Holy Name High School (Reading, PA)

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Holy Name High School
In Hoc Vinces
Established 1964
Affiliation Roman Catholic
President Rev. Robert Finlan
Principal Mr. Keith Laser
Students approx. 550
Colors
Mascot		 Navy Blue and White
Blue Jay
Location 955 East Wyomissing Boulevard
Reading, PA 19611
Information (610) 374-8361
Website http://www.gohnhs.org

Holy Name High School is a coeducational Roman Catholic secondary school located in Reading, Pennsylvania. On average, about 550 students attend the school yearly. The school's rivals include Wyomissing Area High School and Reading Central Catholic High School.

All information in this Wikipedia entry is attributed to the Holy Name High School website, which can be found at the bottom of this page.

Contents

[edit] History

Holy Name High School traces its inception to St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church located in Reading. Founded in 1752, St. Peter’s established its parish elementary school with the approval of Bishop Neumann in 1859. By 1911, the parish high school was established, with the first graduating class receiving their diplomas in 1914.

With the formation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown in 1961, Bishop Joseph McShea realized the demand for additional high school facilities in Berks County, as well as other parts of the Diocese. Subsequently, he inaugurated a massive building campaign which culminated in the construction of three new high schools: Bethlehem Catholic in Bethlehem, Marian High in Tamaqua, and Holy Name in Reading

The land on which Holy Name is situated is located in the 18th Ward of the City of Reading. Purchased from the Textile Machine Works, the original tract of land comprised 35.6 acres in all. It was bounded on the north by Joan Terrace, on the east by the Swartz Tract, on the south by East Wyomissing Boulevard and on the west by Parkside Drive South.

On Sunday, August 30, 1964, Holy Name High School was dedicated by His Excellency The Most Reverend Egidio Vagnozzi, D.D., Apostolic Delegate to the United States. The name of the school was chosen as a tribute to the Holy Name Societies of men in the Allentown Diocese, who, acting on behalf of the Bishop, campaigned for the funds with which to build the high school.

When Holy Name opened its doors in September of 1964 (St. Peter’s High School closed its doors permanently in June of 1964), the faculty included three Diocesan Priests, one Benedictine Priest, six Immaculate Heart Sisters, three Sisters of St. Francis, three Bernardine Sisters and seven Lay Teachers. The Reverend (now Monsignor) Richard J. Loeper, a native of Reading, was appointed the first Principal of Holy Name. The student body numbered 566, Grades 9 through 12. The first graduating class numbered 64.

In June of 1979, the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales were invited by Bishop McShea to become part of the administration and staff of Holy Name High School, replacing the Diocesan priests currently on the staff.

In 1986, with the financial assistance of the Diocese of Allentown, through the Forward With Christ Program, an addition was constructed adjacent to the gymnasium. Included in this addition are a ticket booth for athletic and social events, a weight room and two storage rooms.

In 1987, a Multi-Media Communications Center, dedicated to Bishop Joseph McShea, the founding Bishop of the Allentown Diocese, was constructed on the second floor. Included in this center are facilities for video-taping programs, a closed circuit television station which is used for daily announcements and a variety of programs, including Channel One.

In March of 1995, it was announced that the Oblates would be leaving Holy Name High School and that Sister Joseph Eleanor Murphy, IHM, would be the new Principal.

As the result of a major capital campaign, a renovation and construction project was undertaken in the spring of 1997, which would be completed in several different phases over the next few years. The project resulted in a complete state-of-art computer wing, an enlarged library equipped with computers, a new administrative wing, a new auditorium with seating for approximately 800 guests, a weight room, a new television studio, a new athletic complex consisting of tennis courts, baseball and softball fields, field hockey field, a football field which also serves as a soccer field, and an all-weather track. In addition, the parking facilities doubled in size.

During the summer of 2003, Holy Name decided to adopt the President/Principal model of school administration. The Reverend Robert T. Finlan was named the school's first president and Mr. Keith Laser was appointed principal.

The school now has state of the art facilities. Four computer laboratories, SMART technology available in every classroom, a fiber optic cable connection to the Internet, four complete laboratories each with 30 computers, wireless Internet connection, and a wide variety of cutting-edge software applications are available all as tools for faculty and students.

[edit] Academics

Holy Name offers a core curriculum around English, Mathematics, Foreign Languages, Sciences, Social Studies, and Theology. In addition to the core requirements, Freshmen are required to take courses in Art Appreciation, Music Appreciation, and Physical Education. In addition to the core requirements, Sophomores are required to take a course in Health. Once the student attains Junior status, he or she may elect to take a Strength and Conditioning course in place of Physical Education, as well as courses in Computer Sciences and Business.

Advanced Placement courses are also available once the student is at least a Junior. Courses in English, Calculus, Statistics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Western European History are offered.

One of the most exciting academic programs offered is a partnership with Alvernia College, in which Holy Name offers Dual Credit classes that are approved by the appropriate academic department at Alvernia as being comparable to the same class offered on their campus. The credits are offered for a nominal fee. The Dual Credit program differs from Advanced Placement classes in that the students do not take qualifying exams to receive the credits. Graduates have been able to forgo as many as five college courses, allowing them to save on their college tuition. During the 2006-2007 school year, 105 students are enrolled in 185 college courses.

[edit] Athletics

The Blue Jays field teams in the Berks County Interscholastic Athletic Association, with the exception of the football team, and compete in the following sports:

    • Football (competes in the Berks I-C Section 3)
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Cross Country
    • Volleyball
    • Golf
    • Boys' and Girls' Tennis
    • Track and Field
    • Boys' and Girls' Soccer
    • Cheerleading
    • Softball
    • Field Hockey

There are also intramural and club sports available.

[edit] Extracurriculars

Holy Name offers a variety of extracurricular activities for its students.

[edit] External links

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