Brother Martin High School

Brother Martin High School
Address
4401 Elysian Fields Avenue New Orleans, Louisiana, (Orleans Parish), 70122  United States
Coordinates	30°0′13″N 90°3′32″W / 30.00361°N 90.05889°W / 30.00361; -90.05889Coordinates: 30°0′13″N 90°3′32″W / 30.00361°N 90.05889°W / 30.00361; -90.05889
Information
Motto	Ametur Cor Jesu (Loved be the heart of Jesus)
Religious affiliation(s)	Catholic, Brothers of the Sacred Heart
Established	1869-St.Aloysius, 1954-Cor Jesu, 1969 Brother Martin
Founder	Archbishop Jean Marie Odin C.M.
President	John Devlin
Principal	Gregory Rando
Asst. Principal	Justin Fleetwood, Gabrielle Macaluso, Thomas Mavor
Grades	7–12
Color(s)	Crimson and Gold
Athletics conference	New Orleans Catholic League (District 10-5A)
Mascot	Crusader
Team name	Crusaders
Rival	St. Augustine High School (New Orleans), Jesuit High School (New Orleans)
Accreditation(s)	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools[1]
Average ACT scores	24.2 (everyone 2011); 28.0 (Honors 2011)
Publication	The Pen And The Sword (literary magazine)
Newspaper	'The Crusader'
Yearbook	'Yesterday'
Affiliation	Louisiana High School Athletic Association
Athletic Director	Scott Williams
Website	www.brothermartin.com

Brother Martin High School is a prestigious all-male, Catholic, university preparatory school located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States operated by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. It was established in 1869 by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, establishing the school as St. Aloysius College. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans.

School Mascot and Colors

The school's mascot is a crusader and the colors are crimson and gold. The crimson represents the Brothers of the Sacred heart devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Brother Martin as being a Sacred Heart school and also the mascot, the Crusader, who would sacrifice oneself for the preservation of Catholicism. Gold, a color from Cor Jesu High School, comes from their mascot, which were the Kingsmen and represented nobility.

School Crest

Blending the tradition of the past with momentum for the future, the crest symbolizes true crusader spirit.

On top of the shield is the helmet of a crusader symbolizing Christians of the past who were willing to give up their lives so that future generations might grow up Christian.

Under the helmet is a chain that represents the consolidation of St. Aloysius and Cor Jesu high schools in Brother Martin. From the five Brothers of the Sacred Heart who first opened St. Aloysius College in 1869 has grown Brother Martin High School.

The shield is divided into four quadrants by the Cross of Christ. In the upper left corner is the Sacred Heart, which represents the Brothers of the Sacred Heart and recalls their ministry of 138 years in New Orleans.

The fleur de lis in the lower left corner represents the French heritage of the city.

In the lower right corner, a torch symbolizes striving for excellence while the book in the upper right corner represents learning in the fullest sense. ok

Campus

Brother Martin High School is located on Elysian Fields Avenue in Gentilly, an established residential neighborhood in New Orleans. The sprawling school campus features Cor Jesu Hall, the oldest building on the current campus; built in 1954, the Conlin Gymnasium, the largest high school gym in the city, and the three newest components on campus; the Thomas F. and Elaine P. Ridglely Fine Arts and Athletic Center, commonly known as the "Ridgley Center", E. A. Farley Field, used for Soccer, Baseball and non-varsity football, and the Roland H. & Macy Paton Meyer Science and Mathematics Building, the newest building on campus. A new chapel and a new library building are also scheduled to be constructed through the capital campaign.

Thomas F. and Elaine P. Ridgley Fine Arts and Athletic Center

In January 1999, over 400 alumni, Brothers and friends attended the dedication ceremony for the Thomas F. and Elaine P. Ridgley Fine Arts and Athletic Center. The dedication of this 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m²) facility was presided over by Bishop Gregory Aymond, CJ’67, hosted by Brother Ivy LeBlanc, S.C. President of Brother Martin High School and was the realization of the goal of the first phase of the Campaign for Brother Martin High School. The entrance to the Ridgley Center Lobby is on a diagonal. The diagonal sits on the Faubourg-Darcantel line, one of the oldest boundaries in the city. Upstairs in the second floor lobby, a wall of windows frame E.A. Farley Field. Throughout the Ridgley Center there are rooms named to honor some of those who have contributed mightily to keeping the students faithful to their deepest call. The band room is named in honor of Professor Joseph Taverna. “Prof” Taverna was the band director at St. Aloysius from 1931-1961. The athletic training room is named to honor Dr. Winston P. Riehl who has mended Crusader athletes since 1966. Under the leadership of Tom Benson, the St. Aloysius Class of 1944 was the only class to have a donation made in the name of every class member. Brother Mark Thornton was the first principal of Brother Martin High School. In naming the terrace after Brother Martin Hernandes, students hope to perpetually remember that religious values are the cornerstone of the school's mission.

