ESK Days

A farm to table supper featuring locally raised beef tenderloin and chicken, organic vegetables and cheeses, and an auction of luxury items and children’s artwork will highlight a “Feast in the Field” benefit at The Episcopal School of Knoxville on Saturday, May 12.

Tickets to the 6 p.m. event are $125 each.  Dress is summer casual. All proceeds will benefit ESK. Alice Smith is event chair. ASAP LLC, a division of Rodefer Moss and Company PLLC, is presenting sponsor.

“Feast in the Field” gives the public a chance to try out ESK’s all natural, farm to table dining program, now ending a successful first year. In addition to a revamped dining hall menu complete with non-processed food and all homemade bread, the school has maintained a student-tended garden and weekly Lower School gardening classes.

Live and silent auction items will include: tickets and airfare to a Pittsburgh Steelers football game; weekend getaways to Atlanta and Chattanooga; a café table and stools created by metal artist Preston Farabow; and a low country boil including food, beverages and service for a party of 20. A special offering this year is a monthly, all-natural dinner for a family of four prepared by the ESK kitchen.

A favorite feature of the annual benefit is the auction of artwork created by Lower School classes. Items include a French Country settee bench with two throw pillows hand-painted with rainforest scenes; a garden bench decorated with mosaic art depicting ladybugs; and a quilt featuring kindergarteners’ paintings of campus scenes.

Bench and pillows to be auctioned!

At Feast in the Field, guests seated at white linen covered tables will dine on foods from local and area vendors, such as Sweetwater Valley Farms, Laurel Creek Meats, Benton’s Bacon and Cruze Dairy. There will be beef tenderloin, orange blossom chicken, deviled eggs, Grainger County tomatoes, BLT bites in tomato cups, grilled vegetables, homemade rolls baked by the ESK kitchen, dessert shooters of chocolate and raspberry mousse, mini strawberry shortcake biscuits, and buttermilk sorbet served in silver ramekins.

Guests will have a choice of beer and wines. Signature drinks will include a lemonade champagne Cosmo and a red Sangria with wine from the Tennessee Valley.

The silent auction will begin at 6 p.m. The auction of children’s art will be at 7:30, with dinner at 8. As guests enjoy dessert and coffee, the live auction will begin.

For more information or to buy tickets, contact Alice Smith at smith@esknoxville.org, or call 777-9032. The nonprofit, K-8 Episcopal School of Knoxville is located at 950 Episcopal School Way just off Lovell Road in West Knoxville.

Second-ranked ESK Saints Varsity A Volleyball Team defeated the top-ranked Webb Spartans  in the KISL Large Division Tournament at Webb on Saturday, to take first place in the tournament.  ESK player Sara Macri was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament.  Macri,  Sarah Feddersen,  and Nicole Adams were all named to the All Tournament Team. “It was a defensive showcase by our girls,” said Head Volleyball Coach Brent Carter. “Webb is a very talented team, very strong on offense. Our girls played a fantastic defense and never got rattled. They played out every point and they communicated very well. They prevailed in the end. “  ESK, having finished the regular season in second place and Webb in first, lost the first match and then won the second and the tiebreaker third by close margins.  ”I think all of  us are still on Cloud 9,” Carter said Saturday night.

Coach Carter Leads Practice.

Football camp teaches basics in a fun setting.

Wish you could teach your kids how to play football? Check this out!

The Episcopal School of Knoxville will host the ESK 2011 Football Camp for rising 4th-8th graders from Tuesday, June 21, through Friday, June 24. ESK Football Coach Jabari Davis will be director of the camp, which will be on campus each day from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Enrollment is open to the community. Participants will learn basic techniques of being a solid football player, including the fundamentals of both defensive and offensive positions. The camp offers a staff of seasoned instructors who also include ESK Assistant Coach Tanner Rice and Kevin Weaver, football assistant at Western Kentucky University.

Registration for the four-day camp is only $150 and includes a tee shirt and plenty of fun events. Among them will be visits from University of Tennessee football players and college coaches, a closing awards celebration and pizza party, autograph signing and a water balloon fight. The camp is non-contact and participants need no special equipment beyond comfortable clothes and cleats. To register, fill out the attached form (click here) and return it to the school by Monday, June 20. Info: Contact contact Coach Davis at jabaridavis34@yahoo.com or Coach Laurie Coburn at coburn@esknoxville.org

Participants learn basic football techniques

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Coach Davis, Campers, and UT Wide Receiver Gerald Jones Last Year

ESK students heard one of the best graduation speeches ever at ESK Eighth Grade Graduation on May 27.  Enjoy what Cary Busby said and save it for your children. Click here.

