Religion
	Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School provides an opportunity for its students to consider the spiritual aspects of life and learning.  In our programs of regular worship and religious classes, we study the Bible (Old and New Testament) and historical traditions of the Christian Church, discussing them in the context of our own experience.  We address the importance of life’s spiritual dimension and offer everyone in our school community the opportunity to become more aware of the role of God in their lives. Students, faculty and parents include and represent not only the Episcopal Church but also other faiths and traditions.  It is our hope that involvement in our Religious Education program will strengthen an understanding of and participation in each student’s own religious heritage.  In accordance with the Episcopal tradition we strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.   Students attend chapel twice a week: Tuesday and Wednesday by grade level, plus an all school chapel on Thursday.  Chapel is a time for prayer, song and reflection.  Students participate as acolytes, readers and musicians.  There is excellent musical accompaniment, and the church organ is played on Thursdays and for special services.  Please attend any or all of these services, you are always welcome!  Once a month the all school chapel is a celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

	Religion Classes
	PreK, First and Second Grades   Students have religion class once a week. They read Bible stories  and stories from other faith traditions. Children sing, dance and participate with dramatic presentations and often do a craft related to the day’s lesson.  Once a month the lesson focuses on one of the CHARACTER COUNTS! Six Pillars of Character:  trustworthiness, respect, responsibility fairness, caring and citizenship.   Third - Fifth Grades Students become familiar with Bible stories recognizing the difference between the Old and New Testament.  They hear and model prayer in chapel and in class.  They learn to explore ideas about religion with others without being confrontational.  They learn the importance of questions and that there may not be absolute answers in spiritual matters.  Students also learn about other faith traditions.  One religion class per month is dedicated to studying the featured character quality from the CHARACTER COUNTS! Six Pillars of Character for that month. Sixth Grade In sixth grade students study Christianity and the differences and similarities of different denominations. We concentrate on mainstream denominations like Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian and Interdenominational Churches as well as the denominations of our students. We use the Internet and the Bible as resources. We study one of the pillars of character each month. Students create PowerPoint presentations on different denominations to present to classmates. Seventh Grade Seventh graders study world religions. Whenever possible we invite guest speakers from various religions to our class. We invite a local rabbi, a Buddhist nun, Islamic speakers and a parent who is Hindu come share about their faith. We also visit as many worship sites as possible. In class students research world religions using the Internet and prepare PowerPoint presentations for their classmates. One class per month emphasizes one of the six pillars. Eighth grade Eighth graders study Religion and Ethics. All major religions have similar ethical and moral foundations which are also emphasized in the Character Counts curriculum. Students consider topics in current events from their moral aspect.  The students are also exposed to meditation techniques and various methods of prayer to help them develop their own spirituality. Teacher: The Rev. J. Cameron Ayers Office:  Gym