Building Bright Futures on a Foundation of Faith
Saint Mary Catholic School provides a distinctive Catholic environment in which the Church’s tradition of education brings to students the joyful pursuit of faith, wisdom, and virtue. This integration of faith with school life develops students whose values are centered on the teachings of Jesus Christ, guiding them to develop an inner faith that sustains them throughout their lives.
Saint Mary is a great place to be because we all get to be friends and walk with Jesus.
It follows then that when our students at Saint Mary Catholic School learn anything true, they are not only encountering the truth that exists in a particular subject area but rather they are encountering the source from whom it proceeds. So, the end goal, the purpose, the philosophy of Catholic education in its fullest sense is to go beyond the degrees of truth taught in a particular subject to the very source of it, to encounter it, or better yet, to encounter Him and be formed by Him and then to take that formation out into the world and share it with others.
1. Domain A: Mission and Catholic Identity Goal
Students will reflect on the connection between a service project to the Catholic Social teachings, the Gospel, and living a life of service. Students will demonstrate an improved understanding of why service is an important part of living out our Faith. Success will be measured with an increase of service projects and donations.
2. Domain C: Academic Excellence Goal
Saint Mary Catholic School will develop a framework for PLCs, implement a regular PLC schedule, and document PLC meetings by Fall 2025. During PLC meetings, faculty will use the SMCS Student Data Wall, attendance, and formative and summative assessments to monitor student growth and identify gaps in student learning. Faculty will analyze gaps in student learning to identify areas of teacher focus and shortcomings in the curriculum. Success will be measured by staff attendance at PLCs and completion/submission of the PLC form after each meeting. As a result of curriculum alignment and a focus on learning gaps, student scores on TerraNova Next will increase 3% each in math, reading, science and history, and scores on ARK will increase by 3% by end of school year 2026.
3. Domain D: Operational Vitality Goal
Saint Mary Catholic School will develop a strategic plan to include the areas of finances, enrollment, and facilities. An Enrollment Management Committee, composed of a variety of stakeholders, will develop strategies to retain current enrollment. The primary focus of the EMC is to proactively address possible enrollment decreases due to the potential opening of three new Catholic schools in the surrounding area. This focus will include various outreach communications/projects in surrounding areas, to pique interest in attending Saint Mary Catholic School. Success will be measured by maintaining enrollment by +/- 1% each year.
Welcome from Principal Rodgers
Our Family, Our Vision
On behalf of the faculty and staff of Saint Mary Catholic School, welcome! A little over two years ago, I began my tenure here. When I arrived, one of the first items on my checklist was to meet and greet the entire faculty and staff individually. In the context of those meetings, I asked everyone to provide one thing I should take away from our meeting about Saint Mary. Overwhelmingly, the idea of family emerged. Saint Mary is about many things: providing an education animated by the truth and charity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, educating the whole person (mind, body, and spirit), and laying the foundation for a good and productive life ordered toward Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. But, it is also about family. Saint Mary is about a collective of families who share a common vision for education. A vision that sees education that goes far beyond just the truths taught in a particular subject area to the Author of all truth. A vision that sees education as the vehicle to attain our life’s purpose – unity with Jesus in eternity. I pray we all keep this vision in mind and maintain a singularity of purpose and drive.
Peace and blessings,
Mr. Rodgers
Catholic Identity
At Saint Mary Catholic School, we walk with Jesus as we strive to live out the tenets of our faith. We are a community sustained by Gospel witness, and we infuse the Catholic worldview into all aspects of campus life. Students attend Mass weekly and on Holy Days, with grades 2 through 8 participating as greeters, lectors, altar servers, and gift bearers. Schoolwide prayer is student-led each morning. The Marian Antiphons are prayed throughout the seasons of the liturgical year. Classes also pray throughout the day, including before lunch and at day’s end. Throughout the year, students plan, prepare and/or participate in Adoration, the Living Rosary, prayer services and retreats, Reconciliation services, Lessons and Carols, Stations of the Cross, May Crowning, virtue visits, and service projects. As Pope Saint John Paul II said. “Catholic schools must help students to deepen their personal relationship with God and to discover that all things human have their deepest meaning in the person and teaching of Jesus Christ.
Proud To Be a Title 1 School
As a Title 1 school, we are part of a federal program designed to improve the academic achievement of students in math and reading. Title I funding allows us to provide supplemental, research-based interventions to enhance students’ learning experience and support their success in core subjects. Our commitment to offering these targeted resources helps every student reach their full academic potential.
School Directory
Our faculty and staff are committed to helping every student reach their God-given potential. Teachers know and care about the students as individuals with unique talents and abilities, and they work together with parents to provide a learning environment where each student can thrive.
Annual Calendar
The yearly calendar is provided as a resource for planning purposes. Please be aware that dates may change as the year progresses. Updates will be communicated as soon as SMCS becomes aware of them.
Diocese of
Pensacola-Tallahassee
Founded in 1975, The Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee covers the 18 most northwestern counties of the State of Florida. Even though we are considered a “young” diocese, our roots go back to the first European settlement of this region in 1559. Today, our diocese is home to 52 parishes and three missions.
