Saint Monica Preparatory

Campus Blessed for the Year Ahead! ⚓️

It’s been an eventful week at Saint Monica Preparatory. Last Friday, our entire community gathered as Msgr. Torgerson blessed our new turf and students for the year ahead, while Deacon Kevin blessed the reopening of the Upper School’s East Wing.

Feast of St. Monica Food Truck Night was
a blast! It was a perfect way to kick off the school year and celebrate the patroness of our parish! Thank you to all who were involved in the planning and executing such a great event.
🍕🍗🌮

Upper and middle school students are back on campus! Mariners were thrilled to return and reconnect with friends. ⚓️

Shout out to the seniors on their last first day of school! 💚💛

Greetings from Japan 🇯🇵

Mariners safely returned home on Sunday marking the end of another successful student exchange trip. The group spent three nights exploring Tokyo and then moved to Koyasan, a world heritage site where our partner school Koyasan High School is located. Students stayed in the school’s dormitories and participated in classes and activities, experiencing real high school life with their Japanese peers.

Blake Van Putten is a CEO, Founder, Business Developer and a graduate from Saint Monica’s Class of 2012.

Blake is a designer and business owner who has made a significant impact on the fashion industry with his clothing line, CISE. Originally from Los Angeles, Blake began producing and designing clothes in 2010. After receiving his B.B.A. in Supply Chain Management, he worked in New York City as a Senior Project Manager overseeing projects across financial institution groups. As an experienced business owner, Blake has owned and operated four businesses. However, he recently left his position to pursue CISE full-time. CISE is a Los Angeles-based clothing line with a unique mission: to create apparel that gives a voice to those in society who are typically ignored. The apparel produced by CISE is designed to be both socially impactful and fashion-forward.

We are so grateful for him sharing his time and wisdom with of us as the Keynote Speaker for our Commencement Ceremony.

Swipe for some words of wisdom from Mr. Van Putten’s inspirational address to the Class of 2024.🎓

Photos by: Trevor Jackson ‘17

Incase you missed it: Dylan Smith was named Valedictorian and Anav Oommen was named Salutatorian. Swipe to see who received SMRPEP Awards for the Class of 2024! ⚓️

Congratulations, Mariners! We are incredibly proud of you all.

Thank you to our 5th grade parents who helped put this amazing end of the year BBQ together last week for our soon to be middle schoolers! 🍔🌭

Mariner March to 9th Grade⚓️

Congratulations to our 8th graders who were cheered on last Thursday by the entire school community as they marched across the schoolyard to complete their middle school chapter at SMPREP!

Commencement 2024🎓

Stay tuned this week to see our award recipients and program highlights!⚓️

Our graduates are rehearsed (a little tired from GradeNite) and ready to cross the stage tomorrow!🎓

If you’re joining us from afar, the link to the live stream for tomorrow evening can be found in the link in bio.

TK Bridging Ceremony 2024⚓️

Congratulations to our youngest learners for completing TK and jumping their way to Kindergarten!

First 📸 is how our Upper School is feeling now that it’s summer!☀️

Sunday’s Baccalaureate Mass celebrated the Class of 2024 and their accomplishments. Family, friends, and faculty were present as seniors held their last class Mass together. In only two days, these Mariners will cross the stage and become high school graduates.💚💛

Thank you to our Mariner community who joined us for the Senior Farewell Assembly today. Special congratulations to all of our senior award recipients.

Our senior spotlights conclude with these five fantastic Mariners! We will see everyone at graduation next Friday for Commencement.

In just 2 short weeks from now our seniors will cross the graduation stage! Celebrations kicked off on campus today for the Class of 2024. Thank you to our Mariner Parent Association for putting together a great lunchtime BBQ. After, seniors attended their last ever high school pep rally.

Upcoming senior celebrations:
⚓️ Senior Day of Prayer/Farewell Assembly 5/31 ⚓️ Baccalaureate Mass 6/2
⚓️ Commencement Ceremony 6/7

“For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” John 6:33

Congratulations to our Mariners who received their First Holy Communion on Saturday. May you all feel the warmth and comfort of the Lord’s love with you today and every day. 🙏

Mariner Faculty and Staff had a blast Sunday celebrating Teacher Appreciation Day at Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium! ⚾️

It’s hard to believe there is only 3 weeks left until graduation! We are continuing our Senior Spotlights this week with these 4 outstanding Mariners. ⚓️

SMASH 2024: A Night of Stars and Support!✨

Our gala and auction was a glittering success. Congratulations to University of Norte Dame President-elect, Fr. Bob, for receiving the Heart of Monica Award! From heartfelt speeches to dazzling performances, every moment was a celebration of community and support. Thanks to our generous donors, we raised $1 million for our school and parish. Thank you to all who joined us for an unforgettable evening of impact and inspiration!

A special thank you to our wonderful co-chairs Darcy Cobb and Annie Wehrle.

And just like that, our seniors are college bound! We incredibly proud of what this class has accomplished and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for these Mariners.

