Magnificat High School

Magnificat High School is a Catholic all-girls college preparatory high school located in Rocky River, Ohio, a residential suburb west of Cleveland, Ohio. It was founded in 1955 and is sponsored by the Sisters of the Humility of Mary. In 2013, its enrollment was 770 students, who represent five counties in the Cleveland diocese. It is also considered the largest private, Catholic, all-girls' high school in Ohio. ^[3]

The school offers programs in a variety of sports and 40 co-curricular activities in areas including business, languages, theater, and theology.

History

Magnificat High School was first established by the Sisters of the Humility of Mary in 1955 and is among one of several Catholic high schools in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. The founding principal was Sister Mary of Lourdes Bernadette Vetter who introduced a freshman class of 63 young women. Sister Mary of Lourdes Bernadette Vetter brought 10 other sisters, along with four orphans from France to The United States. The enrollment of the school has continued to expand over the years to today's enrollment of 770 students. Magnificat High School's mission statement is, "we educate young women holistically to learn, lead, and serve in the spirit of Mary's Magnificat." The six values of the school include respect, commitment, collaboration, compassion, faith-filled life,and lifelong learning. The school has also grown with several additional buildings over the decades, including a math wing and the remodeling of the Sisters' former convent. The Performing Arts Center, added in 2004, established a state of the art facility for dance, musicals, and other arts. Also in 2004, the chapel within the school was expanded to act as a center for religious growth. In 2012 the resource center was transformed into a surround learning center that accommodates electronic devices and promotes learning through technology. In 2013, the cafeteria and kitchen were remodeled to fit the modern needs of the students. An All Generations Spiritual Garden and Grotto was added in 2014.

Academics

Magnificat High School offers a variety of extracurricular activities intended to expose students to new areas and promote well-rounded character. The requirements ^[4] for graduation contain a tight schedule, with a necessary four full years of English and Theology. The curriculum also calls for three full years of Science, Social Studies, and Mathematics, as well as two years of a Modern Language. However, students are highly encouraged by the faculty to take four years of all core classes. Students are also required to take art, music, and physical education classes for graduation. The school offers a number of advanced classes including Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) in most academic departments. This allows students the chance to be challenged further in their subject(s) of choice, and also presents the opportunity to gain credits transferable to colleges. Magnificat High School graduates 98 percent of girls that go on to a four-year college or university.

Another requirement for graduation is the Senior Genesis Project, started in 1973. The Genesis Project takes place during the last two weeks before graduation. The young women choose a career and must contact someone in that field in which they would be able to “shadow” for these two weeks. Students shadow for a minimum amount of hours each week without pay. This gives the girls a chance to explore and experience a job in the real world. Each student is assigned a faculty member who advises them during their experience and to whom the student turns in the finalized Genesis Project, consisting of a journal with daily reflections.

The teachers at Magnificat challenge their students to grow in both faith, and in pursuit of knowledge and understanding. Teachers are involved with students both in and out of the classroom. Each student has a guidance counselor that they consult before scheduling classes every year. The students' schedules vary every day to allow for different learning rhythms. The schedule provides students with variety, so they will be more energized. The schedule also takes into consideration every student's learning habits. Some students learn better in the morning or the afternoon. The schedule accommodates every student's learning needs.

Athletics

Magnificat High School offers a wide variety of sports such as Softball, Basketball, Soccer, Cross Country, Track and Field, Volleyball, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Tennis, Swimming and Diving, Golf and Gymnastics. Many Magnificat students excel in sports, often getting featured in The Plain Dealer. Magnificat also offers 1-2 week sports camps in the summer for girls. This offers younger girls with an opportunity to interact with Magnificat students, play sports, and get acquainted with the school.

The Magnificat Athletic Hall of Fame was created in 2010 to celebrate the achievements of both student athletes and their coaches. The Hall of Fame honors athletes that have achieved much success in their sport, but also those who demonstrate the values of teamwork, leadership, and respect. Four classes have thus far been inducted in to the Hall of Fame, and it continues to grow to this day.

Campus Ministry

A unique and special characteristic of the Magnificat community is the campus ministry department.^[5] Each year, students are encouraged to participate in some form of spiritual growth activity. Campus Ministry sets up events for the girls which serve as opportunities to learn about themselves and the outside world in a spiritual manner. Some of these opportunities include service (food bank, Malachi House, tutoring), volunteering, immersion experiences (To Cleveland, Florida, and Ecuador), and retreats.

Each year, the entire freshman class takes part in a retreat to Villa Maria, Pennsylvania, where the motherhouse of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary is located. The day is spent learning the history of the order and, subsequently, coming to understand the roots of Magnificat High School. In later years, students are able to choose from a variety of other retreats (Art, Literature & Film, Kairos, and others), many of which also take place in Villa Maria.

One of the most popular retreats offered is the Kairos retreat. During this retreat, a group of between thirty and forty girls are secluded in a residence hall for three days. The girls participate in various leisure activities and listen to several “witness” accounts given by former Kairos retreatees and faculty members. The girls get to know one another on a deep, personal level during these reflections. The Kairos retreat is designed to give the girls a chance to escape the usual world of schoolwork and extracurricular activities to take the time to deepen their relationship with God.

Sophomore students are required to complete thirty volunteer service hours for their Sophomore Theology classes. This is intended to encourage the young women to lend a hand in their communities. Many sophomores will complete their hours through service within the Ohio City inner-city areas of Cleveland where poverty is a predominant issue. Students take part in activities such as tutoring, serving food at food banks, Habitat for Humanity, Arrupe (hosted by St. Ignatius High School), Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and visiting patients at hospice homes like Malachi House. Many girls continue to volunteer even after their required service hours are complete.

Night-in-Blue

Night-in-Blue is the annual fund raiser Magnificat holds to raise money that contributes to financial assistance for tuition and other school programs. The fund raiser began in 1956 and has been supported by the Mothers' and Fathers' Clubs ever since. This fund raiser brings out Blue Streak pride to kick off the school year. Each student has a $225 quota to reach over the course of the fund raiser by selling advertisements for the Night-In-Blue ad book or raffle tickets for prizes, with a car donated by Jack Matia Honda^[6] as the grand prize. In some cases, girls can also meet their quota through donations.

The students are driven to reach their quota for a number of reasons. First, the school offers incentive prizes (sweatpants, sweatshirts, shorts, etc.) that are given by submitting certain amounts of money on specific turn-in days. Students who meet their quotas are also given a day off in January while anyone who did not meet their quota must still attend school and complete a project. If the entire school manages to raise 100% or more of their goal, they receive an extra day off on Thanksgiving break. Also, the winning homeroom class is treated with a pizza party and additional money toward class funds (for dances, etc.). The positive reinforcement of these prizes creates friendly competition between the classes and a strong motivation to raise money for a good purpose.

The fund raiser ends on the first weekend of November at the Night-in-Blue Bazaar and Spaghetti Dinner.^[7] At this event, the ad books are distributed, there are various games that guests can take part in, and a “mixer” for any high school student to attend. The winner of the Honda is drawn on this day as well.

Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championships

• Gymnastics - 1990,1991,1992,1993,1996,1997,1998,1999,2002,2003
• Girls Track and Field - 1993,1994
• Girls Cross Country - 1995, 2008, 2009, 2010^[8]

Notes and references

External links

• School Website