VISION PROGRESS AND PLANS AT ST. LAURENCE HIGH SCHOOL FALL 2019 2019 Annual Report Class of 2023 Highlights Academic Achievement Letter from the President Support the tradition of excellence with a gift to St. Laurence. Dear Friends of St. Laurence, St. Laurence is a place of transformation. Where courageous leaders are shaped by spirituality and technology, academics and athletics. Where the Catholic school experience is evolving to meet a dynamic future. Where young men and women learn to make a difference in their community and the world. We expect our students to push themselves through problem solving in order to experience the personal growth in knowledge, teamwork, confidence and spirituality. We expect our students to break the mold and embrace a student experience unlike any other high school. We expect our students to make their mark and advocate for causes they believe in. We have such high expectations because soon, they will join your ranks and become proud Viking alumni. Each year, we are blessed to welcome an incoming freshmen class. This year, we were proud to welcome nearly 250 students selected from over 360 applicants. Each of them define leadership in their own unique way. Each share the values of compassion, courage, excellence and community—the cornerstones of our newly branded shield, representative of our Viking identity and commitment to Defending the Glory. For decades, our Vikings have stepped up to support our mission. Most importantly, the generosity and commitment of many alumni and friends the past five years has allowed us to accomplish much, specifically raising over $5 million for financial assistance, faculty excellence, and infrastructure improvements through our Defend the Glory Campaign. This success has allowed us to grow as a school and community. Based on our continued increase in enrollment, we expect to become a school of over 900 in the next two years! We will launch our International Baccalaureate academic program for continued excellence in academics in 2021. Additionally, we are in the process of completing a facility master plan for our long-term enhancements and continued sustainability. These next few years will be extremely exciting for our entire community as we fulfill our vision, achieve national recognition for our non-traditional project-based learning curriculum, and attain sustainable growth. We need your support more than ever to help us achieve our continued success. We look forward to hearing from you, giving you a personal tour, gaining your feedback, and Projected to have a helping you remain part of our growing Edmund Rice Christian Brother family. student population of over Thank you and Go Vikings! 900 in two years Joseph A. Martinez, ’99 President 110 grade schools represented 2 VISION | FALL 2019 in the Class of 2023 Viking Welcome We were excited to welcome our largest freshmen class in over 20 years to St. Laurence at the beginning of this school year! The momentum that our growing school is achieving is the culmination of years of challenging ourselves to be the best that we can possibly be in everything we do. The Class of 2023 is just another example of why the future is bright at St. Laurence! Over Our new freshmen participated in a team building retreat as part of their orientation at Irons Oaks in the beginning of the year. 360 total applicants for the freshman Pass on the Legacy! class Did you know that alumni Over Most male testers in children receive a $1,250 discount off tuition? Most importantly, however, is that you can pass on the St. Laurence tradition 240 to your son or daughter. One of the freshman 10 years strongest forms of support for St. Laurence is when our alumni send their kids here. If your son or daughter is interested in St. Laurence, simply visit stlaurence.com/prospective to learn 16% more about how to become a Viking! increase over last year’s freshmen class 25% increase in number of female testers over previous year Bob Carroll ’94 and his son Ryan ’22 pose for a picture at Bring Your Parent to School Day. VISION | FALL 2019 3 Academics STL to Become International Baccalaureate (IB) World School in 2021 Continuing our commitment to knowledgeable and caring young people Viking Voice challenging the status quo in education, who are motivated to succeed. IB strives we announced our candidacy to become to develop students who will build a better “Offering the IB Diploma Program is a natural next step in our rise in an International Baccalaureate (IB) World world through intercultural understanding academics as a school. This initiative School by 2021. In doing so, St. Laurence and respect. aligns well with our overall strategic will join just 37 high schools in Illinois to The DP provides many benefits for those plan to drive performance through offer the IB Diploma Program (DP), only 3 who are enrolled. DP students learn to do continuous improvement and higher of which are Catholic