York Catholic High School

York Catholic High School

Maria Impende Juvamen
O Mary, bestow your aid
Address
601 East Springettsbury Avenue
York, Pennsylvania, (York County) 17403
United States
Coordinates 39°57′20″N 76°42′40″W / 39.95556°N 76.71111°W / 39.95556; -76.71111Coordinates: 39°57′20″N 76°42′40″W / 39.95556°N 76.71111°W / 39.95556; -76.71111
Information
Type Private, Coeducational
Religious affiliation(s) Roman Catholic
Principal Katie Seufert
Grades 7-12
Enrollment 688 [1] (2009)
Average class size 22
Student to teacher ratio 15:1
Mascot Fighting Irish
Accreditation Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[2]
Newspaper The Spectator
Yearbook Rosa Mystica
Website

York Catholic High School is a Catholic high school located in York, Pennsylvania, USA, and operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg for boys and girls in the 7th through 12th grades.

Campus

York Catholic High School is located at 601 East Springettsbury Avenue in downtown York. The campus and athletic fields stretch north and westward, stopping at Vander and Sampson Avenues. The school is located next to the York City Ice Arena, as well as various other locales downtown.

The School is composed of a main classroom building reaching three floors in height, as well as The Brady Science Hall wing primarily used by the junior high students (grades 7-8). While many of the core junior high classes are in this area, students in all grades can have classes in the wing or in the main building.[1]

A Fact Sheet about York Catholic is available on the official school website at www.yorkcatholic.org or click York Catholic Fact Sheet 2011-2012.

Academics

The School teaches college preparatory and advanced placement curricula. This is evident in the seniors’ SAT scores, which are consistently higher than state and national averages.[1] In addition, York Catholic’s high level of academic excellence has repeatedly earned the school merit from the Middle States Association. Middle States is an institution that accredits secondary schools and colleges which meet “prescribed qualitative standards of the Middle States Association within the terms of the school's own stated philosophy and objectives.” [3]

The following are a few academic statistics from the York Catholic website:

Many parents of current and past students have praised York Catholic on the quality of its academics. Widely-recognized greatschools.net is host to many accolades by various YCHS parents. In October 2005, one parent commented that “[York Catholic has a] high college attendance ratio, even for a private school. Discipline and 'esprit de corps' has worked wonders for kids who otherwise might have been left behind in the more managed environment of a public school. Staff have an attitude of not giving up on anyone.” [4] Students are challenged academically while at York Catholic and many graduates return to note how well they were prepared for college.

York Catholic has been a major force in education since the 1920s. Employers seek out YC students and graduates because they notice something different—something special. This subtle difference is often mentioned and duly recognized. It is a source of pride for all those who support York Catholic.

Religious orientation and spiritual life

Although Catholicism is not a requirement for admission to the school, York Catholic’s curriculum encourages the Christian faith, as well as teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, while following guidelines from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.[1] York Catholic’s desire to foster Catholic values prompts the school to "create an environment that develops personal integrity, respect for one another, reverence for God, and stewardship for our world." [1]

The following are a few religious statistics from the York Catholic website:

Students are also required to perform community service as part of their service requirement. This is to help foster habits of performing service to others through volunteer work. Students are to perform either 12 or 16 hours of community service per year depending on their grade.[1]

Student activities and athletics

Listed below are various extra-curricular student activities and athletic sports offered by York Catholic, according to its website:

Senior high level

Activities

  • ALPHA Peer Helpers
  • Chapel/Library/AV Aids
  • Chess Club
  • Choruses
  • Concert Band
  • Dramatics/Stage Crew
  • Jazz Band
  • Language Clubs
  • Liturgical Music Group
  • Lit Society [5]
  • Marching Band
  • Math Counts
  • Mission Moderators
  • Mock Trial
  • National Honor Society
  • Pit Orchestra
  • Praise Team
  • Respect Life
  • "Rosa Mystica" (Yearbook)
  • SADD
  • Science Fair
  • "Spectator" (Student Newspaper)
  • Student Council

Athletics

  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Cheerleading
  • Cross Country
  • Football
  • Golf
  • Lacrosse
  • Soccer
  • Softball
  • Tennis
  • Track (with York Tech)
  • Volleyball
  • Wrestling (with York Tech)

York Catholic is home to the four-time state championship and three-time runner-up girls' basketball team (1979–2012) and the five-time state championship and three-time runner up boys' basketball team (1944–2005). The boys' cross country team also won state championships in 1983 and 1985.

Junior high level

Activities

Athletics (in addition to Parish CYO Programs)

Controversy

York Catholic has not been without controversy. Most notably, its administration is often accused of overstepping its bounds in regards to student discipline. Beginning in 2010, the administration began requiring that all females attending the homecoming or prom dances submit a picture of themselves in their dresses to ensure compliance with the school's established dress code. The Director of Students (male) oversees dress code violations, however, after several complaints, a female faculty member was selected to review the photos.

Another area of contention is the seeming inconsistent punishment over strict rules. For example, there have been countless cases of one student receiving a "slap on the wrist" while another is given detention when they both committed the same offense. For example, the dress code requires that "all students be in uniform upon entering the school building." After this rule was established, many students received detention for something as simple as having a button undone in the morning. However, the basketball players were frequently given free passes when they arrived in the morning to play basketball with the vice principal. Inconsistent punishment has also been seen when one student involved in a fight received one day of detention when multiple students receive multiple days for simple violations such as not having hair of appropriate length.

York Catholic's administration has also been accused of violating student privacy. Several cases have occurred where, after a student has graduated and gone on to college, the administration has contacted that student's parents if the school has been notified of something inappropriate appearing on the student's Facebook page. Students are educated throughout their time at York Catholic of the public's access to their internet accounts and the dangers and consequences postings can bring.

Perhaps the most controversial of topics is York Catholic administration's handling of cell phone offenses. When a cell phone is confiscated for disruption of class, the vice principal has, many times, gone through that student's cell phone. Not only is this illegal, but it also raises serious questions of student privacy. When one student refused to provide his password, he was threatened with expulsion. These tactics have led to several cases of charging students with possession of child pornography due to "sexting." No student at York Catholic has been charged.

As of March 2012,York Catholic has again involved itself in controversy regarding invasion of privacy. If the administration sees a post on a social network site that reflects negatively upon the school or simply something they disagree with, the student is called to the principal's office and disciplined. The monitoring invades students' right to privacy, especially when the posts are an expression of free speech. Students have also previously been forced to log in to their social media accounts by the administration, an activity that not only violates privacy, but also violates Facebook's and other services' terms of service.

While no school is without controversy, all students who wish to attend York Catholic sign a contract prior to enrollment agreeing to abide by the rules and regulations of the school. Along with academics, it is stressed that a student's behavior at all times (in school and out of school) should reflect positively on themselves, their family, and their school.

In November 2006, York Catholic's girls' varsity basketball coach Andrew Bria was arrested in a prostitution sting. Bria resigned the day after the arrest, citing personal reasons.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "York Catholic Home Page." York Catholic High School. Accessed 18 March 2008 .
  2. ↑ MSA-CSS. "MSA-Commission on Secondary Schools". Retrieved 2009-05-23.
  3. ↑ "Commission on Secondary Schools." Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Last Edited March 08, 2007. Accessed March 18, 2008 .
  4. ↑ "Parent Reviews of York Catholic High School." greatschools. Accessed March 18, 2008. .
  5. ↑ I actually went there
  6. ↑ "York Catholic coach resigns after arrest".
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