Xaverian Brothers High School

Xaverian Brothers High School (XBHS), founded in 1963 by the Xaverian Brothers, is a private, Catholic secondary school for boys in grades 7–12 on a 33-acre (130,000 m2) campus in Westwood, Massachusetts. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. Xaverian is sponsored by the Xaverian Brothers religious order, and offers a college preparatory program. The school attracts students from more than 60 communities in eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Xaverian Brothers High School
Address
800 Clapboardtree Street

Westwood
,
(Norfolk County)
,
Massachusetts
02090

United States
Coordinates42°12′53″N 71°11′48″W
Information
TypePrivate, Day, College-prep
MottoLatin: Veritatem Fratribus Testari
(To bear witness to the truth in brotherhood)
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic
Patron saint(s)Saint Francis Xavier
Established1963
Sister schoolUrsuline Academy
School codeXBHS
Chairman of the Board of TrusteesJohn E. Murphy ’70
PrincipalMichael Nicholson
HeadmasterDr. Jacob Conca '94, PhD
Faculty120
Grades7–12
GenderBoys
Enrollment1,004 (2018-2019)
Average class size20-22 students
Student to teacher ratio13:1
CampusSuburban
Campus size36 acres (150,000 m2)
Color(s)Navy Blue and Gold
         
SloganRedefining Strong
Athletics17 Division 1 sports
Athletics conferenceCatholic Conference
MascotHawk
NicknameXaverian
X
RivalSt. John's Prep
AccreditationNew England Association of Schools and Colleges[1]
PublicationConcordian (literary magazine)
NewspaperThe Witness
YearbookThe Talon
Alumni10,000
Athletic DirectorEdward (Ted) Currle
Assistant Principal, Teaching and LearningStephen Dacey ʹ95
Assistant Principal, FXDJay McGilvray
Assistant Principal, Academics (Grades 9-12)Christopher Vasta ʹ00
Websitehttp://www.xbhs.com

History and tradition
Cardinal Cushing at XBHS Dedication

The Xaverian Brothers established XBHS in its current location in Westwood, Massachusetts in 1963 with the support of Cardinal Cushing, the Archbishop of Boston. Cardinal Cushing officiated the school's dedication ceremony on August 31, 1963, with Xaverian Brothers' provincial Brother Gilroy Bishop, C.F.X., and the first headmaster, Brother Marcellus Feeley, C.F.X. The land that the school stands on today was originally part of the Forbes family estate. The late philanthropist Rocco Zoppo was instrumental in arranging for the Brothers to receive the land. (The school's Rocco Zoppo Chapter of the National Honor Society is now named in his honor.) The first day of school at XBHS was September 5, 1963 with 251 students, all ninth graders, enrolling. These freshmen became Xaverian's first graduating class, the Class of 1967, including Richard Czaja, the school's first valedictorian and future Yale University and Yale Law School graduate.

Headmasters of XBHS
YearsHeadmaster
1963-1966Marcellus Feeley, C.F.X.
1966-1970Gilroy Bishop, C.F.X.
1970-1984William Drinan, C.F.X.
1984-1991Richard Cook, C.F.X.
1991-2019Daniel Skala, C.F.X.
2019-PresentJacob Conca '94

Xaverian has had a number of high-profile entertainment acts perform at the school. The J. Geils Band and The Cars as the backup band performed a concert at a Xaverian dance on March 13, 1978. The Blue Öyster Cult made a stop at Xaverian during their national tour on October 23, 1980. According to Steven Tyler's autobiography, Aerosmith performed at Xaverian. Chuck Berry, MC5 and Sha Na Na also performed in the high school gym during the 1980s. Finally, Jay Leno performed in Xaverian's Gymnasium on May 4, 1991.

Recent history

On March 22, 2014, Xaverian held its 50th Anniversary Gala at which the school announced the launch of a $20 million capital campaign, Called to Lead, to help fund critical investments which will support the endowment for financial aid and teaching excellence, programs and facilities, and the annual fund program.[2] As of January 2017, the school achieved $20 million in donations and increased its goal to $25 million.

