Our Lady of the Valley Catholic School: Where Faith and Knowledge Grow

Every week, the children of Our Lady of the Valley Catholic School participate in the Sacred Heart Cathedral’s Children’s Mass. Gentle hand chimes played by schoolchildren echo through the room as people gather. Uniformed children greet the congregation. Children sing sweetly throughout the program, often accompanying themselves on the chimes. More school children, too young to perform, sit reverently in two rows with their teachers. Father Jojappa presides over a timely service, while the spirit of the children from Our Lady of the Valley Catholic School permeates the Mass— their songs heartfelt, their faces shining.

Our Lady of the Valley Catholic School consists of a few tidy buildings tucked into a wooded area on the property of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Children run and jump on playground equipment during recess, overseen by Joyce Lund, who, in addition to being the resident playground monitor, is the school’s first-grade teacher, second-grade teacher, and principal.

Seventeen years ago, Our Lady of the Valley opened its doors in a small Wasilla strip mall. When rents became onerous, it moved to a small building on the Sacred Heart Church’s lot. By 2013, OLV had outgrown its space and was saving money for expansion. Following their pattern of prayer, optimism, and a willingness to work, staff and parents explored their options. Conclusion: hopelessly expensive.

Lund recalled that frustration. “I said, ‘It’s okay, we’ll just figure it out.’”

Within a few weeks, the team learned that the Anchorage School District was getting rid of portable classrooms; accordingly, Lund bought three of them for $1 apiece. For less than the price of one new portable, the school could move, install, and completely refit the buildings. Parents cleared the land needed and set up the playground. Children planted the grass. The school grew and the lesson was reinforced: “With God, all things are possible,” (Matt. 19:26).

With only six teachers and 60 students enrolled in their preschool-to-8th-grade program, Our Lady of the Valley is a small school. However, Lund said, the heart of this campus is vast, reaching out locally and worldwide.

“We collect blankets and towels for the animal shelter every year, and hold a special Veteran’s Day Mass and reception every November,” Lund said. In past years, the school children have helped to raise money to buy a radio-communication system for a parish in Dillingham, and gathered school supplies for struggling children in Mexico and Puerto Rico. Every summer, students grow and harvest potatoes for the Palmer Food Bank, and gather stuffing for the Wasilla Thanksgiving food distribution.

They have prepared care bags for the St. Francis homeless shelter in Anchorage and played chimes at the Palmer Pioneer Home. They raised money to help people who lost everything in the California wildfires, and this year donated to a family who tragically lost four family members in the Lahaina Maui fires. Recently, students and staff served in the Arctic Winter Games, proud to work with Catholic and other faith-based organizations in the Valley.

Service is a key part of what happens at OLV, and the projects are chosen from the concerns of school families and other close connections—the Lahaina family were relatives of some OLV students. Service helps the children learn how to act compassionately and reach out with love, Lund said.

“When an ambulance goes by, children in the classroom drop to their knees in prayer on behalf of the person who is hurt,” shared Lund.

The value of service appears to be sinking in.

“We don’t want to worship God so we look good, we want to be good, like the Saints,” said eighth-grader Hailo Schliesing.

While service is a priority, academics are also very important at Our Lady of the Valley. Serving Catholics and non-Catholics alike, the school allows teachers to meet the individual needs of the students.

“Here, class sizes are small, so children don’t get lost in the cracks,” observed music teacher Deborah Cooper.

Solid curriculum, in addition to daily religious observances, Bible and Saint stories, monthly virtue studies, and participation at Mass provides a rich environment in which the children can grow. Student Dina Lambert confided, “My teachers teach me about God. I love God.”

Another student, James Passard, noted that his parents chose this school carefully: “They wanted me to learn to stand up about my faith, and defend it.”

Lund affirmed that helping children flourish is the goal.

“We have many students who are athletes, and do a lot of traveling. We accommodate their schedules so they can develop their talent of athleticism.”

Taylor Passard, an eighth-grader, noted, “I really appreciate everybody supporting me, the teachers, even the little kids, in my sports.”

“We are like a big family,” confirmed Lund, “The children know each other so well.”

Student Abigail Andrews, summarized the feelings of many of her classmates: “Our Lady of the Valley is a great school with great teachers and great kids.”

Principal Lund beamed at her beloved students. “We are working,” she concluded, “to be a community of saints in the making.”

Our Lady of the Valley is affiliated with the Archdiocese of Anchorage/Juneau. Principal Lund gratefully acknowledges the prayers and financial support given by the local parishes: Wasilla’s Sacred Heart, Palmer’s Saint Michael’s, Big Lake’s Our Lady of the Lake, and Talkeetna’s Saint Bernard.

Our Lady of the Valley Catholic School is located at 1201 E. Bogard Road.

For more information, contact the school at ksmith@valleycatholicschools.org or (907) 376-0883.

Kristin Fry is a happy resident of this beautiful valley. She is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.