St Mark's Catholic Grade School

ST. MARK'S CATHOLIC GRADE SCHOOL 2 S t. Mark's School is blessed with many outstanding families, such as the Tomlins. With their six children, Greg and Margaret continue the tradition of large families at St. Mark's. Recent graduates and twins, Fiona and Edward, are freshmen at Peoria Notre Dame High School; Ellen is in seventh grade; Catherine is in first grade; and twins Tommy and Paul are in preschool, giving the Tomlins experience with St. Mark's at all levels. And it is an experience they are thrilled with! When the Tomlins moved to the West Bluff in 2000, they wanted to find a family oriented parish/school community to join. "We heard tremendous things about the quality of the academic and religious instruction at SMS," said Margaret. One reason for this excellence and family environment is the small class size at St. Mark's. "Our children have really benefited from the individual attention," said Margaret. "When we meet with SMS teachers, they are always incredibly accurate about the specific strengths and needs for each of our children. e teachers and staff really care about each child." e smaller school size also allows students to participate in numerous extracurricular activities. Fiona, Edward, and Ellen have all been involved in many extracurriculars, including soccer, basketball, Lego League, and Scholastic Bowl. Ellen plays the French horn in band and, as part of the choir, has been a soloist at the weekly Mass. Both she and Fiona have been in the St. Mark's spring musicals, including last year's Seussical. Family is a word that comes up again and again when people talk about St. Mark's. "Being involved in the school is a great way to meet the teachers, parents, and students, which leads to the family environment," said Margaret. She has contributed her skills as a graphic designer to many school projects, while Greg has served as the president of the school's Education Commission. "St. Mark's community has always been very supportive, providing meals in times of need and carpools on those crazy nights when there are several activities going on at once." "We feel very blessed to have found St. Mark's and to be a part of the St. Mark's family," said Margaret. "e priests, teachers, and administration headed by Dr. Noreen Dillon are top-notch. Monsignor Brownsey and religion teacher Terry Mischler have both been great influences on our family. We believe a Catholic education helps with both spiritual and character development, which will aid our children later in their lives. SMS is an ideal place for learning and feeling like an important part of a larger community. Also, your children will know their prayers better than you!" e Tomlins Family: Once a Marksman! Excellence of St. Mark's from Pre-K to Junior High STAYING CONNECTED TO OUR MARKSMEN St. Mark's School Launches Communications Program U pon graduating from St. Mark's, or watching our family members graduate, we all embark on the next stage of our journey with high hopes of keeping our connection to the school and our friendships intact. Of course, we quickly find that careers, families, and civic activities can create valid diversions. e day-to-day activities of life take over and, before long, we fall out of touch and begin to wonder what happened to our classmates and whether St. Mark's is still the same school we remember. Without a solid communications program in place, our alumni and friends lack the means for staying connected to St. Mark's. With this in mind, our annual communications program is designed to help our alumni and friends stay in touch and cultivate awareness and involvement in St. Mark's. ere are several elements key to the program's success. We will mail two newsletters each year containing reports on the school, alumni and family news, information on upcoming events, and much more. We will also send out an annual appeal to help support the Catholic education we each found so valuable at St. Mark's. e newsletters will contain a list of all those who have contributed to the school's annual fund. We hope that through this communications program your connection to St. Mark's is strengthened and your appreciation of the value of Catholic education is deepened.

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