Mission & History
Pre-School
The SMS Pre-K program provides a nurturing environment for young learners, where children are encouraged to explore their interests, develop skills, and build relationships with peers and mentors, all while having fun!
Elementary Grades
K-5
St. Mary's School is proud to offer an exceptional elementary education for grades K-5. Our experienced faculty and rigorous curriculum are coupled with commitment to the values and traditions of our Catholic faith. Our students benefit from a top-notch educational experience tailored to meet their needs.
Student Life
At St. Mary's, learning is enriched by a vibrant student life with engaging activities and opportunities to grow spiritually, intellectually, culturally, and socially.
Our Mission
St. Mary’s School provides a quality Catholic elementary education (Pre-School through Fifth Grade) guided by the Gospel’s spirit of love within an atmosphere of academic excellence that nurtures the growth in holiness and wholeness for each child.
Our Vision
The community of St. Mary’s School, an extension of St. Mary’s Parish in Ballston Spa, NY, strives to provide a Catholic elementary education to the children entrusted to our care. We will impart the principles to act both critically and creatively within our society by encouraging social awareness, truthful communication and responsible decision-making.
Our Philosophy
We accept the challenge of the Gospel to act compassionately, toprovide experience of prayer and to encourage strong loving relationships among students, parents, teachers, administrators,parishes, and the larger community that contribute to a continual growth in faith, hope and love.
Through our commitment to academic excellence and justice, we respect the individual dignity of each student. We work as a team of professionals with common goals to offer our students an integrated curriculum. Our curriculum and assessments are guided by and fully compliant with both the Albany Diocesan and New York State Educational Standards.
Our purpose is to nourish young people in faith and to develop their talents for growth and service to others. We understand ourselves as a complement to parents in providing education to their children. We are committed to the Church’s mandate to share the Gospel message, to build community and to model service, while providing quality education.
We understand St. Mary’s School to be in partnership with families and parishes and together to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Our History
Saint Mary's School was founded in 1960 as requirements grew for Catholic education. When the school opened in 1960, five Sisters of Mercy taught 245 K-5 students. By 1964 a total of seven Sisters of Mercy and two lay teachers completed the faculty. The Sisters of Mercy taught at St. Mary's until 1987. Over the next fifteen years, there was a presence of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet as teachers and administrators.
The K-6 program was very successful since it was initiated in 1989, as were the prior years when the school included 7th and 8th grade. In 2006, the 6th grade was incorporated into a 7-year program offered by Saratoga Central Catholic School.
St. Mary's has also instituted a preschool program that emphasizes creativity, music and early childhood fundamentals. Four year olds can now attend half-day sessions for either three or five days, or participate in an all-day program, five days a week. A three year old Nursery School Program is offered two mornings a week.
Today, Saint Mary's incorporates the best of its past and the promise of a successful future to help students achieve academically as well as spiritually.