St. John's Jesuit High School and Academy

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St. John's Jesuit High School and Academy

Motto	Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam ("To the Greater Glory of God")
Established	1965 and 2004
Type	Private, all-male, college-preparatory and middle school
Affiliations	Society of Jesus, Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo
President	Rev. Thomas Pipp, S.J. (interim)
Rector	Rev. Thomas Radloff, S.J.
Chaplain	Mr. Greg Richard
Grades	9-12 and 7-8
Location	5901 Airport Highway, Toledo, Ohio, Detroit Province, USA
Colors	Blue & Vegas Gold
Athletics	Toledo Catholic Youth Organization (CYO)
Mascot	Titan
Website	http://www.sjjtitans.org

St. John's Jesuit High School and Academy comprises two schools on the same campus: St. John's Jesuit High School (SJJ) and St. John's Jesuit Academy. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo. Both are private, all-male Jesuit schools in Toledo, Ohio.

SJJ has an enrollment of over 800 students. It is known for its academic rigor, college admissions program, extensive local and foreign service program, and diversity in types of student activities. Fr. Tom Pipp, S.J. is the Acting President for the 2007-2008 school year.

St. John's Jesuit Academy was started as a pilot program, with its first class of 30 seventh and 30 eighth graders during the 2004-2005 school year. The program has been very successful, and neighboring high schools such as Central Catholic are investigating similar programs. The school's administration has announced its plans to expand the Academy to 50 students. Another addition to the SJ campus may follow to accommodate the successful school. Recently the Academy, along with the St. John's Jesuit Admissions Department hosted the first annual 7th grade Leadership Conference for all 7th grade students in the Diocese of Toledo. Several St. John's Jesuit High School Ambassador Society members led the middle schoolers through several keynote speakers.

[edit] Background

[edit] History

St. John's was originally founded as St. John's College in 1898 in downtown Toledo by a group of Jesuits. It was very successful business college with a strong performing arts study. The school was home to many successful people including Rev. Karl Joseph Alter of the first graduating class. During the great depression of the economy in the United States however the school closed after many successful years.

St. John's purchased property near Gesu school, a Jesuit grade school to create a large Jesuit schooling community. The plans fell through however and a group of Oblates opened St. Francis de Sales High School on the property near the University of Toledo. The original mascot of this new oblate school was the titan in memory of St. John's.

When St. John's opened its new doors in 1965 on Airport Highway in Toledo as a college-prep high school, the school took back its mascot and St. Francis de Sales took on the knight as their mascot. The schools now have a famous rivalry in greater Toledo area.

Over the years the school has grown (See: #Renovations) to include a new tech wing and athletic facility. The most marked addition to the campus is the new junior high academy. The St. John's Jesuit Academy was added in the 2004-2005 school year, offering 7th and 8th grade college-prep curriculum as well as high school, college-prep,and honors curricula.

[edit] Christian service

One of the goals of a Jesuit education, found in the St. John's Mission Statement is educating "men-for-others". Therefore, a service project is required in order to pass any of the four compulsory Theology courses at St. John's. Additionally, St. John's has a local service organization, known as the St. John's Jesuit Christian Service Team. This team sends out students daily to serve at local preschools, hospitals, homeless shelters, and nursing homes. The team is led by a student core team.

[edit] Central American Ministries

Main article: Central American Ministries

Central American Ministries or CAM was founded by the school's former president Don Vettese, S.J. in 1995 and recently aligned with The University of Michigan.^[1] On July 1, 2006 the ministry moved its headquarters from the St. John's Jesuit campus to Ann Arbor, Michigan near The University of Michigan. The program sends SJJ students, along with other students, both high school and college to Central America to work with the poor. Missions include trips to El Salvador and the Guatemala City Dump.

Missions include: El Salvador and the Guatemala City Dump. A trip to Guatemala is scheduled for this summer.

[edit] Campus ministry

St. John's Campus Ministry Program is run by Rev. Tom Pipp, S.J., Mrs. Jo Chambers, Mr. Greg Richards, Mr. Luke Rosen (music), and Mr. Tom Harms. Additionally, in 2006 the program started a student core-team that helps to organize ministry activities. SJJ Campus Ministry organizes a Mass every morning in the campus's small chapel and feast-Masses for the community in the large chapel. Every day, Campus Ministry holds a Communion service during a selected lunch period and, once a month, the large chapel is open for Eucharistic Adoration.

[edit] Renovations

A $4.5 million renovation to the school's commons and surrounding area, completed in November of 2007, added a student union type atmosphere to the commons and a new performing arts wing. The commons include a student lounge, food court, cafeteria, and a new book and spirit store. The new performing arts wing includes a band room, chorus room, instrument storage, director offices, practice rooms, a recording studio and the remodelled auditorium. The auditorium has been completely renovated with new lecture chairs, lighting and sound equipment, and an improved stage. A large set-storage room was also added just off the auditorium stage. Access to the wing is off the commons, from a new exterior entrance between the visitor/technology wing entrance and the main commons entrance. These renovations follow several recent additions to the St. John's campus since its re-opening in 1965.

