| Christopher Columbus High School | |
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Adelante!
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| Address | |
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| 3000 SW 87th Avenue Miami, Florida, (Dade County), 33165-3293 USA |
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| Information | |
| School type | Private |
| Established | 1958 |
| President | Br. Kevin Handibode |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Gender | All Boys |
| Enrollment | 1,400 |
| Campus size | 24-acre (97,000 m2) |
| Campus | Urban |
| Color(s) | Royal Blue and White |
| Mascot | Explorer |
| Rival | Belen Jesuit Preparatory School |
| Accreditation(s) | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Alias | C.C.H.S. |
| School Hours | 8:00 AM to 2:10 PM |
| Sister School | Our Lady of Lourdes Academy |
| Website | www.columbushs.com |
Christopher Columbus High School is a Catholic, college preparatory, all-male high school set on a 24-acre (97,000 m2) campus in Miami, Florida. It was established in 1958 by the Marist Brothers who also form part of school administration and faculty.[1] With just over 100 teachers and 1,400 students, the student teacher ratio is 14:1. Offering the full range of academics, sports and clubs, it was recently selected, for the fourth time in a row, as one of the "Top 50 Catholic High Schools" in the United States by the Catholic High School Honor Roll of 2008.[2] The school is one of only two private schools in Florida that compete in sports at the 6A level and as such, has a long history of winning championships. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami, and is funded through tuition. Financial aid is available to those who qualify. Columbus' sister school is Our Lady of Lourdes Academy.
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History
Christopher Columbus High School broke ground in 1958 under the administration of Archbishop Coleman Carroll. It was initially a continuation of the secondary education program at nearby St. Theresa School.
The school opened with an enrollment of under 200 students and came under the administration of the Marist Brothers at the request of the Archdiocese in 1959. The school has expanded over the years to its present enrollment of approximately 1400 students. This expansion occurred over the years on the 19 acre campus to presently include four academic buildings, a science building, media center, music and athletic center, a technology complex, athletic fields including a baseball complex, football field, basketball courts, tennis courts, a gymnasium, track, and weight room. The school boasts over 10,000 alumni, many of whom are renowned in their particular professions throughout the world. The school offers the full range of academics, sports and clubs and was recently selected, for the fourth time in a row, as one of the "Top 50 Catholic High Schools" in the United States by the Catholic High School Honor Roll of 2008.[3]
Admission and academics
As a Catholic institution, the school does not discriminate on the basis of race or religion in its admissions process. The school is funded by tuition with significant discounts offered for 2nd and 3rd children enrolled in the school. Financial aid is available for those who qualify.
In order to graduate, students require twenty-four credits and a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0. They must also complete seventy-five hours of community service by the end of their senior year. The academics at Columbus are based on a phasing system: Phase 2 classes are for the academically challenged who require more time to absorb a given subject, Phase 3 classes are for average students, Phase 4 refers to honors classes for the academically gifted, and Phase 5 refers to Advanced Placement (AP) classes, which have a college-level format and where academically-motivated students have the opportunity to gain college credit should they earn the proper score on the AP exam. Depending on a given phase of a class, a student will earn a certain amount of points, which are then weighted and averaged to generate a student's GPA, the average GPA being a 3.2.
Columbus Academic Phasing
- Mas Family Scholars Program (PHASE 5) = Designed for gifted, highly motivated students.
- Honors Program (PHASE 4) = Structured to academically advanced students with high grade point averages.
- College Preparatory (PHASE 3) = Excellent high school curriculum for average students.
- Montagne Program (PHASE 2) = Offers a progressive, academic college preparatory curriculum that acknowledges the diversity of student learning styles and abilities.
Dual-enrollment classes are offered through St Thomas University, Barry University and Florida International University . These classes enable the student to earn both high school and college credit for the course.
Mas Family Scholars Program
Begun in the 2005-2006 school year, the Mas Family Scholars Program is an accelerated program at Christopher Columbus High School. The program was started to provide select Columbus students with a challenging curriculum. In addition to having an advanced curriculum, the students in the program participate in extracurricular activities. Mas Scholars are encouraged to participate in sports and to encompass the ideal of the student athlete. Mas Scholars [4]
Faculty
Christopher Columbus faculty consists of over 140 teachers, many of whom have taught at or been affiliated with this institution for many years. The student teacher ratio is 14:1. A vast technology system connects all the classrooms and provides teachers with the latest software and online grading system. Parent, student and teacher communication is facilitated by these online technologies.
Social Life and Clubs
Although the school is an all male institution, the social formation of the students includes girls from neighboring co-ed St. Brendan's High School in after-school clubs. Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, the Catholic all-girls sister school to Columbus handles the cheerleading for CCHS sports teams. Columbus High School also plays host to both Homecoming and Prom events each year for their students and their dates.
A wide variety of clubs are available for students. These include: Adelante (Yearbook), Chess Club, Close Up, Dominoes Club, Democratic Student Alliance, Drama Club, Fairchild Tropical Challenge, Film Club, French Club, French Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America, Intramural Athletics, Key Club, Math Honor Society - Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society, Robotics Club, Salsa Club, Science Honors Society, Scuba Dive Club, Squires, Rho Kappa and History Club, Spanish Club, Spanish Honor Society, Speech and Debate, Squires Club, Student Activities Committee - S.A.C, Surf and Skate Club, The Log, Video Game Club, Weight Lifting, World Languages Club.
