St. Mary School - Official

08/24/2026

We are so grateful to have Officer Thomas at our school! ☘️

Please join us in welcoming Officer Dan Thomas to a brand new role with the Lancaster Police Department!

This school year, Officer Thomas will serve as the School Resource Officer at St. Mary Elementary School. This marks the first time the Lancaster Police Department has had a dedicated School Resource Officer.

School Resource Officers do much more than provide a law enforcement presence. They help keep students and staff safe, build positive relationships with young people, serve as a resource for school staff and families, and give students the opportunity to get to know an officer in a positive and approachable setting.

Officer Thomas brings 16 years of experience with the Lancaster Police Department to this new assignment, and we are excited to see him take on this role.

We know Officer Thomas will quickly become a familiar face around St. Mary Elementary, and we wish him, the students, and staff a safe and great school year!

08/21/2026

What better way to start the school year than by getting to know our classmates? Our students had fun participating in a “Find Someone Who” activity, moving around the room and asking questions to discover new things they have in common with one another.

This fun icebreaker helped our students build friendships and strengthen our classroom community❤️

As a Catholic school, we are grateful for every opportunity to remind our students that we are called to know, love, and support one another. What a wonderful way to begin another school year together!

08/21/2026

Irish Athletics are already making their mark! We’re celebrating great successes for both our football and volleyball teams as they kicked off an exciting new season. Way to go, Irish!

Next week, it’s time to hit the trails!

📣 You’re invited to our cross country meet, which will be held for the first time ever at the Emerald Campus!
📅 Tuesday, August 25
⏰ 5:00 PM
📍 Emerald Campus (former Saint Mark Church)

Come out and cheer on our Irish runners as they compete in this exciting inaugural meet! Bring your Irish spirit, and invite your family and friends! ☘️

08/18/2026

We have had an incredible first day back to school!

As we continue through this year, we invite you to join us in prayer: "Most blessed Trinity, thank you for the gift of our families. Thank you for the gift of love, of life, and of community. Lord, we trust you with everything in our lives and our most precious gift: children and family.

As we enter into this school year, we pray for our children as they prepare for another year of learning. We pray that in all that they do they will be guided by you and by your Holy Church. We pray for our schools, for school staff, and for all who work behind the scenes to bring everything together for another year of school.

We pray for decision makers within our communities, that they will always keep in mind the welfare of families and of children.

Lord, you love families more than we can imagine. You wish for our children to be blessed, protected, educated, and cared for. We pray that through the intercession of your Mother Mary that this upcoming school year is fruitful, productive, and most of all blessed by you and your teachings.

We ask this in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

08/18/2026

Our Junior High Football team has been working hard all summer, putting in the time, effort, and dedication to prepare for another great season! We are so proud of their commitment and can’t wait to see them take the field. 💪🏈

Now it’s time for our Irish fans to show their support! 📣☘️ Come out, cheer loud, and help us make this another memorable football season for our team!

📅 This season’s game schedule and roster are attached!

We hope to see our school families and community members in the stands supporting our Junior High Irish! Let’s go, Irish! ☘️🏈💚

08/14/2026

08/14/2026

On Monday, August 17, every administrator and teacher in the Diocese of Columbus will come together at St. Charles Preparatory School for a day of retreat. The theme of our day is Educating for Eucharistic Amazement.

Bishop Thomas Daly from the Diocese of Spokane will speak about the importance of educators in Catholic school forming our own hearts to instill that formation in our students.

Sister Mary Michael Fox, O.P., will draw from the insights of theologians Saint Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Sofia Cavalletti and will focus on the methods of signs that Jesus and His Church prepare use for catechesis in particular for the liturgy which is the heart of our parishes and schools. Sister will then help us to recognize the need to foster wonder and silence as a foundation in leading our students to Eucharistic amazement by means of the sacramental formation of the imagination
Educators will also participate in Mass with Bishop Daly and Bishop Earl Fernandes, be able to partake of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and experience first-hand the amazement that we experience in the exposition of the Holy Eucharist.

Our role in educating the young men and women whom you have entrusted to us is not just to teach them the secular subjects but to instill in them the enthusiasm and miracle that we witness in the transformation of bread and wine into the body and blood, soul and divinity of Christ. We hope to be inspired to focus on evangelization in a year where all the parishes and schools in our country have been consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Christ is among us! All of us: parents, teachers, and students, should share in that amazement with each other this school year.

You will also be able to listen to Bishop Daly live as he addresses us at 9am on Catholic Radio 820. Sister Mary Michael will be live at 10am and 1:15pm.

Let us pray for one another!

08/12/2026

🔬 This spring, eight students from St. Mary School attended Regional Science Day at Columbus State University.
 
Logan H. received a superior rating and will move on to the state competition with a score of 37/40. He also received several awards including the PPG of Circleville Award that came with a $100 cash prize and first place Soil and Water Conservation Award, which also came with a $100 cash prize. He also received a 2nd place South Central Power Award in Chemistry with a cash prize of $25.
 
Dominic M. received a score of 37/40 and several awards including 2nd place and $100 from the Franklin County Society of Engineers and 1st place and $50 from South Central Power in the category of Infotech.
 
William S. will also move on to the state competition with a score of 39/40. He received the South Central Power Award (1st place in chemistry) with a $50 cash prize and the Soil and Water Conservation Award (3rd place) and $50.
 
Scarlett S. was awarded 2nd place by South Central Power in chemistry and $25. Her score at Regionals was 37/40, which is a superior rating and qualified her to move the state competition.
 
Juliana W. received a score of 36/40 and the South Central Power Award (2nd place in microbiology) and $25.
 
Ella H. received an excellent rating of 34/40.
 
Riley A. received a perfect score.

Way to go Irish!

08/10/2026

Our future middle school students kicked off the school year with an exciting Middle School Boot Camp designed to help them begin this new chapter with confidence, organization, and faith.

The day began with prayer, reminding us that God is with us in every new adventure, followed by a fun icebreaker to build new friendships. Students learned about “stop and go” behaviors, explored strategies for time management and homework success, enjoyed lunch together from Raising Cane’s, and toured the school alongside our recent 8th grade graduates.

The students also participated in sessions on making the transition to middle school with confidence, became familiar with the Middle School Handbook, heard valuable advice during a graduate panel, and reviewed important forms to prepare for the first day of school.

A special thank you to our 8th grade graduates for sharing their experiences and serving as wonderful role models.

We can’t wait to see all God has in store for this school year! 💙🙏📚