St. Andrew’s Episcopal School – Small by​ ​​ ​Intent

By Janna Outlaw, Head of School

Being​ ​a​ ​small​ ​school​ ​is​ ​one​ ​thing,​ ​but​ ​being​ ​a​ ​ small​ ​school​ ​by​ intent​ ​is​ ​another.​ ​The​ ​advantages​ ​are​ ​abundant!​ ​St.​ ​Andrew’s​ ​has​ ​one​ ​focus,​ ​filled with​ ​opportunities ​ ​and​ ​life​ ​lessons.

The​ ​most​ ​frequent​ ​question​ ​from​ ​our​ ​families​ ​is,​ ​“Why​ ​don’t​ ​we​ ​expand​ ​to​ ​middle​ ​and​ ​high​ ​school?”​ ​We​ ​pride ​ ​ourselves​ ​on​ ​educating​ ​the​ ​elementary school​ ​aged​ ​child.​ ​ Especially​ ​in​ ​an​ ​age​ ​where​ ​one-stop​ ​shopping​ ​is​ ​convenient​ ​—​ ​and​ ​as​ ​a​ ​parent​ ​of​ ​multiple​ ​children,​ ​I​ ​understand​ ​this ​ ​concept​ ​—​ ​it seems​ ​intuitive​ ​to​ ​ask​ ​“Why​ ​not?”​ ​Still,​ ​I​ ​ would​ ​beg​ ​to​ ​differ​ ​for​ ​many​ ​reasons​ ​that​ ​convenience​ ​is​ ​ not​ ​everything.

Focusing​ ​solely​ ​on​ ​the​ ​elementary​ ​aged​ ​child​ ​allows ​ ​us​ ​to​ ​concentrate​ ​on​ ​a single​ ​area​ ​of​ ​education.​ ​Therefore,​ ​we​ ​spend​ ​all​ ​our​ ​time​ ​refining​ ​our​ ​craft, expanding​ ​our ​ ​knowledge​ ​in​ ​a​ ​circumscribed​ ​area​ ​of​ ​expertise.​ ​We​ ​dedicate ourselves​ ​to​ ​providing​ ​a​ ​strong​ ​foundation​ ​during​ ​the​ ​most ​ ​formative​ ​years​ ​of our​ ​students’​ ​lives.

As​ ​the​ ​world​ ​has​ ​become​ ​fast-paced​ ​and​ ​busy,​ ​with ​ ​both​ ​parents​ ​often​ ​leading demanding​ ​professional​ ​lives,​ ​our​ ​ small​ ​focus​ ​has​ ​become​ ​even​ ​more intentional.​ ​Small​ ​class​ ​sizes​ ​allow​ ​for​ ​more​ ​one-on-one​ ​attention​ ​and individualized ​ ​instruction.

At​ ​St.​ Andrew’s,​ ​our​ ​teachers​ ​are​ ​able​ ​to​ ​hone ​ ​in​ ​on​ ​a​ ​student’s​ ​special​ ​gifts, talents,​ ​creativity​ ​and​ ​individuality.​ ​This​ ​builds​ ​close​ ​student-teacher relationships​ ​that ​ ​foster​ ​trust,​ ​courage​ ​and​ ​confidence​ ​at​ ​an​ ​early​ ​age.​ ​Students can​ ​face​ ​challenges​ ​in​ ​a​ ​safe​ ​environment​ ​where​ ​their​ ​teachers​ ​and​ ​peers​ ​are ready​ ​to​ ​pick​ ​them​ ​up,​ ​dust​ ​ them​ ​off​ ​and​ ​encourage​ ​them​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​trying.

Expectations​ ​are​ ​high,​ ​with​ ​the​ ​right​ ​amount​ ​of ​ ​nurturing​ ​along​ ​the​ ​way.​ ​Our teachers​ ​easily​ ​adapt​ ​lesson​ ​ plans​ ​and​ ​tailor​ ​their​ ​teaching​ ​styles​ ​to​ ​meet​ ​the varied​ ​ learning​ ​styles​ ​of​ ​their​ ​students.

The​ ​leadership​ ​opportunities​ ​available​ ​in​ ​a​ ​small ​ ​school,​ ​especially​ ​one​ ​that​ ​focuses​ ​on​ ​the​ ​elementary​ ​aged​ ​ child,​ ​allow​ ​for​ ​opportunities​ ​to​ ​lead​ ​at​ ​an early​ ​age.​ ​Throughout​ ​a​ ​child’s​ ​time​ ​​at​ ​St.​ ​Andrew’s,​ ​beginning​ ​as​ ​ early​ ​as​ ​PreK3,​ ​students​ ​share​ ​leadership​ ​responsibilities. ​ ​From​ ​year​ ​to​ ​year, students’​ ​leadership​ ​opportunities​ ​increase​ ​as​ ​they​ ​grow​ ​developmentally.

