Good evening, and welcome!
We hope that you’ll enjoy this evening—You're going to meet our students, sit in some of our classes to watch our teachers in action, talk with our coaches and other teachers, listen to our band—and walk away with a pretty clear window on who we are and how we do things.
But allow me for just a moment to speak not so much on the "how" and instead talk about the “why." Why are we here? Why do I work here? Why does St. Michael exist?
Our mission statement says it simply: We’re trying to build “scholars, leaders and disciples of Jesus Christ.”
The thing is, we live in a culture that is very pessimistic about teenagers. It tells them over and over that they’re not capable of handling disappointment (so we give everyone a trophy), or that they’re not capable of real scholarship (so we inflate their grades), or that living morally is impossible (so we teach them “safe sex” instead). And the truly harmful effect of this messaging is that teenagers begin to believe all these things about themselves.
But that’s not our view! We believe teenagers are children of God, temples of the Holy Spirit, and infused with the grace of Christ, "who strengthens us, and through whom we can do all things." (Philippians 4:13). They—and we—are called to holiness! They—and we—are called to be saints!
We want students to "go for it," to extend themselves beyond their comfort zones, to delve deeper into their studies, to try out for teams (even if they're not selected), to join new clubs, to serve others in new ways, and to strive for excellence. In so doing, we believe students will grow into young men and women who are happy, confident in their futures, and ready to make a difference in this world.
See, the thing is, I believe teens are hungry, deep down, to be challenged. They are utterly bored and uninspired by an accommodating, "lowest common denominator" approach to life. They want their lives to matter; they want to be challenged by the gospel, to believe that such a life is possible, and they are powerfully attracted to people who are living as if it is.
A high school can have a transformational impact on a student’s sense of “self” over a four year period! If they soak in a culture of optimism, if they are immersed in a culture of excellence, if they’re blessed by teachers who care about them and lift them up when they stumble, and if they’re elevated by a dynamic, lively faith, we believe Catholic high schools can change students' lives!
That’s our “why”, and I think if you talk to our teachers and get to know them, they’ll have their own way of saying it, but their “why” is the same.
----
You would be entering St. Michael at an exciting time in our young history.
- We think we’re going to be close to maximum enrollment next year, and may even have wait lists for the freshman year as early as January. We started at 99 kids in 2016, then 190, then 290, and this year, 322. We’ll graduate a relatively small senior class of 56, and bring in about 90 new freshman, and counting some attrition, should come in around 340-350 next year.
- We’re now a complete 9-12 program, with academic levels at either the Collegiate Studies or Honors/AP level. We offer up to 9 A.P. classes for those capable of those classes, with a full array of elective offerings in music, art, chorus, science, weight-lifting, languages and other classes. We have a resource program, called Aegis, for students with documented learning disabilities, and a wonderful teacher whose job it is to assist these kids make their way through our Collegiate Studies program.
- Our athletic teams will be starting their 3rd year at the varsity level, with 11 current varsity teams, and will be likely adding golf as a 12th varsity team next year.
- We’re beginning a five year building project for additional athletic facilities, made possible by a successful 5 million dollar capital campaign, and will be starting on the construction of a 10,000 square foot field house this spring, to include a weight room, male and female locker rooms, coaches’ offices, a media room and athletic trainer’s office. When the money is in hand from the pledges, we’ll also be building a football/soccer stadium, a baseball field, a central concessions/bathroom complex, and adding over 500 additional parking places. We are now blessed to own 80 acres here—and will have lots of room to expand as our path becomes clearer in the future.
- I believe we have a first rate faculty and staff. Well credentialed, experienced, they enjoy teenagers, and care for them.
- And though we’re beginning our 5th year next year, we’re still young enough that we’re still creating ourselves—and so we’re looking for families, for students, who will co-create this place with us. So it’s kind of cool time to be a student here—if a student sees a gap somewhere—like in our extra curricular clubs, for example, perhaps she or he recruit a teacher to sponsor it, and then can be the founder of that club to fill that gap!
I can tell you—It’s a fun place to work, a fun place to study, a fun place to grow up! I think our students would say it’s hard work at times, but they’d also say they have a lot of fun here. Hopefully, you’ll get a sense of all that tonight as you meet people.
I’ll be around all evening. Will be happy to talk with you personally if you have questions.
