WELCOME TO ST. MARK'S EPISCOPAL ACADEMY

St. Mark's Episcopal Academy inspires a life-long love of learning, and equips students with excellent academic skills that  prepare them for the next stages in their education.  As a safe, loving, inclusive, and collaborative environment, we nurture confidence, moral courage, and character development that enables students to be leaders of positive change in the world, according to Christian values and Episcopal traditions. 

Mr. Chris Wester comes from a family of educators, with his mother and brother both serving as teachers and school administrators. He and his family most recently lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota – and it was the opportunity to lead St. Mark’s that brought the Wester family to Cocoa Village and this community.

Over the last 24 years, Chris has realized his passion for working with young people and educators to create exceptional learning environments. With 12 years spent in the classroom, Mr. Wester has a great understanding of what it takes to make each classroom special for our students. His passion for history, the arts, and STEAM education has been highlighted by the growth of those areas in the schools in
which he has helmed.

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​Chris has led three private schools to new heights, with increased enrollment, increased community engagement within the school, and new student programming to meet the needs of every 21st-century learner. Working with parents, staff, and the local community – Chris believes that “a school is a village”, and that we need to have every member of that village contribute to the betterment of our school
community.

• Academic excellence

• Balanced development of body, mind, and spirit

• Inclusion and diversity in a Christian community

• Caring for our world with good stewardship and sustainable practices

• Tradition.  Innovation.  Inspiration

1. Students appreciate what it means to be Christian, as well as Episcopalian.

2. Students develop excellent reading and writing skills, positioning them at or above grade level.

3. Students develop strong STEAM skills, positioning them at or above grade level, with special focus on marine sciences and the environment.

4. Students learn critical thinking skills so they may assess their experiences independently and accurately, and build strong foundations as practical problem-solvers.

5. Students increase their range of expression and perception by learning art, music, and sports.

6. Students become strongly inclined to good stewardship; they build habits of good works by caring for one another, their communities, and their environment. 

7. Students conduct themselves with respect and consideration for others.  

8. Students experience being loved and cared for while being held to high standards of growth and behavior.

9. Students and their families work to achieve high standards of learning while maintaining a cooperative and collegial environment.