Detroit Catholic Central High School
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| Detroit Catholic Central High School | |
 Wixom Road Campus |
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| Established: | 1928 |
|---|---|
| School type: | Private, Catholic |
| Location: | Novi, Michigan |
| Enrollment: | ~1,000+ students |
| Mascot: | "The Shamrocks" |
| Colors: | Royal blue and White |
| Homepage: | [http://www.catholiccentral.net www.catholiccentral.net |
Detroit Catholic Central High School, commonly referred to as Catholic Central or CC, is a private, Catholic, all-male college preparatory high school in Novi, Michigan. It is operated by the Congregation of St. Basil and staffed by both Basilian fathers and lay teachers. Enrollment is currently about 1100 students, drawing from across the suburban Detroit area. The school was founded in 1928 in Detroit, and was located in several different locations before moving to the current facility. The school colors are royal blue and white, and the athletic teams are referred to as the Shamrocks. The colors blue and white were chosen to represent the Virgin Mary, the school's patron. The Shamrock nickname comes from the school founders who wished to keep some of their Irish heritage affiliated with the school. Shamrock teams have won multiple state championships in football, ice hockey, baseball and cross country. Catholic Central has also won multiple Quiz Bowl state championships; two of these quiz bowl teams would go on to win the national title.
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[edit] History
Detroit Catholic Central was founded in 1928 in Detroit and originally located on Harper Avenue, at the site of Holy Rosary Church. In 1934, control of Catholic Central was assumed by the Basilian Fathers and the school moved to 60 Belmont Street, just north of Woodward Avenue site of the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, the seat of the Archdiocese of Detroit. The school's enrollment continued rising, so the Basilians purchased a seventeen acre tract of land on the corner of Hubbell and West Outer Drive. Though the planned construction was not complete until 1961, Catholic Central moved into 6565 West Outer Drive (a site now occupied by Renaissance High School) in 1951.
The Belmont Street location later housed the similarly named Detroit Cathedral High School, staffed by the Brothers of Christian Instruction from the early 1950s until the late 1960s.
Detroit Catholic Central would remain on West Outer Drive until 1978, when, in a controversial move, it moved out of the city of Detroit to the suburb of Redford. Although this was only intended to be a temporary move, Catholic Central remained in Redford at 14200 Breakfast Drive for another 27 years (the same length of time it had been on Outer Drive).
In July 2005, the school relocated to 27225 Wixom Road in Novi.
[edit] Academics Overview
The Curriculum of Catholic Central High School is the result of careful planning and evaluation. It is designed to meet the special needs and interests of all students while developing skills and attitudes basic to our social, civic and economic life. The courses of study, offering an integrated Christian approach, are endorsed by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and lead to a fully accredited high school diploma. The course of study at Catholic Central High School is designed to prepare students for college. Students are given wide latitude in their subject selections but are advised to obtain the professional advice of their counselor when choosing a program for the school year.
Courses are offered in Art, Computers, English, French, Health, History, Latin, Math, Music, Science, Spanish, and Theology. The school also has Advanced Placement courses in American Government, Americam History, Biology, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chemistry, Computer Science, English, European History, French, and Spanish.
Detroit Catholic Central High School is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
[edit] Academic Excellence
Detroit Catholic Central boasts one of the strongest academic programs in the state. The school consistently graduates high numbers of National Merit Finalists and students receiving National Letters of Commendation.
The new school is one of the first in the state to utilize Internet Protocol for computers, telephony, and video services. Five full computer labs are available for curricular use. Additional computers are available in the Media Center, science labs, the yearbook and newspaper centers, and in the Art and Music Suites. Every student is provided with his own password and email account.
The school succeeds as a college preparatory institution. Students score well above national and state averages on both the ACT and SAT. The percentage of graduates attending college immediately after graduation is typically between 95-100%.
[edit] Campus
The new campus, opened in August of 2005 sits on 60 acres of wooded land in the suburban City of Novi. The land and most of the funding for construction was donated by friends and alumni of the school.
It includes a 350 person capacity chapel, a laboratory for each scientific discipline, 5 computer labs, art and music studios, computer connectivity in every room, a fitness center, two gymnasiums, 8 tennis courts, two baseball fields, and a 4,500 seat athletic stadium with Field Turf.
The Catholic Central Library Media Center is the school's curriculum support hub. Fourteen thousand books and multimedia information vehicles comprise the core campus collection. This sizable collection is accessed, searched, and circulated via the automated catalogue. Ninety national and international newspapers plus 1,800 periodical titles are available, on campus and at home, to faculty, students, and alumni.
An enormous venue of academic software, arranged in academic program groups, provides reference materials, practice ACT/SAT tests, foreign language exercises, and Java driven graphics to animate history, travel, the arts, and sciences. The Library Media Center's marvelous interweaving of print and nonprint sources offers a rich menu to maximize enjoyable learning and academic success. Faculty and students have home access to the Media Center's book, media, periodical and newspaper resources.
[edit] Extracurricular
- The school newspaper is The Spectrum, which for national ads is a member of the High School National Ad Network.
