School

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6

Tel: 815-338-3598 Fax: 815-338-3408

Dr. Diane Vida, Principal

High Quality Catholic Education in Woodstock

Families send their children to St. Mary Catholic School for an education that combines Catholic religious instruction and traditional college-preparatory academic excellence.

Daily religious education, a weekly all-school Mass, and sacramental preparation place the Catholic faith at the center of St. Mary Catholic School's mission.

• At St. Mary Catholic School, faith, family, and educational excellence reinforce one another all day and every day.
 
A state and diocesan certified faculty with over 375 years of combined teaching experience instructs students in the core subjects of reading and English composition, mathematics, science and social studies.



• St Mary Students receive computer instruction weekly in a fully-equipped computer learning center.

• After-school foreign language instruction in both French and Spanish is available for interested students.

Fine arts, music, and physical education classes in one of the county's brightest and most spacious grade school gymnasiums round out the St. Mary Catholic School educational foundation.

Valuing a Traditional Approach to Educational Excellence


Parents say that traditional study skills, small class sizes, and teachers who know entire families of students as "names, not numbers" are advantages of a St. Mary Catholic school education.

The value of a St. Mary Catholic School education can also be partly measured by the performance of its students on standardized achievement tests.

• St. Mary's 2006 8th grade graduating class scored in the 97th percentile nationally on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. St. Mary students, on average, place a year to two years above grade level on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills.

St. Mary School graduates excel at Marian Central Catholic High School, Woodstock High School, and the Illinois Math and Science Academy. More than two-thirds of St. Mary School graduates achieve honor roll status during their high school years.

Christian Morality, Personal Responsibility


Christian morality and values of personal and civic responsibility are keys to education at St. Mary Catholic School. Self-discipline, respect for others and community service are taught across all subjects and class levels.

• "Kids have a sense of citizenship and know the difference between right and wrong." (St. Mary Catholic School parent)

• "Students at St. Mary learn the importance of doing the right thing." (St. Mary Catholic School parent)

"At St. Mary you know faces and their families!"

-St. Mary School Parent

Family-Based Community


St. Mary Catholic School families form a close and caring community. Families new to Woodstock appreciate the welcome they receive at St. Mary School. Each August, soon-to-be kindergarten students and their families gather in Emrickson Park for a festive Welcoming Picnic. The annual New Parents Coffee on the first day of school starts the school year on a high note for recent arrivals.

St. Mary Catholic School's "Big Family" extends across the school, across the street, across Woodstock - across generations! - to make a St. Mary Catholic School education unique for its students, and uniquely valued by their families.

Extracurricular Activities: Educating the Whole Child

St. Mary Catholic School understands the importance of enriching its traditional curriculum with fun activities for its students and families.

• An active, elected student council runs contests, pep rallies, social events and service projects for students.

Fine arts programs at St. Mary School, generously supported by the school’s Friends of the Arts program, include a school band and choir, school holiday programs, school plays with student-constructed sets, and other school/student programs.

St. Mary "Fighting Irish" athletic teams compete in football, basketball, volleyball, and track and field. St. Mary School belongs to a county-wide grade school athletic conference and annually fields top-ranked teams for both boys and girls.

• The athletic program benefits from the generosity of an all-volunteer coaching staff and countless dedicated athletic program volunteers.

St. Mary Catholic School students also enjoy field trip opportunities. The nearby Woodstock Opera House and Woodstock's nationally-recognized Challenger Learning Center, McHenry County farms, cultural centers and museums, and annual October trips to a Woodstock firehouse are but a few of the destinations that add fun and learning to attending St. Mary School.

Financial Aid at St. Mary: an Education Available to All


The St. Mary Parish Community – Father Bob Jones, the parish staff, and parishioners – is dedicated to making a St. Mary School Catholic education possible for all families who take its mission and values to heart.

If you have questions about how St. Mary Parish can assist your family in providing the benefits of a Catholic education and connection to the St. Mary School community, please call Dr. Diane Vida, principal, at (815) 338-3598.

Who, Where, and What we are

  • Founded: September 1916, in the charge of six Sisters of the Holy Cross from St. Mary, Indiana.

  • Accreditation: Illinois State Board of Education, Diocese of Rockford

  • Location: 312 Lincoln Avenue, Woodstock, IL 60098. Two blocks west and two blocks north of the Woodstock Square

  • Phone: (815) 338-3598, School office

  • School Day: 8:25 am - 3:15 pm; School Mass every Tuesday, 8:45 a.m.

  • Websites: www.stmary-woodstock.org, www.rockforddiocese.org.

  • Enrollment: Approximately 309 students in grades kindergarten through 8th grades; preschool: 35 students

  • Student to Teacher Ratio: 21 : 1

  • Pastor: Rev. Robert Jones

  • Principal: Dr. Diane Vida

  • School Secretary: Mrs. Kathy Stanger

  • Financial Aid Information: Dr. Diane Vida

  • Education Commission Chair: Mr. Kevin Kirwan

  • St. Mary Home & School Association: Mrs. Jan Jablonski

  • Before and After School Programs: Contact school office, (815) 338-3598

  • Athletic DirectorJeff Kaufmann

  • Bus Service: Available at no charge to students living inside Woodstock School District 200 boundaries, subject to District 200 policies. 

 
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