matthew Williams, ’91 Shoulder Surgery, Louisiana Orthopaedic Specialists
Dr. Matthew Wilson, ’90 Associate Professor of Political Science, Southern Methodist University
Dr. Lex Pierre IV, ’09 General Dentistry, Opelousas
Dr. Rien Fertel, ’99 Historical and Cultural Researcher, Writer, and Teacher
Dr. Jennifer Movassaghi Moffett, ’98 General Surgeon HCA Houston Healthcare Edward Barousse, ’91 Attorney, Borne, Wilkes & Rabalais
Marie LeBlanc Collins, ’96 Executive Director, The Family Tree Dr. Adrienne Langlinais Pruitt, ’02 Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center
Alumni Notes 1989
A huge thank you to Dr. Henry Kaufman, Interim Chief Medical Officer of Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center, for his guidance with COVID-19 protocols throughout the past year. He and ESA parent and trustee Dr. Farha Khan have been invaluable contributors to the health and safety of the ESA community.
1996
Marie LeBlanc Collins, Executive Director of The Family Tree in Lafayette, has been named a member of the most recent Lead-
Light It Up! Thank you to Brett Berard, ’01 (right), his team from Berard Transportation, and the ESA maintenance crew for their work to raise the light poles for the baseball field. And thanks to the parents, past parents, faculty, and alumni who contributed to this long-anticipated goal. Coach Mark Broussard (left) hopes to light the field for the first home game of the season on February 25th!
ership Lafayette class. Leadership Lafayette is the flagship program of the Leadership Institute of Acadiana. Marie is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Addictions Counselor.
2000
Luke Carter is in New York working at Facebook as a Production Designer. He has also launched a YouTube channel, The Productivity Shop (theproductivityshop.co).
2001
Anna Mary LeBlanc Walker and husband Matt welcomed their third son, Holden Lane, in September, 2020. Melissa Mahony Joyce and husband Joshua welcomed son Alijah in the summer of 2020.
2002 and 2003
Christiaan Mader, ’02, Lizzy LaPointe, ’03, and son Nils welcomed another boy, Cy, in August, 2020.
In Memory of Wallace Allen III, ’95 In October of 2020, ESA lost alumnus, parent, and former trustee Wallace Allen III, ’95. Wallace attended ESA from 1991 to 1995, and led the community as Student Council President. He served as a member of ESA’s Board of Trustees for the 2003-2004 school year. Wallace’s daughter, Sian, is a member of this year’s eighth grade class. From introducing a suggestion box to being the first to welcome new faculty to campus, Wallace’s concern for others characterized his time at ESA.
2004
Katie Bernhardt is the chairperson of the Louisiana Democratic Party.
2003
Brandon welcomed Mary Helen on January 4, 2021.
ceived the 2020 Area Council Professional of the Year Award for Louisiana.
2010
2017
Maggie Simon LeBlanc, husband Grant, and son Leo welcomed baby Stella on November 30, 2020.
Jacob Groth has been named one of Lafayette’s 20 Under 40 Young Leaders. A graduate of Millsaps College, Jacob is a Management Associate with IBERIABANK.
2006
2012
Lillian Guildry Tsinikas and her husband Andrew welcomed their first child, Joseph Alexander on December 25, 2020.
2007
Michael McGehee released his debut album, Make It to Mars. Brittney Reed was named Executive Director for the Louisiana Republican Party last September.
2008
Whitney Walker Linville and husband
Brandon English married Benandi on January 23, 2021.
Corrine
2013
Mikie Michot, currently an MBA student at UL Lafayette, interned for Lafayette Economic Development Authority in 2020. Mikie holds an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame. Micah Nicholas, Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana Granberry Unit Director and Program and Training Coordinator, re-
Libby Menard was an Investment Banking Summer Analyst at Goldman Sachs in 2020.
2018
Alex Malek, an economics major at Boston College, interned for Lafayette Economic Development Authority in 2020. Brian dela Rosa, a finance and data science major at New York University, interned for Lafayette Economic Development Authority in 2020.
2020
Amaryllis Wiltz, who is pursuing a mechanical engineering degree at Boston University, interned for Lafayette Economic Development Authority in 2020.
P.O. Box 380 • Cade, LA 70519
www.ESAcadiana.com
Beneath the Oaks Inspired by ESA’s alma mater, upper school ExLabs students created videos about the school’s landscape, student life, academics, athletics, and spirituality, and took over @esacadiana on Instagram to share them. Find the video that pulls them all together at vimeo.com/esacadiana.