From the Headmaster

St. John's is a private, independent Episcopal day school that provides a distinctive program of superior academic quality integrated with the process of honing well-formed character in boys and girls beginning at age 3 and continuing through Grade 5.  We help students learn how to live lives full of meaning and value, engaging them in hands-on, focused, and fun lessons of depth and clarity, yet giving them the opportunity to move around and deal with the normal "fidgets" of childhood.  We offer intriguing “specials classes” in art, media, technology, music, physical education, science, and Spanish (in Lower School)— each in its own separate room taught by professional faculty trained in each specific discipline.  This allows our students the freedom to move throughout the school and campus for classes rather than sitting in only one classroom every day.  Our approach gives children a rock-solid base from which to launch successfully into their future education, while still having fun as children now.

St. John's is a school that is serious about protecting and celebrating childhood. In a world full of pressures to grow up prematurely, we consciously and unapologetically promote the concept that children should be allowed to grow naturally in a safe and appropriate community.  We recognize that this is perhaps one of the most precious gifts we can give our children.  Additionally, our school  environment only includes children up to Grade 5, which allows our older children to take on roles of respect and leadership that in other schools they might not develop until later grades - another gift we give to our students.

As an Episcopal school, St. John’s helps our students learn about their own journeys in faith, based on their families' individual faith traditions.  We respect and celebrate a variety of religious experiences and faith traditions while still maintaining the essence of the Episcopal faith's Christian tradition, particularly in our worship experience in daily chapel.  Students learn what it means to be kind, honest, responsible, and respectful.  They learn that loving relationships with God and with others build the foundations for a strong individual and a strong community.   

Our focus on relationships fosters a commitment to community that extends well beyond our campus.  Not only do our students participate in local community service (such as providing books, coats, food, toys, and more to less fortunate families in our region), but they also help support programs in our sister school in Kenya, the Mbaikini School, through financial support, meaningful gifts, building programs, and visits.  We all grow as a result of this respectful atmosphere and our commitment to faith and service both locally and globally. 

As a Maryland Green School, St. John's offers students opportunities to explore the world around them, both near and far, to see how they can be blessings locally and with a global perspective.  Students learn what it means to be good stewards of the environment and how to promote sustainability in our world.  We teach them how to be responsible and productive citizens in a complex and technologically sophisticated world.

As you will see on this website and at our school, St. John's Parish Day School is a vibrant and busy place, full of focused activity, respectful attitudes, and exceptional learning.  Come and experience the excellence of Episcopal education, which indeed offers knowledge and values for a lifetime!

Grace and Peace,

Steve Harrison
Headmaster