XBHS Scholastic and Wellness Center

On October 20, 2014, the school dedicated a brand new 32,500-square-foot Scholastic and Wellness Center. Facilities include a large gymnasium with a three-court gym and will hold large school-wide functions as well as everyday co-curricular activities for sports and clubs. The new space also includes a large lobby with indoor concessions, coaches’ offices and training facilities, a fitness center, a meeting room, and the renovation of the old gym (now a dedicated space for the seventh grade students).[3] The Center is a part of a larger set of campus improvements being driven by Brother Skala that began in June 2013 including an additional classroom wing with science labs, and both new and renovated athletic facilities and fields.[4] In September 2015, XBHS dedicated the new academic wing which added 15,000 square feet of learning space including two labs and five classrooms for the school's science and engineering programs.[5]

Xaverian Brothers tradition

Xaverian is sponsored by the Congregation of the Brothers of St. Francis Xavier, known more commonly as the Xaverian Brothers, and for many years the Brothers formed a large part of its faculty. The Xaverian Brothers are a consecrated lay Catholic order of Brothers who strive to fulfill the spiritual aspirations of its founder, Theodore James Ryken, particularly through education. Dr. Jacob Conca, PhD currently serves as Xaverian's sixth headmaster and continues the Xaverian Brothers tradition at the school.

Mission

The mission of Xaverian is to foster “…a community of faith and learning that is committed to developing the integration of spiritual, moral, intellectual, physical, emotional, cultural, and social dimensions within each young man. Through participation in academic, extracurricular, athletic, and campus ministry programs, a Xaverian graduate will be prepared to meet the demands of higher education, to contribute to society, and to answer the call of Christian service.”

Academics
Main entrance to XBHS

XBHS is a Catholic college preparatory school for boys in grades 7-12. The school is a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School that enrolls 880 students from more than 60 different communities. The primary objectives of a Xaverian education are to prepare students "to meet the demands of higher education, to contribute to society, and to answer the call of Christian service." Xaverian is known for its highly educated staff of which over 95% hold graduate degrees from some of today's most competitive colleges. Every classroom has a Smart Board, and teachers have the ability to utilize five different computer labs that are available to meet with classes. In 2012 the school instituted a technology initiative, opening its Wi-Fi access to all students and beginning a "Bring Your Own Device" program.

A unique aspect to Xaverian is its Academic Department Centers, which allows students to seek assistance from any teacher, not just his specific classroom teacher. There are Academic Department Centers for Mathematics, English, Social Studies, World Languages, Theology, and three science labs (Biology, Chemistry and Physics). Each department is staffed with teachers who are available during the day and before and after school for assistance for any student.

In 2014, the Francis Xavier Division (grades 7 and 8) was established, bringing in the first-ever 7th grade class.[6]

Athletics

XBHS is a member of the Catholic Conference and is classified as Division 1 in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) for a majority of its athletic programs. It sponsors 16 varsity sports - cross country (non-cut), golf, football (non-cut) and soccer during the fall season; alpine skiing (non-cut), basketball, hockey, indoor track (non-cut), swimming (non-cut), and wrestling (non-cut) during the winter season; and baseball, lacrosse, rugby (non-cut), tennis, track & field (non-cut) and volleyball during the spring season. The MIAA has honored Xaverian athletics five times for outstanding sportsmanship. Many Xaverian graduates go on to participate in college athletics and a few alumni are playing among the professional ranks in basketball, football and hockey including James Bailey '75 and Dana Barros '85 in the NBA; Greg Comella '93, Matt Hasselbeck '93, Tim Hasselbeck '96 and Drew Strojny '99 in the NFL; and Mark Young '77 in the AHL, and Chris Wagner '09 in the NHL. Charlie Stevenson '69 is the current Athletic Director.

2015 Super Bowl Champions

Athletic success

The Hawks' most notable success in athletics has been in alpine skiing, baseball, cross country, golf, football, lacrosse and track & field.

