St. Joseph High School (Westchester, Illinois)

Last updated
St. Joseph High School
Saint Joseph HS Logo.jpeg
Address
St. Joseph High School (Westchester, Illinois)
10900 West Cermak Road

Westchester
,
Illinois
60154

United States
Coordinates 41°50′57″N87°53′36″W / 41.849264°N 87.89341°W / 41.849264; -87.89341
Information
Type Private
MottoVincit Qui Laborat
(Victory Belongs to Those Who Work)
Denomination Roman Catholic
Established1960
Statusclosed
Closed2021
Oversight Archdiocese of Chicago
PresidentNone
PrincipalDavid Hotek
Teaching staff26 (2020-2021)
Grades 9 — 12
Gender Coeducational
EnrollmentCoed Peak: 887 (2008) Lowest: 185 [1]  (2020-2021)
Campus type suburban
Color(s)  red
  white
  black
Fight song Charger Fight Song [2]
Athletics conference Chicago Catholic League
MascotJoe Charger
Team nameChargers
Accreditation North Central Association of Colleges and Schools [3]
NewspaperThe Lance
YearbookThe Blazon
Tuition US$10,400
Affiliation Christian Brothers
Website http://www.stjoeshs.org

St. Joseph High School (or St. Joe's) was a Roman Catholic, coeducational, college prep school in Westchester, Illinois, and was sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers.

Contents

St. Joseph High School became accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools in 1987 and was approved by the Illinois State Board of Education. St. Joe's was a member of the National Catholic Educational Association and the Christian Brothers Educational Association. The school was also a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) and the Chicago Catholic League (CCL).

Admission

Students came from more than 40 elementary schools from the western suburbs and the City of Chicago. The students were accepted for admission based on the entrance exam, grade school records, and teachers’ recommendations for freshman year. Transfer students were accepted based on their academic records, discipline reports, and recommendations.

History

Construction of St. Joseph High School, Westchester, 1959.jpg
St. Joseph High School former building, 1840 Mayfair Ave.jpg
St. Joseph High School exteriors (left to right) Construction and former St. Joseph Building (1840 S. Mayfair Avenue).

Samuel Stritch, Cardinal Archbishop of Chicago, invited the Christian Brothers to start a new high school in Westchester, Illinois. Construction of the original building (1840 S. Mayfair Ave.) began on July 2, 1959. Ground was broken, concrete was poured, and the first bricks of St. Joseph High School (the 1840 S. Mayfair Ave. address) were laid in 1959. Though classes began at the new school on September 7, 1960, work on the building continued through early 1961. The school was dedicated on September 16, 1961 by Cardinal Stritch's successor, Cardinal Albert Gregory Meyer. [4] In July 1963, St. Joseph High School received state recognition as a three-year high school and was granted full approval as a member of the Illinois High School Association. By the spring of 1964, the educational program had developed to such an extent that the school was given full recognition by the State of Illinois as a four-year high school.

The school earned national attention in the 1994 documentary film Hoop Dreams . The subjects of the film, William Gates and Arthur Agee, were both students at the school, and both played on the basketball team under head coach Gene Pingatore.

In 2004, the school became the first Catholic high school in the state of Illinois to enter an all wireless, all laptop learning campus. Every student and teacher received an IBM/Lenovo laptop computer which they either purchased or leased from the school. [5]

St. Joseph was an all-male institution until 2005, when Francis George, O.M.I., Cardinal Archbishop of Chicago, permitted the school to become coed in light of the closing of Immaculate Heart of Mary High School, the neighboring all-female institution. [6] Prior to the opening of school in 2006, St. Joseph's purchased the former grounds and building of the Immaculate Heart of Mary High School, and started the second semester of the 2006-07 school year by moving classes into the building. The original St. Joseph High School building's classrooms are now vacant since 2007 and the gym was used primarily for athletic facilities from 2007-2021. The entire plot of land including the former St. Joseph building, Christian Brothers residence (also vacant since 2006), and current school are currently under a TIF district for the Village of Westchester's redevelopment plans. [7] [8]

