St. Paul's School (Covington, Louisiana)

:"This is about the St Paul's School in Covington, Louisiana. For other schools see St Paul's School"

Infobox School
bgcolor_section = #f0f6fa
bgcolor_label = #f0f6fa
bgcolor_value = #f0f6fa
bgcolor_

bgcolor_motto = #f0f6fa
bgcolor_address = #f0f6fa
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name = Saint Paul's School


imagesize = 100px
principal = Brother Ray Bulliard
established = 1911
schooltype = Parochial
location = Covington, Louisiana
colors = Blue and gold
free_label = Religious Affiliation
free_text = Catholic, Lasallian order
homepage = http://www.stpauls.com/

Saint Paul's School is a private all-boys Lasallian high school, located in Covington, Louisiana just to the north of New Orleans, United States. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, the school is run by the Christian Brothers and is one of the 1,000 Lasallian schools in more than 90 countries. It is part of 300 years of history originating from the founding of the Christian Brother Schools by Saint Jean Baptiste de La Salle.

History

In 1904, a group of wealthy residents of the Covington area banded together to fund the building of a new private school. After acquiring a tract of land and building a three-story building the school, called Dixon Academy, opened in 1907, but failed to attract enough students to remain viable.

In 1911, the school property was sold to the Benedictines of nearby Saint Joseph Abbey. The school was renamed St. Paul's, and reopened in September, 1911, with only 48 students. However, its reputation for academic excellence spread quickly, and by the end of the first session, enrollment numbered 70 boarders and 30 day students.

Meanwhile, nineteen French Christian Brothers had emigrated to Louisiana from France and Mexico, having been exiled for political reasons. After purchasing the school from the Benedictines, the brothers devoted themselves to the school, "not only teaching and guiding their students, but also staffing the school as carpenters, painters, plumbers, electricians, and yardmen.". [http://www.stpauls.com/academics/regulations.pdf "A Lasallian School"] St. Paul's Academic Regulations, StPauls.com. Accessed January 3 2008.]

Although St. Paul's originally taught students only at high school level, it grew to encompass middle and elementary levels; this continued into the 1950s. However, by the 1960s there were enough other schools in the area to allow St. Paul's to begin to eliminate the younger grades, with the intention of focusing on a college preparatory curriculum. By the late 1970s, the school had a six year program, 7th-12th grades. The 1981-82 year was the final session with a 7th grade class, and the school continues a five-year program to this day.

The original Dixon Academy building (known as Dixon Hall on campus) had long been supplanted by other buildings, but remained standing and used for storage. In November 1981, during Thanksgiving break, the building burned to the ground. Using bricks from the original structure, a patio/garden area was created on the site, and dubbed "Founders' Circle".

The last of the original 19 brothers, Bro. Charles Simoneaux, remained living on campus, although retired from teaching, until his death in 1985. A statue of Jesus was erected in Founders' Circle and dedicated to Bro. Charles in honor of his faithful devotion to the school and God.

As a boarding school, St. Paul's was able to accommodate students from a wide geographic area; over the years, students from Central and South America, France, Greece, Russia, Korea, and Japan attended. However, due to a general decine in boarders, the increasing expense of housing residents, and faced with the prospect of overhauling a dormitory which was in disrepair, St. Paul's converted to an all day-student program beginning with the 2005-2006 school year. Some areas of Lasalle Hall (the dormitory building) which had previously been used as study hall areas by resident students were converted for use as classrooms, but the residential wings are closed.

As of the 2007-2008 school year, St. Paul's boasts attendance of over 700, the largest in its history.

piritual Life

As a Lasallian school, St. Paul's is committed to the educational philosophy of Jean-Baptiste de la Salle. The school's website states that this means teachers "..."are called to touch hearts by the power of God's Spirit...to build on the affection that the children have....to draw them to God who loves them." [ [http://www.stpauls.com/about/heritage.htm Admissions ] ] The Office of Campus Ministry is charged with ensuring that this vision is expressed in the lives of students and faculty at St. Paul's school.

Retreats & Prayer

Students in every year group participate in a retreat suited to their level, with the seniors taking part in a 3 day retreat. Throughout the school year, the St. Paul's community comes together for the celebration of the Eucharist (Mass) during which students proclaim the Scriptures and help distribute Holy Communion. Several classes also begin with prayer or a moment of reflection.

Community Service

Embracing the Catholic Church's preferential option for the poor, students at St. Paul's are required to complete a certain amount of service hours each year; chores, service or work done for family members do not count towards fulfilling this requirement.

Activities & Clubs

* Air Force JROTC
* Big Brother
* Bowling Club
* Boys State
* Citizens' Bee
* Close-Up
* Computer Club
* Drama (Marian Players)
* Environmental Science Club
* French Club
* Habitat Club
* Hi-Y
* Level Retreats
* Marching Band (Marching Wolves)
* Mu Alpha Theta
* Music Show
* National Junior Honor Society
* National Honor Society
* Quiz Bowl
* School Dances
* School Newspaper
* Spanish Club
* Student Council
* Student Hosts
* Ultimate Frisbee Club
* Yearbook (Conifer)
* Young Lawyers Club

Athletics

The Saint Paul's School offers many options for students to play sports on both JV and Varsity levels. Many of their sports programs have gone on to win district and state titles. Below is a list of the sports programs the school offers.

* Baseball
* Basketball
* Bowling
* Cross Country
* Football
* Golf
* Hockey
* Power-lifting
* Soccer
* Swimming
* Tennis
* Track and Field
* Wrestling

Buildings

* Benilde Hall: a three storied building used for Foreign Language, Math and Computer/Library
* Main School: a two storied building used for Science, Math, English, AFJROTC, Social Studies
* La Salle Hall: originally used for dormitories but now housing classes for Art and Religion
* Student Center: used for Campus Ministry, graduation performances, fund raisers.
* Gene Bennet Complex
* Alumni Memorial Theater: used for theatrical performances.
* Guidance Office Building
* Cafeteria
* Horack Pavilion & Wolf Dome
* Art Building
* Maintenance Building
* Chapel
* Brother's Residence
* Administration Building
* Band Building
* Hunter Stadium

Associated schools

St. Scholastica Academy (Sister school)

References

External links

* [http://www.stpauls.com/ Saint Paul's School website]
* [http://www.lasalle.org/English/english.php Christian Brothers International]
* [http://www.cbnosf.org/ Christian Brothers N.O.-Santa Fe District]