La Salle College High School Explained

La Salle College High School
Motto:Latin: Virtus et Scientia
Motto Translation:Character and Knowledge
Location:8605 West Cheltenham Avenue
County:Montgomery County
State:Pennsylvania
Zipcode:19038
Country:USA
Coordinates:40.0947°N -75.19°W
Former Names:Select School
Christian Brothers Academy
Type:Private, Catholic, all-male college-preparatory school
Religious Affiliation:Christian
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Patron:Jean-Baptiste de La Salle
Founder:De La Salle Brothers
Status:Currently operational
Ceeb:393370
President:Bro. James L. Butler, FSC
Principal:James Fyke
Chaplain:Fr. Anthony Janton
Faculty:97.5
Enrollment:1,141
Enrollment As Of:2021-2022
Grade9:313
Grade10:265
Grade11:290
Grade12:273
Ratio:11.4:1
Campus Size:84acres
Campus Type:Suburban
Colors: &
Slogan:Enter to Learn. Leave to Serve.
Song:Hail La Salle
Mascot:Explorer
Team Name:Explorers
Accreditation:Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[1]
National Ranking:Best Catholic High Schools in the US No. 123 of 1,144
Publication:The Gazebo (literary magazine)
Newspaper:The Wisterian
Yearbook:Blue and Gold
Fees:$460–$11,180
Tuition:$27,500 (2024-2025)[2]

La Salle College High School is a Catholic, all-male college preparatory school located in Wyndmoor, a community in Springfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. La Salle is within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and is located roughly 10 miles northwest of Center City. The school is staffed by a lay faculty and the Christian Brothers. Its sports teams compete in the Philadelphia Catholic League and the PIAA’s twelfth district.

History

La Salle began in 1858 at St. Michael's School at 2nd and Jefferson Streets in the West Kensington section of Philadelphia. Initially the Select School, it was soon renamed the Christian Brothers Academy. In 1863, it became the preparatory school to La Salle College (now La Salle University). The prep school and college shared the same campus for nearly a century, moving once in 1867 to Juniper and Filbert Streets in the heart of Center City and again in 1882 to the mansion of Michael Bouvier, a prominent Philadelphia banker, located on North Broad Street near Girard Avenue. In 1929, La Salle moved to the university’s present campus in the Logan section of upper North Philadelphia. In 1960, the preparatory school moved to the former Belcroft Estate of Clarence E. Brown. In 1982, they formally became two separate institutions, with the high school forming its own board of trustees.[3]

Facilities

La Salle is situated on an 84-acre campus. The grounds include the school building, which contains a cafeteria, gymnasium, auditorium, student center, the Marian Chapel, a central courtyard, and a meadow featuring a grotto adorned by a shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes. Next to the school is the Christian Brothers' residence, a cottage built in 1927. The campus also includes seven athletic fields, tennis courts, and a four-lane swimming pool.

Curriculum

The credits must satisfy the minimums in religion (4), English (4), mathematics (3), science (3), history & political science (3), world languages (3), physical education & health (1), innovation & design (1), and fine arts (.5). There are a variety of elective courses offered in core subjects as well as social science, innovation & design, visual art, and music. Students must have a minimum of 28 credits to graduate and are required to carry seven each year.[4]

Extracurricular activities

Arts

La Salle's band program consists of several bands, including the pep band, pit orchestra, jazz band, and the competition band, which features 20 musicians who compete at local and regional competitions each year. The choral program consists of a general chorus and a select ensemble called The Belcrofters. Both the band and choral programs perform two individual annual concerts in the fall and spring. Band and Chorus are scheduled classes, and private instruction is available for voice and various instruments.

Each year, La Salle's theatre program performs two productions in the fall and spring. The fall production is a collection of student-penned one-act plays while the spring production is a fully staged two-act musical.