On April 13, 2021, the Board of Directors announced the closure of the school after the end of the 2020-21 school year. [9] In July 2021, The SJHS memorabilia was archived and will be preserved in a number of locations including the Christian Brothers of the Midwest District Office as well as at the Village of Westchester Hall. St. Joseph High School worked with Winternitz Industrial Auctioneers & Appraisers to host a two day online only auction for the rest of the contents. [10] As of April 13, 2022, approximately 1 year after the school announced its closure, all three buildings are still standing but vacant. The 29.25 acre lot of land is up for sale to satisfy a large mortgage. The entire property is currently co-listed for sale through two commercial real estate brokerage firms, Anne Dempsey with Collier’s International and Andrew Polivka, The Polivka Group LLC. St. Joseph High School’s remaining administrators are working closely with the Village of Westchester and the Christian Brothers to sell the entire parcel. [11]

Great Seal

St. Joseph High School Logo.png
St. Joseph High School’s Great Seal.

In the center is the crest of the De La Salle Christian Brothers, also known as the Brothers of the Christian Schools, the Catholic congregation who sponsors St. Joseph High School. At the top of the crest is the Latin phrase Signum Fidei, which means "Sign of the Faith", and is the motto of the Brothers. Below the Brothers’ crest is the broken shield, the family emblem of St. John Baptist De La Salle, the 17th-century French saint who founded the Christian Brothers. Below it hangs the star of Bethlehem, a symbol used by Lasallian schools around the world.

On one side of the star of faith is the symbol of the atomic age which depicts the school's dedication to learning and technology. On the other side is the hammer and chisel representing the school's patron saint, St. Joseph the Worker, who was noted for his simple, but hard work as a carpenter and as the foster father of Christ.

The entire crest is surrounded by plumes and a knight’s helmet, representing the English tradition of the Village of Westchester.

Finally, at the top of the great seal of St. Joseph High School is the school motto, “Vincit Qui Laborat,” which means “He conquers, who labors.” Directly below the school seal is a cross to indicate Roman Catholic Church.

Academics

There were three academic programs in which students pursued coursework: Honors, College Prep (A), and College Prep (B). [12]

Coursework was broken down into three divisions: [12]

The school offered the following AP courses: Calculus, [13] English Literature and Composition, Studio Art, Spanish Language, [14] and European History [15]

In addition, students had the opportunity to take certain business courses online through Triton College. [16]

Every spring, St. Joseph High School hosted ChargerFest and (since 1995) sponsored its US$10,000 Super Raffle, which were the school’s biggest fundraisers. ChargerFest featured a buffet, door prizes, additional raffles, games, and music.

In December 2005, St. Joseph High School hosted an event entitled “Becoming a True Leader,” which featured prominent leaders of today sharing leadership experiences and advice with the entire St. Joe's student body and visitors. Cardinal George began the program by blessing the St. Joseph community and the school’s past heritage and new initiatives.

Athletics

St. Joseph was a member of the Chicago Catholic League.

The school won the 1998—99 Illinois High School Association boys' basketball championship. [17]

St. Joe's Head Basketball Coach Gene Pingatore and alumnus Isiah Thomas were both members of the first class of the East Suburban Catholic Conference’s Hall of Fame in 2006. [17] The school won the 2014–15 Illinois High School Association class 3A boys' basketball championship. [17]

2016-17 St. Joseph Football Team had its best season in school history going 7–3, winning Conference for the first time ever on a varsity level and qualifying for the IHSA State Playoffs for the first time.

Notable alumni

Isiah Thomas.jpg
20091112 Evan Turner cropped.jpg
20100123 Demetri McCamey signals a play.jpg
Famous alumni include basketball players (left to right) Isiah Thomas, Evan Turner, and Demetri McCamey

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westchester, Illinois</span> Village in Illinois, United States

Westchester is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a western suburb of Chicago. The population was 16,892 at the 2020 census. The current Village President is Greg Hribal, serving a two year term following the temporary appointment of Nick Steker as acting president after the death of the previous elected president Frank Perry from cancer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Ignatius College Prep</span> Private college-preparatory school in Chicago, Illinois, United States

