Academic Facilities

Middle SchoolThe design of the school unites the traditions of the Catholic faith with a state-of-the-art middle school educational environment. To emphasize Catholic traditions, the layout of the building is organized around three metaphors consistently seen in traditional Catholic architecture: Body, City and Temple, which are represented in the program areas. Body is represented by the gymnasium; City is exemplified through the Commons and social interaction area; and Temple is signified by the academic wing of the building. The “light corridor” or central spine of the building unites these areas.

To create a learning environment that promotes academic excellence, the middle school layout incorporates many aspects of a contemporary learning. The classroom arrangement includes flexible grade-level communities, or “pods,” each containing 3-4 large core classrooms; adjacent collaborative, independent learning areas; group study/project rooms and student lockers. The collaborative learning spaces include flexible furniture and technology to accommodate multiple instructional needs with visual transparency between classrooms.

Rather than having separate classrooms with desks in rows or blocks, each room in the area is separated by glass walls, enabling teachers to oversee multiple groups of students engaged in different activities. Furnishings are mobile and are shaped for easy reconfiguration depending upon the task at hand. The science lab and art classroom are intentionally located near Jane’s Woods, a beautiful outdoor learning environment.

Our Middle School Commons seats 150 students for lunch and can be used as a gathering space for large school events or after-hours activities. The gymnasium is used for physical education classes and as a competition court with bleacher seating for 300. The gym can also be divided into two separate courts for practices and tournaments.

Our Middle School chapel provides a worship and silent prayer area, with seating for 75 students.

The library/media center is an interactive space with flexible furnishings to meet various needs from research to group interaction. It includes areas for books and reading, as well as a media area and green screen where students can create reports and learn to use audio-visual equipment.

Every area of the Middle School is flooded with natural light, providing a pleasantly lit backdrop for schoolwork. Nooks and comfortable spaces for reading or studying individually or in a group are located throughout the building.

The overall design our the St. Mary Middle School accommodates current and probable future technology trends.

High SchoolOur High School campus opened its current location in 1997. Our 87,000 square foot facility consists of a state-of-the-art Fitness Center, spacious Student Resource Center, Technology Learning Center - home to our STEM program, and a recently completed Leadership Center.

In addition to our numerous classrooms and learning spaces, we also blessed to have a beautiful, classic hardwood gymnasium floor, as well as turfed football, soccer, baseball, and softball fields.

Jane’s Woods is a beautiful two-acre wooded area located adjacent to the on the Middle School Campus. The woods is named in loving memory of the mother of two important SMCS benefactors, brothers John & Dick Bergstrom. The small preserve was recognized by a local professional arborist to be “the best-preserved woodland in the Fox Valley.”

Jane’s Woods was established in 1994 when St. Mary Catholic High School was constructed on Zephyr Drive. When the new Middle School was constructed in 2015, the building was positioned at the edge of the woods and designed to take advantage of the verdant view; the science and art labs are located next to the woods for easy access.

Many volunteers have worked over the years to transform the wildly overgrown plot into a beautiful area that is enjoyed by many. Groups including science classes, sports teams, scout troops and school families still visit the woods regularly to combat invasive species such as buckthorn, renew native flora and perform trail maintenance.