Catholic Faith

SCHOOL VISION STATEMENT: Inspire and ignite through Christ

OUR MISSION STATEMENT: It is the mission of St. Mary Catholic School to embrace quality Catholic education and advance educational knowledge and leading practices in teaching and learning for the success of all children.

Our School Namesake: St. Mary 

God chose a young girl named Mary to be the Mother of Jesus Christ. As the Mother of God, Mary is our mother too and our inspiration. She helps us to know God better. Mary will always bring Christ into our lives and we know that we can go to her any time for support.

Mary is a model of faith and a companion of all believers. She said "Yes" to the Annunciation by the Angel Gabriel without hesitation. She was a faithful servant even to the death of her Son on the cross. Mary accompanies us on our faith journey and guides us in all experiences of light and darkness.

At St. Mary School we strive to be like Mary in our faith and we place our trust in her. We are inspired to learn and serve one another through her example, glorifying God and rejoicing in the gifts God has given us.

ST. MARY SCHOOL CREED

• We believe that Christ is our model and our teacher.
• We believe that children, who are a precious gift from God, have tremendous potential and diverse ways of looking at the world.
• We believe in building a Christ-centered community for service to one another.
• We believe in a learning community where we acknowledge and celebrate each child's ability and stages of development as a foundation for continuous lifelong learning.
• We believe that Catholic education is a sacred responsibility in which parents have a primary role.
• We believe that the foundation for all learning is quality Catholic education, bringing to light a spiritual vision for every learner.

Religious Education: All of the Schools in the Edmonton Catholic School District use a Religious Education Program that is prescribed by our Alberta Bishops and provided through the National Office for Religious Education in Ottawa. The Program ranges from Kindergarten to Grade Twelve, and offers students with an overview of our Catholic faith as well as grade specific themes.

Parish Information: St. Thomas More Parish

        Parish Website - http://stmparish.com

Sacramental Preparation:

St. Mary School is happy to work in partnership with St. Thomas More Parish to support parents and children in preparing for the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion. (First Reconciliation must be celebrated before First Holy Communion). These two sacraments are offered to baptized children in grade 2 or older. Both sacraments may be prepared for and celebrated in the same school year. Registration begins in the fall and the parent–child meetings begin in February. Space is limited. Register early. Please see the sacrament brochures at the school or the parish for details.

The Sacramental Program involves:  

• Parents attend one drop in registration event held at the parish on the first Saturday of each month, October through January. Register early for best selection of dates.
• Parents and children participate in the monthly sacrament preparation meetings and events held at the parish, February through June.
• The sacrament of first Reconciliation is celebrated in April. The sacrament of first Holy Communion is celebrated on select weekends in May and June.
• Materials that are purchased at the parish are worked on at home with the family to reinforce the catechism that is being taught at the parish.

St. Thomas More Parish News