Saint Paul's Viewbook

Saint Paul’s School Successfully educating young men in the Lasallian Christian Brothers’ Tradition for over 100 years

n a i l S l a c s h a o L ol A “You can perform miracles by touching the hearts of those entrusted to your care . . . ” - Med 133.2 Saint John Baptist de La Salle

Origins Saint Paul’s School traces its origins to 1911, when the Benedictines of Saint Joseph Abbey purchased Dixon Academy in Covington. Its first session began with forty-eight students and quickly won a reputation for excellent instruction and strong discipline. Before the end of the first year, enrollment had grown to seventy boarders and thirty day students.

In 1918, the Benedictines sold the school to the Christian Brothers, a Catholic religious order unknown in this region. They were first represented here by nineteen French Brothers who had been exiled from both France and Mexico for political reasons. These pioneer Brothers worked long hours, not only teaching and guiding their students, but also staffing the school as carpenters, painters, plumbers, electricians, and yardmen. Inspired by the zeal of the founding Brothers, Saint Paul’s School has prospered since and has maintained its reputation for educational excellence established by the Benedictines and the founding Brothers.

De La Salle and the Christian Brothers Since 1680 educational institutions in more than 80 countries have been influenced by the vision and innovative spirit of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, Founder of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and the patron saint of teachers. De La Salle transformed education by forming a community of educators, the Christian Brothers, with whom he developed a spirituality of teaching and learning, to give a human and Christian education to young people, especially the poor.

Lasallian Education centers on Catholic values and personal relationships, emphasizing academic excellence, faith formation, inclusion, respect for the individual, service and social justice. A Lasallian Education strives to enrich each student’s cultural, intellectual, physical, social, and spiritual development. Today, the De La Salle Christian Brothers and their Lasallian partners continue to respond to students through advancements in teaching, technology, and scholarship.

In Lasallian communities, educators touch hearts, stimulate minds, and cultivate leadership to prepare students for life, work, and service to society and the Church.

“To touch the hearts of your students is the greatest miracle you can perform.”

- Med. 180.3 Saint John Baptist de La Salle

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Saint Paul’s School

Academic Excellence Since 1911 Since opening its doors in 1911, Saint Paul’s School has offered a challenging and relevant academic experience to its students. With a profound respect for over three hundred years of Lasallian educational tradition, Saint Paul’s provides the opportunity for growth and success in academic pursuits.

Our students excel in national testing programs, and our average ACT is higher than the state and national averages. Our students are competitively successful in District and State rallies, math tournaments, foreign language festivals, in regional and national essay contests, in state, regional and national computer programming competitions, and in competitions for collegiate scholarships. Our graduates are accepted into the most competitive colleges and universities in the country.

“My son’s teachers have been so engaging, helpful, and kind. Thank you so much for welcoming our son to the Wolfpack.

We absolutely cannot wait to see what the future holds. With love and gratitude in our hearts, thank you again.“ - Mother of Pre-freshman, Class of 2024

Scholarship is important at Saint Paul’s. Students are exposed to the latest in modern educational methodology and technology. We emphasize the importance of the teacher-student relationship in the learning process.

Every student is important.

Our academic program is defined not simply by the rigor of the college-prep curriculum, but by the extra help offered to struggling students, by the personal guidance offered by concerned administrators, and by the out of school advice offered by teachers. We are a community of learners, working together to help prepare our students for college life and beyond.

“Thank you for such a great foundation to my education. It helped me tremendously in my collegiate career . . .

I will always remember and cherish my time and education from such a fine school.”

- Saint Paul’s School Alumnus , Class of 2015

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In recognition of the tradition of quality education, the U.S. Department of Education awarded Saint Paul’s School “The Blue Ribbon of Excellence,” considered the highest honor an American school can achieve. The program honors schools which have achieved high levels of academic performance.

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Faith · Community · Service · A Spirit of Faith The religion program at Saint Paul’s takes its direction from the three marks of Lasallian spirituality: Faith, Community, and Service and from the Five Core Lasallian Principles: • • • • •

faith in the presence of God quality education respect for all inclusive community concern for the poor and social justice

Each day and each class begin with prayer, reminding students and faculty that “We are in the presence of God.” The religion class serves as the focus for Faith development. The religion teacher and students create an atmosphere of honest reflection, thoughtful questioning, and sincere conversation in the context of a curriculum which explores the history, traditions, and beliefs of the Catholic Church. Students gather frequently for prayer at school liturgies, Adoration, and communion services. Just as the day begins with prayer, it ends with an afternoon prayer of thanksgiving for the blessings of the day, and a promise to continue to do “all things for the love of God.”

“I will forever be grateful for Saint Paul’s School in helping Blake on his faith journey. I can’t thank you enough! May God continue to bless Saint Paul’s!”

