Marshall School Explained

Marshall School
Streetaddress:1215 Rice Lake Road
County:(St. Louis County)
Zipcode:55811
Country:USA
Head Of School:Andrea Schokker
Chaplain:Lon Weaver
Faculty:44
Average Class Size:16
Ratio:12:1
Sat:1854
Act:27
Grades:Kindergarten - 12th grade
Athletics Conference:Lake Superior Conference
Accreditation:ISACS Accredited[1]
Nickname:Hilltoppers
Colors: Black & gold
Yearbook:The Beacon
Publication:The Hilltopper
Newspaper:The Marshall Times
Established:1904
Alumni:7,000
Enrollment:435
Enrollment As Of:2022-2023
Grade12:75

Marshall School is an independent, coeducational, day school in Duluth, Minnesota for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Marshall School is sometimes referred to as Duluth Marshall at Minnesota State High School League athletic tournaments.

History

Cathedral Senior High School

Founded in 1904 by the Catholic Diocese of Duluth, Duluth Cathedral was originally a high school for boys. In 1910, the diocese added girls, but it was not until 1942 that the school was fully coeducational.[2] In 1963, the school moved to the newly constructed campus on Rice Lake Road, where it remains to this day.

Marshall School

Marshall School is the Twin Ports flagship independent school and has served the Duluth area for more than a century. Founded in 1904 as Cathedral Senior High School.

Now a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS), Marshall serves students age 4 -12th grade.

Originally located in downtown Duluth on the corner of 4th Street and 2nd Avenue, the school began as a Catholic high school. In the early 1960s, the school moved to its current location in Duluth on Rice Lake Road. It became an all-faith institution in the early 1970s, which led to a name change to Marshall School in 1987.

Marshall School expanded to include grades 7 and 8 in the early 1990s. Recently, Marshall has added grades 4, 5, and 6 in the past two decades, and in the fall of 2022 will be opening the Forest School. The Forest School will serve children ages four through fourth grade. Since 2006, Marshall has also had a robust international program with more than 200 students from nearly 44 countries.

Campus

The campus is on a hillside overlooking Lake Superior and downtown Duluth and includes academic and technology centers, athletic fields, cross-country ski trails, tennis courts, a hockey rink, and fine arts and performance areas.[3] In 2016, on-campus housing was added for international students.[4]

Academics

Admissions

The admissions office does not select students solely on the basis of academic strength. A willingness to prioritize academics, the desire to be a "person of character", and a desire to be a part of the Marshall School community are essential qualities for a positive admission decision.[5]

On average, 60% of students at Marshall receive need-based financial aid.

Upper school

The average class size is 18. Fine arts opportunities include concert choir, chamber choir, concert band, jazz band, concert orchestra strings ensemble, and drama program.

Nearly 70% of seniors sit for AP exams across 23 subjects, with nearly 75% scoring a 3 or higher. The 2015 ACT average score was 27.

Upon graduation from Marshall, 98% of students attend four-year colleges.[6]

Community Service Learning Program

Students in grades nine through twelve are required to complete a minimum of ten hours of community service each year, with a total of forty hours required for graduation.

Middle school

Marshall School's middle school serves students in grades 5 through 8. Middle School students are able to take a range of diverse classes including music ensembles, daily foreign language courses, and daily physical education.

Forest School at Marshall

The Forest School at Marshall opened in the fall of 2022 and serves students age 4 through fourth grade. 50% of the school day will be spent outside learning on the campus grounds.

Faculty

Marshall School has a student to faculty ratio of 12:1.[7] Of the 44 faculty members, 19 hold advanced degrees and 4 hold doctorates.

Activities

Clubs

!Upper school clubs!Upper school clubs!Middle school clubs
Black Student UnionJazz BandDestination Imagination
Book ClubKaraoke ClubKnowledge Bowl
Chamber SingersKnowledge BowlLego Robotics
Chess ClubMath LeagueMath League
Cooking ClubModel United NationsSpeech
CyberPatriotsNational Art Honor SocietyWellness Club
Destination ImaginationNational Honor Society
Drama ClubRobotics
Environmental Advocacy GroupRock Band Club
Fellowship of Christian StudentsSpectrum Club
Gardening ClubSpeech
Girls Who CodeTopper Tour Guides
Health & Wellness ClubTrapshooting
Hilltopper CouncilYearbook
Honor CouncilYouth in Action

Athletics

Marshall School supports 19 athletic teams that compete in the Lake Superior Conference, Section 7A (except Boys Hockey, which competes at Section 7AA), and the Minnesota State High School League. More than 85% of Marshall students participate in at least one sport, often alongside other clubs and activities including cheering on fellow student-athletes at competitions throughout the year. Marshall teams compete at the varsity level in 19 different MSHSL sports. Most sports offer opportunities at junior high and JV levels.

