Developing the desire to learn in an environment of spiritual growth and service to others

Written by Lorraine Leonard

Celebrating 48 years of service and dedication, All Saints’ Episcopal Day School, situated among the beautiful hills of Carmel Valley, has provided an exceptional education for students of the Monterey Peninsula. The student body is comprised of 220 pre-kindergarten to eighth grade students who have diverse backgrounds and religious affiliations.

Building character, developing well-rounded children and offering a safe place to learn, All Saints’ is a “child centered, mission driven” school, Cynthia McCoy, director of communications, says. With a strong community of parents, teachers, students, trustees and alumni, All Saints' is proud of its history and future.

Established in 1961 by All Saints’ Episcopal Church Parish, the school's educational philosophy focuses on the development of the whole child. All Saints’ mission is, “in keeping with the Judeo-Christian tradition of love of God, neighbor, and self, to provide each child the opportunity to develop his or her highest potential to learn, in a nurturing environment of spiritual growth and service to others.”

The underlying goal at All Saints' is to develop both a respect and desire for learning. All Saints' teachers aim to inspire their students to discover the joy of learning by encouraging children’s curiosity and tapping into their inner potential.

All Saints’ Episcopal Day School offers a core curriculum of language arts, mathematics, science and history. Classes in religion, art, music, foreign language, physical education, technology, library skills and performing arts round out this challenging curriculum.

The Upper Grade’s curriculum offers courses in Latin, art history, team sports, and leadership opportunities. All Saints’ class sizes average from six to 23 students, with an emphasis on small group instruction for reading and mathematics. All Saints’ students have placed first in math team competitions, scored above the national average in National Spanish Awards, and scored in the top 10 to 20 percent in the National French Competition.

All Saints’ offers a preschool comprised of 30 children, ages 4 years 9 months to 6 years. The Early Childhood Unit is a five-day program, from 8:15 a.m. to noon, offered in an atmosphere where children can function independently, productively and with a feeling of security.

There is an optional program, held noon to 3:15 p.m., offering arts and crafts, cooking, gardening, outdoor games and more.

Part of All Saints’ music program, the widely recognized Shakespeare production comes alive every year and has become a school tradition for the last 20 years. The school’s music program is comprised of two main components: performance and music appreciation. Students learn and perform traditional, modern and liturgical works, and perform throughout the year. Orchestra in the Schools offers after-school instruction to all interested students in the Monterey Bay Area in grades four through eight.

All Saints’ offers competitive after-school sports such as soccer, basketball, tennis, and golf. This year, the golf team won the championship title for the Monterey Bay Junior Athletic League.

One of All Saints’ proudest outreach achievements is its flagship Bean Bagging project. For more than 20 years, the program has been a well-loved tradition in which hundreds of students, faculty, staff and parents work together to bag pinto beans to help feed the hungry. Over the years, the All Saints’ community has bagged more than half a million pounds of beans to disperse to families year-round, six days a week.

Students also are involved in other outreach projects, including the Caring Can Project, volunteering at Dorothy’s Kitchen in Salinas to serve the homeless, and the community I-HELP dinners, among many others, all of which honor All Saints’ core value to “build a community of service.”

These services are a core value because, McCoy says, the school strives "to provide students the opportunity to understand they are a part of the bigger community, to think beyond themselves, and appreciate that they can make a difference in the world. It is also a reflection of our spiritual identity."

All Saints’ Episcopal Day School is located at:
8060 Carmel Valley Road in Carmel Valley.
For more information call: 831.624.9171
or visit www.asds.org