Education Justice
We commit to building intergenerational community that provides a strong foundation for our children.
Call to Action
We love our local school, Padonia International Elementary School (PIES). Did you know that PIES is designated as a “community school”? This means that the wider community has identified an opportunity to come together to support our PIES children and families in a variety of ways in order to ensure the success of our students, at home and at school. Community schools think creatively to find solutions that enable our children and families to thrive. Some of the innovations found at community schools range from: establishing health clinics on campus, running food pantries on site, providing social emotional learning at school and at home, or providing job training. Being a Community School means we find new and different ways to support each other.
Recommended Reading
For a richer understanding of the possibilities offered by community schools, we recommend reading the article “Deepening the Impact of Community Schools” by Mark Gaither and Alexandria Warrick-Adams. Find the article on the Baltimore Curriculum Project website.
Our Partners
We work with the professionals at Padonia International Elementary School to care for our community of children and families. We look forward to hosting school and/or home supplies drives every summer. We joyfully host Back to School and End of the School year picnics. We are always looking for new ways to grow together in community.
The Rev. Dr. Amy Slaughter
she/her
Rector
About Me:
Preacher, justice seeker, Episcopal priest, community organizer, theologian, parent of three artistic young adult children. Native North Carolinian. Bookish. I believe God is up to something beautiful in this world, and I’m grateful we get to be a part of it.
My Role:
Rector is an old-fashioned word for pastor and administrative head of a church. As Rector I get to do what I love: support and nurture a faith community in the Episcopal tradition. Rectors are generalists; I get to wear a lot of hats, sometimes all in the same day. Preaching and presiding at Sunday worship, connecting one-on-one and in small groups at Welcome Table Wednesday, checking in with folks in crisis or in immediate need of care, meeting with those mourning a loss or celebrating an upcoming baptism, writing sermons, showing up at county meetings to make our neighborhood a better place and so much more. Mostly, I listen deeply – for what God is doing here and in the world, for what people need, and for how St. Francis can keep becoming a community where everyone belongs and everyone matters.
My Dream for St. Francis:
Listens to the Spirit, practices wide and generous welcome, shows up for each other and our neighbors, and isn’t afraid to ask big questions and have hard conversations.
A Few of my Favorite Things:
Hobby: Spending time by the water recharging and reflecting; journaling
Book/Movie/TV Show: Narrative non-fiction that reads like fiction – faves include Patrick Radden Keefe
Fun fact:
I come from a theatrical family and began working as an actor myself as a kid.
