Episcopal School of Acadiana

At ESA, we come together three times a week for chapel, and our chapels are full of traditions. We begin each chapel on the Lafayette Campus with a community prayer:

Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one. We shall love the Lord our God with all our hearts, with all our minds and with all our souls. This is first a greatest commandment and the second is like unto it. We shall love our neighbors as ourselves.

On Wednesday, Lower School Head Elizabeth Pham opened our first chapel with traditions started in our first years of PK3-5th grade. Mrs. Elizabeth read the poem "Hush," taken from the book “Sacred Places,” which was dedicated to lower school faculty and students in 2005 by Mrs. Anne Johnson, our first Lower School Head.

Together we sang "It's All About Love," a song written for ESA students by Ms. Stephanie Hoffpauir, our first lower school music teacher. Ms. Stephanie also put our school prayer to music. It’s always a treat to hear our students singing it!

"The Prayer of Protection" we shared in our first chapel was introduced to our community by Ms. Cindy LaSalle, a founding faculty member who taught third grade, as well as science and art.

On Friday, we held our first Eucharist service of the year. It’s our tradition to come together for Eucharist once a month on each campus. After the service, Head of School Nowell Hesse spoke to our students and teachers about caring for each other and our school, staying in the struggle, and finding joy and fun in our school days.

Music teacher Brii Murray-Simmons called up those with July and early August birthdays for a Friday tradition - the birthday song. And one of our fifth graders led us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

After chapel, Mr. Hesse started a new tradition - fist bumps and high fives on the way out!

Meet Elizabeth Sandridge - ESA’s new Director of College Counseling!

Elizabeth joins our community with extensive experience and a deep understanding of the college admissions process. As an LSU Ambassador on the university’s recruitment team, Elizabeth had her first glimpse into the world of college admissions. She went on to work in admissions at both UL Lafayette and LSU before a graduate school professor suggested she would be an asset to students navigating the other side of the process. For the past seven years, she has helped high school students find their right-fit colleges and universities.

With a bachelor’s degree in visual arts and a master’s in school counseling from LSU, as well as a licensure as a Professional Counselor (LPC), Elizabeth brings a bright, intentional, and creative approach to her process. Her five-year plan begins with eighth graders and takes students through college readiness, career exploration, and whole-student development, along with individualized guidance for students and families in all phases of the process.

“I tell families I am their College Admission and Enrollment Tour Guide,” Elizabeth says. “I am here to point out important parts of the process, give insight into applications, help create new plans if a student needs to pivot, and celebrate every step of the journey.” She ensures that students feel confident by helping them stay organized and focused on goals.

Elizabeth has spent the last ten years touring as many colleges as she can squeeze into her personal vacations and professional development opportunities. With 80 campuses visited, she has seven more on the books this year. She chairs the Louisiana State & Area Initiatives for the Southern Association of College Admission Counseling (SACAC), and has led tours on behalf of the organization.

When she's not helping Falcons find their next educational home, Elizabeth enjoys time with her husband and 10-month-old daughter and embracing her “granny hobbies”: reading, cooking, scrapbooking, and birdwatching!

We are so excited to welcome Elizabeth and her family to ESA! Please visit our website to learn more about our college counseling program - link in bio.

Our campuses buzzed with excitement today as families joined us for Orientations and Meet and Greets.

On the Lafayette Campus, teachers opened their doors so this year’s families could explore their new spaces and those from years past could stop by for a visit.

On the Cade Campus, advisors and upper school leaders greeted sixth graders, ninth graders, and new students with posters and cheers, then introduced them to the spaces they’ll call home this year.

We’re glad you’re here, Falcons! 💙

Come hang with us courtside! 🍔🍻

Join us Saturday, August 22nd at the Lafayette Pickleball Club for our Pickleball Courtside Social starting at 4pm.

Enjoy cold beer, burgers, and live matches—and meet our new Head of School, Nowell Hesse!

Whether you're playing or cheering from the sidelines, this is the perfect chance to connect with our community.

See you there!

Register at the link in bio!

We’re proud to celebrate alumna and faculty member Jennifer Desormeaux Graycheck '01, whose work has been selected for the Louisiana Contemporary 2026 exhibition on display at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans until February 14.

Jennifer's journey with ESA has come full circle. After graduating in 2001, she earned a bachelor's degree in studio art from Sewanee: The University of the South and an MFA in photography from the University of Georgia before returning to Louisiana in 2010. Over the next 15 years, she wore many hats for ESA - visual arts teacher, volleyball and cross country coach, department chair, class dean, ExLabs co-founder, communications team member, and vice president of the Falcon Club Board - all while inspiring students to live out the school’s mission.

This fall, Jennifer returns to ESA as Content Strategist and Visual Arts Teacher to share the school's story while inspiring students through the visual arts.

Jennifer credits ESA with instilling the curiosity and courage that have shaped both her teaching and her artistic practice. Although the school is small in size, she says it has always made the world feel limitless. "No topic is ever too small to unravel or too big to conquer."

Now, having experienced ESA as both a student and an educator, she says her perspective has only deepened.

"There is often a reciprocal relationship that develops between teachers and students at ESA. As much as we are there to impart our knowledge and expertise to our students, our students are there stoking that fire within us and keeping our passions alive. My practice as an artist will always be influenced by the questions and challenges I ask of my students. I hope to model bravery in this way."

Jennifer's advice to future Falcons is simple: “Take risks. Be bold. Be open to constructive feedback. Put yourself and your work out there because at some point along the journey, someone will connect with what you are creating, and that part of the human experience is worth living for.”

We’re excited to welcome Jennifer back to ESA this fall. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition, Jennifer!

Help us give a warm welcome to our new ESA faculty members! If you see them around, please say hello.
**returning to ESA

Lafayette Campus
Eliana Bartlett, Kindergarten Teaching Assistant - BA, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

**Joanne Broussard, PK3 Teaching Assistant - MEd, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Claire Daigle, First-Grade Teaching Assistant - BSW, Louisiana State University

Maria Garrett, Kindergarten Teaching Assistant - BA, McNeese State University

Peter Manganello, Fifth-Grade Math Teacher - MEd, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Nancy Patterson, PK4 Teaching Assistant - BA, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

**Sarah Robinson, PK-3 Teacher - BA, Lawrence University

Ashima Srivastava,Second-Grade Teaching Assistant - MBA, University of East London

Abigail Storment, First-Grade Teacher - BS, Louisiana State University

Cade Campus
Hannah Bergeron, Middle School French Teacher - MAT, Centenary College

Elizabeth Sandridge, Director of College Counseling - MEd, Louisiana State University

Welcome back to all of our ESA faculty and staff who returned to our campuses this week!

"Through our Episcopal identity, we are called to love one another and to treat each other with dignity, kindness, and respect."
-ESA Head of School Nowell Hesse from his remarks to launch the 2026-2027 school year

All ESA faculty and staff gathered today to share Eucharist and lunch and to prepare to welcome students. Thank you to Father Michael Bordelon for leading the service and to Christiaan Mader '02 for delivering a thank you message from the Board of Trustees for the love and attention ESA faculty give to our students every day.

Never played pickleball? No problem! With the help of Referee Dennis, a resident Pickleball enthusiast, we will teach a Beginners Clinic on Saturday, August 22nd, 3–4 pm. Learn rules, court placement, serving, and scoring — everything you need to get in the game. Just bring a paddle and join us for the hour before the tournament starts. No experience needed!

👉 Tag your partner and register at the link in bio!