St. Cecilia Catholic School (Houston, Texas)

St. Cecilia Catholic School

Respect, Reverence, and Responsibility
Address
11740 Joan of Arc Drive
Hedwig Village, Texas, 77055
 United States
Coordinates 29°46′48″N 95°31′10″W / 29.78000°N 95.51944°WCoordinates: 29°46′48″N 95°31′10″W / 29.78000°N 95.51944°W
Information
Type Private
Religious affiliation(s) Roman Catholic
Patron saint(s) St. Cecilia
Founded 1958
Founder Sisters of the Incarnate Word
Authority Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Houston
Dean Diane Blackman
Principal Dr. Carol Everling
Vice principal Nancy Serette
Staff 18
Faculty 43
Grades Pre-K–8
Age range 3-14
Enrollment 615[1] (2011)
Classrooms 30
Campus Suburban
Color(s) Red, Gray, and White             
Athletics conference GCHAA
Sports Football, Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball, Softball, Baseball
Mascot Scrambles
Team name Indians
Newspaper St. Cecilia Chalkboard
Tuition $9,210
Website www.SCCS.org

St. Cecilia Catholic School (commonly abbreviated to SCS or SCCS) is a Coeducational Catholic private school for grades Pre-K through 8th grade in Hedwig Village, Texas, presenting a high level of high school preparatory education. The school has been coeducational and non-profit since its founding and is within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. The establishment celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 2008-09. As of 2012, St. Cecilia School had about 615 students enrolled.[2]

About

In 1958, St. Cecilia Catholic School opened with a school board under the leadership of Pastor William J. Kennelly and Principal George Anne Matranga.

St. Cecilia was established as a private independent Catholic school by the Sisters of the Incarnate Word society. The school is accredited by the Texas Catholic Conference Education Department.[3] The school's current pastor is Father John Cahoon. The school and community are very involved in charity work. SCS donated hundreds of Spanish textbooks to kids in Guatemala.[4] The school was best known when it was under the leadership of Vincent M. Rizzotto.

Expansion

The Indians play outdoor sports at Bierne Field

The original school building had classrooms for grades one through eight, school offices, a cafeteria, and a gymnasium, used as a temporary church. To accommodate the large student body in 1962, nine classrooms, a new cafeteria, library, and storage facilities were added to the school. Later in 1995, an addition and remodeling project included the removal of seven temporary metal classroom buildings and the construction of a west wing, with a science lab, computer lab, an expanded library, and five more classrooms. A new gym, and a motor room were also added. Today the middle school students use a new two-story wing located on the north side of the campus including 14 new classrooms and 2 science labs. A music room for all students is also located in that building. Existing classrooms were completely renovated, remodeled, and equipped with Smart Boards.[5]

Mission Statement

The school's goal is to prepare all students spiritually and academically to succeed in life. SCS follows the educational ministry of the Roman Catholic Church. St. Cecilia has a mission for the ongoing Christian formation of the children by developing the greatest potential of each individual. The program was founded based on the teachings of Roman Catholicism with the intention to prepare students for adult life.[6]

Payment

The yearly tuition rate for each student at SCS in set at $9,210 for the 2013-14 school year. Payment options for the school include paying all at once, monthly, or at each semester. A one time $150 application fee is required, along with a testing and faculty fee totaling $300. An after-school program that is also offered has an optional monthly payment plan.

Student life

Athletics

The middle school plays varsity soccer and football in the fall. The boys and girls basketball tryouts and season are held in the spring season. Baseball and softball are also offered during spring. Middle school athletics are part of the Southwest Conference in the Greater Houston Catholic Athletic Association. Through tryouts, students may be selected to junior varsity and varsity teams.

The Indians are successful in certain sports. The school cheerleading squad has also won competitions.[7] The Indians play their home games at Bierne Field, which is located on the west part of the campus.

Additional fees and payment for the league are required for each team a student joins.[8] Sports eligibility is given to participants at the middle of the season. A student must have an overall C average with no more than two Ds. Also, if a student has low behavioral conduct averages, they will be taken off their team.

