We welcome children of all ages to our Sunday services, and we offer them a wide variety of opportunities to worship, to learn, to play, and to grow with us. In addition to Church School on Sunday mornings, young people participate fully in parish life through youth services, BANA ("Building a New America," the senior high school youth group), and other ministries.

Church school will resume September 7, 2008, with classes at 10 a.m. (We will retain our two-service "summer" schedule through at least November 23.) Children go to classrooms at 10 a.m. and join their parents in church for communion. We offer classes for children from pre-K through grade 7.

Download 2008-09 registration form

Godly Play, Preschool and K-1
The Godly Play curriculum relies on simple, beautiful storytelling "props," sparse language and movement, and "work" time to immerse the learners in sacred stories, liturgy, and parables. Through repetition, hands-on learning, and discussion of "wondering questions," children not only become familiar with the stories, but also nourish their own innate spirituality.

Mustard Seed, Grades 2-3 and 4-5
Our curriculum for grades 2-5 is "Mustard Seed," which is new to us in 2008-09. This curriculum was chosen because it is rooted in Scripture, centering on the Bible, its people, and their story. Through a two-year cycle of lessons for each age group, it covers the principal texts of the Hebrew Testament and New Testament and emphasizes spiritual formation, worship, Christian discipleship, and service. It serves as a logical segue from the Godly Play curriculum as it encourages children (and adults) to question and wonder as they find God.

Rite-13, Grades 6-7
We are very enthusiastic about offering "Rite 13" as a middle school curriculum in 2008-09. This two-year program is designed to build self-esteem "in the context of the Christian community." The goals of Rite-13 are

• To celebrate God’s gift of manhood and womanhood.
• To affirm the power of creative energy and to explore the thoughts and disciplines which allow individuals to effect change in the world.
• To teach, by word and example, the principles of freedom, responsibility, and friendship.

A church school calendar will be posted soon.

Our church school curricula build on the four elements of the "Torah" we have established for our church school program at St. Andrew's: Bible literacy, knowledge of our Episcopal traditions, service, and the development of a personal faith. From age 3 through middle school and beyond, they will learn the great stories of the Bible, from both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament; learn what Christianity (and Episcopalianism) is and isn't; and also learn about other religious traditions. 

For more information
For further information about children's programs, or to volunteer to teach or support the programs, call the parish office or contact Rev. Jennie Anderson (currently Interim Pastoral Associate), who oversees children's ministries, or Amanda Reeder Lambert, chair of the Church School Steering Committee.

For information about St. Andrew's Cooperative Nursery School, call
781-631-5543.