|
|
Families send their children to St. Mary Catholic School for an education that combines Catholic religious instruction and traditional college-preparatory academic excellence.
Daily religious education, a weekly all-school Mass, and sacramental preparation place the Catholic faith at the center of St. Mary Catholic School's mission.
|
• At St. Mary Catholic School, faith, family, and educational excellence reinforce one another all day and every day.
A state and diocesan certified faculty with over 375 years of combined teaching experience instructs students in the core subjects of reading and English composition, mathematics, science and social studies.
• St. Mary Students receive computer instruction twice weekly in a fully-equipped computer learning center.
• St. Mary Junior High Students are offered Spanish language instruction weekly.
Fine arts, music, and physical education classes in one of the county's brightest and most spacious grade school gymnasiums round out the St. Mary Catholic School educational foundation.
Valuing a Traditional Approach to Educational Excellence
Parents say that traditional study skills, small class sizes, and teachers who know entire families of students as "names, not numbers" are advantages of a St. Mary Catholic school education.
The value of a St. Mary Catholic School education can also be partly measured by the performance of its students on standardized achievement tests.
• St. Mary's 2006 8th grade graduating class scored in the 97th percentile nationally on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. St. Mary students, on average, place a year to two years above grade level on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills.
St. Mary School graduates excel at Marian Central Catholic High School, Woodstock High School, and the Illinois Math and Science Academy. More than two-thirds of St. Mary School graduates achieve honor roll status during their high school years.
Christian Morality, Personal Responsibility
Christian morality and values of personal and civic responsibility are keys to education at St. Mary Catholic School. Self-discipline, respect for others and community service are taught across all subjects and class levels.
• "Kids have a sense of citizenship and know the difference between right and wrong." (St. Mary Catholic School parent)
• "Students at St. Mary learn the importance of doing the right thing." (St. Mary Catholic School parent)
|
"At St. Mary you know faces and their families!"
|
Family-Based Community
St. Mary Catholic School families form a close and caring community. Families new to Woodstock appreciate the welcome they receive at St. Mary School. Each August, soon-to-be kindergarten students and their families gather in Emrickson Park for a festive Welcoming Picnic. The annual New Parents Coffee on the first day of school starts the school year on a high note for recent arrivals.
St. Mary Catholic School's "Big Family" extends across the school, across the street, across Woodstock - across generations! - to make a St. Mary Catholic School education unique for its students, and uniquely valued by their families.
Extracurricular Activities: Educating the Whole Child
St. Mary Catholic School understands the importance of enriching its traditional curriculum with fun activities for its students and families.
• An active, elected Student Council runs contests, pep rallies, social events and service projects for students.
Fine arts programs at St. Mary School, generously supported by the school’s Friends of the Arts program, include a school band and choir, school holiday programs, school plays with student-constructed sets, and other school/student programs.
St. Mary "Fighting Irish" athletic teams compete in football, basketball, volleyball, and track and field. St. Mary School belongs to a county-wide grade school athletic conference and annually fields top-ranked teams for both boys and girls.
• The athletic program benefits from the generosity of an all-volunteer coaching staff and countless dedicated athletic program volunteers.
St. Mary Catholic School students also enjoy field trip opportunities. The nearby Woodstock Opera House and Woodstock's nationally-recognized Challenger Learning Center, McHenry County farms, cultural centers and museums, and annual October trips to a Woodstock firehouse are but a few of the destinations that add fun and learning to attending St. Mary School.