We, the community of St. Clare, believe that Catholic education is an expression of the mission entrusted by Jesus Christ to our church. Recognizing parents as primary educators, we focus on the ongoing development of the whole child. Through our Silver Box program, we foster the values of worshipping, learning, caring and growing in a Christ-centered environment where the uniqueness of every child is valued.
St. Clare, founded in 1856 by the Sisters of Notre Dame, is committed to teaching the Good News to all students. Integration of the gospel message through teaching, leading, serving, and worshipping distinguishes us among other schools. We offer quality Catholic education by encouraging all students to develop respect for self and others.
We offer full-day kindergarten, core subjects in first through eighth grade, a technology program including eighty laptop computers shared by students, a Spanish language program, music, art and a variety of extracurricular activities including student council, after-school sports, and a homework assistance program.
Our faculty and staff are caring, compassionate, qualified and willing to share their many talents with students and the community at large. Curriculum requirements in each grade adhere to the standards of the Diocese of San Jose and the State of California. In addition to math, language arts, science, social studies and P.E., religion class occurs daily at all levels.
A major focus of the curriculum is the use of differentiated instruction to teach each individual child at their current level. Diversity of learning is understood and appreciated by the teachers, who structure lessons and activities to meet the needs of all students. Reading and math instruction is leveled to accommodate the individual needs of each student. All students are provided opportunities to learn and grow at their own pace, while being expected to work to their potential.
The curriculum of St. Clare School is driven by the standards of the State of California and the Diocese of San Jose. These standards contain guidelines for each curricular subject, including topics of study, skills and other learning opportunities. For specific information about state standards, please see the Content Standards Web Site of the California Department of Education. (www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp)
St. Clare School also enjoys a mutually-beneficial partnership with Santa Clara University, located directly across the street. Students from the university assist in our classes. The America Reads program provides many tutors each week to individually read with our students. Additionally, St. Clare School and SCU partner on a variety of other projects including athletics, performing arts and more.
St. Clare is a Diocesan parish school. Our parish priests are very supportive of our school. Our parish offers liturgies in Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese, as well as English. Our parish is home for the Chinese Catholic Community of the Diocese. Priests take an active role in all religious celebrations and give unconditional support to school functions. Our daily religion instruction stress Catholic Doctrine and the importance of living the message of the Gospel. By fostering an emphasis on peace and justice, students are involved in community service programs in our Diocese, and through our outreach to people in the broader community.
St. Clare School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at this school. St. Clare does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in the administration of their educational policies, admission policies, scholarship programs, athletic and other school administered programs.