The Episcopal School of Dallas theater students have spent long hours rehearsing for their upcoming spring musical "Lucky Stiff," but students haven't been the only ones working their tails off. ESD is partnering with The Street Dog Project rescue organization for the upcoming production, which includes several actors of the four-legged variety. 

Six dogs currently fostered by The Street Dog Project will be performing alongside our student-actors in the musical this weekend. In collaboration with the rescue, ESD's Fine Arts Network (FAN) will be sponsoring a pet supply donation drive for the organization, and all dogs featured in the show are currently up for adoption. Patrons and ticket-holders are encouraged to bring donations of dog food, leashes, collars, dog beds, dog toys, etc to any of the performances. Audience members can also interact with the furry performers during intermission, and maybe even take one home to a forever home!

Performances will be held in the Bray Performance Hall at The Episcopal School of Dallas at 7:00 p.m. on February 23, 24, and 25. To purchase your tickets, please click here.

How to Choose a Private School:

10 Basic Factors Every Parent Should First Consider 

 With so many exceptional schools to choose from, how do you begin to narrow down your choices and decide which school is best for your child, your family, and your values?

Download our free worksheet, "How to Choose a Private School" and learn the top 10 factors every parent should first consider. When you're done with the worksheet, you will have determined your non-negotiable criteria and discovered where you have flexibility which will help narrow your focus when it's time to research your schools of choice.

 
or visit www.esdallas.org/choosingaschool

The Episcopal School of Dallas has become one of the first independent schools in Texas to offer the AP Capstone program.

AP Capstone is an innovative diploma program that allows students to develop the skills that matter most for college success. This includes research, collaboration, and communication, and complements the other AP courses and exams offered at ESD.

The Capstone program consists of two courses: AP Seminar and AP Research, which will begin in the fall of 2017 and equip students with the ability to tackle real-world issues from multiple perspectives. Students who earn scores of 3 or higher on AP Seminar and AP Research assessments and on four additional AP Exams of their choosing will earn the AP Capstone Diploma. This signifies their outstanding academic achievement and attainment of college-level academic and research skills.

ESD is excited to implement the program next fall and looks forward to the new opportunities and educational challenges it will provide our students. 

At ESD’s film festival, AT&T awarded ESD film students a Certificate of Recognition for their commitment to Cyberbullying Awareness through Film and Creative Arts. 

It began with a trip to New York City in early October. ESD was one of only 35 schools nationwide invited to attend the All-American High School AT&T Film Invitational, where they had 55 hours to shoot and edit an 8-minute film that focused on cyberbullying. AT&T and the Tyler Clementi Foundation collaborated on the project in hopes of reducing demeaning and destructive online behavior and encouraging a friendlier digital space. 

Less than two weeks later, the film students of ESD hosted the School’s first-ever Film Festival on Friday, October 21. The event began with traditional red carpet and transitioned into screenings of 20 films, selected from the 65 submissions ESD received from a variety of Dallas-area schools. The evening had two sections of screenings with a presentation by the All American High School Film Festival called The Roadshow, which featured the film that ESD students made at the Invitational in NYC about cyberbullying. 

“In today's ever-increasing digital world, cyberbullying is a tough subject that must be addressed,” said Meredyth Cole, ESD Head of School. “We applaud all of the 2016 AT&T Film Invitational student filmmakers who are taking the lead to focus on this issue and encouraging their peers to speak up and speak out. It is our hope that the collective voices of these young people will have the power to eradicate this insidious and dangerous behavior.”

For more about ESD’s film festival, please click here.

For more information from AT&T about Digital Citizenship, “Handling Haters,” and Digital Parenting resources, please click here.

Seniors at The Episcopal School of Dallas are getting a unique leg up for their potential college admissions interviews.

ESD College Guidance is rolling out a program through which students can participate in individual interviews with ESD community members who have served as alumni interviewers for their alma maters. ESD is the first independent school in the area to go beyond simply explaining the importance of college admission interviews, but offering an opportunity for the students to practice those interviews one-on-one before the real deal.

“Historically, our office has offered senior grade-level meetings covering the importance of college admission interviews, but were never able to do so on a one-to-one basis,” said Chris Gonzales, ESD's Director of College Guidance. “This new program will provide invaluable skills for our students to learn how to present themselves in any interview situation. We are grateful to the alumni parents, current parents, and ESD alumni who are making this phenomenal opportunity possible.”

The interviewers will be asking students the same questions they used as an alumni college admissions interviewer for schools, including Dartmouth, Harvard, USC, Princeton, and many others. Since they know firsthand what colleges are looking for, they can provide valuable feedback to the students after their interaction. Caroline Hundley, an ESD alumni parent to Will ’05 and Hal ’10, spearheaded this effort to help students crack the code on what colleges are looking for in their admissions interviews.

“Colleges, as well as employers, want future students or employees who can engage with others and tell their stories in an organized and thoughtful way,” Hundley explained. “We want our students to understand how to distinguish themselves best and set themselves apart from other students who may look similar on paper.”

The Mock Interview program and the WORX Internship program, now in its fifth year, are two ways the ESD community supports and contributes to the future successes of their students. These meaningful experiences and insights benefit ESD students in their college admissions process and, down the line, the workforce.