All St. Aloysius students, grades TK though 8, attend weekly mass every Friday morning. Classes from grades K-8 take turns preparing the liturgy and through this hands-on experience, learn to better appreciate the parts of the Catholic Mass and what it means when we come together as a faith community to celebrate the Eucharist.

Moreover, as a way to provide our younger students with a good example of mass behavior, St Aloysius established the “buddy program” where TK students are partnered with seventh graders, and kindergarteners are partnered with eighth graders. The older students go to the younger classrooms to pick-up and escort their young buddies to mass, sit with them throughout the service, and return them to their classrooms once mass is finished. This not only creates special bonds among our younger and older students, but also fosters an environment of responsibility and respect for the sacred time during which we celebrate mass together. The program has since expanded to other “buddy” campus activities.
 

Eighth Grade: All Eighth graders participate in both a fall and spring day retreat held off-campus, led by Monsignor Rick Urizalqui. The fall retreat focuses on the outlook and aspirations for the upcoming school year, while the spring retreat focuses on the events, successes and milestones of the year. Both retreats are based in spirituality and create a learning and bonding experience for all involved.

Sixth Grade: All sixth graders participate in a multi-day sleep-away science camp (SCICON) in Springville, Calif. It is a hands-on learning experience focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematics and takes place among nature in the beauty of the Sequoia National Forest.

Fifth Grade: All fifth graders participate in a one-day field trip to SCICON.

As our students grow in the Catholic faith, they are prepared for the receiving of the Catholic sacraments of First Communion and First Reconciliation, both of which take place during the second grade. Students of alternate faiths learn of these sacraments and what they mean to the Catholic religion, but are by no means required to receive them.

Our students and faculty gather together as a school community on a monthly basis to focus on the virtues of the Catholic faith. Each assembly focuses on a particular virtue, and serves to recognize individual students in each grade who have exhibited behaviors which embody these virtues.