E. A. Farley Field

Between 1945 and 1947 the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, looking toward the future had purchased more than 7 acres (28,000 m²) of property, primarily from the Farley family, in the growing residential area of Gentilly. By 1952 Brother Martin Hernandez as provincial planned and supervised the construction of Cor Jesu High School on the Gentilly site. Through his Youth Progress Program Archbishop Joseph Francis Rummel contributed $475,000 toward construction and furnishings of the new school. From 1980 through 1983 the school purchased parcel of land from the Farley Family which was bordered by Mandeville Street, Gentilly Boulevard, St. Aloysius Drive (formerly Stephen Girard St.) and Cor Jesu Drive (formerly Marigny St.) for use in their athletic and extracurricular programs. The field underwent a renovation as part of Phase II of the Capital Campaign during which a baseball field was constructed and additional athletic storage and restrooms were added. The playing surface was redone and drainage and a sprinkler system were installed. This is espcially where the football team practices. And also the baseball teams.

Roland H. & Macy Paton Meyer Science and Mathematics Building

The Roland H. & Macy Paton Meyer Science and Mathematics Building opened for the 2007-2008 school year on August 17. The Meyer Building is located at the corner of Elysian Fields Avenue and Sumpter Street, the former site of the Brothers’ Residence (circa 1955). This 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m²) building houses computer, chemistry, physics and biology labs. For flexibility, eight science classrooms adjoin the three state-of-the-art lab spaces on the second floor. The first floor has seven math classrooms and a computer lab. Labs and classrooms are equipped with ceiling mounted projectors, video and DVD players, document cameras; screened X & Y coordinate graphs, LCD screens, teacher computer work stations and wireless connectivity. The classroom windows with manual solar protection and room darkening systems control varying daylight conditions while promoting student comfort, productivity and energy efficiency.

7th Grade Addition for 2010-2011 School Year

Brother Martin Announces 7th Grade

for the 2010-2011 School Year!

Brother Martin High School announces the expansion of its junior high program with the reinstitution of 7th grade for the 2010-2011 school year. “Our graduates and the parents of current students with sons in middle school have been asking us for years to consider adding grades,” says Brother Martin President John Devlin. “We find these parents are yearning for a place where their boys can have a challenging curriculum and a wide variety of activities, all within a male-centered environment. We are happy to be able to offer the formation in the spirit of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart to a new group of young men.”

Brother Martin is currently structured and recognized by the State of Louisiana and the LHSAA as a high school and junior high. Junior high in Louisiana is defined as grades 7-9. Historically, the Brothers of the Sacred Heart educated 7th grade boys in the New Orleans area at St. Aloysius High School.

Brother Martin’s 7th graders will be offered a challenging curriculum, contained within an eight period day in a high school setting. With our youngest students, we will provide the same personal attention, friendly discipline, Catholic formation, and academic excellence that are hallmarks of our current junior high and senior high programs. The 7th grade program will be incorporated into our current campus on Elysian Fields and will be coordinated by a junior high school administrator. The curriculum will allow for appropriate core subjects, technology application, and enrichment in arts and athletics. Students will have a variety of service, leadership, academic, and athletic opportunities outside the school day. Brother Martin will participate in the athletic league of the Catholic elementary schools and will also feature intramurals during the school day.

Principal of Brother Martin, Gregory Rando ’77, speaks for the entire Brother Martin community when he says, “In the tradition of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart since their foundation in 1821, we are responding to the needs of our community, ‘to meet the needs of a changing world,’ as our mission statement reads. Brother Martin High School is committed to welcoming our newest 7th graders with courage and confidence as they begin their Crusader journey.”

Admissions

The considerations used in admitting prospective students include student priority of choice in selecting Brother Martin, overall elementary school record, recommendation of elementary school principals, and an interview with each applicant.

