Back to school in the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau

The Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau’s Catholic schools started back up this August. Our Lady of the Valley (OLV) in Wasilla started on August 17.  Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School and Lumen Christi High School in Anchorage started on August 20.

Lisa Williams is the principal of Our Lady of the Valley. She is looking forward to this school year.

“We are thrilled to welcome 25 new students this year, which represents a 37% increase in our student body — a testament to the beautiful families who have built our community and the new families joining our community. We are also excited to have two new, fantastic faculty members,” Williams said. “It has been a sincere joy to see our returning families welcoming the new families so warmly; we are building community very quickly.”

Our Lady of the Valley students at work their first day back. (Courtesy of Carolina Alberton)

Williams said they will continue old school traditions, such as All Saints Day Festival, Lessons and Carols for Christmas, and begin new ventures, such as new activities that engage parents, and monthly field trips, including a hike in Hatcher Pass on the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel. Additionally, the school will focus strongly on American history in honor of the country’s 250th anniversary. 

Williams said, “We were blessed with wonderful parent volunteers who helped us clean and refresh our entire campus, installing new flooring and painting classrooms. Academically, we revised our curriculum — specifically transitioning to Saxon Math and ‘Foundations in Logic,’ a phonics-based curriculum — and we saw the results in our spring standardized testing, where math and reading scores improved across the board, with many students reaching the 90th percentile in the national rankings. Ultimately, it was a year of strong foundational work driven by our highly dedicated teachers who truly embraced our integrated curriculum.”

Williams described Our Lady of the Valley: “What truly sets Our Lady of the Valley apart is the unique spirit of our students. They possess a genuine, childlike joy and a profound love of learning, but they also maintain a deep sense of reverence—a combination that is quite rare. They are incredibly enthusiastic about their studies and eager to serve others. We really function like one little family; because we are a smaller community, everyone truly knows one another, and that fosters a safe, supportive, and vibrant environment for our children to thrive.” 

Williams said, “We are dedicated to our mission of growing in understanding of goodness, truth, and beauty, so that we may all know, love, and serve God with joy.”

Our Lady of the Valley students greed Fr. Augustine Minn, K.M.S. (Courtesy of Carolina Alberton)

Molly McManamin began her role as principal of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton this fall. She is excited to join the school community. 

“I am excited about the opportunity to bring our new and returning staff together and continue building a strong, collaborative team rooted in our shared mission,” McManamin said. 

McManamin seeks to continue building the school’s community, through faith, high expectations and academic excellence, kindness, and nourishing a genuine sense of belonging. She believes students thrive when they are held to high expectations in an environment where they feel “deeply known, supported, and loved.”  

Additionally, she said her door is always open: “I welcome communication from families; whether you have a question or concern, an idea to share, or simply something wonderful about your child that you want to celebrate.”

McManamin shared what stands out to her about St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: “Our students have the opportunity to be challenged academically while growing in their faith and being surrounded by adults who genuinely care about who they are becoming — not simply what they are achieving. The dedication that families, faculty, staff, parish leadership, and the broader community have to this school’s success is remarkable.”

McManamin said, “Our school is much more than a building; it is the people within it. My hope is that these small opportunities to learn one another’s stories will help us strengthen relationships, celebrate the unique gifts God has given each member of our community, and continue making St. Elizabeth Ann Seton a place where everyone feels they belong.” 

Lumen Christi students enjoy pizza from the Saint Scholastica Snack Shack. (Courtesy of Anne Gore)

Brian Ross is the principal of Lumen Christi. He has served for 10 years, but this upcoming year will be his last. 

Ross is proud of Lumen and excited for the future. From the two new exterior classrooms that were funded in just three months, to last year’s graduates moving onto the next stages of their lives well-prepared and supported, to bidding teacher Debbie Brewer farewell, who taught at Lumen from the beginning 30 years ago, there’s much to be proud of. Ross said, “Those are milestones worth celebrating together as a school family.” 

Three new staff members will join Lumen, two new classrooms will soon be completed, and Lumen has finalized an agreement with Saint Francis University (SFU) in Loretto, Pennsylvania. Students who qualify are guaranteed admission to all SFU undergraduate degree programs, guaranteed a minimum scholarship over four years for on-campus enrollment, and weighted consideration and preferential selection for academic programs at SFU. International Affairs and British Literature classes at Lumen also count toward fully-transferable credits at SFU.   

“As always,” Ross said, “we’re refining and improving — whether that’s in our academics, our facilities, or the way we support our students and families.”

Lumen Christi students at work their first day back. (Courtesy of Anne Gore)

“It’s a bittersweet time. I’ve been honored and privileged to serve this school, our students, and the community for the past decade, but I’m genuinely looking forward to what comes next for Lumen Christi under new leadership. Successful transitions happen from a position of strength, and we are ‘Lumen Strong.’ A new principal brings new vision, new energy, and a fresh perspective, and that’s a good and healthy thing for any school. I look forward to supporting a smooth transition and seeing this community continue to thrive for the next 30 years and beyond.”