Saint Ignatius College Prep is a selective private, coeducational Jesuit college-preparatory school located in the Near West Side neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The school was founded in Chicago in 1869 by Fr. Arnold Damen, S.J., a Dutch missionary to the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fenwick High School (Oak Park, Illinois)</span> Private secondary school in Oak Park, Illinois, United States

Fenwick High School is a selective private Catholic college preparatory school located in Oak Park, a town in Cook County, Illinois that is bordered by Chicago on the north, east, River Forest and Forest Park on the West, and Cicero and Berwyn on the south. Fenwick was founded in 1929 and is a ministry of the Province of St. Albert the Great. It is the only school directly operated and staffed by the Order of Preachers in the United States. It is named in honor of the first Bishop of Cincinnati, Dominican friar Edward Dominic Fenwick, O.P.. Fr. Richard Peddicord, O.P. has served as president of Fenwick High School since July 1, 2012.

Joliet Catholic Academy is a coed Catholic high school in Joliet, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet. One of the oldest Catholic high schools in the Chicago area, Joliet Catholic is perhaps best known for its prowess in football. Since the advent of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) state football playoffs in 1974, JCA has won more state football titles than any other team in the state, with 15 as of 11/26/2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brebeuf College School</span> Catholic high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Brebeuf College School is a publicly funded Roman Catholic all-boys high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada endorsed by the Jesuits of Canada. Founded by the Jesuits in 1963, it is part of the Toronto Catholic District School Board and associated with the Presentation Brothers since 1984. Brebeuf is the brother school of nearby St. Joseph's Morrow Park Catholic Secondary School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Notre Dame College Prep</span> Private, all-male school in Niles, Illinois, United States

Notre Dame College Preparatory is a male-only Roman Catholic secondary school founded in Niles, Illinois in 1955 by the Congregation of Holy Cross. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.The school was built by Belli & Belli of Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iona Preparatory School</span> Private, Catholic school for boys in New Rochelle, New York

Iona Preparatory School, or simply Iona Prep, is an independent, Roman Catholic, all-male, college-preparatory school located in the north end of New Rochelle, New York, in suburban Westchester County. It consists of the Upper School for Grades 9 through 12 and the Lower School for kindergarten to grade 8. The primary and secondary schools are located on separate and nearby campuses less than a mile apart on Stratton Road. It is a privately-owned independent school without parochial affiliation and is located within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. The school was named for the Scottish island of Iona, the school was founded in 1916 by the Congregation of Christian Brothers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centennial High School (Champaign, Illinois)</span> Public high school in Champaign, Champaign County, Illinois, United States

Centennial High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Champaign, Illinois. It is part of Champaign Unit 4 School District. As of the 2020–21 school year, it had 1,400 students. The school is located next to Jefferson Middle School and Centennial Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De La Salle Institute</span> Catholic secondary school in Chicago

De La Salle Institute is a private, Catholic, coeducational secondary school run by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in the Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It was founded by Brother Adjutor of the De La Salle Brothers in 1889.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Laurence High School</span> Co-ed high school in Burbank, Illinois

St. Laurence High School is a co-educational, STEM-based high school founded in 1961. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, the school is conducted by the Congregation of Christian Brothers and is named for the Irish Saint Laurence O'Toole.

The Chicago Catholic League (CCL) is a high school athletic conference based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. All of the schools are part of the Illinois High School Association, the governing body for Illinois scholastic sports. While some of the schools are coeducational institutions, the conference only supports athletics for male teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardinal Gibbons High School (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)</span> Private secondary school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

Cardinal Gibbons High School, commonly known as Gibbons, is a private, Roman Catholic college-preparatory school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. CGHS was established in 1961 and was named after James Gibbons, the second Cardinal in the United States. CGHS is sponsored by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archbishop Stepinac High School</span> Private, all-male school in White Plains, , New York, United States

Archbishop Stepinac High School is an American all-boys' Roman Catholic high school in White Plains, New York.

