| St. Joseph High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
 | |
10900 West Cermak Road , 60154 United States | |
| Coordinates | 41°50′57″N87°53′36″W / 41.849264°N 87.89341°W /41.849264; -87.89341 |
| Information | |
| Type | Private |
| Motto | Vincit Qui Laborat (Victory Belongs to Those Who Work) |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1960 |
| Status | closed |
| Closed | 2021 |
| Oversight | Archdiocese of Chicago |
| Teaching staff | 26 (2020-2021) |
| Grades | 9—12 |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Enrollment | Coed Peak: 887 (2008) Lowest: 185[3] (2020-2021) |
| Campus type | suburban |
| Colors | red white black |
| Fight song | Charger Fight Song[1] |
| Athletics conference | Chicago Catholic League |
| Mascot | Joe Charger |
| Team name | Chargers |
| Accreditation | North Central Association of Colleges and Schools[2] |
| Newspaper | The Lance |
| Yearbook | The Blazon |
| Tuition | US$10,400 |
| Affiliation | Christian Brothers |
| Website | http://www.stjoeshs.org |
St. Joseph High School (orSt. Joe's) was aRoman Catholic,coeducational,college prep school inWestchester, Illinois, and was sponsored by theDe La Salle Christian Brothers.
St. Joseph High School became accredited by theNorth Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools in 1987 and was approved by theIllinois State Board of Education. St. Joe's was a member of theNational Catholic Educational Association and the Christian Brothers Educational Association. The school was also a member of theIllinois High School Association (IHSA) and theChicago Catholic League (CCL).
Students came from more than 40 elementary schools from the western suburbs and the City ofChicago. The students were accepted for admission based on the entrance exam, grade school records, and teachers’ recommendations for freshman year. Transfer students were accepted based on their academic records, discipline reports, and recommendations.
Samuel Stritch,CardinalArchbishop of Chicago, invited the Christian Brothers to start a new high school inWestchester, Illinois. Construction of the original building (1840 S. Mayfair Ave.) began on July 2, 1959. Ground was broken, concrete was poured, and the first bricks of St. Joseph High School (the 1840 S. Mayfair Ave. address) were laid in 1959. Though classes began at the new school on September 7, 1960, work on the building continued through early 1961. The school was dedicated on September 16, 1961 by Cardinal Stritch's successor, CardinalAlbert Gregory Meyer.[4] In July 1963, St. Joseph High School received state recognition as a three-year high school and was granted full approval as a member of the Illinois High School Association. By the spring of 1964, the educational program had developed to such an extent that the school was given full recognition by the State of Illinois as a four-year high school.
The school earned national attention in the 1994 documentary filmHoop Dreams. The subjects of the film,William Gates andArthur Agee, were both students at the school, and both played on the basketball team under head coachGene Pingatore.
In 2004, the school became the first Catholic high school in the state of Illinois to enter an all wireless, all laptop learning campus. Every student and teacher received anIBM/Lenovo laptop computer which they either purchased or leased from the school.[5]
St. Joseph was an all-male institution until 2005, whenFrancis George, O.M.I., CardinalArchbishop of Chicago, permitted the school to become coed in light of the closing ofImmaculate Heart of Mary High School, the neighboring all-female institution.[6] Prior to the opening of school in 2006, St. Joseph's purchased the former grounds and building of the Immaculate Heart of Mary High School, and started the second semester of the 2006–07 school year by moving classes into the building. The original St. Joseph High School building's classrooms are now vacant since 2007 and the gym was used primarily for athletic facilities from 2007-2021. The entire plot of land including the former St. Joseph building, Christian Brothers residence (also vacant since 2006), and current school are currently under aTIF district for the Village of Westchester's redevelopment plans.[7][8]
On April 13, 2021, the Board of Directors announced the closure of the school after the end of the 2020–21 school year.[9]In July 2021, The SJHS memorabilia was archived and will be preserved in a number of locations including the Christian Brothers of the Midwest District Office as well as at the Village of Westchester Hall. St. Joseph High School worked withWinternitz Industrial Auctioneers& Appraisers to host a two dayonline only auction for the rest of the contents.[10] As of April 13, 2022, approximately 1 year after the school announced its closure, all three buildings are still standing but vacant. The 29.25-acre lot of land is up for sale to satisfy a large mortgage. The entire property is currently co-listed for sale through two commercial real estate brokerage firms, Anne Dempsey with Collier’s International and Andrew Polivka, The Polivka Group LLC. St. Joseph High School’s remaining administrators are working closely with the Village of Westchester and the Christian Brothers to sell the entire parcel.[11]
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In the center is the crest of the De La Salle Christian Brothers, also known as the Brothers of the Christian Schools, theCatholic congregation who sponsors St. Joseph High School. At the top of the crest is the Latin phraseSignum Fidei, which means "Sign of the Faith", and is the motto of the Brothers. Below the Brothers’ crest is the broken shield, the family emblem ofSt. John Baptist De La Salle, the 17th-century French saint who founded the Christian Brothers.Below it hangs the star ofBethlehem, a symbol used by Lasallian schools around the world.
On one side of the star of faith is the symbol of theatomic age which depicts the school's dedication to learning and technology. On the other side is the hammer and chisel representing the school's patron saint,Saint Joseph the Worker, who was noted for his simple, but hard work as a carpenter and as the foster father of Christ.
The entire crest is surrounded by plumes and a knight’s helmet, representing the English tradition of the Village ofWestchester.
Finally, at the top of the great seal of St. Joseph High School is the school motto, “Vincit Qui Laborat,” which means “He conquers, who labors.” Directly below the school seal is a cross to indicateRoman Catholic Church.
There were three academic programs in which students pursued coursework: Honors, College Prep (A), and College Prep (B).[12]
Coursework was broken down into three divisions:[12]
The school offered the following AP courses:Calculus,[13]English Literature and Composition,Studio Art,Spanish Language,[14] andEuropean History[15]
In addition, students had the opportunity to take certain business courses online throughTriton College.[16]
Every spring, St. Joseph High School hosted ChargerFest and (since 1995) sponsored its US$10,000 Super Raffle, which were the school’s biggest fundraisers. ChargerFest featured a buffet, door prizes, additional raffles, games, and music.
In December 2005, St. Joseph High School hosted an event entitled “Becoming a True Leader,” which featured prominent leaders of today sharing leadership experiences and advice with the entire St. Joe's student body and visitors. Cardinal George began the program by blessing the St. Joseph community and the school’s past heritage and new initiatives.
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St. Joseph was a member of theChicago Catholic League.
The school won the 1998—99Illinois High School Association boys' basketball championship.[17]
St. Joe's Head Basketball CoachGene Pingatore and alumnusIsiah Thomas were both members of the first class of the East Suburban Catholic Conference’s Hall of Fame in 2006.[17]The school won the 2014–15 Illinois High School Association class 3A boys' basketball championship.[17]
The boys' basketball program is covered extensively in the 1994 documentaryHoop Dreams, which features two inner city Chicago players,William Gates andArthur Agee, commuting to Westchester to attend the school due to its basketball program.[18]
2016-17 St. Joseph Football Team had its best season in school history going 7–3, winning Conference for the first time ever on a varsity level and qualifying for the IHSA State Playoffs for the first time.
