History

On September 2, 1947, Nativity School opened with eight grades, under the administration of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, a congregation founded by Mother Cabrini, the first American citizen to be canonized.  These sisters had agreed to staff the school until the pastor found another congregation willing to replace them.  At the request of Archbishop McIntyre, the Sisters of St. Louis from Monaghan, Ireland, agreed to staff the school.  They arrived at Nativity on August 25, 1949, the Feast of St. Louis of France.

During the following years, the numbers requesting admission to Nativity School increased so that it became necessary to increase the number of classes. By 1953, four extra classrooms were built, and in 1964 four more were added, bringing the school to its maximum capacity with double grades on all levels.

In 1970, when the Archbishop of Los Angeles decided that double-grade schools could no longer be maintained, Nativity phased out one grade each year until 1978, when it became, once more, a grade one through eight school.  As classes were eliminated, the vacant classrooms became available for various needs such as a Religious Education Office, parish Youth Room, library, music room and computer room.

In January 1986, in order to meet a pressing need for an after-school day care program, an Adeste Center was established under the direction of Catholic Charities. In September 1988, a kindergarten class was added.  In 1998, Nativity School took over the operation of the afterschool day care program and added a morning care program.  In 2003, a new playground was installed followed by the installation of a central air conditioning/ heating system in all rooms.  In summer 2015, the bathrooms were totally refurbished, again to meet the evolving needs of the school community.

Nativity School opened a Transitional Kindergarten on August 21, 2012 and welcomed 25 three and four year olds. A new Transitional Kindergarten program began in 2014 specifically for three-year-old.  Recess, lunch and supervision schedules were restructured to meet the needs of the growing school population.

Since the inception of the school, much progress has been made in terms of technology and teaching practice. A Writing to Read lab for kindergarten and first grade was implemented in the early 1990’s with a grant from the Riordan Foundation. Since our first computer lab was installed, Nativity School has continuously kept pace with technological advancements. Nativity School currently has a one-to-one iPad program in grades 1-8 and interactive digital displays and document cameras in grades k-8 and the STREAM lab.  A Smart Table was installed in the TK4 classroom.

The Nativity School community is a fully inclusive school and welcomes all who fully desire a quality Catholic education.  For families who struggle financially, there are programs in place to assist with the financial aspect of education.  For students with learning disabilities, there are programs to support them in the regular classroom setting and to make each student grow and become the person God intended them to be.