Spring is all about our SENIORS! From now until graduation, we will be spotlighting the impressive students who make up the Class of 2024! ⚓️

Unveiling the stars of tomorrow, one talent at a time!🎤

Congratulations to all of our Lower School student performers who took part in last week’s Talent Show put on by Student Council.

Mrs. Tina Angel '78 returned this week from her Lourdes Pilgrimage with the Order of Malta. While on her trip, she had the pleasure of meeting Archbishop José H. Gomez. Welcome back Mrs. Angel! 💚💛

Ready, Set, Bid!
The 2024 SMASH Silent Auction is now LIVE at stmonica.net/smash (link in our bio)! The silent auction is open to everyone; you do not need to attend SMASH to participate.

Share the link with anyone who may be interested in VIP Sports & Music experiences -- Beauty/Pampering packages -- Staycations & Local Activities -- Family Adventures -- Fitness, Retail & Restaurant specials -- Fine Wine & Spirits PLUS One-of-a-Kind Art, Jewelry and so much more.

The auction will close at noon on the day of the event, Saturday, May 11. At the SMASH Gala, there will also be a dynamic Live Auction with luxury travel and not-to-be-missed experiences, plus fantastic Big Board items and a $30 wine pull - you never know which bottle you'll get!

Mariners Are College Bound! ⚓️

SMPREP seniors celebrated National College Decision Day last week. Stay tuned over the following weeks for senior spotlights on where our Class of 2024 are headed next, including Valedictorian Dylan Smith to Dartmouth College.

A Week of Beautiful Community Celebrations💚💛
From our 8th graders continuing the tradition of leading our May Crowning Mass honoring Mary, the Mother of God, to Junior Class receiving Mariner pins at a special Pinning Ceremony, it has been a week filled with joy, prayer, reflection and community here on campus.

Shout out to junior Christian Gonzalez who designed the 2025 pin and spoke at the ceremony about rising seniors being called to lead by example and steer the ship with confidence. He shared, "The Mariner Pin is meant to symbolize Mariners writing our own stories. The ship is a reminder of our Mariner family, demonstrating how we must navigate the waters of our lives together."

Congratulations to 8th graders Samantha C. and Isabelle S. chosen to crown Mary and share what Mary means to them. Finally, our TK-12 students, faculty and staff all celebrated Msgr. Torgerson on his 59th anniversary of his ordination as a priest at the May 1st Mass!

Mariner Alumni Return to Campus!⚓

We were delighted to welcome three alums from the classes of
1958 and 1966 back to campus. Rita Marie Koelfgen Francesco '58, Faith Cawelti '66, and Alaina Mayer Sheldon '66 were recently in town and decided to pay their alma mater a visit. They were welcomed by two of our Presidential Ambassadors, Cassidy Hart '25 and Lucy Lopez '25, who showed them around campus, which included sitting down to look at yearbooks. Filled with joy and gratitude, our alums had a wonderful time reminiscing about their high school experience while connecting with our current Mariners.

We recently said our goodbyes to Upper School Dean of Students, Dr. Jamila Batassé, as she moves across the country to be united with her family. We are filled with gratitude for Dr. Batassé’s deep compassion, presence, and support for the students and families of SMPREP. Dr. Batassé was one of our longest tenured faculty and we are saddened to see her go.⚓️

We pray that she will find, in her new home, the warmth of community, the joy of new opportunities, new discoveries, and new friends.💚💛

Drop a comment below to thank Dr. Batassé for her service to Saint Monica and to wish her well ⬇️

Get ready to turn up the heat and ignite your passion at our Mariner Sports Camps! From teamwork drills to individual skill-building sessions, this summer is all about taking your game to the next level. Are you in? ☀️⚽️📣

Work directly with head coaches and varsity athletes while getting to know SMPREP’s sports programs. The 2024 lineup for athletes entering grades 3-8 is now available. Click the link in bio for more info and to sign up.⚓️

Lunch in Paris anyone?🥖

Some of our Middle School students and teachers returned to campus this week after spending just over a week in Loches, France. Mariners attended the "Festival International" hosted by our partner school Saint-Denis International School.

Please join us for SMASH 2024: An Evening of Awakening on Saturday, May 11, as we honor University of Notre Dame President-Elect Reverend Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. Rev. Dowd will receive the Heart of Monica Award from Mary and Jay Flaherty. Our annual gala and auction celebrates Saint Monica Preparatory's rich academic and spiritual heritage, while raising funds to provide a transformative education to our diverse student body and scholarships for students in need.

Saint Monica alumni have regularly matriculated at Notre Dame to continue their Catholic education. We reached out to our alumni currently at Notre Dame for perspectives on what led them from here to there and why Catholic education is so important. Swipe to see what they had to say.

Help us prepare the next generation to continue to pay it forward by supporting Saint Monica Preparatory's quality faith-based education that fosters academic achievement, intellectual curiosity, individual talents, and Christian service. For more information on how to get involved with SMASH through attending, sponsoring, donating an auction item, and more, visit stmonica.net/smash.
Note: the Early Bird rate expires April 22.