Episcopal Tradition
Opening Convocation
Christian Faith and Episcopal Tradition
St. Andrew’s Episcopal School is an educational community that strives to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. We express our faith and tradition through our chapel services, our community life, and our focus on both spiritual growth and religious formation. St. Andrew’s began within the walls of St. Andrew’s Church – now St. Andrew's Cathedral – a parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi. We are thankful to have a continuing relationship with the Cathedral.
Chapel
Our weekly chapels in all three divisions give our community the time and space to worship together. Our chapels include readings, songs, prayers, and a short sermon. Each service is led by a chaplain, and students participate in age-appropriate ways as readers, acolytes, musicians, and more. Lower School Big Chapel begins at 8:15 each Friday. Middle School Chapel begins at 9:45 on Tuesdays, and Upper School Chapel begins at 9:45 on Thursdays. Parents and other members of our community are invited to attend any of our chapel services. We expect that all students will attend chapel, but students are not expected to participate in ways that conflict with their personal beliefs.
Community Life
St. Andrew’s is a diverse community of students, faculty, parents, staff, and alumni. We believe that we are strengthened by our diversity. We teach our students to respect the dignity of all people, and we teach them that they can make a difference in the lives of the people around them. We model those values by taking care of each other, reaching out to families with notes, prayers, or meals in times of sadness and in times of joy. We also model these values through our service work within all our communities, both local and global.
Spiritual Growth and Religious Formation
St. Andrew’s offers opportunities for spiritual growth and religious formation in all three divisions for both students and employees. Our early childhood students participate in Chapel classes centered on the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd curriculum, which focuses on Jesus as the Good Shepherd. For our elementary students, the Catechesis curriculum is supplemented with lessons on the connections between our tradition and being of service in our community. Our Middle and Upper School students may participate in religion classes that explore scripture, ethics, theology, and the world’s religions. Members of our community are encouraged to contemplate and comprehend the implications of a changing world while becoming well-anchored in their own moral and religious values.
South Campus | PK-3 to Grade 4
