Our School Today
St. Mary of the Mills School is a Catholic parish school committed to a strong academic education where the administration, faculty, and staff embrace their vocation and view it as a ministry both as teachers and Disciples of Christ.
Today, with over 2,800 registered households, St. Mary of the Mills has grown to be the largest Catholic parish in Prince George’s County. The faculty and staff educate approximately 430 children from Kindergarten through 8th Grade, preparing them for high school and beyond. Our school’s commitment to the children and to the parish family is clearly articulated in its vision:
- Form students who are followers of Christ through discipleship by witnessing to the Gospel message as understood, taught, and proclaimed by the Catholic Church in both word and deed.
- Help everyone achieve educational and personal excellence in spirit, mind, and body by encouraging all to explore and develop their God-given gifts and talents while embracing and celebrating our differences.
- Inspire lifelong learning in a loving, secure, caring, respectful Catholic community by modeling the example of Christ as servant leader.
- Foster the relationship among administration, faculty, staff, and parents understanding that Catholic education is a partnership where the parents accept the responsibility as the primary educators of their children while the school provides the formal education of the students.
Giving Annually Program – G.A.P.
While St. Mary’s School strives to cover all operating expenses through tuition, the parish must usually provide an annual subsidy in order to fill the GAP and meet all financial obligations. Today the parish contributes about $400 per child to keep the rising cost of tuition at a minimum. It is truly a balancing act to provide a quality Christ-centered school for children, while making it available and affordable to anyone who desires a Catholic education.
To foster the financial well-being and the continued growth of St. Mary’s School, it is vital that we spread the good news about our excellent academic program as well as our many community building events. By doing so, we will help ensure that every student desk is filled and that the tuition revenue is maximized.
Beyond that, we must also encourage parents & relatives of current students, parishioners, community partners, alumni & friends of St. Mary’s School to support our vision in one or more of the following ways:
- Support the St. Mary’s School Capital Fund, which will fund any significant facility improvements or equipment purchases. These expenditures are recommended by the school principal and approved by the Pastor and the Parish Finance Council.
- Give a restricted monetary gift to a specific area or department for an identified need. Such needs will be communicated through the school’s weekly newsletter, Think Pink, and the Church Bulletin.
- Provide a bequest (through a will, trust, IRA and/or other estate planning investment) that specifies St. Mary’s School as a beneficiary.
- Designate a gift to provide tuition assistance or to fund a scholarship for one of our students.
- Contribute through the donation of in-kind gifts (i.e. gifts of furniture, equipment and supplies that will save the school from spending money for these items). In-kind gifts should be discussed with the Principal beforehand to verify the need for the item(s) being considered.
- Support our Legacy Brick Wall. Your brick will be personalized with your message or remembrance of a loved one. All proceeds will go toward our greatest needs to upgrade, renovate or purchase new equipment and educational materials at our school. Our most recent brick campaign purchased interactive white boards for all classrooms. Your engraved brick can be ordered now with your name, the names of your family members, your graduating class, or to honor a favorite teacher, parish priest or loved one. Donation information: Size of brick: 4×8 $50 or 8×8 $100 Color: Red Brick Lettering: Capital Letters Wording: Each 4×8 brick has 3 lines of print; each 8×8 brick has six lines of print, 18 characters per line
PLEASE ORDER YOUR BRICK(S) ONLINE AT:
WWW.BRICKSRUS.COM/ORDER/STMARYS
No gift is too large or too small. Checks should be made payable to the order of St. Mary’s School with any specific intentions noted on the check or in accompanying correspondence. OR a secure online donation may be made at http://give2max.razoo.com/story/stmaryofthemills
Your gifts should be sent to the attention of Mrs. Makarsky, Director of Development. Mrs. Makarsky is always available to answer any questions that you may have and to help you determine how you might support the school’s mission in a meaningful way and help us fill the GAP.
With the aid of your prayers and your generosity, we will continue to provide excellence in Catholic education for our children here at St. Mary of the Mills.