Athletics
Columbus and its sister school, Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, are the only private schools in Florida that compete at a 6A level. The sports program at Columbus has a long history of winning championships and developing successful athletes.
Varsity level sports offered are: baseball, basketball, football, volleyball, hockey, soccer, bowling, cross country, golf, lacrosse, swimming, diving, tennis, track and field, water polo and wrestling.
Junior varsity level sports include: baseball, basketball, football, volleyball, hockey, soccer, and lacrosse.
Freshman level sports offered are: baseball, basketball, football and volleyball.
Campus
The campus is set over 30 acres (120,000 m2)[1] and includes several facilities for student and faculty use. There are four main academic buildings that are supplemented with a media center that contains a technical resource center, an auditorium, a TV news studio, a chemistry laboratory, a concession stand, and several offices. The science building contains a physics and chemistry lab. The school also has several computer labs, gymnasium, a tennis complex, a baseball complex, a weight room, football field,and a concrete track which is used as a parking lot. In 2006, Christopher Columbus High School began construction on the three-story "Mas Technology Complex", which contains administrative offices, computer labs, a large library, and a school store. The project is expected to be completed, in time to celebrate the school's 50th anniversary in Spring of 2008.[5]
Catholic Identity
As a Catholic institution, students are offered the opportunity to go to confession and attend Mass and various Catholic retreats. Catholic religious education is part of everyday curriculum yet students are also exposed to the various world religions in their regular history classes. St. Brendan's Catholic Church adjoins the school campus and is available for those students who need to spend some time with God either in private prayer or daily Mass as desired.
Awards
- In 2009, Christopher Columbus High School received the 2009 Sunshine State Cup for best athletic program for boys in the 6A level in Florida.
- Columbus Head Football Coach Chris Merritt helped coach the International Federation of American Football's Team USA to win the Junior World Championship.
- Christopher Columbus High School was named "Top 50 Catholic High School" by the Catholic High School Honor Roll: 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008.
- Winner of the Miami Herald's All-Dade Boys Major Sports Award: 2008, 2009
- State Runner-Up Team in Cross Country: 1962, 1995, 2005
- State Champion Runner-Up Team in Baseball: 2009
- State Champion Runner-Up Team in Track & Field: 2009
- State Champion Team in Tennis: 1997
- State Champion Cross Country: 1998, 2008, 2009
Notable Alumni
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This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2009) |
- Raoul G. Cantero, III - '78, Justice of the Florida Supreme Court and grandson of former Cuban President Fulgencio Batista.
- Cesar Casamayor Jr. - '84, President of E&P Printing Corporation.
- Jorge Mas Santos - '81, Chairman of the Cuban American National Foundation and CEO of MasTec.
- Enrique Murciano - '91, actor, CBS drama Without a Trace, movies: Traffic, Speed 2: Cruise Control, The Lost City, Black Hawk Down.
- Ray Rodriguez - '69, President of Univision
- Carlos Borges - '02, Vice President, Biomedical International Corp.
- Carlos A. Gimenez - '72, Miami-Dade County District 7 Commissioner.
- Patrick Farrell - '77, 2009 Pulitzer Prize Winner-Breaking News Photography
Notable Alumni Athletes
Baseball
- Rob Murphy - '78—Former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and Florida Marlins; pitched collegiately for the University of Florida
- Orestes Destrade - '80 Former MLB player for the Florida Marlins, New York Yankees, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Current ESPN baseball analyst on Baseball Tonight.
- Izzy Molina - '90, Former MLB player for the Oakland A's and Baltimore Orioles
- Paul Mainieri -'75, Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America's National Coach of the Year - Led LSU to the 2009 National Championship of College Baseball.
Basketball
- Cesar Odio - '77, Head Basketball Coach at Barry University.
Football
- Mario Cristobal - '88, Florida International University Head Football Coach.
- Joaquin Gonzalez - '97, Retired NFL Offensive Lineman.
- Brian Griese - Former NFL Quarterback for the Chicago Bears.
- Alonzo Highsmith - '83, former University of Miami and NFL football player and former professional boxer. Currently a scout for the Green Bay Packers.
- Mike Shula - '83, former University of Alabama football coach, current quarterbacks coach for the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars.
- Mike Whittington - '76, former University of Notre Dame, New York Giants and Memphis Showboats Linebacker[6]
- Patrick Lee - '03, Auburn University NFL-Cornerback Green Bay Packers.
- Drew Hatem- '98 , Starting Quarterback at Marian College Indianpolis leading them to 4 perfect seasons and setting all the quarterback records. 1998-2003
References
- ^ a b "History of Christopher Columbus High School". Christopher Columbus High School. http://www.columbushs.com/history.asp. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "2008 Catholic High School Honor Roll". Action Institute. http://www.chshonor.org/roll/index.php?year=2008. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "2008 Catholic High School Honor Roll". Action Institute. http://www.chshonor.org/roll/index.php?year=2008. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "Christopher Columbus High School Mas Family Scholars Program" (PDF). Adelante: The Christopher Columbus Alumni Newsletter. Spring 2005. http://www.columbushs.com/alumni/documents/spring.05pdf.pdf. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
- ^ "Mas Technology Complex" (PDF). Adelante: The Christopher Columbus Alumni Newsletter. Fall 2006. http://www.columbushs.com/alumni/newsletter/wntr06.pdf. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
- ^ http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=WHITTMIK01
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