Mission & History

Philosophy of St. Gabriel the Archangel School

We, the St. Gabriel School community, strive to develop and deepen our knowledge and love of God. We dedicate ourselves to academic excellence and provide students the means to attain it.

Recognizing parents as the primary educators, we work together to foster the full potential of each student...spiritually, emotionally, aesthetically, and physically, and socially.

In so doing we...

  • foster Catholic values by offering faith building experiences in knowledge, prayer, service and liturgy;
  • encourage students to practice stewardship by returning time and talent to their parish and community;
  • devote a variety of resources to serve students with special academic needs;
  • create and uphold an atmosphere of honesty, dignity, self-discipline, belonging, and tolerance of individual differences;
  • cultivate the whole person both during and after school by providing students opportunities in art, music, athletics, scouting and other pursuits.

Believing this philosophy, we hope to enrich our students so they will be, like our patron saint, messengers of the Good News wherever they go.

History

Black and White Photo of St. Gabriel SchoolIn 1934 the vision of the new St. Gabriel Church and School in the Saint Louis Hills neighborhood was conceived. Ground was broken on the project in November of that year. In September of 1935 the parish school opened with 38 students taught by three School Sisters of Notre Dame. The growing parish added a second floor to the school and church building in 1939. That fall the classroom space accommodated 245 students. By 1950 the school was educating 550 children. By the late 1970s school enrollment reached over 700 and the parish added a new gymnasium.

The neighborhood and parish school have stayed strong. In 2000 the Call to Build Campaign began with a survey to determine priorities in maintaining and improving the parish and school. Parishioners pledged about $2.3 million to upgrade the church and school. This campaign enabled the school to expand its classroom space, to update the classroom technology, and to ensure that the building is handicapped accessible. Today St. Gabriel enrolls approximately 500 students representing about 300 families.

*The above information is taken from the Saint Gabriel the Archangel book by NiNi Harris, 2009.