This article needs additional citations for verification .(May 2016) |
Cecilia High School | |
---|---|
Address | |
2397 Cecilia Sr. High School Highway , St. Martin (Parish) , 70521 United States | |
Coordinates | 30°20′18″N91°50′39″W / 30.33833°N 91.84417°W |
Information | |
School type | Public high school |
Established | ~1922 |
School district | St. Martin Parish School District |
School number | 337-667-6221 |
Principal | Nicole Usie |
Teaching staff | 37.39 (FTE) [1] |
Grades | 9–12 |
Enrollment | 788 (2022-23) [1] |
Student to teacher ratio | 21.08 [1] |
Color(s) | Green & Gold |
Athletics conference | Louisiana High School Athletic Association |
Mascot | Barky the Bulldog |
Nickname | Bulldogs |
Rivals | Breaux Bridge High School |
Accreditation | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. |
Yearbook | Big Bark |
Website | chs |
Cecilia High School(CHS) is a 4A public secondary school located in Cecilia, an unincorporated community in Saint Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States.
Cecilia High School is accredited by the Department of Education of the State of Louisiana and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Founded in 1922,[ citation needed ] Cecilia High School is one of three public high schools administered by the Saint Martin Parish School District.
Cecilia High School primarily serves students of northern upper Saint Martin Parish including the communities of Arnaudville, Cecilia, and Henderson.
The unincorporated community of Cecilia was originally known by early Spanish settlers as "La Punta", describing the deep bend in the Bayou Teche; eventually this was translated over time by the French into "La Grande Pointe." Pierre Guidry, a native of Acadia, Nova Scotia and the first settler of Cecilia, acquired three tracts of land from Mrs. Joseph Alexander Declouet in 1791. Following suit, other families settled on lands that was acquired by Declouet through a Spanish land grant dated May 16, 1772, which included some 2,600 acres (11 km2) of land. The community began as a small service center of sorts for the many landowners in outlying areas surrounding the Bayou Teche. As families settled within the area, educational needs of the children was evident yet insufficient. Before the establishment of a public high school in Cecilia, several private schools operated within the community with only a fortunate few enrolled; primarily children of local affluence. As trade and commerce grew within the small steamboat stop along the Bayou Teche, the need for a public school was clearly evident. Headmistress of the first public, free tuition school in the community was under the supervision of Mrs. A. P. Lastrapes (the former Marie De La Croix) in the St. Joseph Chapel around 1893. Lastrapes also served as postmistress for the town - originally named LaPlace - but due to confusion with another town of the same name in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, the community was renamed. Due to the predominantly Roman Catholic population of the area in addition to Lastrapes' love of music, the naming of the community was in honor of Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music. Continued growth in student enrollment spurred the construction of a two-story, four room wooden structure on land purchased by Mr. Joel Dupuis on the eastern bank of the Bayou Teche in preparation for the 1905-1906 session.
Completed in 1922 on the original plot of land donated by Dupuis, the original Cecilia High School building was designed by the architectural firm of Nolan and Torre of New Orleans, Louisiana. The first graduating class of Cecilia High School in 1923 was composed of only five students, all male.
On October 25, 1980, the original three story structure was destroyed by fire, sparing the adjacent gymnasium and auditorium. Though the official cause of the fire was linked to an antiquated boiler system used to heat the school, members of the community continue to speculate about the possibility of arson in the demise of the school. A new Cecilia Junior High School, completed in 1999, was constructed at the former high school site, integrating a renovated gymnasium and auditorium into the design. Due to its distinctive architectural importance, all documentation regarding the original Cecilia High School are maintained by the Southeast Architectural Archives at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Due to increased enrollment on the main campus, several new facilities such as a Multi-Purpose complex, Girl's Gymnasium, Band Hall, softball stadium, and improvements to student parking were completed during the 2012-2013 school year. As of March 2019, a modern football and soccer field, track, and stadium with new fieldhouse and concessions stands are under construction on the main campus.
