Archbishop Murphy High School
Encyclopedia
Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy High School is a Catholic
college-preparatory school located in Everett, Washington
, in the Archdiocese of Seattle
.
, who died in 1997, and donated a large sum of money in his memory to aid in the construction of the school's current campus in South Everett. Archbishop Murphy High School takes the mission of "inspiring and developing Christian leaders through five basic themes":
AMHS has had five national merit finalists and one national merit scholar, two boys soccer state championship teams, two state back-to-back football championship teams, three Top-6 finishes at the State Mock Trial Meet, and more than a million dollars in scholarships offered to graduating seniors consistently each year from a variety of schools.
Students also provide more than 1,000 hours of community service each year and are involved in a host of activities including publishing a yearbook, newspaper and literary magazine, singing in the choir, performing in a wonderful spring musical, and as performers in the instrumental ensemble.
Archbishop Murphy High School consists of young men and women of varying ethnic and religious backgrounds. For the 2004-05 school year there were 368 students: 77% Catholic, 11% Minority. 90% participate in sports or other extracurricular activities. Average class size is 20; overall student/faculty ratio is 16:1. There are 32 faculty members, 13 of which have advanced degrees.
The school's mascot is the wildcat, who is at every football game to cheer on the cats to victory.
A third building, Heath Hall, was completed in the Fall of 2007, adding to the two other permanent facilities there, the main building and Grace Hall. The portables will eventually be removed in the place of parking as the association's development plan is executed. With time, a new football field and press box will be added as well as another egress to aid in the traffic problems the South Everett area faces.
Since 2004, Archbishop Murphy has been classified as a 2A school by the WIAA.
The Varsity team won District Championships in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. The team has also placed highly at the prestigious Washington State Mock Trial meet:
2007: 5th
2008: 6th
2009: 12th
2010: 6th
2011: 3rd
In 2008, the team qualified for the first national meet in school history, advancing to the American Mock Trial Invitational in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The 2011 team is noted for finishing with the school's highest-ever finish at the State Meet, with a record of 3 wins, 1 loss, and winning 10 out of 12 ballots in their 4 trials.
Mock Trial allows students to participate in a true-to-life courtroom drama. Teams of attorneys and witnesses prepare a fictitious case for trial and compete at district levels in front of real judges in actual courtrooms. “Juries" of attorneys rate the teams for their presentation, while the presiding judges rule on the motions, objections, and ultimately the merits. Participants develop critical thinking and analytical skills, learn the art of oral advocacy, and gain a respect for the role of law and the judiciary.
. The topic of this piece was on the ruling by the WIAA to kick their football team out of the state playoffs for an expired physical exam. Rick Reilly showed his support of the players and disgust for the WIAA in this article.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
college-preparatory school located in Everett, Washington
Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
, in the Archdiocese of Seattle
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle
The Archdiocese of Seattle is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. state of Washington. Headquartered in Seattle, the archdiocese encompasses all counties in the state west of the Cascade Range. Its cathedral is St. James Cathedral, and its present archbishop is J...
.
Background
Founded as Holy Cross High School in 1988 on the site of the former Our Lady of Perpetual Help Grade school, Archbishop Murphy High School serves students grades 9-12; enrollment has increased from 23 students in 1988 to approximately 600 for Fall 2008. The school was re-named in 1999 after the family of Archbishop Thomas J. MurphyThomas Joseph Murphy
Thomas Joseph Murphy was an American bishop in the Catholic Church who served as Bishop of Great Falls from 1978–1987, Coadjutor Archbishop of Seattle from 1987–1991, and Archbishop of Seattle from 1991 until his death....
, who died in 1997, and donated a large sum of money in his memory to aid in the construction of the school's current campus in South Everett. Archbishop Murphy High School takes the mission of "inspiring and developing Christian leaders through five basic themes":
- Developing spirituality in the Catholic tradition,
- Providing challenging college preparatory academic experiences and enriching extracurricular programs,
- Respecting the dignity of each individual,
- Fostering commitment to community service, and,
- Supporting families as the primary educators in the character formation of their children.
