Welcome to the church school of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church. Classes are offered for children three years old through senior high school. A nursery is provided for toddlers and infants. Education for sixth graders through 12th grade is administered separately from that of the younger children, and sometimes follows a slightly different format.
Three year olds through fifth graders follow the Episcopal Children’s Curriculum which was developed at Virginia Seminary specifically for use by Episcopal congregations. It is built on scripture, The Book of Common Prayer, The Hymnal, church traditions, liturgy and history.
Not only is the curriculum rich in materials for use by teachers in the classroom, but it is planned for parent involvement after the Sunday session is ended. Take-home cards are provided for parents of children through third grade; all children receive student books. It is important that parents use these cards and books as vehicles for further discussion of lessons.
ChurchSchool for all ages meets from 10:15 to 11:00 a.m. every Sunday morning. Each class has at least two teachers; parents are asked to assist them as well as to bring a snack for the children. Sign-up sheets for these volunteer opportunities are available on the first Sunday of classes. Parents of younger children are assigned to a schedule for supervising their playtime from 9:00 to 9:30 a.m.
Regular attendance is imperative if the lessons are to have any real value for the child. Small awards are given after each nine-week unit to those children who have perfect attendance. On Youth Sunday, at the end of the school year, awards are made to all who have near-perfect attendance. If your family goes out of town and your child attends church elsewhere, bring a note or church bulletin and your child will be counted as present at St. Mary’s for that Sunday.