Fond Farewell to Asst. Headmaster Peter Klekamp

ESK Middle School students and 8th grader Brandon Babbit made a video as a tribute to former Assistant Headmaster Peter Klekamp, now  the new Headmaster of Holy Comforter Episcopal School in Tallahassee, FL. The ESK community sends best wishes with Peter and his family, who played a pivotal role in the development of this school for these past 7 years. To see the Middle School students’ video, click here.

About 40 alumni of The Episcopal School attended the 2011 Summer Alumni Cookout on campus the evening of June 1. They traded stories and talked about school, summer jobs and vacation plans.  Over freshly grilled hamburgers and hotdogs with all the trimmings, they reminisced about life at The Episcopal School, which has grown up around them. They heard about exciting plans for the future: new construction and new directions, such as the school’s new organic garden and steps toward environmental sustainability. Most exciting of all are their own futures. About 218 students have now graduated from The Episcopal School, and many are now college graduates. They include athletes, scholars, artists, musicians, published writers, linguists, scientists and engineers. The relationships and foundation for success and servant leadership that each student forms at The Episcopal School will support them all their lives.

Abby Bower receives Stowers Award

The Episcopal School of Knoxville graduated 37 8th graders in morning ceremonies at the school on May 27.  Episcopal Bishop Charles vonRosenberg pronounced a blessing on the graduates. ESK Science Teacher Cary Busby was a guest speaker chosen by vote of the students. Student Government Association President Tommy McFarland was student speaker. Peter Klekamp, assistant headmaster and director of the Middle School, was graduation speaker. Abby Elizabeth Bower was announced winner of the 2011 Stowers Award, an annual accolade presented to one student in honor of the late Harry Stowers. The award recognizes a student who exhibits service, faith, intellectual curiousity, gentleness of heart and compassion for others, as did Mr. Stowers. It was presented by his wife, Sarah Stowers. Headmaster Jay Secor and Board of Trustees President Andy Lorenz presented graduation certificates. To see the graduates, click here.

The graduates and the high schools they will attend are: Ethan Wilson Adkins, Knoxville Catholic High School (KCHS); Elliot Frank Allen, KCHS; Brandon Pearce Babbit, Webb School of Knoxville (Webb); Anna Elizabeth Banick, West High School (WHS); Abby Elizabeth Bower, KCHS; Nancy Brown, KCHS;  Zachary Alan Byers, KCHS; Benjamin Jay Chapman, Webb; Riley Isabel Clem, KCHS; Henry Turner Colocotronis, The McCallie School, Chattanooga; Abigail S. Cooper, KCHS; Michael Harris Dryzer, Webb; Natali Kristina Erickson, WHS; Christoph Aleksandr Ewing, Webb; Spencer Charles Gehin, Hardin Valley Academy (HVA); Graham Patrick Hardison, KCHS; Connor I. Hill, KCSH; Eric Edward Hurst Holmes, Webb; Daniel Clark Wesley Loftis, KCHS; Margaret Kelly MacKenzie, KCHS; Kristen Marie Martyn, KCHS; Wyatt Levi McAlister, Knoxville STEM Academy; Tommy McFarland, Baylor School, Chattanooga; Miranda Ray McMichael, KCHS; Austin Alexander Piper, HVA; Caylyn Michele Reed, KCHS; Molly Kate Isabella Richards, KCHS; Reece Keylan Cook Rose, McCallie School; Katherine Nicole Schumaker, Webb; Anika Jayne Sichelstiel, KCHS; Uma Margaret Sood, St. Andrews-Sewanee; Susan Elise Walker, KCHS; Kyle Wehrenberg, Webb; Ellis Stolz Whinery, Webb; Jacob Mathias Wike, KCHS; Chloe Anne Workman, KCHS; Sophia Rawson Wright, KCHS.