Brother Martin High School admits students regardless of race and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and financial aid programs, athletics and other school-administered programs.

Students

The current enrollment of Brother Martin, as of 2007, is 1,350. In 2001, Brother Martin had the largest enrollment of any Catholic school in the state, with students numbering 1600. Brother Martin has a uniform code and a required Christian service project for each grade. In addition each student must abide by the Behavior Policy and attend a class level retreat each year.

As of 2010, the cost of attending Brother Martin is around $7,300. Financial aid is administered by emergency grants, which are provided to a student should the death of a parent jeopardize a student's attendance, or Work Study Program, which is awarded to a limited number of students. This program involves simple manual labor and pays a minimum wage salary (in addition to any aid grants the student might receive).

Academics

Brother Martin High School is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Brother Martin offers classes to young men in grades 7-12. It provides a college preparatory curriculum designed to develop skills and create options for higher education. There is a program specially designed for eighth grade. Eighth grade students are required to carry a minimum of six courses including Religion 8, English 8 or English 1 honors, Introduction to Algebra, Algebra 1 or Algebra 1 honors, physical science or physical science honors or computer applications, world geography, and health/PE.

To graduate, students must earn a minimum of 24 credits. Each course is equal to one credit. Freshmen, sophomores and juniors are required to carry and successfully complete all required courses and a minimum of six credits each year, seniors must carry and complete all required courses and a minimum of five credits.

Students enrolled in all four honor courses during their sophomore year are invited into the Honors Program. A student that is participating in the Honors Program will be required to continue taking honors or advanced placement courses in English, math, science and social studies. In addition, a student must also complete three consecutive credits of the same foreign language. The successful participation of a student in the Honors Program earns him an honors diploma at graduation.

At the end of the first quarter, the first semester, the third quarter, and the second semester, students earning a grade point average of 4.0 or above are placed on the Principal's Honor Roll. Students earning a grade point average of 3.50 to 3.99 are placed on the Alpha Honor Roll. Students earning a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 to 3.49 are placed on the Beta Honor Roll.

Starting in 2008, seniors will be able to choose a variety of new electives such as Anatomy and Physiology, Publications, Law Studies, Marine Biology, Creative writing, Engineering, and Forensic Science. Also included will be an Animations and Digital Graphics course, the first ever course offered in the state.

School Organization and Administration

The official governing body of Brother Martin High School is the school's Board of Directors, which is responsible for setting school policy and regulations and hiring the school president and principal, the administration of Brother Martin is a President, who is head of the school and directs the school's development and capital campaign, the Principal, in charge of day-to-day operations of the school, a vice-principal in charge of discipline, an academic assistant principal in charge of the academic programs, an assistant principal for admissions and an assistant principal for student formation, in charge of the honors and curriculum programs. In addition, each academic department has a department chairperson representing that particular department.

Athletics

Brother Martin athletics started back in the early 1900s with basketball and baseball. Now over 100 years later, Brother Martin has more than 10 varsity athletics for students to chose from. Brother Martin's years of athletic traditions has yielded numerous State and District Championships over the years. Brother Martin is a member of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association and participates in District 10-5A, also known as the Catholic League for the number of Catholic schools in the district.

The Crusader football team was coached for 27 seasons (1970-96) by the legendary Bobby Conlin, who compiled a 204-99-5 record, the most wins for any Catholic League coach, and the most for any New Orleans-area coach in Louisiana's highest classification. Conlin was posthumously inducted into the LHSAA Hall of Fame in 2003.

The school has teams in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and wrestling- which is regarded as one of the best wrestling programs in the city, with 12 state championships since 1979. All teams except tennis, swimming, golf and bowling consist of four levels of competition: eighth grade, ninth grade, junior varsity and varsity. The school has had a bowling team as a club sport for many years, but in the 2007-2008 school year, it came out with a varsity bowling team. The team competes as a member of the LHSAA. Teams are selected through a tryout process.

State Championships

• Baseball (2)

1974-1975 - District, State Runner-up

1983-1984 - State champions

1984-1985 - State Runner-up

1990-1991 - District

1995-1996 - State champions

2007-2008 - District

2009-2010 - District

In addition to the listed school championships, the 1983 American Legion baseball team sponsored by Brother Martin won the Louisiana state championship and Mid-South regional, and placed fourth at the American Legion World Series.

