Below are some of the more commonly asked questions that you may have.  If you have more specific questions or would like more details, please call the school office at 301-884-3165 or email the school secretary at secretary@mothercatherine.org.

• What is an Independent Catholic School?

  • An Independent Catholic School is owned and operated by a non-profit legal entity.  It is distinct from an archdiocesan school, which is owned and operated by a parish or group of parishes.  An independent school adheres to all the religious education guidelines from the archdiocese, and remains free to extend it's academic program to offer a unique education beyond the requirements of both archdiocesan and public schools.

• Is the school certified and accredited?

  • YES! Mother Catherine Academy is certified to operate as a school through the State of Maryland.  We are also a fully accredited institution from AdvanceEd through the year 2024.  Our affiliation with the Archdiocese of Washington allows us to educate in our faith-based Catholic identity.

• Does my child have to be Catholic?

  • No. Mother Catherine Academy welcomes all families with open arms. Non-Catholic children attend Mass with their peers, as well as participate fully in religion classes; so non-Catholic children will not feel excluded in any way.

• What are the school hours of operation?

  • The school office is open Monday through Friday from 7:15 AM until 3:30 PM.  Student sare permitted to enter the building at 7:30 AM and dismissal is at 3:00 PM.  Our before-care program runs from 6:00 AM until 7:30 AM; and after-care is from 3:00 PM until 6:00 PM.  Both are available for an additional fee.  For more information visit our Extended Care Page.

• Do the students wear uniforms?

  • Yes.  Our students wear both a dress and a PE uniform which are available though Lands' End.  The Lands' End website will display items that are approved for student(s) to wear.  On the day(s) the students have PE, they would wear their PE uniform all day.  Along with our uniforms, the students may wear either boat style shoes (light/dark tan) with their dress uniforms, and all black or all white athletic shoes with both PE and dress uniforms.

• Is there bus service available for my child?

  • Yes.  Residents of St. Mary’s County have free bus service available for children to and from Mother Catherine Academy.  The bus stops run as far south as Hollywood.  A Request for Transportation Form must be completed and sent to the St. Mary’s Count Transportation Office to establish a bus stop for your child.  The form is available on our Parents/Forms page. Please visit the transportation page for additional details: https://www.stmarysmd.com/dpw/nonpublicschools/

• Are the students required to have a physical or immunizations?

  • Yes. Children are required by the State of Maryland to have a physical and be up to date on all Maryland State required immunizations before entering school.  For a list of requirements please visit https://phpa.health.maryland.gov/OIDEOR/IMMUN/Pages/back-to-school-immunization-requirements.aspx.  

• Does the school have a hot lunch program?

  • Mother Catherine Academy does offer a hot lunch program.  The program runs Monday through Friday and offers a variety of both healthy and fun foods for the students.  Hot lunch can be purchased for $4.00 per day and extra is available for $1.00 more.  Bottled water is available for $.50.  White or chocolate milk is also available through our milk program for $36.00 per year per milk container. (Price of milk is subject to change.)

• Are the children allowed to have a snack during the day?

  • Our students are provided an opportunity each morning to have a snack to help promote both physical and mental health.  Snacks must be inline with our healthy snack program.  Details can be found on our Parents/Guidelines page.

• Are grades available online?

  • Beginning in third grade, grades are posted online. At the beginning of the year, you will receive a registration code as well as information on how to set up your account.

• Is there an obligation from the families to participate in any fundraising or volunteer work?

  • Yes, the success of our school depends largely on the support from our families.  We ask that each family contribute 15 volunteer hours per school year.  Families are also required to participate in various fundraising programs throughout the school year.  Our largest and most successful fundraiser is our Saturday Night Bingo program which runs the entire calendar year.  Each family is required to work Saturday Night Bingo four times throughout the course of the year.  More information on the family commitment can be found on our Admissions\Family Commitment page.

• How does the school disseminate information?

  • There is a weekly newsletter that contains important information for our families.  The newsletter is distributed weekly both via email and a hard copy sent home with students on Wednesdays.  For emergency related information, our families are notified by phone through SchoolReach.  

• Does Mother Catherine Academy follow the public schools for weather related closings?

  • Yes, in the case of inclement weather or school closings, we follow the St. Mary’s County Public Schools delay and closure schedule.

• What is a Tag Day?

  • Tag days are fundraisers. For a donation (depending on event), children do not have to wear the uniform on that day. All clothes must be school appropriate and conform to the dress code for tag days. Contact the office or student handbook for details on what is appropriate for tag days.

• What extracurricular activities are offered?

  • Mother Catherine Academy students can choose from a range of after-school activities, some of which last year-round, some of which are for just a season. Options include (but are not limited to) basketball, cheerleading, gardening, drama, volleyball, computer programming and more! Some activities have age restrictions, so talk to your child’s teacher for more information.