Immaculate Heart High School (Arizona)

Infobox Secondary school
name = Immaculate Heart High School School

type = Private Catholic
grades = 9–12
enrollment = 64
affiliations = Catholic, Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
city = Tucson
state = Arizona
country = USA
established = 1930
accreditation = North Central Association
accreditation = Western Catholic Education Association
President= Mr. Thomas P. Long
Principal = Dan Ethridge
mascot = Knights
colors =White & Blue
website = www.immaculateheartschool.com

Immaculate Heart High School is a co-ed Catholic school in Oro Valley, Arizona (a suburb of Tucson). It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson. The high school is part of a larger campus that includes an elementary and middle school. However, the high school is governed by a Board of Managers consisting of community leaders and businessmen along with a president and principal. The elementary and middle schools are governed by a different president and principal and are independentof the IHHS Board of Managers. All three campuses are the focus and mission of Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

tructure

In July 2006, Immaculate Heart High School initiated a strategic change in the governance of IHHS. The Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary approved a model of management that has been widely adopted by other secondary Catholic schools throughout the US. This model is structured with a Board of Managers, a President and a Principal - to provide a business and strategic oversight that in the past has been missing. With the approval of this management structure, Mr. Tom Long was hired to handle the duties of the President - focusing on development, recruitment, marketing and strategic planning. He also reports directly to the Board of Managers, and sits on the executive committee of the board along with several other committees including the Buildings and Grounds and Recruitment. Since the beginning of his tenure, Mr. Long has initiated several positive actions including hiring of an admissions director and a business manager to provide direct support to the implementation of a strategic plan that was formed over the last 18 months to move IHHS to a secure position as a viable alternative for families in Tucson looking for a premier Catholic education.

History

The mostly European Immaculate Heart order began in Spain in 1868 with a mission to educate, and first sent sisters to Tucson in 1917. In 2002, the order reported having 27 nuns living in Tucson, most of them at Immaculate Heart Lodge, 410 E. Magee Road, and at St. Ann's Convent, which is part of the Immaculate Heart Noviciate, 3820 N. Sabino Canyon Road. St. Ann's is where many of the older sisters live.

Downtown

In 1930, the sisters established Immaculate Heart Academy at 35 E. 15th St. near downtown Tucson. It was a private boarding school for girls, built of stone harvested from "A" Mountain — a famous peak that sits on the outskirts of the city. In 1962, the high school portion - to this day, the oldest continuously running Catholic high school in Tucson - moved to its present site, 625 E. Magee Road in Oro Valley, before there was such a thing as Oro Valley.

The former downtown academy on 15th Street was sold in the early 2000s and in 2006 it was being converted into the Academy Lofts — 36 loft-style apartments with high ceilings, deep windows and views of the downtown area.

Suffolk Hills

The neighborhood surrounding the school's campuses is known as Suffolk Hills, named for the countess of Suffolk, who was a snowbird from England many decades ago. It is her estate the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart purchased for use as an elementary school when the grade school moved out of Tucson. The caretaker's building became the school office. Stables were converted to classrooms. The former multicar garage now houses sixth-grade classes. The house itself is still home to eight sisters.

By the late 1990s, the area surrounding Immaculate Heart had become one of Tucson's fastest-growing and most affluent communities. The school has stunning views of the Santa Catalina Mountains and is walking distance from trails and wildlife preserves.

Changes

The sisters aren't part of the Catholic Diocese of Tucson and aren't associated with a parish, so for a long time the school's biggest source of income came from boarding, which continued well into the 1990s. In 1973, the school went co-ed. Fourteen years later, the grade school moved to the Northwest as well, and in 1994 the sisters built the middle school nearby. All three campuses, walking distance from one another, are now known collectively as Immaculate Heart Schools. The high school was briefly named Suffolk Hills High School in the 1980s. The mascot, now a Knight, used to be a Rebel, but was changed over concern from some that it did not portray the values that Catholic students should hold.

The school bills itself as a small, close-knit campus with a focus on college preparatory curriculum. Historically, it has been viewed as more conservative than other Catholic schools in the area.

The sisters have been successful in raising money for the school through various fundraising and capital improvement campaigns. Recently the fruits of fundraising have had tangible results in the building of a new school gymnasium, dedicated in November 2006.

truggles

Recently, the high school has initiated a strategic plan to increase enrollment to 250 in 3 to 5 years. It entered its 77th year in August 2007 with an enrollment of 64. The Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary initiated a strategic plan to transform the high school and reinvest in the future of the high school that holds great potential. The high school has initiated a 3-5 year capital campaign, has invested in hiring staff to help increase enrollment along with investing in cutting edge curriculum including Astrobiology and Virtual High School Netcourse - which open over 200 elective courses to IHHS students.

The Board of Managers now in place to manage the overall success of the school recognizes the primary need to increase enrollment and are initiating several actions to do just that. In the light of statistics that reflect a national trend of Catholic schools shutting their doors - IHHS is stepping up to ensure the legacy of excellence that has been at the root of their success for over 77 years continues far into the future.

Future

In late 2005, Immaculate Heart made known that it was in the process of developing a strategic plan to try to revive the high school campus. According to the sisters' web site, "The Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary have been preparing in recent months to move into a comprehensive strategic planning process to help refine the vision and strategies that will guide the work of the Province for the next 5 to 10 years."

It goes on to say: "There is much energy and excitement surrounding this project as we contemplate the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. We have reached the point where we need the insight and counsel of some of our closest friends and advocates."

In November 2006, the school's long-awaited gymnasium was dedicated. A month later, Tucson car dealer Karl Watson donated $1 million to the school.

In February 2007, the school announced it was partnering with Virtual High School to offer its students access to over 200 online courses. A press release said the partnership would bring "the cutting edge of educational advancements directly into the classroom."

Timeline

*1868
**Immaculate Heart Order begins with a mission to educate
*1917
**Sisters first arrive in Tucson
*1930
**Sisters open a school in downtown Tucson
*1962
**The high school moves to Northwest Tucson
*1973
**The school goes co-ed
*1994
**The sisters open a middle school next to the high school
*2004
**After being sold to a developer, plans are announced for the original downtown building to be converted to trendy loft condos
*2005
**Academic Decathlon Team is formed for the first time. The team goes on to take the 1A State Championship title in their inaugural year
**The sisters begin exploring ways to transform and invest heavily in the high school
*2006
**A new gym is completed and dedicated
**School receives a $1 million donation
**Cutting edge science curriculum is visible in the offering of an Astrobiology course
*2007
**Academic Decathlon Team takes their second state Championship 1A title in less than three years
**Partnership to offer online courses is announced
*2008
**Academic Decathlon Team takes their second consecutive state Championship 1A title, their third in four years
**School begins offering classes online via Virtual High School

Mission Statement

From the Immaculate Heart High School website:

“The faith community of Immaculate Heart School complements the efforts of parents in the full education of young people who will become the hearts, heads, and hands of Jesus Christ in the 21st Century.”

ee also

*List of high schools in Arizona

External links

* [http://www.immaculateheartschool.com/immaculateheart.aspx?pgID=928 Official website]