Academy of Our Lady of Peace | |
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Address | |
4860 Oregon Street San Diego, California, (San Diego County) 92116 United States |
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Coordinates | 32°45′55.8″N 117°8′7.6″W / 32.765500°N 117.135444°WCoordinates: 32°45′55.8″N 117°8′7.6″W / 32.765500°N 117.135444°W |
Information | |
Type | Private, All-Female |
Motto | Deus Illuminatio Mea ("God is My Light") |
Religious affiliation(s) |
Roman Catholic; Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet |
Established | 1882 |
Founder | Sister Maria |
Head of school | Dr. Lauren Lek |
Faculty | 76 |
Teaching staff | 26 |
Grades | 9-12 |
Enrollment | 750 (2015) |
Average class size | 28 [1] |
Campus | Urban |
Color(s) | Blue and White |
Team name | Pilots |
Accreditation | Western Association of Schools and Colleges |
Tuition | $18,400 (as of February 2017) |
Website | http://www.aolp.org |
Academy of Our Lady of Peace (locally called "OLP"), is a Catholic high school for young women started by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJ). Located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, OLP's mission statement is as follows: "Founded and rooted in the Gospel values of the Catholic church and the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, the Academy of Our Lady of Peace empowers young women in an innovative learning environment that honors the individual while fostering community, and develops faith-filled leaders dedicated to the "love of God and the dear neighbor without distinction." Though the school itself is Catholic, the student body represents a diverse body of religious, racial and social backgrounds, and serves the communities of San Diego County and Tijuana, Mexico. Its local partner, or 'brother school', is Saint Augustine High School for young men, commonly called "Saints".
Founded in 1882, OLP is the oldest high school in San Diego. The school was actually co-ed until the late 1890s, when it became a women-only school. Its popularity grew, and in 1925 the Sisters of St. Joseph purchased the Vandruff Estate, built in 1916 and called Villa Montemar, in what is now San Diego's Normal Heights area. Those 20 acres (81,000 m2) of land overlooking Mission Valley originally was host to spacious gardens, a swimming pool, an observatory, a chapel and three large buildings (two that served as residences and one for a scientific laboratory). Later, these properties were converted into classrooms, a small music building and the current library.
The Holy Family Event Center replaced the swimming pool in 1997, and plays host to the Academy's sporting events, physical education classes and school assemblies. The school gained national attention when it was featured in the 2000 film Bring It On starring Kirsten Dunst, an episode of SciFi's The Invisible Man (2000 series), and for part of the TV series Veronica Mars.