Knightly News

Please join us in welcoming the newest members of our Episcopal community.

Lower School

Jeanette Laugier - 5th Grade ELA Teacher

Jeanette Laugier is a fifth grade English teacher, with a wealth of international experience. Prior to joining Episcopal, she was an Instructional Assistant in 5th Grade Learning Support at the American School of Dubai. In this role, she implemented learning support strategies, taught small groups for Leveled Literacy Intervention, integrated technology to optimize student engagement and more. Jeanette also taught English at the Cours de Pont de Pierre in Paris, France, where she created individualized learning experiences for each student and implemented Cambridge English standards. Jeanette is fluent in French. She earned a Master of Education and teaching certification as well as a Specialization in Special Education from Moreland University. She also earned a Higher Education Teaching Certification from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Science from Louisiana Tech University. Jeanette has three daughters in college and Annabel who joins us as a new Knight in junior year.

Dr. Elizabeth Lewis - 1st Grade Teacher

Elizabeth Lewis brings a wealth of expertise to the role of first grade teacher, with a career in education that began in 1992. Elizabeth earned a bachelor’s degree in French and elementary and middle school education from Mary Baldwin College in Virginia, and a Master of Education and doctorate in educational psychology (gifted and creative education) from the University of Georgia. Elizabeth has taught at the university level, published numerous articles and children’s books, and presented at a multitude of national professional meetings. Elizabeth previously served as the Episcopal QUEST Center Coordinator and the school’s Science Instigator and Inquirist. Her experience also includes serving as the Lower School Science Specialist at Metairie Park Country Day School, where she won first place for Elementary Schools in the Louisiana Green Schools Challenge for her design and implementation of a butterfly garden, registered monarch way station and aquaponics garden. 

Shirley Markey - 4th Grade ELA Teacher

With more than a decade of experience, Shirley Markey joins Episcopal as the fourth grade ELA teacher. Shirley has focused on elementary education throughout her career, having taught kindergarten, first and third grades. She enjoys the opportunity to instill a love of reading in students and believes the importance of modeling lifelong learning is important. Shirley earned a Master of Education, Curriculum, and Instruction with a focus on Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Louisiana Tech University.

Sabrina Moreira - Spanish Teacher

Having begun her teaching career in 2007, Sabrina Moreira brings a range of experience to her role as the Episcopal Lower School Spanish teacher. Sabrina previously taught Spanish in Texas, Brazil and Georgia. Most recently, she was an ESL district teacher in East Baton Rouge Parish. Sabrina is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English as a Second Language Education from Italo Brasileiro University, an Associate of Arts Education from the Catholic University of Petropolis and a Bachelor of Arts in Major History from the University of San Paulo.

Catherine Russell - Art Teacher

Catherine Russell is the Lower School art teacher. An educator since 1999, Catherine taught elementary school students in West Feliciana for 15 years and for the past 9 years, she has served as an art teacher at St. James Episcopal Day School and Our Lady of Mercy School. In addition to focusing on art instruction, she collaborates with other professionals in the art realm in order to provide real life experiences for students. She also partners with organizations in the area to showcase student artwork around the community.  In her free time, she enjoys creating her own art which she shows in St. Francisville.  Catherine earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Bachelor of Science in General Studies with minors in history, psychology and English from Louisiana State University.

Angele Sakovich - PreK-4 Teacher

With three decades of classroom experience, Angele Sakovich joins Episcopal as a PreK-4 teacher. She began her career as a kindergarten teacher in Florida public, private and parochial schools, eventually serving as an Assistant Principal at San Jose Catholic School. She also served as a STEM teacher and ELL paraprofessional in Texas schools. Most recently, Angele was the Preschool Lead Teacher for the Louisiana State University Early Childhood Education Laboratory Preschool before teaching kindergarten in Ascension Parish. Angele earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Education in Elementary Education from the University of Florida, in addition to completing a Professional Preparation Program for Principal Certification from Lamar University. 

Stacey  Smith - 1st Grade Teacher

Stacey Smith brings nearly two decades of classroom experience to her role as a first grade teacher. Her experience includes teaching at St. Luke’s Episcopal Day School and the Runnels School. Most recently, Stacey worked as the State Operations Coordinator for Stand for Children. In this role, she assisted the Executive Director with organization-wide processes and managed and executed the LEAD Fellowship program for educators. Stacey earned a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Louisiana State University Shreveport and a Bachelor of Science in Family, Child, and Consumer Science with a concentration in Human Service Management from Louisiana State University. 

