ONLINE REGISTRATION

ST. MARTIN'S SUMMER EXPERIENCE 2012 BROCHURE

STM Summer Art Camp Brochure

Call (504) 736-9966 for more information

2012-2013 HEALTH FORMS

The Health Forms are now available online. Every child must have a Health Form submitted annually. This physical expires 1 year from the last day that it is signed and dated by the physician. This form must be signed after May 1st.

These forms must be completed and submitted by Thursday, July 1st 2012.

If the forms are not submitted by 7/1/12, you and your child will not receive subsequent, important mailings (schedules, teacher assignments, etc.) from the Division Offices until the forms are submitted. Please schedule your child's appointment now to avoid complications this summer.

Questions, contact Eileen Smilari RN at 736-9944.

2012-13 LS Health Form Pre-K-5

2012-13 MS & US Health Form 6-12

LOWER SCHOOL SUMMER READING LIST

MIDDLE SCHOOL SUMMER READING LIST

UPPER SCHOOL SUMMER READING LIST

St. Martin's entered two teams in the competition.

Medal winners on the Varsity Team were:

Ben Bonnor (11): One gold medal (Fermi Question), One bronze medal (Astronomy)
Alex Monier (9): One bronze medal (Astronomy)
Ian Kuehne (10): One gold medal (Fermi Question), One silver medal (Rocks & Minerals)
Paden Gallagher (11): Two silver medals (Forensics, Remote Sensing)
Paul Alvendia (11): Two silver medals (Forensics, Remote Sensing)
Joey DeCorte (9): One silver medal (Rocks & Minerals)
Joey D'Amico: (10): One silver medal (Technical Problem Solving)
Tyler Dean (11): Two silver medals (Technical Problem Solving, Write It - Do It!)
Shaina Lu (12): One silver medal (Write It - Do It!)

Other members of the varsity team were: Gregory Aihevba (12), Darius Calliet (12),
Ian Jenkins (11), Mitchell Duhe (11), and Tejas Shah (11).

The varsity team placed 4th overall in their region and earned the right to compete at the State Science Olympiad competition. The state competition will be conducted on the campus of Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, LA on Saturday April 28th.

Medal winners on the Junior Varsity Team were:

Iris Palazzolo (9) : One silver medal (Anatomy & Physiology)
Amanda Rouquette (9): One silver medal (Anatomy & Physiology)
Jack Jenkins (9): One bronze medal (Forestry)
Will Dean (9): One bronze medal (Forestry)

Other members of the junior varsity team were: Laura Nussdorf (11)

Literary Events

Advanced Math - Functions and Statistics Ian Kuehne -1st place
Algebra I Changhee Cho - 1st place and overall winner
Biology James Conatser - 2nd place
Geometry Will Bower - 1st place
Physics Alexander Monier - 1st place
Spanish III Tim Birdsong - 2nd place

Open/ Performance Events

Latin I Abby Sims - 3rd place
Latin II Iris Palazzolo - 1st place

French Interpretive Reading II Aleksander Vogel - Good
French Interpretive Reading III Paulos Loureiro - Superior

Spanish Extemporaneous Speaking II Margaret Ann Bryan - Superior
Spanish Extemporaneous Speaking IV Tejas Shah - Excellent
Spanish Interpretive Reading III Cassidy George - Good
Spanish Interpretive Reading IV Vishal Shah - Superior

Boys Vocal Solo (High) Daniel Amoss - Excellent
Boys Vocal Solo (Low) Lee Vignes - Superior
Girls Vocal Solo ( High) Jessie Troxler - Superior
Girls Vocal Solo (High) Mya Carter - Excellent
Girls Vocal Solo (Low) Sarah Skidmore - Superior

We also had an exciting quarter in math club!

In March, 4th & 5th Grade competed in the New Orleans Jewish Day School Math Contest.

Our 5th grade team: Lainey & Jessie Pickens and Bennett Kahn received second place in the team competition. Lainey Pickens won 1st place in the individual contest.

4th Grade participated in the spring Sumdog math competition last week. St. Martin's came in second place overall, but we have 4 state winners who will be competing in a national contest. I'm so impressed since we competed against Middle and High schools across the state.
Jack Corsetti 1st place; Bharat Solanky 2nd place; Charlotte Fowler 3rd place; Rafael Figueroa 4th place

This past Saturday, our math team competed at the Math Olympian tournament at Country Day.
Our 5th/6th grade team came in first place: Bryce Monier, Jessie Pickens, Lainey Pickens, Bennett Kahn. Mitchell Halpern. Lainey Pickens & Bryce Monier tied for second place in the individual contest.

