San Xavier Mission School is a Catholic community of faith, knowledge, and service: Himdag, (the way of the people/culture)
Philosophy
San Xavier Mission School is committed to educate, nurture, and empower Tohono O'odham students, other Native American students, and students of all cultures, to strengthen their living expression of the Catholic faith. Our diverse academic program develops a student's respect for tradition and culture as well as provides the necessary academic skills to succeed in every changing world. Teachers, with the support of the parents/guardians who are the primary educators of their children, facilitate religious development, academic achievement, habits of lifelong learning, community service, care of Creation, moral, personal, social, physical, health habits, and cultural development.
School History
The first Catholic school in Arizona San Xavier Mission School opened in November 1864 by a gentleman by the name of Mr. Vincent, under the guidance of Bishop Salpointe. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet came to San Xavier in 1873, serving until 1932, when the Immaculate Heart Sisters took over. In 1938 the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange ran the school for 2 years. In 1940 the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity of Manitowoc, WI, took leadership and expanded the service through grade 8, and they continue to serve the school until the present time.
San Xavier Mission School, (SXMS) is a part of the Diocese of Tucson system of schools. Teachers follow the curriculum guides, standards and policies set by the diocese.
Tohono O’odham
Catholic Faith
School Safety
How we are responding to the pandemic.
Dear Community
San Xavier Mission School has been collaborating with the Department of Catholic Schools and other Catholic school leaders with guidance and recommendations from the AZ Department of Education, AZ Department of Health Services, Pima County Health Department, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in developing a Re-entry Plan for the upcoming school year. The plan is meant to best address the needs of our students and families and the needs of school faculty and staff.
Our plan looks at five areas:
1. Health & Safety
2. Creating & Maintaining Community
3. Curriculum & Instruction
4. Maintaining Catholic Identity
5. Technology
Certainly these are unprecedented times. Please pray for the SXMS community and all of our Catholic school communities. If you would like more information please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected] Mrs. Vanessa Rothstein M.Ed.
SXM School Principal
Accredited by Western Catholic Education Association, (WCEA)
The Western Catholic Education Association is a private educational accrediting agency for Catholic elementary and secondary schools in ten western United States and the Territory of Guam.
The mission of WCEA is to promote quality Catholic education for students in our member elementary and secondary schools through an accrediting process that assures the primacy of faith formation and educational excellence.
The specific purpose of WCEA is to coordinate the accreditation process by assisting schools in their self-evaluative programs, to establish general standards for excellence in Catholic schools, to grant WCEA Accreditation, and to cooperate formally with regional accrediting organizations as determined by the WCEA Board of Directors. Currently WCEA co-accredits schools with ACS-WASC and AdvancED.
WCEA was originally formed in California under the auspices of the Bishops of the Catholic Arch/Dioceses of California. Although the membership now includes Catholic Arch/Dioceses in nine other states and Guam, the Bishops of the Catholic Arch/Dioceses of California retain reserved powers as the Members of the Corporation and appoint one of their member Bishops to serve as the WCEA President. https://www.wcea.org/about
San Xavier Mission School is accredited by the Western Catholic Education Association and is revisited every three to six years. All stakeholders are involved in the accreditation process.
Contact Us
San Xavier Mission Catholic School
1980 W. San Xavier Rd,
Tucson, AZ 85746
School Phone Number 520.294.0628