Clubs and activities

A variety of after school and during-school clubs and activities are included as an option within the tuition paid. The school offers a Math Club to all middle school students. The Speech Club is also optional to all students and competes in the St. Thomas High School Speech Tournament. The school also competes academically in the St. Pius Academic Rally held in the third quarter of the school year. Academic tournaments within the school include the National Geographic Bee and Spelling Bee. A Yearbook Club also takes place within the school's new computer lab. Elementary students can also participate in an after-school Band Program.

Academics

Curriculum and grading

The St. Cecilia School education is focused on six core subjects (Mathematics, Science, Theology, Social Sciences, Literature, and English) for the longterm development of important topics. These subjects are contemplated along with Physical Education, Foreign Language, and Technology. The grades that follow these core subjects also follow the same A-F grading system. SCS uses textbooks from many different education publishers. Principal's Honor Roll is given for all A's and Teacher's Honor Roll for those with no more two B's and A's. Academic achievement by children is recognized quarterly by the Principal and Teacher's Honor's Roll.

Standardized Testing

The school uses the ITBS standardized testing program, otherwise known as the Iowa Test. The student's focusing on core subjects helps them prepare for this. Following the Archdiocese of Houston-Galveston's orders, the establishment began giving this test in the 2009-10 school year. This proceeded the Stanford Achievement Test, which the school had been taking since 2003. In the last year of taking the SAT 10s (2009), some middle school students had a large overall, scoring about 510 in Math and Reading, earning state recognition.[9] The testing takes up to a week to complete, finishing the complete battery in mid-March. The many students who do well on this in intermediate and middle school are selected to participate in the annual Duke Talent Search.

School uniforms

Daily school uniforms for the boys are made up of a dark red polo shirt and navy blue slacks provided by Parker School Uniforms. Plaid red skirts and white polo shirts are required for girls. Students are required to wear non-athletic shoes and average socks as part of their regular uniform. School sweatshirts can also be worn as part of regular uniform. Mandatory dress uniforms are required to be worn on certain occasions.

Honor programs

Student Council

Students from the Seventh Grade are selected by the student body for the positions of President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary, nearing the end of the school year for the next term. The candidates are given about two weeks for campaigning. They then present a speech at a middle school assembly. Representatives from each class are also voted. The Student Council meets every month to debate problems, organize events, and suggest ideas.

National Junior Honor Society

The nationwide known National Junior Honor Society, known also as NJHS, is offered to students with over-achieving academical performance. This program offers meetings for those students beginning from the sixth grade, where they are inducted in a school assembly at the autitorium. The students are required to the service work to contemplate with their high-academic level and challenges them in their leadership skills. Students with average grades 90 or higher qualify for NJHS.

Yearly events

St. Cecilia has many annual festivities and fundraisers. After ambassador families are assigned to new students, they join the family at a welcoming breakfast event. One of the first major festivities to be held is the community Oktoberfest, done on one of the first days of the month. An eighth grade homecoming game is also celebrated against a conference rival. The most important fundraiser is the auction in late October. A well-known craft show is held in November for all community vendors to sell during a week.[10] All grades collect canned food items for a food gathering. The eighth grade also performs in a play shown to the whole school in the auditorium. A Field Day is celebrated in late April, with many activities taking place on Beirne Field. A softball charity game is also held every school year.[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://67.200.226.130/SCCS/data/Learn_About_SCCS_Home/other/1_Admissions%20School%20Facts.pdf
  2. ↑ http://www.houstonnewcomerguides.com/newcomer-directory/West-Houston/Education-%26-Schools/Private-Schools/St.-Cecilia-Catholic-School/details
  3. ↑ http://67.200.226.130/SCCS/default.aspx/ Community
  4. ↑ http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/2001_3365711/st-cecilia-students-tackle-goal-of-getting-books-t.html
  5. ↑ http://67.200.226.130/sccs/learn/history/default.aspx/ History
  6. ↑ http://67.200.226.130/sccs/learn/mission_statement/default.aspx/ Mission
  7. ↑ http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/memorial-news/article/St-Cecilia-School-selects-2005-2006-cheerleader-1913041.php
  8. ↑ http://www.ghcaa.com/index.php
  9. ↑ http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/2001_3337327/st-cecilia-school-students-reap-rewards-from-testi.html
  10. ↑ http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/2001_3273512/st-cecilia-craft-show.html
  11. ↑ http://www.chron.com/news/article/St-Cecilia-s-dads-softball-game-April-30-1354937.php

External links