Philosophy

To see all things with the eyes of faith…

We remember that we are in the holy presence of God .

We find God present in the world, in each other, and especially in students entrusted to our care. This life-affirming faith grounded in the teachings of the Gospels and the educational spirituality of Saint John Baptist de La Salle animates our relationships and all aspects of our work as a community .

We build a community that reflects diversity.

It is in community that we are most effective, and our understanding and practice of community nurtures a sense of openness and safety . We honor the traditions of many cultures, and we work to eliminate barriers that divide people. We learn from each other.

Our calling as educators is a shared ministry with parents as primary educators, with collaboration among teachers and staff, and with the support and participation of alumni . Further, we recognize our shared mission within the broader Lasallian communities of the Bay Area, the nation, and the world.

We strive for the welfare and fullness of life for all .

Those who are most in need academically, economically, socially, and spiritually require special attention. We therefore endeavor to make Saint Mary’s accessible to students from underprivileged living situations, especially the poor and the working classes.We educate to raise awareness of the conditions facing the poor and marginalized locally and worldwide, and we promote service opportunities for the Saint Mary’s community to actively address recognized needs .

We affirm the human dignity of all persons.

As all people are made in the image of God and called to love each person is worthy of unconditional respect . In part, we demonstrate respect by offering educational and relational experiences that challenge and engage each student with the expectation that students learn to care for themselves and for one another .

We seek to educate the whole person—mind, body, and spirit.

A person lives in relation to others and the whole of creation . Educating the whole person embraces the spiritual, physical, emotional, intellectual, and communal dimensions of a student’s life and leads us to strive for more than academic excellence . Our Lasallian Educational Outcomes (LEOs) provide an important reference with respect to each of these life dimensions. The LEOs help us measure the effectiveness of our academic, co-­curricular, athletic, student-­support, and campus-­ministry programs.

Throughout our programs each student is expected to inquire, contribute, collaborate, reflect, and actively create a meaningful experience that results in personal growth and ownership of the student’s educational journey.

Saint Mary’s offers a quality college-­preparatory curriculum designed to surpass university entrance requirements and address additional contemporary needs. The Saint Mary’s faculty engages students to be aware and curious, ask thoughtful questions, learn from failure, access and analyze information, work and communicate with others, and adapt skills to new situations in order to become successful citizens.