Moreland Notre Dame School, located in Watsonville, California, first opened in December of 1899 and was dedicated on March 7, 1900. The school owes its existence to the generosity of Mrs. Margaret Moreland and her confidence in the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.

Mrs. Moreland’s only child, Josephine, died at age 18 while attending the College of Notre Dame in San Jose, and the grieving mother decided to devote her daughter’s inheritance to establishing a Catholic school in Watsonville. The facilities at that time included a day school and living areas for boarding students and the sisters.

From the time of its opening until 1920, the Academy served the spiritual and academic needs of young girls from elementary level through high school. Boys were admitted in the primary grades at first, and after 1920 in grades one through eight. The school served an average of 150 pupils per year.

In 1941 the elementary school was expanded with the construction of new classrooms, the buildings presently used by Moreland Notre Dame School for grades 1-6, the learning center, art room and offices.

In 2004 the Board of Directors and school administration completed the purchase of property adjacent to the existing school, and new junior high classrooms, a large parking area, and a play field were completed in April of 2005.

Today the school serves over 200 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Moreland Notre Dame Catholic School is accredited by the Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA). WCEA accredits Catholic elementary and secondary schools in nine western states (26 (arch) dioceses) and the US Territory of Guam. WCEA co-accredits and is in partnership with three Regional agencies (WASC, NAAS, NCA CASI) and two private agencies (CAIS and HAIS). WCEA began in 1957 in San Francisco and has a long and successful history of assisting school improvement through the accreditation process.

WCEA website : www.westwcea.org

This will assure that Notre Dame students will continue to grow both spiritually and academically well into the future as they have for the past century.