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
| Saint Paul's School | |
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| Address | |
| 917 South Jahncke Avenue Covington,  Louisiana, (St. Tammany Parish), 70433 United States |
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| Coordinates | 30°28′4.26″N 90°6′19.19″W / 30.46785°N 90.1053306°WCoordinates: 30°28′4.26″N 90°6′19.19″W / 30.46785°N 90.1053306°W |
| Information | |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1911 |
| Dean | Ken Sears |
| Principal | Bro. Raymond Bulliard |
| Asst. Principal | Trevor Watkins |
| Grades | 8–12 |
| Grade 12 | 160 |
| Color(s) | Royal Blue and Gold |
| Mascot | Wolves |
| Accreditation(s) | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools [1] |
| Newspaper | The Paper Wolf |
| Athletic Director | Craig Ketelsen |
| Website | 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.
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[edit] History
In 1904, a group of residents of the Covington area banded together to fund the building of a new public school. After acquiring a tract of land and building a one-story, 2 bedroom building, the school, called Dixon Academy, opened in 1907. The school 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.".[2]
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; a forensic investigation determined old electrical wiring to be the cause. 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 Crouzet, 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 decline in boarders, the increasing expense of housing residents, and the prospect of overhauling a dormitory which was in disrepair, St. Paul's converted to an all day-student program beginning with the 2003-2004 school year.
As of the 2008-2009 school year, St. Paul's boasted attendance of over 800, the largest in its history.
In 2011, St. Paul's celebrated its centennial birthday with a yearlong series of parades, reunions, and other events.
The Lasalle Hall dormitory was originally built as a two-wing building in 1964, with a third central wing added in 1970. In 2010-2011, the center wing (which had deteriorated beyond repair) was removed, and the remaining space underwent a full renovation and conversion into classroom space as the new Math and Science building. The building also houses the Air Force JROTC rooms and the Mothers' Club bookstore. In the central courtyard, a set of pillars was added with plaques for each of the Lasallian Core Principles. The first day of classes in the renovated space was January 9, 2012.
[edit] Spiritual 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."[3] 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.
[edit] Retreats and 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. All classes begin with prayer or reflection.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Activities and clubs
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- LA-041 Air Force JROTC
- Big Brother
- Bowling Club
- Boys State
- Close-Up
- Computer Club
- Drama (Marian Players)
- Environmental Science Club
- French Club
- Guerrilla Wolves Video Club
- Habitat Club
- Level Retreats
- Marching Band (Marching Wolves)
- Mu Alpha Theta
- Music Show
- National Junior Honor Society
- National Honor Society
- Pirate Club
- Quiz Bowl
- School Dances
- School Newspaper
- Spanish Club
- The Society of St. Gregory the Great
- Student Council
- Student Hosts
- Ultimate Frisbee Club
- Winging It
- Yearbook (Conifer)
- Young Lawyers Club
- Fitness Club
[edit] Athletics
The St. 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. **The first state title in school history was won in 1991 by the tennis team. Below is a list of the sports programs the school offers.
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Bowling- Stephen Neal bowled the only perfect game in school history on February 9, 2007.
- Cross Country - 4 consecutive state championships 98',99',00',01. Top runners include Pat Gavin, Jimmy Wiggins, Chris Mediamolle, Doug Fields, and Carl Franzella.
- Football - Nilo Silvan was state MVP in 1992. Standout player at the University of Tennessee. Played professional football for Tampa Bay Bucs. Currently coached by Ken Sears.
- Golf
- Hockey
- Lacrosse - actually just a club.
- Power-lifting: Blake Ricalde individual State Champion 2009
- Soccer - 2010-2011 State Champions. The game winning goal was scored by Will "The Thrill" Gutterman aka "Tripping Billy" [4]
- Swimming- Colin Babcock won two individual state championships in 2009
- Tennis - **Trey Glorioso and Jimmy Dunn won the regional and state title in 1991 (15-0) and 1992 (13-1).
- Track and Field
- Wrestling - Marc Schroeder and Jason Pelloat won individual state titles in 1992. Korey Miller, Norman Faucheux and Lee Morgan won individual state titles in 2009.
[edit] 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 being constructed into classrooms for AFJROTC, Art, Mother's Club, Math, guidance, etc.
- Student Center: used for Campus Ministry, graduation performances, fund raisers, school functions, etc.
- Gene Bennet Complex: Basketball Court, Wrestling room, Weight Room, locker room, trainer's office, coach's office
- 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
[edit] Associated schools
St. Scholastica Academy (Sister school)
[edit] Notable alumni
- Ernest Angelo, Texas businessman and politician.
- Ian Somerhalder, actor.
[edit] References
- ^ 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]
- ^ "A Lasallian School" St. Paul's Academic Regulations, StPauls.com. Accessed January 3, 2008.
- ^ Admissions
- ^ http://photos.nola.com/nolaphotos/2011/02/division_i_boys_soccer_state_c_26.html
[edit] External links
- Saint Paul's School website
- Christian Brothers International
- Christian Brothers N.O.-Santa Fe District
