Knightly News

The Episcopal Community will be celebrating “Reading Days for Reading Knights” in conjunction with our Cavalier House Book Fair the week of February 6-10. With the support of a Parent’s Guild project, we are excited to host five great authors on our campus to celebrate with different groups in our community throughout the week. Books from all of the authors listed below can be ordered in advance on our Book Fair website and authors will be available to sign these books after their event. Some events will require pre-registration, and those details will be sent to the appropriate groups via email in the coming week.

Author Visitor Events:

Tuesday, February 7th

Gayle Webre, author of When I was an Alligator, will share her story with all of our Lower School students during Morning Meeting on Tuesday, February 7th. She will also host small group sessions with 1st and 2nd grade classes.

Gayle Webre represented Louisiana at the 2022 Library of Congress National Book Festival with When I Was an Alligator.  She worked  in elementary education for twenty-five years, primarily designing and implementing enrichment curriculum for gifted children. She generally lives with her nose in a book or talking about books she’s read. You might also find her writing, hosting gatherings for family and friends, playing with her grandchildren, or riding her tricycle.

Matt Haines, author of The Big Book of King Cake and The Little Book of King Cake, will be sharing his love of king cake with several groups on Tuesday, February 7th. He will share his children’s book with our 3rd-5th grade students. He will also be on hand to discuss and sign The Big Book of King Cake with Upper School students at lunch and with parents later that afternoon (pre-registration required; details via email).

Matt Haines has written for local publications such as The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate, Gambit Weekly, Very Local New Orleans and GoNOLA.com, as well as technology companies like Align and nonprofit organizations such as 504ward. National clients include Voice of America, Lonely Planet, CNN Underscored, Zagat, Fodor's Travel, Rosetta Stone, Great Big Story and AlltimePower. He loves writing about food, travel and just about anything that helps him understand people and their unique motivations better.

Wednesday, February 8th

Lindsey Duga, author of middle grade novels The Haunting,Ghost in the Headlights, and The Replacement, will join our Middle School students for a presentation onWednesday, February 8th. All Middle School students will hear Lindsey’s author presentation in a morning assembly. Students who advance purchase her books will be able to meet the author and have their books signed.

Lindsey developed a deep love for courageous heroes, dastardly villains, and enchanting worlds from the cartoon shows and books she enjoyed as a kid. Drawing inspiration from these fantastical works of fiction, she wrote her first novel in college while getting a bachelor’s in mass communication from Louisiana State University.

Thursday, February 9th

Farrah Rochon, author of Almost There: A Twisted Tale, will be featured at an Upper School lunch event on Thursday, February 9th (pre-registration required; details via email). She will also speak to the students in Mrs. Burton’s Creative Writing course.

A native of south Louisiana, USA Today Bestselling author Farrah Rochon officially began her writing career while waiting in between classes in the student lounge at Xavier University of Louisiana. After earning her Bachelor of Science degree from Xavier and a Masters of Arts from Southeastern Louisiana University, Farrah decided to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a published novelist. When she is not writing in her favorite coffee shop, Farrah spends most of her time reading, traveling the world, hanging around on Twitter, visiting Disney World, and trying to attend as many Broadway shows as her budget will allow. An admitted sports fanatic, Farrah feeds her addiction to football by watching New Orleans Saints games on Sunday afternoons.

Friday, February 10th

Johnette Downing, the author of numerous books and songs that center around Louisiana roots and culture, will give a performance for the entire Lower School community in the Visual & Performing Arts Center to wrap up our Reading Days for Reading Knights event on Friday, February 10th.

Johnette Downing is a New Orleans multi-award winning singer, musician, composer, author, and poet presenting Louisiana Roots concerts and author visits for children, as well as keynotes and workshops for educators globally. Dedicated to celebrating childhood, nurturing cultural exchanges and fostering literacy through her music and books, Johnette has performed in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, Central America, North America and the Caribbean. Johnette’s presentations speak to a child’s interests in an engaging, interactive, thought-provoking, educational, entertaining and culturally respectful way; earning her a reputation for being the “Musical Ambassador to Children” and the “Pied Piper of Louisiana Music Traditions.”

Tiffany is a longtime educator and serves as the Director of Library at Episcopal. A lifelong resident of Baton Rouge, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Southeastern Louisiana University and her Masters in Educational Technology Leadership from Northwestern State University of Louisiana. She has served as the President for ISTE’s Librarians Network and was recognized as one of ISTE’s 2014 Emerging Leaders. Tiffany is National Board Certified in Library Media and was named one of the 2014 Library Journal Movers & Shakers. She was the 2016 recipient of the Louisiana Library Media Specialist Award and is currently the President of the Louisiana Association of School Librarians. Tiffany speaks regularly at state, national, and international conferences on school library and technology topics.

The Episcopal School of Baton Rouge 2025-2026 application is now available! ​For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the private school, contact us at [email protected] or 225-755-2685.