St. Mary's School (Medford, Oregon)

Infobox Private School
background = #f0f6fa


border = #ccd2d9
name = St. Mary's School
established = 1865
type = Private, Independent Catholic
head_name = Head of school
head = Frank Phillips
city = Medford
state = Oregon
country = United States
campus = Suburban, 816 Black Oak Drive
enrollment = 430 total
280 Upper School
150 Middle School
faculty = 46 (40 full time teachers)
Accreditation = 50
class = 18 students (coed)
ratio = 11:1
year = 2007
SAT = Math: 590
Verbal: 589
Writing: 582
athletics = 10 sports
colors = Navy Blue, Columbia Blue, and White
mascot = Crusader
homepage = [http://www.stmarys.medford.or.us/ http://www.stmarys.medford.or.us/]

St. Mary's School is a coed, independent Roman Catholic school in Medford, Oregon providing education for grades 6 to 12. St. Mary's has consecutively won the Oregonian Cup for sports and academics two years in a row.cite web|url=http://www.stmarys.medford.or.us/about/fastfacts.shtml |title=Fast Facts |publisher=St. Mary's School |work=About SMS |accessdate=2008-08-21]

Background History

St. Mary’s School was founded in the pioneer mining town of Jacksonville, Oregon, in 1865 by three members of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary and was known as St. Mary’s Academy. Operating as a twelve-year (the upper grades were limited to girls) boarding and day school, it served pioneer families in southern Oregon and northern California. St. Mary’s graduated its first student in 1871.

St. Mary’s moved to Medford, Oregon in 1908 and in the late 1920s became coeducational, graduating its first boy in 1930. In 1948 the Sisters of the Holy Names transferred title of the school to Sacred Heart Parish which operated it as a twelve-year coeducational school for the next 13 years. In 1961 St. Mary’s Elementary and High School separated into two schools when the present high school was built on Black Oak Drive.

In 1971 when Sacred Heart Parish determined it could no longer financially support two schools, a group of supporters raised funds, and gained permission from the Archbishop to incorporate as an independent, Catholic school, the first in the state of Oregon.

With the Archbishop’s permission St. Mary’s added a middle school after a fire damaged Sacred Heart School and representatives of the parish and greater community asked the Board of Trustees to transfer the seventh and eighth grades to the school. A sixth grade was added in 1992.

In 1998 St. Mary’s began its first capital expansion in 31 years with a five-phase building campaign. Since 1998 St. Mary’s completed an expanded parking facility, an all weather eight-lane track and upgraded athletic fields and a library/media and science center with three science labs and seven additional classrooms. Future plans include a student commons, performing arts/chapel building, and administration building.cite web|url=http://www.stmarys.medford.or.us/about/history.shtml |title=History and Mission of St. Mary's |publisher=St. Mary's School |work=About SMS |accessdate=2008-08-21]

Mission Statement

The mission statement of St. Mary’s School is to "provide a community in which intellectual curiosity and academic excellence combine with Catholic and democratic values to inspire and prepare responsible local, national, and global citizens.

Accreditation

St. Mary’s School is registered with the Oregon Department of Education and is accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools and the Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools. In addition, the School is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, the National Catholic Education Association, and other professional organizations.

College Placement

97% of the Class of 2006 attended institutions of higher education. Over the years, St. Mary's students have been accepted to some of the most selective schools in the country including: Harvard University, Yale University, Brown University, Princeton University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, New York University, and the University of Southern California.

Athletics

*Cross Country(boys & girls)
*Volleyball
*Soccer (boys & girls)
*Football
*Basketball (boys & girls)
*Track & Field (boys & girls)
*Softball
*Baseball
*Golf (boys & girls)
*Tennis (boys & girls)

cite web|url=http://www.stmarys.medford.or.us/athletics/programs.shtml |title=About the Program |publisher=St. Mary's School |work=Athletics |accessdate=2008-08-21]

Clubs and Activities

*Campus Ministry
*Community Service Program
*Retreat Program
*Outdoor Venture Club
*Educational Travel Programs
*Student Government
*National Honor Society
*Mock Trial
*Brain Bowl
*Literary Magazine
*After-School Ski Program
*Math Team
*Jazz Band
*Orchestra
*Drama Programs
*Speech and Debate

cite web|url=http://www.stmarys.medford.or.us/students/clubs_activities.shtml |title=Clubs and Activities |publisher=St. Mary's School |work=Student Life |accessdate=2008-08-21]

Academics (Middle School)

ixth Grade

The Sixth Grade curriculum is theme-based, integrating art, literature, history, and writing. The overall theme in the Sixth Grade is “The Ancient World." Studies begin with the migrations of ancient peoples and progress through the settlement of the ancient river valleys with a focus on cause and effect in settlement patterns and development. Throughout the year, students study the “classical” ancient cultures of China, Greece and Rome. Students end the year with a closer look at ancient Africa and South America. In each quarter, the curriculum incorporates reading, composition, speech, and art into the Ancient World context to build and reinforce knowledge and skills.

