Today I welcomed the first class of children to The Church of the Epiphany Day School. We opened our doors to a class of 3 year olds beginning their educational journey at a school and a church that are committed to being witnesses of love, respect, and creativity. The story of how it all came to be is a sweet tale.

About a year ago, I was teaching guitar to a colleague of mine. We were covering the basics from the Alphabet Song to “Old MacDonald” when she casually mentioned to me that she had heard that there was a church (she didn’t know the name) on York Avenue in the 70s that was thinking about starting a nursery school.

I stared at her for a second, put the guitar down, and went to find the yellow pages. The only church I found that seemed like a possibility was The Church of the Epiphany, and so I called right then and there, on the spot. I asked if this was the church that wanted to start a school. A woman with a crisp English accent told me that I would have to speak to the Rector. I spoke to the Rev. Canon Andrew J. W. Mullins that day, and we arranged to meet later in the week.

I met with Mullins, and so began the nearly six months of meetings in which we discussed our views on education as we got to know each other. He firmly believes that children are spiritual beings, an idea and that is often ignored in secular education. This would be the third school in his career, and my first endeavor at growing a school from the ground up.

Together we came up with the basic mission for our school: to promote the emotional, social, cognitive and physical development of young children. Our safe and nurturing environment would allow the children to explore through play. We wanted the staff to facilitate and enhance this first school experience at developmentally appropriate levels for the individual child. Respect and positive self-esteem were among the values that we wanted to imply and reinforce within the program. We would support the needs not only of the children, but also of their families through open communication and scheduled conferences.

We also agreed that a weekly chapel service would be a vital component of the children’s education. We were going to be a self-consciously interfaith school, and wanted an introduction to the values and sense of awe that are shared in many religious traditions to complement the classroom curriculum.

This philosophy of education grew out of Mullins’ experience at St. Bartholomew’s, Manhattan, as a young Curate. Over 30 years ago he founded The St. Bartholomew Community Preschool and hired Rosemary Fung, now the current director. They began with four children in 1973 and today have nearly 60 preschool children and 20 playgroup children. He conducted weekly chapel services for the children for over 15 years.

Following this, in 1990, Mullins founded another preschool program, this time at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Seattle where he was the Vice Dean. Once again, he created a thriving school that enhanced the community life of the congregation.

When Mullins arrived at The Church of the Epiphany in 1998, he again began to plan the establishment of a school. He envisioned Epiphany Day School as a testament to a religious diversity that enhances education and honors many traditions. Mullins said to me, “I love interacting with children in chapel, seeing how their happy voices and inquisitive minds transform an often too quiet and serious space into one of joy.”

I myself am a Jewish woman who was raised in a community of Christians. If I spent a Saturday night at a friend’s house, I always packed a dress so that I could attend church in the morning. During my childhood we celebrated the significant Jewish holidays, but never in the context of a consistent religious experience.

My home life became more diverse as I grew up. My father’s second wife was a Methodist, and whenever I visited them I would attend church. I was taught The Lord’s Prayer at age 7 and recited it at bedtime. My mother remarried a retired Presbyterian minister.

Years later, I moved to Manhattan and married a Jewish man. We chose to raise our children with a greater understanding of Judaism than I had as a child. We studied at home about our traditions and heritage, taking lessons from a Jewish scholar. Diversity was a permanent part of our lives, however: my son attended The Cathedral School at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. He became a bar mitzvah at the first Bar Mitzvah in Cathedral history. During this period I was teaching at Park Avenue Methodist Church Day School.

These positive experiences of religious diversity are the cornerstone of what we are creating here at Epiphany Day School. As I watched the children leave after our first day of school, I was filled with a sense of pride and anticipation for the future. I have every confidence that our school will provide its students with a solid foundation for their lives, and also enrich the life of The Church of the Epiphany.