SANTA CATALINA PS Feb 25.Spub
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Santa Catalina School Head of School Position Statement Monterey, California July 1, 2022 Santa Catalina School Head of School Position Statement Start Date: July 1, 2022 THE OPPORTUNITY “There’s something magical about Santa Catalina. You feel it from the moment you arrive on campus.” A common refrain about this singular school. Welcome! Santa Catalina School, located on the iconic Monterey Peninsula on the Central California Coast, seeks its next head of school for July 2022. A compelling combinaon of educaonal programs for young people, PreK-Grade 12, Santa Catalina stands poised to launch its next chapter and seeks a leader who understands and appreciates the history, culture, and promise of this noteworthy school. The School idenfies itself as “an manifest in the program and The profile of the School independent school in the ethos of Santa Catalina. appeals: a gracious and Catholic tradion,” and delivers on Graduates describe their me at appealing 36-acre campus, solid its promise of inspiring students to Santa Catalina as “profound and financial stability, commied embrace academic challenge and transformaonal.” Board of Trustees, devoted body develop a sense of purpose “to of alumnae, talented faculty and serve the world with courage, The next leader of Santa Catalina staff, and truly engaging, capable grace, and compassion.” The will steward the all girls Upper young people. Santa Catalina has community extends a warm School, commied to both a well-established reputaon for welcome to every child and adult-- boarding and day students, and its academic excellence and for a palpable commitment to the coed Lower and Middle its unparalleled ability to nourish kindness and respect--and holds School, drawing from the local its students in mind, body, and fast to its moo of “Veritas” as the communies. The School also spirit. And now a new chapter aspiraonal North Star for the life draws hundreds of young people awaits! The next head of school of the mind. “Head and heart” are to its successful summer camps. at Santa Catalina will carry on the legacy and beloved tradions of the School’s SANTA CATALINA MISSION successful 70-year history while guiding the School forward with Santa Catalina School exists to develop in each student a striving for strategic vision, creavity, and excellence, a maturing awareness of moral and spiritual values, a courage. sense of responsible purpose, and a determinaon to serve the world with courage, grace, and compassion. Resource Group 175 Page 2 Santa Catalina School Head of School Position Statement Start Date: July 1, 2022 SCHOOL HISTORY Santa Catalina School for Girls was founded by the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael in 1950 under the leadership of Mother Margaret Thompson, Mother General of the Dominican Congregaon. In its opening year, the School welcomed 40 girls, 32 in 5th through 8th grades and eight in 9th and 10th grades. Sister Mary Kieran led the School from 1950-1965, followed by Sister Carloa (1965-2002) and Sister Claire (2002-2016). Santa Catalina separated from the Dominican Order in the mid-70’s and became an independent school. A core group of six sisters remained in place and created exceponal programs and laudable stability. In 1971, the School expanded to include a coed Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten, with its first coed eighth-grade class graduang in 1982. To its credit, the School made a remarkably successful transion to Margaret Bradley, its first “lay leader,” in 2016, and all agree that the School has connued to flourish. LOCATION, FACILITIES, AND FINANCES Santa Catalina is situated in a spectacular seng just a few miles from the Pacific coast in Monterey and near the seaside communies of Carmel and Pacific Grove. The campus is stunningly beauful, with tradional hacienda-style buildings, a gracious chapel built in 1954 as well as more modern architecture such as the “C2” science and math building, named for Sisters Claire and Chrisne, designed by a Santa Catalina alum and completed in 2016. Purpose-built arts facilies, commodious dormitories, and light-filled classrooms are nestled in rolling green open space, with a nearby athlec field, gymnasium, track, tennis courts, and pool. Gardens and lovely outdoor gathering spaces round out the beauful campus offerings. Resource Group 175 Page 3 Santa Catalina School Head of School Position Statement Start Date: July 1, 2022 Financially, the School has been consistently well-managed. Santa Catalina carries no debt and has set aside strong reserves (which will need to be replenished ajer the Covid crisis abates). The School enjoys a $47M endowment and recently completed a successful $50M capital campaign for endowment, building projects, and tuion assistance. There has been remarkable Annual Fund growth over the past several years, with the Santa Catalina community crossing the $1M mark in 2020. The singular challenge is enrollment, which, while on an upswing before the pandemic, has not filled the dormitories (or high school day student populaon) to capacity. Lower School enrollment vacillates depending