Theme, math, and lab science meet daily all year. In addition, all students take a semester each of Physical Education and art, and a trimester each of Mandarin, German, and Spanish. Religion and music meet on a three-day rotation all year long. Sixth Graders can also play in the Middle School Orchestra.cite web|url=http://www.stmarys.medford.or.us/academics/middle_school/ |title=Middle School Academics |work=Academics |publisher=St. Mary's School |accessdate=2008-08-21]

eventh Grade

Students take four year-long classes: History, Science, math, and English. In addition, students take semester-long classes in Physical Education, art, Religion, Latin, and choir, and quarter-long classes in Drama and Computers.

Seventh Grade History picks up where Sixth Grade left off. Students study the Byzantine Empire, the development of western Europe and the Renaissance, Asia, Africa, and Islam.

Seventh Grade Life Science focuses on ecology and biology.

Eighth Grade

The Eighth Grade curriculum is centered on American history. Students are required to take five full-year classes: U.S. History, Science, English, Physical Education and the appropriate level math class. In addition, students take semester-long classes in religion, health, and humanities. They also take the first year of an Upper School level foreign language. Elective choices include Choir, Orchestra, Art, and Drama.

Academics (Upper School)

Students entering St. Mary’s School plan their program for the period of four years in order to ensure that all requirements for graduation and college entrance are met. All students at St. Mary's are required to take 28 credits of coursework prior to graduation. During their four years at St. Mary’s, students are assisted by their advisors, teachers, and school administrators with career exploration and college planning. Special attention is given to planning and preparing for the various aptitude and achievement tests required by most institutions of higher education (PSAT, SAT I & II, and Advanced Placement exams). St. Mary's offers over twenty Advanced Placement (AP) courses.cite web|url=http://www.stmarys.medford.or.us/academics/upper_school/ |title=Upper School Academics |publisher=St. Mary's School |work=Academics |accessdate=2008-08-21]

ISA Testing

In February, sophomores complete the International Schools’ Assessment (ISA) which offers schools a form of international benchmarking.

Community Service

St. Mary’s students perform a minimum of 100 hours of community service as part of the graduation requirement.

Junior Project

A 12 to 20 page, thesis-driven, multi-disciplinary research paper and oral presentation are required as a capstone to the junior year. Teachers serve as mentors and guides in this process throughout the second semester.

enior Project

In the second semester, all members of the senior class must write a 7 to 10 page paper reflecting on their community service experience as well as researching and analyzing a related issue.

International Students

St. Mary's is registered with SEVIS, the Student and Exchange Vistitor Information System and is authorized to issue I-20's to international students so that they may acquire a F-1 Visa. The school does not provide living accommodations, which are usually arranged before the foreign student arrives in the United States.

Over the years, St. Mary's has hosted students from Korea, Germany, Russia, Japan, Sweden, Spain, Mexico and other countries.cite web|url=http://www.stmarys.medford.or.us/admissions/intl_students.shtml |title=International Students |publisher=St. Mary's School |work=Admission |accessdate=2008-08-21]

Community Outreach

In August of 2008, St. Mary's became the first high school in the United States to receive a Confucius Classroom grant from the Chinese government, providing funds for community members to learn Mandarin and study the Chinese culture free of charge.cite web|url=http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080831/NEWS/808310323 |title=St. Mary's class offers Mandarin language |publisher=Mail Tribune |work=News |date=2008-08-31 |accessdate=2008-09-01]

tatistics

430 students comprise the St. Mary's student body, with 150 middle school students and 280 upper school students. St. Mary's claims to maintain an average class size of 18 students with an 11:1 student/teacher ratio.

Administration

Though a Roman Catholic school, St. Mary's is known for its progressive and independent administration. The current Head of School is Frank Phillips. St. Mary's Middle School Head is Christopher Johnson, and its Upper School Head is Jim Meyer.

Notes and references

External links

* [http://www.stmarysschool.us/ St. Mary's Official website]