Record Number of AP Capstone Diploma Awards
![Record Number of AP Capstone Diploma Awards]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1761762790/stmonicachsorg/vo67a3coihgchvgdvaae/newspost8.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1761762790/stmonicachsorg/vo67a3coihgchvgdvaae/newspost8.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1761762790/stmonicachsorg/vo67a3coihgchvgdvaae/newspost8.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1761762790/stmonicachsorg/vo67a3coihgchvgdvaae/newspost8.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1761762790/stmonicachsorg/vo67a3coihgchvgdvaae/newspost8.png","width":1280}])
Record Number of AP Capstone Diploma Awards
The College Board announced that nine Saint Monica Preparatory students earned the AP Capstone Diploma last year, based on the scores released from the 2025 AP Exam administration. Congratulations, Mariners! Students scored a 3 or higher in AP Seminar, AP Research, and on four additional AP exams of their choosing in order to receive the diploma. Dr. Janelle Peters, SMPREP English Teacher, designed our school's multi-year AP curriculum herself and is proud of our students for this outstanding achievement. They represent SMPREP and its project-based learning experience among the only 27,650 students at participating schools worldwide who earned this distinction.
An additional 18 SMPREP students were among the only 12,430 students worldwide who received the AP Seminar and Research Certificate for the 2024-25 school year. They earned scores of 3 or higher in both AP Seminar and AP Research. Dr. Peters shared that students focused their impactful research on how to improve healthcare, AI and economic policies locally and globally: "As they learned research techniques and ethics, they crafted passion projects that enabled them to create community partnerships with sports medicine centers to expand access to sports medicine, propose curricular innovations, analyze the impact of AI in Santa Monica, and start successful media and cottage-food businesses in Santa Monica and Venice."
The College Board AP Program helps students develop critical thinking, research, collaboration and presentation skills that are essential to academic and career success well after high school. It evaluates skills mastery through interdisciplinary group projects, presentations and individual essays completed throughout the year. The program has additional benefits for students, including earning college credit and/or advanced placement in college courses. “The AP Capstone program reignites curiosity in the classroom,” shared Bianca Peart, global director of the AP Capstone Diploma program. “Students are not only building essential skills for college and career success but they’re also discovering how their voices and ideas can make an impact.”
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![Faith in Action: A Look Back at 2025-26]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1785871283/stmonicachsorg/zgfiozbddc58bbu2gyes/newspost12.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1785871283/stmonicachsorg/zgfiozbddc58bbu2gyes/newspost12.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1785871283/stmonicachsorg/zgfiozbddc58bbu2gyes/newspost12.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1785871283/stmonicachsorg/zgfiozbddc58bbu2gyes/newspost12.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1785871283/stmonicachsorg/zgfiozbddc58bbu2gyes/newspost12.png","width":1280}])
The final installment in our 2025-26 Year in Review series celebrates what lies at the heart of a Saint Monica Preparatory education: faith in action. From Transitional Kindergarten through Grade 12, Mariners embraced opportunities to deepen their relationship with God through prayer, the sacraments, service and leadership, discovering that faith is something they live every day.
The school year began with an extraordinary blessing as Msgr. Anthony Figueiredo traveled from Italy to campus with a relic of Saint Carlo Acutis, the first millennial saint and patron of technology.
Throughout the year, students continued to grow in their own faith journeys, celebrating First Communion, Confirmation and other Sacraments of Initiation while participating in schoolwide Masses and class-level retreats.
Faith also inspired Mariners to give back to the community, reflecting what makes SMPREP special — forming students who lead with compassion and serve with purpose throughout their communities.
![A Century on California Avenue]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1785276921/stmonicachsorg/xj5hwrvajzthwcukm2tq/newspost69.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1785276921/stmonicachsorg/xj5hwrvajzthwcukm2tq/newspost69.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1785276921/stmonicachsorg/xj5hwrvajzthwcukm2tq/newspost69.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1785276921/stmonicachsorg/xj5hwrvajzthwcukm2tq/newspost69.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1785276921/stmonicachsorg/xj5hwrvajzthwcukm2tq/newspost69.jpg","width":1280}])
St. Monica Catholic Community and Saint Monica Preparatory announce a year of ministry milestones, community celebrations, and a new chapter as it enters its second century.
This year, St. Monica Catholic Community marks 100 years of the church that has stood on California Avenue since 1926: a century of faith, family, and formation at the heart of a campus shared by the parish and Saint Monica Preparatory. Msgr. Lloyd Torgerson and Dr. Erin Luby today announced A Century on California Avenue, a celebration that will begin on the Feast of St. Monica, unfold across the year ahead, and culminate in Saint Monica Academic & Spiritual Heritage (SMASH) Gala in May 2027.
We’re excited for a yearlong celebration of milestones: honoring the ministries, people, and moments that make up the life of this community. Follow the celebration at stmonica.net/100 and save the feast weekend of August 28–30.
![A Look Back at 2025-26 Mariner Athletics Highlights]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1785343755/stmonicachsorg/tun2nkya0t9noly5nehj/newspost70.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1785343755/stmonicachsorg/tun2nkya0t9noly5nehj/newspost70.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1785343755/stmonicachsorg/tun2nkya0t9noly5nehj/newspost70.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1785343755/stmonicachsorg/tun2nkya0t9noly5nehj/newspost70.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1785343755/stmonicachsorg/tun2nkya0t9noly5nehj/newspost70.jpg","width":1280}])
Championships, record-breaking performances and unforgettable moments made the 2025-26 athletic year one to remember at Saint Monica Preparatory — from our youngest Mariners discovering a love of competition to varsity athletes earning titles and college commitments.
Lower and Middle School student-athletes wrapped up a banner year with division championship seasons in Flag Football, Boys Basketball and Baseball; undefeated campaigns in Girls Volleyball and Basketball; and impressive records and podium finishes in Cross Country and Track & Field.
On the varsity stage, five Camino Real League MVP honors; multiple First and Second Team All-League selections across sports; league championship titles in both Girls and Boys Soccer, as well as Boys Volleyball and Girls Golf; plus standout regular and playoff seasons in Football, Basketball, Softball and Boys Golf reflected the strength and depth of our program. The Track & Field team capped the spring by setting multiple school records and sending athletes to the podium at the CIF Finals.