As important as the academic program is here at SMSA, it represents only part of what constitutes an SMSA education. As an academic community, we strive to identify, encourage and develop our students’ talents; as a Christian community, we go one step further, teaching them that those talents are gifts from God to be shared with the world for the good of others. As an educational community, we foster the self-esteem and confidence that students will need to confront the challenges of an ever-changing world; as a Christian community, we remind them that the greatest among them is the one who serves the rest.
From the first day they enter the doors of SMSA, our students learn that they are unique, beloved children of a compassionate God. This belief, shared daily in word and deed, shapes all that takes place at SMSA and imbues the school with an atmosphere of joy and acceptance.
Religious instruction represents one vital component of the spiritual formation program at SMSA. All students participate in regular classroom instruction in the Catholic faith as expressed by the Church’s magisterium, with the goal of helping our Catholic students grow in that faith and of providing our students of other faiths with an understanding of the Church’s teachings and traditions. The religious curriculum at SMSA is based on the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church — creed, sacraments, commandments and prayer — and includes preparation in second grade for reception of First Reconciliation and First Communion.
Opportunities for worship and prayer, both communal and personal, abound, encouraging students to develop a personal relationship with Christ. Each day begins with classroom prayer. Eucharistic Adoration takes place once a week in the school’s chapel. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered during the seasons of Advent and Lent, and students participate regularly in the Sacrament of the Eucharist at St. Mary’s Church, often serving as greeters, lectors, singers and altar servers.
We believe that we are called to serve our brothers and sisters, especially the poor and vulnerable. All students at SMSA participate in projects designed to alleviate suffering. Students bring in food items each week to restock the shelves of St. Mary’s Food Pantry, visit the elderly in local nursing homes, donate used winter clothing to local service agencies and schools and collect soccer equipment for orphans in Namibia. We believe these are just a few of the many ways God calls us to establish His Kingdom of justice and peace.