Central Catholic High School (Lawrence, Massachusetts)

Infobox School
name = Central Catholic High School
established = 1935
type = Catholic School (U.S.)
president = Bro. Rene Roy, FMS
principal = David M. DeFillippo '66
vice principal = Jeanne R. Burns| Assistant principal = Christopher F. Sullivan '81
Doreen A. Keller
city = Lawrence
state = MA
country = flagcountry|USA
campus = Urban
association = Marist Brothers of the Schools, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
enrollment = 1410
tuition = $9,290 (2008-2009)| alumni = 12,600
faculty = 125
ratio = 10:1
teamname = Raiders
colors = Red, Blue and White
mascot = None
homepage = [http://www.centralcatholic.net www.centralcatholic.net]

Central Catholic High School is a college preparatory school in Lawrence, Massachusetts associated with the Marist Brothers of the Schools and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston and founded in 1935 by Brother Florentius. As of 2006, the current principal, David DeFilippo is the school's first lay person to hold the office, and its president is Brother Rene Roy, FMS. The school has approximately 1400 students and growing (with a class size of approximately 360 students) and 12,600 alumni. It was originally a boys-only school, but has been co-educational since 1996. [http://www.centralcatholic.net/]

History

* 1926: Brother Florentius founds Mount Saint Michael Academy in Bronx, New York
* 1932: Brother Florentius is assigned as principal of St. Anne's School in Lawrence, Massachusetts
* 1935
** "July": Brother Florentius announces that Central Catholic High School will open in September, meeting the need of an all-boys' school in Lawrence
** "September 16": Fifty boys began their first day of classes at Central Catholic at its location on Haverhill Street
* 1935-1938: The school outgrows its small campus at the Knights of Columbus building and expands into borrowed spaces at Holy Trinity School, Franklin Street School, and Hampshire Street School. The Hampshire Street site would later grow into the school's current location.
* 1938
** "May 1": Brother Florentius dies
** "June 10": Ground is broken on Auburn Street, near the intersection of Hampshire Street, on a permanent building for the school
** "August": Brother Joseph Abel is named principal
** "June": The fifty boys who enrolled in school four years previously become the school's first graduating class
** "December 11": The completed building is dedicated, complete with eight classrooms, a library, cafeteria, science laboratory, and residence quarters for the fifteen Marist Brothers who taught at the school
* June, 1945: The school graduates its 400th student
* 1950: Memorial Gymnasium Building is completed with the largest-at-the-time auditorium seating 2500 and gymnasium in the Merrimack Valley, locker rooms, and more classrooms. The building, still in use to this day, is known as the "Gym Building"
* 1951: Memorial Gymnasium Building is dedicated to fourteen alumni killed in action during World War II
* 1960: The first three lay teachers are hired at the school. Two of these men, Mr. Warren Hayes and Mr. Michael Sullivan, continued teaching until 2001.
* 1967: The first lay female teacher is hired at the school
* 1969: The Board of Directors are established and initiate a campaign to construct a new building
* 1970: The new building, at 300 Hampshire Street, is opened and is still used to this day.
* September 16, 1971: The Hampshire Street building is dedicated
* 1972: The Auburn Street building's use is discontinued
* 1984: The Auburn Street building is demolished
* Mid '90s: The Memorial Gymnasium Building undergoes extensive renovations and is still open to this day
* September, 1996: Upon the closing of sister school, St. Mary's High School, Central Catholic transforms to a co-educational institution and admits its first young women
* 1997: Football team wins MIAA Superbowl versus Wakefield, MA 34-16.
* 1998: Football team repeats as MIAA Superbowl champion with its 29-13 victory over Acton-Boxborough Regional High School (Acton, MA).
* 1999: Brother Thomas Long, FMS, who graduated from the school in 1973, is appointed as the first president of the school. Mr. David DeFillippo, from the class of 1966, is appointed as the school's first layperson principal
* 2003: The replacement of 1100 student lockers paid for by Walk 4 and 5
* 2005: A brand new $12.5 Million addition is opened which connects the Memorial Gymnasium to the Hampshire street building and includes a new main entrance between the buildings, a new cafeteria, chapel and state-of-the art lab and computer facilities
* April 25, 2006: In Memoriam: Mr. Peter V. O'Sullivan, beloved teacher, mentor and coach at Central for over 30 years was lost on this day.
* 2006: For the first time in the school's history, 100% of Central Catholic's 272 seniors graduate and go on to higher education
* 2007: A female Central Catholic High School junior was charged with threatening to commit murder, threatening to commit assault and battery and threatening to commit mayhem after notes were found in the school and on a MySpace page.
* March 15, 2008: The Central Catholic Boys Varsity Basketball Team wins the MIAA (Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association) Division 1 State Championship, beating St. John's High School (Shrewsbury, MA) in the title game.

