Selecting the right elementary school for your child is a major decision. Over 160 years ago, St. Peter’s Catholic School was established to assist parents with this great responsibility.

St. Peter’s School, faculty and staff are dedicated to giving your child the very best. What do we mean by that?

The Best Academic Preparation for Future Success

Catholic elementary schools have traditionally excelled in providing children with the strongest preparation for future success in secondary schools and colleges. Year after year, The National Center for Education, which issues “The Nation’s Report Card” on schools, has found that Catholic elementary schools consistently outperform other schools in the fundamental areas of reading, English language skills, mathematics and science. St. Peter’s shares this national Catholic tradition of academic excellence.

Iowa Test of Basic Skills Results

The Iowa Test of Basic Skills is a nationally standardized achievement test for K-12 students. The test allows parents to compare your child’s scores to children across the country in Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science.

For example. a score of 70% means a student or group of students scored better than 70% percent of all students in a nationally representative group used to develop the test. The chart below shows The Catholic Diocese of Charleston Composite National Percentile Scores (NP). Bear in mind, as you analyze the chart, that St. Peter’s School students consistently score at or above Diocesan Composite National Percentile Scores.

The very same skills Catholic elementary schools excel in teaching–reading, writing, language arts, mathematics, social studies and science–are crucial skills today’s child needs to thrive in tomorrow’s world. The future will require strong reading and comprehension skills, the ability to analyze and evaluate a constant stream of new ideas, and the flexibility to adapt to continuous technological change and innovation. The future will reward those who are lifelong learners. Your child’s bright future begins with the strong academic preparation for ongoing learning that St. Peter’s provides.

Christian Character Development

Academics alone won’t guide a child through the turbulent years of adolescence and the challenges of adult life. The Catholic faith provides every child with a solid foundation to begin to make good decisions based on authentic Gospel values. We nurture the spiritual development of our students through daily prayer, weekly Mass and direct instruction in the teachings of the Catholic Church. Self-discipline and humility, honesty and integrity are modeled and taught in a loving environment.

A young person of exceptionally good character is the hallmark of the Catholic school graduate. Not surprisingly, the Catholic School environment has produced many outstanding church, civic and business leaders, well-known authors, scientists, and philanthropists.

Community Awareness and Responsibility

Our students learn to know and love their Creator, to see others as made in the image and likeness of God, to use their talents and abilities responsibly, and to work for the greater good in our neighborhoods and towns, our country and our world.
At St. Peter’s, faith is a lived experience with service to others integrated into daily school life. All students participate in community service projects, giving them the opportunity to serve those in need and support their local communities.

Small Classes

Research has shown that smaller class size gives each child more opportunity to receive individual attention. Interestingly, if an attentive environment is lacking in the early years, it may be harder for a middle school student to develop effective self-discipline and work habits for later academic and professional success.

Here each child is nurtured, known, and cherished as a gift of God, with a unique human potential. There is no crowd for children to get lost in. Parents often say they chose St. Peter’s because of our small classes, which research shows is the best environment for young children.

Diversity

Though our classes are small, the ethnic background of our students is diverse, their families coming from around the corner and around the world.

All are invited to join our school family. In addition to Catholicism, students from 12 other religious backgrounds attend St. Peter’s. Our school mission is based on the Gospel, proclaiming God’s love to all and extending a warm welcome to all who enter our doors.