A college preparatory curriculum is offered as the school stresses a personal approach to the education of the whole student through diverse academic, athletic, and co-curricular programs. The mission of Cecilia High School is "Building a Legacy of Excellence One Student at a Time. In addition to the traditional curriculum offered, several "career centered" courses offer students hand-on and specialized training in specific areas, most notably the school's Cisco Systems Networking Academy, aimed towards student careers in telecommunications and internet networks, the National Restaurant Association ProStart Program which prepares students for careers in hospitality and the culinary arts, the Early Childhood Program that certifies students to work in childcare facilities, the First Responder course which certifies student as First Responders in emergency situations, and the Small Engine Repair program. Students also participate in career & technical courses offered through the Louisiana Technical College system. Dual-enrollment credit is also currently offered in several courses across the curriculum. Teachers are actually hired as adjunt instructors through either the Louisiana Technical College system, or through the Southwest Louisiana Community College system. Recently, a new program in Barbering and Hairstyling is being offered at a satellite campus within the Cecilia community,in a partnership between the St. Martin Parish School Board and St. Martin Parish Government.
In addition to scholarships awarded by numerous colleges and universities, Cecilia High School has an established educational trust: The Mona Halphen Dupuis Memorial Scholarship Fund. Graduating seniors who have displayed exemplary academic and extracurricular achievement throughout their high school career are awarded several tiers of scholarships based on individual achievements and performance throughout high school. Eligible students must apply for the scholarships and students are chosen through a selective process by the board of directors upon recommendation from school faculty and administration.
Cecilia High School offers numerous co-curricular and extracurricular activities encouraging student participation. Numerous student organizations represent the best of Cecilia High School; among them the speech and debate teams, cheerleading, marching and concert bands, colorguard, winterguard, and dance teams, competing at regional, state, and national levels.
The Cecilia High Concert Band recently garnered an invitation to the 2015 Spring Band Competition to be held at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio, Texas.
The mascot of Cecilia High School is the Bulldog (by appearance), though known as the "Mighty Bulldogs" or "Barky the Bulldog".
Cecilia High athletics competes in the LHSAA.
Cecilia High School varsity and junior varsity baseball, basketball (men and women), volleyball, fast-pitch softball, indoor and outdoor track and field, and football teams are sponsored by the school.
Football championships
We gather here in unity
Remembering days of old
and hardships fought with bravery
Which made us strong and bold
And days of joy and friendliness
Which fill our hearts with happiness
We hail our dear old alma mater
Hail, Cecilia High!
Fight for our colors, green and gold
Fight for our honour, heart and soul
Lift up her glory, lift up her name
Shake down the thunder with her fame
Win or lose, we'll never be blue
We stand together, loyal and true
We're from Cecilia, this is our fight song
Cecilia, right or wrong, Hey!
Louisiana Tech University is a public research university in Ruston, Louisiana. It is part of the University of Louisiana System and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".
St. Martin Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, founded in 1811. Its parish seat is St. Martinville, and the largest city is Breaux Bridge. At the 2020 census, the population was 51,767. St. Martin Parish is part of the Lafayette metropolitan area in the region of Acadiana, along the Gulf Coast.
Loreauville is a village in Iberia Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 887 at the 2010 census, down from 938 at the 2000 census. It is part of the New Iberia micropolitan statistical area, and the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area.
Breaux Bridge is a small city in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,139 as of the 2010 census, up from 7,281 in 2000. By 2020, its population was 7,513. It is part of the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area.
Cecilia is a census-designated place (CDP) in St. Martin Parish, in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The community lies within the region of Acadiana, and the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area. It had a population of 1,505 at the 2000 U.S. census, estimated to have grown to 1,917 in 2019 at the American Community Survey's 5-year estimates.
St. Martinville is a city in and the parish seat of St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on Bayou Teche, 13 miles (21 km) south of Breaux Bridge, 16 miles (26 km) southeast of Lafayette, and 9 miles (14 km) north of New Iberia. The population was 6,114 at the 2010 U.S. census, and 5,379 at the 2020 United States census. It is part of the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area.
