Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory

Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep Signum Fidei. Caritas Christi Urget Nos. www.shcp.edu
Excellence in Catholic education since 1852 Signum Fidei. Caritas Christi Urget Nos. (Sign of Faith. Christ's Love Urges Us.)
Address
1055 Ellis Street Cathedral Hill San Francisco (Cathedral Hill), California 94109 United States
Coordinates	37°46′59″N 122°25′24″W / 37.78306°N 122.42333°W / 37.78306; -122.42333Coordinates: 37°46′59″N 122°25′24″W / 37.78306°N 122.42333°W / 37.78306; -122.42333
Information
Type	Private, Coeducational
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic; Daughters of Charity; Christian Brothers
Established	1852 (St. Vincent/Cathedral) 1874 (Sacred Heart)
Opened	1987 (Cathedral & Sacred Heart merged)
School district	Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco
President	Brother Ronald Gallagher, FSC
Dean	Mario Sazo
Faculty	Approximately one-hundred lay teachers, including three Christian Brothers and four Daughters of Charity comprise the professional staff. In addition to bachelor’s degrees and teaching credentials, five hold doctorates, and fifty hold master’s degrees.
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	1,314 (2016)
Campus	Urban
Color(s)	Green, White and Blue
Slogan	Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve; Conducting Scientific Research Daily
Fight song	Alma Mater (See Below)
Athletics conference	West Catholic Athletic League
Mascot	Seamus
Team name	Fightin' Irish
Rival	Saint Ignatius College Preparatory
Accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges^[1]
Average SAT scores	Overall Mean Score for Class of 2014: Critical Reading 537, Math 540, Writing 545 (below average)
Average ACT scores	Average Score for Class of 2014: English 24.2, Math 23.1, Reading 24.7, Science 22.7, Composit 23.5 (below average)
Publication	Oracle (creative writing journal)
Newspaper	Emerald
Yearbook	Shamrock
Endowment	$16 Million
Tuition	$19,500 +fees/pledge ^[2]
National Merit Scholars	9 (class of 2013)
Dean of Students	Mario Sazo
Admissions Director	Tim Burke
Athletic Director	Phil Freed Jo Ann Momono
Website	http://www.shcp.edu

Sacred Heart Cathedral "Preparatory", commonly known as SHC, or SH, is a Catholic school located in the Cathedral Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Founded in 1852, Sacred Heart Cathedral is the oldest Catholic secondary school in San Francisco. SHC was the first co-ed Catholic high school in San Francisco. SHC is owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco, and sponsored by the Daughters of Charity and the Christian Brothers. SHC offers a values-based curriculum in the Lasallian and Vincentian traditions. The school prides itself on its commitment to its educational philosophy: "Enter to learn; leave to serve." Students participate in many service activities throughout their time at SHC, but mandatory service hours are not a graduation requirement. Service activities include "van outreach" trips to feed the homeless, and time spent in the nearby St. Anthony's Dining Room, as well as immersion trips to impoverished areas around the country and in Central and South America.^[3]

The school's motto is a combination of the Christian Brothers and Daughters of Charity mottos: "Signum Fidei, Caritas Christi Urget Nos".

Facilities

De Paul Campus for the Arts

The school is located in Cathedral Hill, a sub-neighborhood of San Francisco's Western Addition, commonly known as the Fillmore District, with the two academic buildings located on the corner of Gough and Ellis Streets. On the northwest corner of the intersection is the former Cathedral High School building, which is called the De Paul Campus for the Arts in honor of St. Vincent de Paul. It currently houses the Sister Caroline Collins, DC, Theater, opened in fall of 2010; freshman lockers; the history, visual and performing arts, and languages other than English departments.

The building adjoins San Francisco's Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption and was built at the same time as it; the school's former building was razed by the Archdiocese of San Francisco to make room for the construction of the new Cathedral. The cathedral's rectory is adjacent to the De Paul Campus but there is no access to it from the school; the entrance is located on the northeast corner entrance of the campus. Pope John Paul II stayed in the rectory at the De Paul Campus during his trip to San Francisco in 1987, which is marked by a plaque at the entrance of the rectory.

La Salle campus

On the southeast corner of Gough and Ellis lies the school's La Salle campus, named in honor of St. John Baptist de La Salle. This campus has a six story building which houses school administration offices, the library, and the English, Mathematics, Science, and Religion departments. Each floor is completely occupied by a subject. The building is built into the side of a hill, and the entrance into the building goes into the third floor instead of the first floor, so visitors must walk two stories down to get to the first floor. The library occupies the entire sixth story, except for a small chapel and veranda, which offers panoramic views overlooking San Francisco to the west and south. The La Salle campus occupies most of the block bordered by Gough, Ellis, Franklin, and Eddy streets, but other prominent buildings are the "Brothers' House" which houses the school's Christian Brothers community, and a house designed by renowned architect Bernard Maybeck.

Student Life Center

The Sister Teresa Piro, DC, Student Life Center, completed in 2004 at an estimated cost of $16 million, houses a 1,500-seat athletic gym, which is home to the school's championship men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams. Underneath the gym is a 1,000-seat Dining Hall. The building is also adjoined to the old gymnasium and a weight room. Adjoined to this facility is the Fitness Center, which opened in 2006.

