Episcopal Identity

OUR EPISCOPAL IDENTITY

For more than 75 years, St. Martin’s Episcopal identity has guided how we educate and shape children. We believe in respecting others, speaking honestly, offering kindness, and serving the community in celebration and worship of God. Our Episcopal identity permeates every aspect of our school community, shaping our approach to education, spirituality, and service.

“I feel that a lot of what makes our school unique is how we embrace teaching religion and the values that come from that. Our students go to school with kids from a variety of faith backgrounds, and the school takes those values that spread across all beliefs and ties those into the curriculum. St. Martin’s provides the foundation that I think is critical to developing children into people of strong character.”

— Bobby Quintal '06 (P ’37, P ’38)

Principal Qualities of an Episcopal School

From the National Association of Episcopal Schools:

Episcopal schools strive for justice and peace among all people and to respect the dignity of every human being. In practice, the principles and ideals of Episcopal identity are expressed through:

School Worship that is creative, inclusive, draws fully upon the liturgical resources of The Episcopal Church, and is a regular part of school life for all faculty and students.

Community Life, in which reflection, prayer, and matters of the spirit are honored and cultivated and the physical, mental, and emotional health of all are supported and nurtured.

Religious Formation and Study that is meaningful, academically substantive, and age-appropriate; and in teaching the Christian tradition, fosters dialogue with other faith traditions.

Social Justice, which is the integration of the ideals and concepts of equity, justice, and a just society throughout the life of the school; the embracing and honoring of diversity; and the inclusion of community service and service-learning as an integral part of the life of the school.

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St. Martin’s Episcopal School’s Principles of Civil Discourse

As an Episcopal school, St. Martin’s looks to the Book of Common Prayer for guidance as we work to maintain an environment where every individual is respected and accepted. This respect extends to each member’s ideas, perspectives, and experiences.

Celebrant: Will you strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being?

People: I will with God’s Help.

Informed by this covenant and a curriculum that values inquiry, empathy, and exploration of ideas, St. Martin’s students and faculty engage in dialogue rooted in the mutual respect, active listening, and acceptance that form the foundation of our principles for civil discourse.

Guidelines for Civil Discourse

As members of the St. Martin’s community, we:

Respect everyone’s right to hold individual ideas
Approach conversations with a willingness to listen to ideas that differ from our own
Ground discussions in fact and reason
Emphasize our commitment to fostering a school community where respectful dialogue is standard
Demonstrate this behavior consistently in classrooms and throughout the campus
Approach all discussions with intention and care, considering the potential impact of our words on students

As members of the St. Martin’s community, we avoid:

Direct antagonism (insults, demeaning or discriminatory language, mockery)
Hostility (ad hominem attacks, uncontrolled emotion, threats)
Inappropriate persuasion (misrepresentation of facts, over-generalizations, logical fallacies, emotional manipulation)

As faculty, we are committed to sharing and modeling these principles of civil discourse with our students and colleagues.

"We must act out of love, teach love, model love, and love one another in our community above all else, or all else will be meaningless."

— From The Idea of An Episcopal School

Episcopal Shield

The Episcopal School Difference

We believe in nurturing children through joyful learning and moral development grounded in the grace and love of God. For over 300 years, through thousands of programs across the country and around the world, Episcopal schools have been doing just that.

We believe in inspiring curiosity, challenging the intellect, nurturing the spirit, and creating community. Our mission is timeless and our values are rooted in Christian wisdom and faith.

We believe Episcopal schools are making a difference every day. Together, we are growing in wisdom and grace.

The Head and The Heart

In Episcopal schools, faith, learning, and community work together. Each independent school in our innovative educational network is grounded in these values — built on the pillars of worship, community life, religious formation, and the commitment to social justice.

We cultivate reflection and prayer, and celebrate matters of the spirit every day. Our commitment to faith and wisdom are made central to school life, and bring us into dialogue with many religious traditions. Episcopal schools are places that affirm and welcome those of all religious backgrounds.

We proudly share the enduring baptismal commitment to the unique worth and dignity of all human beings—to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in all its forms.

St. Martin's Episcopal School Prayer

Gracious God, we pray to you for the mission and ministry of St. Martin’s Episcopal School.
Grant that the members of our community, seeing the image of God in one another, may be guided in ways of wisdom.
May we pursue excellence, unite ourselves in bonds of love, and be strengthened in patience, compassion, and persistence.
Increase, O Lord, our intellectual curiosity and zeal for learning. Give us the will and strength to do our best.
May we never shrink from that which is difficult, and may we never fail to see an aura of wonder in everything on earth.
Most of all, dear Lord, surround us with your presence, so that all in the St. Martin’s community will feel loved and secure.
Amen.