Principal's Message

Dear Families and Friends,

I am grateful for this community’s continually deepening investment in our mission.

When I’m asked what is most distinctive about our school, I am convinced that it has to do with our school culture, rooted in our Catholic identity. We have a culture of expectation here where students expect to go on to college and participate meaningfully in their communities. Our culture of care and accountability is a direct credit to our faculty members who push our students to strive for excellence, but who also nurture their growth, support them when they fall short, and inspire them to try again. We have a tremendous culture of faith and leadership here at MCP where students take responsibility for one another and celebrate each other’s successes. Culture goes beyond rules and regulations. It isn’t about forcing compliance among our students. Culture reflects the attitudes and practices of our community, reflected in our beliefs, traditions, legends, and heroes. Culture reflects an investment in our common life together. It is passed on from age to age and endures through our institution’s values.

There are certainly great things we accomplish together with our students here at MCP, aspects of our great ministry with young people that are exceptional and deeply hopeful. But more than what we ever do is who we become. Mission education forms people of scholarship, inspiration, and leadership. Creating values-rich leadership on the Central Coast has been our hallmark for 82 years. We do this in partnership with families, always aware that parents are the primary educators of their children.

The responsibility we all share in the creation of a “civilization of love” is profound and humbling. At MCP, we believe that "[w]hen students feel loved, they will love in return. Their questioning, their trust, their critical observations and suggestions for improvement in the classroom and the school milieu will enrich the teachers and also help to facilitate a shared commitment to the formation process" (The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, 1988, #110).

Your generous participation in our mission will give even greater vitality and spirit to our school.

All my best,

Mike Susank
Principal