Cathedral High School (St. Cloud, Minnesota)
Encyclopedia
Cathedral High School is a Roman Catholic coeducation
al parochial high school
located in St. Cloud, Minnesota
. One of the four high schools in the St. Cloud area, as of January 2006 Cathedral enrolls a total of 578 students in grades 9-12; when the attached John XXIII middle school (grades 7-8) is included, the total enrollment is 778. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud
.
John XXIII Middle School
, named after Roman Catholic Pope John XXIII
, was established in 1971 when area Catholic elementary schools, concerned about the education of their 7th and 8th grade students, suggested the upper two grades of their respective schools be consolidated. In 1982 Cathedral High School and John XXIII middle school were fused into one school with one administration.
nasium, the Center Building, the South Building and the Holy Angels Performing Arts
Center (HAPAC). Originally Holy Angels church, the HAPAC was converted into a performing arts center in 1995.
Although the Center Building is the location for the Middle School lockers and the South Building the location for High School lockers, all students attend classes in both buildings.
The most interesting feature of the school's campus is its tunnel
system. All of the buildings are connected by tunnels; in the cold Minnesota
winter, the administration does not allow students to pass between classes outdoors. While the tunnels regularly become congested, they serve as the most efficient way to get to class on time during the winter. The tunnel system also serves as a secure way to keep the school safe from possible intruders. In the winter all entrances are closed and locked except the main entrance, which is equipped with a security camera. The tunnels are not always the fastest way to get to classes; the road between the buildings would be much faster if one's class was on the top floor of another building.
Although the school grounds do not contain many athletic venues (no football field, soccer field, swimming pool, baseball/softball diamonds, tennis courts, or track), with the exception of Rau Field which is used primarily for phys. ed classes, Cathedral still has some of the best performing athletes in MN Class A (see Extracurricular Activities below). The school often uses other area high schools' venues or rents public facilities from the city.
In January 2009, Cathedral High School announced it would tear down the 119-year old "Zardetti House", built for St. Cloud's first Bishop Otto Zardetti
, and turn it into a parking lot. The building had been unused since it was declared unsafe the previous fall.
, Jazz band
, National Honor Society
, and an annual musical theater production. There is also a CHS fishing club which does both summer and ice fishing events.
Sports teams at Cathedral that are regularly competitive include the baseball team (Minnesota state champions in 1977, 1980, 1988, 2001, 2003, 2007 and, 2011 along with 15 total state tournament appearances), boys (State Appearances in 2006,2008, finishing 4th and 2009). girls soccer teams, boys hockey
, and the boys and girls cross country running
teams (both of which regularly qualify their teams for the state meet). The boys cross country team took 1st place at the MN Class A State Tournament in 2005 and 2011.
Cathedral's home baseball stadiums, Dick Putz Field
and Joe Faber Field
, are the sites of the Minnesota Class AA State High School Baseball Tournament, held in June.
Cathedral's competitive speech
team is considered a strong program, as it boasts an extraordinarily large roster and routinely places students in the annual state competition. Most notably, in 2006, junior students Scott Lenner and Timothy J. Meyer won the state title in Duo Interpretation, receiving perfect marks in the finals round, also in 2006, when junior Chelsea Olson became state champion in Extemporaneous Speaking, and in 2008, when eighth grader Jeff Rueter, then from John XXIII Middle School, won the High School competition in the category of Creative Expression. The most recent championship from the school was in 2009, when senior Paul LaNave took the state title in Humorous Interpretation.
The Crusaderette's have won four state championships in the High Kick/Precision MSHSL AA Dance Team Tournament. The first title coming in 2005, in addition to a rare "three-peat" from 2008-2010. The team not only was able to successfully defended their title in 2010, but also won the AA Jazz/ Funk competition.
Cathedral has won the MSHSL-awarded Challenge Cup, an award given to the best-performing school overall in arts and athletics competitions, in 2003-2004 and 2005-2006 for Class A Minnesota high schools.
, including 27 commended scholars and 16 finalists.
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
al parochial high school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
located in St. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 65,842 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stearns County...
. One of the four high schools in the St. Cloud area, as of January 2006 Cathedral enrolls a total of 578 students in grades 9-12; when the attached John XXIII middle school (grades 7-8) is included, the total enrollment is 778. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud
Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud is a Roman Catholic diocese in Minnesota. It was founded on September 22, 1889, out of territory that had been evangelized by the missionary priest Father Francis Xavier Pierz...