And the honors continue in French, on April 21, STM senior Kevin Nguyen, French IV Honors, was recognized by the Department of Languages and Cultures of Loyola University for outstanding studies of the French language. He was awarded with a book "Le Petit Prince" and an Outstanding High School Foreign Language Award.

On April 26, STM junior Claire Adams, French IV Honors, was given an award by the French-Amerique for extended French studies with emphasis on oral expression and cultural knowledge. This ceremony took place in the home of M. Brunet, Consulat General de France.

Way to go Saints!

FLEUR DE LEAD 2012

5th grade ceramics houses and 8th grade wooden printed shotgun houses-

St. Martin's on display at the New Orleans Museum of Art during Art in Bloom.

Lower School Head Debbie Scalia, Carolyn Wanek Treuting, Robert Treuting and Head of School Walter Baer at the Michael E. Wanek Memorial Lectures for Faculty and Family Enrichment.

Dr. Matthew Johnson presents Positive Parenting with a Plan in the Solomon Theater Thursday night.

Enrollment Procedures for the 2012-13 School Year

St. Martin's Episcopal School's chapter of the National Honor Society inducted 4 new members during its spring tapping ceremony. Members are selected based on their outstanding academic performance, demonstration of service within their community and school and strength of character. The new members are: Dylan Israel '12, Kevin Nguyen '12, Morgan Quigley '12 and Nydia Araya '13. For more photos, visit the media library.

      Mrs. Karen Sullivan

St. Martin's Announces Dorothy Porter Service Award 2012

St. Martin's proudly announces Mrs. Karen Sullivan as the recipient of the 2012 Dorothy Porter Service Award, which will be presented at the school's annual Spirits Party on Saturday, May 12th at 7 p.m. on the Van Slate House lawn. Mrs. Sullivan will also be present for a special service in the Dan and Frances White Chapel at 10:15 a.m. on Friday May 11th, to which all those who know and treasure her are invited to attend.

The Dorothy Porter Service Award was established in honor of our beloved long-time teacher, who was a part of St. Martin's from its beginnings. Even after her retirement in 1983, Mrs. Porter was actively involved in the school. She exemplified grace, commitment, historical love for the school and an enduring spirit that is sought by everyone who is a part of St. Martin's. With the Dorothy Porter Service Award, we honor Mrs. Porter and her commitment to St. Martin's. The award's recipient must be an exemplary St. Martin's citizen who has consistently served the school with time, talent and treasures and who represents the motto, philosophy and mission of St. Martin's-Faith, Scholarship, Service.

Mrs. Sullivan has been an integral member of the St. Martin's Episcopal School community since 1970 when her daughter Lauren entered Kindergarten. She and her husband Dr. Michael A. Sullivan are the proud parents of three St. Martin's alumni: Dr. Lauren Sullivan '83; Dr. Kristin Sullivan Johnson '85; and Dr. Michael D. Sullivan ‘92. Karen and Mike are the proud grandparents of two St. Martin's students: Ryan Johnson '22 and Erin Johnson '25. In addition, grandsons Finn (age 1 ½) and Kellan (born Feb. 12th) live in North Carolina.

Karen has served the school as a volunteer in the Martin Family Library for over twenty years; was an active member of the Mothers Club 1970-1992; as Treasurer of the Mothers Club, she helped originate the Birthday Book Club, which continues to add volumes to both the Lower School Learning Commons and Martin Family Library over thirty years later; worked with the Dads Club to present Honor Roll breakfasts for students and their families several times per year; chaired the Mothers Club's "Heavenly Days" Ticket Committee for several years; was a perennial Room Mother and classroom volunteer for many years; and served with her husband as Annual Giving grandparent chairs in 2008-09 and 2009-10. Karen currently serves on the school's Board of Visitors.

States Doris Baron, Head Librarian and Library Department Chair at St. Martin's, and who nominated Mrs. Sullivan for this prestigious award, "due to Karen's dedication to St. Martin's and allegiance to all our programs-the arts, fund-raisers, athletic events, and academics-I consider Karen almost as a colleague rather than a volunteer. I am so thrilled and can't imagine a more deserving recipient of the Dorothy Porter Service Award this year than Karen Sullivan."

