St. Peter's Boys High School
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| Saint Peter's Boys High School | |
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| Signum Fidei | |
| Established | 1917 |
| School type | Private |
| Religious affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| President | Br. James Kelly, FSC. |
| Location | Staten Island, NY, USA |
| Enrollment | approx. 900 total (all boys) |
| Faculty | 60 |
| Athletics | 21 Interscholastic Teams |
| Color(s) | Blue and Gold |
| Mascot | Eagles |
| Homepage | Saint Peters |
St. Peter's Boys High School is a prestigious Catholic all-boys high school located in the West New Brighton area of Staten Island in New York City. St. Peter's is affiliated with the Christian Brothers of St. John Baptist de la Salle. The school is located at 200 Clinton Avenue and is part of the St. Peter's parish on Staten Island, which also runs a grammar school and all-girls high school. It is a member of the CHSAA.
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[edit] History
[edit] Origins
The origins of St. Peter's Boys High School can be traced back to 1839, with the dedication of St. Peter's parish. With the arrival of three Christian Brothers in 1917, the school was founded on Richmond Terrace in the St. George area of Staten Island. A local priest, Father Farrell and other local clergy took over operation of the school in 1920 when the Brothers were withdrawn due to World War I. The Brothers would return ten years later in 1930. At this time, there were more Brothers at the school than ever before. In 1937, the main campus of St. Peter's Boys HS, was designated as a junior college of Manhattan College, another Lasallian institution. By 1943, the junior college closed and St. Peter's Boys High School relocated to that campus. The main campus of St. Peter's Boys High School has remained there since, on the corner of Clinton and Henderson Avenues. The Brothers' House, home to the Christian Brothers that live and teach at St. Peter's, is also found on this campus.
[edit] The Modern Era
In 1965, the Archdiocese of New York agreed to assist in the funding of a new gymnasium, which would also serve as the school's auditorium. By 1969, however, St. Peter's livelihood was threatened and the school's closing was imminent. The community rallied around St. Peter's and local support prevented the school from closing. As of 2001, the school's enrollment was 740 students. The Brother's involvement in the school has been in decline due to a continuous decrease in men entering the De La Sallian society. In 2001, eight Brothers taught at the school along with 2 Sisters of St. Joseph and 31 lay faculty members.
[edit] Current Administration
Msgr. James Dorney, Pastor
Bro. James Kelly, President
Mr. John A. Fodera, Principal
Mr. Kirk Emmanuelson, Assistant Principal of Academics
Mr. William Gault, Assistant Principal, Dean of Discipline
Mr. Frank Cafaro, Director of Guidance
Mrs. Jo-Ann Verdiglione, Director of Cirr. and Instruction
Department Chairpersons
Mrs. Joann Verdiglione, English Department
Mr. Gerard Gibbons, Social Science Department
Mr. Matthew Accardo, Mathematics Department
Mr. Salvatore A. Castellano, Religion Department
Mrs. Janet Grassia, Natural Science Department
Mr. Ralph Catugno, Foreign Language Department
Mrs. Patricia Mulligan, Athletic Director
Mr. Cafaro is arguably one of the most active forces in the school. He is beloved amongst students of the school and directs study abroad programs to Europe which are increasingly popular. Mr. Cafaro also manages the Senior and Junior proms. In addition to this and many other tasks, Mr. Cafaro is also instrumental in the college application process, which has been a huge success under him.
[edit] Project 2000
Under the presidency of Brother James Kelly, FSC and Principal John A. Fodera, the school embarked on an ambitious project that would allow the school to continue to grow academically and become a powerhouse among Catholic high schools in New York City. The project included the renovation of the school's main building. As part of the renovation, administrative offices expanded, the library was enhanced, a state-of-the-art computer lab was added as well as completely updated and modernized Biology and Chemistry Laboratories. Project 2000 also
included the construction of a wrestling room and air conditioning in designated areas of the building. Soon after the completion of Project 2000, renovations were made to the cafeteria and brand new lockers were installed. As a continuation of Project 2000, the school went forth with plans to build an athletic facility that would be home to the school's football and track teams.
[edit] The future
As part of the school's mission to continue to grow and expand its influence among Catholic high schools both academically and athletically, St. Peter's developed plans to build an athletic complex that would allow its football teams to finally have a home field and provide its track team and other athletic teams with a place to practice. One estimate of the proposed athletic complex project has the undertaking valued at $1 million in cost. The complex would include a four-lane non-regulation track that would wrap around the football field. Land limitations had previously made this project unattainable, however the proposed complex sacrificed a regulation track to stay under budget. The field itself is to be made of FieldTurf, a synthetic turf used at many professional venues, including Giants Stadium, and praised by many professional athletes. The complex also includes a press box, special seating, an electronic scoreboard and removable goal post netting. The facility was intended to be completed by August 2005, however community opposition to the removal of protected trees has since delayed the completion of the project. One year prior to the construction of the athletic complex, improvements were made to part of the gymnasium, which included a new heating system, retractable bleachers and the replacement of the gym court with top of the line flooring. The administration of St. Peter's continues its fundraising efforts in hopes that the school will continue to expand and achieve its goal of becoming one of the elite private high schools in the country.
As the school's reputation within the community rapidly increases, so does the student population. Each year presents the school with a large increase in applicants. The small size of the school and limited capacity means that only a limited number of students are presented with the opportunity to pursue academic studies and athletic achievement at the school. The acceptance rate continues to point toward the school's increasing difficulty of acceptance despite the fact that the school's tuition does not increase at a higher rate than its fellow Catholic high schools. Many point to the school's increased popularity as one of the reasons for its continued growth.
[edit] Academics
St. Peter's is a fully accredited member of the New York State Board of Regents. The school is also operated by the Christian Brothers of St. John Baptist de la Salle, an order of Christian Brothers whose mission is to teach. Over 14,000 men are members of the Brothers and the society has a rich history that extends over three hundred years. St. Peter's is one of 17 schools in New York and New Jersey that belong to the Brothers. St. Peter's is also a member of the Middle States Association of Colleges And Schools.
St. Peter's is highly regarded for its academic reputation and faculty quality. St. Peter's maintains a high standard of academic excellence, spearheaded by the Scholars Program for select students who demonstrate an intellectual curiosity far above the average student and possess a unique form of integrity, intensity and passion for learning. Students in the Scholars Program are expected to conform to high academic expectations and are enrolled in accelerated courses that include Advance Placement courses, a program in which students study Latin for two to four years, as well as bridge courses with St. John's University. St. Peter's also offers the Honors Program. Though not as rigorous as the Scholars Program, the Honors Program offers students who demonstrate intellectual skills and an academic background that will allow them to take accelerated courses within the school with the opportunity to enroll in Advance Placement courses as upperclassmen.
[edit] Curriculum
All students enrolled at St. Peter's are expected to complete a rigorous academic program that includes four courses within the Religion Department, four courses within the English Department, four courses within the History Department, three within the Math Department, two courses in the sciences, three language courses, as well as an Art & Music course, a Health course, four years of physical education and usually three elective courses. On top of this course load, all Scholars students are required to complete at least two years of Latin, though they can pursue two more years upon invitation.
[edit] Extra-Curricular Activities
St. Peter's Boys High School also has an outstanding Drama Department. In cooperation with St. Peter's Girls High School and Notre Dame Academy, the Drama Department has performed such productions as Grease, South Pacific, Footloose, My Fair Lady, The Wizard of Oz, and West Side Story. For the past 15 years the productions have been directed by Mrs. Toni Kartsonas. The plays are currently directed by Mrs. Denise Coppola and Mr. Christopher Corbo.
