In the classrooms at St. Mark when the teachers ask us a question, our hands shoot up in the air like rockets. In church when Father Todd asks us a question about our faith and God, everybody’s hands are in the air wanting to answer the question. And in the gym when our coaches ask us questions about the game, our eyes light up and our hands go up because we all know the answer.
Students are given lots of after-school activities. Some of the sports are volleyball and kickball. They give us a chance to get all of our energy out and to laugh and have fun with our friends.
At Christmastime we get to play a part in the story of Jesus’ birth and proclaim the good news of God. Students in Grades 5-8 can be in band.
St. Mark offers a challenging education to everyone to improve their knowledge. The teachers help us a lot with our homework and school work. Almost every morning Mr. Albertson, the principal, comes into the classrooms and gives us a pep talk.
The classes can be incredibly easy and incredibly challenging at times. But the classes can help you get ready for the life to come.
The most important thing here at St. Mark is our faith and becoming stronger in it. There are a lot of role models for the students: our teachers, Father Todd, Deacon Tom and Mr. Albertson. They help us grow stronger in our faith by teaching us what Jesus did, by telling us what we can do to become a better Christian, and they encourage us to go to Mass every Sunday. We go to Mass twice a week when we are at school.
By Dante Herzog, fourth-grader
At St. Mark we get a great education. We also learn about God and Jesus. We hear Father Todd preaching about the good news of Jesus.
We learn from great teachers like Mrs. Merkel and Mrs. Farrell. They are awesome. They always help us when we need it. The students are excited when we do activities in math and other subjects. We learn about math, science, religion, social studies and language arts. We have Chromebooks that we can play educational games on. We love learning with friends and great teachers.
St. Mark provides many after-school activities like basketball, football, kickball and much more. We always have a great time playing with our friends. We always play as a team and encourage each other, and everybody works hard.
My school also has a Spell Bowl team that competes in spelling competitions. The coaches always are so nice and make sure you’re OK to play. Our Catholic Youth Organization sports are the best!
At St. Mark we go to church twice a week. On Tuesdays we do the rosary, and on Fridays we sing songs during church. We love hearing the good news of Jesus from Father Todd and Deacon Tom. They are the best you could ever ask for. They are so nice and caring. They’re always there when you need them.
By Emma Fegan, fifth-grader
I love our school because of the students and my friends. When I first came to St. Mark everyone was so nice and welcoming. One of the best things about St. Mark is that it’s a bully-proof school. If someone does get bullied, the principal or teacher will immediately solve the problem so it does not happen again.
Another reason why St. Mark is such a great school is because of our teachers and principal. If a student needs extra help, sometimes the teachers provide tutoring after school. Our principal, Mr. Albertson, gives every student a high five when they come into school.
We also have a bunch of fun activities like the spring musical, the Christmas play and Catholic Schools Week. The musical is done by the sixth- through eighth-graders and our music teacher, Mrs. Bruner. The Christmas play is done by the second- through fifth-graders and Mrs. Bruner. Catholic schools Week is when we have dress-up days every day.
St. Mark has a lot of sports, and I play kickball, volleyball and basketball. Our school is known for its good sportsmanship and awesome coaches. Our older girls basketball team won the CYO city championship last year.
The best reason why St. Mark is such a great school to go to is because of our faith. We go to church regularly.
By Edison Larkin, fifth-grader
St. Mark is extraordinary. Catholic schools have always been good to me because we are allowed to learn about our faith and pray.
One reason I like Catholic schools is because the staff and teachers are always nice to everyone even if you have differences. The teachers really challenge us to make us better. If you’re not doing your best, the teachers know you can do better so you will get some extra help so you can do better.
Something that makes our school amazing is our principal, Mr. Albertson. He comes to everyone’s classroom every day. I love Catholic schools because he and the teachers care enough to stop bullying at our school.
One big part of St. Mark is our faith. Catholic schools let us pray. Another big part of St. Mark is our priest and deacon. Deacon Tom talks to us about the sacraments. Another reason I love Catholic schools is that we get to go to church twice a week, sometimes three times a week. We always listen to Father Todd’s or Deacon Tom’s amazing homilies. We sometimes get to be part of Mass when we bring up the gifts or have a reading.
Extracurricular activities like basketball, football, wrestling, volleyball, kickball and band are another reason why St. Mark is great. I love Catholic Youth Organization sports because you can pretty much always play with everybody in your class. I think friends are a big part of St. Mark because if you’re having a bad day, they will always cheer you up. When you’re not playing as well as your other teammates in gym they will support you.