Rooted in our mission to inspire a passion for learning and to celebrate diversity, St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School affirms the unique value of each member of our community as a child of God. We seek to provide opportunities to practice the virtue of goodness.

Respectful discourse is the practice of people with differing perspectives engaging in active listening and the exchange of ideas to seek mutual understanding and personal growth.  

Our school’s mission and the mission of the Episcopal Church call us to uphold respectful discourse as a way of recognizing the diversity of God’s creation and as a means of bridging ideological gaps, leading to relational reconciliation and transformation

We actively engage with our local and national communities by participating in conferences, workshops, and forums that deepen our understanding and strengthen our practices. Our faculty and students  attend regional and national events, bringing back fresh insights and sparking meaningful dialogue on campus. We are also proud to host our own conferences and gatherings, creating spaces for collaboration, reflection, and shared learning among educators and students from a variety of schools and backgrounds.

The following are events hosted at SSSAS:

• Annual Middle School Diversity Conference
• Celebration of Cultures Events
• Upper School Speaker Series & Lunch Forums
• Colloquium for the Common Good

Each year members of our community attend workshops and conferences hosted by the following organizations:

• Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) 
• National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) 
• Mid-Atlantic Episcopal School Association
• The Close Up Foundation
• Virginia Diversity Network

A diverse faculty and staff offers both windows and mirrors for our students—mirrors that reflect their own identities, affirming who they are and who they might become, and windows that offer insight into lives and experiences different from their own, expanding empathy, understanding, and connection. When students see themselves represented in those who teach, guide, and inspire them, they feel seen, valued, and empowered. Our commitment to building and sustaining a diverse faculty is rooted in this belief: that who stands at the front of the classroom matters just as much as what is taught.

Faculty and Staff Professional Development

• Donna Ryan Faculty and Administrator Multicultural Seminar for all new employees
• Continuing Cultural Competency Seminar for veteran faculty and staff.
• Annual coaches workshop on anti-bias and inclusive practices.
• Steering Committee for Anti-Racist and Equitable Programming (group of faculty members JK-12 that looks at curriculum development and school-wide programming from an anti-racist lens)
• Anti-bias training for hiring managers
• Professional development speakers have included: Howard Stevenson, Constance Clayborn professor of Urban Education at University of Pennsylvania and author of "Promoting Racial Literacy in Schools (2019); Peggy McIntosh, former Associate Director of the Wellesley Center for Women, co-founder of SEED, and author of "Unpacking the Invisible Backpack of White Privilege" (2016); Andre Robert Lee, Screening of film “Prep School Negro," professional development session with faculty, spoke with students of color about Black independent school experience (2012); Side by Side, an organization dedicated to creating support (2017); Dr. Jamila Dugan, educational consultant and co-author of "Street Data: A Next Generation Model for Equity, Pedagogy, and School Transformation: (2023/2024)