In particular, the football team has brought great notoriety to the school, having won ten MIAA Division 1 State Championships in 1966, 1967, 1986, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2009, 2014 and 2015.[7] The 2015 team was ranked the 22nd best team in nation by USA Today.[8] Further, four Hawks' football players have been selected the Massachusetts Player of the Year by numerous organizations: Greg Comella in 1992, Matt Hasselbeck in 1993, Chris Fox in 2005, Alex Phalen in 2009, Joe Gaziano in 2014, and Coby Tippett in 2015.[9]

In addition, the alpine ski team won the State Championship in 2013 and 2016. The golf team won state titles in 2014 and 2016. The baseball team won the State Championship in 2004 and 2012, with the 2004 team ranked the 24th best team in the country by USA Today. The cross country team won the State Championship in 1984. The swimming and diving team won the State Championship in 1996. The lacrosse team won the State Championship in 2013. And in track & field, Derek Anderson '00 won the 1999 and 2000 All-State Discus and set the state record of 186-03; Chris Bonner '02 won the 2002 All-State 600m and set the state record of 1:20.11; and the 2006 outdoor track team won the MIAA All State Meet.

Campus ministry

As a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School firmly rooted in the Catholic tradition, XBHS places a strong emphasis on Christian faith formation and Christian service, volunteer community service inspired by the teachings of Christ. Such faith formation and service takes place in two required and several other voluntary forms. All students are required to participate in the Freshman Day of Awareness, which introduces students to the Xaverian Christian Community, and the Sophomore Faith Experience, which is an off-campus retreat that builds upon the development of faith during the Freshman year.

XBHS Christmas Service

XBHS offers students many other voluntary opportunities to take part in various Christian faith formation and service programs. The Xaverian Leadership Institute (XLI) is a five-day Servant Leadership retreat for Seniors which takes place during August. XLI seeks to facilitate personal and communal reflection on the students’ primary relationships with God, self and others. As a leadership institute, students are challenged and empowered within their faith tradition to become servant leaders for the Xaverian community and the Church. The Xaverian Global Encounter program is an optional retreat/service experience that takes place during the April and Summer Vacations. During the experience, students travel to marginalized areas to live, work and pray with established communities. Past global encounter sites have included: Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, Rostro de Cristo Program in Duran, Ecuador, Los Ninos International in Tijuana, Mexico, Bethlehem Farm in Pence Springs, West Virginia and Camden, New Jersey. In addition, the Christian Senior Service Program is conducted during the last term of the Senior year. This five to six week program places seniors in approved social service agencies to complete full-time volunteer work for a minimum of 25 - 30 hours per week.

Clubs and activities
XBHS Theater production of Godspell

XBHS offers 45 diverse clubs and activities that allow students to explore many different interests and hobbies. The Office of Student Life sanctions each club and activity and strives to ensure that every XBHS student possess a clear sense of physical and mental well-being, engages in respectful and meaningful relationships, exhibits good sportsmanship, demonstrates the ability to work collaboratively, possess the social skills necessary for college and beyond, and develop diverse interests through participation in extracurricular activities.

Theater Arts

XBHS's theatrical performances have been in existence since Xaverian first opened in the late 1960s. Since its first production, "Take Time Out" Xaverian has performed over 80 shows. XBHS presents a fall drama, a spring musical, and two sketch comedy shows and live music performances dubbed "Live @ the X". The artistic director for productions is Julianne O'Connor and the production manager is Paula Duddy.

Performance History:

