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Bishop McNamara High School (Kankakee, Illinois)
Encyclopedia
Bishop McNamara High School (often referred to as Bishop Mac) is a private
, Roman Catholic high school
in Kankakee
, Illinois
. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet in Illinois.
(then known as the Sisters of Loretto at the Foot of the Cross) were initially placed in charge of the school. Initially, the school served as a commercial school, but by 1926, the school moved to offering academic courses. In 1931, the Clerics of St. Viator assumed control of the school, starting 25 years of cooperation between the Sisters of Loretto and the Viatorians.
Enrollment grew sharply by the late 1940s and early 1950s. A private purchase of property permitted the construction of a new school. The new school was renamed St. Patrick Central, as it was no longer the parish school. An addition was opened in 1964, the same year that the school was renamed for Bishop Martin D. McNamara, the first bishop of the Diocese of Joliet. In 1981, the Clerics of St. Viator ended their formal association with the school (though one priest remained as principal until 1988. In 1990, the Order of St. Augustine took over operation of the school; a relationship which ended in 2000. Today, the school is run by the Diocese.
, Spanish Language
, Psychology
, Calculus
, and Physics
.
In addition to its college preparatory curriculum, the school maintains a relationship with the Kankakee Area Career Center which offers students an opportunity to earn credit in industrial technology, with courses ranging from cosmetology
, drafting
, firefighting, EMS training
, welding
, and law enforcement training
.
(CCL). The women compete in the East Suburban Catholic Conference
(ESCC). They also compete in the state tournaments sponsored by the Illinois High School Association
. The school currently sponsors teams for men and women in basketball
, cross country
, golf
, soccer, tennis
, and track & field. Men can compete in baseball
, football
, and wrestling
. Women can compete in softball, cheerleading
, and volleyball
. While not supported by the ESCC, nor by the IHSA, the school also sponsors a Pom-pon dance team
The following teams have finished in the top four of their respective IHSA state tournaments:
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
, Roman Catholic high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Kankakee
Kankakee, Illinois
Kankakee is a city in Kankakee County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 25,561, and 26,840 as of a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Kankakee County...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet in Illinois.
History
The school started as the parish school of St. Patrick Parish in Kankakee, and was called St. Patrick High School. It opened in 1922 in the grade school while the high school building was still under construction. The Sisters of LorettoSisters of Loretto
Sisters of Loretto or the Loretto Community is a Catholic religious institution, which, according to their mission statement, "strive[s] to bring the healing Spirit of God into our world" and is committed "to improving the conditions of those who suffer from injustice, oppression, and deprivation...
(then known as the Sisters of Loretto at the Foot of the Cross) were initially placed in charge of the school. Initially, the school served as a commercial school, but by 1926, the school moved to offering academic courses. In 1931, the Clerics of St. Viator assumed control of the school, starting 25 years of cooperation between the Sisters of Loretto and the Viatorians.
Enrollment grew sharply by the late 1940s and early 1950s. A private purchase of property permitted the construction of a new school. The new school was renamed St. Patrick Central, as it was no longer the parish school. An addition was opened in 1964, the same year that the school was renamed for Bishop Martin D. McNamara, the first bishop of the Diocese of Joliet. In 1981, the Clerics of St. Viator ended their formal association with the school (though one priest remained as principal until 1988. In 1990, the Order of St. Augustine took over operation of the school; a relationship which ended in 2000. Today, the school is run by the Diocese.
Academics
The school currently offers Advanced Placement courses in English Literature, ChemistryAP Chemistry
Advanced Placement Chemistry is a course and examination offered by the College Board as a part of the Advanced Placement Program to give American and Canadian high school students the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and earn college-level credit.-The course:AP Chemistry is a course...
, Spanish Language
AP Spanish Language
Advanced Placement Spanish Language is a course and examination offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program.-The course:...
, Psychology
AP Psychology
The Advanced Placement Psychology course and corresponding exam is part of the College Board's Advanced Placement Program. This course is tailored for students interested in the field of psychology and as an opportunity to earn placement credit or exemption from a college-level psychology course...
, Calculus
AP Calculus
Advanced Placement Calculus is used to indicate one of two distinct Advanced Placement courses and examinations offered by the College Board, AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC....
, and Physics
AP Physics
AP Physics defines three categories of high school physics courses: A, B, and C. Category A refers to general introductory physics courses that are not mathematically rigorous...
.
In addition to its college preparatory curriculum, the school maintains a relationship with the Kankakee Area Career Center which offers students an opportunity to earn credit in industrial technology, with courses ranging from cosmetology
Cosmetology
Cosmetology is the study and application of beauty treatment. Branches of specialty including hairstyling, skin care, cosmetics, manicures/pedicures, and electrology....
, drafting
Drafting
Drafting or draughting may refer to:* Campdrafting, an Australian equestrian sport* Drafting , slipstreaming* Technical drawing, the act and discipline of composing diagrams that communicates how something functions or is to be constructed. E.g.:** Architectural drawing** Electrical drawing**...
, firefighting, EMS training
Paramedic
A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...
, welding
Welding
Welding is a fabrication or sculptural process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence. This is often done by melting the workpieces and adding a filler material to form a pool of molten material that cools to become a strong joint, with pressure sometimes...
, and law enforcement training
Law enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
.
Athletics
The Bishop McNamara Fightin' Irish compete in two conferences. The men compete in the Chicago Catholic LeagueChicago Catholic League
The Chicago Catholic League is a high school athletic conference based in Chicago, Illinois, USA. All of the schools are currently part of the Illinois High School Association, the governing body for Illinois scholastic sports...
(CCL). The women compete in the East Suburban Catholic Conference
East Suburban Catholic Conference
The East Suburban Catholic Conference is an athletic conference consisting of 13 Catholic high schools in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois . The conference became independent in 1974....
(ESCC). They also compete in the state tournaments sponsored by the Illinois High School Association
Illinois High School Association
The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
. The school currently sponsors teams for men and women in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, soccer, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, and track & field. Men can compete in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, and wrestling
Scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
. Women can compete in softball, cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
, and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
. While not supported by the ESCC, nor by the IHSA, the school also sponsors a Pom-pon dance team
Pom-pon
A pom-pon is a fluffy, decorative ball or tuft. Pom-pons may come in many colors, sizes, and varieties and are made from a wide array of materials, including wool, cotton, paper, plastic, and occasionally feathers....
The following teams have finished in the top four of their respective IHSA state tournaments:
- baseball •• 3rd place (1993—94); 2nd place (1988—89)
- basketball (girls) •• 4th place (2007—08)(2009—10)
- cross country (girls) •• 2nd place (1995—96)
- football •• 2nd place (1978—79, 81—82, 98—99); State Champions (1982—83, 85—86, 86—87, 87—88)
- golf (boys) •• 4th place (1998—99); 3rd place (1995—96); 2nd place (1977—78, 88—89, 89—90, 90—91, 91—92); State Champions (1992—93, 2000—01)
- track & field (girls) •• 2nd place (1978—79)
- The Pom Pom Dance Team have won first in the state championship five times since 2001 in the Team Dance Illinois State tournament. They have consistently placed among the top three in their state championship tournament every year they have competed since 2001. TDI is recognized by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) and conducts its competitive and educational programs according the IHSA and NFHS Spirit Rules
Notable alumni
- Tyjuan HaglerTyjuan HaglerTyjuan Cedric Hagler is an American football linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
•• class of 2000 •• NFL linebackerLinebackerA linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
, Seattle SeahawksSeattle SeahawksThe Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
(Super Bowl XLI ChampionsSuper Bowl XLISuper Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
)