Leadership

Welcome to St. Mary’s!

Thank you for your interest in St. Mary’s, an independent International Baccalaureate World School in Aliso Viejo. We are proud to serve 715 students from age 2 through Grade 8 in a community where every child is known, cared for and challenged to grow.

Our mission, World-Sized Hearts and World-Class Minds, comes to life through a distinctive educational approach: IB rigor. Design Thinking in action. Values at the center. Together, these elements prepare students not simply for the next grade, but for a world that hasn’t been invented yet.

At St. Mary’s, academic challenge and personal growth go hand in hand. Our students build strong foundational knowledge while learning to think critically, consider different perspectives and apply their learning in meaningful ways. Through Design Thinking, they turn ideas into action—identifying challenges, testing possibilities, learning from setbacks and creating solutions. Along the way, our dedicated faculty nurture the confidence, resilience and independence that help students take ownership of their learning.

Across our campus, purposeful spaces bring this approach to life. The Sillers Center, named in honor of our founder, Father Ernest D. Sillers, is home to the Thompson Family Early Education Center and our Design Center, connecting our youngest learners’ sense of discovery with opportunities for exploration and innovation throughout the grades. Floriani Family Park, Liu Family Field and our expanded outdoor play spaces give students room to move, build friendships and discover new strengths. In classrooms, studios, on stages and on playing fields, students experience the joy of learning, creating and contributing together.

Rooted in Episcopal traditions and welcoming families of all faiths and backgrounds, St. Mary’s places character and belonging at the heart of education. We teach students to act with kindness and integrity, seek to understand others, take responsibility for their choices and share their gifts. These values shape how we learn, how we care for one another and how we contribute to the wider world.

Our graduates leave St. Mary’s beyond prepared for high school—with the academic foundation to excel, the confidence to embrace new challenges and a growing understanding of how they can make a difference. Just as importantly, they carry forward the relationships and sense of purpose developed here.

I invite you to visit campus, meet our educators and see this learning in action. Whether you are exploring St. Mary’s for the first time or are already part of our community, I look forward to sharing what makes this school such a meaningful place for children to learn and grow.

Warmly,

Doug Patterson                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Head of School