Year Performance 1 Performance 2 Performance 3 Year Performance 1 Performance 2 Performance 3
'67 Take Time Out '68 It's The Most
'69 Life Zoo Story by Will '70 The New Touch Waiting for Godot
'71 Bravo '72 Razz-ma-Jazz
'73 The Sky's the Limit Child's Play '74 The Music Man
'75 West Side Story Picnique en Compagne '76 Fiddler on the Roof Stalag 17
'77 Anything Goes The Real Inspector Hound '78 Cabaret The Crucible
'79 Kiss Me Kate One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest '80 West Side Story The Lion in Winter
'81 Most Happy Fella A Man for All Seasons '82 Guys and Dolls
'83 Jesus Christ, Superstar Rashomon '84 George M. The Real Inspector Hound
'85 Oklahoma! '86 West Side Story Mass Appeal
'87 Jesus Christ, Superstar Invitation to Murder '88 Working One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest
'89 Anything Goes '90 Grease The Foreigner
'91 Damn Yankees Wait Until Dark '92 West Side Story The Boys Next Door
'93 Godspell Arsenic and Old Lace '94 Oklahoma! Rumors
'95 Guys and Dolls Len Me a Tenor '96 Jesus Christ, Superstar You Can't Take It With You
'97 The Pajama Game Flowers for Algernon '98 Once On This Island One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest
'99 West Side Story '00 Damn Yankees Antigone
'01 Li'l Abner A Midsummer Night's Dream '02 Anything Goes Rumors
'03 Crazy for You The Foreigner '04 Godspell Laughter on the 23rd Floor
'05 Blood Brothers XNL Arsenic and Old Lace '06 How to Succeed in Business XNL 2: The "Odd"yssey One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
'07 Pippin XNL 3 The Dining Room '08 West Side Story XNL 4 Flowers for Algernon
'09 Damn Yankees XNL 5 You Can't Take It with You '10 Once On This Island XNL 6 It's a Wonderful Life
'11 Footloose "Classical Cafe" The Boys Next Door '12 The Pajama Game Live@theX All My Sons
'13 Godspell Live@theX The Man Who Came to Dinner '14 Oklahoma! Harvey_(play)
'15 '16
'17 Brigadoon 12 Angry Men Live@theX '18 You Can't Take It with You Singin' in the Rain Live@theX
'19 Golden Boy Curtains Live@theX '20 Newsies The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

XNL = Xaverian Night Live

Notable alumni

XBHS has approximately 9,000 alumni living all around the globe. Notable alumni distinguishing themselves include:

Notable alumni distinguishing themselves in athletics include:

  • James Bailey (1975) - former National Basketball Association player
  • Dana Barros (1985) - former National Basketball Association All-Star player[10]
  • Greg Comella (1993) - former National Football League player
  • John Delaney (2004) - head baseball coach, Quinnipiac University
  • Joe Fleming (1992) - former Canadian Football League All-Star player
  • Joe Gaziano (2015) - Northwestern University football all-time sacks leader
  • Matt Hasselbeck (1993) - former National Football League All-Pro player and ESPN analyst[11]
  • Tim Hasselbeck (1996) - former National Football League player and ESPN analyst[12]
  • Maurice Hurst Jr. (2013) - National Football League player
  • Mark Jackson (1990) - athletic director, Villanova University
  • Matt Klentak (1998) - general manager, Philadelphia Phillies
  • Brian Mann (1998) - Dartmouth College football single season passing yards leader
  • Tim Scannell (1986) - head baseball coach, Trinity University (TX); 2016 DIII National Champion and Coach of the Year
  • Drew Strojny (1999) - former National Football League player
  • Chris Wagner (2009) - current National Hockey League player
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References
  1. "NEASC-Xaverian Brothers High School". NEASC. Retrieved July 28, 2009.
  2. "50th Anniversary Gala Launches $20 Million Campaign". Xaverian Brothers High School. March 22, 2014. Archived from the original on May 5, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  3. "Xaverian's Francis Xavier Society Reception and Scholastic and Wellness Center Dedication". Xaverian Brothers High School. October 21, 2014. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  4. Morgan Bolton, Michelle (August 18, 2013). "Work begins on expansion at Xaverian". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
  5. "A new, historic school year for Xaverian Brothers High School". Patriot Ledger. October 4, 2015. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  6. MacDonald, Mary (October 24, 2014). "Xaverian Brothers High School adds middle grades". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
  7. Russo, Eric (December 6, 2014). "Xaverian holds off Everett in Division 1 Super Bowl". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
  8. "2015 USA Today Super 25 Boys Varsity Football Expert Ranking". USA Today. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  9. "Xaverian's Coby Tippett is 2015 ESPNBoston Mr. Football". ESPN Boston. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  10. "NBA All-Star Dana Barros talks about going 1 on 1 against Michael Jordan". Xaverian Brothers High School. July 11, 2011. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  11. "Matt Hasselbeck - Xaverian Hall of Fame Speech". Xaverian Brothers High School. October 28, 2014. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  12. "Tim Hasselbeck - Xaverian Hall of Fame Speech". Xaverian Brothers High School. October 28, 2014. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
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