Boarding Schools  St. Mary’s School

St. Mary’s School www.smschool.us

St. Mary’s School provides a community in which intellectual curiosity and academic excellence combine with Catholic and democratic values to inspire and prepare responsible local, national, and global citizens. St. Mary’s School has provided its students a high quality, college-preparatory experience in the best traditions of Catholic education, morality, and social service since 1865.

Our faculty strives to meet the needs and interests of our students, getting to know them as individuals, and engaging them as partners in a meaningful curriculum. Our students “walk the walk” by contributing many thousands of hours of service to the greater community each year. St. Mary’s also offers a full range of extra-curricular programs and athletics. We are proud of our school and the students it produces. St. Mary’s graduates excel academically, are well-rounded, and have gained knowledge in an environment that encourages spiritual growth and reflection.

In 1998 St. Mary’s began its first capital expansion in 31 years with a multi-phase building campaign. Since then, St. Mary’s completed an expanded parking facility, an all-weather eight-lane track, upgraded athletic fields, and a library/media and science center with three science labs and seven additional classrooms. In 2012, a new Fine Arts & Athletic Center and St. Mary’s Chapel were added to our campus.

 Academics

The Upper School (Grades 9-12) offers a challenging college-preparatory program. In our Portrait of a Graduate, we commit to graduating students “who can use critical thinking and knowledge to navigate with confidence in diverse settings and show compassion to others along the way.” The Upper School provides students the opportunity to focus on specific areas, such as science or foreign language, while gaining the broad skills and knowledge they will need in college and beyond. Our College Counseling staff provides valuable support to students and families, both with finding the right match and understanding the financial aspects of college.

 Special Highlights

Confucius Classroom. Confucius Classrooms and Institutes are an initiative of the Chinese Ministry of Education to promote Chinese language instruction and cultural studies in high schools and colleges around the world. St. Mary’s School was the first Confucius Classroom established in North or South America. As a Confucius Classroom, students and community members have unprecedented access to Chinese language studies, travel to China, and friendship-building opportunities with Chinese students, teachers, and professors.

Outdoor Program. All St. Mary’s students are invited to join the Outdoor Program, a club that seeks to provide students, faculty, and family members with monthly opportunities to explore, learn about, and appreciate the outdoor environment of Southern Oregon and the wider Pacific Northwest.

 Top colleges attended by students

University of Oregon, University of Portland, Oregon State University, Lewis & Clark College, Scripps College, Smith College, Brown University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Yale

 What the school looks for in students…

“St. Mary’s looks for students that are excited to learn, dedicated to academic work, and are looking forward to new opportunities and learning and sharing new experiences.”