History & Tradition
Catholic parochial education has been a part of the St. John Parish Mission since 1866. The church sacristy served as our first classroom and it is fitting that Christ has remained the focus of each of our classrooms down through the ages as we moved from a 2-room schoolhouse, to the original elementary school location on Main Street, to our present-day Monroe Street site. The School Sisters of Notre Dame staffed our school from 1898-1997 and have left their mark in a richly spiritual legacy that endures today!
Our multi-acre suburban campus consists of the newly dedicated Church, School, Parish Center, Parish Hall and Rectory and is located in Westminster, Maryland, just off Route 140 and Englar Road. Our campus has rolling, grassy meadows and asphalt for physical education and recess activities. A clean, bright cafeteria and a gym with a stage area are two indispensable resources in constant use. All facilities are open extensively to parish/community organizations for their use after school hours. In 1866, St. John School’s first classes were held in the sacristy of the old brick church on Main Street. With the help of Father Joseph H. Cassidy, the fourth pastor of St. John, the school had grown to include a new building, over 90 students and religious order teachers form the School Sisters of Notre Dame.
n 1927, Father Martin P.J. Egan, the seventh pastor, opened the high school. The first graduating class was in 1931. Father John J. Murphy, the twelfth pastor began a capital campaign for a new high school on the newly purchased Monroe Street property. The new high school building was dedicated in 1958. Unfortunately, the high school closed in June of 1969. The following spring, the elementary school, which was flourishing, moved to the current Monroe Street location. In 1992, the new addition to the school was dedicated and a kindergarten program was added. Our pre-school program started in 2010 with the addition of a four year-old class.
According to Maryland EXCELS, “Children’s first five years lay the foundation for the rest of their lives. These early years have a major impact on how children succeed in kindergarten, in school, and in their lives.” Your child deserves the best quality care and pre-school education. St. John Catholic School received Maryland Excels highest ranking, The Level Five Program, meaning we have achieved the highest benchmarks in the Maryland EXCELS program in addition to our accreditation with the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Division of Early Childhood Development.
St. John Catholic School is proud to offer exceptional curriculum-based Pre-School programs with a variety of full and part-day options in a faith-centered, caring, nurturing, and safe environment. Our Pre-Schoolers learn fine motor skills, socialization skills, auditory and visual learning through multi-sensory hands-on learning, educational centered activities, technology, free play, music and art.
Our curriculum in both Pre-School classes, The InvestiGator Club, by Robert Leslie Publishing, is an investigation-based early childhood curriculum. Children learn to use their senses, ask questions, make choices and use creative tools to find answers in a supportive, encouraging and caring environment. The learning system helps to reinforce a cycle of learning that starts at home, continues at school and finishes back at home through indoor and outdoor play, shared reading, exploration and discovery.
When you enroll in our Pre-School, you become part of our family. We are a more than a school, we work together to develop your child to their fullest potential academically, physically and spiritually.
Highlights of our Pre-School program include:
· Faith filled learning environment.
· Inquiry-based learning system curriculum
· Introduction and hands-on exposure to technology and S.T.E.M
· Introduction and exposure to a foreign language (Spanish).
· Educational field trips, outdoor play and rest time
Please note class sizes are limited. Applicants are encouraged to apply early using the online enrollment link: https://sjwestschool.schooladminonline.com
Our student population is comprised of Catholic and Christian families primarily from Carroll County. We do have a few families who commute from neighboring counties. Our demographics reflect the communities we serve. Technology is integrated through our curriculum in all grades. St. John School has been educating students in the Carroll County community for over 150 years. Today, we are the only Catholic school in Carroll County. While the school’s history is vast, our goal has been consistent: to provide students with an excellent academic education that is rooted in our Catholic faith.