| Central Catholic High School | |
|---|---|
|
Pro Deo et Patria[1]
For God and Country
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| Address | |
| 4720 Fifth Avenue Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, (Allegheny County), 15213 United States |
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| Information | |
| Type | Private, |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic, Lasallian |
| Established | 1927 |
| Status | Operating |
| President | Bro. Richard Grzeskiewicz |
| Principal | Bro. Robert Schaefer |
| Asst. Principal | Vincent Ciaramella (Academic Affairs) Edward Bernot (Student Affairs) |
| Chaplain | Father Robert George |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 850[1] (2011) |
| Average class size | 220 |
| Color(s) | Blue and Gold |
| Slogan | "Pro Deo et Patria" (For God and Country) |
| Fight song | On to Victory |
| Mascot | Viking |
| Team name | Vikings |
| Accreditation(s) | Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[2] |
| Publication | Harlequin The Promethean |
| Newspaper | 'The Viking' |
| Yearbook | 'Towers' |
| Tuition | $9000 |
| Dean of Students | Richard Capretta |
| Admissions Director | Brian Miller |
| Athletic Director | Charles Crummie |
| Website | centralcatholichs.com |
Central Catholic High School is a Roman Catholic college preparatory school for boys in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a part of the Diocese of Pittsburgh and is administrated and partially staffed by the Brothers of the Christian Schools.
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In the 1920s, Bishop Hugh Charles Boyle of the Diocese of Pittsburgh embarked on an ambitious program to expand Diocesan involvement in education beyond the historic parish schools founded by the predominantly Catholic immigrant population of the city. In order to fulfill his personal goal of creating an environment which would foster "faith, service, and scholarship", Boyle invited the Brothers of the Christian Schools (more commonly known as the Christian Brothers) to found an all-male secondary school in Oakland, the historic academic heart of Pittsburgh. The first freshman class entered in 1927, and Central Catholic's great success allowed Boyle to greatly expand on the Diocesan network of male schools with North Catholic, Serra Catholic, and South Hills Catholic High School.
For over eighty years the school has been renowned for its academic, athletic, and artistic achievements. Alumni and administrators claim that it is Central Catholic's "mystique" which imbues the institution with such a strong reputation. Although the school originally served only the central neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, the decline of regional equivalents such as North Catholic and South Catholic (evidenced by both schools' gradual switch to coeducation) eventually attracted students from a wider geographic and socioeconomic spectrum. Today Central Catholic student body is extremely diverse for a Pittsburgh high school, with neighborhoods represented ranging from the traditional Catholic strongholds of Bloomfield and Squirrel Hill to suburban communities such as Cranberry, Jefferson Hills, and Fox Chapel. The extensive prestige of Central eventually also encouraged the Diocese to open a sister school, Oakland Catholic, also in the Oakland area.
Central Catholic's academic courses are track-based and divided into five levels of rigor: "learning lab" (Level 1), Intermediate (Level 2), "Mainstream" (Level 3), Honors (Level 4), and Advanced Placement (Level 5). Class rank is based upon GPA weighted for level. Incoming freshmen are placed into various levels within the six required departments (English, mathematics, social studies, science, foreign language, catechetics) based on elementary school grades and a standardized test given by the school itself. Freshman may opt to take an additional music or visual arts course, or gym. Registration for classes for the next year is completed by students and teachers toward the end of the previous academic year. Upperclassmen enjoy more freedom in terms of course and department selection. Central Catholic offers more than 15 AP courses and more than 30 Honors courses, these usually being dominated by the intellectual elite of each class. The school is noted for the strength of the English and Mathematics departments as indicated by students' achievement on the SAT, and by the number of students who are recognized in academic competitions (essay contests, quiz bowls, etc.) throughout the city and surrounding counties. As a college preparatory school, Central strives to prepare students for the academic rigors of college life, helping them to develop the abilities to think critically, write concisely, read analytically, and speak effectively.
Built in the National Romantic style with soaring towers and stabilizing buttresses, the school building is a designated historic landmark and is located in Oakland, a few minutes' walk away from both the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University.
The school has a storied athletic history that includes recent championships for track and field, soccer, swimming, and football. The other varsity sports offered are basketball, baseball, tennis, lacrosse, bowling, ice hockey, in-line hockey, golf, rowing, cross country and volleyball. Fencing, table tennis, Ultimate frisbee, and disc golf are offered as club sports.
During the varsity football season and the seasons of other successful teams, student life is heavily centered on athletics and sporting events; however, sports do not dominate during off-season. Many athletic programs are heavily intellectually dominated, most notably the rowing team, from which Ivy League universities frequently recruit.
In addition to its traditional reputation in athletics, Central Catholic is also known for its excellent Forensics team, musical theater productions (as demonstrated by seven Gene Kelly Awards in the last four years alone), PJAS participation, student publications (such as The Promethean), chess team, and robotics team.
The school's mascot is the Viking. It had a long-standing rivalry with North Catholic High School until enrollment greatly declined at North Catholic and competition grew increasingly one-sided in favor of Central Catholic. North Allegheny and Woodland Hills have come to replace North Catholic as Central's major rivals in sports, and Shady Side Academy in academics.