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| Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory | |
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Enter to Learn; Leave to Serve. Signum Fidei Caritas Christi Urget Nos- Sign of Faith; Christ's Love Urges Us
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| Location | |
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| 1055 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA, USA |
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| Information | |
| President | John Scudder |
| Principal | Dr. Ken Hogarty |
| Type | Private, Lasallian/Vincentian |
| Campus | Urban |
| Color(s) | Green, White, Blue |
| Established | 1852 |
| Enrollment | 1,200 |
| Homepage | http://www.shcp.edu/ |
Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, commonly known as SH, SHC, or SHCP is a Catholic school in San Francisco, California. Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory is the oldest Catholic secondary school in San Francisco, founded in 1852. It is located in the heart of the City of San Francisco on Cathedral Hill. SHCP was the first co-ed Catholic high school in San Francisco - created when Cathedral High School for girls merged with Sacred Heart High School for boys in 1987. SHCP is owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco and sponsored by the Daughters of Charity and the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, commonly known as the "Christian Brothers." SHCP offers a values-based curriculum in the Lasallian/Vincentian tradition. The school prides itself on its commitment to its educational philosophy: "Enter to learn; leave to serve." Students participate in many service activities throughout their time at SHCP, but mandatory service hours are not a graduation requirement. Service activities include "van outreach" trips to feed the homeless, and time spent in the nearby St. Anthony's Dining Room, as well as immersion trips to impoverished areas around the country and in Central and South America. The school's motto is a combination of the Christian Brothers and Daughters of Charity mottos: "Signum Fidei, Caritas Christi Urget Nos".
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Student Life
Athletics
The athletic teams, known as the Fightin' Irish, compete in the West Catholic Athletic League. There are 17 teams total for boys and girls at SHCP. They range from the most common like football, baseball, basketball, volleyball and soccer to cross-country, golf, swimming and track and field. The sports are separated by seasons of Fall, Winter and Spring. Their cross-town rival is Saint Ignatius College Preparatory, whom they battle every year for the Bruce-Mahoney Trophy. The Bruce Mahoney is named after Bill Bruce, a student from Saint Ignatius College Preparatory, and Jerry Mahoney, a student from Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory. The trophy goes to the school victorious in the first scheduled league game in two of the following three sports: Football, Basketball, Baseball. The SI-SH rivalry is older than any other Catholic school sports rivalry in the country. Only the Centennial-Central rivalry (Pueblo, Colorado) is older by a year (1892). Therefore, the Bruce-Mahoney is the oldest athletic rivalry west of the Rocky Mountains. The first Sacred Heart-St. Ignatius contest was a rugby game played on St. Patrick's Day in 1893. The Irish won by a score of 14-4. Source: San Francisco Examiner and the San Francisco Chronicle on microfilm at the San Francisco Main Library. One of the players, D.A. White, went on to be Chief of Police in San Francisco. Another cross town rival are the Crusaders of Archbishop Riordan High School. The Varsity football teams compete against each other for the Nick Stanfel Cup which was started in 1992. Mr. Stanfel played at Riordan and was a coach at Sacred Heart. This year the Stanfel Cup was won by Riordan, 35-28.
Women's Basketball
The Girls' basketball team has won the state title three times in 1998, 2006, and 2007. They won the state title in Division IV last season and in Division III this season. In the 2006-07 season, the Irish went undefeated in one of the toughest leagues (West Coast Athletic League) in the nation, with three wins over 2007 Division II champion, Archbishop Mitty High School and three wins over arch-rival St. Ignatius.
Cross Country
The Irish Cross Country Team has sent at least one person to the State Championship since 1998 under head coach Andy Chan. Producing outstanding runners such as Shannon Rowbury, NCAA champion from Duke. In the fall of 2005, the SHCP cross country team qualified the first boys team in SHCP history for the prestigious State Championship, after being the underdogs going in the qualifying section championships. The 5th ranked SH team beat out the 4th ranked Half Moon Bay for the fourth and final qualifying team spot.
Student Activities
Clubs
Student activities at SHCP range from clubs to dances to student government. There are +25 clubs and many are created by the students with the help of a teacher. There is the Spanish club, NetWorld club, Martial Arts club, Club Green, Big Green, chorus and many others. Students are encouraged to join a club if they are not doing a sport. All freshman must join either a club or sport so that they can enjoy their school's community. Clubs meet on Tuesday's or Wednesday's during their activity block, which was created so students would not have to stay longer after school to meet with your clubs.
