About Us
WELCOME
As an outreach ministry of Mt Harmony-Lower Marlboro United Methodist Church, The Wesley School is inspired by our Wesleyan heritage that believes education is the key to a fuller, richer life for individuals and society. The Wesley School believes in the transformative growth that results from a classroom community that celebrates multiple learning styles.
Our Upper School program for grades 3rd-6th incorporates the disciplines of Christian life such as worship, daily prayer and Bible study, and service so that students grow in devotion to Christ and service to the world. (Matthew 24:24-40) Our aim is to prepare life-long learners who think critically and creatively with hearts anchored in the hope of Jesus Christ. In the words of Jesus, we pray that “they may be in this world, but not of it.” (John 17:15).
Community Building
Humans are not meant to live in isolation, so for us at the Wesley School, learning to be "in community" means students learn best when they understand themselves as part of a caring community shaped by principles of respect and grace.
See More About Student Assessments and Neurodiversity and Curriculum
"The Wesley School is an inclusive and welcoming school,
where the whole child is valued, relationships cultivated,
and diversity is recognized and respected."
Our school is named after Susanna Wesley, often called the Mother of Methodism, who raised her 10 children in a unique way for her time: she taught each of them at home (including the girls) to read, write, reason, and grow in love of God and neighbor. Two of her sons, John and Charles, went on to start the movement of Methodism which is known for putting faith into action, serving the poor, building schools and founding hospitals around the world.
Our Philosophy - Do All The Good You Can
Our philosophy is that every child is born with the desire and capacity to learn, but not every child is hard-wired to learn by the same method. The Wesley School believes in the transformative growth that results from a classroom community that celebrates multiple learning styles and teaches how to communicate across our differences. We are all different.. and we learn from each other.
Seeking to "do all the good you can" is the core value of our school that translates into understanding, respect, social responsibility, honesty, and kindness.
Our Approach to Learning
The Wesley School approach is discovery-based, engaging, and cognitively enriching. We follow the educational standards and set learning goals for what students should know and be able to do at each grade level. Our approach works within an integrated and inquiry based, constructivist paradigm of teaching and learning. We know that children construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world through their experiences: asking questions, exploring and assessing what they know.
Is this A Religious School?
Religion classes are a component of our daily curriculum beginning in grade 3. In the earlier grades, we pray before meals, celebrate Christian holidays and hold chapel services monthly. We hope that every child will have a faith community, as a part of their upbringing but we do not impose a doctrine or require a signed statement of faith from families. We seek partnerships with all churches who have an interest in financially supporting children to attend.
Many have asked "Is it a religious school?" If religious equals restrictive or condemning of other faiths, then certainly no. We accept persons regardless of race, creed, or faith tradition.
After school programs such as Kids Bible Academy, led by Rev. Faith Wilkerson, and extracurricular religious events such as Christmas programs, Easter egg hunts, and youth ministry events with area churches.
Our Roots in Methodism
Seeking to "do all the good you can" an early motto of the Methodist movement is at the core of our school’s values.
"A hallmark of John Wesley's approach to Christian living was his call to ‘put faith and love into practice.' Our school is an expression of faith and love: a classroom community formed to affirm the dignity of every child, lay a moral foundation of critical and creative thinking and teach children how to listen, share and communicate across our differences.
The Unique Wesley Approach
A central theme of our time together is celebration of what we learn from each other. The Wesley approach values the transformative growth that a classroom provides in raising children who will one day accept a faith for themselves.