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Rochester Catholic Schools Past, Present and Future
Gather at Homecoming to Hear the News of
Groundbreaking for New Lourdes High School
September 23, 2011
As Rochester Catholic Schools past, present and future gathered for the Lourdes High School Homecoming football game, an announcement was shared at half time that many have been waiting to hear. Bishop John M. Quinn, Diocese of Winona announced groundbreaking and the official blessing to start construction for the new Lourdes High School will take place on Tuesday, October 18.
Construction activity and site preparation for the new Lourdes High School began in August when Bishop John M. Quinn granted permission to begin placing footings for the building. With tonight’s announcement of a groundbreaking date, it is anticipated 18-24 months of construction, and the opening of the new Lourdes High School will be at the start of the 2013-2014 school year.
Despite the challenging economic environment, over 90% of RCS Staff and Faculty have committed to the Lourdes Building Our Future campaign and a growing 70% of our current RCS families have committed to the campaign. In conjunction with Homecoming, an alumni and friends portion of the campaign has also been launched seeking broad participation and engagement.
“We are deeply grateful to the benefactors, donors and volunteers who have made tonight’s announcement possible,” said RCS Board of Trustee, Monsignor Gerald Mahon. “We continue to seek gifts that will sustain and support the Rochester Catholic Schools system mission and vision for our children’s future. We remain deeply focused on ensuring Rochester Catholic Schools are accessible and affordable for all.”
Four Lourdes High School Seniors named
National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists
September 14, 2011
Rochester Catholic Schools is proud to announce that four Lourdes High School seniors have advanced to Semifinalist status in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,300 Merit Scholarship® awards, worth $34 million, that will be offered this spring.
The following Lourdes High School students have advanced to Semifinalist status:
Jacob Nordman
Michael Nowakowski
Victoria Smith
Emma Tschann
National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists will continue toward Finalist status, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, and include the highest scoring entrants in each state. To become a Finalist, a student must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the school principal, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student’s earlier qualifying test performance. The student and a school official submitted a detailed scholarship application, which includes the student’s self-descriptive essay and information about the student’s participation and leadership in school and community activities.
The 4 Semifinalists are from a Lourdes High School senior class of 104 students.
Opening Day at Rochester Catholic Schools – August 30, 2011
August 29, 2011
Rochester Catholic Schools will open the 2011-12 school year on Tuesday, August 30, at our five sites, with 1,783 students in grades Preschool through 12.
Rochester Catholic Schools will welcome 7 classrooms-full of Kindergarteners across the system this fall, which is an increase over the 6 Kindergarten classrooms last year. In addition, the freshman class at Lourdes High School, with 135 students, is the largest in recent years. Rochester Catholic Schools is a major employer in Olmsted County, with 207 faculty and staff members.
“We believe that it is the unique things that we’re doing right that are bringing students to our schools,” said RCS Board of Trustees Co-Chair Father Kevin Connolly. “We have all-day every day Kindergarten. We teach French and Spanish to all students, beginning in Kindergarten. Instead of cutting music and fine arts programs, we are maintaining and growing our programs and have a strong and vibrant presence musically and artistically in Rochester. Over and over, our parents tell us that enrolling in Catholic schools is to experience a living spirituality. It is a tangible link of turning faith into action.”
“As a result of a commitment to excellence by our Catholic school educators, coupled with mission-driven administrative leadership and devoted system-wide governance, Rochester Catholic Schools shines among Preschool – 12 educational institutions on a national level,” said RCS Director of Schools Michael Brennan. “It is with enthusiasm and excitement that I anticipate our students filling our classrooms and hallways with energy and joy, and look forward to being witness to our students growing in their faith with each new day.”
This year, Brennan, in collaboration with school leaders, Trustees and Council members, will conduct a strategic planning process, with the commitment to advancing educational excellence, while ensuring that Rochester Catholic Schools are accessible and affordable for all. This planning process began with a leadership retreat on August 11 and will continue through the school year.
Vatican clears way for sale of Lourdes High School Property
September 7, 2011
Most Rev. John M. Quinn, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona, announced today that the purchase agreement between Rochester Catholic Schools / Lourdes Foundation and Mayo Clinic to sell the current Lourdes High School property has been granted the Nihil Obstat, the Vatican’s official declaration of no objection.
The announcement was made following receipt of the official document from His Eminence, Mauro Cardinal Piacenza, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, Vatican City. The declaration which was received sooner than anticipated clears the way for the sale of property located at 621 W. Center Street, Rochester, MN which is a major component in the financing of the new Lourdes High School at 19th Street Northwest and Valleyhigh Drive according to Catholic schools trustee Monsignor Gerald Mahon. “Anytime Church property valued in excess of a specified threshold is sold or disposed of by the Church, Vatican permission is required in accordance with canon law of the Roman Catholic Church. Today’s announcement brings us one step closer to a new Lourdes High School and we need to continue to be vigorous in our campaign efforts, inviting broader participation with gifts for the Lourdes Building Our Future Campaign,” stated Mahon.
For more information on the project and campaign, visit http://lourdesfuture.org/
Exemplary ACT Scores Achieved by Lourdes High School Students
August 18, 2011
Crediting the collective efforts of students, teachers and parents, Rochester Catholic Schools Director of Schools Michael Brennan today released exemplary ACT scores achieved by Lourdes High School students during the 2010-2011 academic year.
Lourdes students achieved an ACT composite score of 26.2, demonstrating exceptional academic performance consistent with the Lourdes academic heritage of excellence. This 26.2 composite is a tremendous achievement, given that 93% of the 2011 graduates (114 students) took the ACT exam.
In the curriculum-specific ACT scores, Lourdes students scored 26.6 in English, 26.0 in mathematics, 26.0 in reading and 25.7 in science.
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2011 Composite |
Lourdes High School |
26.2 |
All Minnesota Schools |
22.9 |
All Nationwide Schools |
21.1 |
“These ACT test scores are the result of years of collaborative work that begins with the parents in the homes of our students,” commented Lourdes principal, Tom Donlon. “Through a partnership with our parents, the Lourdes High School faculty and staff have been able to build up the gifts and abilities given to each of our students. I am very pleased and proud of our ACT scores and commend the students on their fine work.”
Brennan attributes Lourdes’ ACT scores to “our many dedicated teachers, from Rochester Catholic Schools’ three preschools on through to the high school. We are proud of RCS curriculum which inclusively takes students from where they are to heights such as these.”
The ACT (American Collegiate Testing) process measures high school student proficiency in English, mathematics, reading, and science, along with a composite score that indicates the students’ overall readiness for college-level work. Colleges and universities nationwide use the ACT as a key benchmark in evaluating student admissions to their respective institutions.
