St. Mary's Catholic School (Temple, Texas)
St. Mary's Catholic School or SMCS is a Roman Catholic co-educational school, PreK-8, located in Temple, Texas. History St. Mary's School was founded in 1897 under the name of St. Mary's Academy by Father Heckmann, pastor of St. Mary's Church. Under his direction, with the support of a group of parishioners, Divine Providence Sisters guided the pupils for several years. The Divine Providence Sisters withdrew in 1912 and not until 1919 could teaching sisters be found to continue their good work. Sisters of the Congregation of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament from Houston, Texas, began at St. Mary's School in 1919 and had a presence in the school until the retirement in May 1995 of long-time librarian, Sister James Philip Davison. In 1974, Mrs. Loris Edwards became the first lay principal. Today, the school is staffed by lay teachers. Academics In addition to its emphasis on moral development, St. Mary's prides itself on academics and is a presence at the PSIA tournaments every year. It has hosted the academic competitions several times at its school. Elementary students study the core subjects of math, English, science, social studies, and religion. Middle school continues with each of these but also adds