AMHS has had five national merit finalists and one national merit scholar, two boys soccer state championship teams, two state back-to-back football championship teams, three Top-6 finishes at the State Mock Trial Meet, and more than a million dollars in scholarships offered to graduating seniors consistently each year from a variety of schools.
Students also provide more than 1,000 hours of community service each year and are involved in a host of activities including publishing a yearbook, newspaper and literary magazine, singing in the choir, performing in a wonderful spring musical, and as performers in the instrumental ensemble.
Archbishop Murphy High School consists of young men and women of varying ethnic and religious backgrounds. For the 2004-05 school year there were 368 students: 77% Catholic, 11% Minority. 90% participate in sports or other extracurricular activities. Average class size is 20; overall student/faculty ratio is 16:1. There are 32 faculty members, 13 of which have advanced degrees.
The school's mascot is the wildcat, who is at every football game to cheer on the cats to victory.
A third building, Heath Hall, was completed in the Fall of 2007, adding to the two other permanent facilities there, the main building and Grace Hall. The portables will eventually be removed in the place of parking as the association's development plan is executed. With time, a new football field and press box will be added as well as another egress to aid in the traffic problems the South Everett area faces.
Sports
Archbishop Murphy has the following sports:- Cross Country (est. 2001)
- Track and Field (est. 1989)
- Football (est. 2000)
- Volleyball (est. 1990)
- Soccer (est. 1989, girls: est. 1994[previously established as Indoor Soccer])
- Wrestling (est. 2003)
- Basketball (est. 1989)
- Golf (est. 1994)
- Softball (est. 1993)(or earlier)
- Baseball (est. 1993)(or earlier)
- Swimming (est. 2008)
Since 2004, Archbishop Murphy has been classified as a 2A school by the WIAA.
College Credit Courses
The following courses can generate college credit:- Matteo Ricci Program through Seattle University (Social Science 12 Honors, English 12 Honors, Theology 12 Honors)-10 credits
- Spanish 103/104 program - University of Washington - 5 credits
- French 103/104 program - University of Washington - 5 credits
- Advanced Placement Calculus AB
- Advanced Placement Calculus BC
- Advanced Placement Physics
- Advanced Placement Computer Science
- Advanced Placement Chemistry
- Advanced Placement Statistics
- Advanced Placement Biology
- Advanced Placement Government/Politics
- Advanced Placement United States History
- Advanced Placement English and Language Composition
Mock Trial Team
The AMHS Mock Trial Team, established in 2005, has garnered recognition as one of the most active and successful clubs at the school. 45 students will compete on the team this year, including 15 freshmen and sophomores on a "C-Team" for beginning mock trial students.The Varsity team won District Championships in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. The team has also placed highly at the prestigious Washington State Mock Trial meet:
2007: 5th
2008: 6th
2009: 12th
2010: 6th
2011: 3rd
In 2008, the team qualified for the first national meet in school history, advancing to the American Mock Trial Invitational in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The 2011 team is noted for finishing with the school's highest-ever finish at the State Meet, with a record of 3 wins, 1 loss, and winning 10 out of 12 ballots in their 4 trials.
Mock Trial allows students to participate in a true-to-life courtroom drama. Teams of attorneys and witnesses prepare a fictitious case for trial and compete at district levels in front of real judges in actual courtrooms. “Juries" of attorneys rate the teams for their presentation, while the presiding judges rule on the motions, objections, and ultimately the merits. Participants develop critical thinking and analytical skills, learn the art of oral advocacy, and gain a respect for the role of law and the judiciary.
In the news
Archbishop Murphy was the topic of a Rick Reilly article in the November 26, 2007 issue of Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
. The topic of this piece was on the ruling by the WIAA to kick their football team out of the state playoffs for an expired physical exam. Rick Reilly showed his support of the players and disgust for the WIAA in this article.