History
In
September,
2007, the EPISCOPAL DAY SCHOOL will begin its 48th year
of operation.
The
Day School was the first church kindergarten in Clemson,
when it was the norm for children
to have their only preschool experience in a private home. The
Day School was organized by Rose Huff (Mrs. L.D.) in 1960-61
at the request of the Rev. Marshall James, rector. In
addition to having had a kindergarten in her home for three
years, Rose had organized and started the elementary grades
of the Day School of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Augusta,
Georgia. Rose was the Director of the Day School until
May 1969.
The
original plan to add a grade a year has not materialized
to this date. A class for
four year olds was added in 1963-1964. Later, three-year-old
and two-year-old classes were added. Enrichment activities
such as German, Spanish, art, music, and physical education
were added. To reflect community needs, early morning
and after school care were added to the program.
In
1969-70, Evelyn Goodman became director, followed by Sally
Morrell in 1983. In
1995, Karen Keinath took over as director and supervised
a monumental temporary move to the First Baptist Church.
The Baptists were generous to allow the Day School to use
their facilities during construction of the new Bishop
Finlay Parish Hall.
In
January 1998, Mrs.
Keinath and her staff moved into new facilities, especially
designed
for young children, with new furnishings and a new playground.
Upon Mrs. Keinath’s retirement in May of 2006, Suzanne Watkins became the director of the Day School.
Through
the years the Day School philosophy has reflected good
Anglican theology—a
middle course between structure (tradition) and freedom
with the emphasis always on corporate worship (daily
chapel) and God's creative goodness. The Day School
has a reputation for excellence, not only in teaching,
but also in the care and nurture of young children
as our cornerstone. This excellence is due to
the dedication of a competent staff and the support
of the Parish.
Past
Directors of Episcopal Day School, Sally Morrell, Rose
Huff (deceased), Evelyn Goodman, and Karen Keinath.