upon Monterey Bay demographics and will need aSenon as well. THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY Students The coed Lower and Middle School currently numbers 247 students, PreK-Grade 8, with 27% students of color, primarily Hispanic and Asian. Financial aid is awarded to 47% of LMS students. The gender balance in the LMS is relavely even, although there is oen a slightly higher number of girls. The Upper School currently enrolls 209 young women, 103 boarding and 106 day students. (The capacity for the residenal program is 160 students.) Internaonal students in the residenal program currently hail from Mexico, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Jakarta, Switzerland, Germany, and South Korea. Domesc boarding students come from 13 different states with a majority from the west coast, 29% of whom are students of color. With the significant influx of internaonal students in the Upper School residenal program, Santa Catalina provides a defining global perspecve for all students. Fiy percent of day students and 30% of boarding students receive financial assistance. Resource Group 175 Page 4 Santa Catalina School Head of School Position Statement Start Date: July 1, 2022 One student describes what she 10% aSrion rate. All personnel Head of Upper School with nine appreciates about Santa Catalina: “I embrace the “whole child” ethos of direct reports, and the Head of believe that Catalina is so successful the School and the importance of Lower and Middle School with because of its emphasis on character development, beginning eight. The School also has a full community and its dedicaon to with the school’s Pre-Kindergarten External Affairs team made of a selecng the kindest, most students and extending to those communicaons team of four, and a talented, incredibly driven young women headed out to development team of seven. Two students...the faculty make university and the working world. admissions directors report to themselves available to help and Division Heads in the Lower and encourage students to be the best One faculty member wrote: Middle and Upper Schools, and the that they can be academically. “ASenon to the student’s unique Business Manager works in Amidst a rigorous academic purpose is most central to our collaboraon with the Assistant environment, having people that mission. With that comes being Head of School and a team of support and help you is invaluable.” responsive to each student’s people in charge of facilies, individual needs...and having the transportaon, housekeeping, and Faculty School feel like a home away from maintenance. The administrave The faculty of Santa Catalina home whether you are a day or team is seasoned and experienced, includes approximately 60 teachers, boarding student.” and the new Head of School will teaching assistants, and specialists, inherit a team that collaborates and and the staff provides a variety of Administraon and Staff steps up to challenges. support services through Santa Catalina has two Assistant administrave and student services. Heads of School, one of whom is Alumnae The Santa Catalina faculty is responsible for stewarding mission With 71 years of alumnae (women experienced and dedicated to the and identy and the other graduates from the Lower and mission of the School, and the aSending to programs and Middle and Upper Schools) and School reports less than an overall operaons; two Division Heads--the alumni (8th grade boy graduates) as Resource Group 175 Page 5 Santa Catalina School Head of School Position Statement Start Date: July 1, 2022 well as internaonal alumnae, the Santa Catalina experience through performing-arts events capvate Alumni Associaon has over 6,800 gis of me, energy, and financial large and enthusiasc audiences. graduates to keep in the Catalina resources.” All parents in the School are fold. There is a dedicated alumnae/i members of the Parents administrator at the School, an Parents Associaon and contribute eagerly Alumnae Council of Directors, 18 The parent body at Santa Catalina is as trusted partners of the School. chapter chairs across the country parcularly engaged and generous. and around the world, Class Agents Parents at the School are drawn to Trustees and Class Correspondents and a bi- the School’s commitment to The School is governed by a annual publicaon “The Bullen” character development as integral to dedicated group of 22 trustees, that keeps graduates apprised of the program: children are asked to be many of whom are alumnae or the Lower and Middle and Upper kind, civic-minded, and community- parents, and all of whom are Schools. Several annual gatherings oriented, and parents happily follow devoted to the long-term and events support Catalina alums suit. Approximately 40% of families sustainability of the School. The in meeng their bold vision idenfy as Catholic, and all Board has an enviable commitment statement: “We are an appreciate the on-going commitment to best pracce in governance intergeneraonal community of to a values-based educaonal through supporng the mission women striving to grow spiritually, program combined with academic and school leadership, managing creavely, and intellectually.