Envisioning the Future

In 1949, St. Matthew’s Parish School opened its doors in a church building on Swarthmore Avenue in Pacific Palisades and quickly became the first preschool to serve the rapidly developing town. Early pioneers of Pacific Palisades were inspired by the rich tradition of the Episcopal Church and the School’s warm, communal approach to education. A shared sentiment emerged almost immediately: St. Matthew’s was home.

Seventy-six years later, St. Matthew’s remains the epicenter of community. St. Matthew’s is still home. The parallels between our past and present reveal an enduring thread that binds generations together. Founding board members of St. Matthew’s famously rolled up their sleeves to build easels and sandboxes by hand late into the night in the days before the School opened.

As we envision the future, we do so with intention and clarity. We are meeting this moment as an active partner in the town’s recovery. We will step forward with courage, reaffirming our role as a cornerstone of community in Pacific Palisades and the surrounding neighborhoods.

The St. Matthew’s Parish School’s Strategic Plan will guide our return to campus and shape how we navigate, evolve, and grow alongside Pacific Palisades. With purpose and hope, we will continue to serve, lead, and flourish as we build a School for the next seven decades of St. Matthew’s families.

Alexandra “Alley” Michaelson ’02

Head of School

We will amplify our culture of service and participation by maximizing opportunities for families and educators to work together, care for one another, and build lifelong bonds.

Prioritize community building

• Focus Parents’ Council initiatives on deepening engagement, emphasizing a spirit where everyone is welcome and everyone participates.

• Broaden access to and frequency of on-campus cross-divisional parent and family gatherings.

• Create more opportunities for peer-school networking.

Enhance St. Matthew’s extended day experience and campus utilization.

• Grow our after-school and summer programming to offer a comprehensive range of enrichment opportunities for both current students and children from neighboring schools.

• Explore opportunities to share our facilities with organizations that serve children in our broader community and introduce world-class educators to our campus.

Deepen our alumni connections.

• Establish structured leadership pathways for graduates to partner with the School, harnessing their expertise to serve student, alumni, and institutional needs.

• Increase alumni engagement across all ages, professions, and life stages through programming that connects, educates, and celebrates our graduate community.

• Activate our archives, spotlighting alumni success through storytelling, events, and digital platforms.

Impact for Initiative #1

We will build upon our existing program to continue to graduate students with strong academic skills, intellectual curiosity, and empowered points of view.

Refine our academic program to challenge students beyond perceived capabilities to reach their full potential.

• Establish and annually update comprehensive curriculum documents that articulate our academic program for internal and external audiences.

• Create structured time and systems for faculty to align curriculum vertically and horizontally while exploring cross-curricular opportunities.

• Develop clear communication tools to demonstrate student outcomes.

• Increase learning exhibitions across all grade levels to showcase student growth and achievement.

Support and strengthen our faculty professional development to be at the forefront of educational practices.

• Establish leadership structures for program growth and engage with external professional organizations.

• Celebrate faculty expertise both internally and externally by showcasing our teaching strengths.

• Integrate research-based, innovative pedagogical practices into classroom instruction and curriculum.

Build upon our current program to ensure that our students develop the skills and mindsets necessary to advocate for themselves, overcome challenges, and take healthy risks.

• Review and align schoolwide learning expectations, grading practices, and social-emotional learning programming.

• Instill student agency through expanded opportunities for self-advocacy and reflection.

• Expand mental and physical health resources to support students in further developing resilience. 

Impact for Initiative #2

We will enhance our unique 29-acre pastoral campus to create safe, flexible spaces inspired by nature and informed by parish and school programs.

Execute a comprehensive health and environmental quality program.

• Implement regular testing and monitoring of air, water, soil, surfaces, and other potential environmental hazards.

• Define behavioral expectations and decision-making processes for weather events, air-quality concerns, and other environmental challenges.

• Continue to partner with public agencies and experts to stay at the forefront of the Palisades Fire recovery, so we can respond locally.

• Refine and revisit protocols connected to appropriate use of equipment, on-site cleaning, and grounds maintenance.

Upgrade safety and security systems.

• Incorporate natural disaster preparedness and disaster-resilient infrastructure into all renovation, construction, and maintenance projects.

• Upgrade technology and protocols for on-site visitor management, surveillance, and monitoring.

• Strengthen campus-wide communication systems to ensure timely and effective responses during any incident.

• Sustain and enhance advanced monitoring to proactively protect against digital threats and attacks.

Create a vibrant and interconnected campus experience that supports our life at St. Matthew’s.

• Rebuild the physical spaces and associated programs that were lost with an eye towards intentional, multipurpose, and flexible future usage.

• Ensure all building projects honor our unique environment through designs that complement and enhance its natural setting.

• Develop new indoor and outdoor spaces that further our educational mission, foster community engagement, and adapt to differing needs throughout the year.

• Examine how our facilities can extend families’ years of engagement by serving not only the School but also parish and community programs.

Impact for Initiative #3

We will attract and retain mission-aligned families from Pacific Palisades and continue to strategically broaden our reach to other local communities.

Showcase the value of our 2-year-old through 8th grade program to current and future families.

• Build a clear narrative that demonstrates our educational strengths and present it to our internal and external communities.

• Refine online and social media communication to demonstrate the excellence of all areas of school life.

• Tell the powerful stories of our graduates.

Broaden access to enrollment.

• Expand transportation options for students living beyond the Pacific Palisades.

• Improve financial accessibility through competitive tuition analysis, signature scholarship programs, and a demystified financial aid process.

• Deploy a dynamic marketing plan that integrates research-driven messaging, traditional and digital media, and grassroots community engagement.

Steward current and future St. Matthew’s families through the rebuilding process of the campus and the local community.

• Provide frequent transparent communication about the state of the campus and the Palisades at large during the rebuild.

• Fortify a partnership of resources by connecting families with meaningful support.

• Illuminate the asset of our church and its associated ministries.

Impact for Initiative #4

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who shared their insights, hopes, and aspirations throughout this strategic planning process. This enduring partnership is woven throughout the development of this Strategic Plan.

The future of our School remains bright, strengthened by community and illuminated by the light you shine on it.

St. Matthew’s is Forever.