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Principal
pmorelli@saintmaryshighschool.org

Message from Mr. Morelli:
V+J
We live in a
world with increasing gas prices, mortgage loan bankruptcy, bank
closures, state and municipal budgets not being finalized and
our government trying desperately to save the national economy.
In these
stressful times I want to express my sincere gratitude for your
community spirit and your genuine caring for St. Mary's High
School. As parents, I know that you appreciate and understand
the value of a Catholic education, especially at St. Mary's High
School. It is important for us to provide a quality, Catholic/
Christian education to Stockton and the surrounding communities.
St. Mary's
is a very blessed community under the patronage of the Blessed
Mother whose name our school bears. Over the course of our
school's history, we have been guided by the charisms of St.
Dominic, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Francis de Sales.
At St.
Mary's High School we can and do call on God and the Blessed
Mother to guide us. Unlike other high schools, we can attempt to
bring our students to a more personal, loving, and intimate
relationship with God. This is the message of hope and love that
is delivered each day to our students through prayer.
As you know,
your sons and daughters take at least seven classes with seven
different teachers. There are 6 guidance counselors available to
our students. This fall approximately over 500 students are
involved in athletics. The fall play, The Crucible, includes
many more students, along with Speech and Debate, Choir and
Band. The Van Ruiten Library under the direction of Mrs. Mikki
Kindelberger continues to be a very busy and well-used facility.
Daily Mass is available at 6:50 a.m. and at 7:30 a.m. in our Our
Lady, Queen of the Angels Chapel. I am proud to say that members
of the community, staff, teams and clubs attend Mass during the
week. On First Friday we have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
with Benediction immediately after school. In addition, the
Rosary is recited each Friday after school for "special
intentions." Everyone is welcome.
However, we
offer more. Mrs. Kathy Smith, Dean of Students, recently
arranged for the Nick Vujicic assembly which was very powerful.
The Stockton Record titled the article of this assembly "Heart
to Heart." There was an endless line of students waiting to
express their thanks to Nick for reminding them what our patron
St. Francis says, "Be who you are, and be that well."
We follow
the teachings of St. Francis de Sales who models virtues for
everyday living. He recommends that we practice "a gentle and
sincere courtesy which offends no one and obliges all, which
seeks love rather than prestige." By practicing his words, we
live out his gentle spirit in every occasion of our life
journey. In this way, we will "Live Jesus" in word and action
every day. "To love our neighbor in charity is to love God in
others."
In modeling
the teachings of St. Francis de Sales, we are committed to a
mission of providing affordable
Catholic
secondary education in this community for all students who wish
to attend. You may not be aware that St. Mary's High School
currently has one of the lowest tuition rates of any Catholic
secondary school in California. Our tuition for a Catholic
student is $6,140 and for a non-Catholic student is $6,540.
Below is the
current tuition of Catholic high schools in the Northern
California area.
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Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) |
$12,700 |
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Bellarmine Prep (San Jose) |
$13,800 |
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Central Catholic (Modesto) |
$8,153 |
|
Carondelet (Concord) |
$12,250 |
|
Christian Brothers (Sacramento) |
$10,980 |
|
De La Salle (Concord) |
$13,200 |
|
Holy Names (Oakland) |
$10,800 |
|
Jesuit (Sacramento) |
$11,290 |
|
Justin Siena (Napa) |
$11,200 |
|
Loretto (Sacramento) |
$11,275 |
|
Marin Catholic (Kentfield) |
$13,900 |
|
Mitty (San Jose) |
$12,900 |
|
Moreau (Hayward) |
$11,544 |
|
Palma (Salinas) |
$9,900 |
|
San Joaquin (Fresno) |
$7,800 |
|
Serra (San Mateo) |
$14,100 |
|
St. Francis (Sacramento) |
$10,900 |
|
St. Francis (Mountain View) |
$12,200 |
|
St. Ignatius (San Francisco) |
$14,770 |
|
St. Patrick (Vallejo) |
$9,140 |
|
St. Mary's (Stockton) |
$6,140 |
As you can
probably guess, much work is done behind the scenes to keep our
tuition affordable. My genuine thanks to Fr. Fallon for his
commitment to the St. Mary's family; Father continually strives
to keep tuition reasonable. We must recognize that St. Mary's
High School cannot achieve its mission without qualified and
dedicated teachers and support staff, especially those that we
currently employ. As you know, we must do what we can to
maintain the quality education that is expected from St. Mary's
High School. And, you are also aware of the rising costs
involved in running an institution. These include, but are not
limited to, maintenance of our facility, insurance, utilities,
salaries and benefits.
As I look
back on my education here at St. Mary's High School, I can
attest personally that it was those special teachers and coaches
who gave me confidence. They encouraged and supported me to
reach higher. The teachers that we have at St. Mary's High
School continue to encourage their students with confidence,
love and hope. We pray that our students achieve their full
potential.
As Saint
Augustine reminds us, "Our hearts were made for you alone, O
Lord, and they are restless until they rest in you."
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In addition to being
principal of St. Mary's, Mr. Morelli is a
well-respected official with the National
Football League where he has served since 1997.
Mr. Morelli began as a field judge (later a back
judge when the league swapped position names in
1998) and was promoted to referee with the start
of the 2003 NFL season. He wears the uniform
number 135.
He also represents the Tri City
League on the Board of Managers for the CIF Sac
Joaquin Section. |
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St. Mary's High School
5648 N. El Dorado St.
Stockton, CA 95207
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