Seattle Preparatory School

Seattle Preparatory School, popularly known as Seattle Prep is a private Jesuit high school located on Capitol Hill, in Seattle. It was founded in 1891 and has maintained a long history of academic excellence. The school regularly sends some of its students to Ivy League and 'highly selective' universities every year. Seattle Prep uses the Jesuit motto "Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam" ("For the Greater Glory of God") in addition to its school motto "Virtus in Arduis" ("Virtue in Work"). Seattle Prep's long history, excellent academics, and strong athletics are all very well regarded.

Seattle Preparatory School
"Virtus in Arduis" "Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam"
Address
2400 11th Avenue East Seattle, Washington, (King County), 98102 United States
Coordinates	47.641387°N 122.317531°W / 47.641387; -122.317531
Information
Type	Private, Coeducational High School
Motto	Virtus in Arduis (Virtue in Work)
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic
Established	1891
CEEB Code	481160
President	Kent Hickey
Dean	Michael Kelly (students) Ms. Kathy Tullis (academics)
Principal	Matthew Barmore
Faculty	55
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	677
Average class size	19
Student to teacher ratio	11:1
Campus type	Urban
Color(s)	Blue and White
Fight song	"Hail to thee our fighting Panthers"
Athletics conference	Metro AAA League
Mascot	Panther
Nickname	Seattle Prep
Team name	Panthers
Accreditation(s)	Northwest Association of Accredited Schools
Newspaper	'The Seattle Prep Panther'
Tuition	$15,000
Affiliation	Jesuit
Website	http://www.seaprep.org

Early history

Seattle Prep's St. Ignatius Statue

Seattle Prep was founded in 1891 by two Jesuits, Father Victor Garrand and Father Adrian Sweere, as the School of the Immaculate Conception. Its original location was St. Francis Hall at the corner of 6th Avenue and Spring Street in downtown Seattle, and the school offered both high-school and college-level classes. In 1898, the school changed its name to Seattle College and moved to First Hill, at which point the high school split off as Seattle College High School and moved to its present location. Seattle College High School changed its name to Seattle Preparatory School in 1933; Seattle College changed its name to Seattle University in 1948.

Curriculum

Seattle Prep has an innovative curriculum arrangement with Seattle University wherein students of Seattle Prep can qualify for admission to Seattle University after three years of education at Seattle Prep under the Matteo Ricci College program, named after the 16th Century Jesuit missionary to China Matteo Ricci. Students admitted to Seattle University under the Matteo Ricci College program can acquire a Bachelor of Arts degree after three more years, thus reducing the combined study requirement for the Bachelor of Arts degree to six years, versus eight years in a traditional four year high school and a traditional four year college. Students can then elect a course load at Seattle University with electives which can qualify for a second bachelor's degree with an additional year of study (it is not uncommon for a student to acquire two bachelor's degrees through this program of study, such as one in the humanities and another in the sciences.) This unique curriculum arrangement is fully accredited and has received several awards, including recognition from the prestigious Academy for Educational Development as "one of the twelve most successful educational innovations" in America.

Not all Seattle Prep students elect or are able to pursue the Matteo Ricci program. Instead many pursue a traditional four year course of study at Seattle Prep and then pursue other arrangements (entrance into a four-year college, or a two-year college).

Seattle Prep emphasizes its curriculum for college preparation. Its literature and humanities courses are known as Collegio. Collegio combines the study of literature and social studies into a single interdisciplinary course. Art is taught in AAD (Artistic/Aesthetic Development) and freshman physical education is taught in PPD (Psychological-Physical Development).

A wide variety of extracurricular activities are offered at Seattle Prep including Chess Team, Mock Trial, Dance Team, Yearbook, Newspaper, ASB, Photography Club, One Voice (a lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender club), Global Justice Coalition, National Honors Society, Community Service Club, Philosophy Club, and Drama.

Admissions are based on grades, extracurricular activities, an entrance exam, reference letters, and essays, among other criteria.

Facts and figures

Facts and figures (as of 2008):

• Enrollment: 667
• Faculty: 55
• Faculty with advanced degrees: 90%
• Student/Teacher Ratio: 9.5:1
• Average Class Size: 19
• Percentage of College-Bound Graduates: 99%
• Tuition: 15,000
• Library Volumes: 20,000+
• Tuition Assistance: 1,000,000

Fight song

Hail to thee our fighting Panthers

As we cheer your rip and roar

As we tear our foes asunder

Our fighting blood yells

More, more, more

By our spirits we have proven

That the Panthers won't give in

So fight, fight, fight, for Adelphia

And the Blue and White will win

Magis Christian Service

Seattle Prep has a 4-year requirement of various community service. The four year Magis Christian Service Program at Seattle Prep exposes students to many different forms of service including service to family (freshman), to school (sophomore), to the poor and marginalized (junior), and to leadership for justice (senior).