Interim Headmaster The Rev. Dr. Walter J. Baer heartily concurred with the selection of Mrs. Sullivan as the 2012 Dorothy Porter Service Award recipient, stating, "Karen Sullivan is a person who exemplifies commitment to family, faith and service to community. She has done this for over 40 years in the context of St. Martin's Episcopal School. For many years her children attended school here, now her grandchildren do. But for many years in between, she volunteered here solely because of her love for the school. It is a privilege to know her and to have her as a part of the St. Martin's community."

Past recipients of the Dorothy Porter Service Award include Dorothy Porter (2002), Jim Marsalis '62 (2003), Belle Johnson (2004), The Rev. Gedge Gayle (2005), Eileen Beckman (2006), Bill Rosenbaum (2007), Wally Porter '76 (2008), "Miss Janet" Russo (2009), The Rev. John Stone Jenkins (2010) and Lynn Coatney (2011).

Congrats to Upper School students James C., Andrew B., Allison B., Mya C. and Adler H.! On Sunday these students performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City as part of the American High School Honors Performance Series. Here they are at a party, honoring participants, after the performance.

Click here to view the St. Martin's Viewbook

Mrs. Merry P. Sorrells

St. Martin's Episcopal School proudly announces the appointment of its ninth Head of School. Mrs. Merry P. Sorrells, a resident of Jefferson Parish for thirty years and an administrator with experience as Head of School, Director of Admission and Director of Advancement at independent schools in the Greater New Orleans area, will assume leadership of St. Martin's on July 1, 2012. She will be the first female Head in the school's sixty-five year history.

States Board of Trustees Chair The Rev. Fred Devall, "Thanks to the open and transparent search process that garnered important input from the school community, we knew the qualities we were looking for in the next leader of our school. On paper, Merry was immediately a strong candidate. Through the interview process, we recognized her strength of character, strong work ethic, zeal for strong academics, and the creative ability to help us tell our story to the wider community. For example, it was Merry who suggested that we consider entering into partnerships with local science and medical institutions to help our students formulate an understanding of what will be required of them for 21st century employment. In this way she was articulating our mission- to prepare students for college and for life. Further, Merry clearly has earned the respect of her peers, as evidenced by several letters of support to the Search Committee from other local Heads."

Mrs. Sorrells has a Masters in Educational Administration from the University of New Orleans and a B.A. in International Relations with an emphasis in foreign languages, international political science and environmental science from Principia College in Elsah, IL. She is currently working on her Ph. D in Educational Leadership from the University of New Orleans; her dissertation will focus on 21st Century Education. In 2006, she participated in a National Association of Independent Schools/E.E. Ford Fellowship for Aspiring Heads of School.

Professionally, Mrs. Sorrells served as the Head of School at St. Paul's Episcopal School in New Orleans from June 2007 until June 2011. Under her leadership, St. Paul's position was re-established in a community significantly weakened by the impact of Hurricane Katrina. The school saw significant increases in enrollment and annual giving as well as the establishment of dynamic new programs including a sustainability curriculum, garden and outdoor education program, afterschool program and a media lab/AV program.

Prior to St. Paul's she served at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans as Director of Admission (July 1998-June 2006) and Director of Advancement (July 2006-May 2007). She served as Associate Director of Admission at Newman (January 1997-June 1998) and was an active Substitute Teacher and Parent Volunteer there (1992-1997). She also served as an Upper School Advisor at Newman for eight years. Most recently, until her appointment as the next Head of St. Martin's, Mrs. Sorrells has served as Associate Head of Admission and Marketing at Trinity Episcopal School in New Orleans (July 2011-June 2012).

In her thirteen years as an administrator at local independent schools, Mrs. Sorrells has demonstrated a strong talent for building a dynamic and collaborative faculty and administration; marketing; strong communication, both internally and externally; program building; and enrollment growth. Her experience at two Episcopal Schools and her philosophy that learning from loving teachers in a faith-based environment gives today's children the strength of character and intellect which are necessary for success in today's complex world, make her the superior choice to lead St. Martin's into the future.

Mrs. Sorrells has a strong history of community involvement in the Greater New Orleans area, including service on the Boards of the Homecoming Center (a post-Katrina outreach organization at St. Paul's) and Breakthrough New Orleans at Isidore Newman School. She has also served as a Committee Member for the Jefferson Parish Educational Smart Summit.

Mrs. Sorrells has been married to her husband Kim Walter Sorrells for thirty two years, and together they raised four children and have one grandchild.

