Danville Episcopal church opening school in the fall

By Denice Thibodeau

Published: July 9, 2008

The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany is opening a school this fall for pre-K, kindergarten, first-, fifth- and sixth-graders.

Epiphany Episcopal School will use the building on Jefferson Street that the church had been renting to Carlisle School. The exterior of the building is currently being sandblasted, the inside is being renovated and supplies and equipment have been ordered for the upcoming school year.

Jakob “Jack” Messer, associate headmaster for business administration and development, said the plan is to add two grades every year. Next year, the school will add second and seventh grades, so students graduating from first and sixth grades can continue to study at the school.

Ultimately, the plan is to have a full pre-K through 12th-grade curriculum, Messer said.

Suzanne Miller, associate headmaster for academics, said students will benefit from small classes with no more than 10 students per classroom, which will teach teamwork and allow teachers to nurture the students’ talents, all with a Judeo-Christian concept.

Students will be introduced to several languages, including Latin for the fifth- and sixth-graders, Miller said.

Math, pre-engineering and technology skills will be stressed, she said, though students also will get art, music and dance instruction. In addition, students will be expected to take part in community service projects they can complete on their own.

“We want to show them ways to make a powerful impact on their community,” Miller said, adding that these will be modest projects. “We want to be realistic, so they’re something students can do, not something that someone does for them.”

Students will wear uniforms that will consist of khaki pants, shorts or skirts with blue-and-white polo shirts with the school logo on them.

Messer said some scholarships are available, and that the school is interested in seeing a diverse student enrollment — students do not have to be church members, or even Episcopalian, to enroll.

For more information about the school, call Miller or Messer at (434) 791-4334 or visit http://www.epiphanyschooldanville.com.

Contact Denice Thibodeau at or (434) 791-7985.