Christian Brothers High School is a private, Catholic, college-preparatory high school in the Oak Park neighborhood of Sacramento, California. It is located within the Diocese of Sacramento and was founded by the De La Salle Christian Brothers in 1876. As of 2021, the school enrolled 1,150 students drawn from approximately 75 local parochial, private, and public elementary and middle schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Rita of Cascia High School</span> Private school in Chicago, Illinois, United States

St. Rita of Cascia High School is an all-boys Catholic high school located in the Ashburn neighborhood on Chicago's Southwest Side., United States. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, is operated by the Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel, a Catholic jurisdiction of the Order of Saint Augustine, and is a member of the Augustinian Secondary Education Association. The school is named for Rita of Cascia (1381–1457), an Italian Augustinian nun and Roman Catholic saint

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010–11 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2010–11 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team represented the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in the 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. This was head coach Bruce Weber's eighth season at Illinois. They played their home games at Assembly Hall and are members of the Big Ten Conference. They finished the season 20–14, 9–9 in Big Ten play and lost in the quarterfinals of the 2011 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament to Michigan. They received an at-large bid in the 2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament where they beat UNLV in the second round before falling to Kansas in the third round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demetri McCamey</span> American basketball player

Demetri McCamey, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Austin Spurs of the NBA G League. His prior professional experience includes time with the NBA Development League's Erie BayHawks, Rio Grande Valley Vipers and Fort Wayne Mad Ants, as well as time abroad with Hapoel Jerusalem, Mersin Büyükşehir Belediyesi, Oita Heat Devils and Cairns Taipans. He played college basketball for the University of Illinois where he completed his senior season in 2010–11 and was the 2009–10 Big Ten assists champion (7.06) and the 2009–10 NCAA runner-up.

The 2011 McDonald's All-American Boys Game was an All-star basketball game that was played on Wednesday, March 30, 2011, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, home of the Chicago Bulls. The game's rosters featured the best and most highly recruited high school boys graduating in 2011. The game was the 34th annual version of the McDonald's All-American Game first played in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glynn Watson Jr.</span> American basketball player

Glynn Juwan Watson Jr. is an American professional basketball player for Telekom Baskets Bonn of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) and the Basketball Champions League (BCL). He played four years of college basketball with the Nebraska Cornhuskers of the Big Ten Conference. A consensus top 100 recruit out of high school, Watson became Nebraska's first four-star and Rivals Top 150 signee in program history.

References

  1. ↑ "St. Joseph High School 2020-2021 School Profile" (PDF). Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  2. ↑ "Charger Fight Song Lyrics" . Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  3. ↑ NCA-CASI. "NCA-Council on Accreditation and School Improvement". Archived from the original on 2009-04-29. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
  4. ↑ History of St. Joseph [ permanent dead link ]
  5. ↑ Aduroja, Grace (October 7, 2004). "Technology ahead of the curve". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  6. ↑ St. Joseph goes coed [ permanent dead link ]
  7. ↑ IHM becomes the "new" St. Joseph [ permanent dead link ]
  8. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=790818538376833&id=291167168341975 [ user-generated source ]
  9. ↑ "Letter to Alumni and Friends" (PDF).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ↑ "Everything from St. Joseph HS, school featured in 'Hoop Dreams,' up for auction". WGN 9. July 15, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions" (PDF). St. Joseph High School. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  12. 1 2 General Academic Information [ permanent dead link ]
  13. ↑ Applied Sciencec course offerings [ permanent dead link ]
  14. ↑ Language Arts course offerings [ permanent dead link ]
  15. ↑ Social Sciences course offerings [ permanent dead link ]
  16. ↑ Social Science course offerings [ permanent dead link ]
  17. 1 2 3 "April-2015-westchester-village-newslettre". Westchester Newsletter. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  18. ↑ Andy Frederick, @databasefootball.com; accessed 4 October 2008 Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  19. 1 2 Athletic Hall of Fame [ permanent dead link ]
  20. ↑ "Steve Harris". IMDb. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  21. ↑ Chaney, Kathy; Actor Wood Harris returns home; 27 May 2009; Chicago Defender online; accessed 16 June 2009 Archived 8 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  22. ↑ http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/illini/story/87EBAEF35589967E862576C60017DDD1?OpenDocument%5B%5D Durando, Stu; 10 February 2010; "Illinois Fighting Illini's Demetri McCamey does it again"
  23. ↑ "Amal McCaskill Stats - Basketball-Reference.com". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.