St Mark Blog

Parents,

As we get ready to head home and enjoy a joyous Christmas season, I would like to thank you for a great
first half of the school year. We have gone through many changes including welcoming over 50 new
families to our school. With our physical growth we also have grown in our faith. Our service projects,
our reaching out to those in need, our being kind to one another each day, are all a testament to God’s
presence in our school.

Our Roadmap to Success capital campaign is in full swing and we are getting closer to our goal of putting
a new HVAC system in our school. But we won’t stop there. We will continue to improve our learning
environment at school so students and staff have the best opportunity to grow in their faith, academics,
leadership and service. We will continue to plan to update and transform our infrastructure of our school
so that the future legacy of St. Mark Catholic School is secured.

We will not stay status quo. I have always subscribed to the theory that you don’t “stay the same” you
either get better or you get worse, and we will only get better. With your help our vision of the future will
be focused on what is best for our students. We will determine what technology, what classroom
environment, what school calendar, what lunch menu, what daily schedule, what additional class
offerings, what new facilities are all in the best interest of our students, and then we will work together to
provide the best education possible for our children.

Our niche is our size. We embrace our one class per grade size. We won’t ever be the biggest school, but
we will continue to strive to be the best school. Our niche is our diversity. We will continue to welcome
children of all religious, ethnic, racial, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. We pride ourselves in
providing a daily environment that promotes Christ’s teachings in everything we do. Our niche is our
parent involvement. We have parents that take an active role in their child’s education. Our niche is our
staff. Simply put, we have a tremendous staff. A staff that loves your children, cares about your children,
and goes the extra mile for your children.

So as we prepare to make some great holiday memories, let us recommit ourselves to our children. Let’s
recommit ourselves to taking our children to Mass EVERY weekend and not just at Christmas and Easter
or when it is convenient. As parents and educators, let’s be shining examples of God’s light to our
children. When you bring children into this world, you take on many responsibilities, but the greatest is to
help them grow in faith. I don’t say this enough, but we have tremendous parents at SMCS. You are the
primary educator of your children. Thank you for all you do! We will see you at Mass…….every
weekend!

Have a joyous Christmas and a blessed New Year,
Rusty Albertson
Principal
St. Mark Catholic School