The mission of The Episcopal School of Knoxville is to prepare students for higher education and a lifetime of learning within the context of a loving, family-centered environment. We enrich our students' intellectual, physical, cultural and spiritual growth so that they may realize their potential as children of God and involved citizens of local, state and international communities.
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Happy November! It hardly seems possible that we are turning the calendar once again and that November is here. A reminder to all that Thanksgiving Break is just around the corner, Nov. 19-23. Save the date for Friday, Nov. 16, as ESK will hold its annual Thanksgiving Assembly at 1:45 p.m. in the Kline Gymnasium.
Things have been busy around the Brewington Family Lower School and around Googe Hall. Check out all the happenings in this week's edition of Headlines!
Halloween Costume Parade 
It was a wonderful morning at ESK on Wednesday as the students and staff celebrated Halloween with chapel and a costume parade on the lawn in front of Googe Hall. It is an annual tradition that makes for a great event. Thank you to all the parents who attended and braved the chilly temperatures to be a part of our fun!
Middle School Life Policy
Sixth, Seventh and Eighth grade students signed an agreement pledging to live by the Tribes Agreements in Chapel last Friday. This annual event sets the tone in Middle School by which all students and teachers live and relate to one another.
Sixth Grade Dinner Theater
"Dinner at Six, Dead by Eight"
Thursday, Nov. 8 * 6 p.m. * Googe Hall
Dinner begins at 6 p.m., the show begins at 6:30 p.m. Come and see our Sixth Grade superstars. For dinner reservations, please contact Director of Special Events Alice Smith via email at smith@esknoxville.org.
Admissions Open Houses
ESK will host a pair of Admissions Open Houses to start the month of November. The first is Thursday, Nov. 8 from 9-11 a.m. with the second scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 11 from 2-4 p.m. If you have questions (or for more information), please contact Admissions Director Susan Denton via email at denton@esknoxville.org.
 Scholarship Event Friday
The Episcopal School of Knoxville Scholarship Committee welcomes Jill Helmer and John Grady Burns, co-authors of Evergreen, Decorating with Colours of the Season, for a lecture, demonstration, and book signing tomorrow (Nov. 2) from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in St. Bartholomew's Chapel located on the ESK campus. Tickets are $25.00 with limited seating. RSVP to Director of Special Events, Alice Smith 218-4494 or smith@esknoxville.org. Payments can be sent to ESK Scholarship Fund, 950 Episcopal School Way. Books will be on sale at the event for $60.00. Cash or Check Only. All proceeds benefit the ESK Scholarship Fund.
School Pictures
Completed school picture orders and proofs from retake day should be arriving in the next week at ESK. They will be sent home as soon as they arrive. Thanks for your patience.
SAIS-SACS Accreditation Team Visit
Pat Cuneo, Director of Academic Affairs at the Athens Academy, will lead a team of four other educators in a three-day accreditation visit to ESK. They will arrive on Sunday, November 11, after our Admissions Open House for a tour of the school and dinner with the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees. They will be on campus all day on Monday, November 12 and Tuesday, November 13, to get to know our community. The visit will end on Tuesday afternoon after school with a faculty meeting, at which time Mr. Cuneo and his team will present their findings, commenting on areas of excellence and also making some recommendations for improvement. The accreditation process takes place every five years. Our administration, faculty, and Board have worked hard the last 18 months to document that we continue to meet the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) standards. We have also conducted a rigorous self-study process, in conjunction with the Board's Strategic Plan. We look forward to welcoming the SAIS-SACS Visiting Team, showing what we do so well, and learning from them. Lois Ross is the SAIS-SACS Accreditation Coordinator.
American Red Cross - Hurricane Sandy Relief
The American Red Cross is helping people across 13 states with safe shelter, food and comfort as part of a huge disaster response to Sandy. More than 9,000 people spent Tuesday night in 171 Red Cross shelters. Nearly 200 response vehicles are beginning to circulate through some communities distributing meals, water and snacks. Red Cross has delivered more than 100,800 meals and snacks so far. The Red Cross is working hard to get help to where it is needed, but access into many areas is still difficult.
The full impact of the storm cannot be known at this point. It may be some time before Red Cross will have a cost estimate of this disaster.
