Students & Faculty Return From African Mission
![Students & Faculty Return From African Mission]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1753817531/stmonicachsorg/ev5c8me9dhusvf20vz7h/newspost26.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1753817531/stmonicachsorg/ev5c8me9dhusvf20vz7h/newspost26.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1753817531/stmonicachsorg/ev5c8me9dhusvf20vz7h/newspost26.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1753817531/stmonicachsorg/ev5c8me9dhusvf20vz7h/newspost26.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1753817531/stmonicachsorg/ev5c8me9dhusvf20vz7h/newspost26.jpg","width":1280}])
Students & Faculty Return From African Mission
Four Mariner rising seniors plus Saint Monica Preparatory faculty members joined Msgr. Torgerson and a group of parish volunteers for an unforgettable journey this summer, to continue our service with Holy Cross Parish and School in Nairobi, Kenya. The African ministry was launched over 20 years ago at St. Monica. Mrs. Renett Young, executive assistant to the Upper School principal, shared highlights of the trip, which included traveling to the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa, that cares for young women with mental and/or physical disabilities in the community. SMPREP students helped the sisters with their daily chores, served lunch to the young women and spent an afternoon singing and dancing together at the foundation. "It was truly a meaningful and humbling experience for all involved," said Mrs. Young.
Together with Msgr. Torgerson and the community of Holy Cross Parish, they also celebrated the Feast of Corpus Christi in a three and a half hour Mass entirely in Swahili. "It was an amazing opportunity to experience Mass as the locals do!" Mrs. Young added. Students toured downtown Nairobi, visited the Nairobi National Museum to learn all about the region's history, culture and conservation of Kenya, and took in a spectacular African cultural show. They ended the trip with a bucket list safari adventure in Maasai Mara National Reserve in southwestern Kenya, along the Tanzanian border, where they encountered baboons, cheetahs, giraffes, hyenas, lions, zebras and more. "It was nothing short of magical," shared Mrs. Young. "The memories we made will stay with us forever."
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![Curiosity in Action: A Snapshot of TK-8 Learning at Saint Monica Prep]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1773166097/stmonicachsorg/adfj79s9m3lg0uajqakw/newspost43.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1773166097/stmonicachsorg/adfj79s9m3lg0uajqakw/newspost43.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1773166097/stmonicachsorg/adfj79s9m3lg0uajqakw/newspost43.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1773166097/stmonicachsorg/adfj79s9m3lg0uajqakw/newspost43.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1773166097/stmonicachsorg/adfj79s9m3lg0uajqakw/newspost43.jpg","width":1280}])
From hands-on research to real-world exploration, learning across Saint Monica Preparatory’s TK-8 program is anything but ordinary. This winter, our seventh graders returned to the Academic Junior High Decathlon for the first time since 2020.
Lower School students celebrated the 100th Day of School with creativity, curiosity and plenty of counting. Meanwhile, the school transformed into a lively zoo during the second grade Animal Wax Museum. Fourth graders visited the San Gabriel Mission as they study California’s history, culminating in essays and 3D mission models.
Experiential learning continues beyond the classroom with visits to the Getty Villa, California Science Center and Museum of Tolerance, capped with the upcoming rising freshman trip to Washington, D.C. and New York City.
![Real Love That Carries the Cross: Saint Monica at Youth Day & RECongress]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1773172251/stmonicachsorg/ew1egzfyfxeqzdwhr9f4/newspost41_1.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1773172251/stmonicachsorg/ew1egzfyfxeqzdwhr9f4/newspost41_1.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1773172251/stmonicachsorg/ew1egzfyfxeqzdwhr9f4/newspost41_1.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1773172251/stmonicachsorg/ew1egzfyfxeqzdwhr9f4/newspost41_1.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1773172251/stmonicachsorg/ew1egzfyfxeqzdwhr9f4/newspost41_1.jpg","width":1280}])
Saint Monica Preparatory students and faculty took part in the 2026 Youth Day in Anaheim, joining more than 11,000 young people from across the Archdiocese for a powerful day of prayer, music, speakers and more. Our freshman class and Campus Ministers celebrated alongside their peers. Under the joyful direction of our Director of Music, Jeffrey Bonilla, Saint Monica was blessed to help lead the day, with our Mariners taking the stage to perform, moderate and guide fellow students in prayer. Centered on the theme, “Real Love Carries the Cross,” Youth Day invited participants to reflect on love as a daily, sacrificial choice.
The following day, our Lower School faculty and staff continued that spirit of renewal at the 2026 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress. They gained powerful inspiration to bring back to our classrooms.
![Catholic Schools Week Traditions Continue]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1772132687/stmonicachsorg/meekkbxpmowgbtgepkkd/newspost40.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1772132687/stmonicachsorg/meekkbxpmowgbtgepkkd/newspost40.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1772132687/stmonicachsorg/meekkbxpmowgbtgepkkd/newspost40.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1772132687/stmonicachsorg/meekkbxpmowgbtgepkkd/newspost40.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1772132687/stmonicachsorg/meekkbxpmowgbtgepkkd/newspost40.jpg","width":1280}])
To kick off Catholic Schools Week (CSW) 2026, Saint Monica Preparatory students and families shared personal reflections at all weekend Masses, offering a meaningful glimpse into how faith, learning and community shape the Mariner experience. Julia Parra ’26 shared, “This school gave me a community where I felt safe enough to grow, brave enough to speak, and supported enough to be myself.” Look back at all of the CSW reflections here.
The week also offered a beautiful reminder of what makes a Catholic education at Saint Monica so special — faith lived joyfully through service and community. Our students stepped beyond the classroom to express gratitude to local organizations, while Fr. Eusebio visited Theology classes, reflecting on his call to serve.