St. Adelaide Academy has made many notable accomplishments throughout the years as we serve the students in our community. We look forward to the future, while gratefully remembering what we have been allowed to accomplish throughout the past years.
Out amid the orange groves, Father Hugh McNellis had just established this parish when he recruited the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart to staff the new school. Since it opened in 1962, St. Adelaide School has been a vital part of the Highland area.
In 1972, Father Pat O’Keefe invited the Presentation Sisters to come from Ireland to staff the school. The Presentation Sisters brought a vision from their founder, Nano Nagel, of social justice and support of the poor. This charism is still alive at St. Adelaide Academy through the school community fostering service and support for the poor. The sisters continued to build upon and improve the high standards of religious and academic excellence that had been established at St. Adelaide School. In 1977, kindergarten became a self-sufficient, full time class attached to our 1st through 8th grade school.
Under the direction of the Presentation Sisters, St. Adelaide School continued to grow and prosper. Families placed their children and later their grandchildren in our care. The stability of the faculty was an asset that helped provide continuity and growth for this family-oriented school. More recently, our school prospered under the direction of members of the Sisters of Mercy.
In 1987, Highland became an incorporated city and our school population expanded with the Mountain Shadows housing development of the 1960s and 1970s. The East Highland housing expansion, beginning in the 1980s, brought in additional students. In 2001, St. Adelaide School absorbed some of the students from the closure of St. Anne School. In subsequent years, school closures from other private and parochial schools have occurred. These closures brought additional students to our campus. Currently, St. Adelaide Academy is the only private religious-based preschool through 8th grade school in Highland. The mobility of our society, with a large percentage of parents who drive a great distance to work, presented a challenge to St. Adelaide School. An after-school program was initiated, which proved to be a needed addition, as it has grown in attendance throughout the years.
In 2008, we added a preschool program, which continues to grow. This was needed for many of our school and parish families who were looking for a nurturing environment for their preschoolers. In 2010, a transitional kindergarten program was added based on the needs of the community.
The school was renamed in 2010 to St. Adelaide Academy to reflect academic enrichment and expanded student opportunities. The school program has made great strides in the development of internet accessibility and technology in the classrooms and computer lab. Our students have benefitted from the development and expansion of both our academic and enrichment programs. These are: technology classes, increased use of technology in the classrooms, new Language Arts and religion curriculum in K-8, liturgical music development, Spanish classes, Catapult tutoring, teacher/staff development, teacher coaching and mentoring, middle school electives, standards-based grading, in-depth assessment analysis and expanded sports program.
We remember our traditions and successes of the past fifty-eight years and continue to look forward to sharing ourselves with our students. Our goal is to provide rigorous academic teaching and guiding our students to become joyful, lifelong learners who recognize their role as faith-filled Catholics who make God the focus of their lives.
Recent School Background
St. Adelaide Parish and Academy, located in the beautiful town of Highland, California, is comprised of a community of 4249 families. St. Adelaide Academy is a comprehensive preschool through middle school program (PS- 8). The school has been in the community for over 50 years and serves 177 students today. The surrounding community come from diverse ethnic backgrounds and are both affluent and disadvantaged.
We are committed to supporting our students and school families.