St. Mary's Episcopal Day School

Campus

Located on eight acres, St. Mary's School was established in 1953 and rebuilt beginning in 2001. The school is housed in a two-story building consisting of 30 classrooms, a health room, two science labs, art room, music room, video production studio, computer lab, eight administrative offices, conference rooms, a faculty work area, and a media center containing more than 15,000 volumes.

The Laird Center was completed in the fall of 2014, and it contains a full court gymnasium with two full-size practice courts and athletic equipment facilities. The Laird Center also includes a multipurpose room, six classrooms, three offices, a food servery, an enrichment room, an After School Care area, a patio and balcony, and the school's Board Room.

St. Mary's Hall is our home for performing arts as well as an event center for our school and parish. Our South Tampa location affords many opportunities for enrichment trips to the Straz Performing Arts Center, the Tampa Museum of Art, the Florida Aquarium, historic Ybor City, and more.

Two playgrounds, a courtyard, an athletic field, an outdoor hardcourt, and St. Mary's Church, where we gather for chapel, complete the scope of our campus.

Enrollment

St. Mary's is a co-educational, independent school, serving Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade, with 450 students on campus. Most students live within the South Tampa area. However, students also come from Lutz, Odessa, Wesley Chapel, Brandon, and Riverview.

Accreditation

FCIS accreditation (Florida Council of Independent Schools) was renewed in 2018 for five years.

Additionally, St. Mary's School is accredited through 2023 by SAIS (Southern Association of Independent Schools).

Tuition and Fees

Tuition
Tuition for all grade levels for the 2020-2021 academic year is $15,700 and is payable in one, four, or ten installments.

Grade Level Fees
Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten fee: $225.
1st through 5th grade fee: $250.
This fee covers supplies, summer reading books, e-books, workbooks, activities, day field trips, yearbook, and technology expenses.

6th through 8th grade fee: $160.
This fee covers summer reading books, e-books, activities, day field trips, yearbook, and technology expenses.

Textbooks
Families of 3rd through 8th grade students purchase class textbooks, new or used, to keep at home.

Overnight Field Trip Fees
5th grade: $150
6th grade $560
7th grade: $1,200
8th grade: $1,710

Building and Equipment Fee
A Building and Equipment Fee in the amount of $10,000 is assessed to each St. Mary's family. This fee is assessed only once, regardless of the number of children attending St. Mary's. The fee is paid over five years ($2,000 per year), and may be billed on an annual or ten month basis at the option of the parent or guardian.

Parents' Association Dues
All St. Mary's parents are valued members of our Parents' Association. The PA organizes many of the activities and events for students, parents, and teachers, overseen by a volunteer Executive Committee and Board of Committee Chairmen. The annual Parents' Association dues are $100 per family.

Financial Aid
St. Mary's Episcopal Day School is committed to enrolling a qualified and diverse student body. Admission decisions are made without regard to financial status. Families who have reviewed their financial situation and feel they may need assistance in paying tuition should apply for aid by contacting the St. Mary's Business Office. Financial aid awards are available at any grade level to students who demonstrate need.

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 attend athletic events in the gym. Snacks and drinks are provided. Students are supervised by experienced adult staff assisted by teenage counselors, often St. Mary's graduates.

Academics

St. Mary's offers an accelerated 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, Technology, Library, Sacred Studies, and Physical Education. Latin is offered in the Middle School. Eighth graders receive instruction from the headmaster in public speaking. This transforms students into confident speakers and culminates with our annual presentation of the Speech Extravaganza.

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. Eighth grade musicals are eagerly anticipated. St. Mary's Hall provides a professional stage and venue for assemblies, presentations, and performances. Our Fine Arts faculty does an outstanding job providing arts enrichment to the children of St. Mary's.

Athletics

Competitive athletics are offered in 6th - 8th grades. All middle school students are invited to participate, and typically 95-100% 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, Boys' and Girls' Flag Football, and Boys' and Girls' Tennis. Intramural sports, which begin in 3rd grade, include many of the team sports named above, as well as golf. 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 Kahl. Parents are welcome to join their child for chapel. During monthly Eucharist services, the congregation enjoys music provided by Chorus, the Children's Choir, and our Praise Band.

Assembly

Assemblies are held in St. Mary's Hall on alternating Fridays at 2:15. Students participate in performances, presentations, and receive awards and recognition. Parents are invited to all assemblies.

Lunch and Snack

School lunches may be purchased through our catered lunch service or brought from home. Each student brings 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 camaraderie 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 Saints Portal, "Accelerated Reader" and "Understanding Math" programs as well as the Internet and e-mail. All faculty, staff, parents, and students have accounts in the Saints Portal and are able to communicate from any location with internet access. Morning announcements, produced and anchored entirely by students, are broadcast daily on the morning show "Saints @ 8." St. Mary's also creates online photo albums on Shutterfly so parents can enjoy and order candid pictures from campus life, special events, and field trips.

Each classroom is equipped with desktop computers, iPads, a ceiling mounted projector, a VCR, SMART Boards, and cable television. In addition, each teacher has a laptop computer connected to the projector and used as a teaching tool. There is one computer lab used for technology instruction, which is also available for teachers to work on whole class projects.

Summer Offerings

St. Mary's Summer Saints Camp, sports camps, art camp, cooking camp, academic camps, and more.

Alumni

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

Secondary School choices of recent 8th grade classes include:

Jesuit High School
Berkeley Preparatory School
Tampa Preparatory School
Academy of the Holy Names
H.B. Plant High School
Robinson High School International Baccalaureate Program
Hillsborough High School International Baccalaureate Program
Carrollwood Day School
Tampa Catholic High School

College choices of our recent graduating classes include:

Columbia	Florida State University
Harvard	The Citadel
Northwestern	The University of the South (Sewanee)
Princeton	University of Alabama
Cornell	UNC-Chapel Hill
Northeastern	University of Pennsylvania
Duke University	U.S. Air Force Academy
Vanderbilt	UNC Chapel Hill
University of Virginia	Georgia Tech
MIT	Emory University
Brown University	University of Michigan
Stanford University	Wake Forest University
Southern Methodist University	Washington & Lee
University of Florida	New York University

Memberships

National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS)
Florida Kindergarten Council (FKC)
Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS)
Bay Area Association of Independent Schools (BAAIS)
Elementary Schools Head's Association (ESHA)
National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES)
Educational Records Bureau (ERB)
Tuition Aid Data Services (TADS)