St. Johns added a technology wing, including a news studio for the St. John's television channel, TV-4, a music technology lab similar to college music composition labs, the famous Jesuit mural, two computer labs, and the IRC, the library on the St. John's campus. Following the addition of the tech wing, St. John's added the Lyden Fitness Center which included the Lyden Center weight training facility (the largest in the City League), the auxiliary gym, an athletic trainer's office, and renovations to the main gym, including a new floor. Between these major renovations and additions to the campus, St. John's has also added a Chemistry lecture hall, Physics lecture hall, Physics classroom, computer graphic-design lab, and state of the art Chemistry and Biology labs.

[edit] School trademarks

[edit] School patron

Society of Jesus

History of the Jesuits Regimini militantis Suppresion Jesuit Hierarchy Superior General Adolfo Nicolás Ignatian Spirituality Spiritual Exercises Ad maiorem Dei gloriam Magis Discernment Famous Jesuits St. Ignatius of Loyola St. Francis Xavier Blessed Peter Faber St. Aloysius Gonzaga St. Robert Bellarmine St. Peter Canisius St. Edmund Campion

The School Patron is St. John Berchmans, a Belgian Jesuit who lived in the seventeenth century. His life and beliefs as a Jesuit were highlighted not so much by unusual, dramatic actions as by the loving practice of fidelity to God in day to day living. St. John's distinctive mark of sanctity lay in his appreciation of and participation in the ordinary aspects of life. He is an ideal patron, as he demonstrates that one does not have to be a star to be outstanding. Being faithful to work, being willing to involve oneself in activities, being available for others -- accomplishing all this without great fanfare -- is a very real way to success.^[2]

[edit] School seal

The School Seal is a modification of the coat of arms of the Loyola family -- the family of the founder of the Jesuits, St. Ignatius Loyola. The name Loyola is derived from the Spanish "lobos y olla," meaning "wolves and pot." In the 15th century, the Loyola knights were identified by a coat of arms consisting of two shields. The first depicts a cauldron suspended by a chain between two wolves. The wolves, plentiful in the Basque hills of Spain, mark the family as Basques. This symbolizes the generosity and hospitality of the Loyola family. Legend has it that during a famine in the Basque country, the Loyolas fed all the hungry in the surrounding countryside, even the wolves. The bands on the opposite shield are taken from the arms of St. Ignatius' maternal family, the Oñaz family -- the family of the founder of the Jesuits.^[3]

[edit] School colors

The School Colors are blue and Vegas gold and are hailed in both school songs: the Alma Mater and the fight song. Symbolically, the blue represents filial piety and the gold stands for integrity. Ideally, these virtues of devotion and uprightness will be evidenced in every loyal member of the St. John's Jesuit Community.^[4]

[edit] Schools

[edit] St. John's College

St. John's College was the original school, founded in downtown Toledo. When the school re-opened years after it closed during the great depression it re-opened as St. John's High School.

[edit] St. John's Jesuit High School

The high school opened in 1965 as St. John's High School. In 1990, president Don Vettesse, S.J. renamed the school St. John's Jesuit High School. It is an all male, college-prep high school with an enrollment of more than 800 students. SJJ is one of two all-boy high schools in the Toledo area, the other being St. Francis de Sales High School.

[edit] Academics

To be enrolled in St. John's, a student must pass an entrance and placement exam. St. John's runs on a 4.0 GPA scale. In order to graduate from St. John's, each student must complete eight full semesters of study, along with a four year service requirement and successful completion of the senior project, a three week internship. Theology and English are compulsory for all four years of study, Math and Science, three. St. John's is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the Jesuit Secondary Education Association, and the Ohio Department of Education. SJJ is one of only seven State of Ohio charters as a college-preparatory school. St. John's offers a large number of Honors classes which receive a 0.5 weight to their GPA. St. John's also offers many Advanced Placement (AP) courses which receive a 1.0 weight and possible college credit.

In 2007, the St. John's Jesuit Quiz Bowl team won 1st place in the Toledo City League and the Northwest Ohio Regional Tournament.

[edit] Athletics

Athletics at St. John's Jesuit are co-curricular. Sports include: Basketball, Football, Soccer, Ice Hockey, Baseball, Track and Field, Cross Country, Bowling, Lacrosse, Swimming, Golf, Tennis, Rowing, and a recently established Table Tennis team.

