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Saint Sebastian's School

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Coordinates: 42°16′10″N 71°12′25″W / 42.26944°N 71.20694°W / 42.26944; -71.20694
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Saint Sebastian's School
File:Stsebs.png
Address
Map
1191 Greendale Avenue

Needham
,
(Norfolk County)
,
Massachusetts
02492-4699

 United States
Coordinates42°16′10″N 71°12′25″W / 42.26944°N 71.20694°W / 42.26944; -71.20694
Information
TypePrivate, All-Male
Motto"Semen est sanguis Christianorum."
(The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians.)
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic
Established1941
FounderWilliam Cardinal O'Connell
HeadmasterWilliam L. Burke III
ChaplainFather John Arens
Faculty65
Grades7–12
Enrollment350 (2008)
Average class size11
CampusSuburban
Campus size26 acres
Color(s)Red and Black   
Athletics conferenceIndependent School League
Team nameArrows
RivalBelmont Hill School
AccreditationNew England Association of Schools and Colleges[1]
PublicationThe Quiver (literary magazine)
NewspaperThe Walrus
The Dart
YearbookThe Arrow
Tuition$30,450
Assistant HeadmasterMichael Nerbonne
Dean of StudentsBrendan Sullivan
Admissions DirectorGregory Wishart
Athletic CoordinatorRobert Souza
Websitewww.stsebs.org
The Henry T. Lane ice rink at Saint Sebastian's School.
The Henry T. Lane ice rink at Saint Sebastian's School.

Saint Sebastian's School, also known colloquially as St. Seb's or Seb's, is an independent, all-boys Catholic secondary school located in Needham, Massachusetts on 26+ acres, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. The school instructs young men in grades seven through twelve. Founded in 1941 by William Cardinal O'Connell, Archbishop of Boston, the school is named after Saint Sebastian, the Christian martyr who survived an attempted execution by arrows. It is the only Catholic school in the Independent School League. Approximately 350 students are enrolled, with 25% receiving financial aid. As of 2009, the School headmaster is Mr. William L. Burke III.

Academics

The School features a rigorous academic program focusing on the liberal arts and the classics. Freshmen (9th grade) students take a special course to hone their writing skills. Public speaking is also emphasized, with each student required to deliver an annual speech during his class's weekly chapel meetings.

The student:teacher ratio at St. Sebastian's is 7:1, and 60% of the faculty hold graduate degrees. The average class size is 11. The school offers 20 classes at the Advanced Placement level.

Athletics

St. Sebastian's has a competitive athletic program, with 11 varsity sports, and 35 teams in total. Its school colors are red and black, and teams are known as the Arrows. Over the years the Arrows have had an intense rivalry with the Belmont Hill School. St. Sebastian's School is a member of the prestigious Independent School League.

The school has one of the top ice hockey programs in the United States, dating to its founding in 1941. The school regularly produces picks in the NHL Entry Draft, notably, four first round draft picks in its history, the most of any high school in the US. In June 2003 the school was tied for the most picks from a single high school, ever, at four.[2][3] The team is now coached by Sean McCann, a former Harvard assistant coach and captain, and also a Hobey Baker finalist. St. Sebastian's has produced the most current NHL players of any high school, at four.

The campus rink, the Henry T. Lane Rink, is named in honor of Henry Lane who served the school for over 40 years, first as the Varsity Hockey coach and later the Athletic Director. Lane was also a graduate of St. Sebastian's in the class of 1949.

St. Sebastian's has also had great success in recent years with lacrosse. The School's sailing team was also ranked seventh in the country in 2001. More recently, the varsity baseball team won the ISL championship in 2007, handing Roxbury Latin School MLB prospect Jack McGeary his only loss of the season. Furthermore, the St. Sebastian's varsity golf team just recently finished the 2009 season with an undefeated record and an ISL Championship.

Extracurricular activities

St. Sebastian's has 6 student publications and 32 different clubs and activities. The school newspaper, The Walrus, is published monthly. The school's debate team competes among private secondary schools in New England. Other student groups manage The Arrow, the school yearbook, as well as The Quiver, a creative literary magazine, and The St. Sebastian's Journal, a collection of student-written scholarly essays. Other students run the school's closed-circuit television network, perform community service (The Arrow Club and Labels Are For Jars), perform in dramatic productions, compete in such activities as chess, robotics, support students of color (MPA), and advocate against destructive decisions such as drug and alcohol abuse (SADD).

Traditions

  • Red & Black Day: A field day in which the student body is split into two teams (Red and Black). During the day these teams compete in competitive events like tug-o-war, flag football, wiffleball, frisbee golf, and Jenga. This day promotes school spirit and unity through healthy competition.
  • Painting The Hills: On the day before St. Sebastian's homecoming, students paint the numbers and nicknames of the varsity football and soccer players on the hills that overlook the respective fields.
  • Unity Day: The Friday after the first quarter ends, students participate in "fishbowl" activities, talk in groups consisting of students in different grades, and listen to some alumni. This day promotes the act of coming together, and becoming more united, especially with students of different races, social backgrounds, interests, and religions.

Notable alumni

Sports

Other

Notes

  1. ^ NEASC-CIS. "NEASC-Commission on Independent Schools". Retrieved 2009-07-28.
  2. ^ http://www.stsebs.org/athletics/hockey/hockeyoverview.htm
  3. ^ http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospect.php?pid=3529

References

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