Welcome!
Founded in 1954 by five Loreto Sisters from Navan, Ireland, SS. Simon & Jude Cathedral School has been “Alive With the Spirit” for more than 70 years. We believe every child is called to grow in faith, discover their God-given gifts, and become the person God created them to be. Through strong academics, meaningful relationships, and opportunities to serve, students are challenged to learn, lead, and live with purpose. Here, faith is woven into every part of the student experience, from daily prayer and weekly Mass to the classroom, extracurriculars, and community life. With a commitment to academic excellence and Catholic formation, we prepare students not only for their next chapter, but for a life rooted in faith and service. SSJ is more than a school, it is a family, a community, and a place to call home. Come discover what makes SS. Simon & Jude so special.
Schoolwide Learning Expectations
At SS. Simon and Jude, we believe a student should be:
A Follower of Jesus
- Knows, loves and serves God
- Sees God in all things
- Recognizes and promotes the dignity of self and others
- Makes choices in light of Catholic teaching, scripture and tradition
A Life-Long Learner
- Academically prepared
- Critical thinker
- Well rounded
A Self-disciplined Person
- Knows, practices and applies self discipline skills
- Accepts personal responsibility
- Understand actions have consequences
A Global Citizen:
- Respects and cares for all God’s creation
- Recognizes and responds to the needs of others
- Recognizes his/her role in the body of Christ
Mission and Philosophy
Our Mission
Inspired by the Loreto Sisters and their charisms – FREEDOM, JUSTICE, SINCERITY, JOY & TRUTH – our mission is to promote intellectual and spiritual growth by providing a quality Catholic education in a safe, compassionate environment, challenging all to live according to the gospel in a constantly changing world.
Philosophy
We, the Catholic educators of SS. Simon & Jude School, recognize parents as the primary educators in the formation and education of their children. We will work in partnership with parents to build upon this foundation. We believe in our God-given mission to facilitate the growth of each child in this faith community as a whole person, with responsibilities to God, the global community, and all creation. We strive to provide each student with the opportunity to acquire a personal relationship with Jesus in an atmosphere alive with the Spirit of God.
We emphasize the importance of individual potential, academic achievement, intellectual, and aesthetic growth. Believing in the uniqueness and dignity of each individual, we encourage each student to develop a strong, positive self-image by providing and expecting a Christian atmosphere characterized by understanding, respect, and acceptance of all people. We also believe every child is capable of developing moral values and self-discipline skills.
We are committed to teach and model behavior which will enable our students to develop the skills to become self-disciplined, reflective, discerning Catholic Christians. We will assist in the formation of children as they grow in Freedom, Sincerity, Truthfulness, and Justice. We expect our students will find God in each life experience and go into the future embracing the honor and service of God.
History of Loreto Sisters
The journey of the Loreto Sisters began in 1607 with an Englishwoman named Mary Ward. She held the then radical belief that by educating young women, they would be empowered to take care of the faith. With vision, missionary zeal, and Christ’s love, the Loreto Sisters of the Institute of Blessed Virgin Mary was founded.
The Arizona journey began in 1954 when Father Paul Smith, the founding pastor of Ss. Simon and Jude, was seeking a group of nuns to establish a Catholic elementary school. He contacted the Loreto Sisters in Navan, Ireland, who eagerly accepted the challenge. Five brave pioneers arrived at Ss. Simon & Jude to begin a mission that has greatly affected the lives of children for over 70 years.
Today there are still several Loreto Sisters at Ss. Simon and Jude, all highly educated, and always sharing Mary Ward’s core values: Freedom, Joy, Justice, Sincerity, and Truth. Wherever they go, the Loreto Sisters immerse themselves in the entire life of the school and parish.
A substantial number of the current Ss. Simon & Jude student body are children of alumni. This is a testament to the Loreto Sisters’ long-standing tradition of education. After serving for more than 50 years as Principal, Sr. Raphael Quinn remains active at the school as the Director of Community Engagement.
The spirit at Ss. Simon and Jude is openhearted and open-minded. The Loreto Sisters’ philosophy is to keep the original values that inspired their missionary vision. Children of various backgrounds and cultures thrive in the rich educational atmosphere, because five brave young women with Mary Ward’s vision said, “Yes”.”
Our Discipline Approach
We use a developmental approach to teaching self-discipline skills to our students. Our self-discipline program gives perspective on how to make every disciplinary situation “a teachable moment.” There are 15 skills in this program as detailed below:
Basic Skills
- Prompted: Birth – K
- Internalized: K – 3rd
- Listening
- Following Instructions
- Questioning
- Sharing: Time, Space, People and Things
- Exhibiting Social Skills
CONSTRUCTIVE SKILLS
- Prompted: K – 3rd
- Internalized: 3rd – 7th
- Cooperating with Others
- Understanding the Reason for Rules
- Independently Completing a Task
- Exhibiting Leadership
- Communicating Effectively
GENERATIVE SKILLS
- Prompted: K-7th
- Internalized: 7th-12th
- Organizing: Time, Space, People, Things
- Resolving Mutual Problems
- Taking the Initiative in Problem Solving
- Distinguishing Fact From Feeling
- Sacrificing/Serving Others