Longtime educators, school leaders memorialized
CHARLOTTE — Thanks to the efforts of the Charlotte Catholic High School Athletic Association, the campus of Charlotte Catholic High School now features a brick pathway honoring the school's 61-year history.
The pathway, complete with benches, is located in the piazza between the school's front entrance and the stadium. It features 515 engraved bricks and four new brick and concrete benches. The engraved bricks are arranged in the shape of a cross which spans the width of the piazza. Engraved on the bricks are the names of educators who dedicated more than 20 years of service to Catholic schools in Charlotte and the names of alumni, students and families in the Charlotte Catholic community.
Also honored are the Sisters of Mercy who played a key role in the development of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Charlotte and especially at Charlotte Catholic High School, which has its origin in the O'Donoghue School in Dilworth. The high school officially opened in 1955 in a location on Park Road (now the site of Holy Trinity Middle School).
From 1955 to 1995, Charlotte Catholic went through many transitions. Marianist Brothers came to help teach at the high school, which for a time was split, with girls going back to the O'Donoghue School, attending classes on the second floor at what was then named Our Lady of Mercy School. In 1968 the two schools merged, and in 1969 the Marianist Brothers left and the Sisters of Mercy provided the administration and education of the co-ed population. Charlotte Catholic moved to its present location on Pineville-Matthew Road in 1995.
Principal Kurt Telford was approached about the brick pathway project about 18 months ago by several members of the athletic association.
"The idea was to honor our past, present and future. It was a great idea," Telford said.
Athletic association members Casey Corser and Gaye Fitzpatrick, along with Athletics Director Kevin Christmas, spearheaded the project. They received approval from the diocesan properties department, organized the fundraiser, selected the bricks and solicited bids for the installation.
"More than $66,000 was raised from the sale of the bricks which covered the entire cost of the project – grading, installation, shipping, engraving of the bricks and the hallmark stones to mark our journey from our humble beginning to today," Corser said.
All remaining proceeds will go directly to the athletic association, as will proceeds from all future sales.
"Our goal was to pay for it and to replenish funds for the athletic association," Corser explained. "We really wanted to honor our faith and our journey and our future path. There is plenty of room to continue the project for thousands of other Cougar families – past, present and future!"
Mercy Sister Paulette Williams, who served as principal of Charlotte Catholic for 20 years, is grateful for the recognition of the Sisters of Mercy and their contribution to education at the high school.
"We appreciate being recognized in this way. I look forward to seeing it," she said.
Charlotte Catholic has more than 1,250 students enrolled at the south Charlotte campus. Of those, more than 1,010 students participate on 40 teams in 26 sports programs offered at the high school. During the 2015-'16 school year, Charlotte Catholic teams have clinched two state championships in football and basketball, which brings the total of state championships in the history of the school to 66.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter. Photo provided by Casey Corser.
CHARLOTTE — The Holy Trinity Middle School campus has gone through a major transformation this summer. The campus, which once housed Charlotte Catholic High School, was in need of an overhaul to better meet the needs of the staff, students and families who frequent the school during the academic year.
Most noticeable from the outside is the stadium and roadway project, which involved building approximately 600 feet of retaining wall adjacent to the athletic field along Park Road. It was built to accommodate more on-campus parking and to allow for more traffic lanes to help with carpool flow during the busy morning and afternoon time frames.
A total of 124 parking spaces are now available for staff and visitors – an increase of nearly 50 spaces. Three carpool lanes, instead of two, are set to open Aug. 24 and 25 when students return to campus.
Other campus repairs include new sidewalks alongside the Mercy building to replace older, narrow sidewalks that were in need of repair. The entrance to the Mercy building and the administration building also received a facelift.
The Holy Trinity sports stadium is also undergoing a transformation. It will house a new press box and bleacher seating for over 300 spectators.
A private donor primarily funded the stadium expansion and roadway improvements.
The diocesan Properties Office said it hopes to have the roadway infrastructure in place for use by Aug. 24. Any remaining items pertaining to the stadium are slated to be completed by late October.
Another project to expand the Student Activity Center, which houses the gymnasium and cafeteria, was recently completed. Begun last year, the up-fit work included an addition to the gymnasium building that features a wider staircase and elevator for improved handicapped accessibility; larger, brighter lobby; renovated restrooms; and improved concessions area.
The renovation also included improvements on the ground floor. Students now have double the space inside the cafeteria for lunch periods, as well as new canvas awnings outside to offer a shady spot to eat lunch. There are also new restrooms adjacent to the cafeteria.
The $1.5 million renovation by Edison Foard Construction was funded through the MACS Capital Fund.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter