Cistercian Preparatory School
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2016) |
| Cistercian Preparatory School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
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3660 Cistercian Road , 75039 | |
| Coordinates | 32°51′19″N 96°55′17″W / 32.85533°N 96.92143°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private |
| Motto | Ardere et Lucere (To Enkindle and Enlighten) |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1962 |
| CEEB code | 443-558 |
| Headmaster | Paul McCormick[1] |
| Faculty | 43 |
| Grades | 5–12 |
| Gender | Boys |
| Enrollment | 348 (2015-16[2]) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 8:1 |
| Campus size | 80 acres |
| Color(s) | Black and White |
| Athletics | 8 sports |
| Athletics conference | Southwest Preparatory Conference |
| Mascot | Hawk |
| Accreditation | Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS) |
| Publication | Reflections (literary/art magazine) |
| Newspaper | Informer |
| Yearbook | Exodus |
| Website | School website |
Cistercian Preparatory School is a Roman Catholic school for young men located in Irving, Texas, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas. Serving grades five through twelve (though previously having a 4th grade pre-form), the school has a population of about 350 boys. Each grade is assigned a priest or a dedicated teacher as a "Form Master," who follows the class over the years and is responsible for building a feeling of community.
The school's roots lie with a group of Cistercians who came to Texas in 1956 to help found the University of Dallas, located adjacent to what would become the Cistercian campus. Later that year, an uprising in communist Hungary allowed a group from Zirc Abbey in western Hungary to escape, and they joined their colleagues in Texas. The monks of Zirc had a long tradition of teaching in the abbey's college preparatory schools, so in 1962 they started Cistercian Preparatory School to continue their work in secondary education.
Noted for its academic rigor, Cistercian has been rated one of the most prestigious private schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth region,[3][4] and was ranked #50 in Business Insider's 2015 ranking of the "smartest private high schools in the United States,"[5] and as the second-best Catholic high school in the country by Niche in 2016.[6] One distinguishing feature of the school is that many of its classes are taught by monks from the Cistercian Order, who comprise 25% of the school's faculty.[7][5]
Athletics
Students are encouraged to participate in sports in every season. Cistercian fields teams in eight varsity sports in three athletic seasons: football and cross country (fall); basketball, soccer, and swimming (winter); baseball, track & field, and tennis (spring). The school is a member of the Southwest Preparatory Conference, which hosts championship tournaments and meets at the end of every season. The school's mascot is the Hawk. Its colors are black and white.
Publications
Cistercian's literary and art magazine, Reflections, is conceived, written, and laid out by student editors and staff. Five hundred copies are printed each year, by Diebold Productions, Inc. For seven years in a row, starting in 2005, Reflections won the Columbia Scholastic Press Gold Crown Award, an award which only the top 8-14 magazines throughout the nation win.
Notable alumni
- Will Ford Hartnett '74, former member of the Texas House of Representatives (1993-2013)
- Geoff Marslett '92, independent filmmaker and professor
- Ryan Sitton '93, member of the Texas Railroad Commission (2015- )
References
- ^ "WELCOME FROM THE HEADMASTER". cistercian.org.
- ^ "2015-16 School Profile" (PDF). cistercian.org.
- ^ "Dallas boasts trio of smartest private high schools in U.S. — and No. 1 in Texas". CultureMap. CultureMap. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
- ^ "Ranking the Private High Schools 2002" (PDF). D Magazine. University of North Texas. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
- ^ a b "The 50 smartest private high schools in the US". BusinessInsider. BusinessInsider. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
- ^ "2016 Best Catholic High Schools in America". Niche K-12. Niche. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ "2015-2016 School Profile" (PDF). Cistercian Preparatory School. Cistercian Preparatory School. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
