What is Divine Mercy Catholic School’s mission?
Divine Mercy Catholic Catholic School mission is to form the whole person – mind, body and soul – guided by Christian values according to Christ’s example as found in the Gospel.
Why should I choose Divine Mercy Catholic School for my child?
- Divine Mercy Catholic is dedicated to passing on the beliefs and traditions of the Catholic Church.
- Divine Mercy Catholic School serves your child with care for their whole being during the first critical educational years – spiritual, emotional, academic, and physical development.
- Based on our recent parent survey, this is what parents are saying about Divine Mercy Catholic School:
- Academic-focused
- Faith-based Catholic Education
- Caring and passionate teachers
- Spiritual, academic, physical, emotional & social development
- Small class sizes
- Sense of family and community
- Art, music, physical education, media center
- Great Resource Center
- Excellent communication with families
What grades does Divine Mercy Catholic School offer?
Divine Mercy Catholic School offers Preschool through 6th grade. Preschool is housed in the Mother Samuel Building and offers full and half-day 3, and 5 day programs for 3, 4, and 5 year old students. Kindergarten through 5th grade are housed in the Divine Mercy School Building. 6th grade is housed at Bethlehem Academy as part of our cooperative Middle School program.
What is the school’s curriculum?
Divine Mercy Catholic School provides a strong curriculum in all subject areas: religion, reading, math, language arts, science, social studies, spelling, phonics, music, physical education, library/media and character development.
How is religion taught?
Religion is taught as a curriculum subject at every grade level. Additionally, as a Catholic school, traditional Catholic/Christian values are part of each aspect of our school curriculum and activities. Catholicism/religion is both a class and a way of life. Religion class is part of the daily schedule. Prayer is said at the beginning of the day, before lunch, and at the day’s end. Students often ask for prayers for personal intentions.
Do children attend Mass?
Students in grades K-5 attend Mass once a week on either Wednesday or Friday depending on the schedule. The 4-5 year old Preschoolers attend Mass several times throughout the year. Grades take turns planning and participating in various aspects of our liturgies including the readings, petitions, announcing songs and taking up the Offertory gifts. Weekly Mass and liturgies for special events and seasons of the year are ways we celebrate our life experiences as a Catholic community.
Are the school’s teachers licensed?
Divine Mercy Catholic School teachers are licensed by the State of Minnesota. Our teachers stay updated in educational topics and practices through frequent workshops and in-services. Our faculty includes specialists in the areas of music, physical education, art and library/media.
Is Divine Mercy Catholic School accredited?
Divine Mercy is fully accredited by MNSAA, the Minnesota Nonpublic School Accrediting Association.
How does the school address children’s special learning needs?
Divine Mercy students with special education needs receive Special Education and speech services through the Faribault School District. A bus brings Divine Mercy students to one of the public schools for special services.
Title I is a program for students in K-3 who are struggling in reading and/or math. Title I services are offered to Divine Mercy students in our building.
In addition Divine Mercy supports a full time Resource Center that evaluates and serves students with educational needs. Our Resource Center works with students who experience deficits or who need additional challenge. We are committed to meeting the needs of all our learners.
What size are classes at Divine Mercy Catholic School?
Ratio is 13 students. Average class size is 17.
Are there any fees in addition to tuition?
- Preschool registration fee is $100.00 per student
- K-5 students are charged a $150.00 Book and Technology fee.
Is tuition assistance available for grades K-6?
Tuition grants are available for those who qualify. Applying for a tuition grant is a confidential process; applications are handled by an outside agency, TADS.
When does registration begin?
Registration begins for existing families the end of January. Registration for all other families begins with our school Open House in February. New student registrations are welcomed any time during the year.
Please contact the Divine Mercy School office at (507) 334-7706 for more information.
Can my child take the bus to and from school?
Bus transportation is provided for students K-6 through the Faribault School District #656.
Does the school offer a hot lunch program?
Divine Mercy Catholic School participates in the federal hot lunch program. Students may purchase a meal prepared on site or bring a cold lunch. Our computerized lunch program tracks each family’s lunch account. Free and reduced lunches are available for qualifying students.
How does Divine Mercy Catholic School communicate with parents?
In addition to our weekly school newsletter and teacher newsletters emailed to parents and posted on our website, we encourage parents to communicate with teachers or principal by note, e-mail, telephone call or visit. The school holds parent-teacher conferences twice a year. Parents may call or visit the school principal at any time with any idea, question or concern.
Does Divine Mercy Catholic School offer extracurricular activities?
Our school offers extra activities, including field trips, theme days, Catholic Schools Week, student assemblies and programs. Fourth, fifth and sixth grade students have opportunities to play sports through Bethlehem Academy: football, volleyball, basketball, baseball and softball. Many other sporting programs for all ages are offered through the Faribault Park and Rec organization.
Are parents welcome to participate in activities at Divine Mercy Catholic School?
We believe that parents are the primary educators of their children. Our school is here to aid you in that process. Without parental involvement, our program would not be a success. We strongly encourage all parents to be actively involved in their child’s education by instilling in them the importance of education, regular study and reading at home.
We provide numerous opportunities for our parents to be actively involved in their child’s education and school activities. We have a strong Parent/Teacher Organization that provides parents with many volunteer opportunities and ways to become more involved with school programs. We encourage parents to volunteer in school during the day and help with special events organized throughout the year. Families are always invited to attend weekly Mass and special events.
Do you need to be Catholic to attend Divine Mercy Catholic School?
You do not need to be Catholic, or a member of our parish, to attend Divine Mercy Catholic School. We welcome children of all faiths and backgrounds. However, religion is an important part of our curriculum, and all students participate in these lessons as well as attending weekly Mass. Our school observes all Catholic Holy Days and Holidays, and we expect all students to model Christian behavior.
