St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Dover, New Hampshire)
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| Motto | Lux In Tenebris (Light in Darkness) |
|---|---|
| Established | 1960 |
| Type | Roman Catholic Secondary School |
| Principal | Jeffrey Quinn |
| Founder | Matthew F. Brady, Bishop of Manchester |
| Faculty | 60 |
| Students | 707 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Location | 197 Dover Point Rd, Dover, New Hampshire, United States |
| Oversight | Diocese of Manchester |
| Accreditation | New England Association of Schools and Colleges |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Colors | Navy and White |
| Mascot | Saints |
| Website | www.stalux.org |
Coordinates: St. Thomas Aquinas High School is a coeducational Catholic high school in Dover, New Hampshire, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester. It has a student population of approximately 700, and a faculty of 50.
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[edit] History
In August of 1959, His Excellency Matthew F. Brady, Bishop of Manchester, opened the fund raising drive for St. Thomas Aquinas High School. When Bishop Brady suddenly died, Richard Cardinal Cushing of Boston kept his last project alive. Cardinal Cushing greeted the new bishop, His Excellency Ernest J. Primeau, with the advice, "Go on with St. Thomas Aquinas."
The Diocesan co-educational school opened in 1960 with a freshman class only. Serving seventeen parishes in southeastern New Hampshire, the school was staffed by two Diocesan priests, seven School Sisters of Notre Dame and one layman. When STA graduated its class of 219 in 1964, the faculty had grown to six priests, twenty-one sisters (requiring a new convent) and four lay teachers.
By the late sixties, enrollment topped nine hundred students, making St. Thomas a Class L power in athletics. A nationwide trend toward declining enrollments, combined with the higher cost of salaries as the number of teaching sisters fell, brought St. Thomas through a series of challenges throughout the 1970’s.
Beginning in the mid-1980s through the 1990’s St. Thomas showed a steady and dramatic increase in enrollment. During this period the school enhanced and expanded the academic and extracurricular programs available to students. The convent, named Notre Dame Hall, was converted to provide additional classroom space and to house the Guidance Department, which includes offices, a library, and a conference area. Today the school is at its maximum enrollment. Admission has become competitive and many classes have waiting lists.
[edit] Athletics
The school's sports teams compete as the "Saints." Teams of note include: football, soccer, swimming and diving, hockey, basketball, lacrosse, wrestling, tennis, track and baseball. In 2006-2007, the school's Football team was crowned Division IV champions, and its girls soccer team won the Class I championship. Team Athletic alums include Jon Gaffney of York, Maine, 2002 New Hampshire State Wrestling Champion. Jon wrestled for University of New Hampshire club team for 4 years and was a 2-time NCWA All-American.
The school celebrated its 40th anniversary year in 2000. At this milestone, the school had achieved a solid reputation of excellence within the tri-state region of New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts.[1]
[edit] Notable alumni
Among St. Thomas' graduates are Ron Fortier, comic book and pulp writer best known for his work on The Green Hornet, and Brendan Dubois, author of numerous novels including Resurrection Day.
Current Administrators:
Mr. Jeffrey Quinn - Principal
Mr. Gordon Quimby - Dean of Students
Mr. Ronald Holtz - Dean of Studies
Mr. Gary Finley - Admissions
Mrs. Gale LeClair - Guidance
Mr. Keith Adams - Campus Minister
Mr. Jack Leary - Athletics
Mr. Dan Raposa - Advancement
Department Heads:
Mrs. Kathleen Collins - English/Fine Arts
Mr. Jason Strniste and Mr. Charles Prince - Mathematics/Science
Mr. Jeff Thomson - Social Studies
Dr. Paul DiPietro - Theology
Mrs. Mary Chamberlain - World Languages