Mission statement

Central Catholic High School, established and conducted by the Marist Brothers of the Schools, is dedicated to the mission of Saint Marcellin Champagnat: to make Jesus known and loved, educate the whole person and serve others, especially the least favored.

Preparing hearts and minds for college and for life, Central Catholic promotes the spiritual, moral, intellectual, emotional and physical growth of the whole person. Students are readied to assume their place as competent and compassionate members of the church and the human family.

Faculty and students form a Christian living community in which the dignity of each person is respected. Central Catholic shows particular regard for students who are educationally at-risk and economically disadvantaged. Every student is encouraged to develop their God-given talents and use them in the service of others, particularly the least favored.

Central Catholic High School, licensed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

Current leadership

"Information current as of end-of-academic-year, 2005"

* President: Brother Rene Roy, FMS
* Principal: David DeFillippo '1966
* Vice-Principal: Jeanne Burns
* Dean of Students: Doreen Keller
* Dean of Studies: Christopher Sullivan '1981
* Associate Dean of Students: Richard Nault
* Business Manager: Daniel Cargill
* Director of Institutional Advancement: Molly Bresnahan
* Director of Admissions: Kathleen Gerow
* Director of Techology: Jodi Linnehan Kriner
* Director of Athletics: Peter Paladino
* Director of Activities & Special Projects: Brother James Halliday, FMS
* Campus Ministers: Betty Desjardins, Sister Terry Gauvin, Victoria Izzo
* Director of Guidance: Denise Jr. Horan
* Director of Library Services: Kristina Keleher
* Director of Buildings & Grounds: John Ostrowski, Jr.
* Freshmen Soccer Coach: Evan McGee

Academic departments

* Religious Studies
* English
* Mathematics
* Science
* Social Studies
* World Languages
* Business and Technology
* Visual and Performing Arts
* Health and Physical Education

Graduation awards

The two major awards given at graduation ceremonies every year are the Brother Florentius, FMS Memorial Award, presented to "the graduate who best exemplifies the ideals and values embodied in the founder of Central Catholic High School" and the Florentian Yearbook Dedication, presented "by the graduating class to the person or persons whom they consider worth of special praise." The Florentius award has been given annually since 1963 and the Florentian Dedication has been given annually since the inception of the yearbook in 1945. Also given at graduation are the Michael Garvey Award which is given to an outstanding male student-athlete and the Outstanding Female Student Athlete Award.

Athletics

Central Catholic Raiders are a member of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association and the Merrimack Valley Conference. Up until 2000, the athletic teams were known as the Red Raiders, but the school dropped the word "Red" in 2000. The school offers 22 varsity programs and 51 teams at levels such as varsity, junior varsity, and freshman. On February 24, 2007 the Central Catholic Raiders received their first-ever invitation to participate in a play-in game for the Super Eight Hockey Tournament. The team beat Waltham in the play-in game and then proceeded to win one game against Malden Catholic High School and lose to both Catholic Memorial and Weymouth High School respectively in the round-robin bracket round. The football team, track teams, and girls' lacrosse team share the Veterans Memorial Stadium (Lawrence) with Lawrence High School. The school colors are red, blue & white.

ports teams

* Baseball (boys' varsity, junior varsity, and freshman)
* Basketball (boys' and girls' varsity, junior varsity, and freshman)
* Cheerleading (girls' varsity and junior varsity)
* Cross Country (boys' and girls' varsity and junior varsity)
* Football (varsity, junior varsity, sophomore, and freshman)
* Golf (varsity)
* Gymnastics (varsity)
* Ice Hockey (varsity, junior varsity)
* Indoor Track (boys' and girls' varsity and junior varsity)
* Lacrosse (boys' and girls' varsity and junior varsity)
* Outdoor Track (boys' and girls' varsity)
* Soccer (boys' and girls' varsity, junior varsity, and freshman)
* Softball (girls' varsity, junior varsity, and freshman)
* Swimming and Diving (boys' and girls' varsity)
* Tennis (boys' and girls' varsity)
* Volleyball (boys' and girls' varsity and junior varsity and girls' freshman)
* Wrestling (boys varsity and junior varsity)

Non-athletic activities and clubs

* Liturgical Band
* Student Newspaper ("Raider Review")
* Passport Club
* GUTS (Guys and Girls United to Serve)
* Student Government
* Theatre Guild
* Campus Ministry
* Model United Nations
* National Honor Society
* Interact Club (Part of Rotary International)
* Bowling Club
* Yearbook Club
* Technology Committee
* Art Club
* Walk-A-Thon Committee
* Ski Club
* School Life Committee
* Cinema Club
* Math League
* Mock Trial Club
* Peer Leadership
* Project Rebuild
* Marist Youth Group
* Walk-A-Thon Planning Committee
* Fear Nothing
* Sound and Sight Club
* Fishing Club

External links

* [http://www.centralcatholic.net/ Central Catholic High School official site.]