St. Michael Catholic High School (Alabama)

The school's four year curriculum allows students to take courses at the Collegiate Studies or Honors—Advanced Placement level. The school requires four years of core subjects in Theology, Math, English, History and Science and one year of Physical Education/Health. Freshmen and sophomores must also take a foreign language (either Spanish or Latin) and an arts elective (either Chorus, Band or Art) In their junior and senior year, students have three electives in addition to the five core classes. They may opt to take a third or fourth year of a foreign language and/or the Arts among their choices.[4]

Students take 8 classes each semester. On Mondays, they attend all 8 classes, whereas on Tuesday they attend 6 classes, with two classes rotating out of the schedule each of those days. Students may earn a total of 32 credits during their four-year tenure.

The school offers A.P. classes in Human Geography, American History, English Comp, English Lit, Psychology, Spanish, Government, BC Calculus and BC Physics. In 2020, thirty-two students were named A.P. Scholars by the College Board, including 5 A.P. "Scholars with Distinction" and five A.P. "Scholars with Honor." [5]

The school began with a Band and Choral program. Students have the option to take four years of one or the other. In its second year, the school began an Art program (2d/3D). In the words of the principal, Faustin Weber, "It is the school's intention to make the Arts central to the life of the school." The band and choral program were both rated "superior" in state competitions in their first year of existence.

The school has a house system in which students are divided into four houses, each named after the early bishops of Mobile: Michael Portier, John Quinlan, Jeremiah O'Sullivan, and Edward Patrick Allen. The houses compete against each other for the Annual 'House Cup' and serve as the foundation for the student council of the school.

The school is an AHSAA sponsored school competing at the 4A level. It consists of football,[6] men's and women's basketball, baseball, swimming,[7] cross-country[8] bowling, volleyball, softball, golf, and men's and women's soccer. There is also a cheerleader squad for both the football and basketball teams. In the spring of 2020, the school announced that Philip Rivers, then-quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts, would be its future football coach upon Rivers’ retirement from the NFL.[9] The school also broke ground for an all sports field house, which will include a weight room, locker rooms, coaching and physical training offices, and a multimedia room.[10] Completion of the project is expected in the spring of 2021.

The Catholic faith is the "lens through which the activity of the school is focused." In addition to a four-year theology requirement, the school will have a weekly mass, with frequent opportunities for prayer, worship and service.