Mission Statement
St. Ignatius strives to develop young women and men of competence, conscience, and compassion through an integrated program of academic, spiritual, and extra-curricular activities. St. Ignatius seeks to develop students who strive toward the Jesuit ideal of the magis: a thirst for the more, for the greater good, for the most courageous response to the challenges of our time in the fullest development of students' talents, and for a life-long disposition to serve.
Profile 2020: The Graduate at Graduation
Building upon our Jesuit traditions and our foundational document, the Graduate at Graduation, the St. Ignatius community has chosen a set of outcomes for all students in a college preparatory curriculum. It represents the work of faculty committees who worked in the summer and fall of 1999 and reaffirmed in the fall of 2005 and is a consensus of our school community regarding what we consider to be the essential characteristics of the ideal graduate. This version of The Grad at Grad: Profile 2020 keeps the six categories of the original Graduate at Graduation. We do offer this statement as an articulation of the kind of Ignatians we are striving to form: men and women who, in the words of Father Pedro Arrupe, S.J., former Jesuit Superior General, must be “men and women for others.”
This statement is not carved in stone, nor is it meant to be the definitive, unchanging last word on Jesuit high school education. Our own Jesuit ideals and the periodic evaluation of our entire school program by WASC/WCEA challenges us to reexamine and hone our traditional Jesuit vision in light of current thought and research and our examination of student outcomes.
It will complement the continued efforts of the Faculty and Administration in ensuring excellence in the classroom, a challenging curriculum for the school, and a faculty dedicated to the academic and moral growth of each St. Ignatius student. It will further complement the continued efforts of all 46 Jesuit high schools in the United States who are also hard at work at the same mission.
THE GRAD AT GRAD: PROFILE 2020
I. OPEN TO GROWTH
A graduate of St. Ignatius has assumed responsibility for personal growth - intellectual, spiritual, and social - and has developed an openness to the diversity of the surrounding world. At the time of graduation the St. Ignatius student will:
- have contributed to and benefited from all areas of the school community (academic, spiritual and extra-curricular);
- demonstrate an openness to learning from all sources and exercise tolerance and respect for divergent points of view;
- demonstrate a commitment to the pursuit of excellence in all areas, realizing that learning is an on-going process worthy of a life-long commitment.
II. INTELLECTUALLY COMPETENT
A graduate of St. Ignatius exhibits mastery of a four-year college preparatory curriculum and has developed intellectual skills that go beyond academic excellence and requirements for college entrance by integrating Gospel values and our Ignatian heritage. At the time of graduation the St. Ignatius student will:
- demonstrate the ability to think critically, act creatively, integrate Gospel values, analyze and solve problems in a variety of disciplines;
- demonstrate effective written, oral, technological, and collaborative communication skills and possess the foundational knowledge necessary for successfully pursuing an academic discipline in advanced education;
- demonstrate the ability to synthesize information from diverse sources and use that information to evaluate issues of contemporary life.
III. RELIGIOUS
A graduate of St. Ignatius shows a basic knowledge of Scripture, doctrines, and practices of the Catholic Church while examining personal religious beliefs. The graduate explores and validates faith through further study, participation in a faith community, and prayer experience. At the time of graduation the St. Ignatius student will:
- demonstrate an understanding of the Church’s teaching about Jesus Christ and his mission as well as the sacramental expressions of that mission;
- display an understanding of the relationship between faith in Jesus and being a “person for and with others” which manifests itself in action based on the Church’s teaching on social justice;
- evaluate moral choices and issues based on a well-informed conscience;
- develop a knowledge of other religions and a respect for their beliefs;
- grow in personal spirituality and develop an ability to articulate one’s own personal faith.
IV. LOVING
A graduate of St. Ignatius has begun to establish his or her own identity and move beyond self-interest by forming deeper relationships with others, by valuing personal friendships and the global community. At the time of graduation the St. Ignatius student will:
- demonstrate an awareness of God’s love by extending that love to family, friends, and community;
- demonstrate the ability to form healthy relationships and make healthy and mature lifestyle decisions;
- demonstrate a loving attitude by overcoming personal prejudices and stereotypes;
- act as “a person for and with others” by serving people in need and developing and supporting community.
V. COMMITTED TO JUSTICE
A graduate of St. Ignatius is aware of the many needs of the local and global communities and is beginning to use his or her time and talents to work toward a just society in the context of Christian faith. The graduate is preparing to take a place in the community as a competent, concerned, compassionate, and responsible member. At the time of graduation the St. Ignatius student will:
- exercise a personal value system based on the Gospel message and thus be able to confront the moral ambiguities promoted by contemporary culture;
- understand the connection between personal faith and the need for commitment to a just society, and, in that commitment, recognize the needs of the disadvantaged;
- recognize the global nature of many current social problems, including the protection of the natural environment, and the responsibility to address these problems for the benefit of the human community.
VI. LEADERS IN COLLABORATION
A graduate of St. Ignatius has become aware of and begun to practice the basic skills facilitating leadership and collaboration. The graduate has had opportunities to exercise leadership in the academic, extracurricular, and campus ministry domains. At the time of graduation the St. Ignatius student will:
- demonstrate basic leadership skills, including integrity, vision, creativity, a strong work ethic, and the ability to gain trust that facilitates the development of leadership;
- speak honestly and persuasively, handle criticism with emotional maturity, and maintain a focus guided by the ethical values derived from our Catholic and Ignatian heritage;
- demonstrate an ability to influence others in a way that promotes justice and Gospel values.
NON-DISCRIMINATORY POLICY
St. Ignatius, mindful of its mission to be witness to the love of Christ for all, admits students of any race, color, and national and/or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded to or made available to students at the school St. Ignatius does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, and national and/or ethnic origin, age, sex or disability in the administration of educational policies, admissions policies, scholarships and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.