La Salle Academy
| La Salle Academy | |
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| La Salle Academy's Former Campus on East 2nd Street
Signum Fidei
Sign of Faith
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| Address | |
| 215 East 6th Street (Main Campus); 44 East 2nd Street (President's Office and Advancement Office) New York City (East Village, Manhattan), New York, 10003  United States |
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| Coordinates | 40°43′30″N 73°59′24″W / 40.725°N 73.99°WCoordinates: 40°43′30″N 73°59′24″W / 40.725°N 73.99°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private, All-Male |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic; Brothers of the Christian Schools |
| Established | 1848 |
| CEEB Code | 333730 |
| President | William Hambleton, Ed.D. |
| Principal | William Macatee, Ed.D. |
| Vice principal | Brother William Johnson, FSC |
| Faculty | 23 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 350 (2011) |
| Campus type | Urban |
| Color(s) | Red and White |
| Slogan | We Are La Salle |
| Fight song | On La Salle Men |
| Team name | Cardinals |
| Accreditation(s) | Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[1] |
| Newspaper | 'The Cardinal' |
| Yearbook | 'The Lasallite' |
| Tuition | $7,800 |
| Vice President for Finance and Operations | Mary Kenny |
| Vice Principal for Student Services | Raymond Polanco |
| Admissions Director | Anthony Chin |
| Athletic Director | William Aberer |
| Director of Development | Wycliffe Daniels |
| Director of Alumni Relations | Anthony Piscitiello |
| Website | www.lasalleacademy.org |
La Salle Academy is a private, all boys high school in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is a part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.
Founded in 1848 by the Brothers of the Christian Schools, La Salle was first known as Saint Vincent's School when it first opened on Canal Street. It moved to Second Avenue in 1856 and changed its name to La Salle Academy in 1887. In 2010, La Salle relocated to 215 East 6th Street, sharing the building with St. George Ukrainian Catholic School. Various offices are still located in the Second Street building. Throughout its history, La Salle has been home to anywhere from 90 to 950 "Brothers' Boys."
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[edit] The Early Years
La Salle Academy was founded in 1848 when John Hughes, then Bishop of New York, invited the Christian Brothers to establish a school in the city. They opened St. Vincent's School in a church basement on Canal Street. In 1856, St. Vincent's School moved to East Second Street and Second Avenue, a plot of land that once belonged to Washington Irving. The brothers renamed the school La Salle Academy in 1887. The New York State Board of Regents granted La Salle a charter in 1896. In 1936, the brothers built a five-story building in order to accommodate increasing enrollment. Over the first half of the 20th century, La Salle's enrollment grew immensely, from 98 in 1906 to 950 in 1948.
[edit] Later 20th Century
In 1966 the school purchased the Moskowitz and Lupowitz Restaurant on the corner of Second Avenue and 2nd Street. This became the school's annex that housed the Guidance Department, the Academic Support Center, the Art Department, Drama Club activities, Music Department and more classrooms. In recent years, the decline in the number of religious brothers led to the integration of many lay faculty members. Laity now comprise over 90% of the teaching staff. In 1997. La Salle received accreditation from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and in 1998 celebrated its 150th Anniversary. In 2000, La Salle was named a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education for excellence in education.
[edit] La Salle Academy Today
In 2008, the Board of Trustees hired the school's first lay president, Dr. William Hambleton. President Hambleton and the Board worked to create a strategic plan to keep La Salle open amidst declining enrollment and a global recession. In 2010, the school's main campus moved to 215 East 6th Street and shares the building with St. George Ukrainian Catholic School. La Salle occupies the fourth and fifth floors and shares common spaces such as the cafeteria and gymnasium. At the same time, La Salle leased the old campus to a for-profit school. This plan has enabled the school to continue offering accessible educational opportunities to young men of mixed socioeconomic backgrounds. The Second Street Annex currently houses the offices of the President, Vice President, Development Director, and Alumni Director.
[edit] Notable alumni
Two cardinals of the Catholic Church graduated from La Salle: Patrick Hayes and George Mundelein, Archbishops of New York and Chicago, respectively. For this reason, La Salle athletes are known as the Cardinals.
As a testament to La Salle's strong athletic heritage, Metta World Peace(formally Ron Artest), a basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers, and Bakary Soumare, a current pro soccer player for the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer and a member of the Mali national soccer team, are both La Salle alumni. Other notable alums include John Roche, John Candelaria.
[edit] Extracurricular Activities
La Salle has a tradition of excellence in its extracurricular offerings. The school's Forensic Society won the 1945 state championship. La Salle's Glee Club, which was directed by Phil Carney, performed for Martin Luther King at New York City Hall in 1965. Today, extracurricular activities include: Culinary Club, Photography Club, African-American Club, Asian-American Club, Drama Club, Student Council, Campus Ministry, LaSallian youth, Chorus, Choir, Chess Club, Guitar Club, the Cardinal Student Newspaper, Yearbook Club and The Video Game Club. Athletic offerings are Handball, Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, Track and Field, Cross-Country, and Bowling.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ MSA-CSS. "MSA-Commission on Secondary Schools". http://www.css-msa.org/search.php/. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
