St. Michael's High School

For other schools named after St. Michael, see St. Michael's School (disambiguation).
St. Michael's High School

Enter to learn, leave to serve.
Address
100 Siringo Road
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
United States
Information
Type Private, coeducational
high school
Established 1859 (chartered 1874)
President Taylor Gantt
Principal Sam Govea
Enrollment 600 (7-12) [1]
Campus Suburban, 25 acres
Color(s)          
Light Navy and White
Athletics conference NMAA, AAA Dist. 5
Mascot Horsemen
Rival St. Pius X High School
Santa Fe Indian School
Santa Fe High School
Website www.stmichaelssf.org

St. Michael's High School is a private Catholic junior/senior high school located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is privately run under the auspices of the international Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, better known as the De La Salle Christian Brothers.

St. Michael's teaches grades 7 through 12 and has an enrollment of approximately 600 students. The school has a president/principal structure and is overseen by a Board of Trustees. The school operates on a trimester schedule.

History

St. Michael's High School was founded in 1859 as El Colegio de San Miguel in an adobe hut next to the San Miguel Mission on Old Santa Fe Trail, just east of the current state capitol building. In 1968 it moved to its current location at 100 Siringo Road in Santa Fe and became co-educational upon the closing of the Loretto Academy for Girls. Prior to the construction of the school at its Siringo Road location, the high school took on boarders from New Mexico and other states.

Jean-Baptiste Lamy, the first bishop and archbishop of Santa Fe, New Mexico, recruited four Christian Brothers from his native France to establish the school. Brothers Hilarien, Gondulph, Geramius and Galmier Joseph arrived on October 27, 1859, after two and a half months of travel by ship, train and covered wagon. In 1870, the school nearly closed due to financial hardship and falling morale of the Brothers and students. Brother Peter J. Schneider, known as Brother Botulph, arrived to open a novitiate to train local student Brothers and recruit more Brothers to Santa Fe. In 1874, the territorial legislature granted the school a charter as the College of the Christian Brothers of New Mexico. In 1876, St. Michael's conferred diplomas on its first graduates.

In the early decades of the twentieth century, the school's science labs were remodeled, the school's first gymnasium, financed by alumni donations, was constructed, and athletic teams began competing in New Mexico's interscholastic sports program. After World War I, the college program was dropped due to financial concerns.

Since 1967 there has been a gradual but steady increase in the number of lay teachers at St. Michael's, as the Brothers grow older and retire. In 1988, St. Michael's admitted its first lay person to the Board of Trustees and soon after hired its first lay, and first female, principal.

For many years, St. Michael's was primarily a boarding school. The two story building next to San Miguel Chapel was a dormitory for male high school students (it was originally a 3 story building). When the school moved to its current location, it became solely a day school. and the old school campus was sold to the State of New Mexico.

In 1957, students at St. Michael's helped tear down old barracks at Los Alamos, and moved them to the then St. Michael's College (now College of Santa Fe). A large number of students participated in this on weekends.

St. Michael's used the road system at St. Michael's College, which had been an Army Hospital during World War II, for drivers training for their students

In the 1950s, it was very popular for St. Michael's boarding students to investigate the old New Mexico State Prison. Sitting in the Electric Chair was always popular. School dances were regularly held with the students of Loretto Academy. The BIG football rivalry was St. Michael's against Santa Fe High School. Students regularly went ice skating at a resivor new Las Vegas, NM. These things were all experienced by Lynton "Bill" Sterwart, while a student at St. Michael's in 1957/1958.

Facilities

The school's campus covers 25 acres, and includes two gymnasiums, athletics fields, and other facilities. St. Michael's is the owner of the San Miguel Mission, reputed to be the oldest church west of the Mississippi River, as well as the "Oldest House" across the alleyway, said to be the remnants of an Indian pueblo.

Athletics

St. Michael's athletic nickname is the Horsemen. The school has won over 69 State Championships from NMAA sanctioned sports and events. St. Michael's competes in AAA, District 5, along with Hope Christian School, Sandia Preparatory School and Santa Fe Indian School.[2]

State Championships Class Year:
Boys Cross Country 3A 2006, 2008
Girls Cross Country 3A 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
Football 3A 1937, 1964, 1972, 2003, 2007, 2012
Volleyball 3A 2002
Girls Soccer 3A 1997, 2001, 2007, 2009
Wrestling 3A 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 2010, 2012, 2013
Boys Basketball 1A-3A 1940, 1942, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007,2012
Baseball 3A 2003, 2004
Boys Tennis 3A 1974, 1982, 1985
Boys Golf 3A 2009, 2010
Girls Golf 3A 2004, 2005, 2006
Girls Track & Field 3A 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Spirit-Dance Team 3A 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1992, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004,
2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013
Cheer 3A 1982, 1986
Chess 3A 2012, 2014, 2015

Notable alumni

References

  1. SMHS At a Glance. Stmichaelssf.org. Retrieved on September 11, 2015
  2. NM MVP Pub: Alignments. Nmact.org. Retrieved on 2012-06-22.

External links

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