·   Academic Achievement/AP Courses

This year, St. Mary’s teams placed 1^st and 2^nd in the Future City Regional Engineering Competition.

Won 1^st and 2^nd place honors at the St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute 7^th grade math competition. 

Three 8th graders were awarded the WNYFLEC Star Award for Outstanding Achievement in Spanish

Math 9 and Spanish Proficiency 9 are offered.

·   Athletic programs

More than 80 percent of the student population participates in our sports program. The philosophy of St. Mary’s Athletic Program is that every student be afforded the opportunity to participate and develop his/her skills through various sports on the inter-scholastic level within a positive Christian environment.  The focus is on instruction, participation, teamwork, sportsmanship and fair play.  St. Mary’s offers the following:

Swimming - Grades K-8

Baseball - Boys Grades 6, 7, 8

Basketball - Boys and Girls Grades 3-8

Bowling - Intramural Grades K-8

Track - Grades K-8

Soccer - Grades 1 -8

Softball - Girls Grades 5-8

·   Before/after school programs & summer programs

                After school YWCA Program: where children enjoy sports & games, healthy snacks, arts                                               & crafts, help with homework and also work on monthly community service projects.                                   

·   Catholic Identity/Faith Formation programs

St. Mary's provides a Catholic atmosphere of concerned and supportive involvement. Students use their God-given talents in order to reach their full potential academically, socially and spritually. Then, they can joyfully and enthusiastically contribute to the growth of their community and continue to broaden their faith.

Our Values Make Us Unique As We Educate the Whole Child, Giving Our Students Skills for Life:

Christ Centered - We grow in our Catholic beliefs and carry them forward in our thoughts, words and deeds.

Family-Focused - We partner with parents to achieve our objectives and create a family atmosphere.

Knowledge Shared - We challenge students to reach their full potential in knowledge, to test their limits and to maximize their talents.

Service Called - We foster an awareness and acceptance of others and share ourselves and our gifts with those in need.

Tradition Cherished - We celebrate our strong past as the foundation of our vision for tomorrow.

                The Way of the Cross : A re-enactment of the Stations of the Cross by the 5^th grade students on the       school stage.  During the play, each Station of the Cross is presented with a special reflection for           the parish. After we pray the stations, everyone is invited to play!  The main events are an ice               cream social and cake walk, which are the students’ way of fundraising for Catholic Charities.               What is a cake walk you ask?  The students play a version of musical chairs and the person                 seated in the “lucky” seat wins a cake to bring home.  The creatively decorated cakes are                 provided by parent volunteers.

                May Crowning: This Catholic tradition continues at St. Mary’s Parish.  All families are welcome    to submit their name to be selected to crown the statue of Mary located in the special garden outside the Church.  This is a Parish event.

                Blessing of the Pets : Since the Sisters of Saint Francis have been involved with the school, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi is recognized with a special tradition.  School families and             parishioners have the opportunity to bring their family pets for a blessing on the front lawn               of school. 

·         Class sizes or teacher/student ratio

·   Extra-curricular activities

Art Club; Chorus; Fiddle Club; 1^st Grade Book Club; 7^th Grade Science Club; Gardening Club; Photography Club; Daisy Scouts, Brownies and Girl Scouts; Cub Scouts,  Boy Scouts, Math Tutoring, Homework Club, Instrument Instruction and School Band, Diocesan Honor Band,

·   Faculty credentials and honors

·   Faculty retention rate

·   Financial aid

                        We strive to keep the cost of education affordable for all our families. The Roman                                           Catholic Diocese of Buffalo is committed to helping schools provide a Catholic                                                    Education in Western New York and to assisting families who choose Catholic                                                              Education for their children.

