Our Mission

Santa Catalina School exists to develop in each student a striving for excellence, a maturing awareness of moral and spiritual values, a sense of responsible purpose, and a determination to serve the world with courage, grace, and compassion.

Our Vision

Prepare students to lead lives of meaning and purpose.

Our Motto

Veritas—truth. Underlying all actions, relationships, and communication is the assumption that this standard exists.

Our Values

Our History

1850

Work begins to establish the first Catholic school in California, the Convent and School of Santa Catalina.

1851

In the spring, the school opens in Monterey

1854

The school moves to Benicia, the new state capital, and is renamed St. Catherine’s School. The school moves again to San Rafael.

1950

The Dominican Sisters of San Rafael re-establish a school in Monterey. It opens on its current campus with Sister Mary Kieran as head of school.

1953

The first summer camp program begins.

1954

The Rosary Chapel is dedicated.

1965

Sister Carlotta O’Donnell begins her tenure as head of school.

1971

Santa Catalina adds a preschool and kindergarten, bringing co-education to the Lower and Middle School.

1976

Santa Catalina becomes an independent school.

2002

Sister Claire becomes Santa Catalina’s third head of school.

2016

Meg Bradley becomes Santa Catalina’s first lay head of school.

2022

Dr. Barbara Ostos begins her tenure as Santa Catalina’s fifth head of school.

In the spirit of those pioneering Sisters who came here in 1850, and again in 1950, in great faith and courage, we must chart our course in times that are as mysterious to us as their times were to them. We, too, are adventurers in the universe. What we have in common with them is our faith, our hope, and our love and purpose of education.

Sister Carlotta O’Donnell, Head of School 1965-2002

Who We Are

Who We Are

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