Good morning, everyone.

This year is a milestone: St. Paul’s is turning 50 years old.

For half a century, children have come here to learn, to play, to ask big questions, and to grow into the people they are becoming.

From the very beginning, in 1975, St. Paul’s was founded with one big idea: everyone belongs. That kind of consistency is rare and powerful. For fifty years, even as schools and systems have shifted around us, St. Paul’s has never wavered from its founding vision: we will reflect the rich diversity of Oakland. Our school has always been a place where students bring their whole selves, where differences are valued, and where the community itself becomes part of the learning. That commitment—to inclusion, belonging, and reflection of our city—has defined St. Paul’s from the start, and continues to guide us today.

That mission has never changed. For 50 years, it has been our compass. And it allows us to say something important: We are enough. We don’t need to compare ourselves to other schools. What we’ve built together—our community, our program, our culture—is strong, vibrant, and true to who we are.

Here at St. Paul’s, learning is about much more than academics. Yes, we teach reading, math, and science. But we also teach how to be kind, how to take responsibility, how to care for one another, and how to contribute to the world.

And we don’t just learn in these buildings. Oakland itself is our classroom. 

Raise your hand if you’ve ever learned something outside—at the lake, in the park, on a field trip.
Exactly. Our city’s diversity, its history, its energy, its ecosystem—all of it helps shape us.

That’s why St. Paul’s graduates are different. They leave here not only with knowledge, but with humility. With curiosity. With the courage to connect across differences, and the strength to navigate a complex world.

And now, as we celebrate our first 50 years, we look forward. The next 50 years will be written by all of us—by students, by teachers, by families, by alumni, and by everyone who believes in this mission.

So let’s mark this moment together.
When I say, “Fifty years strong,” you say, “And growing!” Ready?
“Fifty years strong!”
“And growing!”

That’s right. The best is still ahead. That’s the promise of K–8. That’s the promise of St. Paul’s.

Thank you.