St. Peter's Catholic School educates and forms the whole child in a positive, nurturing environment, without sacrificing our rigorous academic standards or our powerful Catholic identity. More and more families are seeking this experience for their student; click below to hear from two families who recently transitioned to St. Peter's Catholic School and have seen the world of difference it makes.
St. Peter’s School Curriculum includes Religion, English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Music, Technology Integration, Art, Physical Education, Spanish, and Social-Emotional Learning.
The goal of the curriculum is to teach the skills and strategies needed for our students to become productive, literate Christian citizens, who serve, improve and enrich our society. As part of the Catholic Diocese of Charleston, we follow the same rigorous Curriculum guidelines of all Catholic schools in South Carolina.
Please take the time to review the detailed Curriculum on the Diocesan website.
The core of our exceptional Music Program is our partnership with the University of South Carolina School of Music. Under the direction of Dr. Wendy Valerio, Associate Professor of Music Education at USC, graduate students from the Music Education Department address both musical appreciation and expression through twice weekly general music instruction.
To demonstrate their music knowledge, all students at St. Peter’s Catholic School perform in the December Christmas Concert. Parents, grandparents, and friends of St. Peter’s School are all cordially invited to attend.
To expand on our well-designed music curriculum, St. Peter’s Catholic School offers after-school instruction in piano, guitar, and voice. These enriching learning opportunities capitalize on children’s natural interests, providing materials, equipment, and opportunities for expressive musical involvement outside the classroom setting.
Capella Pueri, Latin for “Children’s Choir,” is the student choir at St. Peter’s Catholic School. Whether Bach, Pergolesi, Mozart, Billings, Rutter, or well-known spirituals, the selected choristers sing their lively faith with a truly joyful sound. The Capella has performed in major productions like Carolina Ballet’s “Nutcracker” and local events like “Vista Lights.” Capella Pueri is directed by Mr. Jordan DeRouen, Organist and Choirmaster at the Basilica of Saint Peter.
In the words of St. Augustine, “He who sings, prays twice.”
Strength and Movement is an innovative program offered every Fall as St. Peter’s School’s PE program for 1st through 6th grades. It mixes aerobic dance movements with muscle-building exercises, balance, body awareness and stretching, and is offered at the Columbia Conservatory of Dance, just two blocks from St. Peter’s. This special partnership takes advantage of our urban location and its easy accessibility to cultural resources. A challenging PE program, Strength and Movement also develops an appreciation for the art of dance.
In the Spring, Fun Fitness provides physical education instruction to students enrolled in all Early Childhood and Elementary classes to assist in improving coordination, self-esteem, attention span, motor skills, positive body image, and to improve students' towards leading a healthier and more active lifestyle.
The Junior Achievement Program, usually offered in the second half of the school year, is taught by local business professionals and aims to instill in our students the practical knowledge needed for economic success. It fosters work-readiness and a basic understanding of free enterprise and entrepreneurship. It uses experiential learning to develop the financial literacy students need to thrive in the 21st century global marketplace.
St. Peter’s School is proud to be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Our SACS accreditation is your guarantee that our school meets the most rigorous quality standards of academic excellence and continuous school improvement. Our teachers are certified by the State of South Carolina and over 40% of our faculty and staff hold Master’s degrees.
Accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary method of quality assurance developed more than 100 years ago by American universities and secondary schools. The SACS accreditation process is designed primarily to distinguish schools adhering to high educational standards.
SACS examines the whole institution – the programs, the cultural context, the community of stakeholders – to determine how well the parts work together to meet the needs of students.
Academics alone won’t guide a child through the turbulent years of adolescence and the challenges of adult life. The Catholic faith provides every child with a solid foundation to begin to make good decisions based on authentic Gospel values. We nurture the spiritual development of our students through daily prayer, weekly Mass and direct instruction in the teachings of the Catholic Church. Self-discipline and humility, honesty and integrity are modeled and taught in a loving environment.
Our students learn to know and love their Creator, to see others as made in the image and likeness of God, to use their talents and abilities responsibly, and to work for the greater good in our churches, neighborhoods, and local communities. At St. Peter’s, faith is a lived experience with service to others integrated into daily school life. All students participate in community service projects, giving them the opportunity to serve those in need.
A young person of exceptionally good character is the hallmark of the Catholic school graduate. Not surprisingly, the Catholic School environment has produced many outstanding church, civic and business leaders, well-known authors, scientists, and philanthropists.
Our student body is a beautiful representation of our country, with its diversity of ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds. Our students come not only from around Columbia, but also from around the world. Students from Asia, Africa, Central America, South America, Australia, and other countries have recently been enrolled in our school.
In addition to Catholicism, students come from many other religious backgrounds. Our school mission is based on the Gospel, proclaiming God’s love to all and extending a warm welcome to all who enter our doors.
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