Cathedral High School (Springfield, Massachusetts)

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Cathedral High School
Location
Springfield, Massachusetts
Information
Principal John Miller
Dean Christine Judd
Staff 25
Enrollment

600
Faculty 69
Type College Prep Roman-Catholic School
Grades 9-12
Athletics MIAA Division III
Athletics conference Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Assoc.
Mascot Panther
Color(s) Purple & White
Established 1884
Homepage School's Official Site

Cathedral High School is a Catholic college-preparatory High School in Springfield, Massachusetts. Opened in 1884 by the Sisters of Saint Joseph at the diocese's Saint Michael's Cathedral, its current facility has been at 260 Surrey Road since 1959 in one of the city's residential neighborhoods. It is one of four Catholic High Schools within the Springfield Roman Catholic Diocese.


Contents

[edit] History

In 1884, the diocese's Bishop Patrick T. O'Reilly sought a teaching staff for a high school in response to the growing number of Catholic immigrants in the area. Responding to the call, two members of the Sisters of St. Joseph from Flushing, New York came to Springfield to start up the school. In the years that followed Cathedral High School grew to nearly 2000 students at the close of World War II. As the needs of school had outgrown the facilities, the diocese sought new accommodations for the students. A 30 acre (121,000 m²) farm on Surrey and Wendover Roads in Springfield was purchased and a new school was built. It opened in 1959.

Cathedral maintains a strong reputation in the Greater Springfield area for academic excellence and success in extracurricular and athletic activities.

In 2002 the school was accredited by New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

[edit] Campus

The school's current Surrey Road campus is in Springfield's East Forest Park Neighborhood on a green and hilly plot of land. The school is divided into four main sections. Most of the classrooms are in a building which, from the air, is shaped like a boxy eight. Two courtyards are in the open spaces formed by the eight. A small chapel takes up part of the first floor in one of the courtyards. The school offices are near the main entrance, and the cafeteria extends toward the few athletic fields.

Extending north from the main building is the science wing. Because of the hills into which the school is built, the science wings second and third floors are just above the main building's second and third floors. The auditorium abuts the main building. It is the largest high school auditorium in the area. On a lower grade than the rest of the school, are the gymnasium, a parking lot, playing fields. The playing fields include a full size football field which doubles as a soccer field and a lacrosse field.

The Sage Food Service provides meals for the students every day. Up until the fall of 2005, daily meals had to be purchased using brass tokens emblazoned "Cathedral High School". The token system has since been replaced with a declining balance account that utilizes a PIN for each student. Along with the daily lunch, there is a separate line in the cafeteria for a la carte items. Items in this line are standardized and include hamburgers, cheeseburgers, curly fries, slices of pizza, homemade cookies, and pizza dippers, among others. There are also several different buffet style choices that are made available to the students: these include a salad bar and freshly-made sandwiches.

[edit] Students and Faculty

Throughout its history, Cathedral has predominantly served the students of the City of Springfield. However, many of its students have hailed from the suburbs of the city and some as far away as Sunderland, Palmer, and Connecticut. Being a Catholic school, a majority of its student have been Catholic. However, that has never been a requirement for admission. Currently, the school has roughly 600 students. 70% of the students are from Springfield itself.

The school has about 75 faculty members and administrators. Most of the faculty have a master's degree. Many have taught at the school for 20+ years. For many years the faculty consisted of Sisters of St. Joseph and a small number of lay men and women. Today members of religious communities remain a vital part of the school community, but in significantly smaller numbers. Nearly all of the teachers are full-time.

Cathedral High School also sponsors teachers who are in the Providence Alliance for Catholic Teachers, or PACT program, part of the University Consortium for Catholic Education. Through this program, young teachers are given the chance to earn a Masters in Education from Providence College, while devoting two years of service to the school at which they are assigned. Currently, there are four teachers in the program at Cathedral.

