Welcome, from the Head of School

To Our Prospective Families

As parents, we embrace the incontestable truth that our child's early education is an essential part of the foundation of a good life.

And as they begin this journey, we hone our attention on the markers of progress: the acquisition of basic skills and the work of assessing our child's growth against academic and social "norms." This is a worthy focus and one you will find palpably present at Episcopal Day.

A child's sense of self comes from the capacity to read, write, and courageously pursue academic intentions that define success in education. It's hoped every school provides that path for young children.

However, when you and I consider our personal school experience and the "lessons" we carry with us today, it's our stories of people that stay with us more often. It was our teachers and friends that notably shaped our identity, our spirit.

We may remember the hard-earned "A," yet there is a concurrent acknowledgment that our pursuit was propelled by our motivation to meet a revered teacher's expectations.

At Episcopal Day, we know that the learning fueled by relationships builds and shapes us in lasting ways. We think great educators possess two essential disciplines. First, they hold a persistent commitment to crafting intentional lessons that use a child's natural curiosity to fuel sustained inquiry. Secondly, and significantly, they have the capacity to model consistently the ingredients of a meaningful relationship: humility, kindness, and respect.

In short, the impact of an Episcopal Day education is never fully represented in a report card. No, our primary objective is best described as the installation of the human architecture for a life well-lived. Watch one of our eighth grader's chapel talks, and you will see and hear the living evidence of our lofty intentions.

We take it seriously. There is nothing mundane about our work — it's our calling. Each morning, as our school's name implies, our children walk the campus along a figurative path of hope, optimism, and opportunity. It's an atmosphere that compels them to wonder, "This is my day. What will I do?"

Ralph Wales

Head of School