Junior High (Grades 6-8)
Nurturing a deep understanding of the Catholic faith while fostering spiritual growth, moral values, and a lifelong love for God.
St. Mary School promotes the spiritual, social, emotional, and intellectual growth of its young scholars through age-appropriate development experiences and play-based activities, while helping students transition from home to school.
Faith Formation & Sacrament Preparation
As St. Mary School students transition to the Upper Hall, STEM learning evolves into a continuous design-thinking cycle to help them learn by engaging in activities to connect learning to real-world scenarios. From working as "community scientists" to map the migration of Monarch butterflies to using Tinker CAD software and 3D printers in the Makerspace to design spinning tops, Junior High students thrive through inquiry-based learning strategies to build intellectual autonomy, critical thinking and active learning skills to exceedingly prepare them academically, spritually, and socially for high school and beyond.
Our curriculum is based on the Graded Course of Studies Curriculum Guides set forth by the Office of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Cleveland. St. Mary School is state certified, and faculty members are credentialed by the State of Ohio. Courses for all grades include Religion, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, Technology, Spanish, and Physical Education. Our Algebra I and Honors English Courses for Grade 8 are both taught by high school certified teachers, which gives high schools the option to accept high school credit for these courses.
To Learn More
To learn more and schedule a tour with our admissions team, please complete the Admssions Inquiry Form or contact Mrs. Kimberly O'Keeffe at [email protected] or 440-286-3590 x170.
Highlights of St. Mary School’s Junior High curriculum:
Daily Religious instruction that includes leadership opportunities and service to the community
Weekly School Masses, where students lead the Mass
Grade 8 incorporates details about the Sacrament of Confirmation
Highly qualified teachers with a diverse range of experiences
Core subjects are taught by designated teachers with expertise in each particular subject
Small class sizes to provide individualized instruction
One-to-One technology with Chromebooks
Students experience animal dissection as part of the Science Curriculum.
Grade 8 math options include Algebra I or Pre-Algebra.
Band program available for those who are interested
Strong fine arts program including Art and Music classes complete with a musical production involving all junior high students
Strong literature-based reading program supplemented with the Voyages in Grammar program to develop strong reading and writing skills
STEM- based instruction including Problem-Based Learning with instruction in our Makerspace to promote critical and creative thinking through hands-on activities
Math program emphasizes problem solving and computation skills as well as critical and creative thinking
Spanish language taught weekly and developed consistently through Grade 8
Our Integrated Design class allows students from different grade levels to engage in Problem-Based Learning challenges.
MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) standardized testing program in Grade K-8
ACRE (Assessment of Children/Youth Religious Education) test in Grades 5 and 8
Our Pass It On tradition passes the school leadership from the 8th grade to the 7th in the spring.
Leadership Opportunities through NJHS, Student Council, Ambassadors, & Beacon of Light.
