Belen Jesuit Preparatory School
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| Established | 1854 |
| School type | Private |
| Religious affiliation | Roman Catholic(Jesuit) |
| President and Principal | Rev. Marcelino Garcia, S.J. |
| Location | Miami, Florida,USA |
| Student Body | approximately 1,500 students (All male) |
| Grades | 6-12 |
| School Mascot | Wolverine |
| School Website | http://www.belenjesuit.org |
| Students to Teacher ratio | 30:1 |
| *as of 2007 | |
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School is a Roman Catholic high school in Miami, Florida. It was established in Cuba by the Jesuits in 1854, but moved to the United States after the communist government of Fidel Castro, himself an alumnus, took power [1]. The principal is Fr. Marcelino Garcia, S.J.[2] Independently operated by the Jesuit order, it is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami.
Belen is one of the four all-male schools in greater Miami-Dade, along with Mesivta School Of Greater Miami, Yeshiva Toras Chaim, and Christopher Columbus High School. Each student must take an admissions test and once admitted must maintain an excellent academic standing.[3]
Belen Jesuit has annually provided over $1.9 million in need-based grants to students; the money has been raised by the annual Tombola fair, and private donations.[4] The school participates in various community projects. Some students also take an annual trip to the Dominican Republic to help out the community there[5], and its other service projects across the greater Miami area.
In late 2006 Belen and Ocean Bank created the Agape Scholarship specifically to promote diversity at the school who's population is mostly Hispanic. $1.2 million shall be committed in the following ten years for this new scholarship program. In addition to covering the student's tuition, books, and other expenses, the school created a new scholarship committee with the goal of insuring the success of the students.[6]
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[edit] History
[edit] Belen's time in Cuba
- March 2, 1854 - Queen Isabella II of Spain issued a royal charter founding the "Colegio de Belén" in Havana, Cuba. Belen School began its educational work in the building formerly occupied by the convent and convalescent hospital of Our Lady of Belen, hence the name of the school.
- 1925 - Sixty acres of plantations and several buildings in Havana Cuba were donated to Belen School. The complex is later known as "The Palace of Education." As of 2008, the complex still stands, now called the Instituto Tecnico Militar (Military Technical Institute).
[edit] Belen's History in America
- September 18, 1961 - Belen Jesuit School was established in the United States. The fourth floor of the Gesu Elementary School in downtown Miami became the first site of Belen Jesuit Preparatory School. In 2008 this building no longer exists and in its place stands the parking lot of the Gesu Church.[7] The faculty, like many other priests and religious, had been expelled from Cuba by the government of Fidel Castro.[citation needed] The school's property was ultimately taken over by the government.
- October 22, 1962 - Belen Jesuit Preparatory School acquired its own building and moved to a new site on the corner of S.W. 8th Street and 7th Avenue in Miami.
- 1973-1981 - "Operation Coke"[citation needed] Students were asked to make personal sacrifices and contribute money that would normally be spent on snacks and beverages for new school facilities.
- October 17, 1980 - Ground-breaking ceremony were held for a new building on a 30 acre-site located in west Dade County, opened the following year; Enrollment was 598 students
- November 1996 - Belen Jesuit received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.[citation needed]
- From 1992 to 2002 marked a period of expansion for the school. The library was renovated, multiple computer labs were built as well as an athletic center and the number of classrooms were increased.
- 2004 - Belen marked its sesquicentennial. Belen inaugurated the Ignatian Center for the Arts which included new classrooms, a choir and orchestra practice room, a stagecraft workshop, an amphitheater, the Olga & Carlos Saladrigas Art Gallery, and the Ophelia & Juan Js. Roca Theater with a 662 patron capacity.
