Saint Charles Preparatory School

Founding and construction

The school was founded in 1923 by Bishop James J. Hartley. The first classes were held at Sacred Heart School, an all-girls Catholic school, while the main school building was being built. In 1925, construction of the main school building was completed and classes were held there.

1931 saw the completion of St. Charles' gymnasium and the Our Lady Lourdes Grotto. Major renovations were made to the gym in 1951 to more than double the capacity.

A Gaelic-style chapel (called the "Lower Chapel") was added on to the east side of the school in 1937. Bishop Hartley dedicated the chapel to Mother of Mercy. A Milwaukee art company beautified the chapel with artwork in 1952.

A natatorium was built next to the multipurpose room in 1990. In 1999, the Jack Ryan Training and Fitness Facility was built adjoining to the gym.

By the 1990s, since St. Charles was no longer a seminary and it did not house students, the dorm rooms were not necessary. The former art room on the fourth floor was used for housing purposes. In 1993, the campus library, which had previously been dorm rooms were converted into a physics lab. The library was moved to what was formerly the "upper chapel." In 1995, residence rooms for priests were also converted into classrooms because no priests lived in them. The office and living quarters for Monsignor Thomas M. Bennett, a Social Studies teacher, however, were maintained on the main floor of the school until his death on September 7, 2008.

Construction on the US$5.5 million Robert C. Walter Student Commons and the Student Services and Fine Arts Center, the largest addition to Saint Charles in its history, began in June 2005. The approximately 27,000-square-foot (2,500 m²) addition, which replaced the courtyard behind the school, was ready for graduation at the end of the following school year; however, it was not available for full use until the 2006-2007 school year. The addition houses the 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m²) Robert C. Walter Student Commons Area, which serves as a new cafeteria and provides ample seating space for school and community functions. The Walter Student Commons is named in memory of Robert C. Walter, father of 1963 graduate Robert D. "Bob" Walter, honorary chairman and lead contributor to the current capital campaign being conducted to finance the new addition. Bob Walter and his '63 classmate, architect Robert Corna of Cleveland, initiated the concept for the Commons nearly two years ago. Corna was the architect on the project, and based his designs off of a similar plan for Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland, also an all-male school. On the columns supporting the roof are glass panes, which bear the names of all of the alumni of the school, written with laser. Behind the Robert C. Walter Student Commons Area is the 12,000-square-foot (1,100 m²) Student Services & Fine Arts Center. The ground floor anchors the north end of the atrium, and houses a new kitchen, sponsored by Donatos Pizza, and restrooms. The second floor houses offices for the guidance and counseling programs, campus ministry, and the school nurse. On the third floor is an extensive art room and gallery, with a kiln and mud rooms; and a music and choir room, with instrument storage and practice rooms; as well as offices for the respective instructors. The second and third floor connect to the original building at its rear stairwell, and to the Robert C. Walter Student Commons Area by a staircase.

For the first time in its 89-year history, the school expanded its current Broad Street campus footprint. The centerpiece of this project is the newly purchased property which formerly housed the Dealers Lumber Company and came up for sale in the summer of 2010. St. Charles moved quickly to acquire the 6.2 acre site and closed on the purchase in December. The Robert D. Walter West Campus includes the Savko Athletic Complex, comprising a six-lane running track, the artificial-turf Dominic and Kathleen Cavello Field and parking; a 13,000-square-foot training and fitness facility (weight room and 30 yard turf field for speed and agility); and the Horvath Parking Lot. A pedestrian bridge that spans Alum Creek helps connect it with the main campus at 2010 E. Broad St. The full project, paid for through fundraisers, private donations and in-kind gifts, cost about $5.1 million.

Academics

St. Charles graduation requirements include: 4 years of religion class, English, foreign language, mathematics, and science; 3 years of social studies; and 1 year of fine arts, health, physical education. Some of the AP classes that are offered to juniors and seniors are AP Latin, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, English, Calculus and American History.

Saint Charles is one of the last schools to require students to take at least two years of Latin, a practice retained from the school's past as a seminary where four years of Latin and two years of Greek used to be mandatory.

Many students graduating from Saint Charles attend some of the premier college institutions in the country, including the University of Notre Dame, Harvard, Dartmouth College, Boston College, Cornell University, Yale University, The University of Pennsylvania, Kenyon College, University of Massachusetts, and Washington University in St. Louis. There is also a small number of graduates every few years who discern the vocation to the Catholic priesthood, usually enrolling at the Pontifical College Josephinum.

In 2005, Saint Charles Preparatory was one of three schools in Central Ohio to have every sophomore pass every section of the new Ohio Graduation Test. (The statewide public school pass rate was 64%.) St. Charles has kept this 100% passage rate every year since the OGT's institution. In addition, the graduating class of 2015, with 139 students, had 7 National Merit Semifinalists and 9 Commended Scholars.

Theatre

Since St. Charles is an all-male school, the theatre department has had to use different methods to incorporate the female roles of plays and musicals. Both prep school and seminary students performed the first plays at St. Charles in 1929 under the direction of Monsignor Joseph A. Cousins. Female roles were played by male students dressing up as women until 1971. It was then that Mrs. Teresa McLean (the school's biology teacher) became the first woman to perform in a St. Charles play. The next year, female students from St. Joseph Academy and Bishop Watterson High School played female parts in a production. Ever since then, female roles for plays have been filled by open auditions from women at other Central Ohio schools. The current theater director is Mr. R.Douglas Montgomery.

Clubs and activities

The school has a pro-life/social justice group named Cardinals for Life, Dignity, and Justice. This group was founded by 2010 graduate Alexander Coccia. St. Charles has an Engineering Team seated at #1 in the State of Ohio, regardless of Division, and is also nationally ranked #1. There is a speech club program JAM!(Just for a Minute), as well as an Environmental Activities Club and a world class Robotics Team, who have recently won Crossroads regional. The Masconterage, the school's mascot club, provides a mascot for many school events.

Notable Persons

Alma mater

Hail, Alma Mater dear.
Loyal Carolians here.
Thy fame spread far and near
O'er hill and dale;
Our voices raise to thee,
Singing their praise to thee
And happy days with thee,
Saint Charles, hail!

When student days are o'er
And classes meet no more,
When life has called the score:
Prosper or fail;
Still in the twilight gray,
As ages pass away,
Lift we our hearts to say;
Saint Charles, hail!

Patronal Hymn

O Saint Charles, our holy Father,
Mighty patron of us all!
In thine honor, lo! we gather,
Let thy kindly blessing fall.
Pray for us who name thee patron,
Hear thy sons who on thee call.

O Saint Charles, true guide to heaven,
Unto death our patron be.
When the clouds grow dark at even'
And God's way we fail to see,
Lift the weak, inspire the weary,
Bring us home to Christ with thee.

Athletic achievements

Saint Charles is a member of the Ohio High School Athletic Association and Ohio Water Polo.

|- |2017 |Basketball |CCL Champions |- |2017 |Swimming |District Champs