History of Loyola Catholic Grade School

We are a small grade school directly affiliated with the Catholic Archdiocese of Denver and Loyola Church.   In 1938, Loyola opened the doors of an elementary school in the basement of Loyola Catholic Church to meet the educational needs of the Parish and neighborhood students.  The Church itself was built in 1923, overlooking City Park and becoming a Denver landmark with its twin spires. The school has been staffed from the outset by the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati and the four initial grades were taught by two Sisters from the Sacred Heart Convent near downtown Denver, Sister Alice Therese and Sister Ann Genevieve. The very next year, 1939, four more grades were added and two additional Sisters joined the staff with Sister James Ellen as the first Principal.  Loyola served grades 1-8 and consisted mainly of children from the Parish.

Today, students come from all locations in the metro area.  Our location at 23^rd Avenue at York Street is very convenient to our parents’ commuting patterns.  Loyola Catholic School staff consists of Principal Sister Mary Ellen Roach, seven classroom teachers, two Religion teachers, two Master teachers in the Learning Lab, one Title I teacher, two support staff, classroom aides, an art and PE teacher.  Loyola has seen many changes in the 50 years since Father Murphy’s vision to build a stand-alone school. 

Each student has an opportunity to learn and grow in a structured environment.  The school offers many fine programs including a full-day Kindergarten and a traditional sixth grade.  Christian values are taught and stressed in every facet of the school day.  Qualified faculty is readily available to parents.  Small classes allow for individualized instruction.  Learning Labs provide a specialized academic environment for children with learning and achievement problems.  Computer assisted instruction is a vital aspect of the classroom.