Peoria Notre Dame High School
Encyclopedia
Peoria Notre Dame High School is a Catholic
parochial
high school in Peoria, Illinois
. It is the largest parochial school in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria
with approximately 815 students and has a college preparatory curriculum. According to the school, more than 99% of students graduating in the years 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 went on to four year colleges. The school uses an academy system with a trustee committee, oversight board, pastor's board, president, and principal. The school's team name is the "Irish", like the University of Notre Dame
, but uses the cloverleaf
as its team symbol.
Abram Ryan and seven Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet founded a parochial school in Peoria. Notre Dame was created at the beginning of the 1988–1989 school year by the consolidation of the two Peoria area Catholic high schools, Spalding Institute/Academy of Our Lady (itself from the 1970s consolidation of two schools with histories back to around 1900) and Bergan High School (formed in the 1960s). The Spalding Institute/Academy of Our Lady facility was closed while the Bergan facility was expanded, and both schools were consolidated together as Notre Dame at the site of the Bergan facility.
, to develop and conduct a campus location study. In June 2008, it was announced that the Reid Group had advised the Commission to build a new school, an athletic facility/pool, and new sports fields on a 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) campus north of the present Peoria Academy near the intersection of Willow Knolls Road and Allen Road in outlying Peoria. The estimated $60 million required would be funded largely through a capital campaign and private donations, the diocese, and potentially other parishes in nearby counties. As of November 2009, no definitive timeline was in place for construction of the new school.
Beginning in the 2010-2011 school year many changes were implemented to enhance the schools academic curriculum. A trimester schedule was implemented,along with house system, and a one to one laptop program. The trimester system lowers the number of students the average teacher sees to around 80 a semester from the usual average of 130-150. Longer class periods enable a more engaged approach to education with more time for labs and project based instruction. Every freshman and sophomore student will be required to purchase and use a Macintosh
laptop
; payments will be spread out over three or four years until graduation. Peoria Notre Dame High School is the first high school in the state of Illinois to partner with Apple in implementing a one to one laptop environment. More course content, including AP and college-credit courses and computer coursework, will be done on-line and in a dual online/lecture form. More electives will be offered, and the school intends to eventually offer dual credit courses.
In the winter of 2010 the school was the first high school in the country to offer an online learning day in lieu of a typical weather related closure garnering local, regional, and national attention.
The Peoria Notre Dame High School Fighting Irish were the Illinois State Class 2A Champions in men's soccer and women's cross country at the state finals at North Central College
in Naperville and Detwiller Park. Notre Dame's teams are members of the Mid-State 6 Conference
.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
parochial
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:...
high school in Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
. It is the largest parochial school in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria
Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the central Illinois region of the United States.-Territory:...
with approximately 815 students and has a college preparatory curriculum. According to the school, more than 99% of students graduating in the years 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 went on to four year colleges. The school uses an academy system with a trustee committee, oversight board, pastor's board, president, and principal. The school's team name is the "Irish", like the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, but uses the cloverleaf
Cloverleaf
-Places:*Cloverleaf, Louisville, Kentucky, a neighborhood*Cloverleaf, Texas, a suburb of Houston*Cloverleaf Local School District in southern Medina County, Ohio-Science and technology:*A representation of the chemical structure of a transfer RNA molecule...
as its team symbol.
History
The school traces its roots back to 1863, when FatherClergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
Abram Ryan and seven Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet founded a parochial school in Peoria. Notre Dame was created at the beginning of the 1988–1989 school year by the consolidation of the two Peoria area Catholic high schools, Spalding Institute/Academy of Our Lady (itself from the 1970s consolidation of two schools with histories back to around 1900) and Bergan High School (formed in the 1960s). The Spalding Institute/Academy of Our Lady facility was closed while the Bergan facility was expanded, and both schools were consolidated together as Notre Dame at the site of the Bergan facility.
Recent events
In 2006, the school's Education Commission, in conjunction with the Peoria Area Pastors' Board and the Diocesan Office of Catholic Schools, hired The Reid Group of Bellevue, WashingtonBellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
, to develop and conduct a campus location study. In June 2008, it was announced that the Reid Group had advised the Commission to build a new school, an athletic facility/pool, and new sports fields on a 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) campus north of the present Peoria Academy near the intersection of Willow Knolls Road and Allen Road in outlying Peoria. The estimated $60 million required would be funded largely through a capital campaign and private donations, the diocese, and potentially other parishes in nearby counties. As of November 2009, no definitive timeline was in place for construction of the new school.
