Saint Mary’s Catholic School's curriculum was developed according to the directives and curriculum guides of the Diocese of Charleston. The school and the diocese are accredited through COGNIA (Formally SACS: The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools).
Saint Mary's Catholic School provides a well-rounded, academically challenging curriculum in Grades K3-8. The goal is to provide a firm foundation in Catholicism, Reading, Mathematics, and Language Arts. Saint Mary's Catholic School does not offer any special education alternatives or individualized programs.
The curriculum concerns itself with the whole child in his fully human and specifically Christian development. The school seeks to provide a sound academic program. As an integral part of the instructional program, the faculty makes use of resource persons, field trips, media, and technology.
Our religion curriculum seeks both to impart knowledge and to awaken and nuture saving faith in our students by instilling in them an appreciation and understanding of the truth of the Gospel and the practices of the Catholic Faith with emphasis on the sacramental life of the Church. Special religious activities of Saint Mary's Catholic School include weekly Mass, regular Confessions, and seasonal liturgical and devotional celebrations. The school emphasizes the role of faith in daily life by focusing on different virtues and saints each month.
The K-12 Diocesan Curriculum was developed in multiple stages by Grade K-12 teachers, diocesan administrators, and initially led by ACE Collaborative Staff from the University of Notre Dame. The curriculum was developed using the knowledge of research-based classroom practices, the needs of the Diocese of Charleston students, the expertise of Diocese of Charleston teachers, and referenced standards from other sources. The Diocesan Curriculum development is a cyclical process. In order to accommodate the changing needs of our current and future students, each curriculum will be reviewed and modified every five years.
The most up-to-date revision of our curriculum standards can be found on the Diocese of Charleston website.
