History, Mission, and Philosophy

Our History

For many years, the Catholic communities of Our Lady of Joy, St. Gabriel the Archangel, and St. Rose Duchesne longed for a Catholic school north of Loop 101. In the spring of 2009, Bishop Thomas Olmsted and the Diocese of Phoenix approved a Diocesan school to serve these three parishes located on the St. Gabriel campus, and Annunciation Catholic School was conceived. In its inaugural year, Annunciation Catholic School offered 1st and 2nd grades. Adding a grade per year the school reached full K-8 status in 2015 and graduated its first 8th grade in May 2016. Since then, the school has graduated eleven 8th grade classes, with 100% acceptance to the Catholic High Schools in the area. School enrollment has grown from 23 in 2009 to 243 in 2026.

Construction of the new school building was completed in December 2020, and students and staff moved in over the Christmas break. The new church was completed in November 2021. The final phase of the campus project was completed in August 2022 when the school administration offices moved to the former parish offices. 

We are embarking on a new construction project to include a full-size indoor gymnasium.

We are so very grateful to all who made our school possible, and we must remember that all that we do is for the greater glory of God. We pray for the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and St. Gabriel the Archangel as we continue our mission.

Our Mission

Within our strong Catholic community, we develop children to their fullest God-given potential – spiritually, intellectually, morally, socially, and physically.

Our Philosophy

We, the faith community of Annunciation Catholic School, are dedicated to the pursuit of academic excellence, life-long learning, and commitment to Christ and the Church. We believe it essential to teach each student to live in accordance with the spiritual, moral and ethical principles exemplified in the scriptures, teachings, and traditions of the Catholic Church. 

We acknowledge parents as the primary educators of their children. Based on this acknowledgement, we strive to enhance and strengthen the faith and other family values students acquired and continue to acquire in their homes.

We firmly believe children are uniquely created and therefore enter Annunciation with unique needs as well as unique talents. We shall strive to optimize these talents and meet these individual needs in a caring and nurturing environment.

We are called to provide our students with the necessary virtues, skills and behaviors that will enable them to lead responsible, successful lives and become positive contributors to their family, the Catholic Church and the community.