Bishop Feehan High School
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| Bishop Feehan High School | |
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| Location | |
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| Information | |
| Type | Private coeducational secondary |
| Established | 1961 |
| President | Christopher Servant |
| Principal | Bill Runey |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Number of students | 986 |
| Affiliations | Roman Catholic |
| Website | www.bishopfeehan.com |
Bishop Feehan High School is a co-educational Catholic high school in Attleboro, Massachusetts, USA. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River. Founded in 1961 by the Sisters of Mercy, the school has grown to over 900 students. Each class is approximately 230 students, who are selected from a significantly larger pool of applicants.
An average of 99.9% of Feehan graduates continue on to pursue a college education.[citation needed]
The second of four regional Catholic high schools constructed in the Diocese of Fall River, Bishop Feehan High School opened its doors in the Fall of 1961. Bishop Feehan, a Roman Catholic institution, was founded to form a partnership with the families of the Attleboro area in educating teenagers in the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Church.
From the outset, Feehan’s mission was clear: to provide the best in quality Catholic education. Under the guidance of the Sisters of Mercy, who were selected by Bishop James L. Connolly, D.D., to staff the school, Feehan embarked on a journey of building a strong college-preparatory program built on the foundation of Christian values. This commitment continues today as all students are encouraged to strive to achieve the three goals of Sanctity, Scholarship, and Sportsmanship which are symbolically manifested in the school's nickname and its symbol, "The Shamrock."
In recent years the school has experienced tremendous growth in its academic standing, physical plant and technological advances. Since its first graduating class in 1965, Bishop Feehan High School has been an accredited high school that has been widely recognized for academic excellence and athletic achievement. A balance of academic toughness and spiritual growth leave students well rounded when they leave the institution.
Academics
Bishop Feehan is notable for it's long standing tradition of admitting students of varying academic ability and pushing all students to reach new academic levels. Unlike many other non-public high schools in Massachusetts, Bishop Feehan generally does not seek out only the most intelligent students. Instead the schools opts for a more well-rounded student body in which even average students can feel comfortable.
Nevertheless Feehan holds all students to high academic standards. More than three hours of homework per night is not unusual, especially for honors students. Feehan offers 13 AP classes and honors courses in mathematics, foreign languages, English, science and the arts. An engineering class is offered in conjunction with the Museum of Science in Boston. Feehan is one of less than 20 schools in the nation to offer multiple levels of Arabic classes. They are held in conjunction with Cairo University in Egypt. Feehan's most recent graduating class contained 41 AP scholars and 51 President's Education Award winners. 100% of the class of 2007 was accpeted to a four-year institution and 98% enrolled at a four-year institution.
Student life
Bishop Feehan sponsors various volunteer organizations, clubs and athletic teams. 83% of all students participate in at least one activity. Bishop Feehan's mock trial team is consistently one of the top teams in the state and the Academic Decathlon team finished second in the Massachusetts Small Schools Division in only it's second year of competition. The campus has recently added six new tennis courts and constructed new softball and soccer fields. In the fall of 1998, Feehan opened McGrath Stadium a lighted football, soccer, track complex.
Community service is an essential aspect of a Feehan education. Each Feehan student is expected to complete a minimum of 20 hours of community service each year and maintain a portfolio profiling each service endeavor. Each year Feehan students run the Bishop Feehan Santa Shop which provides Christmas toys to 900 needy children in the Attleboro area and conduct a can drive each March, the proceeds of which are donated to local food pantries. Total donations in each of the past five years has surpassed 25,000 cans. Feehan students also run and maintain Christ's Closet, a goodwill store run in Feehan's basement which provides free, gently used clothing to the needy in the greater Attleboro area.
Athletics
Bishop Feehan has a wide range of athletic activities. The football team has won multiple Division championships, as have the soccer and tennis teams. The men's and women's basketball teams are competitive year in and year out, with some of the best school sporting events to attend being between Feehan and their 'cross town rival' Attleboro High School.
Controversy
Bishop Feehan experienced controversy in 2003 when two of its female senior class students were chosen as models and cover girls for Boston rock station WAAF (FM) prestigious Miss Mantown Calendar. After posing for the calendar in Bishop Feehan uniforms, the women were expelled from the school, causing an outcry from the student body.[citation needed]
The school has also come under fire for it's adherence to Catholic doctrine. In 2006 a Bishop Feehan teacher and football head-coach was forced to resign after it was discovered that he had fathered a child out of wedlock. Although the school came under intense scrutiny from the media, administrators defended the decision and stated that the Diocese of Fall River, which oversees the school, prohibits staff from having children if they are not married.