The Titans have won or shared the Toledo City League All Sports Trophy 26 times in the last 32 years. The Titans have won the trophy more than any other school in the City League (as well as more than all other schools combined). Other significant accomplishments include several Ohio High School Athletic Association and regional championships:

• Golf - 1931, 1987, 1994 Ohio High School Athletic Association Champions^[5]
• Hockey - 2007 Ohio High School Athletic Association Champion^[5]
• Tennis - 1987 Ohio High School Athletic Association Champions
• Rowing - 2004,2006, and 2008 Midwest Champions, 2006 Scholastic National Champions (Third)
• Cross Country - 2006 State Championship Runner Up
• Hockey - 1999[*], 2007 State Champions^[5] Final Four: 1981, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2001.
• Basketball - Final Four: 2003, 2006. State Championship Game: 1993, 1996, 2004
• Football - Final Four: 2003
• Soccer - Final Four: 2002
• Golf - 2006, 10th in State Tournament
• Swimming - 2008 Northwest District Champions, ending the record-breaking 42-year streak of rival St. Francis de Sales High School
• Diving - David Colturi 2007 State Champion
• Track & Field - 2007, 2008 Regional Champions

[*]Won state title game 7-0, however later forfeited to Bowling Green High School due to the use of an ineligible player.

[edit] St. John's Jesuit Academy

The Academy was established in the 2004-2005 school year. Its current enrollment is held at 50 seventh graders and 30 eighth graders. The Academy has now expanded its 7th grade to 50 students as of the 2007-2008 year. The students can use all of the facilities of the college-prep high school but primarily study in their own private wing. Often, students take some of the requisite high-school courses in the Academy before enrollment in the High School. As a result, many Academy students can take many more AP courses at the end of their high-school study. The Academy has a budding sports, music, and art program. The students attend all Masses and Prayer Services with the High School. The students of the Academy are paired with "Big Brothers" in the Senior High and take part in activities with them often. The Academy offers advanced curriculum in Math, Science, English, Social Studies and one foreign language consisting of Spanish, Latin, German, Arabic, French, and Chinese.

[edit] Athletics

Athletics at the Academy are extra-curricular. They consist of Cross Country, Golf, Basketball, Track, and Tennis. There are many other, "teams" as well including The Lego Robotics Programming team, and the power of the Pen and the Stock Market Team. Most teams participate in the local, Catholic sports programs with other private 7th and 8th grades, and have experienced a great deal of success.

[edit] Music

Music at the Academy is compulsory. Students can enroll in the Academy Beginners Band, the Academy Young Men's Chorus, or the standard music education course. Additionally, students can be placed in the Academy Advanced Band.

[edit] Notable alumni

• Rev. Karl Joseph Alter - Archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati, technically an alumnist of St. John's College, the original school at St. John's Jesuit.
• John Amaechi - NBA player, of the Cleveland Cavaliers and also the first openly homosexual player in the NBA. ^[6]
• Nick Anderson - editorial cartoonist - winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning
• Rob Chudzinski - NFL/NCAA football former player & coach - the current offensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns
• Michael B. Coleman - current mayor of Columbus, Ohio
• Doug Ducey - Chairman and CEO of Cold Stone Creamery
• Brandon Fields - NFL punter drafted in 2007 by the Miami Dolphins
• Chris Knight - Current principal of St. John's Jesuit Academy
• Gary Louris - singer and guitarist for The Jayhawks
• Tim Malone - Current principal of St. John's Jesuit High School
• Scott Parsons - 2002 and 2003 US National Champion in K-1 Whitewater Slalom Kayak; 2003 Pan American Games silver medalist; 2004 US Olympic Trials Champion. ^[7]
• Michael D. Sallah - Miami Herald investigative reporter and editor who received the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting.
• Brian Roberts - University of Dayton basketball player
• Zach Hillesland - University of Notre Dame basketball player
• B.J. Raymond - Xavier University basketball player
• Erick Iskersky - Champion tennis player
• Owen Wilson - Legendary coach and player of "How's It Goin Owen" Intramural teams

[edit] External links

• St. John's Jesuit High School Website
• St. John's Music Department Homepage
• Virtual Tour of St. John's
• St. John's Academy Homepage
• St. John's College Counseling Homepage

[edit] References

1. ^ Central American Ministries Website, News July 1,2006
2. ^ St. John's Jesuit High School and Academy Bulletin of Information, The School Patron
3. ^ Santuario de Loyola (http://www.santuariodeloyola.com/english/santa_casa1.html)
4. ^ St. John's Jesuit High School and Academy Bulletin of Information, The School Colors
5. ^ ^{a b c} OHSAA. Ohio High School Athletic Association Web site. Retrieved on 2006-12-31.
6. ^ ESPN. ESPN.
7. ^ Parsons, Scott. United States Olympic Committee.