Welcome to this issue of The Download, the EPIC family monthly newsletter. Each month, we send you a round-up of news from the school that we believe you will find helpful and valuable in your child’s education at EPIC and in communicating with your teacher.

We want to make sure The Download is responsive to questions you have, too. So if you have suggestions for information or news we should share in the next issue, email us at communication@epiccharterschools.org and make the subject of your email Newsletter Information.

Missed last month's newsletter? View it here!
Superintendent announces organizational change
Dear EPIC families,

I want to thank each of you for entrusting the education of your child for the 2018-2019 school year in our hands. We view our responsibilities to you and your family with honor, commitment and humility. As your family winds down this school year and prepares for the 2019-2020 school year, we would like to inform you of some exciting news that will impact our next school year.

EPIC’s current Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, Bart Banfield, will be promoted and assume the role of Superintendent this month. Our school has grown to the extent that I want to wear fewer hats, optimize my leadership contributions to EPIC, focus more intently on continued innovation and other key areas of the school, and continue to improve our programs and services for our students and families. Bart has led our instructional department for the past five years. He is a career educator with over 20 years of experience in public education, which includes being a teacher, principal, coach and brick and mortar superintendent. He has presented at educational conferences throughout the United States and has been featured in a variety of national education magazines including District Administrator and Tech & Learning. As Bart steps up into the role of Superintendent, we will be promoting two leaders from within EPIC to head our instructional department. And, in the coming weeks and months, we will share news with you of these changes, as well as new faculty and new school leaders who are joining us. We have retained nearly all of our teaching faculty for the coming school year and recruited the best and brightest of teachers and school leaders to join us. We are in the process of filling about 700 positions and doubling the size of our organization. So I am very optimistic that the next school year will be the most successful for our students and school in our history.

Starting today, you will also see television ads running about EPIC. We are so proud of this campaign as it features real EPIC students, families and staff. There are no paid actors and the stories shared in this campaign are our real EPIC stories. This is the first time we have invested in a TV ad campaign. We did so because we felt the public deserves to be aware of public school options and the mission of our school. We did not engage in the campaign for recruitment purposes. In many communities, EPIC is the only public school alternative a family has. So we are grateful to be able to make a modest investment in building public awareness for what #schoolcanbedifferent actually means.

Finally, I want to thank each of you for your efforts as families to make the 2018-2019 school year a successful one. It has been my honor to serve your family as superintendent and I look forward to our team’s continued service to you to ensure every student achieves their potential. Building on the successes of this past school year, continued partnership with our families, and using data and innovation to inform further school improvement, we are excited about the 2019-2020 school year and our service to your family.

Thank you,
David Chaney
REFERRAL CONTEST
RE-ENROLL TODAY
Enrollment for the 2019-20 school year is open! 

Be sure to hold your teacher's roster by re-enrolling now. Rosters fill up fast, so the sooner you submit your re-enrollment for 2019-20 the better.

Do not re-enroll using a mobile device. The enrollment form must be completed using a computer. If you need assistance in any way, give us a call or reach out to us through Live Chat on the EPIC website during normal business hours.

Re-enroll at the link below today!
EPIC graduate on her way to master's degree
EPIC 2015 graduate Jasmine Parks tells her story about how EPIC helped her gain the skills she needed to prepare for college and beyond. Also, 2019 EPIC valedictorian Olivia Owens shares why EPIC was the right choice for her.
EPIC National Honor Society president praises opportunities
EPIC's 2019 National Honor Society President Summer Nelson explains her love for the academic organization, her commitment to service and why EPIC inducted a record number of honorees this year.
An EPIC Congratulations to our 2019 graduates!
EPIC Charter Schools is incredibly proud of its more than 1,100 graduates who walked across the stage in Oklahoma City on Saturday, June 1, at the Cox Convention Center. Pictured are the graduates and the size of the crowd, as well as picture of our senior leadership team who led the ceremonies.
Approximately 650 more EPIC seniors will walk across the stage this coming Saturday, June 8, at the Mabee Center at Oral Roberts University. Before the 2019-2020 school year begins in September, we anticipate about 2,500 EPIC seniors will have comprised the Class of 2019 and earned their diploma!

Pictured from left to right: Bart Banfield, Michael Flory, Josh Brock, Shelly Hickman, Chad Dimmick, David Chaney, Ben Harris and Scot Trower.
TULSA PLAY PLACE OPEN AT WOODLAND HILLS
EPIC is continuing its partnership with Simon Malls and is happy to announce that its Woodland Hills Play Place has opened! As you can see from the video linked below, the Grand Opening on June 1 was a success, and we were proud to have EPIC principals Shannon Troxel and Erin Barnes (left) representing us. EPIC's senior leadership was simultaneously representing EPIC at Commencement in Oklahoma City at the Cox Convention Center.

The EPIC Play Place at Woodland is located on the lower level near the elevator and just outside of the mall’s main department store anchor, Dillard's. EPIC's partnership with Simon began with Penn Square Mall in Oklahoma City. We were excited to engage in a partnership that allowed us to have indoor play places because it allows us to do instructional programming, such as story time, science demonstrations, art demonstrations, math fun, etc. Programming will commence later this summer and by the start of the new school year and will include EPIC faculty, as well as outside organizations such as museums and nonprofits. One Tulsa television station has already been in contact with Woodland to coordinate with us regular weather demonstrations. As a virtual school, having play places like this in the two metro areas allows our families with younger children to have regular socialization opportunities in a safe, secure and well maintained environment.

We will bring you more news about the play place programming in both Oklahoma City and Tulsa later this summer! 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Are you following us on social media? Fun activities, events, contests, and Epic-related news are posted throughout the week!

Be sure to like and follow now by clicking the icons at the bottom of this email.
EPIC APPEARS ON 'THE VERDICT'
EPIC Assistant Superintendents Bart Banfield and Shelly Hickman appeared on "The Verdict to discuss the EPIC school model, its dynamic approach to individualized instruction and more. Click the thumbnail above to see the episode in its entirety and commercial free.
BACK TO SCHOOL BASH: SAVE THE DATE
To help kick off the new school year, EPIC will host a Back To School Bash in both Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The events are free for actively enrolled EPIC students and their parents. More details and registration to come later this summer!
CAREERS: APPLY TODAY
We're continually searching for talented, dedicated individuals to join our Epic team! Does this sound like you or a friend? View our current openings at the button below.
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