As a part of the Community of Saint Mark in Venice, California, Saint Mark Elementary School first opened its doors to students on September 12, 1949. The original school was comprised of three bungalows, purchased from Saint Augustine Parish, and located on Victoria Avenue. Our initial 150 students were served lovingly by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.  More classroom bungalows were added each year to accommodate our growing student body. In 1952, the Community of Saint Mark broke ground to begin the construction of a permanent school site at 912 Coeur d’Alene Avenue.  Our current facility opened in October of 1953 with a total enrollment of 658 students in eleven classrooms!

Saint Mark School reached its peak enrollment of 923 students in 1957 and became a sixteen-classroom school the following year. Since 1972, decreasing enrollments necessitated a  plan for gradually phasing down to eight classrooms with additional resource rooms.

Our Kindergarten opened in September of 1981 with 25 students. Other rooms were used to create the library, the upper and lower grade learning centers, an art room, a science lab, school and religious education offices and faculty and supply rooms.

In September 1988, the Sisters of the Holy Names initiated the lay administration of the school. The last teaching Sister of the Holy Names retired from Saint Mark Elementary School in June, 1992.

In 1995, our school parents constructed a covered eating area measuring the full length of the south side of the building. A primary play yard with a grassy play area was also added behind the church.

Saint Mark Elementary School’s growth in the new millennium has focused upon the expansion of curriculum and activities that support our commitment to provide academic excellence in a Christ-centered environment, and to “care for self; care for others; care for the environment”.

Our patron, Saint Mark, was himself a student of Saint Peter the Apostle, and a erudite evangelist. The Gospel of Mark emphasizes - more than any of the other three gospels - the role of Jesus the Teacher.  As was Saint Mark’s personal experience, we at Saint Mark Elementary School are both students and teachers, sharing and growing together in knowledge, service and faith!

O God,

Who exalted blessed Mark,

Your Evangelist, by the grace of

preaching the Gospel, grant, we

beseech You, that we may ever profit

by his teaching and be defended by

his prayers, through

Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Philosophy/mission/vision

Saint Mark Elementary School is a non-profit, non-discriminatory school in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles  providing  Catholic education according to the standards established by the Archdiocese and certified by the Western Association of  Schools and Colleges and the Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA).

We believe that parents are the primary educators of their children. Our curriculum is presented in a Christ-centered environment to support and enhance each family’s choice for private education. By promoting a Christ-centered environment, teachers and students work cooperatively and creatively, engendering respect for the individual and the group while emphasizing the presence of God in all our work. We are committed to provide an atmosphere in which children will learn to love learning.

MISSION STATEMENT

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Accreditation Statement

Saint Mark School (SMS) is a part of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Catholic Elementary School system, fully licensed by the State of California, and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), and the Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA).

Our Program

Students in Kindergarten through 8th Grade, are guided in Faith and Formation, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music and Physical Education. Our computer learning lab hosts COMPASS software for reinforcement and self-pacing in Language Arts and Mathematics skills. Cross-curricular activities in each of these areas facilitate an integration of arts and crafts, science, music, drama and literature, music and dance, and our Christian and multi-cultural heritages into each and every classroom setting.

We endeavor to help our students respect their bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit and their lives as gifts from our Creator through educational experiences presented in a Christian context that emphasizes the development of positive and safe health habits, universal precautions, physical fitness and sportsmanship, understanding of physical and biological functions and the sanctity of life.