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Over fifty years ago
supporters of St. Mary's High School built the
current campus on El Dorado Street. Construction for
St. Mary's High School was completed in 1955, and
its doors opened in 1956 with an enrollment of 518
students. The faculty consisted of four Franciscan
Priests, ten Dominican Sisters, and seven lay
teachers.
The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, who began their
teaching ministry at St. Mary's in 1970, are
approaching 35 years in the Stockton Community, and
we celebrate their presence in our school.
Today we have two Oblate Priests (one part-time),
two Oblate Brothers, one Dominican Sister
(part-time), seventy-four lay teachers, counselors,
and administrators, one full-time campus minister,
one development director, ten office staff, four
maintenance staff, six custodial and other
contracted employees (whose roles include part-time
teachers, drama director, school psychologist, and
development office personnel). This total does not
include the coaching staff, volunteers and friends
of St. Mary's. All of these individuals serve a
student body of 1,140 students. This is the largest
enrollment in the school's history.
The need for new and modern facilities is now at
hand. Since 1955, a true master plan for the
school's entire program and campus has never been
developed. Now for the first time since this campus
was originally designed, St. Mary's has unfolded a
much-needed, contemporary master plan to guide the
school in its mission for years to come.
Based on the perceived needs, a number of
preliminary concepts were discussed and developed. A
master plan committee was formed in 1997 to begin
the process. After many changes to the concepts, the
final plan emerged with new academic service space,
library, chapel, athletic, guidance offices, student
services, swimming and fitness center and additional
improvements. The look of our campus will change.
However, we still continue to follow in the
footsteps of the Lord
The focal point of the
master plan is the statue of Mary, Queen of Heaven.
Around the statue, plans include incorporating a
quad area for students to gather and use for school
related activities.
The new Lagorio Academic Services Building faces El
Dorado Street. This first building, a two story academic
services building of about 23,000 square feet,
includes a library, guidance center, administrative
services, development, three classrooms and two
computer labs.
The new Cortopassi Aquatics Center was dedicated on
October 7, 2007 and the Sports/Fitness building
is scheduled to begin construction in late 2008. The venerable St.
Bonaventure Hall will be removed.
A new one-story
science and classroom building is scheduled for construction. In
addition, St. Mary's will remodel the existing classroom
buildings to become "smart
classrooms." The former library has been converted
into classrooms as part of this process.
The Morelli Gymnasium (big gym) will continue to
exist. However, the final phase includes a new
gymnasium large enough to comfortably seat our
student body.
Prior to the current phases, due
to the generosity of the Sprague and
Thompson families, as well as countless other
good-hearted individuals, the Sprague Family Athletic
Building, Carruesco Baseball Field and the Thompson
Sports Complex were completed.
All this talk about a
new modern library and high-tech classrooms is very
exciting. Nonetheless, as a Catholic secondary
school we are also called on to construct a greater
building. "You are God's building. Thanks to the
favor God showed me I laid a foundation as a wise
master-builder might do, and now someone else is
building upon it. Everyone, however, must be careful
how he builds...for the temple of God is holy, and
you are that temple." (1 Corinthians 3:9-13; 16-17)
It is easy to forget what a school should build. It
should build a community that sees God in others. It
should build within a student an informed conscience
and the willingness to give service to others. It
should build students who possess the necessary
skills for the future and who make choices that
reflect Christian values. It should build the
understanding that there is life after death.
It is easy to confuse a building of brick and mortar
with the dwelling of God that is "made in heaven,"
not by human hands. For most of us a school remains
classrooms, four walls, desks, and chalkboards.
Conversely, a Catholic high school can be so much
more. We forget that we are a place "where two or
more are gathered" in the name of Jesus, doing what
Jesus did and He is here,
As educators we are partners with our parent
community to make something good out of all that God
has entrusted to us. We are charged with building a
world marked by liberty, justice, freedom, peace,
reconciliation, truth, honesty, kindness and care.
In short, we are called to build up the Kingdom of
God here on earth, laying the ground work for that
great and mysterious day when the redeeming and
inspiring work of God will reach its fulfillment:
life on high with Jesus Christ.
Closer to home, there's much work to be done.
Building upon the foundation of Christ, we must
build things that give glory to God and which serve
the needs of one another. However, the most
important things that we build aren't material
things at all; they are relationships with each
other, husband, wife, mother, father, son, daughter,
brother, sister, friend, neighbor, student, and
co-worker.
Although Jesus never helped to break ground for a
new school, nor laid a cornerstone for a new
synagogue, constructed a monument, or attended a
ribbon cutting for a new store, what he did build
was significant. He built something that was much
more powerful and important: a web of relationships
in which, men, women, and children personally
experience God's love for them.
We build buildings today so that mission of Jesus
can continue.
Now we stand at St. Mary's, countless centuries
since the dawn of creation thinking of new
buildings. So much has already been built, but so
much more, with God's help, remains to be
constructed. As we begin this building project and
dream of the future of St. Mary's High School with
hope, let us pray for this community to be honest,
just, peaceful, and supportive in life-giving
relationships with one another.
Peter D. Morelli
Principal |