Arnaudville is a town in St. Landry and St. Martin parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The St. Martin Parish portion of Arnaudville is part of the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area, while the St. Landry Parish portion is part of the Opelousas–Eunice micropolitan statistical area. At the 2020 population estimates program, it had a population of 1,041.
Bayou Teche is a 125-mile-long (201 km) waterway in south central Louisiana in the United States. Bayou Teche was the Mississippi River's main course when it developed a delta about 2,800 to 4,500 years ago. Through a natural process known as deltaic switching, the river's deposits of silt and sediment cause the Mississippi to change its course every thousand years or so.
Benet Academy is a co-educational, college-preparatory, Benedictine high school in Lisle, Illinois, United States, overseen by the Diocese of Joliet. Founded in 1886, the school was initially established in Chicago as the all-boys St. Procopius College and Academy by Benedictine monks, who also operated the St. Joseph Bohemian Orphanage. In 1898, the orphanage moved to Lisle, about 25 miles (40 km) west of Chicago, to be joined by St. Procopius three years later. In 1926, Benedictine nuns constructed the all-girls Sacred Heart Academy near the orphanage and school in Lisle. The orphanage closed in 1956 to make room for St. Procopius Academy, which separated from the college in 1969. Due to rising costs and waning enrollment, Sacred Heart merged with St. Procopius Academy in 1967 to form Benet Academy on the St. Procopius campus. Since then, numerous building projects have been undertaken to expand Benet's athletics, music, and science programs.
Vandebilt Catholic High School is a private diocesan co-educational institution for grades 8-12 located in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana and in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. It is located in the unincorporated area of Bayou Cane, near Houma.
Catholic High School of New Iberia, Louisiana, has predecessors dating to 1918 and was opened in its current form in 1957 by the Brothers of the Christian Schools, and is located on De La Salle Drive, a road named after Saint Jean-Baptiste de la Salle, the man who founded the Brothers in 1680. De la Salle, an innovator in the field of education, was canonised by the Catholic Church on 24 May 1900, and in 1950 Pope Pius XII declared him to be the Patron Saint of teachers. The school was once boys-only.
Redemptorist Upper School was a parochial Roman Catholic high school in North Baton Rouge, Louisiana, supervised by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge.
False River Academy is a nonsectarian private school located in New Roads, Louisiana, in Pointe Coupee Parish. It serves grades Pre-K through 12. The school is independent, and has its own school board. Its enrollment is drawn from Pointe Coupee and surrounding parishes. It is one of two private schools and one of three high schools in the parish.
Assumption High School (AHS) is a public secondary school located at 4880 Highway 308 in Assumption Parish, Louisiana, United States, north of the city of Napoleonville. It is a part of the Assumption Parish School Board.
The St. Martin Parish School Board (SMPSB) is an entity responsible for the operation of public schools in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is headquartered in the city of St. Martinville.
Scott Anthony Angelle is an American politician who is the former director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement in Washington, D.C. From 2013 to 2017, he was the District 2 member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, an elected five-person utility regulatory body.
Louisiana Highway 31 is a 54.6-mile-long (87.9 km) north–south state highway in Louisiana that serves Iberia, St. Martin, and St. Landry parishes, extending from LA 182 in New Iberia, and ending at the same highway in Opelousas.
Loreauville High School (LHS) is a public high school located in Loreauville, Louisiana, United States, at 410 North Main Street. It is a part of Iberia Parish Public Schools. It is a public high school.
Gecko is an unincorporated community in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States. The community is located less than 2 miles northwest of Breaux Bridge and 5 miles southwest of Cecilia on the bank of Bayou Teche.
Johnson Bayou High School is a senior high school in the community of Johnson Bayou, Louisiana. It is a part of the Cameron Parish School Board and serves the communities of Johnson Bayou and Holly Beach.