Sharing Our Beginning a Tradition
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CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL SHARING OUR BEGINNING A TRADITION are the Health & Physical Education Center (2002); rededicated OVERVIEW of the Ryan D. “Jume” Jumonville ’91 Health and Athletic For 125 years, Catholic High School (CHS) has set the standard Performance Center in 2014; the Brother Gordian Udinsky, S.C. for excellence in education in the Baton Rouge area. Founded Science Center (2005), a 10-classroom structure that provides in 1894 by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, CHS is an all- state-of-the-art facilities and equipment for use in instruction male college preparatory school for grades 8-12, dedicated to of physics, chemistry, biology, environmental science and providing opportunities for the development of the spiritual, computer science; and the new Baseball Press Box and moral, intellectual, social and physical growth of each student. Concession Building (2010). In addition, in 2010, Catholic High School was able to ensure that its long-term land needs would Catholic High School’s holistic approach to education builds a be met through the acquisition by a related entity of the 9.2 community spirit that is characterized by Christian values, an acre Westmoreland Shopping Center. orderly and disciplined atmosphere, a personal approach to education and a commitment to academic excellence. In March of 2019, CHS broke ground on the Brother Donnan Berry, S.C. Student Center. The 32,000-square-foot facility will create a dynamic learning environment where students will The mission of Catholic High School is to teach dine, socialize and interact with faculty. Gospel values in an environment of academic excellence according to Catholic tradition and HISTORICAL FACTS • Founded in 1894 by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart as the spirit of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. St. Vincent’s Academy. • Enrollment at St. Vincent’s Academy in 1894 was 106. • In 1929, the school’s name was changed to Catholic High School. HISTORY • The Mothers’ Club was established in 1930. Catholic High School is in its 125th year under the direction of • The Men’s Club was established in 1948. the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. From a beginning enrollment of 106 students in 1894, CHS has a student body of 1,125 young • CHS has more than 11,000 alumni worldwide. men in grades 8-12 for the 2019-2020 school year. • Catholic High has been recognized five times as a National Blue Ribbon School. 2 The school relocated from downtown Baton Rouge to its Hearthstone Drive campus in 1957. Since that time, it has constructed several new facilities. The most recent of these LIVING GOSPEL VALUES Catholic High’s overall program of faith formation is designed to • School-Wide Projects/ Extracurricular Service form young men to live their lives for others in the spirit of the Catholic High participates in several school-wide projects Gospel. An important element involved in this effort is service designed to help the poor. In connection with Catholic High’s to others, not only at school, but also in the wider community. extracurricular program, students are involved in community activities such as blood drives, toy drives, food collection THE CHS SPIRITUAL GROWTH PROGRAM INCLUDES: and Operation Rice Bowl, Habitat for Humanity, and Mission • Daily Religious Education and Classroom Prayer Amatongas. Because of the essential role of prayer in the formation of a personal relationship with God, students participate in varied • Honor Code and regular experiences of prayer through daily school-wide The Honor Code and the Honor Board at Catholic High School prayer, classroom prayer and retreats. were created and installed in 1997 as a result of a student initiative. All members of the Board are elected by students. The • Eucharistic Liturgies and Sacrament of Reconciliation Honor Code is a commitment from each student to uphold the Eucharistic liturgies are held monthly on the CHS campus. ideals of Catholic High School and the Brothers of the Sacred Involvement of many school groups in planning liturgies helps Heart. make the celebrations more meaningful to students. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which is offered at school each semester. Active involvement at the parish level is recommended as an excellent introduction to the greater Church. • Student Ministry Team The Student Ministry Team is composed of juniors and seniors who serve as mentors to the 8th and 9th graders. Once a month, student ministers meet with 8th and 9th graders in their religion classes to discuss life issues relevant to high school students in a Catholic school. • Yearly Class Retreats Each October seniors participate in an overnight closed retreat which provides them the opportunity to grow closer to God and to one another. Students in grades 8, 9, 10 and 11 participate in a full day retreat, with special attention given to the needs of each age group. • Service Requirements Serving others is an essential part of our call to follow Jesus Christ. Thus, the CHS service program is an integral part of religion courses within the student’s curriculum. Students are 3 required to perform a designated number of service hours each year. ACHIEVING NATIONAL RECOGNITION 1989 | 1993 | 1998 | 2003 | 2014 Catholic High School has been recognized five times by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School. The Blue Ribbon Schools Program was established by the U.S. Department of Education in 1982 to recognize outstanding public and private schools across the nation. Blue Ribbon Schools are honored for their excellence in leadership, teaching, curriculum, achievement and parent involvement. BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS POSSESS THE FOLLOWING: • High student retention and graduation rates • Challenging standards and curriculum • Excellent teaching within an environment that facilitates teacher improvement • School, family and community partnerships • High levels of student performance on measures of achievement The Blue Ribbon is considered the highest honor an American school can achieve. “The five Blue Ribbon awards Catholic High School has received demonstrates our continuous commitment to academic excellence. While the mission and proud traditions of CHS never change, the evolving face of education demands that we continually adapt our instructional programs to prepare students for the ever-changing world in 4 which they live.” ~Mrs. Lisa Harvey, Principal EXCELLING IN ACADEMICS Through its philosophy, admission policies, curriculum and CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CATHOLIC HIGH ACADEMIC facilities, Catholic High School strives to create an atmosphere PROGRAM INCLUDE: for learning and growth. Such an atmosphere provides each • Each student is issued a Fujitsu tablet through the 1:1 laptop student an opportunity to realize his potential and to develop program healthy attitudes and responsible behavior that will permit him • College-preparatory curriculum required for all students to pursue continued studies and to assume his place in society • Honors courses offered in English, mathematics, science, as a concerned Christian gentleman. social studies, foreign languages and engineering • English and religion dual enrollment Catholic High School conducts an eighth grade program and a • AP (advanced placement) courses include English language, four-year high school program. Students must complete four music theory, French, Spanish, Latin, calculus AB, statistics, years of high school studies in order to graduate. biology, microeconomics, macroeconomics, U.S. history, world history, European history, psychology, U.S. government At CHS, technology is utilized as a tool to enhance instruction. and politics, and comparative government and politics. AP We provide each student with a pen and touch-enabled laptop courses taught at St. Joseph’s Academy that are offered to computer so he can build an effective skill base to be successful CHS students include art history and human geography in the future. Proficiency with various technologies is, and will • Shared elective classes between CHS and St. Joseph’s Academy continue to be, an essential college and workplace skill. • STREAM at CHS (science, technology, religion, engineering, arts and mathematics) electives throughout grades 9-12 5 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS OF 2019 GRADUATES • Class of 2019 ACT Averages • Members of the class of 2019 were offered admission to Top 25 percent of class 33 119 different colleges and universities. Top 50 percent of class 31 • 91 percent of the class of 2019 received merit-based 100 percent of class 26 scholarships totaling $31,007,345 (including TOPS). • Advanced Placement (AP) program • Students earned 808 credit hours at the LSU Spring 509 exams Invitational. 21 AP courses offered 74 AP scholars • 22 percent of the class was accepted to an honors college/honors program within a university. 83 Academic Scholars (3.5 GPA in Academic Program) • 10 National Merit Finalists. 58 Honors Program Scholars • Graduates participated in more than 23,480 hours of (3.5 GPA in Honors Program) community service. 13 Principal’s Awards (4.0 GPA) 6 LIVING THE LEGACY CHS STUDENTS WERE OFFERED ADMISSION TO THE FOLLOWING COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES FROM 2015-2019 Alabama State University Elon University Millsaps College Albright College Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach Mississippi College American Musical and Dramatic Academy Emory University Mississippi State University American University Fairfield University Mississippi Valley State University Arizona State University Florida Southern College Missouri