In recent years, the school has maintained an approximate 15:1 student/teacher ratio. Some classes, particularly those which are compulsory, have a larger ratio. Others, particularly electives, have a smaller ratio.

In 2004, the school welcomed its first lay principal. With this all of Cathedral's academic leadership, including vice-principal, guidance director, business manager, librarians, and all department heads were members of the laity.

Cathedral High School is a college-preparatory program, where 96% of the graduates further their education. Members of the Class of 2008 will attend Boston College, Boston University, Fairfield University; Fordham University; College of the Holy Cross; Johns Hopkins Universisty; Northeastern University; Bryant University; Providence College; Rochester Institute of Technology; St. Anselm’s; Tufts University; University of Connecticut; University of Massachusetts; University of Rochester; The Elms College; and, Villanova University.

[edit] Curriculum

Cathedral has religion, science, English, fine arts & business, social studies, foreign language, and mathematics departments.

The school offers courses that challenges students at various skill levels in all grades in all of the academic departments. Within their respective departments, Cathedral offers classes in scripture, world religions, earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, journalism, computer literacy, art (painting, drawing, and sculpture), United States History, World History, sociology, Spanish, French, Latin, algebra, geometry, calculus, and statistics. Many of these classes and others are available as college prep or honors. Advanced Placements are available in English, Calculus, Statistics, US History, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Latin.

[edit] Sports

Cathedral has 39 sports teams at three competitive levels (varsity, JV and freshman). Over the past 70 years Cathedral teams have won countless Western Massachusetts and state titles, including in football, soccer, cross country, basketball, hockey, indoor track and field, baseball, outdoor track and field and tennis. The school's colors are purple and white. Cathedral's mascot is a Panther, recently named "Congo," and the squads are often referred to as the Purple Panthers.

With the exception of Field Hockey and Football, all sports have both boys' and girls' teams. Football, soccer, basketball, and baseball all have freshman, junior varsity, and varsity teams. The others have JV and varsity teams. In recent years, the school is perhaps best known for its Ice Hockey team. The Panthers have the only Div. 1 hockey program in the Western portion of Massachusetts.

[edit] Clubs

Cathedral's clubs include several service groups, which organize events for the school and community. Some groups direct their efforts in volunteering (e.g. at a soup kitchen) or planning religious events, others organize dances and other activities. One such group is the school's Saint Thomas Aquinas chapter of the National Honor Society.

Other groups include yearbook, the school newspaper (the Cathedral Chronicle), photography, language clubs, choir/band, lighting and sound, Red Cross, Amnesty International, pro-life clubs, adventure club, drama, and Model Senate.


[edit] Notable alumni

  • Angelo Bertelli - 1943 Heisman Trophy winner at Notre Dame
  • Nick Buoniconti - NFL Hall of Fame Linebacker.
  • Joe Scibelli - 15 Yr Veteran in the NFL as a guard for the LA Rams
  • Chris Capuano - Milwaukee Brewers pitcher
  • Larry O'Brien - Advisor to President Kennedy, Postmaster General and NBA commissioner
  • Mike Flynn - Baltimore Ravens offensive linemen
  • Paul Fenton - Former NHL player and current Assistant General Manager of the Nashville Predators NHL
  • Diane Schumacher - Former USA Softball player and Athletic Director at University of Maryland, Baltimore County
  • Tim Mayotte - Tennis Professional
  • Thomas Reilly - Former Massachusetts Attorney General
  • Wayne Budd - Former Assistant US Attorney General
  • Peter Welch - Democratic Congressman from Vermont
  • Michael J. Ashe Jr. - Sheriff Hampden County, Springfield, Massachusetts
  • Kim Roy Tofalli - President of Ralph Lauren Women's Wear
  • David Byrnes - Founder of FACTS Management
  • William McCormick - Owner of Jordan Kitts Music
  • Derek Kellogg - University of Massachusetts Men's Basketball Head Coach

[edit] References

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[edit] External links