St Olaf’s Catholic School is celebrating their 60th year of teaching students in our community. It was all started by a man named Father Pollock. The church that sits on the southeast corner of the school was built in 1978 by members of the St. Olaf community.

Fast forward to today and the St. Olaf’s School is not only still thriving but growing. 

“We experienced a 13% growth in the 2019-20 school year” said Principal Simon McFall. They are on target to have an over 20% increase in the 2020-21 school year. McFall gives credit to his faculty, staff and parishioners for the school’s growth.

  McFall came to St Olaf’s in 2018. He started to make improvements he saw were needed to the grounds and the building. “Our improvement and expansion have been in 2 phases,” he said. The first phase included improvements to the water, electrical and drain systems as well as improvements to the landscaping and parking lot. New playground equipment and field games have also been added. “The other thing I found here right away was there was a story to be told here and we needed to start telling it,” McFall said.

McFall and Communications Director Katie Bakker began going through boxes of pictures that had been tucked away in the basement dating back to the school’s beginnings. That’s in addition to a tile that had been placed in their kitchen with the year it was built and its designer’s name, Charles Dean, got them thinking. 

“We wanted to know who he was and who were these people in the pictures,” said McFall. He sees their organization as more than a school or church. “First and foremost, we are a community and that is what I wanted to focus on.” He felt  as soon as they began searching, members of their community came forward with information to piece together stories of their history.

One day after Mass a woman approached McFall and told him she had heard he had been asking about her husband, Charles Dean. Together they have pieced together the stories of his involvement in the building of the school. 

“Sometimes people need to be reminded of who we are and that is what we have done and continue to do with our students, alumni and parishioners,” McFall said. St. Olaf’s currently has some 3rd generation students attending their school. 

Phase two of their expansion includes expanding their building and adding a cafeteria. Currently students bring their own lunch or have meals brought in by a catering company. The expansion will allow them to continue their growth while still limiting class sizes to 15-20 students per classroom. “This allows teachers to be able to interact with each individual student,” McFall said.

He sees their school as having many components. As well as an academic component, he considers the students spiritual and emotional needs too. “We like to promote an environment where students feel safe and cared for,” McFall said. Part of that strategy is included in the prayer that begins and ends each school day. It ends with the sentence “you are loved and cared for.”  

St. Olaf’s Catholic school is located at 1793 South Orchard Drive in Bountiful.