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High School

Rhetoric Stage- Grades 9-12

Our Vision

Through intellectual and spiritual friendship with fellow classmates and faculty mentors, students explore universal, human questions from the Western Intellectual Tradition that have occupied Catholic thought and culture for two millennia. We seek to help families form young people who seek virtue and love all that is true, good, and beautiful.  This pursuit should yield happy lives which experience true joy and delight.

We are an accredited classical liberal arts high school with the Western Catholic Education Association, with the mission of educating high school students in the eternal verities, guided by the wisdom of the Catholic Church!

Classical Education at Our School

Core Principles

  • Focus on becoming good people and living good lives
  • Emphasis on Truth, Goodness, and Beauty
  • Cultivation of intellectual and moral virtues
  • Engagement with the Great Books and Western Tradition

Key Practices

  • Socratic seminars for deep discussions
  • Narration to improve comprehension and retention
  • Integration of beauty in the learning environment

Math and Science

  • Focus on foundational concepts and their historical development
  • Integration of primary texts from great scientists and mathematicians
  • Emphasis on logical reasoning and problem-solving skills
  • Hands-on experiments and observations to foster wonder and curiosity
  • Exploration of the philosophical implications of scientific discoveries

"The glory of God is a human being fully alive." - St. Irenaeus

The recent revival of classical education is an attempt to return to the rich methods and timeless content of the Seven Liberal Arts as manifest within the Catholic, Western Intellectual Tradition. Emphasis is placed upon fine things, such as great works of literature, beautiful music and paintings, the integration of knowledge across disciplines upon the idea of the good, cultivating a sacramental imagination, and providing space for contemplation and leisure.

At St. Monica, our students read primary source materials, explore and refine their thought in frequent Socratic seminars, as well as evaluate diverse visions of the good life by comparison to the Magisterium. St. Monica is a member of the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education, a network of Catholic classical schools across the nation.

Schedule & Descriptions 2024-2025

Click the tabs below for the St. Monica High School curriculum overview, current schedule and course descriptions. For the 2024-2025 school year we will have two cohorts. Cohort One (10th-12th) schedule will follow the American Year course plan. Cohort Two (9th) schedule will follow the Ancient Year.

Faith life

In addition to formal coursework in Catholic theology and spirituality, students participate in the faith life of the larger St. Monica Catholic School by attending Mass each Monday and Eucharistic Adoration on the first Monday of each month. Students and families are encouraged to attend daily Mass at the parish before school Tuesday through Friday. Students additionally have a service-learning component and retreat experience.

Class size

Our high school currently enrolls 10 students per class grade. Our enrollment will not exceed 12 students per grade (or 48 students total) in order to facilitate the kind of intellectual friendship necessary for classical conversations.

Extracurricular activities

The social atmosphere at St. Monica resembles that of a family. In lieu of conventional offerings such as prom, or student government, our school parents have organized gatherings that support students’ friendship in Christ and maturity as young men and women. These include weekly picnics, a pumpkin-carving evening, a Christmas party, service projects, and an Easter celebration. As we grow, we hope to offer extracurriculars such as theater, choir, and debate.

Athletics

Our present size precludes organized sporting activities. However, under WIAA policy, students are able to compete for their local public high school in any sport of their choosing. If the program were to grow to capacity (48 students), we would then explore fielding small teams or partnering with other independent Mercer Island high schools to do so.

Tuition

Tuition for St. Monica Catholic High School for the 2024-2025 school year is $15,700. Tuition increases approximately 5% per year. This is considerably lower than the existing Catholic high schools in the Seattle area, where tuition ranges from $18,275 to $39,500. We do have tuition assistance available and try to make St. Monica High School accessible for all families. No exam required.

Tuition and Fees

Admission Dates

Applications Open for the 2025-2026 school year: September 30, 2024
Applications Due ($150) for the 2025-2026 school year: January 6, 2025
Tuition Assistance Application Due: December 31, 2024
Acceptance Notification: February 14, 2025
Registration Fee ($250) Due: February 28, 2025
Final Transcript Due: June 30, 2025

VISIT

Wednesday, November 20, 2024, 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Sunday, January 26, 2025, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Open House for ALL GRADES
Learn more about our preschool, elementary, middle and high school. RSVP here.

APPLY NOW

Contact

For information regarding curriculum and program development, please contact Marybeth Bohm, Principal at mbohm@stmonicasea.org.

For information and inquiries regarding application and enrollment, please contact Gabby Riehl, Admissions Director, at griehl@stmonicasea.org. 

SCHEDULE A TOUR
 

Schedule & Descriptions

Parent Perspectives
A few thoughts from some of our current parents:
 
“We are so grateful to be in our second year at Saint Monica Academy! Our son is engaged and challenged in his studies, and has a strong bond with his fellow classmates. The teachers are brilliant and care wholeheartedly about the students, encouraging them to grow in virtue on a daily basis. SMA is a blessing to us and fills a unique need in the diocese for a Catholic classical high school program.”
 
“We’ve had the privilege of having our oldest children attend St Monica Academy and they were beautifully inspired by the teachers, the materials and the environment. We have two children currently enrolled, and we are grateful for the continued opportunity for them to learn and be challenged by an authentic Catholic vision of the human person through the beauty of a classical curriculum approach. There is no other institution offering this unique approach in the Seattle area, and we look forward to the rest of our children benefiting from the awesome work that St Monica Academy is undertaking.”
 
“SMA has been a game changer for us. I wanted a classical Catholic education for my daughter and could find nothing within the area. Previously my daughter went to a public school and the difference in safety, inclusion, Christ centered teaching and the level of learning has been phenomenal. There is nothing like it in the area if you want an exceptional education centered on Christ!”