About SMES

Campus Ministry

St. Margaret's Episcopal School teaches and demonstrates the Christian faith in the Anglican tradition. Since we embrace Christianity and this tradition as our foundation, God calls us to follow his example and love all His children. In that spirit, we welcome and respect the presence of other creeds and beliefs and see this inclusion as central to our mission. As an Episcopal School, we are not only grounded firmly in the teachings of Christ, but also committed to nourishing the unique spirituality of each member of our school community and deepening our students' understanding of God's role in their lives.

Chapel

As an Episcopal school, the religious core of our educational mission is rooted in Christianity and the Anglican tradition. At the core of this tradition is the tenet from the Book of Common Prayer to "seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself." Hence, we fulfill our mission when we invite students and families of all creeds to join our school community.

Episcopal spirituality is an 'ethos' - a way of living in this world that acknowledges that we are "all spiritual beings on a human journey." Our tradition appreciates the mystery and breadth of God's love and inspires debate, welcomes diverse ideas, values ambiguity and paradox, and respects traditions other that those set out in the Book of Common Prayer which is the basis for corporate worship in the Episcopal Church.

Keeping within the tradition of Episcopal education, St. Margaret's values both faith and reason and emphasizes the spiritual and intellectual development of each child. Founding Headmaster, The Reverend Ernest Canon Sillers recognized this mission when he declared "...Every student is a sacred and precious child of God, endowed with the potential to become a productive, contributing member of society. Our purpose is to prepare students for live in a complex society, beset with grave problems and great pressures, by providing a strong program in character development and teaching morals under girded with basic Judeo-Christian values."

St. Margaret's is a thriving interfaith community, actively learning from the variety of religions and creeds represented by our students, faculty and staff. From early preschool through upper school, we offer opportunities for learning, worship, prayer, reflection and participation in the Eucharist. While these experiences form the core of our mission and tradition, we affirm the right of each child and member of our community to follow spiritual paths free from coercion; paths open to discussion and inquiry that are respectful of the Episcopal tradition and accepting of differing views.

Our ethics spring from our religious conviction. By introducing students to a thoughtful and open study of the Christian faith in the Anglican tradition, we prepare them to recognize the importance of their own spirituality, of religion in our nation and our world, and the critical value of tolerance and understanding among people of different faiths. In these ways, we are preparing leaders, young people of conviction and perspective who can appreciate the powerful, positive role that tolerant religions can have on the future direction of human kind. We expect our students to "strive for justice and peace among all peoples, and respect the dignity of every human being" (from the Baptismal Covenant of the Book of Common Prayer). As a result, we expect our students to be contributing members of our school community and the world beyond, actively participating in service learning and community service projects over their years at the school.

We are fortunate to be identified as an Episcopal School, not only because this expresses the importance and centrality of God's grace, love and power in the raising of children, but also because this tradition provides a compass for our navigation through the shifting winds of change so prevalent in our lives today. We strive to act out of love, teach love, model love and love one another in this community. As an Episcopal School we will always consider God in reviewing our mission and maintaining our course.

We realize that some of our graduates may move on from St. Margaret's uncertain of their faith and lacking absolute clarity in their lives. In these instances, have we failed them? Our answer is no. We believe that the grounding they acquire here in study, reflection, debate, and conscious pursuit of spirituality will serve as an enduring guide and offer consolation in times of doubt and confusion. Our job is to plant seeds that, with God's help, will flourish in time.