St. Matthew’s Welcomes Students Back to Its Pacific Palisades Campus

St. Matthew’s Parish School welcomed students back to its Pacific Palisades campus on Wednesday, marking a historic milestone for the school community after 20 months of learning and gathering at temporary campuses.  

The return to the School’s home campus represents a long-awaited homecoming and marks the beginning of a new chapter for this community that has remained deeply connected through their faith, traditions, and commitment to one another throughout an extraordinary period of change following the 2025 Palisades Fire. 

More than 220 families from across the Westside of Los Angeles, including Brentwood, Mar Vista, Santa Monica, and the Pacific Palisades, began the 2026–2027 school year together. Whether it was a family’s first day or their 40th year, they brought with them a shared commitment to a school where students are celebrated, empowered to challenge their minds, grow in character and lead with courage. 

With campus spaces remediated and ready for students, children once again have the opportunity to experience one of St. Matthew’s most distinctive gifts: the ability to learn, play, explore, and simply be children across its 30-acre campus. Those opportunities to be outside and experience nature are an important part of childhood and learning. Teachers welcomed students with the same warmth and care that have long defined the School. In the weeks leading up to the School’s opening, these dedicated educators thoughtfully prepared their classrooms and learning environments, creating spaces where students would feel at home from the moment they stepped onto the campus.

St. Matthew’s Head of School, current parent, and alum of the Class of 2002, Alley Michaelson shared, “As our Palisades neighborhood rebuilds over the coming years, new families will be looking for a place to ground themselves, a place where their children can flourish. We want to be the light that welcomes them home.” 

The community’s identity is also defined by the close relationship between the school and parish. In this most momentous day in their nearly eight decades of history, St. Matthew’s Parish School and the Parish of St. Matthew continue to share forth a longstanding Episcopal tradition in which faith is lived through community, service, worship, and care for others. This partnership provided an important source of strength during the School’s time at temporary campuses and made yesterday’s return to campus especially significant.

“St. Matthew’s Parish School is the single largest ministry of this church that has been serving the Pacific Palisades for 85 years,” shares Priest-in-Charge, The Rev. Canon Melissa McCarthy. “An Episcopal education is an incredible gift that you can give your child. They will be well-prepared for wherever life takes them and they will always have a community to call home no matter where they go.” 

The first day of school brought that sense of shared community to life, including gathering together in prayer and community, helping mark the beginning of a new school year. “St. Matthew’s is a community of welcoming. That’s one of the many things I love about this place,” shares Rev. Stefanie Wilson, School Chaplain and current parent to two children. 

St. Matthew’s has always had a deep commitment to serving the community, but having experienced what it means to be welcomed and supported by others, St. Matthew’s students now have a deeper understanding of the impact of service and a renewed desire to give back. “Our 6th and 7th grade students were on Bienveneda Avenue with Resilient Palisades removing non-native species from the hillside to help not only beautify the area, but help make it more fire resistant for the future. And our students are so passionate about this work because they know why it matters,” Rev. Wilson continued.

For families, coming home to campus was a celebration of a community that has remained connected and steadfast, supporting one another through the past twenty months. It’s that warmth, belonging and connection that draws people to St. Matthew’s. The School’s Parents’ Council President, current parent to three children, and alum from the Class of 1998, Brooke Kathrein, was personally moved by the School’s return sharing, “St. Matthew’s gave me the blessing of a happy childhood and it is the foundation that helped shape me into who I am today. It is a magical and nurturing place that prepared me for the world beyond, and I feel so lucky and grateful to be able to give my own children the gift of St. Matthew’s.” She added, “What stands out to me is how very resilient and supportive the St. Matthew’s Parent Community is. It is truly something special and I’ve never been more proud to be a Falcon parent.”  

As St. Matthew’s begins a new chapter on its home campus, families interested in becoming part of the community are invited to begin exploring what the school has to offer. Applications for the 2027–2028 school year are now open. Whether your child is beginning at age 2, joining St. Matthew’s in middle school, or entering at any point in between, families are invited to discover what makes a St. Matthew’s education such a special experience.