Our Mission - Here for a Reason

It is clear that EDS students are here for a reason. Somebody has specifically and intentionally chosen this school over other options.
Certainly, the opportunity for a world-class academic foundation is one of those reasons. Our results speak for themselves. For example,
1) All of our students graduate with a high school credit in Algebra, and the vast majority are placed into an honors or advanced math class in 9th grade.
2) Our graduates can read deeply, think analytically, and write persuasively.
3) EDS graduates can begin to put things into geographical and historical perspective.
4) We have the most engaging hands-on science curriculum you can find anywhere.
5) Over half of our 8th graders this year earned National Honors recognition or better on the National Spanish Exam, which is given only to top students in the country.
6) EDS students have studied the fundamentals of ...and have explored expressing themselves through... art and music.

I could continue with this list for a long time, but I contend this is not why families have chosen EDS. This level of academic and intellectual preparation has come to be expected from us in our 67 years. The real difference.... the mortar in the bricks of their foundation, if you will...lies in the other ingredients. These elements are sometimes hidden from plain view, but evidence of them can be seen if you look for them. So I suggest to parents, grandparents, friends and visitors to look closely for the signs of the real difference and real measures of excellence at EDS that make us the school of choice for any PreK-8th grader in the CSRA.

First, at EDS we take seriously (and by take seriously I mean that as a faculty we study, read about, discuss, and experiment with) our mission to instill other competencies, the vital core competencies that will be demanded and expected of our children by the 21st century. At EDS, we are intentional about teaching and instilling them, and we even assess for them!

When you visit or think about EDS, think about our success in teaching and instilling core competencies such as:
1) Public speaking, presentation, and performance...at every grade level
2) Leadership skills at every grade level
(By the way, both of these areas will appear on our online curriculum grid next year alongside math, writing, science, etc. In addition, we are the first K-8 school invited to present our leadership program at a CSEE national conference that typically features high school programs. Who else can make those claims?)
3) Biblical literacy: not just memorization or knowledge of a dozen major stories, but true understanding and knowledge of lesser known stories and prophets, their meaning, where they fit in history, and how they were put together to make the Bible
4) And a whole host of other competencies like resilience, teamwork and collaboration, ethical decision making, creative problem solving.

I could go on. I only ask that you look for the signs of these teachings taking place, and you will see them.

Finally, and even more importantly, we establish a context for all of this learning and skill development. We teach, we live, and we model the important lesson that all that we are, all that we do, all that we teach, and all that we learn has meaning and purpose and is designed to help us better fulfill our God-given potential and our God-given purpose.

You see, we have a little secret around here. From the outside, most people would think we are just doing school like everyone else, teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. However, we are up to something else. Something different is afoot here. Something happens here - something significant, meaningful, life changing, and lifelong. AND THEN... we send it, via our children, the carriers of knowledge, grace, and possibility, out into the world.

So as you look around and watch what is happening here, consider the larger mission and impact. Think about what the world so desperately needs from us and from our children and allow yourself to see the possibility.