Beginning in the 2010-2011 school year many changes were implemented to enhance the schools academic curriculum. A trimester schedule was implemented,along with house system, and a one to one laptop program. The trimester system lowers the number of students the average teacher sees to around 80 a semester from the usual average of 130-150. Longer class periods enable a more engaged approach to education with more time for labs and project based instruction. Every freshman and sophomore student will be required to purchase and use a Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
laptop
Laptop
A laptop, also called a notebook, is a personal computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device and speakers into a single unit...
; payments will be spread out over three or four years until graduation. Peoria Notre Dame High School is the first high school in the state of Illinois to partner with Apple in implementing a one to one laptop environment. More course content, including AP and college-credit courses and computer coursework, will be done on-line and in a dual online/lecture form. More electives will be offered, and the school intends to eventually offer dual credit courses.
In the winter of 2010 the school was the first high school in the country to offer an online learning day in lieu of a typical weather related closure garnering local, regional, and national attention.
The Peoria Notre Dame High School Fighting Irish were the Illinois State Class 2A Champions in men's soccer and women's cross country at the state finals at North Central College
North Central College
North Central College is a leading liberal arts college providing students at different stages of life and from different ethnic, economic and religious backgrounds with comprehensive educational programs.-Academics:...
in Naperville and Detwiller Park. Notre Dame's teams are members of the Mid-State 6 Conference
Mid-State 6 Conference
The Mid-State 6 Conference is a high school athletic conference in central Illinois.Member schools are*Richwoods*Peoria High School*Manual High School*Notre Dame High School *Notre Dame High School...
.
Notable alumni
- Wayne A. DowningWayne A. DowningWayne Allan Downing was a retired four-star United States Army general born in Peoria, Illinois. He graduated from the United States Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1962 and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Tulane University.-Military career:*Sep 62 - Feb...
(1940–2007) – GeneralGeneral (United States)In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
, U.S. ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, namesake of the Peoria International Airport, former commander of U.S. Special Operations CommandUnited States Special Operations CommandThe United States Special Operations Command is the Unified Combatant Command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Commands of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps of the United States Armed Forces. The command is part of the Department of Defense...
, 1993-1996. - Joseph E. GirardiJoe GirardiJoseph Elliott Girardi is a former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager of the New York Yankees. During a 15-year playing career, he played from 1989–2003 for the Chicago Cubs, the Colorado Rockies, the New York Yankees, and St. Louis Cardinals...
– Current manager of the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
and former Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
catcher. - Ray LaHoodRay LaHoodRaymond H. "Ray" LaHood is a Republican politician from Illinois who is currently the United States Secretary of Transportation, having served since 2009. Previously, he represented the Illinois's 18th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for seven terms .-Early life and...
– Current U.S. Secretary of TransportationUnited States Secretary of TransportationThe United States Secretary of Transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation, a member of the President's Cabinet, and fourteenth in the Presidential line of succession. The post was created with the formation of the Department of Transportation on October 15, 1966,...
and former U.S. CongressmanUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. - Brian RandleBrian RandleBrian Randle is an American basketball player. He recently played college basketball at the University of Illinois and wore the number 42. Randle graduated from Peoria Notre Dame High School in 2003 and had an outstanding senior season averaging 22.9 points, 12.8 rebounds, 5.2 blocks and 3.1...
– Former basketballBasketballBasketball 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...
player, University of IllinoisUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignThe University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, 2003-2007. - Fulton J. SheenFulton J. SheenServant of God Fulton John Sheen, born Peter John Sheen was an American archbishop of the Catholic Church known for his preaching and especially his work on television and radio...
(1895–1979) – CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
ArchbishopArchbishopAn archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
(Titular Archbishop of Newport, Wales; Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of RochesterRoman Catholic Diocese of RochesterThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester is a diocese of the Catholic Church in the Greater Rochester region of New York State in the United States. The region that the Diocese comprises extends from its northern border on the south shore of Lake Ontario through the Finger Lakes region to its...
; Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New YorkRoman Catholic Archdiocese of New YorkThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York covers New York, Bronx, and Richmond counties in New York City , as well as Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties in New York state. There are 480 parishes...
) and sainthood candidate, former host of The Catholic Hour on radio and the television program Life is Worth LivingLife is Worth LivingLife is Worth Living is an inspirational American television series which ran on the DuMont Television Network from February 12, 1952 to April 26, 1955, then on ABC until 1957.-Broadcast history:Hosted by Bishop Fulton J...
.