Monetary donations are critical for us to support our humanitarian efforts. Donations can be made online at www.knoxarc.org. The Red Cross is having a telethon today with WATE that runs from 6am to 7pm this evening. Donations can be made during the telethon by calling 865.584.2999.
Support ESK Everyday
Looking for a way to support ESK on a day-to-day basis? Head to esknoxville.org and check out the "Support ESK Everyday" page under the Supporting ESK tab for simple ways to help the school. Click here for the direct link. Examples include iTunes, Target, Amazon and Box Tops for Education. A percentage of your purchase will be donated to the school. ESK has already collected over 2,000 Boxtops this school year, well on our way to reaching our goal of 5,000.
Morning Care Reminder
Just a reminder to all parents that students who arrive between 7:30-7:40 a.m. should report to Morning Care in the Bishop Center Dining Room. There is no charge due to the short duration of care. Lower school students will be escorted to class. We ask this to ensure proper supervision and to allow our teachers to prepare for the day ahead.
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All- School News
Original Works
It is Original Works time again! For those of you new to the school, this is an opportunity to have your child's art on a product such as a t-shirt or night light. The merchandise is of good quality and very popular among our students. New this year is a phone cover for the iPhone 4S. All profit goes towards the ESK art program. In the past, we have been able to buy pottery wheels and a printing press with your support.
Lower School students should have received a packet earlier this week including your child's art and pricing. Middle School students can obtain a packet through Mr. Hoffman.
Your child has the liberty to complete artwork at home as well. The work must be 8 x 10 ½" and on card stock-- no glitter, metallic colors, or three-dimensional material.
This opportunity will last until Nov.5 - SO ACT NOW!! Please turn all order forms in to Mrs. Gibson in the Lower School.
Eighth Grade Farewell Ads
Information regarding the purchase of Eighth Grade Farewell ads for the yearbook was emailed to Eighth Grade parents prior to Fall Break. Please remember the first deadline for submission is Friday, Nov. 16, with the final deadline on Friday, Dec. 21. For additional info or with questions, please contact Communications Director Melissa Anderson via email at anderson@esknovxville.org.
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Lower School News
Great Barrier Reef Mural
First Grade students in Mrs. Ottaviano's and Mr. Bishop's classes are continuing to study the underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef. This week students have been making and painting 3D animals and plant life for a mural. Check back next week to see the completed project!
 | | First Grader Charlie Cowert and Assistant Teacher Cindy Rasnick work on 3D fish for a mural. |
Stone Soup Celebration
Last week, Mrs. Thurman's Second Grade class culminated its study of the folk tale Stone Soup with a Stone Soup Celebration and Readers' Theater. Students prepared soup and butter for a banquet with their parents and performed the folk tale about hungry strangers who persuade townspeople to give them food.
 | | Second Grade students shared their stone soup with parents at a banquet on Friday. |
Second Grade Continues to Explore the Five Senses
Students in Second Grade are continuing to study the Five Senses. This week, the topics were smell and taste. Last Thursday, the students visited several different centers where they explored taste buds, tasted candies without seeing them to determine flavor, tested their noses to find different scents and experimented with how different smells can affect taste.
 | | Second Grade students use their sense of smell during centers last week. |
Tall Tales Readers' Theater
Third Grade students culminated their study of Tall Tales with their presentation of a Tall Tales Readers' Theater. Students performed several different plays including characters such as John Henry, Paul Bunyan, Babe the Blue Ox, Pecos Bill, Slue-foot Sue and Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind. The students all did a spectacular job. Be sure to stop outside the Third Grade classrooms and read some of our students' own tall tales.
 | | L-R: Leah Busby, HJ Mirts and Alex Sawinski during the Tall Tales Readers' Theater. |
Symphony Field Trip
ESK students in Third and Fourth Grade got the opportunity to attend the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra last week. The students saw Scientific Symphony, a part of the Young People's Concert series. The performance was done in partnership with the American Museum of Science and Energy! What a great experience for all our kids!  | Third Grade students outside the Knoxville Civic Auditorium.
