Holy Family Catholic High School (Minnesota)

Holy Family Catholic High School
Location
8101 Kochia Lane Victoria , Minnesota 55386 United States
44°51′31″N 93°38′39″W / 44.858500°N 93.644200°W / 44.858500; -93.644200
Information
Type	Private secondary school
Motto	Find your Fire
Religious affiliation	Roman Catholic (LaSallian)
Established	2000
CEEB code	242548
President	Michael Brennan
Principal	John Dols
Teaching staff	33.1 (on an FTE basis)[1]
Grades	9–12[1]
Enrollment	519 (2021–22)[1]
Student to teacher ratio	15.7[1]
Colors	Forest green, White, and Black
Slogan	Roll Fire
Song	Holy Family Anthem
Fight song	Notre Dame Victory March, We are Family (Hockey only)
Athletics conference	Wright County Conference
Nickname	Fire
Accreditation	Cognia [2]
Website	www.hfchs.org

Holy Family Catholic High School is a coeducational, college preparatory, Catholic high school opened in the year 2000^[3] and serves grades 9-12.^[4] The school follows the Lasallian tradition, an education philosophy created by St. John Baptist de La Salle. In 2023, there were approximately 560 students enrolled across the four grade levels^[5]. Since opening, the high school has educated roughly 3,000 students. Holy Family's value statement emphasizes integrity, scholarship, leadership, and faith and the school aims to promote college readiness and student involvement. This school is a part of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis^[6], and is located in Victoria.

History

Holy Family Catholic High School was founded in 2000 by Theo Chalgren, Rob Roy, Tom Steward and Joe Morin, supported by promotional and fundraising efforts among families in the community. At time of opening, the school served only freshman and sophomore students, but has since expanded to providing education for grades 9-12. The campus has remained at the same address for the duration of the school's operation, but has undergone several renovations and expansions. The goal that the founders had for the institution was to create a school grounded in the Catholic faith as well as service and community.^[7]

Student experience and culture

Students who have attended Holy Family Catholic High School have expressed their appreciation for the school’s focus on community and individualized support. Students are also invited and encouraged to be involved on campus through a variety of clubs and organizations. Students express that they have the opportunity to take on leadership roles, gain real-world experience, and be present in their community. Nearly 90% of the school's students and parents have stated that there are several clubs and organizations available.^[8]

Students at the institution express that their favorite school activities to participate in at Holy Family include sporting events, prom, homecoming, and the annul school Thanksgiving Dinner.^[9] The Catholic faith is a prominent aspect of students’ experience at Holy Family. The high school encourages students to embrace their faith through activities such as monthly all-school mass, campus ministry, and service opportunities through organizations such as Lasallian Youth. There is also a chapel on campus that is open daily and offers mass on Monday, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays during the school year. Holy Family also offers an in-house school lunch program under the direction of Executive Chef Al Carlson.

Athletics and activities

There are more than 60 activities offered at Holy Family Catholic High School. This includes 29 varsity sport opportunities^[10] and upwards of 30 clubs and organizations such as DECA^[11], campus ministry, a variety of fine arts opportunities and numerous other competitive activities.^[12] Many students that participate consistently qualify for state, regional, and national-level competitions. Holy Family Catholic High School has made 13 state appearances in Swim, Jazz and High Kick Dance^[13], Football^[14], Clay Targets, Girls Hockey, Girls Golf, Robotics, Fishing Team, eSports, Girls and Boys Fencing as well as DECA^[15]. The school has held 70 conference titles since its opening as part of the Wright County Conference for athletics. Holy Family Fire Football^[16] has made multiple state appearances including two title games and victories in sections and conferences. Individual players have received All-Conference, All-Section, Star Tribune Prep Athlete of the Week, as well as individual and team Academic All-State awards.^[17] Several Fire Football alumni have received college scholarships in recent years from Division 1 programs like Northern Illinois University and the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, as well as several D2 and D3 programs. Additionally, Fine Arts extracurricular opportunities are offered at Holy Family Catholic High School including vocal and instrumental music, theater, and visual arts such as photography.^[18]

Academics

Holy Family Catholic High School has a 12:1 student to teacher ratio and an average class size of 21 students. The school offers 14 advanced placement (AP) courses and more than 50 electives. Curriculum incorporates individualized instruction and small class sizes, focused on being relevant to real-world experiences. Additionally, courses are centered around college preparation^[19]. Courses include College Prep Biology, AP United States History, College Prep Calculus and many more. Guidance counseling is also offered to all students. The Holy Family Catholic High School Counseling Center focuses on relationship building and student growth in three domains: academic development, career development, and social/emotional development. The Counseling Center provides academic guidance as well as personal and social guidance to support students’ mental health as they navigate life in high school. Holy Family uses technology such as MacBook laptops which are provided to students through a leasing program to assist students in becoming familiar with collaborating and working on digital software.  

Leadership opportunities

Holy Family Catholic High School provides numerous opportunities for students to take on leadership roles within the school community. An opportunity that Holy Family offers is their Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA)^[20] team, to explore career paths in business^[21], finance^[22], marketing^[23] or a related field. In its debut season, Holy Family's DECA captured the District 4 Title and qualified 53 students for State. Five Holy Family students moved forward to compete at the DECA International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida. This earned the Holy Family Chapter a national award as one of the top 10 new chapters in the country. Students are also welcome to participate in the National Honor’s Society, focusing on community service. Each student that participates performs upwards of 40 total hours of service per school year. In addition, students participate in All-School Service Day, performing more than 4,000 total hours of community service.  

Outcomes

Holy Family Catholic High School has a college acceptance rate of 100% for its students and offers many scholarship^[24] opportunities. 99-100% of graduates attend college^[25], and 82-85% of these graduates complete a four-year degree within six years of graduating high school. The Holy Family Catholic High School Class of 2025 is attending 65 different colleges and universities across the country, earning more than $25.5 million in university scholarships. This graduation class was accepted into 100 different colleges nationwide. One-third of the student body receives tuition assistance to attend Holy Family Catholic High School and the school awards more than $1,200,000 in variable tuition grants and scholarships to aid families and students. Additionally, families who participate in the school’s International Student Host Family Program receive a $8,000 stipend^[26] and remain eligible for additional scholarships and variable tuition rates.  

References