St. Mark's School -

Today was the Feast of St. Teresa of Calcutta. Mother Teresa was always a loving servant to the poor and those in need. At today's Mass, Father Lampitt encouraged us to pray for someone that might be "hard to love." We finished our week at SMS with the Rosary in our Grotto, asking Mary our Mother to intercede for us.

"Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier."
- Mother Teresa
GOD IS GREAT!!!!

Yesterday Owen Johnson and Zach Perry represented St. Mark's and St Vincent De Paul in the IESA State Golf series at Parkview Golf Course in Pekin. Golf is a sport that teaches you just as much about yourself as about the game itself. The boys:

* Made some great shots!
* Learned how to navigate the shots that were "not as good."
* Represented St. Mark's and St. Vincent De Paul so very well!

* And....at the end of the round, displayed great sportsmanship by congratulating their playing partners on thier round!

Who wants to join next year??!!!!

Today at SMS we celebrate and honor Father Bernard's birthday! We are grateful to have him here with us! And now Father Bernard has his own St. Mark's story to tell!! Happy Birthday - may God continue to Bless you and your Priesthood!!!

Every Friday at SMS, our students attend an All-School Mass and today is the Feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Father Lampitt encouraged all of us to pick one person to pray for that Mary, our Blessed Mother, can intercede to her son Jesus. The Gospel also spoke to us about the most important commandment, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all you heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." MATTHEW 22: 34 - 40

At SMS, we try to live by those commandments:

* Our Mother, Mary, intercedes for us!
* Our staff helping students enter the building joyfully!
* Siblings supporting each other for a good day at school!
* Mentoring across all grade levels!
* Sharing a snack, especially a cheese stick, with each other!
* And teaching Mr. Dotson how to open a bag of apples when he can't do it!

GOD IS GREAT! What a Wonderful Week to be a MARKSMEN!!!!!!

What a great Opening Day at SMS! Our students and families "Knocked It Out Of The Park!" A new school year always generates excitement, along with some nervousness, too. However, our staff and students made everyone feel welcome -ready to take on new beginnings and new challenges. The building is just never the same without our students so here is a litle snapshot of the day:

* Parents taking pictures for the first day of school.
* It's new year = new fist bumps!
* Classrooms filled with students!
* Even our playground felt appreciated again!
* Father Lampitt and Father Bernard made welcoming visits, too!!

Be a part of something special - BE A MARKSMEN!!!!!!!

At SMS, we are ready for "Opening Day" for the 2025 - 2026 school year!!! Our staff is excited to begin another amazing year full of learning, growth, and new adventures. God wants us all to be the best version of ourselves! Let’s support each other, stay curious, and make it one of our best school years yet!

"ONCE A MARKSMEN, ALWAYS A MARKSMEN!!!!!"

Thank you to everyone that came out for the Taste of St. Mark's last Saturday! It truly was a great day to celebrate all there is about our parish, our school, and our community!

* We had several families bring thier children to visit their classroom, meet their teachers, and rekindle those relationships with friends!

* Special thanks to the Men's Club and PSA for sponsoring the Taste of St. Mark's!

* And in a true sense of community, several of our families attended the West Peoria Mass sponsored by the Heading Avenue Fransican Sisters on Sunday.

* The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Tylka and concelebrated by Father Lampitt. Our own Peter Taylor helped serve.

How Blessed We Are At St. Mark's!!!!!!!

Summer is a wonderful time to share with family and friends! While that time is definitely needed, our school is not the same without our students. You may have wondered - what's going on at SMS? Well - here is a small snapshot:

* The Grotto area is being beautified!
* New mulch was installed in the playground and all old railroad ties were removed.
* The second stage of our window replacement project is in full swing.

And - we know not everyone is ready for school to start - but there is still plenty of time to enjoy the summer!!

If you want to know what it's like to be a MARKSMEN, give us a call at 309-676-7131!

Happy 4th of July from all of us at SMS! We are blessed in many ways and one of them is being a MARKSMEN!!! May God continue to Bless America and St. Mark's Parish and School!!!!!