schools. Additionally, college level coursework and learn time standards. Our priority is to prepare St. Laurence will be the only management and study skills while still in our students to not only get in to col- Catholic school in Chicago’s south high school, which can make the transi- lege, but to succeed in college. The IB program will provide our students side area to offer the IB Diploma tion to college easier. They also become opportunities and experience to Program, displaying leadership in more attractive candidates to colleges in do just that, things they would not the admissions process because they are academics among local schools. be able to do at any other Catholic choosing the most rigorous academic school in the area.” Beginning August 2021, the school plans path available. Additionally, students may to begin offering courses that align with —Principal Jim Muting ’73, on St. Laurence’s receive credit or advanced standing by scor- candidacy to become an IB World School the DP, which aims to do more than ing well on IB exams. other curricula by developing inquiring, Becoming an IB World School fits in seam- lessly with St. Laurence’s transition to a Aviation Courses Added STEM curriculum rooted in project-based in New Partnership learning. Current STL students are inquisi- As we continue to bolster our Career tive, open-minded risk-takers who also Explorer Program offerings, a new possess strong communication skills as a partnership was formed with the Air- result of the current curriculum, all charac- craft Owners and Pilots Association teristics that lend well to IB. The school will (AOPA) that will allow St. Laurence continue to offer AP courses as options for students to experience a first-of- its students in addition to IB. its-kind, comprehensive, four-year aviation study program. The program provides students with the skills needed to pursue aviation-related career and educational opportunities. Career Explorer Programs provide students invaluable exposure to in- demand, high paying industries and kick-start the pursuit of their career of choice before they graduate high school. St. Laurence also offers Ca- reer Explorer Programs in medicine, education, computer engineering, entrepreneurship, artificial intelli- gence, robotics, and aquatic science. 4 VISION | FALL 2019 $ Graduates earned over $137k per student in college scholarships (most ever) 18 IHSA Team Academic Award Winners Top 10% Graduates attend of students average a schools in 30 or higher on ACT 25 states across the country 24 Seniors named Illinois 36% State Scholars 18.5% of students enrolled in of seniors named AP/Honors Classes Illinois State Scholars (most since 1976) 267 Academic All-Conference Student-Athletes VISION | FALL 2019 5 Spirituality St. Laurence Welcomes Ed Sajdak ’81 Vikings Live Out Blessed as Campus Minister Edmund’s Mission in Peru This past May, we were excited to to the spiritual needs of our young men and welcome back alum Ed Sajdak ’81 as our women, providing anything needed to help new Campus Minister. them build a strong relationship with God while also encouraging and developing our future faith leaders.” Sajdak has already made his presence felt as Campus Minister, leading the renovation of our beautiful chapel. He also kick-started new spiritual initiatives such as the forma- tion of religious student organizations and creation of various new opportunities for students to celebrate their faith within the walls of St. Laurence. “The addition of Ed to our staff allows us to A group of students and teachers Sajdak has spent the last 35 years in service bolster the religious offerings we provide had the opportunity of a lifetime to the Catholic Church in a wide variety to our students,” said St. Laurence High when they traveled to Peru for our of roles including lector, extraordinary School Principal Jim Muting. “Ed’s service annual mission trip. The group was minister of Holy Communion, and religious to the Catholic Church over the years truly hard at work building and painting education catechist. Currently, Sajdak is displays his commitment to Christ. As an houses for locals in need and also enrolled in the Mundelein Seminary at the alumnus, we know that he will bring that providing a helping hand for the University of St. Mary of the Lake, where same level of passion to his alma mater, brothers. which will undoubtedly bring the Essential he is participating in Religious Studies The trip also had its fair share of Elements of an Edmund Rice Christian in the Diaconate program and will be fun—when the students weren’t at ordained a Deacon for the Archdiocese of Brothers Education to life.” work, they were either playing soccer Chicago in May 2020. On top of his pursuit In addition to his strong resume within the with the locals or taking in amazing of ordination, he holds a certificate in lay Catholic Church, Ed served as a Deputy sights such as Machu Picchu.