Gilroy’s St. Mary School (7900 Church St.) recently observed its 141st year of service to the South Valley community. Despite all the changes it has witnessed (like the disappearance of nuns from the classroom, rapid growth of the city, building a state of the art science lab and increased use of computers in instruction), it has remained true to its mission of providing a quality education within a Catholic environment.
Arriving on campus as principal this year is Kim Shields. She replaced long-time principal Christa Hanson, who retired in June after 22 years. Shields, though, is no stranger to the St. Mary community. A longtime Gilroy resident, both her sons graduated from St. Mary School, and she taught first and fourth grades, served as technology coordinator and established the school’s tutorial program. She left in 2006 to become principal of St. Justin School in Santa Clara.
Born in Tacoma, Wash., Shields grew up in a military family and attended San Jose’s Leland High School. After graduating from UC Santa Barbara, she and her husband moved to Gilroy and have been parishioners of St. Mary Church for 24 years. Shields earned her teaching credential from San Jose State University and her master’s degree from Chapman University. Â
Shields is glad to be back at St. Mary and appreciates its emphasis on academic achievement as well as community service. In December, students spearheaded a toy drive for St. Joseph Family Center that resulted in more than 700 toy donations. During Lent, the students will focus on a project to help victims of Hurricane Sandy, including a rummage sale on Feb. 9.
National Catholic Schools Week in the United States will be observed Jan. 27-Feb. 2, and St. Mary has many events scheduled. This year’s theme is Catholic Schools Raise the Standards.
• Sunday: A Mass for students, parents and the public will be held at 5 p.m.
• Monday: Student council officers will join with other student leaders from around the Diocese of San Jose to attend a special liturgy at St. Joseph’s Basilica Cathedral.
• Tuesday: Gilroy Mayor Don Gage and Morgan Hill Mayor Steve Tate will visit St. Mary to read stories in classrooms. Meanwhile, the school will host an open house for residents with guided tours from 10:45 a.m. to noon.
• Wednesday: Alumni and other community members will share their vocations in classroom presentations, and a family art night will be held in the gym at 6 p.m.
• Thursday: A VFW color guard will attend the morning assembly in the gym.
• Friday: Parents and volunteers will be offered coffee, tea and other treats as they drop off students in the morning.
Nationally, the number of Catholic schools and students declined during the decades since the 1960s. Bucking this trend, St. Mary School has consistently been successful in attracting students because of its strong instructional program, its faith-based environment and its traditional support of the Gilroy community.
For more information about St. Mary School, call (408) 842-2827. For interesting statistics about Catholic schools, visit www.ncea.org/news/AnnualDataReport.asp.
