Why St Mary’s

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St Mary's Catholic School has been providing academic excellence for over 120 years. Students graduate from our program, on average, a full year ahead of their peers at other schools according to the results of the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) standardized testing. Our alumni are well-prepared and achieve great things in high school, college, and beyond. Many Greenville-area families have been trusting us to educate and form their children for three or four generations. We seek to develop the whole child: academically, artistically, athletically, and spiritually.

In addition to transmitting the Gospel to our students, we seek to instill in them all of the human virtues celebrated in classical wisdom and Catholic tradition. By teaching our children to love righteousness in all its forms, we prepare them to serve Christ and His Church by respecting the human dignity of each person, and through regular participation in the Most Holy Eucharist and systematic catechesis, our students are introduced to the Christian life in all its richness.

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Our program is designed for children of families with a deep commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and genuine respect for the classical forms and disciplines of Christian education. The faculty and staff of Saint Mary’s Catholic School are dedicated to the integral formation of our pupils, working with our parents as a single community of many families to serve and motivate every student.

 

Academics & Extracurricular Activities

  • St Mary's School was named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the US Department of Education
  • St Mary's School is fully accredited by Cognia
  • Students' MAP scores show consistent achievement above the National, Diocesan, and Southeast Catholic School averages in all subjects and all grade levels tested
  • Challenging curriculum developed by the Diocese of Charleston and updated annually
  • Phonics-based reading program
  • Elementary students visit our science lab and math lab (taught by our middle school teachers) biweekly throughout the school year
  • French and Spanish are offered to students in all grade levels
  • High school-level courses available to 8th grade students (Algebra 1, English 1, Spanish 1, French 1)
  • Our library hosts an annual Book Fair and all grade levels are given class time to visit and pick out new books to encourage a love of reading
  • Our students conduct an annual Christmas Program, Grandparents Day Program, Variety Show, and 8th Grade Play
  • In our Buddy Mentoring Program, students in K4 through 2nd grade are paired with students in 5th through 8th grade for fun activities throughout the school year
  • "Meeting in the Middle" program provides a service and social experience for students across grade levels in our middle school
  • Middle School Sports Teams (Basketball, volleyball, cross country, track, and golf)
  • Numerous extracurricular clubs and activities (Band, orchestra, choir, chess club, coding club, student council, Youth in Government, and more)

 

Faith Formation

  • Students pray together as a school and as a class throughout each school day
  • Students attend weekly Mass together at St Mary's Catholic Church
  • Religion Class is part of the standard daily curriculum in all grade levels
  • Sacramental preparation is taught by Dominican Sisters in grades 2 and 8
  • Sacrament of Reconciliation offered to students in grades 3 through 8 multiple times throughout the school year
  • "Virtues in Practice" taught across grade levels and involves parents and families
  • Eucharistic Adoration
  • School culture places an emphasis on Virtues, Saints, and Service
  • Students in all grade levels conduct various service-oriented projects (local and international)
  • There are a variety of ways parents can get involved in parish life through St Mary's Church, including the Women's Club and the Knights of Columbus

 

Facilities & Faculty

  • Beautiful, extremely well-maintained campus and facilities in downtown Greenville
  • Parish church, gymnasium, performance hall, and multiple playgrounds all present on-campus
  • iPads and Chromebooks utilized in both Middle School and Elementary Grades
  • iMac computer lab utilized by all students
  • Well-equipped science lab
  • Commercial, full-service kitchen
  • Hot lunch and salad bar served daily
  • Faculty and staff well-qualified by experience and degreed areas of expertise
  • Faculty and staff continue education for teacher certification, catechist certification, and DSS certification
  • Faculty includes the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecelia from Nashville, Tennessee
  • Faculty and staff are first aid and CPR/AED trained

 

Parents & Families

  • St Mary's utilizes FACTS to provide a single avenue for parent communication, class pages, grade books and report cards, online payments, school directories, and more. Everything is available at parents' fingertips through the Saint Mary's app on iOS and Android or from any web browser.
  • Opportunities for parents and grandparents to volunteer in the lunch room, on field trips, and for special projects
  • Parent volunteers help organize our annual St Mary's Classic and annual Gala to raise money for capital improvements and special projects
  • St Mary's Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) helps with fundraising and organizing countless school activities: class trips, Open House, Spring Fling Festival, Trunk Or Treat, Science Day, Ducks Dresser Uniform Exchange, Catholic Schools Week activities, and more!
  • Strong sense of community; all are part of the "St Mary's Family!"

 

Extended Day Program

  • After school care provided each school day for grades K4 - 8th (3pm to 6pm)
  • After school care provided each school day for K3 (12pm to 3pm)
  • EDP staff is comprised of St Mary's School faculty and staff
  • St Mary's EDP is licensed through DSS
  • The schedule includes snacks, play time, and homework time

 

...and more! We encourage you to Schedule a Tour to learn more about what St Mary's Catholic School has to offer for the specific grade level of your child.