Smarties, we bring you an in-depth interview with our friends at Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools for our 2013-14 Open House Season blog series.
Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools – Faith, Tradition, Academic Excellence
The roots of Catholic education in Charlotte go back to 1930 when the O’Donohue School opened in what is today St. Patrick Catholic School located next to St. Patrick Cathedral in Dilworth. The school is one of nine schools that now comprise the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools (MACS). These schools, located throughout the Charlotte/Mecklenburg area, offer an education that not only strives to fulfill the academic needs of each student, but also is committed to building each of the students spiritually, morally, and academically.
Following the tradition and reputation of Catholic Schools, MACS offers an environment of strong academics. Our high schools have a 100% graduation rate and 99% of these graduates go on to higher education. Charlotte Catholic High School students were awarded over $16 million in college scholarships last year including three U.S. Service Academy appointments. Over 50% of the middle school students are recognized by the Talent Identification Program of Duke University and our elementary students consistently score well above the national and local averages on standardized tests.
These results are important, but what has made Catholic schools a viable alternative in Charlotte for over 80 years is the moral and spiritual elements that are a part of every facet of the schools. Central to every school day is the emphasis placed on Catholic values and traditions. Respect for one’s self as well as others is an important aspect of a Catholic education and students experience the discipline necessary to develop a respect for teachers and other students, as well as for themselves. Through word and deed, students are encouraged to become more socially aware and responsible. All students are involved in service projects and community service programs.
Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools is unique among private Catholic schools in that it is a system of schools with consistent curriculum, admission requirements and cost. As a system we are able to offer bus transportation making all of the schools highly accessible. The system is made up of six elementary schools (two that also have a middle school on their campus), as well as a middle school and two high schools.
The MACS Elementary Schools:
Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic School
PK through 8th grade
4225 Shamrock Drive
Charlotte, NC 28215
704-531-0067
www.olainfo.com
St. Ann Catholic School
PK through 5th grade – includes TK
St. Anns offers a Learning, Language Stimulation program.
600 Hillside Avenue
Charlotte, NC 28209
704-525-4938
www.stannscatholicschool.com
St. Gabriel Catholic School
Kindergarten through 5th grade
3028 Providence Road
Charlotte, NC 28211
704-366-2409
www.stgabrielcatholicschool.org
St. Mark Catholic School
Kindergarten through 8th grade
14750 Stumptown Road
Huntersville, NC 28078
704-766-5000
www.stmarkcatholicschool.net
St. Matthew Catholic School
TK, Kindergarten through 5th grade
11525 Elm Lane
Charlotte, NC 28277
704-544-2070
www.st-matts.com
St. Patrick Catholic School
Kindergarten through 5th grade
St. Patrick’s offers the Matthew-Morgan Downs Syndrome program.
1125 Buchanan Street
Charlotte, NC 28203
704-333-3174
www.saintpatrickschool.org
While we have middle school grades at two of our elementary schools, we also have a stand alone middle school that has served the entire Charlotte-Mecklenburg area since 1995.
Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School
3100 Park Road
Charlotte, NC 28209
704-527-7822
www.htcms.org
MACS is blessed to have two outstanding high schools – one located north of Charlotte and one located on the south side. Christ the King Catholic High School is the newest school in the MACS system having opened to a Freshman class in 2011 in a temporary location. This year the student body opened in its permanent location with a beautiful new state of the art facility on over 100 acres. Christ the King currently serves Freshmen through Junior classes and looks forward to graduating its first Senior class in the 2014-2015 school year. Conveniently located in Huntersville, this facility will provide the much-needed Catholic high school alternative to the families north of Charlotte. Like Charlotte Catholic High School located in south Charlotte, Christ the King offers a college preparatory curriculum.
Charlotte Catholic High School
7702 Pineville-Matthews Road
Charlotte, NC 28226
704-543-1127
www.charlottecatholic.org
*Open House is this Saturday, November 16, 2013, 10:00 am-noon
Christ the King Catholic High School
2011 Crusader Way
Huntersville, NC 28078
704-799-7822
www.ChristtheKingHS.com
*Open House is Saturday, November 23, 2013, 10:00 am-noon
While priding itself on the moral, spiritual, and academic development of the student, MACS also offers significant extracurricular activities. These include a wide variety of clubs and very successful sports programs. Charlotte Catholic High School’s sports teams won 12 conference and 2 state championships last year and is again having an outstanding year. In addition, our schools have been recognized for their accomplishments in the arts and community involvement.
Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools has made a commitment to integrating the latest technology into all of its schools. All elementary and middle schools have the latest interactive white boards in each of their classrooms and are integrating additional resources such as iPads and laptops into each school. Our two high schools are in the second year of implementation of a one-to-one program with MacBook Pros issued to all students and state of the art WiFi systems providing maximum connectivity throughout the schools. Along with this commitment to technology there is also the commitment to innovative educational opportunities at the secondary level with offerings such as an engineering curriculum at Charlotte Catholic and aviation and aeronautical science at Christ the King. Both schools also offer the opportunity for distance learning through the use of the MacBook Pros as well as video conferencing capabilities.
As they have for over 80 years, Catholic schools in Charlotte offer a quality education in the Catholic Tradition open to any student. For additional information visit the MACS website or call the admissions office at 704-370-3273.
On behalf of every school in MACS, we welcome you to call and arrange a tour so that you can see first-hand what a Catholic education can mean for your child.
