Mary Star of the Sea High School is the only private

Private school

Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...

, Roman Catholic high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

 in San Pedro which serves the Los Angeles Harbor and surrounding communities. The school is operated by Mary Star of the Sea Parish under the supervision of the Department of Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The school focuses on the fundamentals of a quality education interwoven with strong Catholic principles. The curriculum is grounded in a college preparatory program with a four-year honor track option. This is enhanced by an average class size of 26 and a committed, quality faculty. It was named one of the Top 50 Catholic High Schools in America in 2006.

Mission

In the great tradition of Catholic education, Mary Star of the Sea High School challenges students to reach their full human potential through a living faith in God. In the context of a small community environment based on mutual respect, the school prepares students for this world and the next by nourishing the soul, cultivating personal integrity, challenging the mind, and fostering social responsibility.

Graduation Requirements

A student of Mary Star of the Sea High School must successfully achieve a minimum of 240 academic units to graduate; each course completed with a passing grade is equivalent to 5 units per semester. In addition to their academic requirements, students must accumulate a minimum 80 hours of Christian service prior to graduation.

• English 4 years / 40 units
• Science 2.5 years / 25 units
• Religion 4 years / 40 units
• Language 2 years / 20 units
• Social Studies 3.5 years / 35 units
• P.E./Health 1 year / 10 units
• Mathematics 3 years / 30 units
• Fine Arts 1 year / 10 units
• Electives 3 years / 30 units
• Service 4 years / 80 hours

Honors Classes and Advanced Placements Classes

Mary Star of the Sea High School offers 15 Advanced Placement and Honors courses to academically eligible students. Honors classes cross all four grade levels including Honors English 9, Honors British Literature and Honors American Literature and Composition; Honors World History; Honors Biology and Honors Chemistry; Honors Algebra I, Honors Geometry, and Honors Algebra II/Trigonometry. Advanced Placement courses challenge students in AP Calculus, AP English Literature, AP European History, AP Government, AP Spanish Language, and AP U.S. History. Independent study for exceptional students in additional Advanced Placement disciplines is also available. Mary Star college-bound students have successfully achieved a 50% to 70% passing rate on the spring exams on a yearly basis.

Background

Mary Star of the Sea was established in 1954 by Mary Star of the Sea Parish. There is also a Mary Star of the Sea elementary in San Pedro, which was founded in 1922.
The school was originally located on 8th Street and moved to a brand new campus on Taper Avenue in the fall of 2007.