- Mother of Saint Paul’s Senior, Class of 2020

“The five Lasallian core principles have been shaping my life in ways I would never have expected when I learned about them my eighth grade year. They are values that have guided me in all aspects of my life, and they continue to guide me today . . . those values provided a foundation for a very unique and fulfilling college experience.”

- Saint Paul’s School Alumnus, Class of 2016

Saint Paul’s students understand their school to be a Community - a society in which members care for one another. We make clear the obligation of older students to care for and nurture younger students. Level retreats provide the opportunity for students to explore personal issues and to listen to and be supportive of fellow classmates. The service component of the school’s program requires students to reach out to the needy in a larger community.

Many students do fifty, one hundred, or even several hundred hours of service each school year.

“The faculty at Saint Paul’s by being men and women of God, have used their influence on us in a positive manner . . . we will now go out into the world and spread the seeds of change that they have planted.”

- Saint Paul’s School Alumnus, Class of 2017

· Faith · Community · Service The Strength of the Wolf is in the Pack At Saint Paul’s, we offer a comprehensive extra-curricular program. We believe there is a niche for everyone here; we respect the diverse interests of our students.

In athletics, Saint Paul’s has a long and heralded tradition of excellence in district, regional, and state competition.

We strive to win the right way-through touching the hearts of our athletes and competing together for shared success. The Wolves participate in 16 different sports through the year, with teams competing from junior high to varsity levels.

Many of our other activities are competitive (Math Tournaments, Robotics, Eco Car), some enrich the curriculum (Spanish Club; HOSA, a national organization for students interested in the medical profession; Yearbook; Paper Wolf), some are performance-oriented (Band, Theater), and some are service organizations (Habitat for Humanity, Lasallian Youth Leaders, Key Club, Student Hosts, Student Council). All activities provide opportunities for student growth, and all serve to anchor students more strongly to the school community, deepening the bonds of brotherhood. It is through the extra-curricular programs that the students learn to work together for common goals, where friendships are formed and nurtured, where students create life-long memories and learn lessons that will inform their adult years.

“Saint Paul’s was five of the best years of my life.

What I experienced during those five years in my role as a son, a friend, a Catholic, a student, a community member, did more to shape my character and outlook than any other experience in my life. Those guys, my brothers, are directly and intrinsically ingrained in my character and outlook.”

- Saint Paul’s School Alumnus, Class of 2006

Faith · Community · Service Touching Hearts The Principal stands in the hallway between classes, greeting students by name. The wrestling coach seems more concerned about your grades and your home life than your improvement on the wrestling mat. The freshman religion teacher seems always surrounded by students, enjoying a friendly, personal relationship with each. Faculty members willingly tutor before and after school, at lunch and moderate a wide variety of activities to share in the educational experience as “brothers.”

“My son is a senior and I honestly will miss attending events at your school . . .

SPS has a special magic that I haven’t seen anywhere else.”

- Mother of Saint Paul’s Senior, Class of 2020

These members of the adult community at Saint Paul’s view themselves, not simply as teachers, but as “ministers of God’s grace.” Their responsibility extends well beyond the walls of the classroom, to every aspect of student life. Our teachers are charged with touching the hearts of their students, and they bear no greater responsibility. Saint John Baptist de La Salle believed that the root of true teaching lies with authentic love for the students.

Saint Paul’s then is a community of Lasallian partners, striving to further the 300 plus year Lasallian educational tradition. They do so by providing exemplary teaching and well-rounded extra-curricular activities to our students. And they do this with an abiding faith in God and a firm trust in His Providence.

Although Saint Paul’s is a school with more than a century of education to reflect upon, it is also a school that embraces the present and looks toward the future. Renovations to the Briggs Assembly Center, La Salle Hall, and the Gene Bennett Sports Complex along with the addition of a new gym, and by next school year, a new Band Hall, will provide for many more years of athletic and academic excellence. Additions to the curriculum such as Pre-engineering, Biomedical Science, Business and Law Studies electives help prepare our students for the demands of college life.

“What is evident at Saint Paul’s is our sense of brotherhood, both with our classmates and the Lasallian community across the globe.

The presence of God drifts about our campus like a thick perfume.

One can feel it, one can smell it.”

– Justin Addison, Class of 2014

We invite you to learn about Saint Paul’s and to join us in our second century of Lasallian education. And we suggest you trust the testimony of our graduates who know:

St. Paul’s is a good place to grow up!

Saint Paul’s School Successfully educating young men in the Lasallian Christian Brothers’ Tradition for over 100 years 917 South Jahncke Avenue • Covington, Louisiana 70433 (985) 892-3200 • www.stpauls.com