Discover OLPA
Do you hear the ringing of this great legendary mission bell in your heart?
Classical is the way forward
Consoled and encouraged by the Blessed Virgin Mary, inspired by St. James the Greater and motivated by St. Junipero Serra to persevere always forward, Our Lady of the Pillar Academy's mission is to continue in their legacy to preach the gospel on the San Mateo coast side, building abundant lives in our young children and families through classical education!
All great missions have a bell to help travelers find their way. You are invited to respond to its call, to join in our mission to equip the children and families of this beautiful coastside area, consecrated so long ago, to triumph over the nihilism and despair so widespread in our culture today, to be the next generation of saints, to lead the San Francisco Bay Area joyfully by faith, reason and virtue.
Classical, Catholic and Joyful
We are better able to enable students to grow up happy with a sense of identity. What is happiness? What is my identity? These are the fundamental questions of classical learning, even while we teach them subjects and skills to help them score high on placement tests and succeed in their future careers.
We prolong childhood. In traditional modern schools, we see evidence of massive student mental health decline. While this decline cannot be blamed primarily on the education system, nonetheless, it is fair to say that the window of childhood is shrinking. The value of a school like ours is that we intentionally believe that our students are first and foremost, children.
Community. Community means “common unity,” or what we all choose to rally around. As a Catholic school, knowing what to rally around comes easily to us. We prioritize the value of children being surrounded by good people and safe from bad influences that children are not ready to handle.