Academic Program: St. Mary’s uses a curriculum approved by the Diocese and offers the students a well-rounded educational program including: Religion, Language Arts (Reading,Writing, Spelling, Phonics and Penmanship), Mathematics, Science, Health, Social Studies, Spanish, Music, Art, Physical Education, Library and Computer Applications.

Grading System: St. Mary’s uses traditional grades (A-F) for students in grades 3-6. Letter grades are given with the following equivalents:

Report Cards: The school year is divided into four quarters of approximately 9 weeks each. We encourage parents to make an appointment to discuss their child’s progress at any time. St. Mary’s School believes a close home-school partnership is essential. Regular parent-teacher conferences are held at the end of the first and third marking quarters.

Progress Reports: These will be issued through the mail at week five of the quarter.

Special Placement, Promotion and Retention: In some cases the retention or promotion of a child at a particular grade level is appropriate to meet the needs of the child. A parent/guardian or teacher can request a special placement; the Principal will review the request and hold a meeting with the parent(s) or guardian(s) and the teacher. The Principal will make a decision on the request or may recommend an alternative action (e.g. counseling; hiring a classroom aide for the child; summer schooling; etc.). Parents or guardians are responsible for any expenses related to such alternative actions. However, if the child’s needs are beyond the resources of St. Mary’s, the Principal may recommend and require that the child be withdrawn to be enrolled in a different educational setting. Promotion or retention is always based on multiple assessments of a child’s learning at St. Mary’s School.

Standardized Testing: Standardized testing is done annually. Test results are reported to parents and a copy is kept on file. These tests are one tool used in reviewing the whole picture of our curriculum and of students’ learning.

Homework: Homework is done regularly in all grades. It is assigned as a means to help students review, strengthen, and enrich subject matter taught. Written homework is only one type of work given; oral and study assignments are also given. Homework is a responsibility, with an emphasis on completeness, accuracy and neatness. Students may lose recess time for homework unfinished in a timely manner.

Homework quantity varies from grade to grade. It is important to find out from the teacher(s) what they expect with regard to homework. St. Mary’s is guided by national guidelines; 10 minutes per grade level, excluding reading. Any concerns about homework should be addressed to your child’s teacher.