Summer is in full swing and this past Saturday Mr. & Mrs. Kerns, Mrs. Barth, and Mr. Dotson all ran the Steamboat Classic 4 miler - it was a great time! Come see what's it like to run as a MARKSMEN! Applications are being accepted for the 2025 - 2026 school year in Pre K - 8th Grades. Call the office at 676 -7131 to arrange a tour and discover all the wonderful opportunities that SMS has to offer! “Running is not about being better than someone else… it’s about being better than you used to be.” GO BE A MARKSMEN!!!!

Today was the last day for our 8th Graders. The Class of 2025 has been extraordinary leaders during their time at SMS! We wish them well and look forward to all that they will accomplish in life! * Practice for the Graduation Mass on Thursday, May 15th at 6 PM. * A special final lunch prepared by our kitchen staff. * Creating more lasting memories as a class during lunch. And......... "ONCE A MARKSMEN, ALWAYS A MARKSMEN!!!!!!"

Tomorrow is the big day! We have the SMS Talent Show at 1:30, followed by the special video the students made for the teachers as a form of appreciation. Then, we say a heartfelt goodbye to our 8th grade students on their final walk out of SMS!

What a Blessed Week at SMS! * We began by celebraing our Patron, St. Mark * 2nd Graders received their Blessing Cups in preparation for First Communion * Matt Skinner won the IESA Scholar Attitude Award for our region * Scholastic Bowl made it to the Championship Game in the regional * Our 3rd graders performed their "Living Museum" * And...... students "Ruled the School"! There's nothing like being a MARKSMEN!!!!

Hello SMS - This is Principal Sam McGill and today the "Kids Ruled the School!" "Kids Ruled the School Day" is where the students take over the teachers' jobs for the day. We have increased recess time, eliminated homework, and still raised test scores in just one short day! IT"S GREAT TO BE A MARKSMEN!!!!

☀️💧Get ready for a splash-tastic time! 💙 Water Day is coming to St. Mark School on May 15th for our preschool through 2nd grade students! 🎉 We’re looking for energetic volunteers to help make this day unforgettable. ☀️💧 If you can lend a hand, we’d love to have you on board! Look for a Sign Up Genius from your classroom teacher!

🎤✨ Get ready to shine, St. Mark Stars! ✨🎤 We’re excited to announce the St. Mark School Talent Show is coming soon! 🎭🎶🎨 Whether you sing, dance, play an instrument, tell jokes, or have a unique talent to share — this is YOUR moment! 📅 Date: May 14th at 1:30 pm 📍 Location: St. Mark Grade School Gym 🎟️ Open to: All students from Kindergarten through 8th Grade Let’s celebrate the amazing talents in our school community! Sign up now and show us what you’ve got! Permission forms are available in the school office or in the Marksmen Memo. If you have questions, check in with Miss Naples, Miss Steinkoenig or Mrs. Whitten.💫👏

To the absolute BEST secretaries — Mrs. Alexander and Mrs. Tigue — Thank you for everything you do to keep us organized, supported, and always smiling. Your dedication, kindness, and hard work never go unnoticed. We appreciate you more than words can say! 💐❤️

Caterpillar 10:1 Match for a limited time! Calling all Caterpillar employees who are friends of St. Mark's School! Beginning on Monday April, 21 Caterpillar will match donations by employees of up to $500 by 10 times! A $500 contribution to St. Mark's School by any Caterpillar employee will be matched with $5,000 by Caterpillar ($100 matched with $1,000, and so on)! This special match program will only last until May 2 or when the allotted match funds of $10 million are gone! If you are a Caterpillar employee (or have any family and friends who work at CAT and would like to support St. Mark’s school) and are interested, we encourage you to give on April 21 or as soon as you are able to ensure that you can take advantage of this incredible opportunity! Thank you for your support of St. Mark’s School! GO MARKSMEN!!!!

As we enter into Holy Week, our 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students led walking Stations of the Cross this morning.