- 2005 -2006 - Belen won its first ever District Championship in football, sending three players to the Ivy League and one to Northwestern.[citation needed]
- 2006 -2007 - The 2006-07 school year was met with recognition in academics and athletics. The Catholic School Honor Roll named Belen Jesuit as one of the top 50 Catholic high school in the U.S. Belen Jesuit was recognized in two categories, Academic Excellence and Civic Education. Belen Jesuit was also the only Florida school on the Honor Roll noted to have a highly selective admission policy. The swimming team, cross country team and track & field team all won state titles in their respective divisions.[citation needed]
- February 3, 2007 - The Inaugural Sports Hall of Fame Class was inducted at the Roberto C. Goizueta Athletic Center. Its members included Luis Botifoll '25, Ernesto Smith '36, Alfredo Porta Bolaños '47, Julio J. Bordas '48, Felix P. Perez-Majul '55, Eduardo Sowers '56, Rene Walker '69, Julio Campa '71, Jorge M. Cabrera '72, Eric Alvarez '85, Hector Ortiz '86, Michael J. Covert '91, Edward Acosta '99, 1995 Cross Country Team, Coach Otilio "Cappy" Campuzano, and Athletic Director Coach Carlos Barquin.
- 2007 - 2008 - The schools main building was named after entrepreneur Miguel B. Fernandez. This celebration was initiated by a pledge from the Fernandez Family for $2.5 million, the largest single private donation received by the school in its 46 year history in Miami.[citation needed] The Catholic School Honor Roll named Belen Jesuit as one of the top 50 Catholic high school in the U.S. for a third consecutive year. Belen Jesuit was recognized as a category leader for its strength in two areas: Academic Excellence and Catholic Identity.[8] Belen Jesuit was again one of three schools considered highly selective in its admission policy.[9] Construction began on the new administrative building. A bronze statue of Jesus was erected.
[edit] Academics
The school owns a 12-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. Both middle and high school students may take extracurricula courses which are offered in astronomy and meteorology.
[edit] Recognition
It has been named three times in a row as one of the top 50 Catholic high schools in the United States by the Catholic High School Honor Roll.[3] Belen received special recognition in the academic excellence and Catholic identity categories, and was also designated as having a "highly selective" admissions policy.
It is one of the top ten schools in Florida and is one or the best school in Miami. [10]
[edit] Athletics
Belen fields teams in baseball, football, soccer, volleyball, basketball, golf, swimming, water polo, tennis, wrestling, and crew.
The cross country team has always qualified for the state championship. [11]
Belen won its first district title in 2006, with a win over Monsignor Pace. Belen will have seven football players playing Ivy League football in the Fall of 2008-2009 (two at Princeton; one at Yale; one at Columbia; and three at Dartmouth.[citation needed]
The crew team has had success with the Varsity 8+ and Freshmen 8+, representing Belen at nationals in 2007. In the last four years the team has reached the regional finals twice.[12] Locally, the team has defeated every South Florida crew.[13] The crew also had success in the 2007-2008 school year, with the Freshmen 8+ going undefeated within their category and winning states. Additionally, the team finished second scholastic team at states.
The swimming team, cross country team and the track & field team all won state titles in their respective divisions in 2006-7.[14][15] Belen also won the district championship in water polo and baseball. The baseball team reached the state semi-finals. The Miami Herald awarded Belen Jesuit with the 4A-1A award for athletic excellence.[citation needed]
In 2007, Belen became the first swimming team from Miami-Dade to win back-to-back State Championships since the 1960s.
The cross country team won back-to-back state championships in 2005-6.[16]
Belen resumed its longtime rivalry in 2003 with Columbus after not playing for over 20 years.[17] In 2008, the two schools resumed competition against each other in football and soccer.
[edit] Arts
The humanities and arts are held at a high esteem at Belen. As of 2004, a new building was added to the campus solely for the arts, named The Ignatian Center for the Arts. The Center consists of a theater, art gallery, music rehearsal hall, a film lab, various classrooms and an administrative office. The humanities department at Belen Jesuit Preparatory school is currently overseen by Leopoldo Nuñez whom is also the director Center for the Arts.[18]
Theater
The Ophelia & Juan Js. Roca Theatre features a 662 person occupancy, an orchestra pit, catwalk, a stage area and male and female dressing rooms. Prior to the construction of the theater, Belen productions were staged in the school auditorium which has since been re-named in honor of Guillermo F. Kohly.
