Bishop Luers High School
41°01′54″N 85°08′03″W / 41.031626°N 85.134281°W
| Bishop Luers High School | |
|---|---|
 Bishop Luers High School in 2008. | |
| Location | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Type | Parochial, Secondary |
| Established | 1958 |
| School district | Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend |
| Principal | nic heoffel |
| Assistant Principal | herm rost |
| Faculty | 41 |
| Enrollment | (2008-2009) 533 |
| Color(s) | red and black |
| Athletics conference | Summit Athletic Conference |
| Mascot | Knight |
| Newspaper | KnightTimes |
| Yearbook | Accolade |
Bishop Luers High School is a Catholic high school located on the south side of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Bishop Luers is owned and operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.[1] The school was founded in 1958 by the Franciscan Fathers of the Saint John the Baptist Province in Cincinnati, Ohio, along with the Sisters of Saint Francis Province in Mishawaka, Indiana. John Henry Luers, the first bishop of the diocese, is the namesake of the school.[1]
Enrollment
As of the 2008-2009 school year, Bishop Luers High School had an enrollment of 533 students; 135 freshmen, 153 sophomores, 119 juniors, and 126 seniors.[2]
Academics
Bishop Luers' education departments consist of art, business, religion, English, foreign language, mathematics, music, P.E. and health, science, and social studies.[3]
Bishop Luers is certified by the North Central Association Commission of School and State of Indiana, with a first-class certification, the highest certification in the state of Indiana. On the average, over 93% of all graduates go on to receive a four-year college education, with a total graduation rate of 97%.[4]
In 2004 and in 2005, Bishop Luers was placed on the Catholic High School Honor Roll Top 50 Secondary Schools in America.[5][4]
Extra-curricular activities
Bishop Luers offers an array of activities for students. Activities include Academic Super Bowl, National Honor Society (NHS), Key Club, Student Council, Drama Club, The Bishop Luers Minstrels Show Choir, Pep Band, Speech and Debate, Newspaper, Yearbook, World Culture Club, Students Against Destructive Decisions or S.A.D.D., Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda, Freshmen Mentoring, and Student Ambassadors.[6]
Bishop Luers' Minstrels Show Choir holds the distinction as the first show choir to hold a competition in America.[7] In 1975, The Minstrels, directed by Father Fred Link, hosted the first competitive show choir invitational, with seven show choirs competing. The following year more than 15 show choirs competed. From 1979 to 1982 local PBS television network WFWA had been broadcasting the competition, and in 1983, PBS aired the show choir competition nationally. Today, there are over 250 invitations sent out across the country.[7]
Athletics
Bishop Luers has a wide range of sports for their students to participate, including Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) sanctioned sports of baseball, boys and girls basketball, cross country, football, boys and girls golf, boys and girls soccer, softball, swimming and diving, boys and girls tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling. Bishop Luers is a member of the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA)[8], and the Summit Athletic Conference (SAC). Luers' main rival is Bishop Dwenger High School, a Catholic school on the north side of Fort Wayne.
Bishop Luers has a storied football program that has been coached by Matt Lindsay since 1987. Luers has won seven SAC Championships in 1973, 1975, 1980, 1993, 2000, and 2001. Bishop Luers has also been to the Indiana state finals for football eleven times in 1983, 1985, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2007. Bishop Luers has been Indiana High School Football Champions seven of those eleven trips in 1985, 1989, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2002, and 2007.[9]
Bishop Luers also has traditionally had a very good girls basketball team. Past coach, Gary Andrews, took the girls to three Indiana State Championship games, winning all three in the 1998-1999, 1999-2000, and 2000-2001 seasons. Andrews then left to coach the University of Saint Francis. Andrews was replaced by Teri Rosinski who carried on the girls basketball tradition, taking the girls to three Indiana State Championship games in 2001-2002, 2003-2004, and 2005-2006. Rosinski led the team to win two state championships, in 2001-2002 and 2005-2006, and state runner-up in 2003-2004. Greg Friend is currently the girls basketball coach as of 2007.[10]
Bishop Luers also has a variety of club sports including bowling, cheerleading, dance, lacrosse, rifle, and boys volleyball. The lacrosse team is a member of the Indiana High School Lacrosse Association.[11]
2007-2008
Along with the school's 2007 state football title, the boys basketball team competed for the first time in the state basketball championship in 2008, becoming Indiana High School Boys Basketball Champions for the first time in school history.[12] Also in 2008, the boys baseball team competed for the first time in the state baseball championship, also winning that title, thus Bishop Luers became the first high school in Indiana to win the three major male sports titles in one year since all were first recognized by the Indiana High School Athletic Association in 1973.[13]
Sports Illustrated ranked Bishop Luers 24th amongst high schools nationwide in the publication's "Top 25 athletic programs for 2007-08" article, released in May, 2008.[14]
Mission statement
You are the light of the world... your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.
The mission of the Bishop Luers High School family is to create a Catholic educational community that instills in each student the qualities of faith, respect, and responsibility necessary to reach his or her God-given potential spiritually, academically, and socially. This maturity nurtured by Catholic truths will enable each graduate to face the challenges in his or her own life while serving God and others in a changing society. We are the light of the world![1]
School song
Knights Victory Song
Red and black our colors proudly flying,
We are the knights, we’ll conquer, never fear.
Deep in our hearts our love for Bishop Luers,
Makes us feel we want to shout and cheer,
Rah! Rah!
Every time they ask us who the Knights are,
We’ll be proud to show our loyalty.
We will sing a fighting song,
We will sing it loud and strong,
Bishop Luers march to victory!
V-I-C-T-O-R-Y,
Victory, victory Bishop Luers High!
Notable alumni
- Anthony Spencer, American football outside linebacker for the NFL Dallas Cowboys[15]
- Jovan Witherspoon, former American football wide receiver for the NFL New York Jets[16]
References
- ^ a b c "Bishop Luers: Development". Bishop Luers High School.
- ^ "Enrollment by Grade, Bishop Luers High School". Indiana Department of Education.
- ^ "Bishop Luers Academics". Bishop Luers High School.
- ^ a b "Bishop Luers: Our Past and Present". Bishop Luers High School.
- ^ Catholic High School Honor Roll.
- ^ "Bishop Luers Activities". Bishop Luers High School.
- ^ a b "Bishop Luers Show Choir History". Bishop Luers High School.
- ^ 0607SchoolDirectory.pmd
- ^ "Bishop Luers Football". Bishop Luers High School.
- ^ "Bishop Luers Girls Basketball". Bishop Luers High School.
- ^ "Bishop Luers Athletics". Bishop Luers High School.
- ^ "Knights win state 2A title in tight game; Bishop Luers 69-67 over Winchester". The Journal Gazette.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Luers baseball team makes history". The Journal Gazette.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Top 25 athletic programs for 2007-08". Sports Illustrated.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Player Bio: Anthony Spencer :: Football
- ^ Notre Dame Observer. Retrieved on 2008-04-23.
