Just wanted to throw in that we are looking at a private, Episcopal school here in town. When we went to the Open House they mentioned that they have children and families from all different religious backgrounds and encourage diversity. This is actually from the school's website...
** School strives to develop the whole child in mind, body, and spirit. The spiritual aspect of the child is nurtured throughout the whole school, in the classroom and in various activities, by the caring of the teachers and staff in the children�s environment, in the way discipline is handled, and by the example of the teachers� and staff members� lives.
In addition, we give a great deal of time to more formal Christian education in Chapel and in Christian education classes, which are taught by Sisters, the Chaplain and other teachers who have both background and interest in this area. Children of all faiths participate and find Chapel and the classes to be interesting and to contain much that they can apply to their own lives in their own traditions. Furthermore, children from other traditions have enriched our classes with their own faith�s insights.
The ** community is very diverse -- culturally, ethnically, and religiously -- as are most Episcopal schools. All of our children and faculty participate in Chapel each week; say prayers in the classrooms and before / after meals; and at all school gatherings. In our Christian Education classes and chapel services, we are open to our belief that Jesus is the Savior. At the same time, we believe that God has called us to join the members of the ** community along their faith walk. This is a community called to nurture the whole child and to show them God's unending love without requiring them to believe in the doctrines of the Episcopal Church or any other church, denomination, or religion.
I feel okay about all that. And from what I have seen in my brief visits there and interacting with staff, I think that's pretty accurate. We happen to be Episcopalian, but I was not at all comfortable with some of the more fundamental religious private schools in our area.
