Traditions
Since 1897, the mission of St. Mark’s School has been to foster the academic life and the spiritual growth of its students and to teach children the Catholic Faith. St. Mark’s School has a dedicated, highly trained, faculty and staff. Our teachers are supportive, encouraging, and committed to helping students succeed. Visit St. Mark’s School and see for yourself all the wonderful opportunities we have to offer your children.
Read more about our history …
The first St. Mark’s School, a two-story brick building, was built in 1897, directly behind the church on College Avenue and Underhill Street. Up to the completion of the convent, east of the school facing College Avenue, the Dominican Sisters came from St. Bernard’s parish to teach the students at St. Mark School. The enrollment did not require a teacher for each grade at first, so four sisters under the Superior, Sister Mary Bernadine, taught the eight grades. The new convent was built in 1911 and as the parish grew, more teachers were added.
Steady growth of the parish made it necessary to build a new school. The original section of the present St. Mark School building, erected in 1922 and 1923, costing $100,000 was completed at its present site and dedicated in 1925.
The new school, facing Bradley Avenue with 130 feet on Underhill is “built of brick with Bedford stone trimmings, it is one of the finest grade schools in the state outside of Chicago, Illinois. It contains eight large airy rooms, rest rooms, supply room and gymnasium and showers in the basement. It is modern in every particular, equipped with radios in each room, a large kitchen for serving hot meals to the children and all parish functions and an auditorium with theater appointments and properties.” “In the school proper, a suite for clinical examinations is found to be expedient. The parochial health nurses, doctors and dentists are high in their praise of the school arrangement. The curriculum includes eight grades of work according to state requirements.” In 1962, again because of the growth of the parish, an addition was built to accommodate the overcrowded school.
Today, in 2022, there are over 170 students in Pre-school through Grade 8. Classroom size averages around twenty students per grade level. The school continues to be recognized by the state of Illinois and meets all state curriculum guidelines. The school is staffed by an exceptional staff of highly trained and dedicated men and women.