.
History
Cathedral High School was established in 1902 when Sister Eleanor Irving, O.S.B. opened a 25-student coeducational school. In 1914, the administration began constructing a new building to house the school. As the school grew, in 1938 another new building (the present-day "Center Building") began construction. In 1947, the school made another addition to its campus by purchasing the "North Building" from adjacent Holy Angels church. This building later became the main Theatre for the school in 1967. Finally, the "South Building" was completed in 1958; shortly thereafter, Cathedral reached its peak enrollment of 1,621 students in 1964.John XXIII Middle School
John XXIII Middle School
John XXIII Middle School is a parochial 7-8 grade middle school located in St. Cloud, Minnesota. It shares a campus with Cathedral High School...
, named after Roman Catholic Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
, was established in 1971 when area Catholic elementary schools, concerned about the education of their 7th and 8th grade students, suggested the upper two grades of their respective schools be consolidated. In 1982 Cathedral High School and John XXIII middle school were fused into one school with one administration.
Campus
The Cathedral High School/John XXIII Middle School campus consists of four buildings: the North GymGym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium, the Center Building, the South Building and the Holy Angels Performing Arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
Center (HAPAC). Originally Holy Angels church, the HAPAC was converted into a performing arts center in 1995.
- North Gymnasium: houses the main athletic gymnasium for the schools and includes offices, a classroom, vending machines, locker rooms, and a weightlifting room.
- Center Building: a three-floor building housing lockers for John XXIII Middle School students; the building contains math, art, science, social studies, a computer lab, religion and English classrooms, a smaller gymnasium (primarily used by the middle school), and a science laboratory. Built in 1938, the building was designed by St. Cloud architect Nairne W. Fisher, who was also architect for St. Mary's Cathedral in St. Cloud, and at age 28, designed the Art Deco Mundelein CollegeMundelein CollegeMundelein College was the last private, independent, Roman Catholic women's college in Illinois. Located on the edge of the Rogers Park and Edgewater neighborhoods on the far north side of Chicago, Illinois, Mundelein College was founded and administered by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed...
building in Chicago. - South Building: a three-floor building primarily used by the high school; the building also contains high school student lockers, math, art, science, social studies, religion and English classrooms, another science laboratory, the cafeteria, the library, and two computer labs.
- Holy Angels Performing Arts Center: the first floor of this building contains the band, choir, and orchestra rehearsal rooms, while the second floor is a large theater for the school's dramatic productions, several school assemblies, and musical concerts.
Although the Center Building is the location for the Middle School lockers and the South Building the location for High School lockers, all students attend classes in both buildings.
The most interesting feature of the school's campus is its tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
system. All of the buildings are connected by tunnels; in the cold Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
winter, the administration does not allow students to pass between classes outdoors. While the tunnels regularly become congested, they serve as the most efficient way to get to class on time during the winter. The tunnel system also serves as a secure way to keep the school safe from possible intruders. In the winter all entrances are closed and locked except the main entrance, which is equipped with a security camera. The tunnels are not always the fastest way to get to classes; the road between the buildings would be much faster if one's class was on the top floor of another building.
Although the school grounds do not contain many athletic venues (no football field, soccer field, swimming pool, baseball/softball diamonds, tennis courts, or track), with the exception of Rau Field which is used primarily for phys. ed classes, Cathedral still has some of the best performing athletes in MN Class A (see Extracurricular Activities below). The school often uses other area high schools' venues or rents public facilities from the city.
In January 2009, Cathedral High School announced it would tear down the 119-year old "Zardetti House", built for St. Cloud's first Bishop Otto Zardetti
John Joseph Frederick Otto Zardetti
John Joseph Frederick Otto Zardetti was a Roman Catholic priest and Bishop in both Europe and the United States during the 19th century...
, and turn it into a parking lot. The building had been unused since it was declared unsafe the previous fall.
Extra-curricular Activities
Cathedral offers over 50 activities for its students, including all major sports and many extracurricular activities such as Knowledge BowlKnowledge Bowl
Knowledge Bowl is an interdisciplinary academic competition involving teams of four to six students trying to answer questions in a written round and several oral rounds. No team is eliminated in this event, and every team participates in every round...
, Jazz band
Jazz band
A jazz band is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands usually consist of a rhythm section and a horn section, in the early days often trumpet, trombone, and clarinet with rhythm section of piano, banjo, bass or tuba, and drums.-Eras:SwingDuring the swing era in the mid-twentieth...
