About Nativity
Our mission is to imitate Christ.
These four pillars are the foundation of our mission:
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Faith
At Nativity, we put faith first and devotional time at the center of every day. We prepare students for a faith-filled life by revealing the enduring peace that comes from habitual prayer and time devoted to God. We study the greatest works of Christian theology, as well as its harshest skeptics.
Once they are equipped with this practice and knowledge, we lovingly encourage our students as they embark on their journey of faith.
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Family
Nativity is named after the formative moment of the Holy Family. Our school should feel like a family, recognizing that all nurturing families have quirks and struggles. We foster this environment through our House System, which gives each student a ‘school family’ on the day they arrive.
When a student joins Nativity, we welcome the whole family to our community. We respect the significant sacrifice a family makes so that their child can attend Nativity.
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Academics
In his youth, Christ was a student of carpentry, Hebrew, and scripture. In his public life, he was called “Teacher”. Our academic program prepares students to grow into wise teachers themselves.
We are committed to active and frequent measurement of academic achievement. We regularly test our students’ progress against national standards. Our goal is for each student to reach his or her full academic potential.
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Service
Camels, like Christ, live in humble service. All the faith, all the family, and all the academic knowledge we gain for ourselves are not pursued for their own sake. These things prepare and require us to lead lives of service, easing the burdens of others.
Our mascot is a reminder of the end point St. James asked us to consider so directly: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works?”
Our Operating Principles
Our operating principles are the guiding ideals we reference when making important decisions at Nativity
1. Faith First
We put prayer, contemplation, and Mass at the center of every day at Nativity. Faith allows us to make sense of the universe, conscious existence, free will, and our own suffering. This practice calms our minds and souls each day.
2. Simple is Better
Our world changes rapidly. Our slowly changing biological minds sometimes struggle to keep pace. We prioritize simplicity — in our daily schedule, our communications, and our physical space. We remember that the person who most changed the course of human history lived simply.
3. Fewer Things, Deeper
The growing list of choices and options at many schools can sometimes be overwhelming. We provide a curriculum that allows time for mastery of essential subjects. Examples include: our daily math hour, two-hour blocks for science and fine arts courses, our four-year language program, and our integrated study of literature, history, theology, and philosophy.
4. Be Light
We strive to "be light" in all that we do. Light creates a culture of honesty, joy and optimism. We are all flawed but deeply loved by God, and we seek to share that love with every person we encounter. Jesus went to great lengths to teach us that light, love, and humility are antidotes for fear, judgmentalism, and pride.
“Light” is also the opposite of “heavy.” We endeavor to be light-hearted and welcoming, and to laugh easily and often.
5. Serve
Learning and talking are important; serving and doing are essential. We want to live in humble service giving our time generously to our families, friends, and strangers — especially those that feel lost, lonely, or afraid. We dedicate two hours every other week to directly serving the people in our community.
Our Faculty
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Marisela O'Cochlain
Head of School
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Nicholas Sparks
Dean of Academics and Students
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Ian Parelius
Humanities
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Tyler Popa
Math, Science, Director Campus Ministry
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Br. Athanasius Thompson
Latin & Geometry
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Brigid Crotty
Office Manager
Join Our Faculty!
We strive to be a school where remarkable teachers feel fulfilled, supported, and able to teach passionately; a place they want to spend their career.
Nearly every person lucky enough to receive a formal education can tell you, in one instant, about their favorite, life-changing teacher. Of course each teacher resonates differently with each student, but we are committed to a school full of prodigious, talented, faithful, and mission-driven teachers. We want these to be the kind of people that students stay in touch with well beyond high school, and the kind of teachers we still talk about with our children and our grandchildren.
Current openings:
None for 2025-2026
Anticipated need for Mathematics and Science teachers in 2026-2027
Even if now is not the right time for you, we are always interested in hearing from passionate, mission-driven teachers who might be interested in working at Nativity at some time in the future. Please reach out via our email or fill out an application even if we currently do not have a job posting that matches your field of expertise.
If you would like to learn more about our team, watch the 25-minute video below. We introduce three of our founding faculty members to our new students.
Our Mascot
“Life is like a camel, you can make it do anything except back up.”
-Marcelene Cox
The etymology of the word ‘Camel’ demonstrates that in ancient language and culture, the camel was recognized as an animal built for hard work and self-sacrifice. The word is derived originally from Hebrew (gāmāl), which literally means ‘going without.’ In medieval art and sculpture, the camel was used to represent humility and the willingness to bear another's burden; largely because camels kneel down when receiving heavy loads.
Camels are not fierce or cunning. They are not built to “fight” in the genre of often used predatory animal mascots. They are working animals. They lighten the load of others. They dutifully bear the baggage and burdens of those with whom they travel. They are built for long stints in harsh conditions and they can survive months without water. When years-long droughts wipe out livestock populations, camels survive by eating plants other livestock will not - thorns, dried out leaves, and saltbush.
And yet, camels present as mostly happy and content creatures, if not a little stubborn at times. They live and travel in community, in herds. They have long life expectancies, nearly 40 years. They learn quickly, and they care for their young for almost four years, one of the longest periods of any mammal.
Being a camel is not comfortable, or easy, or flashy. But camels are filled with purpose, determination, and a willingness to accompany people on their journey. They are full of grit, they are humble and helpful, and in the case of the Nativity, they come bearing gifts. They can put you on their back - no matter where you come from or how far you have to go - and take you to see for yourself, a child, born in a stable, that redeemed our world.
Our Academic Approach
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.”
- Ecclesiastes 9:10
Our intellects are a gift from God that should be nurtured and stretched. We believe objective standards are important and we are committed to academic excellence which can, in-part, be measured by:
The caliber of our faculty
The sophistication of the texts we study
The level and depth of the mathematical concepts we learn
Our students’ performance on standardized tests, (PSATs, SATs, ACTs, Advanced Placement)
Our students’ admission to, and performance at leading universities
We celebrate the many Catholic and Christian Nobel Laureates (in both the Sciences and Arts) as well as the many faithful authors, actors, executives, professional athletes and government leaders in every sphere of the modern world. Our academic program prepares those students who are interested for the highest levels of academic achievement.
We also recognize that there are many alternative paths to a four-year college, and these paths offer a fulfilling and prosperous life. These include secular and religious vocations, alternative secondary education or even working in a family business. Our guidance counseling program is committed to explore these options with students who are interested.
Our faith prepares and calls us to lives of sacrifice and excellence in whatever we set our hands to do.