EA Updates: Fall 2023

EA UPDATE

FALL 2023

news from around the green

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1 New Lower School Playground: After years of planning and five months

of construction, the new Lower School playground opened in September. This big vision was funded by four current EA families who offered generous gifts to the Shape Tomorrow campaign, designated for the playground project.

2 STEMposium: Last April, the Science, Computer Science, and Math

Departments hosted EA’s inaugural STEMposium! Featuring student research projects, interactive activities, and fun demonstrations, the event shared highlights of the STEM work happening across all three divisions.

3 National Merit Recognition: Thirty-seven seniors have been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program. Fifteen students were selected as Semifinalists, while an additional 22 were named Commended Students.

4 2023-24 Chapel Theme: Inspired by Romans 12:2, Be Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind was selected as the 2023-24 Chapel theme.

academics 1 EA Team Takes 2nd Place at Analytics & Data Visualization

Competition: The EA team of Kat Barber ’23, Bella Bin ’24, Sophia Hu ’24, and Riya Shankaran ’26 had an impressive showing at the 2nd Annual High School Analytics & Data Visualization Competition at St. Joseph’s University in March, taking home 2nd place out of 38 teams.

Hosted by the St. Joseph’s Department of Decision and Systems Sciences, the six-week competition began on January 30 and culminated with the one-day, on-campus event at the Haub School of Business.

2 2023 Lilley Fellows: Last spring, Upper School students were selected to

undertake in-depth research projects through EA’s Lilley Fellows program.

Ishani Khanna ’25, Nayan Shankaran ’24, Alyssa Sterner ’24, and Aru Venugopalan ’24 delved into their research over the summer and will present their final capstone projects this fall. Working alongside faculty advisors, students researched topics including education access during the pandemic, mapping DNA, women in STEM, and fostering empathy in education systems.

Established in 2018 by Mr. and Mrs. William Lilley III ’55, the Lilley Fellowship Fund awards research fellowships to students who exemplify academic curiosity, intellectual rigor, and scholarly passion.

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3 Nine First-Place Awards at PJAS State Competition: After a successful

showing at the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS) Regional Competition last spring, 15 EA students traveled to Penn State University in May to present their STEM research in the PJAS State Competition.

The students, who were eligible to compete in the State Competition only after earning first place in the Regional Competition, once again found success. At the state level, nine EA students came away with 1st place awards, while four received 2nd place awards and two received 3rd place awards.

4 May Term 2023: For Upper School students, the end of May was full

of adventures, learning, and bonding with their fellow classmates as they took on May Term. During this two-week academic program, students and teachers explore a diversity of innovative topics in great depth on campus, in our community, around the region, and across the globe.

From snorkeling in the crystal-clear turquoise waters of the Galapagos to hiking the trails of the Appalachian Mountains, making homemade pasta in Southern Italy to making homemade donuts in EA’s own science lab, and seeing historical sights in Philadelphia to singing on the streets of Nashville, our Upper School students ended the 2022-23 school year with experiences of a lifetime!

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1 Charlotte’s Web: The Harlequin Club returned to the Ridgway Blackbox Theater in March as they brought to life Charlotte’s Web, a beloved story of friendship. From “salutations” to fond farewells, the productions were heartwarming, funny, and inspirational.

2 The Addams Family: The Domino Club took the big stage in the Carrafiell

Family Theater as they presented the kooky, upside-down world of The Addams Family in their spring musical. From the fantastic performers and catchy songs to the unbelievable costumes and set, the April performances were out-of-the-grave incredible!

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A Celebration of the Arts: During ArtsFest on April 24, the talents of EA artists, musicians, dancers, and performers from all divisions were showcased throughout campus. With live performances, artwork of all styles lining the hallways, and a community-wide art project, the day was a true celebration of the arts. Winners of the annual Upper School Dora Khayatt Art Competition were also announced during ArtsFest after judges reviewed the more than 100 pieces of artwork submitted for consideration in four categories: woodworking, photography, 3-D, and 2-D. “The Dora Khayatt competition is an opportunity for our student-artists to receive recognition and embrace Matisse’s famous quote, ‘Creativity takes Courage,’” said Visual Arts Chair David Sigel, Hon.

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4 Open- Cumulative Works, 2019-2022: Alumnus Theo Vadot ’19 kicked

off the 2023-24 Crawford Campus Center Gallery season this fall. His exhibit, which included sculptures from Theo’s time at EA as well as his college pieces that helped secure a prestigious, 11-month internship with Pei Cobb Freed and Partners in New York City, was displayed in the gallery through Oct. 10. On Friday, Sept. 22, he came to campus for an artist’s reception and offered workshops for Upper School Honors 2-D and 3-D Design students. He also shared his thoughts about the exhibit and his career plans in a recent episode of the EA Unlocked podcast.

