“From the initial stages I have described our progress as being on ‘Miracle Mode,’ definitely guided by God’s hand,” said Sister Ernestine Velarde, ODN, President of St. Jeanne de Lestonnac School, the existing kindergarten through eighth grade campus.
“With the help of many skilled professionals assisting us, we move forward with great confidence and faith in the quality of the education Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac Catholic High School will offer.”
The new high school building will have a Chapel, a Campus Ministry room, and studio spaces to facilitate an interdisciplinary curriculum which focuses on student collaboration and communication. It will also contain science and art labs, a sound and production studio, a culinary arts kitchen/classroom, and traditional classroom spaces with outdoor patios reinforcing the “education beyond the walls” approach to learning.
Land use permits and approvals needed to build the new high school are now being sought from Riverside County and there is still much fundraising to do on the $25 million project. Because of these factors, St. Jeanne High School will begin next year with only a freshman class that will be housed at the existing St. Jeanne de Lestonnac School campus.
Another development in the progress of the new high school is the hiring of Annette Zaleski as the founding principal. Zaleski is not new to the Diocese, having formerly served as Principal of St. James School in Perris and as an Associate Superintendent in the Office of Catholic Schools. She currently serves as Principal of La Purisima Catholic School in Orange.
“We have teamed with amazing educators to build a program that uniquely addresses high school students to meet and exceed the requirements for today, but more importantly to form who they will become as they grow into faith-filled leaders impacting society,” Zaleski said.
Sr. Velarde, Zaleski and other school leaders have begun the process of educating Southwest Riverside County communities about the new high school through a series of information meetings at the school. Upcoming meetings will be held in the in the Theater at Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac School, 32650 Avenida Lestonnac, Temecula, on November 9 and 14. Both begin at 6 p.m.
A feasibility study conducted by Milwaukee-based Meitler conservatively estimated that a Catholic high school in Temecula could have an enrollment of more than 400 students in six to seven years. Projected growth in the school-aged population in the greater Temecula area and the high number of children in Catholic religious education classes were cited as positive data in support of building a new Catholic high school.