Middle School

Anne Dalton - Division Head

Anne Dalton is the Episcopal Middle School Division Head. A veteran educator, Anne spent a decade in the classroom before taking on a leadership role as a Middle School Principal and Academic Dean at Cornerstone Academy in Sugar Land, Texas. At Cornerstone Academy, Anne implemented crisis plans, emergency procedures and reporting procedures. She also developed the middle school curriculum and ensured vertical and horizontal alignment. Anne served as the Director of Enrollment Management at Houston Christian High School for more than a decade, identifying top candidates and leading the Parent/Student Ambassador Program and Admission Review Committee. Anne also established an online leadership course for high school students and served as Chair of the 25th-Anniversary Committee and the Head of School Retirement Committee.

Anne is active in educational leadership, serving as the Secretary of the Houston Area Independent School Admissions Board. She is also a faculty member of the International Student Leadership Program in China, where she taught a leadership course to Chinese high school students. Anne is a member of the Association of Independent School Admission Professionals, the National Forensic League, the National Catholic Education Association, the Council of Education Standards & Accountability and the Enrollment Management Association. She is a consultant for “The Generation Gulf,” a business established to help parents, teens and educators communicate between the generations. In addition, she consults “Queen Bees & Wannabes” author Rosalind Wiseman on education and curriculum projects as well as author Rachel Simmons on the update of her New York Times best-seller, “Odd Girl Out.” 

Anne earned a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from National University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Public Speaking from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She and her husband have two children and two dogs. 

Victoria Escher - Math Teacher

Victoria Escher teaches Middle School math. Passionate about helping students persevere through and overcome challenging math problems, she has always been involved in math clubs in addition to her role in the classroom. Prior to joining Episcopal, Victoria taught sixth, seventh and eighth grade math at the Math Science Arts Academy East in St. Gabriel. She also served as the MATHCOUNTS and Mu Alpha Theta sponsor. Victoria was named the Academy’s Middle School Teacher of the Year for 2022 - 2023. In addition to her time in the classroom, Victoria serves as an LSU GeauxTeach Mentor Teacher and a Mu Alpha Theta State Board Member. She has been an instructor through the Duke TIP program and a teaching assistant for Duke TIP summer camps. Victoria earned a master’s degree in natural science and a bachelor’s degree in math with a concentration in secondary education from Louisiana State University.

Upper School

Dr. Michael Weiger - Science Teacher

Dr. Michael Weiger joins Episcopal as an Upper School science teacher. Dr. Weiger has extensive experience in research, with roles at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, NIST, and the National Cancer Institute.  He is a dedicated educator having also taught at Johns Hopkins University and M.D. Anderson. Most recently, he was a science teacher at St. Thomas High School in Houston, Texas. Dr. Weiger considers himself an educator at heart. At Johns Hopkins he mentored and taught undergraduates, at MD Anderson he led an international cancer research team, taught graduate students and was a co-director for the Cancer Biology Program’s core course. Dr. Weiger earned a doctorate and master’s in chemical engineering from North Carolina State University. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Colorado State University. 

Cross Divisional

Father Patrick Edwards - Head Chaplain

Father Patrick Edwards brings more than two decades of pastoral care experience to his role as Episcopal Head Chaplain. He previously served as an Episcopal faculty member in the school’s religion department from 2011 to 2016. He developed curricula and taught History of Religion in America, History of World Religions and Biblical Studies. He also provided pastoral care and counseling to students and faculty. While in this role, Father Edwards also served as the Priest in Charge at Saint Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Baton Rouge. 

Most recently, Father Edwards was the Rector at St. John’s Episcopal Church and Vicar at St. Andrew’s Dune Church in Southampton, New York. He was also a Second Lieutenant of the Southampton Fire Department, serving as the Chaplain to the department. Father Edwards was active and engaged with the community as the President of the Board of Directors of the Southampton History Center, a Board Member of Heart of the Hamptons and a lecturer on subjects of history and social issues.

Father Edwards is defending his thesis for a Doctor of Ministry emphasizing Liturgics from the School of Theology at the University of the South, Sewanee. He also earned a Master of Divinity with an emphasis in Church History, Ascetical Theology and Liturgics from the Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Nashotah, Wisconsin. Father Edwards has a degree in history and politics from Oglethorpe University and a degree in electrical engineering and computer science from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. He has traveled and taught extensively within the Anglican Communion in the United Kingdom and Africa.

Father Edwards and his wife Deborah have four children – John Harris ’17, Will, Sefton and Emily. He enjoys reading history, politics and biographies, golf, hiking and spending time with his family and their corgis.