• Basketball (5)

1969-1970 - District, State, National

1970-1971 - District, State champions

1972-1973 - District, State semifinals

1973-1974 - District, State champions

1978-1979 - District

1982-1983 - State semifinals

1986-1987 - District

2002-2003 - District, State Runner-up

2003-2004 - District, State champions

2004-2005 - District, State champions

2006-2007 - District

2009-2010 - District, State champions

• Cross Country (8)

1969-1970 - City

1970-1971 - City, District

1971-1972 - City, District, State

1972-1973 - City, District, State Runner-up

1973-1974 - City, District

1974-1975 - City, District

1975-1976 - City, District

1976-1977 - City, District

1977-1978 - City, District

1978-1979 - City, District

1979-1980 - City, District, State Runner-up

1980-1981 - City, District, State

1981-1982 - City, District, State

1983-1984 - City

1984-1985 - City, State Runner-up

1986-1987 - City

1991-1992 - City, District, State Runner-up

1992-1993 - City, District, State Runner-up

1993-1994 - State

1994-1995 - City, District, State Runner-up

1995-1996 - City, District

1997-1998 - State Runner-up

1998-1999 - State

1999-2000 - District, State

2000-2001 - City, District

2001-2002 - City

2002-2003 - City, District, State

2003-2004 - City, State Runner-up

2004-2005 - City, State Runner-up

2005-2006 - City, State Runner-up

2006-2007 - City

2007-2008 - City, State

• Football (1)

1970-1971 - Miracle Strip Bowl

1971-1972 - District, State champions

1972-1973 - District, State semifinals

1974-1975 - State playoffs

1975-1976 - Shrimp Bowl

1977-1978 - District, State playoffs

1978-1979 - Turkey Bowl

1983-1984 - District

1984-1985 - State playoffs

1985-1986 - District, State semifinals

1986-1987 - State playoffs

1988-1989 - State semifinals

1989-1990 - State Runner-up

1991-1992 - State playoffs

1992-1993 - District, State playoffs

1993-1994 - State playoffs

1994-1995 - State quarterfinals

1996-1997 - State playoffs

1999-2000 - State playoffs

2004-2005 - State playoffs

2006-2007 - State playoffs

2007-2008 - District, State playoffs

2008-2009 - District, State playoffs

• Golf (1)

1969-1970 - District

1970-1971 - District

1971-1972 - City

1976-1977 - District, Regional

1985-1986 - District

1988-1989 - District, Regional

1992-1993 - Regional

1993-1994 - Regional

1995-1996 - Regional

2003-2004 - State

2006-2007 - District, Regional

• Soccer (2)

1987-1988 - District, State Runner-up

1988-1989 - District, State Runner-up

1994-1995 - State Runner-up

1995-1996 - State Runner-up

1997-1998 - District

1999-2000 - State Champions

2000-2001 - State Champions

2001-2002 - State Runner-up

• Tennis (1)

1977-1978 - City

1984-1985 - State Runner-up

1985-1986 - City, District

1986-1987 - City, District, State

1987-1988 - State Runner-up

• Track and Field

1971-1972 - District

1972-1973 - District

1975-1976 - District

1978-1979 - District

1979-1980 - District

1982-1983 - District

1983-1984 - District

1984-1985 - District

1986-1987 - District

1990-1991 - Indoor State Runner-up

1994-1995 - Indoor State Runner-up

1995-1996 - Regional

1996-1997 - Regional

2003-2004 - District, Regional

2005-2006 - District, Regional

2007-2008 - District, Regional

2008-2009 - District, Regional

• Wrestling (12)

1977-1978 - District, State Runner-up

1978-1979 - City, State

1980-1981 - State Runner-up

1981-1982 - City, State

1982-1983 - District, State Runner-up

1983-1984 - City, State

1984-1985 - District, State

1985-1986 - District, State

1986-1987 - District, State

1989-1990 - District

1995-1996 - District, Regional, State Runner-up

1996-1997 - State Runner-up, District

1998-1999 - District, State

1999-2000 - District, State

2000-2001 - District, State

2001-2002 - District, State

2002-2003 - District, State

2005-2006 - State Runner-up

2006-2007 - District, State

• Source: BMHS Athletic Championships

Crusader Fight Song

We're going to fight for our Alma Mater

For Brother Martin, crimson and gold,

We're going to shout 'til the skies resound it;

We're going to win over foes untold.

