The Episcopal School of Dallas

The Episcopal School of Dallas is an academic community where excellence is the standard. Our college preparatory curriculum, led by a nationally-recognized faculty, is complemented by a full array of artistic and athletic programs, daily chapel, experiences in the outdoors, and a myriad of opportunities to lead and serve others. ESD’s unparalleled balance of rigor and nurture inspires students to maximize their potential and live a life of purpose.

The Episcopal School of Dallas prepares young men and women for lives of intellectual discovery, integrity, and purpose. The School develops the unique talent and potential in each student and embraces sound learning, discipline, and faith as essential elements of an educated conscience. The Founding Tenets of The Episcopal School of Dallas were created simultaneously with the original Mission Statement. These Tenets provide the structure that enables the faculty, staff, and students to work and study in a faith-centered environment.

• Nurturing a spiritual relationship with God through the use of the Book of Common Prayer within the context of a pluralistic and diverse student and faculty population.
• Experiencing mutual trust, respect, and honor while preserving individual identity, uniqueness of thought and personality.
• Preparing students for actions which promote the common good through the study of religious and moral paradigms of history and contemporary thought.
• Actualizing the advancement of the common good through acts of mercy and renewal here and within the larger community. Daily worship, experiences in community, and studies in ethical decision making prepare members of this community for service to others, the highest manifestation of God’s presence in our lives.

Students learn best through the active pursuit of knowledge and the relevant application of that knowledge. We believe this is best achieved in a community that fosters critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, personal responsibility, and intellectual risk-taking in a safe and open environment. ESD educators endeavor to guide students through inquiry-based, real-world learning experiences that yield enduring understanding and encourage students to become life-long learners in an ever-changing global society. ESD promotes enduring understanding through classroom experiences and real-world applications that involve students in the in-depth discovery and development of their talents, skills, and acquired knowledge.

• Students think flexibly as they engage in complex, ambiguous, and thought-provoking educational experiences.
• Students draw upon higher order cognitive and soft skills to develop questions and address problems.
• Students take responsible risks that appropriately challenge their competence and comfort.
• Students strive for accuracy as they persevere toward achievement at high standards.
• Students think about their thinking as they reflect on their achievement and remain open to continuous learning.

In the same way that our Mission Statement informs everything else we do at The Episcopal School of Dallas, it is also the starting point for envisioning what it means for our students to be “globally educated.” Many of our youngest students will live through the 21st Century and beyond, into the now unimaginable 22nd. To prepare them for the rapid changes and ultimate unknowns of that life span, we need to offer opportunities for them to learn about the diversity, the delights, the challenges, and the experiences that the broader world provides them.

The Global Education program encompasses four main aspects of student life at ESD: curriculum, programming, travel, and extracurricular activities. Global issues, geography, language, culture, and history are interwoven throughout classes at all grade levels. Visitors from around the world bring their perspectives to challenge and enrich our students’ understanding of the world and their places in it, and a growing number of opportunities exist for students to travel globally to learn and to serve.

At The Episcopal School of Dallas, we maximize classroom space, both indoors and out, allowing our students to learn through experience and exploration. ESD has developed a large portion of Wolf Run Ranch as an outdoor education center thanks to the generosity and guidance of the late Pete Gifford of Dallas. Located just outside of Anna, Texas, Wolf Run provides a 300-acre environment for experiences of community. Nature trails, a lake, a low ropes course, two bunk houses, a lodge, an outdoor chapel, and a working ranch create unique opportunities for learning and self-growth for students grades one through twelve.

As a school, we strive daily to create a safe, nurturing environment for all of our students, regardless of their background. Our program’s goal is not simply to make students aware of the diversity in the world around or to accept it; the ESD graduate is able to appreciate another person for the unique qualities and background that s/he brings to the school community. In doing so, we want all students, faculty, and staff to know that we are one body, one school, regardless of our differences.

Middle & Upper School
Address: 4100 Merrell Road, Texas
Postal Code: 75229
Phone: +1 214 3584368