About Us

St. Michael's is a small, academically oriented, Catholic boarding school for boys, grades 9 through 12, located in the pastoral foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains of Orange County, California. We welcome young men who seek opportunities for growth in faith, study, and the challenge of individual responsibility. The Catholic Christian faith forms the core of the school's identity and inspires its values-oriented approach. St. Michael's curriculum offers college-bound students challenging academic courses which not only communicate knowledge but also transform our students into men of integrity and responsible citizens.

The Orange County Academic Decathlon (OCAD) provides St. Michael's with a forum to exhibit its academic strengths against the brightest students from the county. St. Michael's has proven to be a tough competitor for even the biggest public schools and ranks consistently among the top private schools.

The boarding setting provides students with extra opportunities for leadership. They work with faculty and administration in the animation of the school, forming a partnership of responsibility in its day-to-day running. A student's daily tasks outside the classroom can be as diverse as washing floors or interviewing on the admissions board.

School Values

We believe a student's transformation integrates the values of faith, academics, and character.

Faith

St. Michael's welcomes young men who possess the aptitude and commitment both to receive and to enrich what its school community has to offer. The heart of our unique school's identity is the Catholic Faith, from which flow the truths on which we base our approach to education. The person and teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ are the source and fulfillment of true happiness. The experience of Catholic Christian living leads the student to Jesus through a liturgical and sacramental life, supported by prayer, teaching, guidance and example. The sacraments of Penance and holy Eucharist are available to students every day. The bishop confers Confirmation on eligible students every other year.

Academics

Our program consists of challenging academic courses for the college-baound student. These courses endeavor to communicate knowledge in fidelity to the Catholic intellectual tradition, and so to form our students as men of insight and integrity, qualities which will enable them to be discerning, responsible citizens in a world which has great need of them. Our scholars center their efforts on preparation for college and fulfilling life work. While emphasizing the Western heritage of theology, humanities, the arts and the sciences throughout our curriculum, we seek to round-out a young man's education through athletics as well.

Character

As a boarding school, St. Michael's offers significant opportunities for a consistent and wholesome growth toward maturity. Much of the responsibility for the day-to-day running of the school is shared with the students who learn to cooperate with their peers and with those in authority in attaining common goals. A positive, but realistic self-knowledge along with an attitude of respect for others is the foundation of a young man's moral character. The cultivation of individual dignity guides students to accept self-discipline and responsibility as essential aspects both of personal freedom and participation in a community. St. Michael's fosters this character development in all areas of student life.