About the School

Our Mission: To provide a well-balanced and challenging curriculum delivered by talented and enthusiastic teachers in a caring, Christian community.

St. Mary's Episcopal Day School in Tampa, Florida is an independent, coeducational parish day school, providing a Christian environment for the intellectual and personal growth of students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. view map

Campus: Located on eight acres, the school, established in 1953 and rebuilt in 2001, is housed in a 2-story building consisting of 30 classrooms, 7 administrative offices, a conference room, teacher work area and lounge, a health room, 2 science labs, art room, music room, video production studio, 2 computer labs, a media center containing over 15,000 volumes and a full court gymnasium. A multipurpose court, two playgrounds, a soccer field, and St. Mary's Church where we gather for chapel and honors assemblies, complete the scope of our parish campus. (view campus photos) A new Activities Center, St. Mary's Hall, has been constructed to replace the old Parish Hall. Our Tampa location affords many opportunities for enrichment trips to the Performing Arts Center, the Tampa Museum of Fine Arts, and the Florida Aquarium, to name just a few.

Enrollment: St. Mary's is a co-ed school, Pre-K through 8th, with 440 students on campus. Most students live within a five mile radius. However, students also come from Lutz, Odessa, Valrico, and Riverview.

Accreditation: FCIS accreditation was renewed in 2008 for five years. St. Mary's maintains NAEYC and FKC accreditations.

Tuition: 2008-2009:  $10,375. Financial Aid is available. 

School Day: The school day is from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Supervision for early arrivals begins at 7:30 a.m. After School Care is available from 3:00-6:00 p.m. on a drop-in basis. Children may do their homework, play outside or in the gym. Snacks and drinks are provided. Students are supervised by experienced adult staff assisted by teenage counselors, often St. Mary’s graduates.

School Calendar: view calendar

Academics: St. Mary’s offers a rigorous curriculum, designed to challenge students academically. We strive to prepare students to succeed in school and in life by instilling a love of learning and a sense of personal accomplishment. 

Enrichment: All students receive instruction in Art, Music, Spanish, Computer Library, Religion, and Physical Education. Latin is offered in the Upper School. Eighth Graders receive instruction from the headmaster in public speaking. This transforms students into confident speakers and culminates with "Speech Night".

Arts: St. Mary’s is proud of its visual and performing arts departments. Artwork by St. Mary’s students graces the office and common areas. Musical productions staged by children of various grade levels enrich our community. 8th grade musicals are eagerly anticipated. St. Mary's Hall provides a professional stage and venue for assemblies, presentations, and performances. Individually and working together, the teachers providing arts enrichment for the children of St. Mary’s do an outstanding job.

Athletics: Competitive athletics are offered in 6th - 8th grades. All Middle School students are invited to participate, and typically, 95-98% of Middle School students are involved in St. Mary’s organized competitive sports. Students may participate in Boys' Soccer, Girls' Soccer, Girls' Volleyball, Girls' and Boys' Cross Country, Boys' and Girls' Basketball, Girls' and Boys' Track and Field, Girls' Softball, Boys' Baseball, Cheerleading, and Boys' and Girls' Tennis. More information about Athletics can be found on the Activities page.

Parents' Association: St. Mary’s enjoys a close-knit family community. The partnership between our dedicated parents and the school is strong and positive. From coordinating outreach ministries and  supporting the faculty, to organizing large and small fundraising events, St. Mary’s Parents' Association plays a vital role in campus life. 

Chapel: The school community gathers on Monday and Wednesday mornings for chapel services with Father Kezar. Parents are welcome to join their child for chapel. During Eucharist, the congregation enjoys music provided by Chorus and the Children's Choir directed by Lori Jungers.

Assembly: Assemblies are held in St. Mary's Hall on the first and third Friday of every month at 2:15. Students receive awards and give short presentations. Parents are invited to all assemblies.

Lunch and Snack: School lunches may be purchased on a month by month basis or brought from home. Each student packs a daily snack for the morning break.

Off Campus Enrichment: Every grade level participates in a variety of field trips. As students mature, the outings emphasize team building and exploration related to the academic curriculum. These trips to Dayspring, Sea Camp in Big Pine Key, and Washington, D. C., to name a few, encourage class comradery and personal development. More information can be found on the Activities page.

Technology:  Over 250 computers and a campus-wide network connect all classrooms and administrative offices. This allows universal access to the "Accelerated Reader" and "Understanding Math" programs as well as the Internet and e-mail. St. Mary's uses an Intranet e-mail package called First Class. All faculty, staff, parents, and students have accounts and are able to communicate from any location with internet access. Morning announcements, produced and anchored entirely by students, are broadcast daily from St. Mary's Video Production Studio. St. Mary’s also creates online photo albums so parents can enjoy and order candid pictures from campus life, special events, and field trips.

Each classroom is equipped with at least 4 computers, a ceiling mounted projector, a VCR, SMART Boards, and cable television. In addition, each teacher is issued a laptop computer connected to the projector which can be used as a teaching tool. There are two computer labs used for technology instruction and these are also available for any teacher to work on whole class projects.  

Faculty:
(view faculty and staff photo)

·  48 Faculty - 19 with advanced degrees
·  8 Administrators
·  4 Administrative Staff
·  2 Maintenance/Housekeeping

Summer Offerings: St. Mary's Summer Kids'  Camp, Vacation Bible School 

Alumni:
There is an active Alumni Association for our 1,000+  graduates. St. Mary's graduates attend various secondary schools and colleges, among them are:

Secondary School choices of recent 8^th grade classes include:

• Berkeley Prep

• Tampa Prep

• H.B. Plant High School

• Academy of the Holy Names

• Jesuit High School

• Tampa Catholic High School

• Blake Magnet School

• International Baccalaureate Magnet Program

College choices of recent graduating classes include:

• Wake Forest University

• Duke University

• University of Virginia

• Auburn University

• Stanford University

• Southern Methodist University

• University of Florida

• Florida State University

• The Citadel

• The University of the South (Sewanee)

• University of Alabama

• UNC-Chapel Hill

• University of Pennsylvania

• Georgia Tech

• Emory University

• University of Michigan

Memberships:

• National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)

• Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS)

• Florida Kindergarten Council (FKC)

• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

• Bay Area Association of Independent Schools (BAAIS)

• Elementary Schools Head's Association (ESHA)

• National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES)

• Educational Records Bureau (ERB)

• School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS)

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