Production Credits:
"Death of a Salesman", October 2003, Directed by Richard Signore
"A Flea in her Ear", March 2004, Directed by Leo J. Williams
"Fuenteovejuna", April 2004, Directed by Marcos Cassanova
"Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead", October 2004, Directed by Richard Signore
"A Time of Your Life", March 2005, Directed by Leo J. Williams
"Dialogos de las Carmelitas", April 2005, Directed by Marcos Cassanova
"Dracula", October 2005, Directed by Richard Signore
"Crossroads of Faith", February 2006, Directed by Leo J. Williams
"Los Intereses Creados", April 2006, Directed by Marcos Cassanova
"The Fantasticks", November 2006, Directed by Richard Signore
"The Boys Next Door", March 2007, Directed by Leo J. Williams
"Middle School Showcase", April 2007, Directed by Eliana Parenti
"The Servant of Two Masters", November 2007, Directed by Leo J. Williams
"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", March 2008, Directed by Francisco Padura
"The Alchemist", April 2008, Directed by Eliana Parenti
[edit] Library
The Ramon Guiteras Memorial Library, located on the campus of Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, is one of the top school libraries in Miami-Dade County.[citation needed] It serves the student body and faculty of Belen, as well as the community at large. The library currently has over 35,000 volumes, 15,000 ebooks, and subscriptions to some electronic databases, including ProQuest Direct with over 2,000 periodicals online and Questia. The library staff includes one librarian, three library assistants and one library disciplinarian.[19] Library hours are 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. The library is equipped with 24 computers with fast access to the Internet. The library also houses La Colección Cubana (The Cuban Collection), a special collection of Cuban books; Currently consisting of over 5,000 volumes, with books about Cuba and/or written by Cubans and Cuban-Americans. La Colección Cubana is open to the public.La Colección Cubana is the second-biggest collection of cuban books and other media (behind the university of miami)outside of Cuba [19]
[edit] Accreditation
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School is Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The School is also affiliated with the National Catholic Educational Association and is a member of the Jesuit Secondary Education Association and the Jesuit High School College Counselor Association.
[edit] Notable alumni
Belen's alumni have included three of the last four rulers of Cuba, two bishops of the Catholic Church, academics, bureaucrats, professionals, and from other walks of life.
Main article: List of Belen Jesuit Preparatory School people
[edit] Sources
- ^ Ada Evening News February 24, 1961
- ^ Belen Jesuit Preparatory School - President Principal's Office
- ^ a b Catholic High School Honor Roll
- ^ The Miami Herald; March 2, 2000; TRIP TO TOMBOLA A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
- ^ Belen Youth Missions - Venu
- ^ Ocean Bank Community: Leaders “Open The Door” To A New Day In Private Education
- ^ Belen Jesuit Preparatory School - History
- ^ The Miami Herald- October 25, 2007-KENDALL/WEST KENDALL: Belen, Columbus among 50 best, Two West Miami-Dade Catholic schools were recognized for the third time by a national think tank for excellence in education
- ^ The Miami Herald- February 3, 2006; BELÉN JESUIT PREPARATORY TO LIMIT STUDENT ADMISSIONS
- ^ Leal, Yédica (April 11-17, 2008). Stargazing and hurricane watching. Florida Catholic.
- ^ The Miami Herald; November 12, 2006; BELEN CAPTURES STATE TITLE
- ^ The Miami Herald- March 4, 2007; Belen brings home medals
- ^ The Miami Herald-March 4, 2007-Belen brings home medals
- ^ The Miami Herald- November 3, 2006; BELEN GIVES DADE TEAM TITLE
- ^ The Miami Herald, November 3, 2007; SWIMMING CLASS 2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS: Belen wins state swimming title again, The Belen boys' team captured its second consecutive state swimming championship.
- ^ The Miami Herald; November 12, 2006; BELEN CAPTURES STATE TITLE
- ^ The Miami Herald, August 30, 2007; TROPICAL PARK: Miami-Dade parochial schools are heated rivals, A LONGTIME RIVALRY BETWEEN MIAMI-DADE'S PAROCHIAL SCHOOL GIANTS HAS CULMINATED FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW AT THE BELEN VS. COLUMBUS FOOTBALL KICKOFF CLASSIC AT TROPICAL PARK.
- ^ Belen Jesuit Preparatory School - Humanities
- ^ a b Belen Jesuit Preparatory School - Library
[edit] External links
- Belen Jesuit Celebrates 25yrs of Humanitarian Missions
- Belen Jesuit Home Page
- Education, Faith & Discipline; Belen Jesuit Celebrates its 150th Anniversary
- Privateschoolreview.com's page on Belen
