photo by Wentling Photography

Five of Carondelet's former principals
(L to R)

Sr. Edward Mary, CSJ ('65-'69)
Sr. Barbara Cotton, CSJ ('74-'78)
Sr. Kathleen Lang, CSJ ('86-01)
Sr. Ann Eugene, CSJ ('78-'86)
Sr. Kathleen Kelly, CSJ ('69-'74)

Not in photo: Sr. James Dyer, CSJ ('01-'07)

Carondelet High School was founded in 1965 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet at the request of Bishop Floyd Begin, first Bishop of Oakland. In the tradition of their congregation, the Sisters responded to the needs of the Church by establishing the only Catholic secondary school for the young women of Contra Costa County.

The school's spacious campus, brick buildings, and gracious columns and balconies suggest the Spanish origin of the word CARONDELET, a settlement outside of St. Louis, the first home of the Sisters when they came from France.

Opening in September 1965 with only six classrooms available for use, the school's original Carondelet community staff compromised three Sisters and three lay women with a freshman class of 115. On October 22, 1966, with all the buildings completed, the school was formally dedicated by Bishop Begin, a close friend and supporter of Carondelet.

Because of the small size of the student body, a tradition of Christian community, innovation, and pursuit of excellence was established. The tradition has grown with the enrollment. By June 1969 Carondelet had not only graduated its first class of 103 students, but had also established a Student Body Constitution, earned National Honor Society and California Scholarship Federation charters, and received accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

In September 1969 Carondelet also established a cooperative program with De La Salle High School whereby juniors and seniors attend selected classes on either campus. This cooperation also extends to a common calendar and schedule, joint faculty committees, student activities, and sharing of facilities.

Over the years, innovations have included a rotating block schedule, phase scheduling and a medsession program. In 1995 the schedule was revised to allow classes to meet four times weekly with one extended period. A long term plan, beginning with the opening of the E. L. Wiegand Computer Laboratory and challenged by NetDay '96, is preparing Carondelet's 800 young women for the twenty-first century.