Dear parents and visitors:

What day is it? It’s a great day to be a Saint!

It is always a great day at St. Mary on the Hill Catholic School (SMCS) especially when our Saints are immersed in Project-Based Learning, attending Mass, helping others through community service, or having fun on the playground.

On behalf of Father Ross, pastor, and faculty and staff, welcome to our school website. We hope our website provides worthwhile information to help you choose the right school home for your family.

Before you delve into our website, I would like to share a little about SMCS with you.

SMCS is a vibrant, faith-filled community of students, parents, and partners in education. We are focused on our call to be Christian disciples while helping our Saints reach their full potential in a rigorous spiritual and academic environment.

We work to enrich our Saints through a dynamic religious educational program in conjunction with our St. Mary on the Hill parish and school-based religious educators. Under the guidance of the Catholic Diocese of Savannah, our Saints learn the basic tenets of the Catholic faith, church history, and prepare to receive the Sacraments of First Eucharist and First Reconciliation.

 We do more than just teach the faith; we live it. We also welcome families of all faiths who desire to be part of a school family that encourages each of us to be disciples of Jesus Christ. We value kindness and reward it during our school day through our House System that promotes faith, love, community, and service. Every quarter, our Saints also serve others, as Jesus commands us to do. Service projects are undertaken in each department, and we also work on a school-wide project.

Academically, our faculty facilitates a rigorous academic program that challenges our students to think critically, problem solve, and excel in their subject areas. Through Project-Based Learning, STEM/STEAM, and other research-based teaching methods, our students tackle real-world issues in meaningful ways, while exceeding Diocesan educational standards. Our Saints also enjoy being challenged in academic competitions such as CyberPatriot, Junior Model UN, MATHCOUNTS, PAGE Academic Bowl, Perennial Math, etc.

Our Saints also have opportunities to excel outside the classroom. Clubs are quite popular and depending on grade level, we offer Chess Club, Chorus, Junior Beta Club, Safety Patrol, TED-Ed Student Talks, to name a few. Our middle school Saints benefit from a top-notch athletic program that promotes hard work and teamwork. More than 80% of our sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students participate in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, soccer, volleyball, and more.

We pray that you have a peaceful process in determining the best school home for your family. We, of course, believe that SMCS should be at the top of your list. If you have any questions about our school or would like a tour, please contact Whitney Beck, Marketing Director, at whitney.beck@smcsaug,org, or me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We look forward to meeting you and showing you why it is always a great day to be a Saint!

In His service and yours,

Todd Shafer, Ed.S.
Principal