St. Monica Catholic High School Is a Coeducational, Parish High School That Provides A

St. Monica Catholic High School is a co-educational, parish high school founded in 1937. The school is located in Santa Monica on the Westside of Los Angeles, just minutes from the Pacific Ocean. Santa Monica borders the communities of Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Venice, Culver City and Marina Del Rey. Our school colors are green and gold. We are proud to be the home of the Mariners!

Philosophy

St. Monica Catholic High School is a coeducational, parish high school that provides a college preparatory curriculum for students of diverse abilities, cultures, and faiths. Guided by gospel values, we affirm and respect the dignity of each member of our school community. We provide a faith-based education that values academic achievement and Christian service. Our school family cultivates strength of character, intellectual curiosity, and love of God and others. In collaboration with parents and the parish community, our mission is to graduate students who are inspired by faith, intellectually enriched, and integrated as individuals.

Enrollment

Total Student Body: 550~600

School Schedule

Students complete six classes per semester (30 units). The daily schedule is a rotating block schedule of four 75 minute periods. A typical school day begins at 8:15 and ends at 2:45.

Graduation Requirements

Subject Units/Years

English404

Religion404

Social Studies303

Mathematics303

Science202

Foreign Language 202

Fine/Performing Arts101

Physical Education/Health101

Electives/Advanced Study40

Christian Service 204

100 hours

Total units required for graduation 260

GradING SCALE

100-95A superior

94-90A-

89-87B+

86-83B above average

82-80B-

79-77C+

76-73C average

72-70C-

69-68D+

67-66D passing

65D-

64Ffailing

Honors/ap level courses

Honors/AP courses available are: Honors English 9, Honors British Literature, Honors American Literature, AP Language, AP Literature, Honors World History, AP European History,AP United States History, AP U.S. Government, Honors Economics, AP Computer Science, Honors Algebra I, Honors Geometry, Honors Algebra II, Honors Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus AB, Honors Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Physics, Honors Japanese IV, AP French, Honors Spanish I-III,and AP Spanish IV.

Students already enrolled in honors-level classes are not required to take qualifying exams, except in English. However, to advance to the next level of an honors course, students must have at least a B both semesters in that subject area.

Students currently in college prep classes seeking to advance to honors classes must have an “A” both semesters in that subject area. Passing a qualifying exam is required in certain subjects. Mid-semester or mid-year transfers from college preparatory courses into honors courses are not permitted. Students enrolled in honors courses are expected to earn at least an 80% at each semester in order to remain eligible for honors coursework.

Electives for 2009-2010 include: Acting I & II,

Art I & II, Ceramics I & II, Computer Aided Design, Film Appreciation, General PE, Health, Marine Biology, Oceanography, Web Design (Intro & Advanced), Broadcast Journalism, Music Production I & II, Philosophy, Photography I & II, Psychology, Rainbow Riders/Chorus, Speech, Stagecraft, Tennis, Weight Training, Yearbook

College/University Acceptances

Each year, 98-99% of St. Monica graduates matriculate to institutions of higher education after graduation. Graduates of SMCHS are accepted by some of the most selective colleges and universities in the country, including the University of California at Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Santa Barbara; California State University at Long Beach, Northridge, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose; Cal Poly Pomona and San Luis Obispo; Amherst; Arizona State University; Boston College; Boston University; Carnegie Mellon; Florida State; Georgetown University; Gonzaga University; Howard University; Loyola Marymount University; Loyola University of Chicago; Michigan State; Morehouse College; Mount St. Mary’s College; NYU; Oberlin College; Ohio State; Pepperdine University; Providence College; Santa Clara University; Stanford University; Syracuse University; Tulane University; University of Arizona; University of Colorado; University of Miami; University of Notre Dame; University of Oregon; University of Pennsylvania; University of San Diego; University of San Francisco; University of Southern California; University of Washington; Vassar College; Washington State; and Xavier University.

Campus Ministry

In response to the goals of St. Monica Catholic High School, “To encourage responsible participation in the world community” and St. Monica Parish, “To form loving disciples who will transform the world”, St. Monica has a graduation requirement of 100 hours of approved Christian Service. The program is progressive in both the number of hours and level of community participation. It is expected in the learning process that students will be exposed to different communities of need (church, youth, elderly or infirmed, and poor or homeless) and hopefully serve others outside their existing comfort zone.

The Campus Ministers, a select group of seniors, plan liturgies held throughout the academic year and class retreats in which each student participates annually.

Athletics

Fall: Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country, Girls’ Volleyball, Football, Girls’ Golf, Girls’ Tennis

Winter: Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball, Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer

Spring: Baseball, Softball, Boys’ and Girls’ Track & Field, Boys’ Volleyball, Boys’ Golf, and Boys’ Tennis

Year Round: Cheer & Pep Squads

Student Organizations

Students have many opportunities to participate in a variety of extracurricular activities. Our student organizations include: Animal Rights Club, Asian Pacific Club, Black Cultural Society, California Scholarship Federation, Drama Club, Ecology Club, Kenya Club, Key Club, Irish Club, National Honor Society, Nosotros, Speech & Debate, Student Government, Yearbook. Students are invited to audition for the school choir, the Rainbow Riders, as well as a fall play and a spring musical.

Student Academic Accomplishments

National Merit Scholarship Award

Academic Decathlon Team 2010: First Place

Gates Millennium Scholarship Winner 2010

Congressional Youth Leadership Council Members

Tuition information

Current tuitionfor active Catholic families is $7,200 annually; for non-Catholic or inactive Catholic families, tuition is $7,900 annually. Students who take the entrance exam at SMCHS may apply for tuition assistance including merit scholarships.

Admissions Process

The Admissions Committee bases its decisions on the applicant’s previous academic and citizenship record, entrance exam (HSPT) scores, teacher and administrator recommendations, and a personal interview with the student and at least one parent. A non-refundable application fee of $75.00 is required at the time of application. This fee includes the cost of the entrance exam. Applications can be downloaded at

Decisionsconcerningtheadmissionand continuedenrollmentof astudentintheschoolarebaseduponthestudent’semotional,academic,andphysicalabilitiesandtheresourcesavailabletotheschoolinmeetingthestudent’sneeds.

SMCHS is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the National Catholic Education Association