St. Mark School in Venice - Focus on the Whole Child

St. Mark School in Venice is a gem of a Catholic school that fosters the development and education of the whole child while also providing opportunities to practice the faith through community service, philanthropy and artistic creativity. St. Mark first opened its doors to students in 1949, and continues to serve the Westside of Los Angeles as an elementary school with classes from TK to 8th grade.

Graduates from St. Mark continuously are accepted into the high school of their choice. St. Mark is a fully accredited school with an average class size of 20 and a student to teacher ratio of 14 to 1. Most lower grade classes TK- 5th have two teachers per grade, while the departmentalized middle school academic program runs from 6th to 8th.

Our education program includes Religion, Readers & Writers Workshop for TK - 5th, Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) Math, Responsive Classroom Pedagogy, Spanish, Music, Art, Science and Physical Education. Our after school programs include choir, sports, coding, chess, TV-production and more. St. Mark School is led by Pastor Albert van der Woerd and the Principal Dr. Tricia Holmquist.

The mission at St. Mark School is to promote respect for self, others and the environment through a safe and supportive Catholic learning community that fosters discovery and the development of each student's unique spiritual, emotional, physical and intellectual potential. St. Mark School is blessed to have the support of the parish community, the amazing school staff and teachers, as well as the parents and students who call St. Mark School home. Fr. Albert states, "St. Mark is a unique place, located in the vibrant and creative community of Venice, California. The parish is authentic and diverse. We have community members that bring their talents and passion to school and church. This is a true partnership with everyone involved, and we work together to offer our students the best Catholic education available in Los Angeles."

"My husband and I are both transplants from Chicago. When we had our children, we knew we wanted a school where we could find a community that would feel like family. We both graduated with a Catholic education, so that was also very important to us. For our children to receive a values-based education in Los Angeles, while being challenged academically and being part of a growing and prosperous community were important priorities for us," said Monica Duffy, parent to an incoming 5th and 2nd grader at St. Mark. "We hit the jackpot with St. Mark School. Our children continue to thrive and grow at St. Mark and we have found friends for life in our community. We have a built-in family with the parents and kids we have met at St. Mark and we know that our kids will grow with these children into high school and beyond."

~Monica Duffy (SMS Parent)

For more on St. Mark School, join an upcoming Admission Information Session. Meet with Dr. Holmquist, take a tour of the school, see our children and teachers in action, participate in a Q&A session with our students and to experience what makes St. Mark School special. Please attend the Admissions Session on October 12, 2021 at 8:00 AM. For more details visit the website: http://www.stmarkschool.com