Upper school athletics

Fall sports Winter sports Spring sports
Boys' hockey BaseballSoftball
Boys' soccer Girls' hockey Golf
Girls' soccer Girls' basketball Boys' tennis
Volleyball Boys' basketball Track & field
Cross country running Danceline
Girls' tennis Alpine skiing
FootballNordic skiing

Middle school athletics

Fall sports Winter sports Spring sports
Boys' soccer Boys' basketballBaseball
Girls' soccer Girls' basketball Softball
Volleyball Alpine skiing Track & field
Cross country running Nordic skiing Boys' tennis
Girls' tennis Danceline Boys' golf
Boys' hockeyGirls' golf
Girls' hockey

Boys' hockey

Brendan Flaherty, who graduated from Duluth Cathedral in 1982, coached the team for 22 seasons. Coach Flaherty was a three-time Section Coach of the Year, won four Conference Championships and eight Section Championships, and was a three-time State Championship finalist. He coached nine Division I players and nineteen Division III players, among them Jack Connolly, UMD, Hobey Baker recipient 2012. The Hilltoppers have appeared in seven state tournaments, and most recently finished fifth in the state tournament (2013).[8]

In December 2014, Marshall School announced the team would be moving to Class AA, the larger of the two classes, beginning in the 2015–2016 season.[9]

Girls' hockey

Marshall School's girls' hockey team had their inaugural season in 2014–2015, playing with just a junior varsity team.[10] In January 2015, Marshall School announced the team would also have a varsity squad for the following 2015–2016 season.[11]

Dance—Jazz division

With six Class A Jazz state championship titles, Marshall School Dance Team is the most winning team since jazz was added to the MSHSL in 1997.[12] The dance team experienced a five-year win streak from 2006 to 2011 before winning again in 2015.

MSHSL state tournament appearances

State appearances
Season Sport Number of appearances Year
Fall Soccer, boys' 4 1998 (2nd), 2006, 2007 (1st) 2012 (3rd)
Winter Hockey, boys' 12 1965 (1st), 1966 (1st), 1967 (1st), 1968 (1st), 1969 (1st), 2001, 2005 (3rd), 2006 (2nd), 2007 (2nd), 2008 (2nd), 2012, 2013
Basketball, boys' 1 2002
10 2005 (3rd), 2006 (2nd), 2007 (1st), 2008 (1st), 2009 (1st), 2010 (1st), 2011 (1st), 2014 (2nd), 2015 (1st - Jazz), 2015 (4th)
Spring Golf, boys' 2 2003, 2004 (1st)
Tennis, boys' 2 2006, 2008
Golf, girls' 4 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
4 2017 (4th), 2018 (2nd), 2019 (1st), 2022 (5th)
Total 39

Notable alumni

In popular culture

Marshall School was prominently featured in the Netflix film Christmas Break-In, starring Cameron Seely and Danny Glover.[13] The school's signage and campus were used as backdrops without major alteration, and some students played extras.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Marshall School. ISACS. March 30, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150402093253/http://www.isacs.org/page/472118_Search_for_a_School.asp?school=100. April 2, 2015. live. mdy-all.
  2. Web site: Beth. Krodel. HOME SWEET HILLTOP MARSHALL TAKES CONTROL OF OWN DESTINY. Newsbank. Duluth News Tribune. 19 May 2015.
  3. ISACS Member School Information [//www.isacs.org/page/472118_Search_for_a_School.asp?school=100]
  4. Web site: International Program. Marshall School. December 9, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161203111553/http://www.marshallschool.org/academics/international. December 3, 2016. live. mdy-all.
  5. Web site: Admissions. MarshallSchool.org. Marshall School. 30 March 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20101227133641/http://www.marshallschool.org/page.cfm?p=19. 27 December 2010. dead. dmy-all.
  6. Web site: Upper School - Fast Facts. Marshall School. December 9, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161203023628/http://www.marshallschool.org/our-school/fast-facts. December 3, 2016. live. mdy-all.
  7. Web site: Home - Marshall School. 2021-11-27. www.marshallschool.org. en-US.
  8. Web site: Marshall. School. Marshall School: Boys Hockey. marshallschool.org. 2 April 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150403100327/http://www.marshallschool.org/page.cfm?p=1497. 3 April 2015. dead. dmy-all.
  9. News: Sports. Eyewitness. Duluth Marshall Plans to Move to Class AA for Boys' Hockey. April 1, 2015. WDIO. https://web.archive.org/web/20150402104549/http://www.wdio.com/article/stories/s3653234.shtml. April 2, 2015. live. mdy-all.
  10. News: KBGR. News 1. Duluth Marshall to Start Girls' Hockey Program | KBJR 6 & Range 11 | KDLH 3: News, Weather, Sports for Duluth MN / Superior WI / Northland | Sports. 1 April 2015. KBGR. https://web.archive.org/web/20150402121539/http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/sports/Duluth-Marshall-to-Start-Girls-Hockey-Program-237355961.html. 2 April 2015. dead. dmy-all.
  11. News: Varsity Girls' Hockey for Duluth Marshall in 2015-16. 2 April 2015. WDIO. https://web.archive.org/web/20150403133923/http://www.wdio.com/article/stories/s3690889.shtml. 3 April 2015. live. dmy-all.
  12. News: KBJR. News 1. Marshall Divas Back on Top of Dance World. 8 April 2015. KBJR News 1. KBJR News. https://web.archive.org/web/20150415205534/http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/sports/Marshall-Divas-Back-on-Top-of-Dance-World-292138191.html. 15 April 2015. dead. dmy-all.
  13. Web site: Independent film using Marshall School as set. Apr third 2018 - 5pm. News Tribune . Duluth News Tribune. 3 April 2018 . en. 2019-11-14.