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Middle School News Sixth Grade Explores Ancient Egypt As part of their study of Ancient Egypt in Mr. Tom Jones' social studies class, Sixth Grade students took a field trip Tuesday to the McClung Museum on the University of Tennessee Campus. The students visited the museum's permanent exhibit on the subject.  Also this week, students took pieces of papyrus that has been soaking in water for a week, laid it out and are hoping once pressure is applied to the papyrus, it will turn into paper.  | | Sixth Graders Lydia Correll and Austin Hurst work with papyrus. |
Seventh Grade Model U.N. As part of their preparation for their Model United Nation presentations in a few weeks, Seventh Grade students continue to finish parts of their projects. Last week, students brought in a native dish from their country as part of a cultural food fair and presented poster boards with information concerning their countries. This week, students will work on their oral presentations in advance of the Nov. 13 event in Murfreesboro, Tenn.  | | L-R: Seventh Graders Ansley Turley, Zach Gilbert and Jamie Hickling with their presentation on New Zealand. |
Plate Movement and New Landforms Sixth Grade students in Mr. Kirk Beckendorf's science class used tasty treats for a lab on plate movement and new landform. Students used materials such as tortillas, graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate icing along with fossils (red hots) to explore the properties of movement and the creation of new landforms. It sure looked tasty!  | | Sixth Graders Jason Koehler and Abbie Wilson work on their lab. |
Halloween Chorus Performance Last Friday, members of the Seventh and Eighth Grade Chorus put the school in the mood for Halloween with a special performance of a variety of favorite Halloween-themed songs. The Siler Great Room in Googe Hall was decorated for the occasion, as were the students, and they performed such classics as Monster Mash, Time Warp and One-Eyed, One-Horned, Flying Purple People Eater. They did a great job!  Middle School Dance MS students and parents, a reminder that tomorrow (Friday, Nov. 2) is the Middle School dance from 7-9 p.m. in the Kline Gymnasium. Tickets for the dance, which is sponsored by the Student Government Association, have been on sale this week and are $5. Each grade level is responsible for bringing the following items: 6th- Drinks, 7th- Chips, 8th- Sweets Eighth Grade High School Admissions Test Information Parents- will your child be applying to high schools that require either the SSAT or the ISEE admissions assessments? If so, your child may now take these assessments here at ESK. Taking the assessments here eliminates the need for travel and offers convenience and a familiar testing environment for your child. Here is the information you need to register online: SSAT: Test dates: Tuesday, December 11, 2012; Wednesday, January 23, 2012 Go to www.ssat.org/flex Our 4-digit SSAT Center Code: 3030 Secret Access Code: march heart Cost: $116 Please register at least 3 weeks prior to the test date so that SSAT has time to send the appropriate amount of testing materials. ISEE: Test date: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 Go to: iseeonline.erblearn.org/welcome.aspx Choose "Register for the ISEE" Complete the required fields: Accommodations, Grade, State and Country Enter "Invitation Code": ECaudWBJ Cost: $98 Please call or email Lois Ross, School Counselor and Director of Testing, if you run into any problems with registration or have any questions, 777-9032 or ross@esknoxville.org.
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PA News
Winterfest
Save the date for Saturday, Dec. 1 for ESK's annual Winterfest event, sponsored by the Parents' Association. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. throughout the halls of ESK. Several activities will take place including inflatables, a photo booth and holiday crafts. A light breakfast will be available. Christmas trees, wreaths and garland will be on sale along with several other vendors. Watch Headlines for more information as the event draws closer.
Classroom baskets for the event are due next Friday, Nov. 9. Please contact Kristen Pearson at 865-406-2763 with any questions.
Belk Charity Sale
Start your Christmas shopping early with the annual Belk Charity Sale on Saturday, November 3 from 6 - 10 a.m. Tickets are available for $5, benefiting the Parents' Association. Your ticket is also a $5 off coupon on your first purchase. Take advantage of 20-75 % off storewide, including savings on rarely discounted brands. Sale information and tickets are available in the Lower and Middle School offices.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Nov. 29 Spirited Art Painting Event
Dec. 1 Winterfest
Feb. 8 Wine Tasting
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Library News
Scholastic Book Fair
The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to ESK, Nov. 5-12. Join us for holiday book shopping in the Clayton Library from 7:45-4 p.m. each day. Please join us at the fair!
