We had kids at WES in the early years and one reason we initially decided on WES, was for a christian culture. However, our dd's class was so focused on non-christian religions, that DD got confused. On the positive, that created that lot of opportunities for discussions and openess to different religious. So I think in the end, this was an overall positive in her development. It just wasn't what I expected at an Episcopal school, which meant our evaluation of the value of the school was on other factors of the school. We since moved on from WES.

Anonymous wrote:Responding to 13:23-
I am not suggesting that parish schools are more Episcopalian than non-parish schools. I never stated such. We like St. Patricia for many reasons. Proximity to home being one of them. We also like that it is a parish school since that is the model we are most familiar with in our current diocese. We are open to non-parish schools which is the reason behind my initial question regarding WES and SAES. We are also aware that some Episcopal schools such as Beavoir do not have weekly chapel or regular religion classes, and they rarely if ever observe the Church liturgical calendar and celebrate the Eucharist. That approach is not what we are looking for. I am not denigrating that approach; it is just not what we are seeking. And the reason we want a chaplain who is a priest is because we want our DD to have meaningful connections with clergy outside of typical church activities.

I think where we disagree -- and, of course, I respect your right to do so -- is in what makes a "strong Episcopal culture". Again, to me it is about teaching and living the good news of the gospel of God's love. I love the Eucharist with all my heart, but I don't feel that my children would need to celebrate the Eucharist at school in order to have a strong Episcopalian identity. Actually, we chose a Quaker school, and have found as our children have grown into young adults that the Quaker values they encountered have strengthened their faith and identity as Episcopalians, and, more fundamentally, as Christians, and, even more fundamentally, as people striving to live lives of compassion and justice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for the helpful responses. We would like a progressive education but strong Episcopal culture. We would prefer a chaplain that is a priest.

OP, I fear you are getting some strange responses on this thread. All school chaplains would be priests. Here are some reputable links from the Diocese of Washington and the National Association of Episcopal Schools to help you.

http://www.edow.org/ministries/academic/episcopal-schools

http://www.episcopalschools.org/episcopal-schools/episcopal-schools-faqs

Signed, someone who looked at both St Andrew's and WES & would be happy with my kid attending either school.

No. The current chaplain at WES is not an ordained priest and he is looking to move on. It did not have an ordained priest when we attended there (he was ordained later). The chaplain did not play much of a role in the school's life except to run Wednesday chapel which was pretty ecumenical, and DCs's classmates were all religions and faiths as were the teachers. I don't know what
"a strong Episcopal culture" means.

OP here. I was only seeking information about experiences people have had with the religious culture of two schools. It is not my intention to insult a particular school or create reason for an argument. It is difficult to make school decisions when one is not yet living in the area.

Responding to 13:23-
I am not suggesting that parish schools are more Episcopalian than non-parish schools. I never stated such. We like St. Patricia for many reasons. Proximity to home being one of them. We also like that it is a parish school since that is the model we are most familiar with in our current diocese. We are open to non-parish schools which is the reason behind my initial question regarding WES and SAES. We are also aware that some Episcopal schools such as Beavoir do not have weekly chapel or regular religion classes, and they rarely if ever observe the Church liturgical calendar and celebrate the Eucharist. That approach is not what we are looking for. I am not denigrating that approach; it is just not what we are seeking. And the reason we want a chaplain who is a priest is because we want our DD to have meaningful connections with clergy outside of typical church activities.

This is from the St. Andrew's website; sounds like a pretty strong Episcopalian culture to me:

http://www.saes.org/Page/Spiritual-Life/Why-an-Episcopal-School

Anonymous wrote:We are an Episcopal family, and we are looking for a school with a solid Episcopal identity. Does anyone know which school has a stronger Episcopal culture - WES or St. Andrews?

What does this mean to you, OP? As an Episcopalian who has raised 3 children in the church, to me it means seeing and serving God in everyone whom you meet. I'm not sure what that would have to do with whether a school is connected to a parish or not, or even with whether the chaplain is a priest or not. Those seem like formalistic distinctions which might not have much to do at all with the values that the school community actually lives.

Thank you, 23:16, for your comments. We will be new to the area, so it is helpful to have positive feedback on all three schools. The practicalities of distance is a significant consideration. We will visit WES and SAES in the fall to get a better sense of both. We have visited St. Patricks and the location is great. Having the comparisons with WES and SAES will be helpful, so we can be sure we have explored out options. I would prefer the school chaplain be a priest. Our friends in the diocese are under the impression that the new chaplain at WES is not.

Anonymous wrote:You are missing a great school!

Which one?

You are missing a great school!

Like OP we are an Episcopal family and wanted our son to go to an Episcopal school. DW went to Norwood and we figured our son would go there. That was until Norwood moved away from its Episcopal roots. Its a fine school for sure, as is SAES. It's quite possible our son will go to SAES after he graduates WES, which is where he is now. We liked Father Tim and are sorry to see him leave. WES does have an affiliation with St. Dunstan's. WES students visit St. Dunstan's during the school year.

From a purely practical perspective you have to look at where you live relative to the school since you will likely be making the trip twice a day. Having addressed Thank You note envelopes to my son's classmates, I know that most all the parents in my son's class at WES live in Bethesda, Chevy Chase and N.W. We would have given more consideration to SAES if it had been on the commute route to DW's workplace, but its not. WES and SAES are a fair distance apart. They are both good schools, as is St. Patrick's, so whatever you decide you really can't go wrong.

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm intrigued by your decision process. At 6 a.m. on Tuesday you asked about WES or St. Andrew's. By 6 p.m. that day you had decided your son would go to St. Patrick's. Hmmm . . . if I were the suspicious sort I might wonder if you were a troll trying to set up the argument that parish schools are "more Episcopal" than Episcopal schools not affiliated with a parish.

OP Here. We visited St. Patrick's this past spring for admission this coming spring, and we were very impressed. I like the close relationship between the church and the school. We want a school that compliments the religious formation our DS receives at church and home. WES and SAES are further out of the way for us; therefore, we decided not to initially consider them. More recently, I thought we might consider one or both of them before making a final decision. I am not suggesting parish schools are more or less Episcopalian than non-parish schools. We come from a diocese that only has parish schools. I am not very familiar with non-parish schools.

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm intrigued by your decision process. At 6 a.m. on Tuesday you asked about WES or St. Andrew's. By 6 p.m. that day you had decided your son would go to St. Patrick's. Hmmm . . . if I were the suspicious sort I might wonder if you were a troll trying to set up the argument that parish schools are "more Episcopal" than Episcopal schools not affiliated with a parish.

Also, who is looking at independent schools in July?

OP, I'm intrigued by your decision process. At 6 a.m. on Tuesday you asked about WES or St. Andrew's. By 6 p.m. that day you had decided your son would go to St. Patrick's. Hmmm . . . if I were the suspicious sort I might wonder if you were a troll trying to set up the argument that parish schools are "more Episcopal" than Episcopal schools not affiliated with a parish.

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for the helpful responses. We would like a progressive education but strong Episcopal culture. We would prefer a chaplain that is a priest.

OP, I fear you are getting some strange responses on this thread. All school chaplains would be priests. Here are some reputable links from the Diocese of Washington and the National Association of Episcopal Schools to help you.

http://www.edow.org/ministries/academic/episcopal-schools

http://www.episcopalschools.org/episcopal-schools/episcopal-schools-faqs

Signed, someone who looked at both St Andrew's and WES & would be happy with my kid attending either school.