Knightly News

Upper School math teacher James Moroney served as guest speaker for Episcopal's Junior Ring Day ceremony. Enjoy his personal message to students below.

I am honored to be here today speaking to the junior class.  It is worth mentioning that my original speech contained 23 references to the original Star Wars trilogy, but Mrs. Moroney said that this “wasn’t about me…”

The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized that this IS about me.  This is about every person sitting in this room.  From the families that love and support each one of you unconditionally, to the teachers and administrators who have taught you, counseled you, and celebrated your successes during your time at Episcopal,  and the current seniors, who did such a great job setting an example for these juniors about what to do (and what not to do) to find success here at the school. 

My first experience with the junior class was when they were in sixth grade.  I had just compiled a list of rosters (Gold and Navy) to send out for that year’s soccer teams.  As I moved my cursor over the send button and clicked, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little taken aback at the five replies already sitting in my inbox before I had even taken my finger off the computer.  You see, passion, if you don’t recognize it or you aren’t looking for it, can be intimidating.  After my initial shock subsided, I realized that this was a group of parents who took pride in their children’s success, so I leaned into it, which turned out to be one of the best things I have done at Episcopal.  Because the passion that you all have for your students is the reason that we are celebrating these young men and women this morning.

When I first came to this school seven years ago, I did not want to be here.  I was happy at my old job, and moving to Episcopal meant I needed to start over, rewrite my classes, and prove myself again to a new group of students. However, during the homecoming game that fall, as Mrs. Moroney and I were walking around, I was struck by the number of alumni at the game who were parents of the students I was teaching.  In fact, the more we walked around the more it felt like one big family reunion.  That was a pivotal moment for me, not just at Episcopal, but as an educator.  I finally understood the trust that parents have in the institution they believe is best for their child’s success.  It is the type of trust that builds a bond that lasts for multiple generations.  It is the trust that makes you say “yes” when your child asks you to make a video singing the quadratic formula song.  This trust makes a community strong and connects us as an Episcopal family. 

As with any family, we make memories along the way.  In 2021, we were set to go to Mo Ranch with the 8th grade class.  We knew it would be a challenge because a lot of the Covid restrictions were still in place, including masks in doors.  Mr. Engstrom called me into his office and told me that I could drive to Texas and be the emergency vehicle for the trip or I could spend the 12-hour ride on a bus with 40 13- and 14-year-olds.  So, as I was driving in my car, I got to think about the trip ahead and how excited I was.  Not because I love Mo Ranch, which I do, but because of the students we were taking with us.  This group of juniors knows how to do hard things.  They know how to take tough situations and make the best out of them, and that is exactly what they did.  When I look back on that trip what I remember most is the large groups of friends eating lunch at the Houston mall, the 8th graders acting like kids on the double-decker carousel.  I remember AB catching the bar from the Mo Pole (twice!) and still have the numerous selfies that Sadie took when I gave her my phone to video me on the Mo Pole.  I can still see the students eagerly passing a tarantula from person to person, knowing that ultimately, I would have to hold it and pretend not to be absolutely squealing on the inside as I did.  That trip was when I knew how much I was going to love this Junior class.  They took a situation that could have been challenging and made it memorable. 

Families grow.  Each year we seem to add another special kid to the class.  In sixth grade we added the St. James kids, which turned our soccer team into a squad that coaches would literally call and complain about playing.  I am still jealous of the confidence with which Maeve walked into the school in 7th grade and ran for and won a class officer position.  We added Taj in 8th grade, who has one of the biggest hearts of any student I have taught.  Ninth grade brought an influx of great students.  From Tim, Darren, and Maximo helping us put the Alpha in Mu Alpha Theta to Lauren and Kennedy strengthening the girls’ soccer team into a state powerhouse.  Watson keeps the custodial staff busy because when girls basketball plays the chance of rain is 100%.  Michael, John Ryan, and Annabel came along and jumped right in as if they had known these students for years. Lastly, there is Jackson. To be honest, the jury’s still out. When JR is your lone character reference, we have to extend the probationary period more than usual.  I think we can all agree though, that you can wear the heck out of an Episcopal scarf. From cheerleading to karaoke club to the Asian Heritage presentation of Lunar New Year, our new students have found ways to get their classmates involved in the school and share their gifts with the grade. 

As we grow, we get collectively better when we feel belonging and ownership.  No one does a better job of getting everyone involved than the juniors.  I always feel pride during the week of homecoming decorations when the vast majority of this class shows up to help decorate the quad.  It started with Zach dressing up as a founding father to get everyone in the spirit as freshmen and has only grown each year.  Sometimes the camaraderie is harder to explain.  When you pull up to a shirtless Timothy sitting on a stool in the parking lot screaming, “wait until you see what I look like tomorrow!” you learn to just roll up your window and not ask too many questions.  Sometimes as a teacher you need to strike a more serious tone.  In October a throng of juniors ran up to me to show me pictures from the night before.  Strands of toilet paper hanging from branches.  Those are the moments where you realize there is still room to grow. As I have said over and over, if you can walk under a tree without hitting dangling sheets of toilet paper, you didn’t actually roll the house; you really just lightly littered someone’s yard.  Obviously, your algebra 2 teacher didn’t do a great job teaching you how to reach the vertex of a parabolic function.  In all seriousness, though, every teacher and administrator on campus can see the passion that you put into your academics, athletics, and arts and how hard you all work to get as many people as possible involved in the culture of our school. 

Ultimately our family shapes who we are and guides us toward the person that we will become.  We sit here today to honor our seniors who are wrapping up their legacy at the school and to celebrate our juniors who are just beginning to write theirs.  The class of 2025 helped set the bar for our Episcopal family this year athletically, academically, and in the arts, and as they ring each one of the class of 2026, they are entrusting you juniors to raise that bar even higher.  They are passing the burden of leadership to you and placing into your hands so many wonderful opportunities for your senior year.  For example, you will have the opportunity to actually win at War Ball during field day.  But you also have the opportunity to do what you do best – extend the love that you have for each other, for your Episcopal family, to all of the students at the school who will look up to you next year.  You are the caretakers of our culture, and I know with your leadership, it will continue to grow in excellence and continue to shine in our community. 

In closing, I want to thank you for choosing me to represent your class at this ring ceremony.  It means more to me than I can properly articulate.  You are incredibly important to me, and I want you to know that I will always love you.  As you move toward your final chapter here at this school, think about the goals you want to achieve, the memories you want to make, and the legacy you want to leave behind.  I hope you know, and this goes for the seniors as well, that you will always be welcome here at Episcopal.  You are part of this community, this family, and we are so proud that you are.  

James Moroney is a versatile teacher having taught English and math in addition to coaching volleyball and soccer.  He previously taught eighth grade math at Episcopal before transferring to the Upper School. He also taught sixth grade math, Algebra I Honors and Geometry Honors at Our Lady of Mercy in Baton Rouge.  James was named the Our Lady of Mercy Teacher of the Year for the 2015/2016 school year and received the Christian Life Award in 2017.  He has served as a MATHCOUNTS team coach, the Junior Beta Club head sponsor and the Youth Legislature co-sponsor. James earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Louisiana State University in English with a concentration in secondary education.   He is the author of Challenging Common Core Math Lessons: Grade 6.

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