Fitness Center

In November 2006, students and faculty members of Sacred Heart Cathedral were invited to the grand opening of their new Fitness Center. At the same time, the school started a campaign, “Fitness for Life”, with intentions of establishing a healthier style of living on campus. The Fitness Center is equipped with brand new exercise equipment, including treadmills, elliptical machines, weights, and game machines. The Fitness Center also includes a dance studio.

Academics

SHC offers an array of courses, from college preparatory through honors and advanced placement curriculum. All students are required to take English and Religious Studies for four years, as well as three years of Math and Social Studies. Students typically opt to take three or four years of Science and a modern language, and one year of a visual or performing art. Freshmen test into Biology or Earth Science and choose a language from among Spanish, French, Japanese, Mandarin and American Sign Language. Sophomores do a year of a Visual or Performing Arts courses and a Church History class. Juniors and Seniors may choose from such courses as AP Government, Senior Seminar, Irish Literature, Calculus AP, or AP Chemistry.

All full-time faculty, librarians, and counselors are represented by a labor union, the San Francisco Archdiocesan Federation of Teachers, Local 2240, which is an affiliate of the California Federation of Teachers (AFT, AFL-CIO). and have a collective bargaining agreement with the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

Admissions

In addition to basic information, applicants must prepare at least two essays about a specific question asked on the application. The applicant will answer questions about him/herself and what they can individually offer the school community. A recommendation letter from a faculty member of their institution previously attended is also required in the application. There is a fee of $85 for submission of the application. The letters of notification are sent out in March. Students with family members who graduated from SH, CHS or SHC, also known as "legacies" have a higher chance of getting into the school and the De Paul Scholarship Program. This has caused some controversy in the admissions process. Sometime in the month of May, applicants are required to take a math placement exam to assess mathematical abilities.

Tuition at SHC for the 2016-2017 is $18,300 plus $1,200 registration fee totaling $19,500 per student.

Irish for a Day & Open House

The Irish for a Day Program allows any 8th Grade student to spend a day with a student ambassador who will take you through a day in the life of a student here and experience SHC firsthand. There is also an open house, where parents and students come to the school to explore the campus.

Prospective students can also take a virtual tour of the campus, in addition to participating in the shadow program and open house.^[4]

Demographics

Sacred Heart Cathedral enrolls approximately 1,250 students from San Francisco and its suburbs. Reflecting the diversity of the Bay Area, students represent different religious, economic, and ethnic backgrounds, including Caucasian, Asian, Filipino, Latino, African American, and Native American. Recently, SHC (partnered, as always, with the Christian Brothers and Daughters of Charity) founded the De Marillac Academy in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood, an impoverished urban community several blocks away from the high school.

Athletics

The athletic teams, known as the Fightin' Irish, compete in the West Catholic Athletic League. There are 22 teams and 53 sport levels for boys and girls at SHC split into Fall, Winter, and Spring seasons. Boys and girls cross country, football, girls golf, girls tennis, and girls volleyball all occur in the fall. Boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, and wrestling compete in the winter. Baseball, softball, boys volleyball, boys and girls lacrosse, boys golf, boys tennis, boys and girls swimming, and boys and girls track and field finish the year's athletics in the spring.^[5]^[6]

Sacred Heart Cathedral's long time cross-town rival is Saint Ignatius College Preparatory. The rivalry is considered the longest west of the Rockies and the oldest Catholic school rivalry in the country. The two schools compete annually for The Bruce Mahoney Trophy. Named after Bill Bruce, a student from Saint Ignatius College Preparatory, and Jerry Mahoney, a student from then-Sacred Heart High School, in dedication of the loss of their lives while fighting in World War II. The trophy goes to the school victorious in the first scheduled league game in two out of three of the following men's sports: football, basketball, and baseball. Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory won the trophy in the 2011-2012 school year by sweeping the football (38-14) and basketball (45-37) games. The first Sacred Heart-St. Ignatius contest was a rugby game played on St. Patrick's Day in 1893. The Irish won by a score of 14-4 (3 touchdowns and two PAT's to one TD and a missed PAT).^[7] One of the players, D.A. White, went on to be Chief of Police in San Francisco.^[8]

Other cross-town rivals are the Crusaders of Archbishop Riordan High School. The varsity football teams compete against each other annually for the Stanfel Cup which was started in 1992. Dick Stanfel (Richard Anthony Stanfel) played at Riordan and was a coach at Sacred Heart. He attended The University of San Francisco and was drafted to the Detroit Lions in the 2nd round, 19th overall in the 1951 NFL Draft.^[9] Most recently, in 2013, the Stanfel Cup was won by Archbishop Riordan, 21-24.^[10]

The girls basketball team has had major success at Sacred Heart Cathedral. SHC has won the state title four times: in 1998, 2006, 2007 and 2008. In the 2007-08 season, the Irish went undefeated in one of the toughest leagues (West Catholic Athletic League) in the nation, with three wins over 2007 Division II champion, Archbishop Mitty High School and three wins over arch-rival St. Ignatius. They were ranked the best team in the nation in the end of the 07-08 season. They won the USA Today National Championship in 2007-2008.^[11]

The girls volleyball team grew into prominence in the 2000s as well. Under head coach Margi Beima, SHC volleyball has won 6 Central Coast Section Championships and 4 Northern California Championships, appearing in the State Division III Finals four times.^[12] SHC has qualified for the CIF State Tournament eight years straight. Many players have graduated from SHC and had successful college athletic careers.