Tiffany Muse Guerin, Ed.S., NCSP - Middle/Upper School Learning Support Service Coordinator

Tiffany Muse Guerin, Ed.S., NCSP is the Middle and Upper School Learning Support Service Coordinator. Tiffany provides a wealth of experience to Episcopal students, families and faculty. She has served as an Independent Contractor offering psychological services in public, private and charter school settings. As the Coordinator of Disability Services, she also directed the daily operations of the Office of Disability Services in Houston, Texas. Before that, Tiffany was a School Psychologist in Lafayette, Louisiana; Alexandria, Virginia and Washington, D.C. In these roles, Tiffany provided psycho-educational assessments and communicated with students, parents and teachers to develop plans and make recommendations. Tiffany earned an Education Specialist in Educational Psychology and a Master of Arts in Educational Psychology from the University of Alabama. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Clark Atlanta University. Tiffany is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, a Louisiana Certified School Psychologist and a Texas Licensed Specialist in School Psychology. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, an AmericCorps alumna and the University of Alabama College of Education Top Alumni Under 40 Recipient Class of 2023.

Mark Messina - Middle/Upper School Band Director

Mark Messina is Episcopal’s Middle and Upper School Band Director. Mark began his career directing school band programs in 2010. He spent 10 years at Catholic High School, serving as the Director of Bands for seven years. During his tenure as director, the Bruin Marching Band earned top five placements at the Louisiana Showcase of Marching Bands, the wind ensemble earned sweepstakes awards and the jazz ensemble earned superior ratings at the Loyola University Jazz Festival. Most recently, Mark has served as the Dean of Students and Band Director at St. Aloysius School, where he has grown the band program while also overseeing discipline, school safety and transportation. Mark is pursuing a master’s degree in music education from the University of Southern Mississippi. He earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from Louisiana State University, where he participated in the LSU Symphonic Winds, LSU Wind Ensemble, LSU Tiger Marching Band and the LSU Jazz Trombone Ensemble. Mark has performed with a range of popular cover bands and shared live stage performances with the Doobie Brothers and Disney’s Imagination Movers. 

Conner Raines - Physical Education Teacher/Coach

Assistant varsity basketball coach Conner Raines moves into the role of physical education teacher and coach. Conner has offered basketball skills camps to Episcopal students of all ages in addition to supporting the varsity program. Furthermore, Conner played collegiate basketball for the University of Mobile. A former United States Marine Corps Platoon Commander, Conner has a range of leadership and management skills, including using sports-related activities to work with refugee children. Conner earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a concentration in Criminology and a minor in Anthropology from Louisiana State University. He is currently a graduate student at American University.

Kristy Reine - IT Systems and Network Administrator

Kristy Reine serves as the Episcopal IT Systems and Network Administrator. Previously, Kristy was the Help Desk and Technology Coordinator, supporting Most Blessed Sacrament School, Most Blessed Sacrament Learning Center and Most Blessed Sacrament Church. Her professional IT experience is vast, including troubleshooting issues and outages, installing hardware and software, upgrading systems and more. She oversaw device inventory and support for more than 100 desktops, 500 Chromebooks, 60 iPads, printers, projectors and Boxlight interactive panels. Kristy is also CompTia A+ certified. She is the current Assistant Vice President of Communications for the National Charity League River Road Chapter, a Mother/Daughter organization that serves more than 30 philanthropic organizations in the Baton Rouge area and contributes more than 5,000 service hours annually. 

Morgan Talluto - Annual Giving Coordinator

Morgan Talluto joined the Advancement office in April 2024 and serves as the Annual Fund Coordinator. Morgan is a native of New Iberia and a graduate of Catholic High School of New Iberia. She earned a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies and minors in business, sociology and animal science from Louisiana State University. Most recently, she served as the Director of Development at Companion Animal Alliance and previously served in advancement roles at the LSU Foundation and Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University. Morgan and her husband, Peter, are proud parents to two young girls, Cameron and Madison.

Taylor Viscardis - Admission Assistant

Taylor Viscardis is the Episcopal Admission Assistant. In this role, Taylor works directly with Middle and Upper School Admission, scheduling Student Ambassadors, Shadow Days and administering application tests. Taylor also welcomes Episcopal visitors to the Alumni House Welcome Center. Prior to this, Taylor served as a Student Ministry Associate at Istrouma Baptist Church. She mentored youth, facilitated activities and taught in a large group setting. In addition, Taylor participated in the Disney College Program in Orlando, Florida, gaining valuable communications, teamwork and customer engagement skills. Taylor earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication with a concentration in public relations and a minor in history from Louisiana State University.