States Mrs. Sorrells, "Over the many years that I have lived in the New Orleans area I have been impressed with the strength of spirit and community expressed at St. Martin's. It will be an honor and a privilege to serve as the head of St. Martin's Episcopal School. I am excited about joining the community and stepping forward together into a successful future."

The selection process for the St. Martin's Head of School was an intentional, inclusive and thorough process that took place over the past fifteen months and included candidates from across the nation. The process was directed by Mr. Stephen Dicicco, President of Educational Directions Incorporated, a firm with deep and broad experience in the best practices of successful independent school Head searches, as well as a familiarity with the culture of New Orleans and Episcopal schools. The Search Committee was comprised of twelve members representing parents, alumni, educators, trustees and the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana. Mr. Dicicco spent several days on the St. Martin's campus with faculty, staff, students and parents; and oversaw electronic surveys of all constituents. That process resulted in a comprehensive Candidate Information Document, the primary marketing tool used to attract prospective candidates. During the late spring and summer of 2011, the field of candidates was narrowed to seven semi-finalists, each of whom visited the campus in September for a tour and interview with the Search Committee. The list of three finalists was announced in late September after thorough vetting by Mr. Dicicco's firm, and those candidates (with spouses) spent a full two days on campus in October, meeting with all constituencies and participating in a lengthy interview with the Search Committee. The Search Committee subsequently made a unanimous recommendation of Mrs. Sorrells to the Board of Trustees, which voted unanimously in favor of that recommendation.

The St. Martin's Episcopal School Board of Trustees wishes to express its sincere thanks and appreciation to Mr. DiCicco, the Search Committee and The Rev. Dr. Walter J. Baer, who has ably and commendably led the school as Interim Headmaster since May 2010. He will continue in this role until June 30, 2012 at which point he intends to resume his duties at St. Martin's as Middle School Chaplain.

St. Martin's Episcopal School is a co-educational faith-based independent school for ages two years through twelfth grade. Its Mission Statement is to "prepare students to thrive in college and in life through faith, scholarship and service." St. Martin's does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, disability, religion, national or ethnic origin.

Congratulations to the StM Saints Football team on a history making season!

In the Regional playoff round of playoffs, the Saints lost the lead in the 4th quarter to fall to Block 34-26. This team finished the season as the District 10-1A Champions and undefeated in regular season, the first team to accomplish this in school history. They were also the first team to reach the second round of playoffs since 1992.

http://highschoolsports.nola.com/news/article/-803706057400334764/st-martins-foiled-by-block-late-in-game/

More Playoff news:

The UNDEFEATED Saints defeated Delhi Charter 14-13 in the Bi-District Round of the Playoffs. They advance to the Regional Round of the Playoffs. The Saints(5) will play Block(12) on Friday, November 18 at 7:00PM at home.

http://highschoolsports.nola.com/news/article/-803708057401334783/st-martins-gets-turnovers-edges-delhi-charter/

The Boys and Girls Cross Country teams placed 2nd overall in the District 9-1A Cross Country Championships. And the Boys team placed 3rd overall in the State!!

Congratulations to the St. Martin's Varsity Volleyball and Cross Country teams. The volleyball team defeated South Plaquemines and moved on to the regional round of the playoffs.

Go Saints!!

The UNDEFEATED St. Martin's Saints were featured on WWLTV sports and Fourth Down on Four!

http://www.wwltv.com/sports/high-school/St-Martin-the-big-dog-but-can-they-be-the-top-dog-131904278.html

PERFORMING ARTS NEWS: 

• Congratulations to Connor Appel'13 and James Conatser'13 who have both been accepted into the Louisiana Music Education Association All State Honor Ensembles! Connor will be singing Bass I with the Mixed Chorus, and James will be playing Trombone and sitting FIRST CHAIR!!

• Congratulations to several STM students who performed in the Romantic/Contemporary Piano auditions which were held at Loyola this past weekend. STM was well represented with outstanding students in each division. James Conatser was selected to play in the Honors Recital. William Baird was an Honorable Mention winner and received a medal. Lainey Pickens was also selected to play in the Honors Recital and Jules France, Jessie Pickens and Clara Conatser received superior and excellent ratings.