5 Fall Shows: The Domino Club and the Harlequin Club look forward to an incredible fall season of theatre. Tickets for both shows will be available on showtix4u.com.

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The Harlequin Club returns to the Carrafiell Family Theater on Nov. 1618 with their rendition of Frozen JR. This “enchanting modern classic from Disney” will bring Elsa, Anna, and the land of Arendelle to life onstage.

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The Domino Club will perform Metamorphoses in the Ridgway Blackbox Theater from Oct. 26-28. The play is based on the Greek myths as originally told by Ovid and produced on Broadway in a version by Mary Zimmerman that is both classical and contemporary.

athletics Spring Recap • • •

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Softball clinched its second consecutive Inter-Ac Championship with an impressive 16-1 record. Baseball finished strong with a 14-10-1 record.

Boys’ tennis finished up Inter-Ac League play 5-5 to end the season in 3rd place.

Boys’ track and field had a very successful season. Accolades included Delco Champions, Inter-Ac Champions, and PAISAA Champions. Dakin Ebmeyer ’23 was named Inter-Ac MVP, while Aidan McHugh ’23 won the Inter-Ac Directors’ Award. Girls’ track and field ran to 2nd place at the Inter-Ac and PAISAA Championship meets, with Avery Elliott ’24 named Inter-Ac MVP. Girls’ lacrosse finished with an impressive 16-3 record, 10-0 in the Inter-Ac, and a Top 20 national ranking. Lex Ventresca ’23 won Inter-Ac MVP and Inter-Ac Directors’ Award. Coach Josie Tomaino was named a Phillylacrosse Honorable Mention Coach of the Year. Boys’ lacrosse finished the season 12-9, including some big wins against Radnor High School (8-7), and MIAA schools St. Paul’s School in Baltimore (11-10), and Gilman School (11-10).

Boys’ and girls’ rowing showed great grit and determination. The varsity girls’ quad earned a bronze medal in the Philadelphia City Championships, while the boys’ four 4+ finished 4th.

Girls’ golf won its second consecutive Inter-Ac Championship after putting past The Baldwin School (228-298) in the last match of the regular season.

Fall Highlights (As of Oct. 11, 2023) • • •

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Boys’ XC has eight dual meet wins (8-0) to date, finished sixth at the Paul Short Invitational, and got 2nd at Delcos. Girls’ XC went 5-1 during its races against Inter-Ac rivals at Belmont Plateau, and got 10th at Delcos.

Field hockey has already faced several Inter-Ac rivals and notched wins against Penn Charter (8-0), GA (3-2), and SCH (3-0), for a 3-2 league record.

With an overall record of 8-2 and a league record of 6-0, girls’ soccer has found success early this season. Under the leadership of new Varsity Coach Zach Ward, boys’ soccer has played strong during the first half of the season, currently at 7-4.

With 11 matches played, girls’ tennis is 6-0 in league play and 10-1 overall.

Coach Whitaker Powell, Hon. said a highlight of the season so far was the win against The Lawrenceville School.

Boys’ water polo started October strong with a 13-12 win over Malvern Prep on Tuesday, Oct. 3. The squad also battled it out at this year’s Beast of the East Tournament in September. Girls’ water polo earned second place in the Flight III division in the Beast of the East Tournament.

Boys’ golf is in the thick of the season, having played three of six league events. They also got 3rd at the GA Invitational.

Football stands at 2-3, with wins over The Hill School (35-6) and Blair Academy (15-14) in September.

upcoming alumni events Philly Alumni Happy Hour Thursday, Nov. 9 @ 6 p.m.

Mix and mingle with fellow alumni and some of your favorite faculty and coaches at EA’s Philly Alumni Happy Hour on Thursday, Nov. 9, at Barra Rossa Ristorante in Philadelphia! Complimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served.

EA/Haverford/AIS Weekend Friday, Nov. 10 - Saturday, Nov. 11 Grab your blue and white, and come out to cheer on our fall athletes on Friday, Nov. 11, at The Agnes Irwin School, and on Saturday, Nov. 12, at The Haverford School. Be sure to stop by the EA Alumni Tent during this fun, family-friendly weekend!

Turkey Trot 5K and Alumni Games Thursday, Nov. 23 Whether you’re looking to relive your glory days or simply want to start your holiday in the company of EA friends, join us on Thanksgiving Day! The Turkey Trot and Alumni Water Polo Game begin at 10 a.m., and the Alumni Soccer Game begins at 11 a.m.

2023 Alumni Weekend Friday, May 3 - Saturday, May 4 Save the dates! This May, join in the fun as we celebrate all EA alumni with a special invitation to the classes ending in 4 and 9! Interested in serving on your reunion committee? Email alumni@episcopalacademy.org.

stay connected!

For details on all upcoming Office of Alumni Engagement events, please visit episcopalacademy.org/alumnievents. Also, be sure to follow @EAalumni1785 on Instagram for updates on fellow alumni, school happenings, and more!