St. Mary’s seeks to partner with families to develop students’ full potential in mind, body, and spirit through Catholic values.  To make this mission a reality, every aspect of who we are as a learning community must be evaluated to determine if it is faithful to our root beliefs.  Our root beliefs reflect the very core of who we are a learning and faith community.
 

• Learning prepares us to be successful.
• God calls us to share our faith.
• All people are blessed with gifts and talents.
• Service is leadership.
• We are a family.

 
Recently, our relationship with the Owatonna Junior High School to provide our seventh and eighth grade students with shared time classes was reviewed.  This review involved gathering information to fully understand the current learning environment and opportunities available at OJHS for St. Mary’s students.  As another component of this review, we sought the input of St. Mary’s junior high students, their parents, and the St. Mary’s junior high teaching staff in evaluating the effectiveness of the shared time experience at OJHS in:
 

• offering learning opportunities not currently offered at SMS
• integrating St. Mary’s students with OJHS students to foster positive relationships
• providing a pro-active transition to the public high school. 

After carefully and prayerfully analyzing and reviewing the information about the current programming and learning environment available at the Owatonna Junior High School and the feedback from students, parents, and teachers, we have concluded that the best way to bring our root beliefs to life is for St. Mary’s seventh and eighth grade students to remain at St. Mary’s School the entire day and not attend shared-time classes at the Owatonna Junior High School for the 2016-2017 school year. 
 
We are excited to share our plans for the 2016-2017 school year with our junior high parents at a meeting on April 6, 2016 at 6:30 PM in the St. Mary’s Cafeteria.  With your support, we will offer our students new opportunities to learn, lead, love, give, and pray. 
 
In the meantime, please feel free to contact Mrs. Segna, Mrs. Ginskey, or Mr. Smith with any questions or concerns you may have about this exciting, new opportunity for all of us to grow in faith and learning.