Dances
There are at least five or six dances of the year. The biggest one for the whole school is the Winter Ball, which the whole school is invited to. The dances are put on by the student government and are hosted by SHCP. Dances have refreshments, music and a DJ. The dances are usually from 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM and have a mix of hip-hop/rap, rock and as always music for the slow dance. The two other important dances are the junior and senior prom but can't be attended by freshman. There are not many restrictions at the dance, but there are a few including guests that don't go to the school must get a guest pass and inappropriate dancing is banned. Dances take place in the Pavillion at the Student Life Center.
Performing Arts
SHCP has a chorus, a theatre company, and a band. The chorus sings at school masses, special performances, and in front of international audiences. The chorus has competed in competitions, winning 1st place in its last two performances. Their choir has traveled around the world to destinations like the Phillipines, London, and Hawaii. Members have also performed in the Vatican in Rome and St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. The theatre company puts on a play in the beginning of the year around November or December and a musical around March or April. The band plays their instruments at school masses, rallies, concerts and sporting events.
Walk-a-thon
The Walk-a-thon is a fundraiser that the whole school participates in. This event happens around September. The Walk-a-thon raises money for student activities, athletics, clubs, student travels, construction of new building or renovating them and updating technology for the school. Perfect examples of good use of the funds is the construction of our Student Life Center, library, athletic field, gateway and Fitness-for-Life Center. The Walk-a-thon is a vital source of funds because most of the money is used instead of using the tuition dollars of the students or adding on a surcharge on the tuition. Students are expected to raise at least $200. If this goal is reached, the student receives prizes like a modified-dress pass and a spin on the prize wheel, with many prizes like cash, gift cards or iPods. The homeroom with the most donations of one day for each grade will get Naked Juice. The Walk-a-thon took place at the Polo Fields at Golden Gate Park.
Campuses
De Paul Campus
The school is located in Cathedral Hill, which is a sub-neighborhood of San Francisco's Western Addition, commonly known as the Fillmore District, with the two academic buildings located on the corner of Gough and Ellis streets. On the northwest corner of the intersection is the former Cathedral High School building, which is called the De Paul campus in honor of St. Vincent de Paul, which currently houses freshman lockers and the history, visual and performing arts, and modern language departments. The building is adjoined to San Francisco's Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, and was built at the same time, as the school's former building was razed by the Archdiocese of San Francisco to make room for the eventual construction of the new Cathedral, at the intersection of Gough and Geary due to the fire that destroyed the previous cathedral in 1962. (The site was occupied for a short time by a new supermarket that in turn was razed for the Cathedral's construction.) The cathedral's rectory is adjoined to the De Paul Campus but there is no access to it from the school and the entrance is located on the northeast corner entrance of the campus. Pope John Paul II stayed in the rectory at the De Paul Campus during his trip to San Francisco in 1987, which is marked by a plaque at the entrance of the rectory.
La Salle Campus
On the southeast corner of Gough and Ellis lies the school's La Salle campus named in honor of St. John Baptist de La Salle. This campus has a six story building which houses: school administration offices, the library, and the English, Mathematics, Science, and Religion departments. Each floor is completely occupied by a subject. For example, the first floor is occupied by the religion department and the second floor is occupied by the science department etc. The building is built into the side of a hill and because of that, the entrance into the building goes into the third floor instead of the first floor, so you would have to walk two stories down to get to the first floor. The library occupies the entire sixth story, except for a small chapel and veranda, which offers panoramic views overlooking San Francisco to the west and south. The La Salle campus occupies most of the block bordered by Gough, Ellis, Franklin, and Eddy streets, but other prominent buildings are the "Brothers' House" which houses the school's Christian Brothers community, and a house designed by renowned architect Bernard Maybeck.
Student Life Center
In October of 2003, SHCP welcomed a new addition to the Sacred Heart Cathedral community with the Sister Teresa Prio DC. Student Life Center on the LaSalle Campus. Estimated to be a $16 million construction replacing the grass field to create a new state-of-the-art facility where a gym (Christian Brothers Court) can be filled with rallies, sporting events and prayer services. Also down below the gym is the 1,000 seating cafeteria served with organic delicious food to satisfy the students. The Sister Teresa Piro, DC, Student Life Center completed in 2004, houses a 1,500 seat athletic gym or commonly know as the pavilion, which is home to the school's championship men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams. The building is also adjoined to the old gymnasium or the practice gym, which was previously there before the construction. A lower level houses the Dining Hall which students use as a cafeteria daily. Adjoined to this facility is the Fitness-for-Life Center, which opened October 2006 is a key component of the school's innovative Fitness for Life program. The building also contains a practice gym as well as the weight room.
