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By Laurie Burstein
Each morning at 8:15 a.m., the students at Marian Middle School recite these lines at the morning assembly. Sister Rosalie Wisniewski, the school’s principal, often poses a challenge for the day ahead. After she makes announcements and answers questions, classes begin for the 37 girls who attend Marian.
Located in South
St. Louis on a floor of the former St. Anthony’s High School, Marian Middle School (MMS) is a private, Catholic school for economically disadvantaged girls in grades six through eight. Founded in 1999 by eight religious orders of women, MMS seeks to educate girls who statistically are at high risk for dropping out, having a child before 18, or becoming involved in gangs and violence.
The school’s director, Maureen Herrmann, doubles as the basketball coach. “Our mission is to break the cycle of poverty through a rigorous academic program, a caring, nurturing environment, and high expectations for our students,” she says. “Using the highly successful Nativity Mission model of education, we work to build skills, confidence, self-esteem, and goals in our students so they find alternatives to many negative influences and choices in their lives.”
The idea for a Catholic middle school for low-income girls in St. Louis had been brewing for quite some time. But it was an article in the newspaper about Loyola Academy, a Catholic middle school for boys based on the Nativity Model, that really got things moving, says Sister Nancy Wittwer, a Loretto sister.
“Why can’t we start a school in the city for the girls?” she asked herself along with a key group of religious women involved in Catholic education—including Sister Madonna O’Hara, President at Ursuline Academy and Sister Barbara Roche, President of Nerinx Hall.
Soon, Sister Wittwer and another key founder, Aurelia Weil, were on a plane to New York to visit four other highly successful schools. One, located in Harlem, was based on the Nativity Model. They were certain that young girls in the city would benefit greatly from this type of school not previously available in St. Louis. A year-and-a-half later, Marian Middle School opened its doors to 15 students.
MMS was founded on these key principles of the Nativity Model:
Small Class Size
no more than 15 to 20 girls per classroom.
Extended Day
students are required to stay until 5:45 p.m.
Extended School Year
10 months, versus nine.
Enrichment Program
an afternoon program that exposes
students to many subjects, stressing
a healthy and full life.
Parental Involvement
parents are required to volunteer at the school.
Under this model, MMS students arrive for breakfast at 7:30, followed by the morning assembly. Morning and afternoon classes consist of math, art, reading, literature and science with a lunch break at noon. At 3:15 the girls have a snack and do light chores. From 3:30 to 4:30, the enrichment program begins, including everything from Tai Chi to sewing, in addition to health care issues and outside speakers. From 4:30 to 5:30, students are in study hall, where homework is supervised.
By 5:45, they are definitely ready to go home.
 Using the Nativity Model, morning and afternoon classes consist of math, art, reading, literature and science. |
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The school is not under the direct jurisdiction of the St. Louis Archdiocese, but utilizes their programs and resources. Students are admitted based on their academic achievements, desire and commitment to the rigorous program. Marian is not tuition-driven, meaning fees are based on a sliding scale depending on family income. The average cost per family is $35 per month ($420 per year).
Last fall, Marian embarked on an aggressive recruiting campaign to increase enrollment. The school’s goal is to start its fifth year in August with 55 to 60 girls—full capacity for the school. To help make that possible, the majority of MMS funding comes from grants and foundations. But fundraising events are also important to the school’s financial
health. In May, Anheuser-Busch Cos. hosted
a $100-per-ticket event for Marian at
Grant’s Farm. The evening included an
introduction to Marian and its mission.
Parent Judy Webb sings Marian’s praises every chance she gets. Her 13-year-old daughter, Terrie, is a seventh grader who has excelled both academically and in her personal growth, Webb says. “The academics are wonderful, and Terrie has been challenged beyond her limits,” Webb says. “The smaller class size has really given Terrie an opportunity to show what she can do—and her grades have gone up considerably.”
| Students are admitted based on their academic achievements, desire and commitment to the rigorous program. |
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Webb also speaks highly of the enrichment program. “The after school programs are not only fun, but the girls learn so much,” she says. One Saturday, MMS students took a short cruise on a riverboat to learn about the Lewis and Clark expedition. It was the first boat ride for many of the girls.
Webb adds that it is important for girls in the city to have the same exposure and opportunities for learning that other schools provide. “Marian Middle School is such an asset to the City of St. Louis,” she says. “People may not know about it yet, but it is really a treasure waiting to be discovered for educating girls in the city.”
Sister Wisniewski says discipline and incentives are used every day. “School is often the only place where our students have consistency,” she says. “Many of our students have to parent themselves at home, but they know that at school there are rules.”
Looking towards the future, Sister O’Hara says now that the school is entering into its fifth year, there is a big responsibility to keep it going. “We are committed to keeping the school small, while recruiting more students to operate at full capacity of 55 to 60 students,” she says. “And, of course, we always need more solid financial backing to support the school.”
Sister Wittwer explains that while many of the students were not succeeding at their previous schools, they simply needed more attention, and to be challenged.
“Without this school, students would fall through the cracks. We take inner city girls who are academically one or two grade levels below where they should be, but still show promise,” Sister Wittwer says. “Marian Middle School has the potential to transform lives at a time when girls are so vulnerable. We provide a small, secure environment where girls are given much personal attention not found in traditional parochial or public schools. At Marian, girls are given the opportunity to discover who they are.”
Laurie Burstein is a freelance writer based in St. Louis. |
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