Students​ ​are​ ​able​ ​to​ ​speak​ ​publicly​ ​at​ ​a​ ​very ​ ​early​ ​age​ ​both​ ​within​ ​and​ ​outside​ ​the​ ​classroom.​ ​Every​ ​student​ ​is​ ​able​ ​to​ ​lead​ ​a​ ​community​ ​service project​ ​with​ ​his​ ​or​ ​her​ ​class​ ​each​ ​year.​ ​Leadership​ ​opportunities​ ​include ​ ​public​ ​speaking,​ ​community​ ​service,​ ​technology​ ​projects,​ ​various performances,​ ​solos,​ ​patrol​ ​duties,​ ​assisting​ ​little​ ​ones,​ ​making school​-wide​ ​announcements​ ​and​ ​much​ ​more.

One​ ​extremely​ ​important​ ​life​ ​lesson​ ​is​ ​that​ ​of ​ ​transition.​ ​Because​ ​we​ ​focus​ ​solely​ ​on​ ​the​ ​elementary​ ​aged ​ ​child,​ ​there​ ​is​ ​a​ ​distinct​ ​advantage​ ​to changing​ ​schools​ ​as​ ​ children​ ​develop.​ ​Learning​ ​to​ ​make​ ​new​ ​friends​ ​and​ ​adjusting ​ ​to​ ​a​ ​new​ ​environment​ ​are​ ​lessons​ ​we​ ​all​ ​need​ ​to​ ​acquire ​ ​before heading​ ​off​ ​to​ ​college.​ ​Transitioning​ ​is​ ​a​ ​life​ ​lesson ​ ​that​ ​can​ ​only​ ​be​ ​learned​ ​hands-on.

Making​ ​those​ ​transitions​ ​multiple​ ​times​ ​in​ ​life ​ ​gives​ ​a​ ​child​ ​the​ ​opportunity​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​how​ ​to​ ​accustom​ ​himself​ ​or​ ​herself​ ​to​ ​new​ ​surroundings,​ ​socialize with​ ​a​ ​widening​ ​ circle​ ​of​ ​friends​ ​and​ ​figure ​out​ ​which​ ​techniques​ ​work​ ​for​ ​ new​ ​environments.​ ​Transitioning​ ​also​ ​takes​ ​the​ ​child​ ​out​ ​of​ ​his​ ​or​ ​her​ ​comfort zone,​ ​thus encouraging​ ​risk-taking​ ​—​ ​both​ ​ of​ ​which​ ​create​ ​confidence​ ​and​ ​independence.

Working​ ​to​ ​educate​ ​the​ ​whole​ ​child​ ​during​ ​the ​ ​formative​ ​years​ ​to​ ​provide​ ​a​ ​solid​ ​foundation​ ​that​ ​is​ ​challenging,​ ​without​ ​distractions,​ ​is​ ​a​ ​gift​ ​from​ ​which every​ ​ child​ ​benefits.​ ​Although​ ​our​ ​school​ ​is​ ​small,​ ​our​ ​students ​ ​are​ ​successful​ ​in​ ​their​ ​next​ ​life​ ​phases.​ ​They​ ​have ​ ​opportunities​ ​to​ ​grow​ ​without​ ​the influence​ ​of​ ​older​ ​students​ ​ whom​ ​younger​ ​students​ ​may​ ​not​ ​be​ ​ready​ ​quite​ ​yet​ ​to​ ​ encounter​ ​developmentally.​ ​Our​ ​adult​ ​world​ ​is​ ​sufficiently ​ ​fast-paced that​ ​we​ ​remain​ ​small​ ​at​ ​St.​ ​Andrew’s​ ​by​ ​intent ​ ​to​ ​ensure​ ​confidence,​ ​independence,​ ​leadership,​ ​individuality​ ​and ​ ​risk-taking​ ​with​ ​one​ ​focus,​ ​preparing elementary​ ​students​ ​for ​ ​all​ ​the​ ​successive​ ​phases​ ​of​ ​life.

Learn more here: ​​​ ​www.standrewsepiscopalschool.com/blog/