Events
Mission:
Mission of St. Mary Catholic Schools: Preparing and Inspiring students to lead meaningful lives, rooted in the teachings of Christ in our Catholic traditon.
Vision of St. Mary Catholic Schools: To be celebrated as the school system where students discover and develop their God-given talents and experience success through learning, faith, and service.
Overview:
St. Margaret Mary Campus is the largest of three catholic elementary schools in the Neenah/Menasha area of the Fox Cities. Our school system also includes St. Mary Catholic High School and St. Mary Catholic Middle School. We have 210 students enrolled for the 2020-2021 school year with 25 staff members. We provide a faith and service based education which also includes visual arts, vocal music, technology and physical education for K-5 as well as instrumental band for 4th and 5th graders. We offer a part time Kindergarten option and have a wing dedicated to early childhood and after school extended care. St. Margaret Mary has a robust after school enrichment program offering sports, arts, and STEM programming to students within our system. We are excited to be a Project Lead The Way Launch school! Our school received a playground equipment and surface make over in 2015-2016.
The Story:
Stewardship is important to the identity within our Catholic school. We have received several grants to improve the health and wellness of our students from SCA Tissue and Quarry Quest grants that have focused on recycling, environmental education field experiences, and a gardening initiative. We have sponsored an aluminum can drive, and installed a safer poured playground surface made of recycled materials. Our students have contributed to the landscape of our school by planting fall tulips and daffodils as well as plant a butterfly and pollinator garden. We have supplied our 3 compost bins with cafeteria and classroom waste. Eco-friendly cleaning products are used throughout our building and we have updated sinks and faucets in 4 of our bathrooms. We have installed 2 water bottle filling stations. The bathrooms also have motion sensors on the toilets and light fixtures. New LED lighting has been installed in all classrooms and hallways as well as energy efficient ballasts in the gym, cafeteria and library. Low VOC paints and flooring have been used throughout the building when repairs and updates are scheduled. We have addressed the removal and treatment of surfaces containing asbestos tiles or tape. Teachers and students have upgraded to more energy efficient laptops, desktops and tablets. We installed energy efficient cooling systems on the second floor to reduce the overall temperature of the building during warm fall and spring days. New energy efficient windows are being installed on the south side of the building to reduce solar glare and heat loss during the winter.
Educational Programming:
Students at St. Margaret Mary all participate in outdoor fieldtrips to local nature centers; Ledgeview, Heckrodt Wetland Preserve, Mosquito Hill, High Cliff State Park, 1,000 Islands Nature Center and Bubolz Nature Center. Our younger students also visit local farms to learn about the life cycles of animals, apples and pumpkins. Our fourth graders have paticipated in a program to learn about Christmas tree farms in Wisconsin as part of our study of Wisconsin's natural resources and renewable energy source, later in April they participate in the City of Neenah's tree planting ceremony for Arbor Day. Students have also visited the Paine Arboretum to participate in educational programming about the types of trees growing there and how important trees are in Wisconsin's lumber industry. First graders were invited to Miron Construction as part of an Earth Day sustainability celebration. Students participate in Walk or Bike to school days and have participated in 3 different bike safety presentations. The first program featured bmx trick riders, we had a tandem bike team share their cross country rides, and we've held annual bike safety rodeo clinics on campus. Fifth graders participated in a Loop the Little Lake Bicycle Tour through Neenah and Menasha.
Outdoor Classroom Features:
Our school site features manicured lawns with mature trees and floral garden beds that are used for plant identification and backyard habit study. We have 3 outdoor compost bins that were purchased as part of a recycling and composting grant program. Indoor vermiculture bins and presentations by a local organic farmer have introduced students to "black gold" and the importance of worm castings in healthy soil. We are fortunate enough to have access to our high school and middle school's school forest, Jane's Woods just a short bus ride across town. Our students enjoy our outdoor learning tables and benches as well as the addition of a butterfly and pollinator garden.
Sustainability Initiatives:
Our school has participated in Terracycle's upcycling brigade collections as a way to reduce our trash collection fees and earn money towards our updated school playground. We've collected juice pouches, chip bags, granola bar wrappers, yogurt containers and more! Our fourth graders visited the Tri-county recycling center to learn more about how products are collected and processed before becoming new products, our students were featured in a local news segment as part of their timely visit. Students have learned about energy conservation as part of UW- Steven's Point's KEEP education curriculum and lighting education materials. We-energies provides student resource booklets on electricity and natural gas safety, wired world, and renewable energy resources. Our school system participates in the Farm to School program and has expanded our students lunchroom choices by offering fresh fruits and vegetables in a salad bar station. Daily menu choices are provided to support My Plate educational lessons in the classroom. Students recycle their empty milk cartons now that our local waste management offers carton recycling as part of an expanded facility.
Community Connections:
St. Margaret Mary has connected with other schools through the Green and Healthy Schools Network and Innovative Schools Network. We have been able to send staff to visit KTEC school in Kenosha which is a leader in our states' environmental and technology science education. Sharing our school's mission and jnitiatives through eeinwisconsin.org has provided us an opportunity to assess what we've already accomplished on our way to becoming a Sapling school. Teachers in our school have attended the National Science Teacher Association's Regional conference to learn more about how to expand our STEM and environmental education offerings. We have a close relationship with our middle school and high school staff and Earth Club.
Professional Development:
As a graduate of Stevens Point with a minor in environmental education Mrs. KarieAnn Zeinert has participated in Project WET Project WILD and Project Learning Tree curriculum offerings and KEEP renewable energy curriculum. She also attended local workshops about recycling and waste management in addition to UW- Madison's Science Expeditions where she learned more about Sea Grant's aquaponics program. We have a partnership with a Master Gardner through our parish. Mrs. Heather Gruber shares the lifecycle of butterflies with her kindergarten students and Ms. Trisha Hoffman shared the unique features of crayfish with her 3rd grade students. Mrs. Miranda Nikolai teaches animal adaptations through our Project Lead the Way biomedical module.
Awards/Recognitions:
Quarry Quest Aquaponics Grant 2013
Quarry Quest Recycling Grant 2013
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Type of SchoolPrivate/Independent SchoolHours of Operation
7:30- 3:30
AddressSt. Margaret Mary
610 Division St.
Neenah, WI United States 54956 Directions
Show Details
Hwy 41 to exit HWY 114. Winneconne Ave. Exit.
Turn Right on S. Commercial St.
Turn Left onto Division St.
Phone
(920) 729-4565
ext 120
Websitesmcatholicschools.org
Contacts
Special DesignationsShow Details- Green & Healthy Schools
- Green Schools Network
Age/Grade Level Served
Show Details
- Pre-K
- Kindergarten
- 1st Grade
- 2nd Grade
- 3rd Grade
- 4th Grade
- 5th Grade
Educational Programming
Show Details
- After School Programs
- Committee to Support School-wide Efforts
- Field Trips
- Outreach Programs / Guest Speakers
- Professional Learning Opportunities
- Service Learning Projects
Outdoor Classroom Features
Show Details
- Compost Bin or Area
- Garden - Butterfly / Pollinator
- Trees, Forest or Arboretum
Sustainability Initiatives
Show Details
- Energy Conservation
- Food Systems / Farm-to-School
- Recycling Program
- Water Conservation
| Posted |
11/7/2013 2:57 PM |
| Updated |
5/17/2020 |
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