Who We Are
We are a community of parents in San Diego County dedicated to launching an independent school that forms students in faith, reason, and virtue through a classical education in the Roman Catholic tradition.
Our Mission
Guided by the Church’s teaching that parents are the primary educators of their children (CCC 2223), our mission is to renew the culture and bring souls to Christ by partnering with families in the intellectual, moral, physical, and spiritual education of every student.
Our Educational Philosophy
We believe that a school should be an extension of the family. Our approach is built on three essential commitments:
- Authentic Catholic Identity: From the beauty of the liturgy and the rhythm of prayer to the way we treat one another, we strive to create an environment where the Faith is not a subject to be studied, but a life to be lived in union with Christ.
- The Classical Tradition: The Trivium—Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric—provides the framework to teach children how to think critically and clearly. By engaging with the “Great Books,” students learn to pursue what is True, Good, and Beautiful.
- Formation in Virtue: Beyond academics, we are committed to forming the whole person. We want to help students develop the habits of heart and mind that empower them to follow God’s will and lead lives of joyful service to others.
Looking Forward
We are currently in the foundational stages of bringing this vision to life in San Diego. We are not just building a school; we are building a community.
If you share our vision, we invite you to stay connected with us as we move toward our opening.
What Is Classical Education?
Classical education is experiencing a revival in the field of education. The classical pedagogy is a tried-and-true teaching method that is rooted in the liberal arts. It uses the Trivium (grammar, logic, and rhetoric) to follow the child’s natural course of intellectual development.
Classical education fosters in students a lifelong intellectual curiosity and love of learning. It teaches students to recognize and to pursue truth, goodness, and beauty. Classical education helps students become critical thinkers and creative problem solvers, which in turn helps them to excel both academically and morally.
For more about Classical Education, we recommend the following resources:
What Is Classical Education? — St. Monica Academy The Lost Tools of Learning (PDF) — Dorothy SayersFormation of the Whole Person
We believe in the education of the whole person — intellectual, moral, physical, and spiritual. We believe that the ultimate goal of education is to form men and women of character who are willing and able to use their freedom and talents to serve others.
We aim to launch a school that will assist parents in forming virtues in their children in an environment of freedom. This formation aims to foster respect for every person, a desire to serve God and others, and an optimistic and adventurous attitude towards life’s challenges.
Spiritual Formation & Sacramental Life
We plan to entrust our school’s sacramental and spiritual formation to Opus Dei, a Personal Prelature of the Catholic Church founded by St. Josemaría Escrivá. Opus Dei seeks to foster among men and women of every walk of life a deep awareness of their being children of God, and helps them to live their life accordingly. The formation given by the Prelature aims to help individuals respond freely to the universal call to holiness and apostolate in their ordinary work and place in society.
Learn more about Opus Dei →Our Vision
- An authentically Catholic school that is rooted in the classical pedagogy
- Daily prayer and weekly Mass
- Regular confession offered to students and staff
- Classical curriculum that inspires a lifelong love for learning and sound reasoning
- Dedicated faculty who exemplify the joy of the Christian moral life
- Joyful, positive peer environment
- Spiritual formation that is fostered through the sacraments, serious study, and the example of faculty and staff
Model Schools
Our inspiration has come from similar schools around the United States and in other countries around the world. The model schools listed below share several key characteristics:
- An authentically Catholic education that is faithful to the magisterium of the Catholic Church
- A commitment to character formation
- Spiritual formation that is entrusted to Opus Dei and rooted in the teachings of St. Josemaría Escrivá
- Communities of like-minded parents who share the goal of forming themselves and their children in faith and virtue
- The Heights School Potomac, MD
- St. Monica Academy Montrose, CA
- Camino School Laguna Woods, CA
- Western Academy Houston, TX
- Magnolia Academy Houston, TX
- Oakcrest School Vienna, VA
- PAREF Woodrose School Manila, Philippines
- PAREF Southridge School Manila, Philippines