Archbishop Walsh Academy is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Olean, New York. It is a college preparatory, co-ed, day school, serving students from both New York and Pennsylvania. Southern Tier Catholic School is the Montessori preschool, elementary, and middle school located on the same campus.AcademicsSouthern Tier Catholic School and Archbishop Walsh Academy offer a comprehensive program of excellence in education through the Montessori pre-school, the top-ranked elementary school and middle school, and the high school that is an International Baccalaureate World School authorized to offer the IB Diploma Programme. As a small Franciscan institution, the school is open and welcoming to students and families of all faiths. The activities and curriculum are built around inclusion and values, and the students interact with each other - from pre-school to 12th grade in the ways that reflect the mission of the school. Walsh and STCS combine academic rigor in an excellent educational program with an inclusive and values-based student environment. All of this is done through high quality teachers that meet or exceed requirements for state certification - dedicated to making a difference in a child's life. The school offers a Catholic education that serves every student exceptionally well - regardless of religious background.BackgroundArchbishop Walsh was established in 1958 and is the only Catholic high school in Western New York south of Cattaraugus Creek.Constructed at the height of the Cold War, the building's foundation included a fall out shelter for students and faculty in the event nuclear war found its way to the Enchanted Mountains. Today the shelter is used primarily for storage. Students began a tradition of signing their names in paint on the shelter's walls to memorialize their experience at the school.
