Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory: Difference between revisions

Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory
Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory
	File:Shcplogo.jpg
Location
	1055 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA, USA
Information
Type	Private, Lasallian/Vincentian
Motto	Enter to Learn; Leave to Serve. Signum Fidei Caritas Christi Urget Nos- Sign of Faith; Christ's Love Urges Us
Established	1852
President	John Scudder
Principal	Dr. Ken Hogarty
Enrollment	1,250
Campus	Urban
Color(s)	Green, White, Blue
Mascot	Fightin' Irish
Website	http://www.shcp.edu/

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Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, commonly known as SH, SHC, or SHCP is a Catholic school located in the Cathedral Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory is the oldest Catholic secondary school in San Francisco, founded in 1852. SHCP was the first co-ed Catholic high school in San Francisco - created when Cathedral High School (founded 1852) for girls merged with Sacred Heart High School (founded 1874) for boys in 1987. SHCP is owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco, and sponsored by the Daughters of Charity and the Christrian Brothers. SHCP offers a values-based curriculum in the Lasallian/Vincentian tradition. The school prides itself on its commitment to its educational philosophy: "Enter to learn; leave to serve." Students participate in many service activities throughout their time at SHCP, but mandatory service hours are not a graduation requirement. Service activities include "van outreach" trips to feed the homeless, and time spent in the nearby St. Anthony's Dining Room, as well as immersion trips to impoverished areas around the country and in Central and South America. ^{[citation needed]}

The school's motto is a combination of the Christian Brothers and Daughters of Charity mottos: "Signum Fidei, Caritas Christi Urget Nos". ^{[citation needed]}

Facilities

De Paul campus

The school is located in Cathedral Hill, which is a sub-neighborhood of San Francisco's Western Addition, commonly known as the Fillmore District, with the two academic buildings located on the corner of Gough and Ellis streets. On the northwest corner of the intersection is the former Cathedral High School building, which is called the De Paul campus in honor of St. Vincent de Paul, which currently houses freshman lockers and the history, visual and performing arts, and modern language departments. The building is adjoined to San Francisco's Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, and was built at the same time, as the school's former building was razed by the Archdiocese of San Francisco to make room for the eventual construction of the new Cathedral, at the intersection of Gough and Geary due to the fire that destroyed the previous cathedral in 1962. (The site was occupied for a short time by a new supermarket that in turn was razed for the Cathedral's construction.) The cathedral's rectory is adjoined to the De Paul Campus but there is no access to it from the school and the entrance is located on the northeast corner entrance of the campus. Pope John Paul II stayed in the rectory at the De Paul Campus during his trip to San Francisco in 1987, which is marked by a plaque at the entrance of the rectory. ^{[citation needed]}

La Salle campus

On the southeast corner of Gough and Ellis lies the school's La Salle campus named in honor of St. John Baptist de La Salle. This campus has a six story building which houses: school administration offices, the library, and the English, Mathematics, Science, and Religion departments. Each floor is completely occupied by a subject. For example, the first floor is occupied by the religion department and the second floor is occupied by the science department etc. The building is built into the side of a hill and because of that, the entrance into the building goes into the third floor instead of the first floor, so you would have to walk two stories down to get to the first floor. The library occupies the entire sixth story, except for a small chapel and veranda, which offers panoramic views overlooking San Francisco to the west and south. The La Salle campus occupies most of the block bordered by Gough, Ellis, Franklin, and Eddy streets, but other prominent buildings are the "Brothers' House" which houses the school's Christian Brothers community, and a house designed by renowned architect Bernard Maybeck. ^{[citation needed]}

Student Life Center

In October 2003, SHCP welcomed a new addition to the Sacred Heart Cathedral community with the Sister Teresa Prio DC. Student Life Center on the LaSalle Campus. Estimated to be a $16 million construction replacing the grass field to create a new state-of-the-art facility where a gym (Christian Brothers Court) can be filled with rallies, sporting events and prayer services. Also down below the gym is the 1,000 seating cafeteria. The Sister Teresa Piro, DC, Student Life Center completed in 2004, houses a 1,500 seat athletic gym or commonly know as the pavilion, which is home to the school's championship men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams. The building is also adjoined to the old gymnasium or the practice gym, which was previously there before the construction. A lower level houses the Dining Hall which students use as a cafeteria daily. Adjoined to this facility is the Fitness-for-Life Center, which opened October 2006 is a key component of the school's innovative Fitness for Life program. The building also contains a practice gym as well as the weight room. ^{[citation needed]}

Fitness Center

In November 2006, the Fitness Center was open to students and faculty members to work out. The school has started a new campaign called "Fitness for Life", wanting to establish a new healthier way of life at school. With new equipped treadmills and elliptical machines with television for entertainment, a new dance studio for the step team, and heavy weights to gain some muscle. ^{[citation needed]}

Academics

SHCP offers an array of subjects to its students. All students are required to take English and religion for four years, as well as three years of math and social studies. Two years of science and a modern language are also required, and one year of visual art. Freshman are required to take one semester of Physical Education and one semester of Earth Science and choose a modern language to learn. Choices include Spanish, French, Japanese, Mandarin and American Sign Language. Sophomores do a year of a visual arts courses but drop the social studies class for a Church History class instead. Some sophomores choose to take a double math course when they take two math classes, but they combine the visual art and religion class together and learn about Christian Art. Seniors are able to drop courses like math, modern language, and science and are able to take elective classes instead. ^{[citation needed]}

Admissions

In addition to basic information, applicants must prepare at least two essays about a specific question asked on the application. The applicant will answer questions about him/herself and what they can individually offer the school community. A recommendation letter from a faculty member of their institution previously attended is also required in the application. There is a fee of $75 for submission of the application. The letters of notification are sent out in March. Sometime in the month of May, applicants are required to take a math placement exam to assess mathematical abilities.