Athletics

La Salle is a founding member of the Philadelphia Catholic League and has competed in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association since 2009. It is the only school to have won a PCL Championship in every sport, capturing 271 PCL titles, the most among any school competing in the league.[5]

La Salle fields 47 athletics teams in 19 different sports, including baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, hockey, lacrosse, rowing, rugby sevens and fifteens, soccer, squash, swimming, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, volleyball, water polo, and wrestling. La Salle's student body boasts 339 multi-sport athletes, 108 AP Scholar-Athletes, and a 71% participation rate in athletics.[5]

Clubs

La Salle sponsors over 50 student clubs in areas including academia, the arts, intramural athletics, business, culture and language, media publications, service, and special interests. Over 85% of the student body is part of at least one club or activity.[6]

The David Program

The David Program, named in honor of Brother David Albert and Mr. David Diehl, is an additional academic support service for a limited number of college bound students with documented mild learning disabilities. Students who participate in the David Program have a scheduled period each day that focuses on developing strategies for academic success and empowering the learner. The program is centered around cultivating problem solving, study, organizational, and self advocacy skills. The David Program's student-to-teacher ratio is 2:1.

The David Program is a support service for an additional fee with limited openings each year. As of 2023, construction of an addition to the main school building is underway to expand the program.[7]

Notable alumni

Notes and References

  1. Web site: MSA-Commission on Secondary Schools . 2009-05-23 . MSA-CSS . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090325092326/http://www.css-msa.org/search.php . March 25, 2009 .
  2. Web site: Tuition & Financial Aid . Admissions . La Salle College High School . 30 January 2024.
  3. Web site: La Salle College High School: School History. lschs.org. 9 May 2018.
  4. Web site: La Salle College High School: School History. lschs.org. 10 November 2022.
  5. Web site: La Salle College High School. lschs.org. 10 November 2022.
  6. Web site: La Salle College High School. lschs.org. 10 November 2022.
  7. Web site: David Program. 4 December 2023.
  8. Web site: James J.A. Gallagher . Pennsylvania House of Representatives Archives . 2024-02-07.
  9. Web site: Jim Phelan. Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. 8 May 2018.
  10. Web site: Bedesem inducted into sports hall. The Reporter. August 31, 2004. December 27, 2021.
  11. Web site: Jack Bauerle, La Salle College High School Alumni Hall of Fame. 2010-03-29. UGA Today. en-US. 2019-12-01.
  12. Web site: La Salle College High (Wyndmoor, PA) -- Basketball, Catholic League Individual Scoring .
  13. Web site: Joe Webster. LegisState.PA.us. Pennsylvania House of Representatives. February 20, 2019.
  14. Web site: Fran McCaffery . 2018-05-08 . 2018-05-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180509013201/https://hawkeyesports.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1246 . dead .
  15. News: Layberger. Tom. La Salle product Winslow puts right foot forward at Pitt. 10 May 2018. The Times Herald. 7 October 2015.
  16. Web site: Charles T. McIlhinney Jr. (Republican). Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Pennsylvania House of Representatives. https://web.archive.org/web/20060327191734/http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/house_bio.cfm?districtnumber=143. 2006-03-27. 2009-01-22.
  17. Web site: John Butler '91 Inducted Into the Hall of Athletics. LSCHS.org. September 24, 2018. October 31, 2018.
  18. News: Parks. Jessica. Mystery works for Montco poker champ. 12 November 2015. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia Media Network. 11 November 2015. Pinq.
  19. News: Rodemer. Vince. OLYMPICS: La Salle grad Tyler Nase represents U.S. in Rio. 8 May 2018. Montgomery Media. Digital First Media. 24 August 2016.
  20. News: Abdallah. Khaled. Toronto FC: Darius Madison Player Profile. 8 May 2018. Toronto Reds. Fan Sided.
  21. Web site: Is Matt Rambo the greatest lacrosse player to ever come out of Philadelphia?. Joseph. Santoloquito. PhillyVoice.com. June 7, 2017. September 13, 2019.
  22. Web site: Football: La Salle's Ryan Winslow commits to Pittsburgh. Rick. O'Brien. Inquirer.com. June 25, 2012. September 30, 2019.
  23. News: Hunt. Donald. Local standouts to get their opportunity to play in the NFL. 6 May 2018. The Philadelphia Tribune. The Philadelphia Tribune. 1 May 2018.
  24. Web site: La Salle's Shurmur commits to Vandy. Rick. O'Brien. Philadelphia Inquirer. www.Philly.com. May 31, 2014. October 29, 2018.
  25. Web site: Andrew Cossetti - 2022 - Baseball . Saint Joseph's University . en.