FOUNDATIONS for
A NINTH-GRADE YEAR AT EHS
Episcopal High School’s NINTH-GRADE PROGRAM is thoughtfully designed to ease the transition into a demanding boarding school environment and foster a strong sense of community.
The program focuses on building a supportive and structured framework that promotes academic success, personal growth, and healthy relationships, ensuring a successful first year that powers freshmen INTO
THE NEXT
THREE.
BUILDING Community and Belonging in
YEAR ONE
THE FRESHMAN VILLAGE serves as the central hub for ninth graders, providing a dedicated space for them to connect and grow as a cohesive class. Located in Henderson Hall, this area includes the McGuire girls’ dorm and the Hummel boys’ dorm. This proximity provides a central quad and co-ed common spaces to encourage positive interaction and the formation of healthy friendships between boys and girls. The School promotes class cohesion through a variety of engaging weekend
activities, from dorm games and scavenger hunts to special events, all designed to help students build strong bonds from the very beginning. In addition to faculty, Prefects and Monitors, who are older student leaders, also live on the freshman dorms, providing peer mentorship and an organic support system for the younger students. This is a key part of the program, as it allows new students to lean on the guidance of their peers who have already experienced the transition to Episcopal.
KINCAID GOODWIN ’28, Laurel Hollow, N.Y.
“
Being the first class in the Freshman Village was so cool because it bonded all of us, the boys and the girls. The Prefects and Monitors were our built-in support system and made adjusting to EHS way less stressful and a lot more fun.
”
ACADEMIC PERSONAL
Setting Foundations for and
GROWTH
EPISCOPAL HAS SPECIFIC SYSTEMS IN PLACE TO ENSURE PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS FOR ITS FRESHMEN. The Advisor Program pairs ninth graders with adults who specialize in the unique challenges and opportunities of this age group. These advisors serve as a consistent point of contact, working closely with students and their families on all aspects of the transition to life at Episcopal. Faculty at large are also attentive to the needs of our newest students, taking care to connect with and
come to know the freshmen. With 90% of our teaching faculty living on campus, close-knit relationships with students also develop organically during community events such as service learning activities, Chapel, athletic contests, and arts performances. A key component of the academic program is 9th Grade Study Hall , which
provides a quiet, focused, and supervised environment for homework completion in the evenings from 8:009:30. Students’ study hall assignments are intentionally randomized in the initial weeks to help students meet new classmates and broaden their social circle. Student tutors are also readily available during the study hall hours in nearby classrooms, providing easy
“ “
COEVER DIXON ’26, McLean, Va.
y freshman advisory was more than just a M group — it truly became my Episcopal family. That amazing circle of girls was my core support system during that year, and the bonds we forged are friendships I still treasure today. FOSTER FOGELMAN ’28, Memphis, Tenn.
”
onestly, Townsend Study Hall was the best way H to end the day last year. It’s the perfect spot to chill for a bit after the class day, but also actually get your homework done with your friends. You’re all in it together, which helps a ton.
”
access to academic support. In addition, in the first semester, 9th graders attend a supervised study hall during their daytime free block. Another tool used to reinforce good routines and study habits is the academic progress sheet. This shared document allows faculty, advisors, and the class deans to monitor the progress of our students across all areas of
9th grade academic life. New students are also required to sign in for breakfast and office hours, promoting a culture of accountability. According to our faculty, this structured approach has been highly effective, and it facilitates important daily communication between students and adults on campus.
HEALTHY HABITS with a
Shaping
Structured Curriculum
The ninth-grade curriculum includes courses and meetings specifically designed to help students successfully adjust to life at EHS. An important part of this is EHS 101, which introduces key adults and school resources, teaching students how to best set themselves up for success at Episcopal. Students are able to work with our tech department to become familiar with
important tools like Canvas, Notability, Google Suite, and Orah, the School’s main tech platforms. Additionally, weekly class meetings cover important topics like emergency drills, the risks of drugs and alcohol (with talks from the School’s Medical Director), and discussions about healthy relationships, all as part of a larger curriculum focused on healthy community living.
The School also uses technology and dorm policies to promote healthy habits. For ninth and tenth grade students, Wi-Fi is shut down overnight, and a 10:45 p.m. lights-out policy is enforced to ensure adequate sleep, with a dorm parent on duty to ensure compliance. The School also institutes cell phone policies that govern the academic day and community gatherings.