Online shopping for the fair begins Friday, Nov. 2. You may shop online by visiting here and selecting to shop online. ESK earns materials and profits from our sale.
Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere
Congratulations to Mrs. Bornemann's Fourth Grade class and their "The Eyeball" pumpkin for winning the Library pumpkin-decorating contest. They showed great creativity by taking a white pumpkin and transforming it into an eyeball. Each student received a book and a treat at their Halloween party. Great team work!
 | | Mrs. Bornemann's Class Pumpkin |
Poetry Contest
The contest deadline for the 2012-13 GFWC-TFWC Poetry Contest for School Children is Tuesday, Nov. 6. All entries much be turned in by that date. Please see this flyer for additional information and requirements.
Guidance News
Upcoming Guest Speaker
Students in grades 1, 3, 5, and grades 6-8 will have a special guest speaker in Guidance class this week and the next. The Sexual Assault Center of Knoxville has a group of educators who teach classes in Knoxville and surrounding counties on personal safety. In first grade, students learn "No, Go, and Tell", trusted adult identification, three rules of safe touch, safe vs. unsafe secrets, using your voice in harmful situations, and listening to instincts, asking a safe adult first, and making an excuse to get out of a harmful situation. Students in third grade learn some of the same information as above, but also learn assertive communications skills and bullying/bystander information. The fifth grade curriculum builds upon those earlier skills, and also teaches Internet and social media safety.
In middle school classes, the safety topics are the same, but developmentally appropriate for the ages of the students. Sixth graders learn about communication, boundaries, the foundations of relationships, as well as the basic safety skills. Seventh and eighth graders learn positive friendship and relationship qualities, personal boundaries, and red flag behaviors.
The SAC curriculum does an excellent job presenting safety skills in a non-threatening way. Classes are interactive, with lots of role-playing and fun strategies to get the students actively involved.
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Athletic News
Basketball
Coaches: Laurie Coburn, Red Waller, Tanner Rice, Chris Renberg, Maddie Hodge
Basketball practices began in mid-October and continue next week. Both JV and Varsity boys and girls open their seasons next week. Stayed tuned for more details as the seasons get underway.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
11/5 JV-Girls 5 p.m. vs. Powell (A)
JV-Boys 6 p.m. vs. Powell (A)
11/8 V-Girls 5 p.m. vs. Webb (H)
V-Boys 6 p.m. vs. Webb (H)
11/9 JV-Boys 5 p.m. vs. Bearden (H)
V-Girls 6 p.m. vs. Bearden (H)
V-Boys 7 p.m. vs. Bearden (H)
Tennis
Coaches: Barb Quaint, Alicia Rojas
The Bernies and Saints teams will begin their playoffs over the next several weeks with opponents and times to be announced.
Student News
Killeffer Shines at ARHPA
ESK Fifth Grader Veronica Killeffer competed in her first horse show last weekend in Murfreesboro, Tenn. She won the ARHPA Roadster Pony Jr. Exhibitor Championship with her road pony Navigator (Buzz). Way to go Veronica!
Seventh Grader Featured on WUOT Fund Drive
Jamie Hickling has been featured in several WUOT fundraising promotions. You can hear his reasons for being a WUOT member during on-air radio spots, read his responses to an interview in some printed donation materials, or speak to him yourself when you see him on campus. We are proud to have such a civic-minded student pledging his support for lifetime learning in such a way.
ESK Alumni in Webb School Production: Jekyll/Hyde
Check out this picture of ESK alumni following their performance of Jekyll/Hyde at Webb School of Knoxville over the weekend!  | L-R: Christoph Ewing, Jackie Martyn, Neil Jochmann, Craig Wallace, Kate Schumaker
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Get Headlines! Please let us know if you or anyone in your family has trouble receiving Headlines! We will send it to anyone who wants to receive it.
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Have a great weekend!
Best wishes,
Melissa Anderson
Communications Director
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Eighth Grade
Portfolio Projects
ESK Eighth Grade students have been working on their Portfolio Projects during Language Arts class this semester. Topics this year range from coffee making and Gone With The Wind to animal rescue, Model UN and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
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