Tuition at SHCP for the 2007-08 year is $14,850 total for each student. The tuition is $12,100, the registration costs $1,100, books are around $400 and the parent pledges or donations to the school would be around $1,250. ^{[citation needed]}

Shadow Program & Open House

SHCP has a shadow program when an applicant follows a Freshman student around for one day to see how the school is to the applicant and how daily student life is. There is also an open house when parents and students come to the school to see how classes look and how academics are and meet students and teachers and explore the campus. ^{[citation needed]}

Demographics

Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory enrolls approximately 1,250 students from San Francisco and its suburbs. Reflecting the diversity of the Bay Area, students represent different religious, economic, and ethnic backgrounds, which include Caucasian, Asian, Filipino, Hispanic, African American, and Native American. Recently, SHCP partnered with the Brothers and Daughters to found the De Marillac Academy in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood, an impoverished urban community several blocks away from the high school. ^{[citation needed]}

Athletics

The athletic teams, known as the Fightin' Irish, compete in the West Catholic Athletic League. There are 17 teams total for boys and girls at SHCP. They range from the most common like football, baseball, basketball, volleyball and soccer to cross-country, golf, swimming and track and field. The sports are separated by seasons of Fall, Winter and Spring. Source: http://www.wcalsports.org.

Their cross-town rival is Saint Ignatius College Preparatory. The Bruce Mahoney is named after Bill Bruce, a student from Saint Ignatius College Preparatory, and Jerry Mahoney, a student from then-Sacred Heart High School. The trophy goes to the school victorious in the first scheduled league game in two of the following three sports: Football, Basketball, Baseball. SH has not won the competition in 10 years and has only won twice in the last nineteen years. The SI-SH rivalry is older than any other Catholic school sports rivalry in the country.^{[citation needed]} Only the Centennial-Central rivalry (Pueblo, Colorado) is older by a year (1892). Therefore, the Bruce-Mahoney is the oldest athletic rivalry west of the Rocky Mountains. The first Sacred Heart-St. Ignatius contest was a rugby game played on St. Patrick's Day in 1891. The Irish won by a score of 14-4. Source: San Francisco Examiner and the San Francisco Chronicle on microfilm at the San Francisco Main Library. One of the players, D.A. White, went on to be Chief of Police in San Francisco. Another cross town rival are the Crusaders of Archbishop Riordan High School. The Varsity football teams compete against each other for the Nick Stanfel Cup which was started in 1992. Stanfel played at Riordan and was a coach at Sacred Heart. This year the Stanfel Cup was won by Sacred Heart Cathedral, 10-7. ^{[citation needed]}

The Girls' basketball team has won the state title four times in 1998, 2006, 2007 and 2008. They won the state title in Division IV last season and in Division III this season. In the 2006-07 season, the Irish went undefeated in one of the toughest leagues (West Coast Athletic League) in the nation, with three wins over 2007 Division II champion, Archbishop Mitty High School and three wins over arch-rival St. Ignatius. They were ranked the best team in the nation in the end of the 07-08 season. They won the USA Today National Championship in 2007-2008. [1]

Student activities

Clubs

Student activities at SHCP range from clubs to dances to student government. There are +25 clubs and many are created by the students with the help of a teacher. There is the Spanish club, NetWorld club, Martial Arts club, Club Green, Big Green, Block Club, chorus and many others. Students are encouraged to join a club if they are not doing a sport. All freshman must join either a club or sport so that they can enjoy their school's community. Clubs meet on Tuesday's or Wednesday's during their activity block, which was created so students would not have to stay longer after school to meet with your clubs. ^{[citation needed]}

Performing Arts

SHCP has a chorus, a theater company, and a band. The chorus sings at school masses, special performances, and in front of international audiences. The chorus has competed in competitions, winning 1st place in its last two performances. Their choir has traveled around the world to destinations like the Philippines, London, and Hawaii. Members have also performed in the Vatican in Rome and St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. The theater company puts on a play in the beginning of the year around November or December and a musical around March or April. The band plays their instruments at school masses, rallies, concerts and sporting events. ^{[citation needed]}

Walk-A-Thon

The Walk-a-thon is a fundraiser that the whole school participates in. This event happens around September. The Walk-a-thon raises money for student activities, athletics, clubs, student travels, construction of new building or renovating them and updating technology for the school. Perfect examples of good use of the funds is the construction of our Student Life Center, library, athletic field, gateway and Fitness-for-Life Center. The Walk-a-thon is a vital source of funds because most of the money is used instead of using the tuition dollars of the students or adding on a surcharge on the tuition. Students are expected to raise at least $200. If this goal is reached, the student receives prizes like a modified-dress pass and a spin on the prize wheel, with many prizes like cash, gift cards or iPods. The homeroom with the most donations of one day for each grade will get Naked Juice. The Walk-a-thon took place at the Polo Fields at Golden Gate Park. ^{[citation needed]}

Alma Mater

This is commonly sung at athletic, or athletic related events.

Alma Mater, Hail! Alma Mater proud

Fighting Irish pride foretold

One voice raised aloud

Our hearts stand bold

Our loyalty to you

Hail Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep.

Green, White and Blue

Unity proclaimed

Fearless we pursue

Untold strength will be our guide,

Irish brave and true!