Saint Sebastian's School

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St. Sebastian's School

Established	1941
Type	private all boys
Headmaster	William L. Burke III
Founder	William Cardinal O'Connell
Faculty	~50
Students	340
Grades	7-12
Location	Needham, Massachusetts USA
Campus	Suburban
Colors	Red and Black
Mascot	Arrow
Website	www.stsebs.org

Saint Sebastian's School, also known colloquially as St. Seb's, is an independent, Catholic secondary school located in Needham, Massachusetts. The school instructs boys in grades seven through twelve. Founded in 1941 by William Cardinal O'Connell, Archbishop of Boston, the school is named after Sebastian, the Christian saint and martyr who survived an attempted execution by arrows. Approximately 340 students are enrolled each year, with 25% receiving some financial aid.As of 2005, the School headmaster is Mr. William L. Burke III.

1 Academics
2 Athletics
3 Extracurricular Activities
4 Notable alumni
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Academics

The School features a rigorous academic program focusing on the liberal arts. Freshmen (9th grade) students take a special course to hone their writing skills. Public speaking is also emphasized, with each student required to deliver an annual speech during his class' weekly chapel meetings. The average SSAT percentile is 81, and the average SAT score for graduates (under the old scoring regime) is 1300.

The student:teacher ratio at St. Sebastian's is 7:1, and 60% of the faculty hold graduate degrees.

In 2006, the greatest numbers of graduates went to the following colleges and universities-

[edit] Athletics

The Henry T. Lane ice rink at Saint Sebastian's School.

St. Sebastian's has a competitive athletic program, with 10 varsity sports, and 27 teams in total. Its school colors are red and black, and their sports teams are nicknamed the Arrows. St. Sebastian's is a member of the prestigious Independent School League. St. Sebastian's has one of the top ice hockey programs in the country (see below), but has also had great success in recent years with lacrosse (with two All-Americans over the past two years). The School's sailing team was also ranked seventh in the country in 2001.

The school has one of the top ice hockey programs in the United States, dating to its founding in 1941. Each year several players go on to play at top Division 1 colleges, such as Harvard, Boston College, and Boston University. The school regularly produces picks in the NHL Entry Draft, notably, four first round draft picks in its history, the most of any high school in the US. In June 2003 the school was tied for the for most picks from a single high school, ever, at four. [1] [2] The team has been coached by Steve Dagdigian, a former Harvard hockey player, since 1994. St. Sebastian's has produced the most current NHL players of any high school, at four.

The campus rink, the Henry T. Lane Rink, is named in honor of Henry Lane who served the school for over 40 years, first as the Varsity Hockey coach and later the Athletic Director.

[edit] Extracurricular Activities

The school newspaper, The Walrus, comes out several times a year. The school's debate team competes among the most elite private secondary schools in New England, with which it is very competitive. Other student groups manage The Arrow, the school yearbook, as well as The Quiver, a literary magazine, run the school's closed-circuit television network, perform community service, perform in dramatic productions, compete in such activities as chess, support students of color, and advocate against drunk driving.