School News

St. Mary’s Second Graders Learn Important Safety Tips Second-graders from St. Mary’s in Crown Point recently enjoyed a hands-on visit to the Tri-Town Safety Village in Schererville, Indiana. Local police officers and firefighters guided students through three engaging safety lessons. During the railroad safety lesson, an officer shared important safety information, and students practiced looking “left, right, left” before crossing the street to reach the train station. They

St. Mary Students Celebrate Grandparents and Special Persons with Heartfelt Program The students and staff of St. Mary Catholic Community School in Crown Point recently celebrated their annual Grandparents and Special Persons Day with a heartwarming program honoring the important people in their lives. Grandparents, special family members, and friends were treated to coffee and donuts, visits to classrooms, and a special musical program in the school gymnasium. St. Mary stude

Remembering Those We Love: St. Mary’s Second Graders Celebrate Día de los Muertos Second-grade students at St. Mary Catholic Community School in Crown Point recently had the opportunity to celebrate Día de los Muertos, which translates to “Day of the Dead.” Día de los Muertos is a cherished Mexican tradition that honors and remembers loved ones who have passed away. As part of this special project, students created their own ofrendas, or altars, decorated with colorful design

CROWN POINT, IN – Adventure was in the air as members of the Environmental Club at St. Mary Catholic Community School recently embarked on an exciting field trip to Indiana Dunes State Park! Students in grades 3 through 8 laced up their hiking shoes and tackled more than four miles of the park’s famous Trail 9, which winds through some of the largest and tallest sand dunes in the area. The young adventurers enthusiastically embraced the challenge of climbing steep, sandy hill

What a fun-filled day for St. Mary’s fourth graders at the Kankakee River Marsh! Forty-four students recently ventured just twenty minutes south to Grand Kankakee Marsh County Park to participate in the annual Kankakee River Days program. The students put their muscles to the test as they paddled canoes through the marsh and learned about bird migration patterns through a hands-on activity. They also examined insects found in the marsh, conducted their own watershed experimen

CROWN POINT, IN – A delicious Crown Point tradition is back, and everyone is invited to pull up a chair and enjoy! St. Mary Catholic Community School is excited to welcome the entire community to its 65th Annual Spaghetti Supper on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. This year’s celebration comes with an extra-special treat: the return of the beloved original spaghetti recipe! For 65 years, the St. Mary’s Spaghetti Supper has brought together generations of families, friends, paris

In celebration of the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Mary School welcomed students and their families to a special Pet Blessing on Friday, October 2, 2026. The blessing was held on the St. Mary School back lawn and was led by Father Peter and Deacon Bill, who offered a special blessing for the beloved pets of St. Mary School families. St. Francis of Assisi is widely recognized as the patron saint of animals and is remembered for his deep love and respect for all of G

Last spring, Brad Nieman, Dean of Students, and Russ Schupryt, Technology Coordinator, at St. Mary Catholic Community School in Crown Point were having an informal conversation about their shared love of LEGO. “I mentioned that my adult sons still love putting together LEGO sets,” Nieman said. “Furthermore, I still get excited to help my younger son with any new LEGO sets he receives at Christmas. It truly is a toy that is beloved by both boys and girls, young and old.” That

September 15th marked the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month. St. Mary Catholic Community School in Crown Point celebrated with sweet treats! In celebration of Mexican Independence Day, Principal Mr. Ruiz, Assistant Principal Mrs. Kozlowski, and Student Support Specialist Mrs. Wooden treated the entire school community to a special traditional Mexican dessert. The “concha” is a traditional Mexican sweet bread (pan dulce) with a texture similar to brioche. Conchas get their

Things at St. Mary Catholic Community School are poppin’ already! On the afternoon of Friday, August 21, 2026, students spilled into the school parking lot armed with popsicles and yearbooks. The annual Popsicle Party/Yearbook Signing had begun! Hardcover yearbooks are ordered in May, printed in July, and signed annually in August. Students from first through eighth grades balance their books in one arm and sign with the other hand all while managing to keep their

On May 20, seventh-grade students from St. Mary Catholic Community School had the unique opportunity to step into a real courtroom as part of the inaugural Big Shoulders Fund Northwest Indiana Law Program. The event, held at Lake Superior Court, allowed students to apply what they had learned throughout the school year by participating in a mock trial. Fifty-six students took part in the experience, assuming the roles of attorneys, witnesses, and jurors in a simulated vandali

Members of St. Mary’s School’s WSMW Broadcasting Club, recently had the exciting opportunity to visit the historic radio station WJOB in Hammond, Indiana. Accompanied by school principal, Mr. Ruiz and club moderator, Miss Burbach, ten eighth-grade WSMW students toured the station, learned about the world of professional broadcasting, and even had the chance to appear live on both the radio and the station’s YouTube broadcast. WJOB has been a staple of Northwest Indiana broadc

Northwest Indiana Students Outperform Stock Market and Regional Peers in Big Shoulders Fund Stock Market Program St. Mary Catholic Community School in Crown Point managed the highest-performing stock portfolio June 1, 2026, (Crown Point, IN) – St. Mary Catholic Community School in Crown Point has won the 18th annual Big Shoulders Fund Stock Market Program, outperforming more than 60 participating schools across Chicago and Northwest Indiana with a portfolio that grew 50.3%.

