Austin Preparatory School

Infobox Private School
background = #FFFFCC
border = #000000
name = Austin Preparatory School


established = 1961
type = Private
religion = Catholic
head_name = Headmaster
head = Paul J. Moran
city = Reading
state = MA
country = USA
campus = Suburban
enrollment =
faculty =
class =
ratio =
year = 2005
SAT = 578 Verbal
563 Math
athletics = 16 sports
colors = Green and White
mascot = Cougar
homepage = [http://www.austinprepschool.org www.austinprepschool.org]

Austin Preparatory School is a co-educational Catholic school located in Reading, Massachusetts. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. It was founded by the Augustinian order in 1961. The institution is colloquially referred to as Austin Prep and serves students in grades 6-12.

History

Austin Preparatory School first accepted students in September of 1963.

The School was founded by members of the Order of Saint Augustine, Province of St Thomas of Villanova. Since 1973 the School has been owned and operated by a lay Board of Trustees, and is an incorporated, non-profit organization. Augustinian friars continued to serve formally at Austin until 1992. While there are no Augustinian friars currently on the faculty, the present staff does include two priests, one female religious, and one Affiliate member of the Order of Saint Augustine.

In 1987 Austin opened a Junior School Program, and further expanded in 1992 by admitting young women to become fully co-educational. The current enrollment (2006 - 2007) of 700 students includes approximately 350 young men and 350 young women. The Junior School enrolls roughly 250 students and the secondary division enrolls 450 students.

Demographics

Students commute to Austin from over 50 towns from the northern suburban communities of Boston reaching north through the Merrimack Valley Region and North Shore communities and also southern New Hampshire. Fact|date=May 2007

Patron saint

The motto of the school is "In lumine tuo videbimus lumen" ("In your light we see light"), from Psalm 36, and the school slogan is "God, Self, Neighbor." Its patron is Saint Augustine. The "Austin" in Austin Prep is a shortened form of Augustine. Augustine was a key figure in the doctrinal development of Western Christianity and is often referred to as a "Doctor of the Church" by Roman Catholics. Two of his many surviving works, namely "The Confessions" (his autobiography) and "The City of God" are Western Classics, and are read and studied by Christians of many denominations around the world. Augustine is also considered to be one of the theological fountainheads of Reformation, because of his teaching on salvation and grace; Martin Luther himself also having been an Augustinian friar. Augustine was not a Biblical fundamentalist.

Other American Augustinian Schools with the same patron include Richland, New Jersey; San Diego, California - both in the United States; Manila in the Philippines; a school in Malta, schools in Dungarvan and New Ross, Ireland and St. Augustine's College, Brookvale, in Sydney, Australia.

Languages

*Latin
*Spanish
*French
*Russian
*Italian

Athletics

Fall sports

*Cross Country
*Football
**Varsity
**Junior Varsity
**Freshman
*Golf
*Soccer
**Boys Varsity
**Boys Junior Varsity
**Boys Junior School
**Girls Varsity
**Girls Junior Varsity
**Girls Junior School
*Volleyball
**Varsity
**Junior Varsity
**Freshman

Winter sports

*Basketball
**Boys Varsity
**Boys Junior Varsity
**Boys Freshman
**Boys Junior School
**Girls Varsity
**Girls Junior Varsity
**Girls Freshman
**Girls Junior School
*Ice Hockey
**Boys Varsity
**Boys Junior Varsity
**Boys Freshmen
**Girls Varsity
**Girls Junior Varsity
*Ski Team
*Swim Team
*Track

Spring sports

*Baseball
**Varsity
**Junior Varsity
**Freshman
*Lacrosse
**Boys Varsity
**Boys Junior Varsity
**Boys Freshmen
**Boys Junior School
**Girls Varsity
*Softball
**Varsity
**Junior Varsity
**Junior School
*Tennis
**Boys Varsity
**Girls Varsity
*Track

Clubs and organizations

*Academic Decathlon
*Anime Club
*Arts and Crafts
*Asian Club
*Austin Ambassadors
*Austin Magazine
*Austin Service Club
*Badmitton Club
*Band
*Business Club
*Chorus
*Classics Club & Certamen Team
*Dance
*French Club
*Gamers Club
*Guitar Club
*Human Rights Squad
*Intramural Sports
**Basketball
**Volleyball
**Tennis
**Softball
**Whiffleball
*Italian Club
*Junior School Arts & Crafts
*Junior School Chess & Scrabble
*Junior School Classics And Certamen
*Junior School Drama Festival
*Junior School Math Team
*Junior School Puzzle Club
*Junior School Quiz Bowl
*Knitting Club
*"The Legend"
*Liturgical Music
*Magic: The Gathering Club
*Math Team
*Math Peer Tutors
*Multicultural Club
*National Honor Society
*New England Club
*"The Omega"
*Peer Leaders
*Rugby
*Russian Club
*Science Fiction /Fantasy Club
*Senior Retreat Leaders
*Sign Language Club
*Snowboarding/Ski Club
*Spanish Club
*School Wide Student Council
*Theatre Arts
*Web Design Club
*Weight Training - Boys
*Weight Training - Girls
*Yoga

exual abuse history by faculty

On January 28, 2002, The Boston Globe printed a list of clergy accused of sexual abuse within the Archdiocese of Boston. The article stated "The Rev. Robert Turnbull was sued in 2000 for sexually abusing a boy at Austin Preparatory School in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Turnbull is dead. The case against the school and the archdiocese is pending." [http://www.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/stories/012802_convicted_accused.htm See article here.]

The December 12, 2002 issue of The Boston Herald revealed the Rev. Alfred Murphy molested a 17 year old boy 2 years before his assignment at Austin Preparatory School (the school is not mentioned, but Murphy served as a teacher in the 1985-1986 school year and then later served as Campus Minister, which involved running weekend retreats with students (at the time the school was all male) called Christian Awareness Weekends until the early 1990's. No known allegations have be levied against Murphy in his capacity as an employee of the school. He was exempt from the Archdiocese of Boston investigations because he is a member of the Augustinian Order (O. S. A.) and is subject to a different hierarchy. Murphy is currently stationed at Villanova University, an Augustinian university. [http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news/2002-12-12-Washington-SordidTales.htm See reprinted article here.]

Notable alumni

*Thomas Birmingham - former Massachusetts Senate President
*Richard Meelia '67 - Chief Executive Officer Covidien Ltd (formally Tyco Healthcare)
*Tom Fitzgerald (hockey) '86 - NHL Player
*Christian "Chris" Scourletis '89 - International Hockey League Player
*Joe Sciacca '75 - Boston Herald political columnist
*Ross Alameddine '05 - victim of the Virginia Tech shootings on April 16, 2007
*Paul Sullivan '75 - Hosted "The Paul Sullivan Show" on WBZ (AM) NewsRadio 1030 before his death September 9, 2007. [http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2007/09/10/paul_sullivan_popular_wbz_radio_talk_show_host_dies_at_50/ See Boston Globe Article Here]
*J.W. Buckley '96 - poet and short story writer.

External links

* [http://www.austinprepschool.org/ Official site]
* [http://www.ratemyteachers.com/schools/massachusetts/reading/austin_preparatory_school Austin Preparatory School on www.RateMyTeachers.com]