Academic Challenges

We participate in:

SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE

This is the nation's largest and longest-running educational promotion, administered on a not-for-profit basis by The E.W. Scripps Company and local spelling bee sponsors in the United States, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Department of Defense Schools in Europe; also, the Bahamas, Canada, China, Ghana, Jamaica, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.Our purpose is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts, and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEE

The National Geographic Bee uses materials prepared by the National Geographic Society. The contest is designed to encourage teachers to include geography in their classrooms, spark student interest in the subject, and increase public awareness about geography. Schools with students in grades 4-8 are eligible for this entertaining and challenging test of geographic knowledge.

MLC MEET MATH

Meet Math is a service club at Martin Luther College that provides mathematics contests for students in grades 5-12 who are enrolled in WELS or ELS schools. This club also maintains school and individual statistics that are the basis for various awards presented at the end of the school year.

WEST HIGH ELEMENTARY MATH BOWL

West High School in Green Bay hosts teams consisting of eight 4^th/5^th grade students who answer various math questions as they compete for individual medals and team awards.The entire competition is done without a calculator, except for the problem solving round.

FVL ELEMENTARTY MATH BOWL

Fox Valley Lutheran High School in Appleton, Wisconsin, hosts teams consisting of four members of 7^th/8^th grade students or 5^th/6^th grade students from FVL Schools grade schools. Participants answer tossup and bonus questions competing for individual and team awards.

FVL ELEMENTARTY FORENSICS MEET

Fox Valley Lutheran High School in Appleton, Wisconsin, hosts teams of 5^th – 8^th graders from FVL Schools grade schools to compete in various public speaking categories.Participants present prepared pieces for individual ribbons and team awards.

SOCIAL STUDIES / SCIENCE FAIR

These non-competitive fairs are held at St. Mark in conjunction with winter parent-teacher conferences.Students prepare projects for display in the school hallways.Parents may peruse the projects as they come to school to meet with the teachers at conferences.Social Studies and Science Fairs alternate from school year to school year.

Music and Drama

Band Lessons

The FVL Middle School Band is comprised of students in grades 5-8 who are enrolled at any of the FVL Schools. Students are able to obtain private instrument lessons during the school day at St. Mark School. Instruction is provided by lead director, Mr. Charles Jahnke.

Group band instruction takes place at Fox Valley Lutheran High School in Appleton on Saturday mornings. Currently about 100 students comprise the Cadet Band (first year students) directed by Robert Kramer, Wind Ensemble directed by Amy Nogar, and Senior Winds directed by Charles Jahnke.

Student musicians participate in 2 annual concerts (during December and May). Students also are offered many other opportunities to grow in their musicianship such as Solo/Ensemble Competition, Christian Band Festival, St. Norbert's Honors Band, Valley 8 Honors Band and Music in the Parks competition.

Piano Lessons

St. Mark's piano program exists to develop student’s maximum keyboard potential through quality instruction and to encourage students to use their God-given gifts of music in the classroom and in worship.

Ms. Abigail Gotstein is our piano instructor.She has her music education degree with piano emphasis from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and has been teaching keyboard at St. Mark since 1991.Her participation has shown in many additional courses, clinics, and workshops as well as judging at area piano festivals.Affiliation with the Northeast Wisconsin Piano Teachers Forum and WELS Piano Teachers Association also is to her credit.

Piano lessons during school hours are available for students in grades 3-8.Other arrangements can be made for younger students.

String Lessons

Ms. Gotstein will offer a string program this year teaching violin and cello.Her music degree includes instrumental instruction, and she has studied cello herself since 7th grade.This was her minor instrument at UW-Madison, and she studied with Lowell Creitz of the Pro Arte Quartet.She has performed with the University Symphony and others since then.

The program will start with beginner lessons in 20-minute increments.Rental information for instruments is available on School Kickoff Night.

Voice Lessons

Debbie Drumm offers voice lessons to St. Mark students in grades 3-8 during the school day. Debbie has her BA in K-12 Choral/General Music Education from UWGB.She taught choir at Bay View Middle School in Howard Suamico for 6 years before deciding to expand her private studio to a full-time job.She is an active adjudicator for the Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) as well as a member of the Wisconsin Choral Directors Association (WCDA). Weekly or bi-weekly lessons are available.There is no requirement to purchase books or other materials.

Junior Choir

Students in 5th-8th grade have the opportunity to participate in Junior Choir.Students learn to use their voices to sing praises to their Lord in a group setting.Musical abilities are broadened as students learn to read and make music.Through a commitment of time and talents, a desire for excellence and a team approach to singing is fostered. Junior Choir participates in St. Mark worship services, mid-week chapel services and occasional school and community events.

Preschool

Preschool:

Our preschool sessions are taught by state-licensed teachers who believe in a child-centered approach to early learning.  Bible lessons are taught daily as the principal component of the curriculum.  Biblical truths are interwoven into the rest of the daily routine which includes age-appropriate early literacy, math skills, large motor and social development.

St. Mark offers 6 different sessions of preschool at two different sites. 

At the Green Bay site:

4-year-old:  Monday, Wednesday, Friday AM

4-year-old:  Monday, Wednesday, Friday PM

3-year-old:  Tuesday, Thursday AM

At the De Pere site:

4-year-old:  Monday, Wednesday, Friday AM

3-year-old:  Monday, Wednesday  AM

3-year-old:  Tuesday, Thursday  AM 

Grading Scale

Grading Scale

100    A+
97-99 A
94-96 A-
91-93 B+
88-90 B
86-87 B-
83-85 C+
80-82 C
78-79 C-
76-77 D+
73-75 D
70-72 D-
00-69 F