St. Martin's Episcopal School

SAINTS WIN! Congratulations to the varsity football team on its win over The Willow School Lions in the Swamp Owls Football Jamboree Presented by Canes at Ed Daniels Stadium in Kenner. Final score: 35-6. Photos by Wally Porter ‘76 and Hailey Silvey ‘26.

Last night, StM football fans got a preview of the upcoming season in Greensburg at the St. Helena Football Scrimmage. Go Saints! Photos by Wally Porter ‘76 and Hailey Silvey ‘26.

St. Martin’s Tony Porter Field celebrates the life and legacy of Ed Daniels. We were honored to be one of the many high schools in Louisiana to light up our stadium last night in tribute to a high school athletics fan and supporter gone too soon.

Our Pre-k students in Mrs. DeMarias Sojka’s art class practiced creating self portraits while peering into mirrors. It’s amazing to see how far they’ve come since they drew their self portraits in the George Cottage Threes! “This group’s artistic skills are quite impressive!” said Mrs. Sojka.

Our youngest Saints in the George Cottage are exploring new classrooms, easing into new routines, meeting new friends, and learning new things every day in this new school year. We can’t wait to see how much they learn and grow this year!

Any StM student who has taken Middle School Latin with Mr. Keith Schwarz can attest it is a special, one-of-a-kind experience filled with deep learning, meaningful experiences, huge amounts of laughter and fun, and memorable traditions. The "Latin 7 Starter Pack" is a newer tradition in Middle School Latin. All students new to the program recently received:
☑️ A locker magnet welcoming them to the Middle School Latin experience with the words Pars Traditionis Sum, meaning, "I am part of the tradition."
☑️ A locker magnet featuring the Roman name they chose as sixth graders after being accepted into the program
☑️ A small glass bottle of ketchup, symbolizing the idea that while the benefits of Latin may not appear right away, just as ketchup does not immediately flow from a glass bottle. Latin students realize these benefits will eventually "leave the bottle" to enhance other areas of learning if given time and patience.
☑️ A small mirror to remind them that they alone are responsible for their success in this class. Each mirror bears the slogan, Nosce te ipsum. Crede te ipsum. ("Know yourself. Trust yourself.")
🧡 Eighth grade Latin students also received magnets featuring Roman Garfield, who has become the de facto class mascot over the years.

Last week, the Upper School held its annual Matriculation ceremony, formally welcoming and celebrating the Class of 2028 as official members of our high school. As each freshman processed forward, they signed the roll book, signifying their entrance into the Upper School student body and community. Photos courtesy of Wally Porter ’76. View more at https://wallyporter.photoreflect.com.

This summer, several StM Upper School students participated in Louisiana Girls State and Louisiana Boys State, immersive, unique learning programs about local and state government. Girls State and Boys State are week-long leadership programs designed to educate outstanding high school students about state and local government by simulating political campaigns, elections, and the political process. Participating students also learn about the principles of citizenship and public service from guest speakers, elected officials, expert panels, and experienced counselors. Great job, Saints!

“The ultimate goal is to win a state championship for the school,” said Berry, who remarked that the team “has a lot of discipline. We just got to keep working hard.” ❤️💙

St. Martin’s has an LSU-bound running back who will do more than play only on offense St. Martin’s senior Harlem Berry will continue as an every-down running back, just as the 6-foot, 185-pound LSU commitment has been for the past three 2,000-yard rushing seasons.

The latest issue of The Bell, the magazine of St. Martin’s Episcopal School, is hitting mailboxes now. Have you received yours yet?! View the online version now at bit.ly/thebell24.

Nothing quite like a Senior Sunrise. 🌅

We are so grateful for our StM parents! Our SCO leadership and parent volunteers have been hard at work all summer long planning out events and fun surprises for our new and returning StM families. We are so thankful for this dedicated group! ❤️💙

Our Upper School Student Government leaders participated in a retreat this week. It was a wonderful experience for them to come together to discuss and plan out the year ahead, hone their leadership skills, and strengthen their own relationships with each other. Great work, StM StuGo!

Cooper Helmke ’25, one of the nation’s top kickers and rising StM senior, recently announced he has committed to Boise State University. With the announcement, the Saints varsity football team now has two seniors that will play NCAA Division 1 football in 2025. Congratulations, Cooper! Go Saints!

During a special ceremony held at the Caesars Superdome on Saturday, Harlem Berry ‘25 was presented with the Allstate Sugar Bowl Amateur Athlete of the Year Award by Sugar Bowl Committee President and St. Martin’s alumnus Walter Becker ‘74. Berry was also the recipient of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Amateur Athlete of the Month Award for September 2023. Photos by Wally Porter ‘76.

We love to see our students living out their commitment to Faith, Scholarship, and Service throughout the summer months. Rising senior Lilly Bordelon recently had the opportunity to participate in a Tulane Pre-College program this summer, which has sparked an interest in attending medical school and a career in neuroscience. The experience not only gave Lilly the opportunity to earn college credit and live on campus, but also participate in hands-on experiments, and gain lab and experiential training.

This summer, our faculty members have been continuing their education and professional development in a variety of ways. Recently, some George Cottage faculty members visited Boulder Journey School, a Reggio Emilia-inspired preschool located in Boulder, Colorado. There, George Cottage faculty had the opportunity to learn from Boulder Journey School faculty. The days were filled with observation, hands-on learning, and interactive conversations with teachers and students. Our team looks forward to implementing many things learned from this enriching experience.

