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Case Statement
Vision
Our Vision is to expand and renovate our parish
school facilities so that the learning environment matches the spiritual
richness of our instructional program for both youth and adults. Key
enhancements include a gymnasium, music room, multi-purpose cafeteria/assembly
area, classroom/meeting areas, and infrastructure for state-of-the-art
technology. Ultimately, we envision a dynamic school that enhances the broader
educational and social needs of both the Latah Catholic community and the Moscow
community in general.
Mission Statement of St. Mary's School:
St. Mary’s Catholic School has
served the educational and spiritual needs of Palouse area children for over 90
years. Founded in 1908 by the Ursuline Sisters, St. Mary’s is the second oldest
school in Moscow. We serve to support families in the total education of
their children. Thus, we support students in their spiritual growth, to develop
a lifelong love of learning, and to strive to achieve their highest personal and
academic potential. In living out the philosophy of St. Mary’s school, the
faculty and staff strive to help the students grow in love and respect for
themselves, others, and God. By creating a positive learning environment, we
provide a rigorous and consistent academic core program, enhanced by the fine
arts and physical education.
What makes St. Mary’s special:
There are several
characteristics that make St. Mary’s an exceptional school.
 | Ideal Class Size:
Class sizes typically range from 18 – 24 students, allowing for
extensive teacher/student interaction and feedback.
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| Proven Academic Excellence:
Students at St. Mary’s school excel in all academic areas, as demonstrated in
various areas on the Iowa Basic Skills Test. During the past five years,
sixth grade students at St. Mary’s School have nationally ranked in the 99th
percentile in science, and consistently rank in the 90th percentile
or higher in other academic areas (math, language, reading, etc).
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| “It takes a Village to Raise
a Child:” St. Mary’s parents are encouraged to be actively involved throughout
their children’s education. This includes volunteering for work in
classrooms, conducting demonstrations, teaching web design, PowerPoint, etc.
assisting with lunch programs, building and ground maintenance, fundraising,
and regular parent/teacher meetings.
Finally,
many parents also attend weekly church services with their children.
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| Providing an Appreciation of
Music: Unlike any other school in Moscow, St. Mary’s encourages their
students to participate in band at a very young age. As a result, the St.
Mary’s music/band program is excellent, providing wonderful Christmas and
Spring Music programs each year. In addition the program has been recognized
for their talented performances as the Outstanding Elementary School Band for
the past two years and Outstanding School Choir at the Lionel Hampton Music
Festival. Additionally, the band also won the 2000 UI Homecoming Elementary
Marching Band award. The students also combine their talents with compassion,
visiting local nursing homes and care facilities to perform.
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| Experiencing Christian
Values: St. Mary’s teachers, staff, and parents foster an environment where
values and caring for others are considered at all times. Thus, students are
encouraged to examine how their behavior and attitudes impact others. In this
regard, students have volunteered to raise funds to help others in South
America and Africa, have visited with the elderly, mentor younger children
through a “buddy” program, and perform a variety of other tasks.
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| Learning Extensive
Presentation Skills: Starting in First Grade, students begin to present
information to students and parents at weekly masses, school plays, etc. All
students in Third Grade are taught to develop and present computer-aided
“PowerPoint” presentations within the classroom environment. By Sixth grade,
these students can scan or import documents and perform a variety of advanced
presentation skills including development of their own web pages.
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| Competing in Technology: Within the past two years, the school has
actively worked to upgrade technology throughout the school. Currently,
the school has an excellent website,
has six high-end computers (400mhz or above) in each classroom with each
connected to the internet through a ADSL line. Students use a variety of
software learning programs (accelerated reader, accelerated math, keyboarding
programs, etc. at all grade levels) |
Capital
Campaign:
Our school programs have become
so successful that we have run out of space for key activities and programs.
Frankly, every space in the building is used to the maximum! We must have
adequate classroom space, library space, physical education, music rehearsal
areas, and other space for our students and teachers so that we can continue to
provide exceptional programs.
The Campaign for Saint Mary’s School will help
us fund the construction of this space. The goals of the project include:
1.
Adding four additional classrooms allowing the school and church
community to:
a)
Move the kindergarten students to the Saint Mary’s building complex. The
mentoring received from older students and the integration of kindergarten
students will enhance learning skills for these students. Released space will
allow the Ursuline Sisters to expand their childcare program to serve families
with three year olds—a program that is highly needed in Moscow.
b)
Provide needed space for music and physical education programs and allow us to
expand our library, have a well-equipped science lab, and space for the arts.
c)
Enable the school to become more integrated into the Catholic Community by
providing critically needed space for youth and adult educational activities.
2.
Developing a gymnasium complex for school. This will enable the school and
church community to achieve the following objectives:
a)
Music rehearsal space for St. Mary’s Students.
b)
Space for recreational activities during the winter months, keeping our
students indoors during inclement weather. Currently, all recreational
activities occur outdoors. Thus, any inclement weather adversely affects all
recreational activities.
c)
Space at the school for observing student plays, concerts, etc.
d)
Space for hosting other musical, art, theatrical and educational events,
integrating the school into the community (e.g., indoor space for youth
activity space such as volleyball, basketball, and community building
exercises).
f)
Space for Church and community youth events (dances, etc.).
g)
Additional space for larger parish community activities.
3. Renovating portions of the existing Saint Mary’s School complex. This
will enable the school to achieve the following objectives.
a)
Make the school handicapped accessible.
b)
Upgrade computer and business related technologies.
c)
Upgrade aging building infrastructure including plumbing and electrical.
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