St. Francis Preparatory School
| St. Francis Prep | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
 | |
, 11365 | |
| Coordinates | 40°44′32″N 73°46′34″W / 40.74222°N 73.77611°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private |
| Motto | Deus Meus et Omina (My God and My All) |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1858 |
| Oversight | Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn |
| President | Leonard Conway |
| Principal | Patrick Mclaughlin '73 |
| Faculty | 137 |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Enrollment | 2750[2] (2008) |
| Average class size | 30 |
| Color(s) | Red and Blue |
| Fight song | On For Ol' St Francis |
| Mascot | Terrier |
| Nickname | Prep |
| Team name | Terriers |
| Rival | Holy Cross High School (Flushing) (BOYS) and Mary Louis (GIRLS) |
| Accreditation | Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[1] |
| Publication | The Little Portion Literary Magazine |
| Newspaper | The Seraph |
| Yearbook | San Fran |
| Tuition | $8,500 (2014-2015 school year) |
| Website | http://www.sfponline.org/ |
St. Francis Preparatory School, commonly known as St. Francis Prep, is a private, independent Catholic college preparatory school in the Fresh Meadows neighborhood of the New York City Borough of Queens, in the State of New York. It is the largest non-diocesan Catholic high school in the United States.[3] St. Francis is run by the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn, who maintain a residence on the top floor of the school. The school has a student body of about 2,750 students and graduates between 600 and 700 students annually. Under the college preparatory curriculum, over 99 percent of graduating seniors continue on to a higher education.
History
St. Francis Preparatory originated as St. Francis Academy, a small all-boys high school on 300 Baltic Street in Brooklyn, New York, founded by the Franciscans Brothers of Brooklyn (O.S.F.).[3] The college section became St. Francis College, a private predominantly undergraduate college in Brooklyn Heights. It took its current name in 1935, then moved to a larger facility in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in 1952.[4] The school moved to its current location in Fresh Meadows, Queens in 1974 when it acquired the facility that formerly housed Bishop Reilly High School, a co-educational Catholic high school. The school began admitting female students that same year.[4] A fitness center was added recently and the science labs are being updated. There are currently plans to add a three-story addition to the rear of the existing building.[5] The upgrades to the art rooms will support students in the studio, digital and the performing arts.
Recent events
In 2013, a teacher alleged that she had been wrongfully terminated from her job at the school because she is transgender.[6]
Co-curricular activities and athletics
St. Francis Prep has a rivalry with Holy Cross High School, fueled particularly by their football teams. Known as the "Battle of the Boulevard" due to the two schools being located only 2 miles apart on Francis Lewis Boulevard,[7] the rivalry between the Prep Terriers and the Holy Cross Knights has been called "arguably the greatest rivalry in New York City football."[8]
The St. Francis Prep girls tennis team has been undefeated for 17 consecutive years, making them 17 time CHSAA champions. In 2013 the St. Francis Prep Varsity Handball team won their 11th consecutive CHSAA championship (with an undefeated season).
Other teams include:
- Basketball- Boys (Frosh, JV, & Varsity) & Girls (JV, Varsity)
- Baseball- Boys; Freshmen, JV, Varsity
- Softball- Girls; JV, Varsity
- Tennis- Boys & Girls; Varsity
- Football- Boys; Freshmen, JV, Varsity
- Volleyball- Boys & Girls; JV, Varsity
- Golf- Girls Varsity & Boys Varsity
- Soccer- Boys & Girls; JV, Varsity
- Lacrosse- Boys & Girls; JV, Varsity
- Track and Field- Boys & Girls; Various events
- Hockey- Co-ed; Varsity
- Bowling- Co-ed; JV, Varsity
- Swimming and Diving- Boys & Girls; Freshmen, JV, Varsity
- Handball-JV, Varsity
- Gymnastics- Girls; Varsity
- Dance- Girls; Varsity
- Step Squad- Co-ed; Varsity
- Cheerleading- Girls; Freshmen, JV, Varsity
Co-curricular clubs include:
- Academic - Biology Club, Chemistry Club, Diplomacy Club, Duns Scotus Speech/Debate Club, Studio Arts Workshop, Mathematics Club, Mathematics League, Math National Honor Society, Mock Trial Club, Model United Nations, National Honor Society, NYS Science Honor Society, Political Science Club, Prepmun, Science Olympiad, Student Technical Service (STS), Women in History Club, National Arts Honor Society, Alvernian Drama Society, Model UN.