                        ·  Catholic Elementary School Tuition Aid Program (CTAP) is a program that                                                   provides needs-based tuition aid for Catholic and non-Catholic families. The                                                       school does not determine eligibility, and financial information is kept                                                                     confidential as it is organized through the Foundation of the Roman Catholic                                                     Diocese of Buffalo. Any parent or guardian with a kindergarten to eighth grade                                                              student who is registered at a regional or parish affiliated Catholic elementary                                                               school within the Diocese of Buffalo is eligible to apply for CTAP. Families must                                                            demonstrate need for aid according to an Income Eligibility Scale to qualify for                                                   consideration. Families must also commit to paying a minimum of $500 in tuition                           `               for their children. The deadline for CTAP applications is during the spring, prior                                          to the beginning of the new school year. Applications may be obtained from the                                                      school or you may contact the Foundation directly. For more information regarding this                                        program, you may call 1.800.440.0549

                                ·  The Diocese of Buffalo's Tuition Grant Program (CTGP) is for parish schools only, not                                   for regional schools. CTGP is offered to families who are deemed "active" parishioners                                         of a parish without a school and who wish to enroll their children in another parish                                     affiliated Catholic school within the Diocese of Buffalo.

                                Again, this grant program is offered to parish schools only. A Parishioner Verification                                     Form must be completed and signed by both the family and their parish pastor. If                                            approved, a tuition grant of $1000 per child is credited to the parish school for the non-                                          parishioner family. The family will then pay the parishioner tuition rate at the school.

For more information regarding this program, please visit

http://wnycatholicschools.org/

Please click on Tuition Aid Options.

                        In addition to the above, St. Mary’s School has limited opportunities for                                                        financial assistance. Please call our principal, Sister Sheila Anne Burke, directly                                                    at 689-8424 if you feel that your family would benefit from such assistance.

·   High school first choice acceptance rates

100% of our eighth graders are accepted into the high school of their choice – including the top high schools in Western New York such as Nardin, St. Joe’s, Canisius High School, Buffalo Seminary and Sacred Heart Academy. 

·   Masses

Masses are celebrated regularly for grades one through eight and for the entire student body on First Friday, holy days and for special events.  Students participate in the choir, as lectors and gift-bearers. In the classroom, students learn about Catholic doctrine and tradition, social justice

Preparation for the reception of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist

                Mass of Hope: This all-school Mass is a special occasion for the 8^th graders and their parents.       The graduating class brings up the gifts, passes the offertory baskets, and does the readings.               There is a brief social in the cafeteria after Mass for 8^th graders and their parents.  Seventh                graders and their parents plan and serve a continental breakfast.

                All Saints Day: A special celebration is held during the 9 a.m. Mass on All Saints Day.  Prior to the               celebration, each 3^rd grade student chooses a saint about whom they are interested in learning         more.  At the Mass, each student is dressed to reflect the saint they have chosen.  They also              speak about one highlight of the saint’s life.

·   Retreats

                                Pioneer Camp Retreat: An overnight team building retreat held in Angola, New York for                                               the 7^th and 8^th graders.  Parent chaperones are asked to attend along with the 7^th and 8^th                               grade teachers.   There is a nominal fee for the retreat and students work on self esteem                         and trust in themselves and others.

                                8^th Grade Retreat: Students are given the opportunity to make a group retreat both in                                  fall and springtime of the year.  Time is spent at St. Mary of the Angels to reflect on how                                     they have grown individually and as a class.  They also look to the future as each student                                 now will enter on a new path into high school. 

·   Scholarship amounts received

St. Mary’s graduates earned more than $93,000 in scholarship money in 2010. 

·   Service/Community Outreach programs

                                Christmas Family: In early December, each grade adopts a needy family for Christmas.                                                  The students and parents purchase gifts to ensure a “Merry Christmas” morning for this                                               adopted family.

                In addition to collecting gifts for needy families, our students regularly participate in       many community service projects each year locally and throughout the world, such as       collecting  thousands of t-shirts for the missions in Nicaragua, making food pantry           donations, supporting Catholic Charities, Pennies for Patients, Project Haiti, Water for                 Africa, Project India and more.  

                Our many scout troops also participate in meaningful service projects such as collecting                 much needed items for Gilda’s House, The Ronald McDonald House, and the pediatric               floor at Roswell Park Cancer