Fitness Center
Not only the Student Life Center was an additional treat to the Sacred Heart community, in November 2006, the Fitness Center was open to students and faculty members to work out and shed a few pounds. The school has started a new campaign called "Fitness for Life", wanting to establish a new healthier way of life at school. With new equipped treadmills and elliptical machines with television for entertainment, a new dance studio for the step team, and heavy weights to gain some muscle.
Academics
SHCP offers an array of subjects to its students. All students are required to take English and religion for four years, as well as three years of math and social studies. Two years of science and a modern language are also required, and one year of visual art. Freshman are required to take one semester of Physical Education and one semester of Earth Science and choose a modern language to learn. Choices include Spanish, French, Japanese, Mandarin and American Sign Language. Sophomores do a year of a visual arts courses but drop the social studies class for a Church History class instead. Some sophomores choose to take a double math course when they take two math classes, but they combine the visual art and religion class together and learn about Christian Art. Seniors are able to drop courses like math, modern language, and science and are able to take elective classes instead.
Admissions
Demographics
Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory enrolls approximately 1,250 students from San Francisco and its suburbs. Reflecting the diversity of the Bay Area, students represent different religious, economic, and ethnic backgrounds, which include Caucasian, Asian, Hispanic, African American, and Native American. Recently, SHCP partnered with the Brothers and Daughters to found the De Marillac Academy in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood, an impoverished urban community several blocks away from the high school.
Admission Process
Students interested in applying to SHCP can visit the school's website to find the online application. In addition to basic information, the student must prepare at least two essays about a specific question asked on the application. The student must also answer questions about him/herself and what they can individually offer the school community. A recommendation letter from a faculty member of their institution previously attended is also required in the application. There is a fee of $65 to $75 for submission of the application. The letters of notification are sent out in March around St. Patrick's Day, a coincidence because the school's mascot is the Fightin' Irish. Sometime in the month of May, you are required to take a math placement exam in order for the school to assess your mathematical abilities.
Tuition
Tuition at SHCP for the 2007-08 year is $14,850 total for each student. The tuition is $12,100, the registration costs $1,100, books are around $400 and the parent pledges or donations to the school would be around $1,250.
Shadow Program & Open House
SHCP has a shadow program when an applicant follows a Freshman student around for one day to see how the school is to the applicant and how daily student life is. There is also an open house when parents and students come to the school to see how classes look and how academics are and meet students and teachers and explore the campus.
Notable alumni
- Joseph Alioto - Former mayor of San Francisco (1968-1976)
- Joe Cronin - Major League Baseball Hall of Famer
- Kevin Gogan - NFL All-Pro Guard, Currently of the San Diego Chargers, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, and Dallas Cowboys
- Harry Heilmann - Major League Baseball Hall of Famer
- Jason Hill - Division I NCAA Football Player (Washington State), 3rd Round 12th Pick (76 overall) selected by the San Francisco 49ers 2007 NFL Draft
- Frank Jordan - Former Chief of Police and Mayor of San Francisco (1992-1996)
- Gary Luchessi - Producer and President of Lakeshore Entertainment, Executive Producer of the Best Picture Award Winning film Million Dollar Baby
- Chris Petrini - current pitcher for the California Golden Bears Baseball team
- Jerelle Wilson - current basketball player for the San Jose State Spartans
- Dan White - Former San Francisco Supervior. Assassin of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk.
Other individuals associated with the school
- Mike Holmgren - NFL head coach, currently of the Seattle Seahawks, formerly of the Green Bay Packers, who led his teams to three Super Bowl appearances and one victory. (Assistant coach for SH football for two years. Irish snapped a 24-game losing streak in 1974). He was also a mechanical drawing instructor.
- Tobias Wolff - Pulitzer Prize winning author, professor at Stanford University, former English teacher at SH
- Steve Franceschi - pitcher for the San Francisco Giants in the 1970s, current baseball coach, P.E teacher and athletic director at SH.
