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Dear Parents of St.Mary's Catholic School students,
"The best gift that parents can give their
children is life in the Church." (United States
Catholic Catechism for Adults, p.189). Through
baptism the child becomes an adopted son or daughter of
God, an heir of heaven, is welcomed into the community
of the Church, and has access to the fullness of the
means of salvation. Of course, when the child
receives bapism as an infant, he or she does not have a
clue of the priceless grace received. For that reason,
in the baptismal ceremony the parents and godparents
have solemnly accepted the duty and responsibility
Chrisitian life entails.
The father
and mother both have the principal task as serving as
role models for their children. This comes first
of all through the loving and respectful
relationship the spouses have for one another. This
entails every aspect of living their marrage as a
sacrament, reflecting the union of service between
Christ and His Church. (See Ephesians 5: 21-33).
It also includes simple practices such as praying the
grace at meals, having religious objects such as
pictures and crucifixes in the home, praying together as
a family, reading stories from the Bible to the
children, and assisting them to learn the sign of the
cross and the basic morning and night prayers; thus
providing a religious atmosphere in the home where the
children can reflect on the love and care that God has
for them.
From this source of goodness and love
the child can quickly build on the meaning and
importance of celebrating the Eucharist with the larger
community which is the parish. When parents
explain in a simple way what is happening and the child
observes the parents and older siblings receiving the
Eucharist Sunday after Sunday, he or she wil want to join
them. Thus, in an informal way the child is almost
already prepared to receive the Body and Blood of
Christ. This love and example is then carried
forward in every facet of leading the child in growing
in Christian living for the glory of God and the
salvation of the world.
Baptism begins a new life
for each of us, a life to be lived and shared. The
joy of being a child of God is beyond all telling.
Live it!
Fr. David
Gaffny
Pastor,
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School Pledge
I believe St.
Mary's is a place where faith and learning go hand in
hand.
I believe Jesus is present in my life and in
the lives of my classmates.
I respect others and
myself.
My words and actions will be kind and
honest to show my respect for Jesus.
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Each day the entire St.
Mary’s family recites, lives and learns by our school
pledge – read on to see how!
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Academics
"I believe St. Mary’s is a place where faith and
learning go hand in hand." |
 We are a
Catholic school, serving children from Kindergarten
through 8th grade. Our mission is to develop the
spiritual, intellectual, physical, and social growth of
each child by providing a quality educational experience
in an atmosphere of faith.
Our curriculum includes Religion, Language Arts
(Phonics, Reading/Literature, English
Grammar/Composition, and Spelling/Vocabulary),
Handwriting, Mathematics (including Pre-Algebra and
Algebra I for qualified junior high students), Science,
Social Studies/Geography/History, Safety/Drug Awareness,
Spanish, Family Life, Music, Art, Computer Education,
and Physical Education along with Safety and Drug
Awareness programs.
We are proud of our students’ academic accomplishments.
The partnership of involved parents with teachers
produces a level of high standards which prepares our
students for whatever lies ahead. St. Mary’s students at
all grade levels consistently perform well above grade
equivalency on
standardized tests.
St. Mary’s is a feeder school to our diocesan college
preparatory high school,
Pope John
Paul II High School in Hendersonville, TN. Our
students who attend JPII are consistently recognized for
their academic success.
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Worship
"I believe Jesus is present in my life and in the lives
of my
classmates."
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 St. Mary’s is a worshipping community - a school of
faith for all faiths - and religion is the distinctive
mark of every Catholic school. We provide daily
religious instruction to all students and each has the
opportunity to play an important role in the celebration
of weekly Mass, Holy Days and special liturgical
celebrations. Children of all Christian traditions and
all faiths are welcome; we learn about God together in a
welcoming and inclusive environment where prayer is
always an integral part of our day.
Anyone is welcome to attend Mass with the students and
staff. The grades are grouped to allow the service to be
tailored and made appropriate for their grade level. In
addition, all grades come together on a regular basis to
worship as a single school family.
Regularly scheduled services are:
Tuesdays 8:15 a.m. Kindergarten – 4th grades
Older students pair with the youngest as “Mass partners”
to mentor appropriate behavior at Mass.
Thursdays 8:15 p.m. 5th – 8th grades
 Religious education at St. Mary’s School is directed
toward enabling the student’s faith to become a living,
conscious and active part of their being. We help the
students to develop attitudes, values and behavior
consistent with the faith they profess.
Our religious education program includes preparation of
our Catholic second graders for their First
Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. Eighth graders
also work throughout the year in preparation for their
Confirmation. Students who are not Catholic are included
in these preparations in ways which assist them on their
own distinctive faith journeys.
Beginning in third grade, St. Mary’s students have the
opportunity to train for the Altar Server ministry. For
six to eight months the novices train and prepare in a
program that includes shadowing older servers at the
school and a practicum experience in the Immaculate
Conception parish chapel over the summer. Their training
culminates with a special commissioning service where
the young novices become fully commissioned servers. Servers are led by a Server Council comprised of the
older and more experienced servers; they lead the
training of novices and take other roles as sacristans
and lead servers - all under the capable and dedicated
leadership of Deacon Bob Berberich.
Our servers often assist with weekend Masses at
Immaculate Conception Church, and an important part of
that ministry is their role as “Watchers” during
Adoration held on the first Saturday of each month.
Servers are scheduled so that at least two are always
present during this important period of prayer and
reflection.
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Community Service
"I respect others and myself. My words and actions will
be kind and honest to show my respect for Jesus." |
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Serving our community is part of our call to the
Christian way of life, and St. Mary’s students become
involved at all grade levels. Teaching our children the
value of serving others is another way of demonstrating
how we can all contribute our time and talents to those
in need.
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See what we do for our community! |
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Dear Parents,
Where Faith and Learning Go Hand in Hand
Is this
statement important? If yes, why is it important? What
does it mean to me? What does it mean to you? Our school
motto does provoke many questions. It also, however, can
be used to describe what makes St. Mary’s Catholic
School a unique educational experience.
I am not writing to compare the learning experiences at
public schools or other private institutions. All
schools have teachers, administrators, parents, and
students working hard to create rewarding educational
opportunities. The difference between St. Mary’s and
other schools is not the class size, test results, or
experience level of teachers. I believe the most
important difference comes from reinforcement of the
Christian faith.
Every day begins and ends with a prayer to reinforce
Faith. Religion is taught daily at every grade level.
All students attend Mass at least once during the school
week. Finally, Catholic students prepare for the
Sacraments of Reconciliation, First Communion, and
Confirmation.
I believe the emphasis on Faith is important for
students, staff, and families because it helps us to
keep our lives balanced. As our relationship with God
and our Faith is strengthened, we are better equipped to
deal with the happenings of life. Faith can make you
bold as you charge through life. Faith can make you
humble when your britches get too big. Faith can give
you hope when all you have is despair.
In closing, remember that the reinforcement of Faith is
how St. Mary’s differs from other schools. If you are
looking for an excellent education, with a chance to
grow your family’s Christian faith, then St. Mary’s
Catholic School is right for you. I hope to see you here
soon.
Greg Orr
HSA President |
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