La Salle Academy, Providence

Infobox Secondary school
name = La Salle Academy

motto= Religio, Mores, Cultura
established = 1871
type = Parochial
affiliations = Catholic, Lasallian
president = Br. Michael McKenery, FSC
principal = Donald J. Kavanagh
Vice Principal of Student Life = Edward Cronan
Senior Class Dean = Dean Thomas J. Martin
city = Providence
state = Rhode Island
country = USA
oversight = Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence
accreditation = New England Association of Schools and Colleges
students = 1466
grades = 7–12
mascot = Rams (64 teams, 18 sports)
colors = Maroon and white color box|maroon color box|white
website = [http://www.lasalle-academy.org/ www.lasalle-academy.org]

La Salle Academy is a co-education Catholic college preparatory high school located in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island on the corner of Academy Avenue and Smith Street, about two miles west of the Rhode Island State House. The school colors are maroon and white. The current president of La Salle Academy is Brother Michael McKenery, F.S.C., and the principal is Mr. Donald J. Kavanagh.

Overview

It was named for Saint John Baptist de La Salle, a French man who dedicated his life to the education of the children of poor families. The high school serves grades 9-12, and is also home to a middle school serving grades 7-8 known as PEGASUS 7/8, or the Program to Enhance the Gifts, Aptitudes, and Skills of Unique Students. Home to exactly 1,466 students, La Salle offers a strong academic curriculum, while also fostering spiritual growth, and offering opportunities to excel in athletics, arts, and other forms of community involvement. Graduates include bishops, brothers and priests, Pulitzer Prize winners, an Attorney General of the United States, United States Senators and Representatives, and a Governor of the State of Rhode Island.

An identically named school, La Salle Academy, is an all male brother school in the De La Salle Christian Brothers network located in Manhattan, New York.

History

Founded in 1871 under the discretion of the De La Salle Christian Brothers, the all-male school was originally an elementary school located in La Salle Square in downtown Providence. Known as the "Brothers' School," the name changed to La Salle Academy when its status changed from elementary school to an academy. When the student population grew too large for its former location, the Bishop of Providence authorized the building of a new school on more suitable premises near city limits. The present structure was dedicated in 1925.

In 1983, the Bishop of Providence announced plans to merge La Salle Academy, still an all-male high school, with two all-girls schools: St. Mary Academy of the Visitation and St. Patrick High School.

In 1989, full administration was transferred from the Diocese of Providence to a non-profit, indepedent corporation comprising six De La Salle Christian Brothers.

More recent developments include the establishment in 1993 of a transition program for gifted middle school students, PEGASUS 7/8, and the PEGASUS 10-12 program for gifted high schoolers. The McLaughlin Athletic Center and Michael McKenery Arts Center were annexed in 2000 and the Shea Science and Student Center opened for the 2004-2005 school year.

ports

A prominent and reputable school throughout Rhode Island, La Salle was noted in May 2005 by Sports Illustrated magazine for having the best athletic program in the state. [cite web | title=SI.com - Best Sports High Schools by State| url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/magazine/05/11/top.high.map0516/1.html| publisher=Sports Illustrated | accessdate=2005-05-16] La Salle's athletic teams are referred to as the Rams for men's sports, and the Lady Rams for women's sports, and almost all teams compete at the Rhode Island Interscholastic League's highest level, Division I.

Especially dominant in Rhode Island high school sports were the men's soccer team, which won six consecutive state championship titles from 2000-2005 and the women's soccer team, which won five consecutive titles from 2001-2005 and was at one point ranked second in the nation. In addition, the gymnastics team has secured six consecutive state titles (2003-2008), with a New England Championship title in 2003. The football team made six consecutive Super Bowl Championship appearances (2000-2005), with victories in both 2000 and 2001. La Salle also holds the national records for both Men's Cross Country State Championships (30) and Consecutive Men's Cross Country State Championships (17).

More recently, the Lady Rams have been notably dominant, with state titles in women's tennis, basketball, indoor track, gymnastics, and swimming in the 2006-2007 academic year, and volleyball, cross country, indoor track, basketball, gymnastics, swimming, outdoor track, and softball in the 2007-2008 academic year. In 2008, La Salle also produced the first woman to capture the RIIL Singles Golf Championship, Juliet Vongphoumy.

La Salle's biggest rivals include other local Catholic schools like Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, St. Mary Academy - Bay View in East Providence, St. Raphael Academy in Pawtucket, and Mount Saint Charles Academy in Woonsocket, whose men's hockey team won twenty-six consecutive state titles from 1978-2003. East Providence High School is also La Salle's traditional opponent in a long-standing Thanksgiving Day football rivalry.

Notable Alumni

*J. Howard McGrath, U.S. Attorney General (1949-1952), Governor of Rhode Island (1941-1945)
*J. Joseph Garrahy, Governor of Rhode Island (1977-1985)
*Jack Reed, U.S. Senator (1997-), U.S. Representative (1991-1997)
*Robert Tiernan, U.S. Representative (1967-1975)
*John E. Fogarty, U.S. Representative (1941-1967)
*Felix Hebert, U.S. Senator (1929-1935)
*Nico Colaluca, professional soccer player, Colorado Rapids
*Edwin O'Connor, author, Pulitzer Prize winner, "The Edge of Sadness" (1961), "The Last Hurrah" (1956)
*Pat Toomey, U.S. Representative - Pennsylvania (1999-2005)
*Davey Lopes, professional baseball player (1972-1987) [cite web | title=The Baseball Cube| url= http://www.thebaseballcube.com/managers/davey-lopes.shtml | accessdate=2008-07-29]
*Mike Montecalvo, Local AnchorMan for WPRI 12 and Professor at Bryant University

Notes

External links

* [http://www.lasalle-academy.org/Default.asp?bhcp=1 La Salle Academy official website]