EA Unlocked

As work continues on health and wellness to support students at The Episcopal Academy, 6-12th grade students, and their teachers, took part in a relationship mapping exercise in the fall.

The goal is to ensure that every student has at least one trusted adult at EA that they can turn to any time they need support.

Upper School Mental Health Counselor Caroline Graham, Upper School Head Mike Letts, and Middle School Head Laurie Piette, join EA Unlocked host Dr. T.J. Locke to discuss the initiative and some of the findings.

Check out the EA Unlocked archive to listen to past episodes.

Dr. Po-Shen Loh is a social entrepreneur and inventor and works across the spectrum of math, education, and healthcare. He's a math professor at Carnegie Mellon University and was the coach of the USA International Mathemtical Olympiad team.

Dr. Loh recently spent the day at The Episcopal Academy as part of The Clare Foundation and Hinton Family STEM Speaker Series. After speaking with students, he stopped by to talk with EA Unlocked host Dr. T.J. Locke about his fascinating work with students and Artificial Intelligence.

Harvard University historian Annette Gordon-Reed recently spent the day at The Episcopal Academy for this year's Walter W. Buckley, Jr. '55 American History Lecture Series.

Ms. Gordon-Reed is the Carl M. Loeb University Professor at Harvard University. She has won 16 book prizes, including the Pulitzer Prize in History in 2009 and the National Book Award in 2008, for The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family.

Her most recent book is On Juneteenth, a memoir and history of Texas. Other honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship in the humanities, a MacArthur Fellowship, and the National Book Award.

Between her lecture and meeting with Upper School students, Ms. Gordon-Reed stopped by for a conversation with EA Unlocked host Dr. T.J. Locke.

Through the generosity of the late Walter W. Buckley, Jr. '55, distinguished American historians are invited to EA each spring.

Volleyball is coming to The Episcopal Academy!

The popular and growing sport grew nearly ten percent last season as programs are being added around the country, including at the collegiate level.

EA Unlocked host Dr. T.J. Locke gets the scoop from EA Athletic Director Todd Fairlie and Assistant Athletic Director Katie Duffie who played an important role in this decision.

If you are a new follower or have missed past episodes, check out the EA Unlocked archives to listen to past conversations.

It was a record-setting season for The Episcopal Academy boys' and girls' indoor track and field teams. This incredibly talented group set a combined 14 school records! The boys won the Pennsylvania State Indoor Championship for the second consecutive year and Coach Zach Richards was named Coach of the Year. Several of these student-athletes earned All-State and All-American honors.

Host Dr. T.J. Locke talks with five seniors along with Coach Richards, and Coach John Goens about their EA careers and this spectacular season.

Guests:

• Avery Elliott
• Saige Forbes
• Dawson French
• AJ Koukou
• Michael Woolery
• Coach John Goens/Girls' Coach
• Coach Zach Richards/Boys' Coach

Boys' Indoor T&F Indoor Records:

• 60m, 200m, 400m, 3000m, High Jump, Triple Jump, and Shot Put.

Girls' Indoor T&F Indoor Records:

• 60m, 200m, 55HH, 60HH, Long Jump, Triple Jump, and Pentathlon.

While students dashed off campus to start their spring break, Episcopal Academy faculty and staff attended a professional development day with cognitive science researcher Dan Willingham.

Dr. Willingham is a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia where his research focuses on the brain and how it learns and remembers. His most recent book is titled "Outsmart Your Brain – Why Learning is Hard and How You Can Make it Easy." And over the years, Dr. Willingham has built quite the following on TikTok.

Justin Cerenzia, EA's Buckley Executive Director for the Center of Teaching and Learning, joined host Dr. T.J. Locke for this fascinating discussion.

Students of all ages juggle a lot in their daily lives. Add in the additional pressure of sports and that can make for a very full and sometimes stressful day.

Many parents feel the pressure as well.

Sports Psychologist Dr. Joel Fish works with athletes of all abilities and levels ranging from high school students to professional athletes. He recently spoke with Middle and Upper School students and parents at The Episcopal Academy.

He also shared his expertise and strategies with EA Unlocked host Dr. T.J. Locke

The Episcopal Academy's Chapel program is an integral part of who we are at EA. Each week during Chapel, students in all three divisions hear from and have the opportunity to reflect on, powerful thoughts and messages from their peers, teachers, staff, alumni, and outside guests. There are well over 100 speakers each school year.

This episode highlights some of those speakers. Like last season's episode, "The Power of Words," short excerpts from some of the Chapel Talks were included in weekly @EAChapel Instagram #EAChapelMinute posts.

Speakers:

• Fr. Tim Gavin, Hon.
• Rev. Michael Palmisano
• Dr. T.J. Locke, Hon.
• Aaron Hyman P '22, '29
• Eve Hyman '29
• Eleni Kousoulis (Sister of 911 victim)
• Fr. Rob Hagan O.S.A (Villanova Basketball team chaplain)
• Na'rome Rayborn '24, Grace McHugh '24
• Jenn Jones (Upper School Science Teacher)
• Bert Howlin, Hon. (Middle School History Teacher)
• Erica Snowden (DEI Executive Director)
• Stevie Combs '25
• Zach Richards, Hon. (Upper School Form Dean)
• Michael Whalen '08 (Upper School History Teacher)
• Tom Goebeler, Hon. (Upper School Math Teacher)
• Lower School Chapel Council

Music:

• US Students
• LS Students
• US Guitar Class
• Steve Kerwin/Piano (Middle School Science Teacher)
• Jim Erwin/Piano (Music Department Chair)

Curious who is learning how to restore furniture? Is a soccer mom? And who is helping to manage a golf course? Listen in on this entertaining conversation with some of EA's well-loved retired faculty and staff. With over 90 combined years at The Episcopal Academy, this trio has not slowed down.

Podcast guests:

• Cheryl McLauchlan - retired math teacher, Form Dean (24 years at EA)
• Tom Kossuth - retired Math teacher, coach, financial aid director (33 years at EA)
• Gina Buggy - retired Athletic Director, coach (34 years at EA)

Episcopal Academy Head Chaplain Tim Gavin discovered his love for writing in 5th grade when he authored the Christmas play for his school.

He published a book of poems in 2018 and recently released his book, A Radical Beginning - A Journey through the Prayer of St. Francis. Father Tim shares details of the book and what inspired him to write it in this episode of EA Unlocked.

A Radical Beginning was published in October 2023 by Olympia Publishers London.