• St. Martin's had the most students of any area school who auditioned yesterday for the 2012 Louisiana Music Education Association District Honor Choir. Congratulations to the following who were chosen for this honor: Nic Lobrano, Carrington Roaf, Malorie Saucier, Bailey Shofstahl, Charlotte Fowler, Alyssa Garrido, Ellie Hurley, Elise Lafleur, Anna Beth Talbot, Griff Thomas, Mitchell Halpern, Ruby Reeves, Khaja Bradley, Zoe Carter, Elizabeth Kuehne, Rimi Mandal, Mollye Varon, Madalyn Cranford, Gabby Lagarde, Evan McCollum, Chloe Bartholomew, Jules France, Madison Aucoin, Cassandria Goh, Betzy Liriano, Beline Manalle and Mya Carter!

Go Saints!!

St. Martin's Middle School Launches iPad Pilot Program

Upon returning from the International Society for Technology and Education's annual conference in June (which he was able to attend thanks to a generous Faculty Recognition Grant by the St. Martin's Mothers Club), Science Department Chair Warren Lind approached the Technology Office with an ambitious idea for the 2011-12 school year: Launch a one-year pilot program using iPad companion devices and an interactive science textbook to enhance learning by Middle School students. After studying the idea during the summer, this exciting pilot program was launched yesterday for the thirteen students in Mr. Lind's Honors Physical Science Class.

St. Martin's Middle and Upper School students have been using laptop and tablet technology since 2006 with significant benefits including the ability to learn interactively with faculty and classmates using SmartBoards and the ability to post homework and assignments, see grades and research online from anywhere on campus or at home.

Two advances in technology prompted the new program at St. Martin's: The development of Companion Devices, including iPads, which are lighter, less expensive, more durable, faster-on, easier to use and with longer battery life than laptops; and the advent of truly interactive learning systems like Cinch Learning Systems. Unlike previous "online" textbooks, which were simply large pdfs of paper texts, Cinch employs state-of-the-art curricula in science featuring customizable interactive lesson pages and presentations, animations and videos to illustrate scientific principles as well as online practice problems. In our pilot program we are using CINCH Science, a comprehensive 5-12 science program that maximizes online capabilities to engage all students in learning. Teachers can access all lessons and course materials, and students can access all assigned resources at any time to review key concepts. All CINCH e-books and other core materials are fully accessible from a wide range of mobile devices including the iPad2, smartphone and laptop PC, providing multiple options to target different learning styles and classroom needs.

St. Martin's selected the iPad technology for use in the pilot program based upon its functionality, cost and the large number of educational apps available. The cost of purchasing the pilot program devices was funded by the school, and students in the pilot program will be provided a proportionately-sized keyboard for use with the iPad2s. At the end of the one-year pilot program, the school will evaluate not only whether the use of companion devices and interactive curricula enhanced student education, but also whether the iPad technology is the best choice for future companion device use. States Technology Department Head Michelle Snow, "Ultimately, we see companion devices as the machine that students will bring to school, while their laptop or home computer will serve for heavier computer use involving extensive writing or research."

In order to transition from using laptops purchased by parents to companion devices for the 2012-13 school year, this year's sixth grade students as well as all new seventh and eighth grade students have been provided a school-owned laptop. If the pilot program succeeds as expected, parents in the 2012-13 school year would purchase only a companion device for their child. Companion devices are significantly less expensive than laptops ($600 versus $2100, and they have a two-year warranty).

Evaluation of the pilot program will be based upon a pre-testing survey conducted by Warren Lind during the first week of school, followed by periodic surveys during the course of the year and finally, a post-test survey at the end of the school year. The school will advise students, parents and faculty regarding the results of the pilot program and recommendations for procedures and equipment for the following year.

The students and parents participated in a webinar Monday night, and the iPad2s were distributed on Tuesday. This provided an introduction to the pilot program that utilizes iPad2 and an interactive curriculum. Companion devices for the pilot program group will receive technical support from the StM Technology Office.

"The important point is not that we're using technology. Rather, it's the integration of technology with what the teacher is doing in the classroom," states Warren Lind. "By conducting a one-year pilot program with a control group of students and one teacher in a true classroom setting, we will be able to objectively measure the impact of that integration on learning, which is our mission as a school."

Middle School Head Jane Caine is very excited about this pilot program just as she was about the introduction in Middle School of the tablet program in the fall of 2006. "Our teachers are highly motivated, eager to receive training and continually looking for additional venues to facilitate the effective integration of technology into the classroom." "I cannot think of a better place to pilot this program than with our Middle School students and faculty."

See St. Martin's student-led servant leadership in action!