Student Life
House System
Martin Saints’ House system is drawn from the 1,000 year-old tradition of Christian education exemplified in the colleges at Oxford and Cambridge. The Houses provide real, tangible community within the larger school, giving students the opportunity to take ownership, fulfill the call to leadership, to cultivate the virtues. Each House is led by student prefects and a faculty moderator, as well as student captains with responsibility for the spiritual, academic, service, and social life of the House.
Spiritual Life
Every teacher at Martin Saints is a missionary and a minister, ready to mentor students in the Catholic faith. Every class starts with prayer, and connections with our faith are integrated into all aspects of the curriculum. Faith and reason, science and religion, are complementary at Martin Saints.
Hard questions are always welcome! We have a “theology Q&A” box, where anyone can ask an anonymous question anytime. Roughly once a month, we gather the whole school to discuss the latest questions. Questions and conversation are normal parts of exploring and growing up in the faith.
We also have regular, daily school devotions. On any given day, the whole school might gather for Mass, rosary, Liturgy of the Hours, lectio divina, Benediction, or informal talks.
Athletics
Since a human person is both body and soul, an integral education will foster the development of the body as well as the soul. Athletics are a crucial part of the formation of students at Martin Saints. Besides gym class that is required of all students, we are actively developing athletic programs in different sports. As a member school of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), we currently have the offerings below.
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Cross Country
Cross Country shapes the mind and the body. The best thing about the sports is the valuable lessons that an individual learns during participation such as; team work, discipline, self determination, mental toughness, and how to push themselves beyond their comfort level.
Just like the classics, Cross Country has stood the test of time. With the first track and field event taking place in the Ancient Olympic Games in 776.
TennisOur tennis team has three main goals: to grow as a person and improve as a tennis player; to help teammates to grow as persons and improve as tennis players; and to have fun. Tennis grows our character in several ways. We teach integrity by treating opponents fairly. We teach perseverance by never giving up on a point or in a match. We teach encouragement by giving teammates support, confidence, and hope. We teach gratitude toward teammates for their help, opponents for their efforts, and family and MSC for the opportunity to play a sport that can be enjoyed for a lifetime.
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Men’s Basketball
2023-2024 was the inaugural season for the boys basketball team at Martin Saints. We look forward to many more successful seasons. Success means growing in our basketball skills, as well as learning what it means to be a part of a team. Although winning is always the goal, we prefer to define success as was so eloquently stated by legendary Coach Phil Jackson who said, “In basketball - as in life - true joy comes from being fully present in each and every moment, not just when things are going your way.” Basketball is also a great sport for watching and building community; Martin Saints students have fun attending games and cheering the team.
Indoor Track
Track shapes the mind and the body. The best thing about the sports is the valuable lessons that an individual learns during participation such as; team work, discipline, self determination, mental toughness, and how to push themselves beyond their comfort level.
Just like the classics, Track has stood the test of time. With the first track and field event taking place in the Ancient Olympic Games in 776.
WrestlingMartin Saints interscholastic wrestling program is physically challenging and personally rewarding. The focus of the wrestling program is character development through individual and team practice and competition. As "iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Wrestling builds character through respect for our teammates and opponents, courage to face the unknown opponent, teamwork through rigorous training and perseverance through repetition for excellence. Our team practices are graciously hosted in the Action Karate dojo immediately adjacent to our campus.
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Track & Field
Track & Field shapes the mind and the body. The best thing about the sports is the valuable lessons that an individual learns during participation such as; team work, discipline, self determination, mental toughness, and how to push themselves beyond their comfort level.
Just like the classics, Track & Field has stood the test of time. With the first track and field event taking place in the Ancient Olympic Games in 776.
Clubs & Activities
We offer a wide variety of co-curricular and extra-curricular clubs and activities.
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Chamber Choir
This small, elite choir, with students chosen by audition, performs advanced pieces at school concerts and events such as Advent Lessons and Carols and the Spring Evening of the Arts. Meets on Thursdays, before school.
String Ensemble
Our string musicians perform a varied repertoire at Martin Saints performances, often alongside choral performances. Meets on the first and third Friday, before school.
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Art Club
Students work independently on a variety of arts and crafts, with access to a wide variety of materials, support from their friends, and faculty mentoring. Meets weekly on Tuesdays.
Board Games Club
Board Games Club is a relaxing time for students to try to achieve the most victory points, earn the most coins, claim territory, or otherwise defeat each other! Of course, this is all in the name of good fun. Join us after school on Thursday afternoons before Frassati Fridays for good company, friendly banter, and interesting games such as Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, Dominion, Azul, Forbidden Desert, and so, so many others. Warning: once you start down the Board Games path you may quickly find yourself deep in a rabbit-hole of really cool themes, addictive obsession with game pieces, various game mechanics, and definitely advanced strategy.
Drama Club
Participation in drama club allows for the skills and techniques learned in craftsmanship class to be developed at an even higher level. Students intentionally hone their craft more deeply over time and get to perform their work for a wider audience at our annual spring production. Previous performances include: The Importance of Being Earnest (Spring 2021), Pride & Prejudice (Spring 2022), Speakeasy (Fall 2022). This year the plan is to perform Much Ado About Nothing in Spring 2023!
Civics Club
Explores current events and recent history. Our goal is to become informed and responsible citizens with an actively Christian mindset. Meets on the second and fourth Monday of each month.
Language and Culture Club
The Language & Culture club is a place where students can study foreign languages together and learn about different cultures. Members are welcome to self study or group study and once a month members go on a club trip to a local place of culture! Meets during lunch on the last Friday of the month.
Literary Magazine
The Martin Saints Literary Magazine publishes short stories, poems, book reviews, art, and photography created by students. We publish annually in the spring. Meets on the 3rd Wednesday of the month.
Robotics Club
The Martin Saints Robotics Club explores circuitry, programming, robotics, and 3D printing. We program sensors and motors using C++ code and Arduino microcontrollers, enabling machines to learn. We make working devices using Autocad graphic design software. God wants us to use our talents to create good things, so we make some cool stuff! Meets on Wednesdays after school.
Sewing Club
Sewing club comes together to learn the valuable skills for mending clothes and also making our own projects. By engaging in the art of sewing, we hope to transform our lives to be simpler and become more sustainable. We want to join in the joy that is brought about by creating something you can use everyday. Meets weekly on Thursdays after school.
Yearbook
Create a yearbook from beginning to end. Take pictures, write copy, layout the pages. Meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month.
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Café
Daily, before/after school & lunch.
Martha's Cafe features coffee, other beverages, pastries and snacks. Run entirely by students, the cafe provides an inviting atmosphere for camaraderie and good conversation. Open daily.
Campus Ministry
Student ministers help grow our school's spiritual and devotional life. We work to identify the spiritual needs of our fellow students and pray for special intentions on campus. We plan student-led prayer periods, we meet for conversation to discern how the Spirit is moving in our school, and we brainstorm ways to bless our community through prayer and service. Meets biweekly, during lunch.
Scriptorium
The Scriptorium is our writing support center. Scriptorium mentors meet one-on-one with their peers and assist them at any stage in the writing process, from brainstorming to editing. The Scriptorium is held Tuesdays before school and Wednesdays after school.
Student Ambassadors
The student ambassadors are selected for their spirit of hospitality, warmth, initiative, service, and joy. Their primary purpose is to assist the Admissions team in hosting various events throughout the year, including open houses, visitation days, and shadow days. Student Ambassadors are articulate regarding the mission of Martin Saints, they exemplify the values of the school, and they invest in the growth of the school through their outreach role.
