Teurlings Catholic High School is a private

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 Lafayette, Louisiana

Lafayette, Louisiana

Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...

. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette

Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana

The Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana is an ecclesiastical division of the Catholic Church in the United States. The oldest church in the diocese is the parish church of St. Martinville, dating back to 1756. The diocese was created on January 11, 1918 from the western part of the Archdiocese of New...

.

Background

Teurlings Catholic High School was established in 1955 as Father Teurlings High School. Father William J. Teurlings was the pastor who envisioned the school and arranged for the purchase of the property the school sits on. The school opened shortly before his death in 1957.

Facilities

The school is an open campus, consisting of 38 classrooms divided among different wings, a gymnasium (known as the "Rebeldome"), a cafeteria, library, practice football field, softball and baseball fields, weight room and athletic office, science lab, teacher's lounge, and other standard high school facilities. One unique facility that the school holds is "The Deck," a wooden deck used as a commons area for students before school, during break, and during lunch. There are three unpaved parking lots reserved for students: The side lot which runs along the gymnasium, the back lot which is located near the baseball and softball fields, and the front lot which is located in the front of school. There is a paved parking lot in front of the gym reserved for faculty and visitors.

Clubs and organizations

The school offers a variety of extra-curricular activities, such as 4-H, SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), Key Club, French Club, Art Club, a Nationally Ranked Speech and Debate team with numerous state championships and national competitors, FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), Rebel Ambassadors, Student Council, Quiz Bowl, Beta Club, National Honors Society, and Retreat Ministry. Most clubs contribute large amounts of community service hours, and hold many fundraisers throughout the year.

Athletics

Teurlings Catholic offers the following athletic teams (all co-ed unless otherwise specified): Baseball (boys), Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Swimming, Track and Field (both indoor and outdoor), Volleyball (girls), Wrestling, Rebel Revue Dance Team, and Cheerleading. As of the 2007-2008 school year, the school competes in Division AAAA (formerly competing in AAA). All teams hold numerous district titles, most have won at least one state championship, and both the Rebel Revue and Cheerleaders have placed in the Top 3 in the nation in many contests. The school holds many small rivalries, such as the "Moss Street Rivalry" with Northside High School. Other rivals include Notre Dame High School (Crowley), Breaux Bridge High School (Breaux Bridge), and St. Thomas More High School (Lafayette). The most advertised rivalry, however, is with Catholic High School of New Iberia. All indoor sports (with the exception of indoor track and swimming) are played in the school's gym, named the "Rebeldome." Football games are played at Clark Field, a public stadium at the old N.P. Moss Middle School's campus on the north side of the city (though a capital campaign to build their own stadium is currently in the works). Soccer games are played at various fields such as Moore Park in Carencro. Tennis plays at nearby Acadiana Park. Softball and Baseball games are played on the school's on-site baseball/softball fields. Bowling, Golf, and Track and Field/Cross Country utilize an array of facilities around Lafayette.

Demographics

Most students come from middle/upper-middle class families; however, a percentage of the students attend the school on work-study grants. Most students reside in Upper Lafayette, or in St. Martin and St. Landry Parishes.

Feeder Schools

Most students feed from the following schools (located in Lafayette unless otherwise noted):

• Sts. Leo Seton Catholic School
• St. Genevieve Middle School
• St. Bernard School (Breaux Bridge)
• Carencro Catholic School (Carencro)
• Immaculate Heart of Mary
• Holy Family Catholic School
• Trinity Catholic School (St. Martinville)

Though they are not recognized as feeder schools, some students come from schools such as Our Lady of Fatima, St. Pius X, St. Cecilia School (Broussard), Cathedral Carmel School, and various public schools around Lafayette Parish.

School Hours/Schedule

The school holds classes Monday through Friday from 7:30 A.M. until 2:30 P.M. Student schedules consist of seven periods; however, due to their unique rolling block schedule, students attend five 70 minute periods a day, with five minutes of tranistion time between classes, a ten minute break after the second period, and a thirty-five minute lunch period. On Thursdays, the school holds a mass in the Rebeldome, and the bell schedule is adjusted accordingly. Other schedules are implemented for special occasions, such as early dismissals, afternoon activities, or days when students are required to report to homeroom to conduct school business. One day that is unlike any other area school is Holy Thursday, when students report to school at 6:30 A.M. and attend a Passion Play put on by the members of the Senior Class.