Listen to what the
Middle States Commission says:
| "St.
Mary's exceeds expectations in critical academic, social, safety, and moral areas." |
| "St. Mary's provides for individual
gifts and differences so that students can be challenged and can succeed." |
|
The Class of 2006 earned near
$7 million in scholarships. The class of 2007 earned over $7 million in scholarships. |
| "It is difficult to put into words how enthusiastic students were about the school and commitment of its teachers to the students. |
| "We believe
that your ideas are dynamic and, challenging, and your
success will be like discovering fire!" |
Excerpts from the whole Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools
Re-accreditation Evaluation Process Report submitted to
St. Mary's College Preparatory High School April 7, 2006 says:
The Middle States team found that, "St.
Mary's exceeds expectations in critical academic, social, safety,
and moral areas. The 212 students in the class of
2005 earned $5.32 million
in scholarships and were accepted into more than 420 colleges
and universities. This represents a 67% increase in scholarships in
the past 6 years."
According to the team's report, "St. Mary's provides for individual
gifts and differences so that students can be challenged and can
succeed." The team cited two programs in particular as examples of
this commitment: the Scholar Service Institute, which is a
"demanding three-year program which encourages students to explore
and expand their leadership skills, voluntarily serve others, and
obtain experience in a college environment"; and Freshman Camp, a
five-day experience in mid-August, which the team saw "as the best
way to begin the transition into high school and make lifelong
friends," which "typifies the extent to which St. Mary's seeks to
create a family from students who live in many diverse communities
-- it doesn't just happen."
"It is difficult to put into words how
enthusiastic students were about the school and commitment of its
teachers to the students. Teachers and
administrators at St. Mary's possess a true passion for imparting
knowledge to their students. This is obvious to the students and
their perception of their teachers is heart-warming. One student
said, 'The teachers really care about helping their students, and
their concern is genuine. They put so much trust in us and we really
have a voice. They listen.' "
The team noted "that while they [students] know they are
challenged by the academics and the structure of the school, they
believe that it will benefit them in the future. The students feel
that they are treated as individuals" and "are very enthusiastic
about their teachers and noted especially how caring they were. "
From the report: "The Validation Team wished to congratulate the
school on the courageously Catholic thrust of its two objectives.
Catholic social values are counter cultural. It takes courage to
evangelize students and their parents to the primarily religious
intent of education in a Catholic School. It is obvious that this
school aims to teach as Jesus did."
"As a Catholic school, a commitment to developing a sense of social
values is at the core of the school's mission. The school works to
articulate these values in a more focused way through the content of
the academic curriculum itself… a noble and worthy goal.
Additionally, the objective seeks to realize an increase in student
academic performance through a commitment to fostering in students
an excitement for learning. "
"St. Mary's is a healthy, vibrant school. Its faculty conveys a
sense of pride in the collective mission and its students love their
teachers and feel as though school is one big family. One student
said St. Mary's 'builds you as a person. They don't just care about
grades.' Another added that she 'can't wait to come back the next
day.' "