Admissions

As a community of life-long learners, St. Mark's holds high expectations for all students. The rigorous curriculum encourages them to develop critical thinking skills and depth of knowledge and character, while still offering a wide variety of subjects for students to experience. As part of the curriculum, St. Mark’s provides these Specialty Classes taught by Teacher Specialists: Art, Computer, Foreign Language (K-4th French, 5th Chinese, 6th-8th Spanish), Leadership, Library, Music, Physical Education/Health, and Religion.

St. Mark's is committed to glorifying God by providing educational excellence in a safe, nurturing, Christ-centered environment. Set on a sprawling 11 ½ acres, the beautiful campus accommodates over 30 Preschool through 8^th grade rooms, which allows us to maintain smaller class sizes. Our students enjoy the outdoors in four separate playground areas geared to their age and on an all-weather track and field with fitness stations. Physical Education classes and extracurricular athletics are housed in the spacious Gymnasium, complete with a rock-climbing wall. SML has its own Library with over 21,000 volumes, two Science Labs for Middle School and Junior High, and a Lutheran church to meet the needs of the students and their families.

The incredibly talented and caring staff at St. Mark’s strives to prepare their students to be tomorrow’s leaders and strong citizens of the community. With an average 13 years of service at SML, the dedicated teachers model a life-long love for learning both in and out of the classroom by proctoring extracurricular activities, serving as faculty mentors for student groups, and offering after school tutoring services. Passionate about their craft, the amazing team of teachers, T.A.s, and administration work together to make each year at St. Mark’s the “best year ever”!

St. Mark’s prides itself on the numerous technological opportunities offered to all its students. Starting in Kindergarten, students attend Computer class weekly to learn keyboarding, word processing, and coding. Every K-8 student is provided an iPad to use during the school day and at home for assignments as needed, and all classrooms are equipped with Smart TV digital platforms. Additionally, St. Mark’s is the first elementary school in the nation to install an Anatomage Table on campus, which allows students to participate in state-of-the-art virtual dissections.

The St. Mark's Leadership Academy is a groundbreaking program that educates, guides, and nurtures students and staff in their journey to become confident leaders in life. During Leadership Classes directly with Principal Gerardo, our K-8 students focus on various themes each quarter. These are all put into practice during the annual Leadership Event – a two-day affair full of activities, obstacles, and games to strengthen these vital skills. Students also can demonstrate leadership as bank tellers for our own St. Mark’s branch of Mega Bank, serve on our governing Student Council, or participate in the L.E.A.D. program.

The SML philosophy incorporates the belief that each person is a unique individual with God-given interests and abilities. By exposing students to a multitude of experiences, students can foster their talents, find areas in which to be successful, and develop new interests. Some of the St. Mark’s Extracurricular Activities include the following: Band, Cyberpatriot, Drama Club, Handbell Choir, L.E.A.D., Math Counts, Math Olympiad, Praise Band, SML Broadcast Podcast, Sports Camps, Student Council, Walking Club, Yearbook, and a variety of competitive Athletics (Basketball, Cross-country, Flag Football, Track and Field, Volleyball).

While St. Mark’s acknowledges the great importance of classroom learning, the school also offers its students outside-the-classroom opportunities to mature and grow. Every Wednesday the entire student body gathers for a schoolwide chapel service, which is led by the pastor, staff, and students. Special events are scheduled throughout the year to provide the Kindergarten through 8^th graders a variety of experiences: Spirit Week, Leadership Days, Fun & Fitness Day, Game Day, STEAM Day, Track & Field Day, Activity Day, Fall Carnival, Christmas Programs, Talent Show, Book Fairs, Poetry Festival, Spelling Bee, History Bowl, and a wide variety of Field Trips at every grade level.

On average, St. Mark’s students score 2.5 years above grade level in both Reading and Mathematics on standardized achievement tests. Our graduates are actively sought after by both private and public high schools, and generally are admitted into Honors and AP courses. From there, they attend prestigious colleges and universities both in California and across the nation, which lead them to exciting, successful careers. We are even lucky enough to currently have 15 St. Mark’s alumni back here at their alma mater, now working as staff members!

It just takes a brief campus visit to see how much our students love St. Mark’s! Whether it is completing a creative project in art class or playing a rhythm instrument in music or testing out that new Science experiment in the lab, the St. Mark’s lions truly value their experiences here. With so many fun classes, extra activities, and exciting events, how could they not?!? This rings true with our alumni as well, as they come back frequently to reminisce about the good times at SML. As our motto proudly states, “Once A Lion, Always A Lion!”

Kids aren’t the only ones who love our school – parents do, too! The fact that families can find a safe environment for their Preschool through 8^th graders is a huge relief. For working families, our extended childcare from 6:30 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. is imperative. A full summer program, complete with academics, activities, trips, and sports camps is a great way for parents to keep their students active during the summer months. Parents can easily get involved in the life of St. Mark’s under the guidance of the Booster Club, which works to uphold and support our entire SML community of staff, students, and families. Come join the St. Mark’s family today!