The Crimson Crusaders are our heroes;

They are the men who never say die.

So while the whole gang is here

Let's stand up and cheer

For Brother Martin High!

• Source[1]

Extracurriculars

Some extracurricular activities offered include: NJROTC, The Academic Games team, Marching, Concert and Symphonic Bands, a jazz ensemble, cheerleading, chess club, chorus, Close-Up, world language club, drama club, Excalibur National Honor Society, inline hockey team, intramural athletics, Key Club, a literary magazine (The Pen and the Sword), magic club, Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, newspaper (The Crusader), quiz bowl team, rugby team, speech and debate club, student ministry, student recruiting team, welcoming diversity team, student council, lacrosse and yearbook (Yesterday).

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina forced the school to close in August 2005. Brother Martin quickly opened a temporary facility at Catholic High School in Baton Rouge for their students. Catholic High allowed students and faculty of Brother Martin use their facilities during its afterhours. Displaced Brother Martin students continued to learn here for the remainder of 2005. Brother Martin High School reopened its doors in New Orleans in January 2006 sustaining minimal flood damage to the bottom floors.

Campus Ministry

Campus ministry is an important part of the curriculum. Working closely with the school administration and the religion department, the goal of campus ministry is "to complement the family in its primary role in religious education, to support the parish as a center of Catholic life, and to extend the religion lessons of the classroom to lived faith experiences." The school strives to "recognize the many gifts of the 'Spirit' within our students and staff and call forth those gifts for service and ministry to the school community and to the Church."

Notable alumni

NOTE: Some of those listed below graduated from one of Brother Martin's forerunner schools, St. Aloysius (1869-1969) and Cor Jesu (1954-69)

• Gregory M. Aymond, Archbishop of New Orleans
• Charles Emile "Peppi" Bruneau, Jr. (born 1942), Class of 1962, New Orleans attorney and member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1976-2007^[2]
• Adam Kraus, Offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens
• Allen J. Ellender, United States Senator, 1937-1972, was President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate as well as Dean of the Senate
• Arthur J. O'Keefe, former mayor of New Orleans (1926-1929)
• Blair Barbier, former LSU baseball player and current volunteer assistant coach at LSU
• D. J. Augustin, basketball player, Charlotte Bobcats and former University of Texas point guard, 9th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft
• Edward Scheidt, retired Chairman of the CIA Cryptographic Center
• Garey Forster, radio host, former state representative and state labor secretary^[3]
• Paul Meany, lead singer of band Mutemath
• Juan LaFonta, Louisiana State Representative, District 96
• Michael D. Perry, software engineer, photographer and writer
• Pascal F. Calogero, Jr., Chief Justice, Louisiana Supreme Court
• Richard Simmons, fitness guru and celebrity
• Rick Robey, basketball player, member of Brother Martin's 1974 state champions, 1978 NCAA champion Kentucky Wildcats and 1981 NBA Champion Boston Celtics
• Rod West, President and CEO, Entergy Inc., New Orleans
• Ronnie Virgets, local enthusiast
• Stanton Moore, drummer of New Orleans band Galactic
• Tom Benson, owner of the New Orleans Saints
• Eric F. Skrmetta, Commissioner, Louisiana Public Service Commission
• Dr Wayne J Riley MD, President of Meharry Medical College

Catholic high schools in New Orleans

The Catholic League (Other all-male, catholic high schools in New Orleans)

• Archbishop Rummel High School
• Archbishop Shaw High School
• Holy Cross High School, New Orleans
• Jesuit High School (New Orleans)
• St. Augustine High School (New Orleans)

References

1. ^ SACS-CASI. "SACS-Council on Accreditation and School Improvement". http://www.advanc-ed.org/schools_districts/school_district_listings/?. Retrieved 2009-06-23. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ House District 94, Encyclopedia Louisiana at enlou.org (1999)
3. ^ "House District 98". enlou.com. http://enlou.com/officeholders/housedistrict98.htm. Retrieved October 17, 2009. ^{[dead link]}

• Official website
• The Archdiocese of New Orleans Official Website.
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools– Official website
• [2]; Brother Martin Crusader Band Website