A group of visionaries at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church worked to create a nursery school that would provide loving care, enrichment, and guidance for children from all cultures and religious backgrounds in our community. St. Mark’s School opened their doors in September of 1968. Since that time it has grown to include an infant and toddler center and five nursery school classrooms offering full or part-time programs.
St. Mark’s School and its leaders have strived for excellence. The program has been nationally accredited by the National Association for Education of Young Children for 15 years and works to maintain that seal of approval in all areas:
- Health and Safety
- Physical Environment
- Curriculum
- Student Assessment & Progress
- Parent Communication
- Staff Preparation
- Community Relationships
- Administration and Leadership
We are situated on the grounds of St. Mark’s Church in a quiet spot off the avenue near a lovely canyon that looks out to Mission Bay. We usually have a nice breeze off the water and a beautiful view to the west. We feel fortunate to have large classrooms, natural light, shaded areas, and gardens to work in with our children.
We do not teach religion in our program, but we are Christian in our values. We believe that we are created in God’s likeness to care for ourselves, others, and our world. We model care and respect for all living things in our program and begin our day with prayer.
We thrive on our partnership with parents and we are a joyful, hard-working staff. While we have evolved and expanded over the past four decades, we have never changed our original purpose: to keep St. Mark’s School “a loving place to grow.”