St. Michael Catholic High School completes first year as college preparatory school

St. Michael Catholic High School completes first year as college preparatory school
School currently accepting applications for freshman, sophomore & junior classes

By Sally McKinney
When St. Michael Catholic High School Principal Faustin Weber opened the doors of the facility last summer, he had high hopes, high standards and a lot of faith for a successful year. At the end of the school year, he was not disappointed. His 99 students and 12 faculty members made him proud.
The foreign language department students received national recognition on the Spanish and Latin national exams, the girls’ basketball team ended their first season with a 16-2 record and the first band and chorale groups earned Superior ratings at the Alabama State performance assessments.
After 40 years in the making, the first Catholic high school in Baldwin County took one and a half years to build at a cost of $12.5 million. The school’s curriculum offers collegiate level courses, honors and AP classes. According to the mission statement “the college preparatory school of the Archdiocese of Mobile aspires for the students to become scholars, leaders and disciples of Jesus Christ.”
The school is open to all faiths and cultivates an environment of forming great hearts and minds to do great things. According to Kim Frank, of Elberta whose daughter, Lizzie, was a member of the first freshman class, “They focus on what matters for eternity-not just on what matters right now. The results speak for themselves.”
The school has a bus available for a fee via Baldwin Rural Area Transportation System (BRATS) that services South Baldwin county with pickups and drop offs at Old Tyme Pottery on Highway 59 in Foley. It takes an average of 34 minutes to reach the school, just 23 miles away in Fairhope.
Once there, the students have a variety of choices to make. The school offers eight periods per day, allowing the students to earn 28 credits for graduation, with a maximum of 32 credits. Two years of foreign language, Spanish or Latin; four years of theology and two years of the arts, band, chorus or fine arts, are required with the flexibility to be a “renaissance” vision of scholar, athlete, leader and lover of the arts.
“We chose St. Michael because we believe in a Catholic education,” say Brandi and Rico Eslava, parents of freshman Gabrielle of Gulf Shores. “After meeting the principal, Faustin Weber, and learning about the faculty he hired, we couldn’t wait to send our daughter to the new high school.”
The Eslavas say the first year has been amazing.
Gabrielle says, “The thing I love about St. Michael that I don’t see everywhere is the encouragement and unity of the school. I find support in my peers, which drives me to strive for better. I’m proud to be part of the first class here and I cannot wait to see how our community will grow.”
The faculty approaches learning with an interactive, hands-on learning philosophy. This year adds the junior class for the sophomores who are moving up and the new students from Baldwin and Mobile counties choosing to transfer to the school.
Seventeen teachers will be on hand to guide 170 students for the 2017-2018 year. Two of the teachers hold PhDs and 14 have post-graduate degrees. The original faculty averaged 17.3 years of teaching experience.
The faculty is available every day after school from 3:15 to 4 p.m., Monday to Thursday for tutoring, helping the students to succeed, spending one-on-one time going over lessons, concepts, etc. Sports practices are not held until 4 p.m. to preserve the integrity of tutoring time.
An Aegis program is available that provides resources to those with testing results that require more guidance.
All students are assigned to advisory groups that are led by a faculty/staff member and meet weekly. In a small setting, they review grades with each student, go over upcoming school activities and give students the opportunity to interact with other students in different grade levels.
The first year sports included football, basketball, soccer, girls’ volleyball, swimming and cheerleading. Baseball and cross county will be added this year.
“My daughter, Cameron, has had a fantastic freshman year!” says Mom Jen Blanchard of Foley. “She played volleyball and cheered for basketball. She was on the homecoming court and elected as her house president, all while maintaining a 4.0 in honors classes. I am a very proud parent.”
Cameron says she was very apprehensive about going to St. Michael. It was brand new, a place that hadn’t been established and she had come from a small elementary school, St. Benedict in Elberta.
“At St. Michael I was welcomed in immediately and made some amazing friends that I know I’ll keep for life. I am able to pray in class and it is one of the most beautiful things about the school.”
Mass is held every Wednesday, giving the students an opportunity to receive the sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation throughout the year. A chapel is available for quiet reflection and prayer.
Clubs include art, chess team, engineering, horseback riding, international, math, music, ping pong and games, pro-life, sailing, service, sportsman and yearbook. Sixty-five of the 99 students traveled to Washington, DC to peacefully protest abortion in January.
In addition to teaching theology to the sophomore class, Principal Weber holds a weekly principal assembly in which he addresses different issues and life lessons to the students.
The student government is comprised of four “houses.” Each house is named for the early bishops of Mobile. All students are assigned to a house and participate in the election of a president, vice president, sacristan and treasurer. The houses hold competitions throughout the year, branding their own mottos and cheers.
St. Michael is still accepting applications for students freshman through junior classes.
For more information about St. Michael Catholic High School, visit www.stmichaels.org, then click on “Admissions” if interested in applying.

Pictured: Mr. Philip Martin teaches freshman theology