Episcopal High School (Bellaire, Texas)

Episcopal High School

Episcopal High School is a four-year co-educational private day school located on a 34-acre (140,000 m²) campus in Bellaire, Texas, United States in Greater Houston. It was founded in 1983 and has an enrollment of 680 students with 92-faculty and 58-staff members as of the 2015-2016 school year.^[1]

History

Founded in 1983 by a group of Houston business and Episcopal Church leaders, the school opened its doors in the fall of 1984 to 150 students in grades nine and ten. The founders, led by The Rt. Rev. Maurice M. Benitez, established the School as an institution of the Diocese. To introduce the school to Houston, the founders did extensive marketing via newspapers, television, and educational publications. The founding headmaster The Rev. Warren R. "Jess" Borg served until 1995, when Edward C. "Ned" Becker was appointed the second Head of School. After Ned Becker retired in 2007, he was replaced by C. Edward "Ned" Smith as the third Head of School.

A complete campus, with buildings in need of extensive repair, was purchased in 1983 from Houston developer Wayne Duddlesten, who had purchased the 34-acre (140,000 m²) site from the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament. Formerly housing the Marian High School and the Congregation of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament,^[2] a convent and a co-ed high school, the property had been vacant for several years before Duddlesten purchased it. Duddlesten wished to build a high-rise building, but area residents complained. He instead sold the building to the developers pf the school.^[3]

After 15 years of rigorous fundraising, the campus debt was retired and a $42 million campaign for new buildings and endowment was initiated. In 2001, the campaign ended with the construction of a new classroom building and library, a student center, a gymnasium, and a field house, track, and stadium complex. Now in its 32nd year, EHS has an enrollment of 680 students in grades nine through twelve.

In 2008 the school planned an expansion worth $50 million. It needed to receive approval from the Bellaire city government.^[3]

In 2012, the Jack T. Trotter Academic & Sciences Building was opened. The two-story, 78,000-square-foot (7,200 m²) building contains 23 new classrooms including 12 state-of-the-art science labs and a performing arts lobby.^[4]

The Four Pillars

The Episcopal High School curriculum is based on Four Pillars: academics, arts, athletics, and religion.

Academics

The Academic Pillar prepares students for college with its extensive curricula in English, mathematics, science, history, languages, religion, arts, and wellness. Students may choose from more than 125 courses, including honors-level and Advanced Placement courses. Students are encouraged to give aid to one another outside of school, and members of the National Honor Society tutor students at least once a week. Additionally, all students and teachers have the latest Apple laptops and are connected via a wireless network. Episcopal's English classes help students write, think, learn, and speak knowledgeably about literature and many pieces of writing.^[5] Episcopal's history classes help students analyze sources, increase research skills, and learn about Western and world history.^[6] Episcopal's language program offers Spanish, French, Chinese, and Latin language and culture.^[7] Episcopal's mathematics department teaches classes from algebra 1 to AP statistics with new technology to facilitate the students' learning process.^[8] Lastly, Episcopal's science department, utilizing the many new labs in the Jack T. Trotter Building, teaches students to analyze data and conduct experiments to better understand the physical world.^[9]

Religion

The Religion Pillar is evident in the daily chapel service attended by all students and faculty, as well as in several required courses, including Old Testament, New Testament, World Religions or History of Christianity, and Ethics. Community service is a strong element of the School’s mission, and many students participate weekly in such projects as home repair or tutoring disadvantaged students. The Students of Service (SOS) Club is the largest and most popular organization on campus.

Arts

The Arts Pillar is an exceptional component to each student's experience at Episcopal High School. Students volunteer thousands of hours of service in our community, while also welcoming over 6,000 audience members to shows each year, creating 6,200 original works of art, media, and publications, and balance an intense academic portfolio. Our complement of artistic offerings is one of the largest in Texas, including courses and ancillary clubs. Whether a student is beginning his or her artistic journey or looking for the opportunity to pursue the arts as a career, Episcopal High School will transform that passion into possibilities.

Athletics

The Athletics Pillar is supported by the Wellness Department, which offers courses in health education, physical education, wellness, strength and conditioning, and athletic training. The sports program fields 46 teams in 15 sports over three seasons during the school year. These sports are: Football, Volleyball, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Cheerleading, Basketball, Soccer, Wrestling, Swimming, Baseball, Golf, Lacrosse, Tennis, Track & Field, and Softball.^[10] Consistently, more than 75% of the students participate in at least one sport. As a dominant and competitive member of the Southwest Preparatory Conference, the School has regularly won championships. Teams compete against schools such as The Kinkaid School (Houston, Texas), St. John's School (Houston, Texas), The Hockaday School (Dallas, Texas), St. Mark's (Dallas, Texas), and many others around Houston and Texas.

Tuition and financial aid

Currently tuition is $27,000, per student per year, plus fees. Partial and full financial tuition assistance are available on a needs basis established by standard application and evaluation. Merit and grades are taken into consideration once need is established. The Financial Aid Program is open to students of any race, color, gender, creed, and national or ethnic origin.^[11]

School uniforms

Episcopal High School students are required to wear school uniforms.^[12] Uniform shirts are purchased from various uniform retailers and have the EHS logo on them. On the formal days, which include Honors Chapel, Founders Day, Grandparents Day, Advent Chapel, Senior Chapel, and Honors Awards Chapel, students must wear a formal uniform; girls wear navy or khaki skirts, a blue or white oxford, and a blazer, while boys wear khaki or navy pants, a blue or white oxford, and a blazer. All students must wear closed-toed shoes, and no tennis shoes are allowed on formal dress day.

Accreditation and memberships

Episcopal High School is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest.

Memberships

• National Association of Independent Schools
• National Association of Episcopal Schools
• National Association of Secondary School Principals
• National Association of Principals of Schools for Girls
• Council for Advancement and Support of Education
• Educational Records Bureau
• College Board
• National Association for College Admission Counseling
• Texas Association for College Admission Counseling
• Southwest Preparatory Conference^[13]

Feeder schools

Episcopal has multiple feeder schools, but the majority of the student body attended St. Francis Episcopal Day School, River Oaks Baptist School, Annunciation Orthodox School,or Presbyterian School.

Notable alumni

• Andrew Friedman, General Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers
• Daniel Loper, Offensive Lineman Tennessee Titans, Oakland Raiders, and Dallas Cowboys
• Shane Carden, Quarterback for the East Carolina Pirates and Chicago Bears
• DeAndre Jordan, Center Los Angeles Clippers

See also

• Christianity in Houston

References

External links

• Episcopal High School