Immaculate Conception Cathedral School (Memphis, Tennessee)

Immaculate Conception Cathedral School
Location
1695 Central Avenue Memphis , (Shelby County) , Tennessee 38104 United States
Coordinates	35°7′33″N90°0′19″W / 35.12583°N 90.00528°W / 35.12583; -90.00528
Information
School type	Private, co-educational, Primary, Secondary
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic
Established	1921
Closed	May 24, 2024
Oversight	Roman Catholic Diocese of Memphis
Superintendent	Janet Donato
Principal	Kadesha Gordon
Grades	Pre-K - 8th grade (coed),
Color(s)	Blue   and   White
Slogan	Serving, Educating, Uniting
Nickname	"IC"
Team name	Wildcats
Accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Publication	Steps
Newspaper	Immaculata
Yearbook	The Marian
Alumni	Priscilla Presley, Margaret Scobey
Website	http://www.myiccs.org

Immaculate Conception Cathedral School (ICSS) was a private Catholic school in the heart of the historic Central Gardens neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee. ICCS was co-educational and served students of all faiths in its Pre-K3 through 8th grade. Its high school closed in 2020 and the remaining grades closed in 2024.

Background

Founded in 1921 by the Sisters of Mercy, ICCS shared the campus of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, the mother church of the Diocese of Memphis and was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools as a unit school. Grades Pre-K through 8th were co-ed.

In August 2016, the school opened a new early childhood center that connects to the existing lower school building. The building also includes a library/media center and art room for all grades.

ICCS became only one of two schools in the Memphis area that incorporated "Mindfulness" into the Pre-K through high school curriculum. Intensive Spanish language instruction began in Pre-K and continued through high school. Students could have also choose French foreign language instruction in middle and high school. Other programs included STEM underwater and land-roving robotics teams, Orff music instruction, daily foreign language courses in all grades, and Accelerated Reader.

High school students had the opportunity to earn college credit through Christian Brothers University. For some science honors courses, high school students attended classes alongside college students at Christian Brothers University in the Cooper-Wilson Center for Life Sciences.

Closure of the school

On May 26, 2020, Immaculate Conception Cathedral School announced it would permanently close its high school due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The statement, released by Bishop Robert W. Marshall Jr., said the pandemic caused financial difficulties that made it "impossible for the parish of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception to continue to operate the high school portion" of the school. ^[1] Students had the opportunity to transfer to Saint Benedict at Auburndale, another diocesan high school. ^[1]

The school's pre-K through 8th grade elementary and middle school remained open, ^[1] but eventually closed on May 24, 2024.

Notable alumni

• Priscilla Presley ^[2]
• Margaret Scobey, former United States Ambassador to Egypt and Syria. ^[3]

References

1. "Immaculate Conception Cathedral announces closure of high school". localmemphis.com. May 26, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
2. "Girlfriend's Role Beats Wife's: Priscilla Presley". St. Petersburg Times. United Press International. February 14, 1978. Retrieved June 6, 2011. When Presley was discharged from the Army he invited Priscilla to Memphis for Christmas - and beyond. Her parents' fears were calmed when Presley promised to send Priscilla, a high school senior, to Immaculate Conception High School.
3. Sullivan, Bartholomew (January 31, 2011). "Ambassador, a former Memphian, describes events in Egypt as 'pretty unpredictable'". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved April 24, 2011.

External links

• School Website
• Immaculate Conception Middle and High School at the Wayback Machine (archive index)
• IC In the News Archived January 23, 2011, at the Wayback Machine