On the first day of school in 1974, The Reverend Canon Stephen B. Swann and his faculty of two gathered their eleven students around a campfire, and they together established the principles that would become the foundation of The Episcopal School of Dallas. Our Founding Tenets of religio, daily worship; eruditio, scholarship; and disciplina, training within a community of learners, have continued to direct our mission to ignite a life of purpose in each student through the development of an educated conscience. In combination with outdoor education and service learning, these elements are essential to the ESD experience, allowing teachers to shepherd children through lessons that enable them to overcome trepidation, develop resilience, and embrace stillness.