Physical structure

Seattle Prep's McDonnell Hall with the PACCAR Commons

In the 1950s, McDonnell Hall was added to the existing Adelphia Hall, and in the 1960s, Peyton Hall was added across the parking lot from McDonnell and Adelphia Halls. The McHugh Gymnasium was built in front of Adelphia Hall and opened in 1983, a result of the school's first major fundraising campaign. Funds from this campaign were used to remodel the third floor of Adelphia Hall for improved science facilities. During this time the library, which then became known as Loyola Library, was moved to Peyton Hall.

There were several major additions to Seattle Prep in the late 1990s. A new underground parking garage was built to replace the old parking lot, which was replaced by a grass quad. In addition, St. Ignatius Hall was erected across from Peyton and McDonnell Halls.

Seattle Prep's McHugh Gymnasium and St. Ignatius Hall

Seattle Prep's Thomas Healy, S.J. Theater

In 2007, the PACCAR Commons (Donated by the Pigott family) were completed, including new office space where reception desks and a sick room would be included. As of March 2007, construction was completed on the Thomas Healy, S.J. Theater and Classrooms. This was the first major renovation since the addition of St. Ignatius Hall. The theater, which also serves the school as a location where liturgies/masses to be held, features an orchestra pit. This orchestra pit runs on hydraulics, moving up and down for various uses, including the transportation of heavy equipment. The workout rooms and locker rooms were also altered in this remodel. The space below the theater is used for classroom space for the arts classes, a sacristy (to be used for liturgies and masses), and weight/workout rooms.

In 2008, specific sections of the pathways around the campus plaza were redone. Additionally, electronic doors were installed on several major entrances to accommodate for students needing assistance opening doors.

The Seattle Preparatory School mascot is the panther.

Notable alumni

Entries on this list should either have an accompanying existing article link which verifies they are an alumnus, or reliable sources as footnotes against the name.

• Greg Nickels, former mayor of Seattle
• Mike McGavick, former CEO of Safeco and Former Republican candidate for the United States Senate^{[citation needed]}
• Don Kardong, Olympic marathon runner^{[citation needed]}
• Tom Gorman, professional tennis player^{[citation needed]}
• Martell Webster, professional basketball player, Minnesota Timberwolves
• Spencer Hawes, professional basketball player, Philadelphia 76ers
• Bryce Fisher, professional football player, Tennessee Titans
• John Marchione, mayor of Redmond, Washington^{[citation needed]}
• John McKay, former US Attorney for the Western District Of Washington http://www.law.seattleu.edu/x2991.xml
• John Spellman, governor of the State of Washington, 1981-1985 http://www.nndb.com/people/459/000122093/
• Grant Gauger, Professor of Neurosurgery at University of California, San Francisco http://neurosurgery.ucsf.edu/index.php/about_us_faculty_gauger.html
• Amanda Knox

Seattle Prep Activities

Seattle Prep has a mixed athletic tradition. While winning numerous league and state titles in many different men's and women's sports, O'Dea High School, their crosstown rival, has never lost to Seattle Prep in football for an astonishing 31 years. As of 2010, by size Prep is a high-end 1A class school, but plays up in 3A classification. In 2006 the men's basketball team, led by current Philadelphia 76ers player Spencer Hawes, won the 3A state championship. Prep has also won in the state title 2000; the women won in 2002. Prep's volleyball team won three straight state titles from 2001–2003, and again in 2010.

Recently, Seattle Prep's most consistent competitive activity has been the Mock Trial program, which boasts 7 state titles in the last 9 years and several top-10 finishes at the National Championships:

• The Mock Trial program won State in 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. In the 2008 and 2011 State tournaments, Seattle Prep's Varsity and Junior Varsity teams took first and second place, respectively, after facing each other in the championship round.
• Competing in the National High School Mock Trial Championship tournament, Seattle Prep has placed 6th (2003), 16th (2004, 2007), 8th (2008) 3rd (2009), 5th (2010), and 10th (2011). For the last two years Seattle Prep has narrowly missed the national championship final round by single point split-decisions in the 4th round.

Prep men's cross country team won the title in 1966 (led by future 4th place finisher in the Montreal Olympics marathon Don Kardong), 1972 and 2000. Under current head coach Dr. John "Doc" Robertson, Prep's men's cross country teams have finished as one of the top four 3A teams for every year but one since 1996. During that span, Prep never placed lower than second in the Metro League. 2006 saw Prep gain its first All-American in cross country, Max O'Donoghue-McDonald, who placed 15th at the Footlocker Nationals meet. Max also broke a longstanding Lower Woodland course record, clocking 15:22 for the 5 kilometer distance. Also in 2006, Prep won its first women's Metro League team title.

In 1998, Seattle Prep junior Patrick Fowler set the national high school 100-yard-breaststroke record in a time of 53.66. As of March 1, 2009, this record still stands.

The Prep Chess Team has played in the Washington High School State Team Championship in each of the past 17 years. Its highest finishes were 2nd (2002), 3rd (2009), 5th (2005 and 2010), and 6th (1999). In 1999, they also won the Metro Championship.