Mission and Philosophy

                       
Mission Statement
The mission of St. Mark Catholic School is to educate each student in a spirit of faith, gospel values, and academic excellence according to Roman Catholic principles.

This school’s aim and desired result is to graduate students who are well- versed in the Catholic faith, academically prepared to continue their education, Christian in attitude and outlook, and prepared to give service to community.


Goals
It is the goal of this school to encourage students to become knowledgeable, creative persons who make responsible choices in their daily lives, as well as allowing and encouraging others to do so.

It is the goal of this school to uphold and teach respect for others as unique individuals and as members of the body of Christ, members who are active participants within Church, local, and global communities.

It is the goal of this school to be a caring, disciplined community in which partnership of Church, school, and home nurture and challenge students as they develop their spiritual, cognitive, physical, and emotional endowments.

Philosophy
St. Mark Catholic School functions under the premise that students enrolled in this school have the ability to learn and can learn well. Learning is a lifelong process and this process begins in the grade levels incorporated in this school program. During these years, the child's individual ability levels cannot be calculated, predicted, or tracked. The child's ability levels will change each time the student encounters a new learning experience. This school will incorporate high expectations for the escalation of the student's ability as he/she successfully approaches and completes learning experiences designed in the program of curriculum and instruction.

The overall education package is aimed at the growth of the student's spiritual, moral, intellectual, social, cultural, physical, and self-disciplined endowments.

Religious education forms the cornerstone for life. Students learn the teachings, traditions, and practices of the Roman Catholic Church; the relevance of scripture, the teachings of Jesus Christ, and the promise of salvation. Moral education guides and illumines the student's intelligence for moral decision making, forming the will, and developing the conscience.

Academic education focuses on the intellectual development of the student as he/she advances through a variety of learning experiences. Cognitive development is sequential and exploratory as designed in the planned program of curriculum and instruction.

Social and cultural developments result from an organized plan of student appreciation and involvement in school, parish, and community activities. These activities are presented in both intra-curricular and extra-curricular arenas. Students participate in music, literature, and art activities that promote creativity and an appreciation for aesthetic values.

Physical education strengthens the energies of the body, focuses on healthy lifestyle choices, contributes to self confidence, and promotes a cooperative team spirit. Although competitive sports are sanctioned by the school, students are encouraged to enter sports programs for the benefit that personal physical change can bring, and not for the sake of winning at all costs.

Discipline focuses on the respect for oneself and for others. Incorporation of gospel values is used to set positive examples for Christian behavior and to build a true sense of social justice. Self discipline is the ultimate goal of all students as they experience age-appropriate consequences for actions and responsibilities.