“
WINNIE HUGHES ’27, Houston, Texas
HS 101 is a great source of E connection when you first get to Episcopal. It helps new students merge into the community by creating an environment where peers are all asking the same questions and discovering the answers as a team.
”
Connecting
CURRICULUM
to the
With support from Episcopal’s
MCCAIN-RAVENEL CENTER for Intellectual
and Moral Courage, the ninth-grade classroom regularly extends into the dynamic urban landscape of Washington, D.C., providing students with unparalleled access to field experts and unique experiences that are directly aligned with their coursework. Students gain not only practical skills but also deep, curriculum-based
CAPITAL
experiential learning opportunities that bring a personal connection to their coursework. The ninth-grade program helps students learn how to navigate the city, and this foundational knowledge is then integrated into all subjects through flex block experiences — 2.5-hour blocks where classes travel into the D.C. area to bring their studies to life.
Ninth-grade experiences in D.C., such as the “Three Branches of Government Walk” that takes students to the White House, Supreme Court, and the Capitol, build to upper-class experiences of attending an actual Supreme Court hearing or having a Q&A at The Capitol with members of Congress. A freshman literature class may visit Mt. Zion Cemetery while reading River Cross My Heart, and eventually these same students
ROCKY JIANG ’27, BEIJING, CHINA
will visit the Kennedy Center and other renowned theaters in Washington to see nationally acclaimed performances aligned with their coursework including Anitgone, Romeo and Juliet, and Frozen. Additionally, Episcopal regularly hosts guest speakers, both from the U.S. and abroad, who provide students with firsthand insights that connect their studies to the real world.
“
For my German class, we visited the Austrian Embassy to attend a Viennese Concert Café. Through music and enjoying Apfelstrudel, a traditional dessert, we were able to experience Austrian culture firsthand. For ninth grade physics, we went go-kart racing to aid our understanding of forces and inertia. These MRC flex blocks enabled us to bridge our learning with real life and engage with the surrounding DC region.
”
PUSHING
Growing
Boundaries,
TOGETHER
THE BURCH OUTDOOR PROGRAM
is a defining rite of passage for all Episcopal ninth graders. This multi-day hiking and canoeing trip through the Appalachian Mountains is designed to challenge students mentally and physically, pushing them beyond their comfort zones while building confidence
and leadership skills in all. The shared challenges and triumphs of the trip forge a unique and lasting connection between students and faculty, solidifying friendships and trust that are foundational to the Episcopal community. As one of the first major experiences of the year, it is a powerful way for students to come home to Episcopal.
“
JACK TASHJIAN ’26, Beaufort, S.C.
ooking back, the Burch trip was a defining moment of L freshman year. As a kid originally from New York City, being thrown into the wilderness pushed me way out of my comfort zone, but it’s how I became close with people I never would have known otherwise. Even now, as seniors, we’re still laughing about memories from that trip.
”
Building Community
BEYOND THE
CLASSROOM
The ninth-grade program encourages a
VIBRANT SOCIAL AND CO-CURRICULAR LIFE .
Approximately 90% of freshmen participate in a team sport during the fall, which is a fantastic way for new students to get to know their peers. Weekly residential life meetings are used for bonding and covering important topics like the Honor Code, behavior on the dorms, and planning for Spirit Week. Weekend activities are robust, with both on-campus offerings for students, as well as adventures and activities beyond the gates. Some of
our most popular on-campus activities are Friday Night Lights in the Hummel Bowl in the fall; the Senior vs. Faculty Basketball Game followed by Winter Carnival; and our May Day celebration in the spring. Other activities include weekend coffee houses, DJ’s in the student center, and fire pits on the quad, just to name a few. Our off-campus excursions can be trips to local festivals, farmers markets, professional sporting events, and more! All of these activities are designed to create a vibrant, engaging, and supportive atmosphere that makes Episcopal feel like home.
EMMA BLUE SINCLAIR ’27, Dunkirk, Md.
“
Friday Night Lights is one of Episcopal’s best traditions and one of my favorite memories from freshman year. It happens during Fall Family Weekend so the entire school and families are out showing their support, with the student section going crazy and louder than ever decked out in a special theme. It’s always one of the best parts of the year!
”
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