Cecilia High School

Cecilia High School
Cecilia High School
Location
Cecilia , Louisiana USA
Information
Type	Public secondary
Motto	Truth, Honor, Loyalty
Established	1922
Oversight	Saint Martin Parish School District
Principal	Anthony G. Polotzola
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	673 (as of 2006)
Campus	Suburban; 30 acres (Main Campus, excluding Athletic Complex)
Color(s)	Kelly Green, Gold, White
Mascot	English Bulldogs
Newspaper	Bulldog Bulletin
Yearbook	Big Bark
Website	[http://stmartin.k12.la.us/chs

Cecilia High School (CHS) is a 3A public secondary school located in Cecilia, a community in unincorporated Saint Martin Parish, Louisiana.

Cecilia High School is accredited by the Department of Education of the State of Louisiana and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Founded in 1922, Cecilia High School is one of three public high schools administered by the Saint Martin Parish School System.

Cecilia High School primarily serves students of northern upper Saint Martin Parish including the communities of Arnaudville, Cecilia, and Henderson. A percentage of the student body, though, live in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, fueling Cecilia's long-standing rivalry with neighboring Breaux Bridge High School, once voted by The Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, Louisiana) as "the largest high school rivalry in Louisiana."

School's Beginnings

Before the establishment of a public high school in Cecilia, several private schools operated within the community with only a fortunate few enrolled; primarily children of local affluence. As trade and commerce grew within the small steamboat stop along the Bayou Teche, the need for a public school was clearly evident. Headmistress of the first public, free tuition school in the community was under the supervision of Mrs. Cecilia Lastrapes in the St. Joseph Chapel around 1893. Lastrapes also served as postmistress for the town - originally named LaPlace - but due to confusion with another town of the same name in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, the community was renamed in her honor. Continued growth in student enrollment spurred the construction of a two story, four room wooden structure on land purchased by Mr. Joel Dupuis on the eastern bank of the Bayou Teche in preparation for the 1905-1906 session.

Architecture

Increased enrollment and population growth surrounding the Cecilia area created the need for yet another school that could permanently serve the needs of the community. Completed in 1922 on the original plot of land donated by Dupuis, the original Cecilia High School building was designed by the architectural firm of Nolan and Torre of New Orleans, Louisiana at a total cost of $120,000; a substantial financial investment at the time. (This amount would be equivalent to $1,242,169 in 2005) The first graduating class of Cecilia High School in 1923 was composed of only five students, all male. Total enrollment during the first year of operation included forty-seven students in grades first through eleventh.

The three story structure boasted neo-classical architectural detailing and ornamentation on the exterior brick and granite faċade in addition to lavishly landscaped grounds, including both exotic and native species. On October 25,1980, the original three story structure was destroyed by fire, sparing the gymnasium and auditorium. Although the official cause of the fire was linked to an antiquated boiler system used to heat the school, members of the community continue to speculate about the possibility of arson in the demise of the school. A new Cecilia Junior HIgh School, completed in 1999, was constructed at the former high school site, intergrating a renovated gymnasium and auditoium into the design. Due to its distinctive architectural importance, all documentation regarding the original Cecilia High School are maintained by the Southeast Architectural Archives at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. A new high school complex, under construction at the time of the fire, was completed in 1981. Renovations and additions to the current Cecilia High School physical plant have been ongoing throughout the years, most recently the construction of the Athletic Training Facility and Music building in addition to interior renovations to the main gymnasium, student commons and administration offices.

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Artist Rendering of original 1922 Cecilia High School building.

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Photograph of original Cecilia High School and school buses circa 1922.

Academics

A college preparatory curriculum is offered as the school stresses a personal approach to the education of the whole student through diverse academic, athletic, and co-curricular programs; the mission of all stakeholders of Cecilia High School is to provide an environment in which all students can learn. In addition to the traditional curriculum offered, several "career centered" courses offer students hand-on and specialized training in specific ares, most notably the school's Cisco Systems Networking Academy, aimed towards student careers in telecommunications and internet networks, and the Health Sciences Academy, which prepares students for occupations in various medical fields. The school, in conjunction with The University of Louisiana System offers seniors an opportunity to earn college credit before graduation. The High School On Site Program offers college level classes in numerous college level coursework which may be transferred after graduation. Cecilia High baseball, volleyball, and football teams are well known throughout Louisiana, as is the speech and debate team, competing at regional, state, and national levels.

Cecilia High School follows a quarterly block schedule; four classes per semester, eight per school year. Each class period is approximately 90 minutes in length.

Athletics

Cecilia High School has an excellent athletics program and has won several state championships in many sports, most notably in 1995 when Cecilia High Football successfully completed an undefeated 15-0 season, winning the Nokia Sugar Bowl Prep Classic held in the Louisiana Superdome, earning the title of AAA Louisiana State Champions.

Principals

W. J. Smith; 1922

A. J. Cormier; 1926-1927

C. J. Dugas; 1927-1937

W. R. Angelle; 1937-1949

Homer J. LeBlanc; 1949-1977

Malcolm Calais; 1977-1978

Allen Stelly; 1978-1987

Eric Castille; 1987-1994

Malcolm Calais; 1994-2004

Anthony Polotzola; 2004-Present

Mascot

The mascot of Cecilia High School is the English Bulldog (by appearance), though known as the "Mighty Bulldogs."

School Colors

The school colors of Cecilia High School are Kelly Green, Gold, and White.

Alma Mater

We gather here in unity

Remembering days of old

And hardships fought with bravery

Which made us strong and bold

And days of joy and friendliness

Which fill our hearts with happiness

We hail our dear old alma mater

Hail, Cecilia High!

Fight Song

Fight for our colors, green and gold

Fight for our honour, heart and soul

Lift up her glory, lift up her name

Shake down the thunder with her fame

Win or lose, we'll never be blue

We stand together, loyal and true

We're from Cecilia, this is our song

Cecilia, right or wrong, Hey!

Noted alumni

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Ali Landry, Class of 1991

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Paul Hardy, Class of 1960

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Al Berard, Class of 1977

• Ali Landry, Miss USA 1996, Miss Universe finalist 1996, actress - (Class of 1991)
• Dickie Landry, visual artist, recording artist, musician, saxophonist, performed with Paul Simon, The Talking Heads, Laurie Anderson
• Paul Hardy, politician, Louisiana state senator, lieutenant governor - (Class of 1960)
• Al Berard, Grammy Award nominated recording artist, composer, musician, The Basin Brothers - (Class of 1977)
• Robert Angelle, politician, Louisiana state senator
• Jesse J. Guidry, politician, Louisiana state legislator, Director, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries - (Class of 1937)
• Anthony Clement, Professional football player, NFL, Arizona Cardinals, San Fransisco 49ers, New York Jets - (Class of 1994)

External links

• Cecilia High School website
• Saint Martin Parish School System website