Congratulations to St. Martin’s 20 AP Scholars! The College Board recently released the AP School Scholar Roster and it includes several Saints (and our newest alumni) who have received scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams. Ten Saints were recognized as AP Scholars, having scored 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams: Thomas Garvey ’24, Ashley Gaspard ’24, Erin Johnson ’25, Demi Kilburn ’25, Patrick LaForge ’24, William Pejic ’25, Carter Scheuermann ’24, Kate Sossaman ’25, Kaitlyn Tillery ’25, and Savannah Westacott ’25. Three Saints earned AP Scholar with Honor, which is granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. St. Martin’s AP Scholars with Honor are: Cole Angerer ’24, Lilly Bordelon ’25, and Isabel Lovera ’25. Seven Saints earned AP Scholar with Distinction, which is granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. St. Martin’s AP Scholars with Distinction are: Sawyer Adriance ’24, Kaitlyn Hall ’24, Bo Fan Hua ’24, Boyu Hua ’25, Cole LaCoste ’25, Gabrielle Rubin ’24, and Gloria Ruiz ’24.

Did you know there are three St. Martin’s alumni who are also Olympic athletes?! With the 2024 Summer Olympics set to begin in Paris this weekend, today we shine a spotlight on these inspiring Olympic athletes. Barton Jahncke ’57 won gold in Sailing in the Mexico City 1968 Olympics. David Grogono ’83 competed in the Atlanta 1996 Olympics in Sailing. Ashley Tappin-Doussan ‘93 was a sprint freestyler who won three relay gold medals at the Olympics, winning the 4x100 free relay in 1992 and 2000 and the medley relay in 2000.

St. Martin’s Episcopal School is pleased to announce the recent appointment of five new members to its board of trustees: Jennifer E. Adams ’92, Kate McCall Clarke ’79, Allison Johnston DeViney ’92, Barbara Farris ’94, and Alicia Vial ’89. These board members were elected to three-year terms, each beginning July 1, 2024, and are joined by incoming board chair Bruce Parkerson ’75, who will serve a two-year term as chair. (Read more details about each new trustee at stmsaints.com/news.)

“We could not be more thrilled to have such an esteemed group of leaders joining the board,” said Parkerson. “These new board members are not only extremely accomplished individuals, they have also demonstrated incredible dedication and service to St. Martin’s in their unwavering support and volunteerism. We cannot wait to benefit from their perspectives and experience.”

The other Board of Trustees officers include J. Kelly Duncan ’72 (vice chair), Elisabeth (Liz) Martin Armstrong ’78 (secretary), Michael Broxson '87 (treasurer), and Michael F. Nicoladis ’78, (past chair).

Students from the Class of 2025 recently spent some time working on college essays with Mrs. Tiffany DuSaules in the college counseling office. We’re proud to support these Saints as they work hard over the summer to prepare for their next step in their education.

Please join St. Martin's in congratulating student billing accounts manager Erin Dazzo on her retirement. Today is her last official day at St. Martin's, having served the school for 25 years. We wish you a retirement filled with health, happiness, and relaxation. Thank you for your service to St. Martin's! ❤️💙

Congratulations, Harlem Berry ‘25! ❤️💙

Congratulations to Basketball Head Coach Mike Odom ’92 on winning the fan vote for the Allstate Sugar Bowl's annual Coach of the Year award. After leading St. Martin’s to the state semifinals in 2023, Odom took the Saints a step further this year as they advanced to the state championship game for the first time in program history. Congratulations, Coach Odom, on being named the fan favorite! ❤️💙

Among more than 9,000 students — including course-completers in AP Statistics, AP Computer Science, and AP Calculus — St. Martin’s Episcopal School rising senior Boyu (Jeremy) Hua took home first place in the recently announced results for the After the AP Data Science Challenge. In addition to being first in the nation, Boyu was the only student in Louisiana to earn a spot in the Top 10. Read all the details at stmsaints.com/news

Summer campers in Mr. Robby Stanley’s innovation and design enrichment camp have been having fun exploring the tools and capabilities of The Gibbs Family Center for Innovation + Design. From making model swords and knives from cardboard to designing their very own LED light feature, campers have had a great time learning design software and using a laser cutter.

From sensory play to playing with animals to putting on a play, our littlest summer campers are having the best time in George Cottage Summer Camp! ❤️💙

And now for some adorable pictures to brighten your Friday feed… Each year St. Martin’s recognizes students who have been part of the StM community continuously since kindergarten or earlier. Join us in celebrating these longtime Saints from the Class of 2024, along with their precious past yearbook photos. ❤️💙

Julie Dieth 13-Year Club: Gabrielle Rubin ’24
Alma Roohi 14-Year Club: Cole Angerer ’24, Emory Farber ’24, Ashley Gaspard ’24, and Michael Cooper Odom ’24
George Cottage 15+-Year Club: Sawyer Adriance ’24, Kaitlyn Hall ’24, Alexandra Houghtaling ’24, and Kaitlyn Tillery ’24

Saints around the world! ❤️💙 We encourage all St. Martin’s families to DM us photos of you proudly showing your love for StM for us to share! (Special thanks to Sarah Bordelon for this great shot! 📸) Show us all the ways you celebrate your and wear your Saints swag while on your summer adventures!