Here are three good options for supplying aid to victims of the recent storms:

Metropolitan Ministries in Chattanooga:
Seven tornadoes hit Chattanooga in rapid succession Wednesday, April 27, leaving a 35-mile path of destruction.  If you would like to contribute to Metropolitan Ministries’ disaster relief, you may donate by check.  The funds will be used to provide rent, utilities, prescription medications and gasoline to those who need them.  Send checks to Metropolitan Ministries, 1112 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37404.  Make checks payable to “Metropolitan Ministries” and note “for disaster relief” in the memo line.

Knoxville Salvation Army:
The Salvation Army’s Knoxville Area Command is looking for local companies to collect money and various items to benefit those affected by the recent severe weather.  While the best way to help the victims at times is monetarily, there is also a need for cleanup items, clothing and food.  There are two ways to donate money to the relief fund for the tornado victims – text “GIVE” to 80888 to make a $10 donation or visit www.salvationarmyknoxville.org.  One hundred percent of donations made through these avenues will go to the relief efforts. If you or your company would like to host a drive to collect money, cleanup items, clothing or food, please call 865-525-9401 and ask for Rob Link.

Southeastern Association of Independent Schools:
SAIS will team up with Tuscaloosa Academy to provide assistance to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and in particular the local schools.  Tuscaloosa Academy was unscathed in the storms; however, the city of Tuscaloosa was devastated.  According to a Tuscaloosa County Schools official, over 1,100 of the 18,000 students in the public school system have lost everything.  You may send checks to SAIS, Disaster Relief Fund, PO Box 369, Alpharetta GA 30009.  SAIS will work with the Tuscaloosa County Schools leaders to ensure that those affected are served.  If you have any questions, please contact Steve Robinson at steve@sais.org or (404) 227-2770 or Lori Spear at lori@sais.org (404) 561-5841.
Brenda Parker, principal of Alberta City Elementary School in Tuscaloosa, stands in front of the school, demolished by the tornado.

Children practicing parts in Summer Theatre

Mark your calendars!!  This summer Dr. Sousa will offer two theatre summer camps for lower school students.  To read more, click here! The first will be June 6-10 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.  It will be geared toward rising 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade students.  The second will be July 11-15, also from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be for rising 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students. Camps will be on the ESK campus.  Each week the students will prepare a play to be presented on Friday.  Sessions on movement, speech preparation and theatre improvisation will offer.  Registration and additional information will follow.  Thank you!!  sousa@esknoxville.org.

Science Fair Award Winners

Many thanks to our Middle School Science Fair judges!  They are:  Rebecca Preston, Bonnie Enders, Kristina Gorzynski, Jim Kelley, Michael Lusk, Allen Farvin, Sharon Thompson, Brigitte Kunz, Kim Newkirk, Steve Zinkle, and Mary Walker.
We have enjoyed Science Fair stories this week, such as:
Jared Heath is interested in everything related to the military.  He wanted to find out how caffeine affects the accuracy of trained marksmen.  He used personal connections to make arrangements at a shooting range and found several experienced shooters to participate in his experiment.  His research taught him that soldiers use caffeinated gum to stay alert, so he tested the shooters’ accuracy after chewing different amounts of the gum.  It’s unusual for a 7th grader to be experimenting with firearms, but Jared considered safety at every step; in fact, his written procedure included detailed safety instructions.  Jared’s results showed that 100mg of caffeine does improve accuracy, but a double dose was counterproductive, causing a decrease in accuracy.
 
Lauren Weller wanted to know the effect of temperature on butterfly caterpillar development.  Her painted lady caterpillars all died just a week into her measurements, and she didn’t have time or resources to order more.  She recovered by continuing her experiment with mealworms from the pet store.

 Lauren and Sydney Hager both wanted to do experiments using an infrared camera that their dad was using for work.  Sydney looked at thermal pictures of different dogs out in the cold weather, and Lauren wanted to look at people and see if she could measure their body temperature.  Her hope was to find someone with a fever and see a difference in the image.  She captured images of several friends and family members, but nobody showed up hot.  Lauren was ready to give up on finding a fever when Sydney unintentionally provided the crucial missing piece when she contracted a virus the week before science fair.  Lauren’s project was saved!

 Emily Thompson turned her love of cookies into an interesting experiment in changing ingredients for the sake of health.  She substituted different zero-calorie sweeteners for the sugar in her favorite recipe, and asked her classmates to try them.  They were excited at first, but quickly found that the zero-calorie sweetened cookies were, to put it bluntly, bad.  A couple of people liked them, but the traditional sugar recipe was the runaway winner.