News that Stands Out
THE KNIGHT TIMES Official Student Newspaper of Episcopal High School
August 2020
4650 Bissonnet, Bellaire, Texas 77401
New schedules to limit spead of COVID-19
www.ehshouston.org
Volume 35, Issue 1
Opening Knight welcomes in unique style Faculty greets new students in a safe, socially distanced manner
BAILEY JUNELL Editor in Chief Throughout most of the summer, Episcopal High School planned on starting the school year in one of four schedules designed to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Schedule 2 called for four days of on-campus learning and a single day of virtual instruction. However, after consultation with its advisors at Houston Methodist, EHS moved to Schedule 4, or a fully-virtual school week. While everyone was disappointed, the safety of the community trumped the desire for inperson schooling. The school is prepared for a number of virtual possibilities with its four teaching schedules and can easily switch among them at the last-minute as conditions surrounding the coronavirus emerge. Schedule 1 is similar to the days prior to the pandemic, with physical distancing in place and all five days featuring in-person learning. Schedule 2 includes masks, physical distancing, and four days in person, while Wednesdays are virtual. Schedule 3 involves masks, physical distancing, and two of the five days of the week reserved for on-campus learning. Schedule 4 is 100% virtual and is where Knights found themselves on Opening Day, though the faculty and staff are on campus carrying out their duties. Once students are back on campus, EHS will implement new methods of on-campus instruction that will ensure distancing. Classrooms will have a limit on how many students can occupy the space, while any overflow of students will have to join the class virtually from a designated spot on campus, such as the gyms or library. In those places, teachers will proctor the students to make sure they are doing their work. Lunch, too, will see innovative approaches. Episcopal also is mandating hand hygiene by encouraging frequent washing and placing hand sanitizer dispensers around campus. Although the risk of corona will never fully be eliminated, these required procedures will help limit its spread.
INSIDE Online Freshman Orientation
Freshman Orientation was reimagined this year as a virtual event
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Theater and Dance’s Virtual Rehearsals
Theater and Dance begin preparing for upcoming fall performances virutally
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Features ........................ 2-3 Culture ......................... 4 Entertainment ............... 5 Knight Shift ................ 6 Opinion ........................ 7 Sports ........................... 8
New familes paraded through campus to see the faculty and staff. EHS “swag” bags were passed out to the freshman that included an EHS mask, an EHS shirt, hand sanitizer and some classic Episcopal cookies. Photo courtesy of Mrs. Courtney Lindloff. ESTEFANIA LOPEZ-SALAS Staff Writer
Prior to the start of the school year, incoming students and families were welcomed onto EHS Campus for an “Opening Knight.” Families of new students drove through the school to participate in a car parade welcome to Episcopal. Faculty and Staff were also stationed around the school to welcome these students. Learn more about Opening Knight on Page 2
EHS Athletics upgrades two new turf fields TINLEY KANE Sports Editor While students have been away since Spring Break, the EHS campus has gained many new athletics upgrades. Some of these upgrades include two new turf fields for baseball and field hockey. Funding for the Knight’s baseball program was fast enough to get a turf field going this past winter. Completed this spring, it has yet to be used. What this new field offers are synthetic blades of grass with mixes of both sand and rubber pellets as a stabilizer. Having previously been a dirt and grass field, the playing surface now allows for complete balance unlike in the past. Future plans call for the same surface for the softball team. Currently in the works, EHS has contracted for turf on the field hockey location on the Bissonnet side of campus. The field hockey team rallied this spring to follow baseball’s plan to also get a new internationally certified field. Unlike the baseball field, the goal of this field is to be strictly all turf. It also includes the installation of water cannons, which can be used before games and during halftime to allow for ball movement to be much quicker. This new field could possibly make it one of, if not, the fastest field
hockey surfaces in Texas. The upgrade from grass to turf will create a whole different experience and will debut this fall. As for potential projects of the future,
EHS intends on turfing the entire south side of campus. Their next project will be for the golf team, installing a putting and chipping green on the ellipse.
The new field hockey field currently in the works on the Bissonnet side of campus. This new build includes an entirely turf field, along with the installations of water cannons. Photo by Mr. Japheth Storlie.