- There are currently four bands at Catholic Central. (see more about the bands below)
- The Quiz Bowl team has won multiple State Championships and two National Championships and is the reigning state champion since 2001. Consensus in the Michigan Quiz Bowl community places it roughly at par with Troy High School and East Lansing High School as of January 2007.
- Other activities include the Bowling League, Chess Club, Computer Club, French Club, Intramural Sports Program, Mathematics Club, Monogram Club, Science Club, Student Council, Yearbook, Robotics, Science Olympiad, and Spanish Club.
[edit] Athletics
Catholic Central's athletic teams, known as the Shamrocks, compete in a variety of interscholastic sports including baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, hockey, lacrosse, skiing, soccer, swimming, tennis, track, and wrestling.
Of particular note are the football team, which has won nine state titles since 1979 including a 3-peat from 2001 to 2003; and the hockey team, which won five consecutive Division I state championships from 1999 to 2003 (during this span they were ranking #1 in the nation). CC has also recently won state titles in baseball, golf, and cross-country, and while other sports such as soccer and lacrosse have had less success(although 2006 State runner-up) they are still enthusiastically supported by the student body.
CC's main rival is Brother Rice, whose football team they often play at a neutral location in the largely-attended Boys' Bowl, which is the homecoming game; other rivals include U of D Jesuit, Trenton (particularly in hockey), and St. Mary's Preparatory. The teams compete in the Central Division of the Detroit Catholic League and in Class A/Division I (largest schools) of the Michigan High School Athletic Association.
Catholic Central has many fight songs; most notable are the school song, played at key points during sporting events, and the spirit song, played after touchdowns at football games. The spirit song's tune may be familiar to those from Texas as the Aggie War Hymn of Texas A&M University.
They also sing "Mary, Alma Mater" after the game, regardless of the outcome.
[edit] Band
There are four types of bands at CC. The Beginning Band is for those first starting an instrument. The Concert band is mostly for freshmen who have played for at least 6 months. The Symphonic band is comprised mostly of sophomores, juniors, and Seniors. The jazz band is open to any student at Catholic Central and is a before-school program. Jazz band plays at the Christmas and Spring Concert every year. The Concert band and Symphonic band combine as a Marching band to play at all home games, boy's bowl, and the game verse Brother Rice at Ford Field. Also, a smaller, "pep band" is sent to support the football team at away games. Every year, each individual of the symphonic and concert band play at the Michigan Solo and Ensemble festival. The concert and symphonic bands also play at the MSBOA band festival, with three pieces of music, and are rated by several judges. The symphonic band has achieved consecutive I's (being the highest rating possible) for several straight years. The marching band goes on a trip every other year to overseas areas. In the past, the Marching band has gone to and won awards at London, Hawaii, and Paris. The Marching band has most recently gone to London in December 2006 and performed in the annual New Years Day Parade. All bands are under the direction of Mr. Gregory Normandin who has been the music instructor for twenty-five years since 1981.
[edit] The Drive
Beginning in February of each school year, the students hold a fund raiser known as "The Drive". The school and homerooms are decorated according to the year's theme, and a contest is held for the winners. Money is brought in by selling raffle tickets, and as money goals are reached, the principal of the school grants free days off school, usually around 12 per year. In 2007, $267,383.13 was raised, it is the most made in CC history.
[edit] Song Lyrics
- Mary, Alma Mater
Mary, Alma Mater,
Your sons of Central honor,
And trusting in your goodness,
We hopefully implore,
That by your grace we may every day,
Prove that we are men,
Of Mary, Alma Mater,
Inspire us evermore.
Mary, Alma Mater,
Your sons of Central honor,
And proudly wear your colors,
The royal Blue and White,
May valiant Blue and peerless White,
Teach us to be men,
Of Mary, Alma Mater,
Inspire us evermore.
[edit] Notable alumni
- Doug Brzezinski '94, Boston College and Carolina Panthers (NFL) Offensive lineman[1]
- Mike Cox '80 (R), Michigan Attorney General
- Sean Cox, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan
- Andy Dillon, '80 (D), Michigan Speaker of the House
- Michael Duggan, current CEO of the Detroit Medical Center and former Wayne County, Michigan prosecutor
- Charlie Haeger, Chicago White Sox pitcher
- Stan Heath, college basketball head coach, formerly with Arkansas and now with South Florida
- Dan Lukacinsky, guitarist, Suicide Machines
- Thaddeus McCotter '83 (R-MI), United States Congressman
- Mark Messner '84, University of Michigan and former NFL lineman
- David Moss, forward for the NHL's Calgary Flames
- Phil Parsons, NASCAR Driver
- James Ryan, Senior Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- Chris Sabo, former Major League Baseball third baseman
- Alex Shelley '01, professional wrestler
- Frank Tanana, former Major League Baseball pitcher
- Kerry Zavagnin, United States national soccer team
[edit] External links
- Official Catholic Central Website
- Detroit News Article "Catholic Central High School is ready for new home in Novi"
