 | At The Cathedral School, we believe that the spiritual component of
education is important to developing the whole child. As an Episcopal
school for children of all faiths, we encourage our students to
cultivate their understanding of themselves in the world while raising
questions of spirituality and meaning. In a world where religion and
its practices have often been misunderstood, we believe in the
importance of religious literacy and offer our students opportunities
to study and explore the great faith traditions of the world.
Students
come together for chapel and evensong services held in the Cathedral
twice weekly. Early morning chapels allow students a quiet time of
contemplation and discussion. Afternoon evensongs include music,
community prayers and a chapel talk offered by the chaplain or an
invited guest, or a class presentation. Reflections may focus on
community life, the rituals and traditions of a particular religious
tradition, or a current event. Students are invited to share their
thoughts, insights, and questions that affect their lives individually
and communally.
At various times throughout the year, the
entire school community joins together for all-school evensongs to
celebrate both religious and secular holidays including All Saints,
Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and Easter. Students participate
fully in these services by composing prayers, performing music,
creating decorative art, and reading scripture, prose or poetry.
The
values of our community continue to be realized through discussion and
active exploration of a new initiative called, “Cathedral Values in
Action.” Led by the chaplain, all members of the Cathedral School
community, including students, faculty, parents, administrators, and
staff, actively participate in defining our most important values and
determining how we can live and model them more fully though our
curriculum and community life.
Service learning is an
important component of our program for all students. We try to help our
students understand that they do not exist apart from society. Once a
month, the Lower School participates in “Evensong in Action,” when
classes participate in community service projects in lieu of a regular
Evensong service. Projects have included drawing pictures and writing
cards to elderly residents at Amsterdam House and patients at St.
Luke’s Hospital, creating beautiful placemats for Cathedral Community
Cares Soup Kitchen, and gardening on the Cathedral close. Upper School
students participate in a full day of community service working with
the Parks Department in Morningside Park. In addition, the chaplain
oversees the student-led Upper School Mission and Outreach Committee,
which studies and researches the needs of the global community, raising
funds to send to various organizations of their own choosing. Our
students grow in understanding their own transformative power through
these experiences.
The Cathedral School upholds the following core values, affirmed by the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES):
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A commitment to an atmosphere of free inquiry in all academic pursuits
as we seek the truth in a learning process unfettered by dogmatic
considerations.
• A belief in the fundamental unity of the global family.
• A belief in the equality and dignity of all human beings.
• A belief in the sacredness of every individual and his or her conscience.
•
A belief that love, compassion, unselfishness, and the force of inner
truthfulness ultimately have greater power than hate, enmity, and self
interest.
• A commitment by each member of the school community to grow in service to others.
• A commitment to provide opportunities for worship and development of the spiritual life.
• A commitment to engage freely in ethical and religious discussion when appropriate, in all academic disciplines.
Consistent
with the Cathedral of St. John the Divine’s founding charter which
deemed the church a “house of prayer for all people,” The Cathedral
School exists not merely to educate, but to demonstrate and proclaim
the unique worth and beauty of all human beings. |
| | The Cathedral is the largest gothic cathedral in the world, and offers many educational and cultural events.
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Cathedral School students have the opportunity to sing in the choir of The Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
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