Cecilia High School
| Cecilia High School | |
|---|---|
| Cecilia High School | |
| Location | |
 | |
| , | |
| 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 | The Bark |
| Yearbook | Big Bark |
| Website | [http://stmartin.k12.la.us/chs |
Cecilia High School (CHS) is a 3A public secondary school located in Cecilia, an unincorporated community in 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 readers of 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, integrating 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.
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 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 National Restaurant Association ProStart Program which prepares students for careers in hospitality and the culinary arts. The Cecilia High School Academy of Health Careers offers instruction that ensures students selecting a career in health care have every opportunity to meet their career and educational goals and prepared to meet the demands of a rapidly changing professional world. The school, in conjunction with The University of Louisiana System, offers seniors an opportunity to earn college credit prior to graduation. The High School On Site Program offers college level classes in numerous courses which may be transferred to any accredited university or community college after graduation.
Cecilia High School offers a nationally recognized French Immersion Program, one of only a handful of its kind in the United States. French Immersion is an optional program in which enrolled students study the same curriculum as in the English stream program, but in which the language of instruction is French. Ideally all activities and learning in a French Immersion program except for English language arts are conducted in French. The objective of the French Immersion program is to produce graduates who are functionally bilingual, that is, students who can use and work in French comfortably.
Cecilia High School follows a block schedule; four classes per semester, eight per school year. Each class period is approximately 90 minutes in length.
Athletics/Extra-Curricular
Cecilia High School has an excellent athletics program and in 1995 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.
Cecilia High School varsity and junior varsity baseball, basketball (men and women), volleyball, fast-pitch softball, indoor and outdoor track and field, and football teams are well known throughout the State of Louisiana and the Acadiana and Gulf Coast region. In addition to a wide offering of athletic activities, Cecilia High School offers numerous co-curricular and extra-curricular activities encouraging student participation. Many student organizations represent the best of Cecilia HIgh School; among them the speech and debate teams, cheerleading, marching and concert bands, colorguard, and dance teams, competing at regional, state, and national levels.
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 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
- Ali Landry, Miss USA 1996, Miss Universe finalist 1996, actress - (Class of 1991)
- Dickie Landry, visual artist, recording artist, musician, saxophonist, performs with Paul Simon, Talking Heads, Laurie Anderson, Bob Dylan - (Class of 1956)
- 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)
- 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)
- Joel Stelly, Professional football player, NFL, Chicago Bears, NFL Europe- (Class of 2002)