- Campus Ministry and Religious- Communion Services, Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, Franciscan Youth Movement, Lectors, Liturgical Committee, Liturgical Dancers, Liturgical Ensemble, Liturgy Assistants, Prayer Team, Retreat Leaders, Soup Kitchen Volunteers, Christian Awakening, St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Drama - Alvernian Drama Society, Alvernian Set Design, Alvernian Technical Services, Stage Crew
- Environment - Animal Rights Club, Environmental Club
- Ethnic - African American Heritage Club, Croatian Club, French Club, German Club, German Exchange Student Program, Greek Club, Guyanese Club, Indian Club, International Night, Irish Club, Italian Club, Korean Club, Spanish Club, Filipino Club, West Indian Club
- Intramurals - Basketball, Football, Handball, Softball, Volleyball, Ping Pong
- Literary - The Seraph (official student newspaper that is published bi-monthly, The Little Portion Literary Magazine (showcases creative writing and poetry from the students), San Fran Yearbook, Book Club
- Multi-Media - Channel One and a Half - Student Government Sponsored student produced News Program
- Mentoring - Drug & Alcohol Prevention, Peer Counseling, Tutoring
- Project Challenge - Backpacking, High Ropes, Orienteering, Snowshoeing
- Volunteer- Blood Drive, Bookstore Service, Library Aides, PS 4 Volunteers Peer Counselors
- Other Clubs- Anime, Bonsai, Break Dancing, Business, Chess, Color Guard, Dance, Fantasy Sports, Harry Potter Club, Hero Club (raises money for various organizations), Hip-Hop, Hockey, Key Club, Martial Arts, Paintball Club (monthly trips), Professional Wrestling, Rock Club, Ski and Snowboard, String Figure Club, Video Games
Notable alumni
- Ted Alexandro, stand-up comedian
- Frank J. Aquila, corporate lawyer
- Marco Battaglia, NFL football player
- Des Bishop, stand-up comedian
- Father Robert S. Smith, American Catholic priest, author, and educator
- Bishop Vincent DePaul Breen, former Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen
- Patti Ann Browne, news anchor for the Fox News Channel[9]
- Julie Chen, news anchor for CBS and hostess of reality show Big Brother[10]
- Carlos Dengler, former bassist of the band Interpol
- Gerry DiNardo, former college football coach and current Big Ten Network commentator
- James Dooley, Emmy Award-winning composer
- Sonny Dove (1963), college and NBA basketball player
- DJ Envy, radio personality on New York City's Hot 97
- Peter Facinelli, actor[11]
- Kyle Flood, Rutgers University head football coach.
- Eric Gioia, New York City councilman[12]
- Dan Henning, NFL football player and coach[13]
- Ed Jenkins, NFL football player
- Vince Lombardi, former Green Bay Packers coach and namesake of the Lombardi Award and the Vince Lombardi Trophy[14]
- Glen Mazzara, writer and television producer
- Bill Pickel, NFL football player and sports broadcaster
- Frank Serpico, New York police officer known for uncovering corruption[15]
- Joe Torre, former New York Yankees manager, former manager of Los Angeles Dodgers[16]
References
- ^ MSA-CSS. "MSA-Commission on Secondary Schools". Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ^ "St. Francis Preparatory School Online". Sfponline.org. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
- ^ a b Gustafson, Anna (November 28, 2008). "Students, Faculty Reflect on 150 Years of St. Francis Prep". The New York Daily News.
- ^ a b "About St. Francis Preparatory School". SFPonline.org.
- ^ Rhoades, Liz (December 4, 2008). "St. Francis Prep readies building expansion plan". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
- ^ "Transgender teacher fired from Catholic school". Sarah Wallace. 11 Feb 2013. Retrieved 6 Oct 2014.
- ^ Samuel, Ebenezer (October 7, 2008). "St. Francis Prep Cruises Past Holy Cross in Battle of the Boulevard". The New York Daily News.
- ^ "Live Blog: Holy Cross-St. Francis Prep Football". Five Boro Sports.
- ^ "Patti Ann Browne '83". St. Francis Preparatory Alumni. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ "JackMyersLunchAtMichaels.com - CBS' Julie Chen: Unique Blend of Cultural Influences Motivates Big Brother Host". JackMyers.com. September 21, 2007. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
- ^ "Peter Facinelli's Twitter account". December 16, 2009. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
- ^ "New York City Council: District 26 - Eric N. Gioia". New York City Council. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
- ^ "Dan Henning - Miami Dolphins". Miami Dolphins official site. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ "Hall of Famers: Vince Lombardi". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ "Frank Serpico '54". St. Francis Preparatory Alumni. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ Newell, Kevin. "The Joe Torre Story". Scholastic Corporation. Retrieved 2009-01-07.