On September 10, 2011, the varsity football team set a national record, returning five fumbles for touchdowns against St. Mary's of Berkeley. The mark bested the NCAA all-division record, the NFL record and the recognized high school record for more fumbles returned for touchdowns. The touchdown scorers were Zach Tapel, Tom Wallace, Viliami Uikilifi, John Morello, and Dennis Light.

The Irish won three CCS Division III titles in the winter season in 2011-2012. Boys basketball, girls basketball, and boys soccer all took home titles on the same day, with the soccer team winning their first in program history. Both the boys and girls volleyball teams also won CCS in 2011-12, setting the all-time school record for most CCS titles in a single season at five. In addition, the boys basketball team also won the Northern California championship.

Student Activities

Clubs

Student activities at SHC range from clubs and student government to social events including dances, barbecues, and community volunteer opportunities. There are over 25 clubs, and many are created by the students with the help of a teacher. Current clubs and organizations include Big Green, Block Club, Book Club, Break Dancing, Broadcasting Club, Chorus, California Scholars Federation, Dance Team, The Emerald Newspaper, French Club, Guitar Club, History Club, the Inquiry and Innovation Program, International Thespian Society, Japanese Club, Lasallian Vincentian Youth (LVY), NetWorld Club, The Oracle, Polynesian Dance Club, Speech and Debate Team, Spoken Word, Sports Medicine Club, Ping Pong Club, Badminton Club, Video Club, Martial Arts Club, Art In Action Club, Ultimate Frisbee Club, Chess Club, Tech Crew, Guitar Club, and the Shamrock Yearbook. All students are encouraged to join a club, but only Freshmen are required to do so (if they do not join a sports team) as a way of immerse themselves in the school community. Most clubs meet on White days during their activity block created by the school so that everyone has the opportunity to participate without having to stay after school hours.

Students also have the opportunity to participate in non-club performing arts activities in the form of the Fall Play and Spring Musical, Digital Photography, Computer Programming, Instrumental Music, Concert Chorus, Chamber Chorus, Women's Ensemble, Testostertones, Vocal Jazz and Jubilee Chorus. Participation in these activities receives a graded credit.

Campus Ministry

Campus Ministry offers opportunities for the SHC community to actively participate in relationships with God, self, and others through discussion, reflection, service, and prayer. Through this community, teachers organize retreats for all grades, such as Venaver Montana and Venaver New Orleans. These are weeklong service trips on which the students incorporate reflection, discussion, service, and prayer, providing community members with the chance to authentically engage their spirituality. A key component of Campus Ministry is Lasallian Vincentian Youth (LVY), run by students who reflect service, faith, and community. In 2012-13, the school began offering the Kairos retreat to seniors and some juniors.

Performing Arts

SHC's chorus groups, theatre company, and band participate in and put on many school wide events. The chorus sings at school masses, special performances, and in front of international audiences. The chorus has successfully competed in competitions. Their choir has traveled around the world to destinations like the Philippines, London, Hawaii, New York, Italy, and Paris. Members have also performed in the Vatican in Rome and St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. The theater company puts on a play in the beginning of the year around November or December and a musical around March or April. In years past they have also provided entertainment at alumni events and put on a student showcase. The SHC orchestra performs at school masses, while the band performs in school rallies, concerts and sporting events and in the annual Columbus Day Parade, Chinese New Year Parade, and St. Patrick's Day Parade. The two also work with the Jazz Ensemble and Guitar Club to put together two yearly concerts for Winter and Spring, occurring in January and May respectively.

Walk-a-Thon

The SHC Walk-a-Thon is the only annual student-driven fundraiser, in which the entire school participates in seeking support from friends, family, and the community. The homeroom with the most donations for the day is awarded a prize such as a free breakfast at the Student Life Center cafeteria. A yearly goal is set and each student is asked to raise $250 toward that goal. Incentives are given for turning in money early as well as for reaching the $250 personal goal. Prizes include a $250 "Shamrock Club Shirt", modified-dress passes, and chances to win cash, gift cards,or iPods by spinning the Prize Wheel. This event happens sometime in September at the Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park. The Walk-a-thon raises money for student activities, athletics, clubs, student travels, construction of new buildings or renovations and updating technology for the school. Examples of use of the funds are the construction of the Student Life Center, library, athletic field, gateway and Fitness-for-Life Center.

Alma mater

This is commonly sung at athletic, or athletic related events.

Alma Mater, Hail! Alma Mater proud

Fighting Irish pride foretold

One voice raised aloud

Our hearts stand bold

Our loyalty to you

Hail Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep.

Green, White and Blue

Unity proclaimed

Fearless we pursue

Untold strength will be our guide,

Irish brave and true!