Mission & History

MISSION

As a ministry of the Church of St. Mark, we seek to live and share the love of Jesus with the little ones of our parish and neighborhood communities by laying the foundations of their human and spiritual flourishing in a nurturing and creative environment.

We incorporate our Catholic identity in our daily lives through our interactions with students and staff. Our licensed curriculum is designed for children ages 33 months to 5 years.

Want to learn more? We encourage you to tour our Preschool, visit with our faculty, and see our program first-hand!

HISTORY

Saint Mark’s has been a cherished part of the Merriam Park neighborhood since it was established in 1889. The parish’s elementary school opened in 1911, under the care and dedication of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. During its post-war peak, the school thrived with more than 1,600 students. Early childhood education was later integrated into the model in the 1990s.

Changes in the neighborhood led to declining enrollment, and in 2019 the school closed its K-8 program. The thriving Preschool, however, remained open. Today the PreK carries on the now centuries-old tradition of educating Christ’s “little one’s” at St. Mark’s. The historic school building remains a center of parish activity, homeschool cooperatives, and a collaborative hub of Catholic nonprofits and apostolates.