Outstanding Teachers
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Professional
Development for Faculty
Each academic year our faculty
and staff are afforded a myriad of professional development opportunities. A
few of the workshops attended recently include: Orton Gillingham Reading
Certification, American Choral Directors’ Summer Conference, the National
Singapore Math Institute, the Community Works Institute on Service Learning,
the Lucy Calkins Summer Writing Institute, Design Thinking Workshop for
Educators, and a bioformatics workshop from the Innovative Technology
Experiences for Students and Teachers. This advanced training translates into
new and creative approaches to teaching that benefit each student.
Preparation
for Life
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Award-winning
Athletics
Our Upper School students have
their choice of 13 different inter-scholastic sports including basketball,
cross country, equestrian, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball,
swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and water polo. Our
Middle School students compete in 7 sports including soccer, volleyball,
basketball, flag football, tennis, golf, and track and field. Every Middle
School student of every skill level is given the opportunity to play.
Our young men and women excel on
the courts, the fields, and in the pool, regularly winning league
championships. Sportsmanship, teamwork, discipline, personal bests, and a
positive attitude are what Catalina sports are all about.
Exceptional
Academics
Enhanced
Curriculum
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The foundation of a Santa
Catalina education is our commitment to excellence and the cornerstone is our
exceptional academic curriculum. With 18 Advanced Placement classes offered and
an average class size of 12 students, our Upper School students are allowed to
discover their academic potential and foster their individual talents.
Journey, our comprehensive advising program, is designed to
develop each student’s highest potential, advance her leadership skills, and
ensure her excellent college placement. Guided by our outstanding faculty, 82%
of whom hold advanced degrees, our young women develop the leadership and life
skills necessary to succeed in today’s ever-changing world.
Our Lower School students are
offered state of the art curriculum in the core subjects.Programs such as Singapore Math,
Developmental Reading Assessment, and Words Their Way enable our students to graduate with a strong
academic foundation that ensures their success in high school and beyond. With
a faculty that includes a literary specialist, two learning specialists,
foreign language instructors in Spanish, Latin, and Mandarin, music, art, and
computer classes, our Lower School education is designed to foster intellect
and creativity. Through the development of
leadership skills and community service activities, Compass builds core values and instills a firm foundation of
good character. Our young students are guided to think deeply about themselves,
their classmates, and the world around them.
Gifts
that Give Back
Sister
Carlotta Endowment for Educational Excellence
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The Sister Carlotta Endowment for Educational Excellence was established in 2002 in honor of Sister Carlotta O'Donnell, who was Santa Catalina’s inspirational Head of School from 1965 until her retirement in 2002. As a component of this endowment, the Sister Carlotta Distinguished Service Award is presented to a faculty or staff member whose teaching, either inside or outside of the the classroom, epitomizes the school's Mission and has enriched the hearts and minds of students at Santa Catalina School.
In 2012, two employees were honored with the award: Mark Purcell, Upper School choral music teacher, and Zoe Sippel, Grade 1 teacher. As Sister Carlotta once said: “Each of us must engage joyfully in all dimensions of education at Santa Catalina. Bear in mind our duty to teach
beyond our subject matter to the dimensions of self-discipline, behavior, citizenship, and above all, our devotional and spiritual life. This teaching takes place everywhere: in the classroom, in Assembly, in Chapel, in the theater, in the Dining Room, on our playing fields, and in our dormitories.” All who know Mark and Zoe would agree that they exemplify the values and vision that Sister Carlotta held as the standard for Santa Catalina’s faculty.