On Thursday, May 28, St. Mary Catholic Community School held its annual Field Day, providing students with a fun-filled day of outdoor activities and friendly competition. The event was a tremendous success, with both students and staff enjoying the beautiful weather and exciting games. Students participated in a variety of activities throughout the day, including tug-of-war, parachute toss, and a giant game of tic-tac-toe. The enthusiasm and sportsmanship displayed by the st

On Tuesday, May 19, fifth graders from St. Mary Catholic Community School impressed all who visited with displays from sea to shining sea! The Regions Project was a big hit in its inaugural year. Creativity abounded as students served as tour guides through each of the five regions of the United States. Included in each presentation was information about each region’s culture, resources, climate, National Parks, landmarks, and history. Relief maps were also created to showcas

On Friday, May 15, St. Mary Catholic Community School held its annual “Ride Your Bike to School Day,” and the event was a tremendous success. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make the morning so memorable, including Emergency Management Director, Mike Wysocki and Ryan Remenius of the Lake County Sherriff’s department who provided support. Students in grades 3 through 8 began their ride at the Lake County Fairgrounds and traveled safely through town before arr

Fifth-graders were “Boston Bound” for the first time in the history of St. Mary Catholic Community School. The purpose of the trip was not to make history, however, but to experience it firsthand. Along with learning the geography of the United States, fifth-graders in Mrs. Arianne Wong’s social studies class study the history of the nation from its earliest inhabitants through the American Revolution. “My year-long goal is to fuel students’ passion for the history and geogra

What an incredible weekend for the St. Mary Chess Club! St. Mary Catholic Community School students competed at the state team tournament and delivered a masterclass in strategy, focus, and sportsmanship. Facing the toughest competition in the state, the Wildcats proved they are a force to be reckoned with. St. Mary was well represented with five teams competing across three different divisions. The energy in the tournament hall was electric, and St. Mary players stayed calm

The St. Mary Catholic Community School Science Olympiad team earned a first-place overall finish at the Ivy Tech Lafayette Regional Science Olympiad, securing their advancement to the state competition. Competing against teams from across the region, St. Mary students demonstrated exceptional dedication, teamwork, and academic excellence. Their outstanding performance was highlighted by an impressive 13 first-place medals in individual events, including Heredity, Boomilever,

Second grade students at St. Mary Catholic Community School have had the opportunity to practice reading with one of the parish’s parishioners. Multiple times each week, teachers invite parents and grandparents to come in and read with their children. Understandably, there are always students whose parents cannot attend on a particular day. Ms. Penelope Pappas has been generously volunteering her time by coming in each week to read with students in Mr. Scoleri’s class and ass

Students at St. Mary’s School in grades 3–8 recently participated in a unique ice skating experience that combined mentorship and community through the school’s revitalized Buddy Program. Grade-level pairings were established in the fall, bringing older students together with younger students. The event gave the students the opportunity to strengthen relationships, practice leadership, and support one another in a fun, real-world setting. The trip was coordinated by the princ

Andrean High School recently announced its top 10 graduating seniors. The top two students are graduates of the same school: St. Mary Catholic Community School in Crown Point. Valedictorian Abigayle Kubiak will head south for college in Tennessee, where she will pursue a career in music therapy. Salutatorian Daniel Shea lists Rose-Hulman, Purdue, and MIT as his top three options. “I witnessed Abi and Danny grow up here at St. Mary’s School and I’m so proud of them. I c

Saint Mary’s School community came together to collect 5,073 food items during a recent Student Council Food Drive, surpassing the school’s lofty goal of 5,000 items. All donations were collected to support St. Mary’s Parish Food Pantry, God’s Groceries, and the Sojourner Truth House in Gary. This annual food drive highlighted St. Mary’s strong spirit of kindness and teamwork. Both food pantries have experienced an increase in visitors lately and expressed their sincere grati

Mrs. Arianne Wong is a 5 th grade teacher at St. Mary’s School in Crown Point. One of her favorite quotes is, “We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God.” I’m sure we can all think of a time when we were interrupted. How many times have we attributed that interruption to God? If we rethink the interruptions and, in fact, attribute them to God, we may just learn to accept those disturbances with a little more patience!! On Friday, November 21, 2025, God