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Santa Catalina's Spanish colonial architecture recalls the original convent and school built-in 1850 in Monterey, capital of California's newly formed state. Santa Catalina exists to develop a striving for excellence in each student, a maturing awareness of moral and spiritual values, a sense of responsible purpose, and a determination to serve the world with courage, graciousness, and compassion. We believe that our single-sex environment is optimal for learning and growth in initiative and self-confidence. We challenge each student to strive for academic excellence, assume leadership, develop a faith life, and perform at her best in every endeavor. Grounded in the Catholic faith, Santa Catalina is enriched by the diversity of socioeconomic, religious, geographic, and cultural backgrounds represented by our students and faculty. Our studies are college preparatory and established in the classical tradition of the arts and sciences enhanced by vigorous programs in the fine and performing arts, athletics, and extracurricular activities. We believe that the promise of the future rests in the young woman who acts with confidence, grace, courage, and dignity as a citizen of the world. Veritas, truth, is the motto of Santa Catalina. Underlying all actions, relationships, and communications are the assumption that this standard exists. Only with this principle clearly understood and firmly in place is the school's mission worthy and possible. A spirit of welcome and openness is characteristic of Santa Catalina School. We embrace the true meaning of the word "catholicity" (from the Greek words kata and holos, meaning "inclusive of everyone") with an invitation and welcoming spirit to all of our students. With a grounding in our Catholic heritage's particularity, we affirm and celebrate and embrace the rich religious diversity of our student body. Students at Santa Catalina learn of their responsibility to serve others. We believe that service activities help raise our students' consciousness to the plight of those less fortunate, with the impact of these efforts ultimately being realized in the school community and beyond. At Santa Catalina, we believe that students learn and grow best in a loving and supportive community. This emphasis on the value of relationships has been Santa Catalina's charism, or "special gift," since the founding of the school. It has been one of our enduring strengths, and it is what has made attending Santa Catalina such an unforgettable experience for so many. In all-girls classrooms, every student feels comfortable and confident sharing her ideas and contributing to the discussion. What she accomplishes and how she lives out her beliefs matter more than what she wears to school. The all-girls environment at Santa Catalina offers an ideal environment for young women to build confidence, leadership skills, and strong, healthy relationships with other girls. Set against Monterey's scenic backdrop, Santa Catalina is an independent, Catholic, boarding and day school for girls in grades 9 through 12 with a diverse student body and strong local roots. We challenge students to achieve excellence in every arena, from excellent academics — including a marine ecology program that takes advantage of access to Monterey Bay — to competitive athletics in 13 sports to an arts program with professional-quality facilities. In a warm community that values spirituality and service, Catalina girls become young women prepared to lead and achieve in college and beyond. View full school