, National Honor Society
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
, and an annual musical theater production. There is also a CHS fishing club which does both summer and ice fishing events.
Sports teams at Cathedral that are regularly competitive include the baseball team (Minnesota state champions in 1977, 1980, 1988, 2001, 2003, 2007 and, 2011 along with 15 total state tournament appearances), boys (State Appearances in 2006,2008, finishing 4th and 2009). girls soccer teams, boys hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
, and the boys and girls cross country running
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...
teams (both of which regularly qualify their teams for the state meet). The boys cross country team took 1st place at the MN Class A State Tournament in 2005 and 2011.
Cathedral's home baseball stadiums, Dick Putz Field
Dick Putz Field
Dick Putz Field is a stadium in St. Cloud, Minnesota. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the former home of the St Cloud Rox of the defunct Class C Northern Lg and also the St. Cloud River Bats baseball team. They currently play at Joe Faber Field. It was built in 1971. It holds 2,200 people...
and Joe Faber Field
Joe Faber Field
Joe Faber Field is a baseball venue located in St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA. The park opened in 1998 and has a capacity of around 2,000. It is the home of the St. Cloud River Bats of the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball league. It also hosts the baseball team of St. Cloud State...
, are the sites of the Minnesota Class AA State High School Baseball Tournament, held in June.
Cathedral's competitive speech
Minnesota High School Speech
Minnesota High School Speech refers to the competitive forensics system in the state of Minnesota. These activities are currently coordinated and organized by the Minnesota State High School League, otherwise known as the MSHSL....
team is considered a strong program, as it boasts an extraordinarily large roster and routinely places students in the annual state competition. Most notably, in 2006, junior students Scott Lenner and Timothy J. Meyer won the state title in Duo Interpretation, receiving perfect marks in the finals round, also in 2006, when junior Chelsea Olson became state champion in Extemporaneous Speaking, and in 2008, when eighth grader Jeff Rueter, then from John XXIII Middle School, won the High School competition in the category of Creative Expression. The most recent championship from the school was in 2009, when senior Paul LaNave took the state title in Humorous Interpretation.
The Crusaderette's have won four state championships in the High Kick/Precision MSHSL AA Dance Team Tournament. The first title coming in 2005, in addition to a rare "three-peat" from 2008-2010. The team not only was able to successfully defended their title in 2010, but also won the AA Jazz/ Funk competition.
Cathedral has won the MSHSL-awarded Challenge Cup, an award given to the best-performing school overall in arts and athletics competitions, in 2003-2004 and 2005-2006 for Class A Minnesota high schools.
General
| Statistic | Cathedral High School | State (MN Minnesota Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state... ) Average |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage of students of color: | 2% | 10% |
| School days in calendar year: | 172 | 175 |
| Hours in school day: | 6 | 6 |
| Number of teachers: | 60 | NA |
| Teacher to student ratio: | 1:14 | 1:16 |
Scholastic achievement
| Statistic | Cathedral High School | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... Average |
|---|---|---|
| Average ACT ACT (examination) The ACT is a standardized test for high school achievement and college admissions in the United States produced by ACT, Inc. It was first administered in November 1959 by Everett Franklin Lindquist as a competitor to the College Board's Scholastic Aptitude Test, now the SAT Reasoning Test... composite score |
25.0 | 20.9 |
| Average SAT SAT The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still... verbal score |
627 (9% of senior class) | 507 |
| Average SAT math score | 608 | 520 |
| Average SAT writing score | 587 | 516 |
National Merit
From 2000 to 2006, 43 seniors were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship ProgramNational Merit Scholarship Program
The National Merit Scholarship Program is a United States academic scholarship competition for recognition and college scholarships administered by National Merit Scholarship Corporation , a privately funded, not-for-profit organization. The program began in 1955...
, including 27 commended scholars and 16 finalists.
Trivia
- Film director Stephen SommersStephen SommersStephen Sommers is an American screenwriter and film director, best known for The Mummy and its sequel, The Mummy Returns. He also directed Disney's live action version of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, the action/horror film Van Helsing, and the 2009 film G.I...
, in his debut film, 1989's Catch Me If You CanCatch Me If You Can (1989 film)Catch Me If You Can is a 1989 film starring Grant Heslov, Geoffrey Lewis, M. Emmet Walsh, music by Tangerine Dream and was the directorial debut by writer and director Stephen Sommers.-Plot:...
, used Cathedral High School's campus as the setting for many scenes.