Mount Saint Charles Academy

Mount Saint Charles Academy
The front of Mount Saint Charles Academy
Location
800 Logee Street Woonsocket , (Providence County) , Rhode Island 02895-5599 United States
Coordinates	41°59′46″N 71°30′7″W
Information
Type	Private, Catholic, Coeducational junior/senior high school institution
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic, (Brothers of the Sacred Heart)
Established	September 14, 1924
Oversight	Diocese of Providence
President	Alan Tenreiro
Principal	Julie Beauvais
Grades	6–12
Enrollment	850
Campus size	22 acres (89,000 m2)
Campus type	Urban
Color(s)	Scarlet  -  Blue  -  White
Team name	Mounties
Accreditation	New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Newspaper	The Hilltopper
Yearbook	Excelsior
Website	www.mountsaintcharles.org

Mount Saint Charles Academy is a private Roman Catholic co-educational junior and senior high school academy in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence.

History

In the late 1800s, many French Canadians migrated to the mill town of Woonsocket, Rhode Island. A local clergyman, Monsignor Charles Dauray, wanted to preserve the French language and Catholic faith in the region through education. He invited the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, a French Catholic congregation, to staff a school in the city. Mount St. Charles Academy opened on September 14, 1924, welcoming both boarders and commuting students. Brother Josephus, SC, served as the first principal.

Three years after the completion of the school, Br. Josephus was in charge of the construction of the gymnasium. Early curriculum included a wide variety of subjects with an emphasis on academic and athletic courses. In 1963, the Br. Adelard Ice Hockey Arena, named the "Father of Schoolboy Hockey," was added to the campus, becoming the first hockey arena built to be used by a specific school.

By the 1970s, the academy transitioned to a Grade 7–12 co-educational day school. This occurred concurrently with the closing of the all-girls high school in the city (the beginning of a decline of Catholic schools in America, which was followed by a diminished interest in boarding schools). By 2015, Mount Saint Charles was expanded, including the 6th grade.

The school was accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges in 2019 and has been recognized twice as the Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education.

In 2009, the school announced that Mr. Hervé Richer, Jr. would became the first lay president of Mount Saint Charles. Mr. Edwin Burke, the former assistant principal, assumed the role of the principal.

In March 2016, it was announced that the school would not enroll transgender students, which was also included as a statement in their handbook. Alumni of the school used social media and created a petition to oppose this announcement. The school released a response, stating that their intent was not discriminatory and that their facilities could not accommodate gender diverse students. The school cancelled the policy 3 days afterwards.

In 2017, Hervé Richer became past president. Alan Tenreiro, a 1992 graduate of the school, was selected as the third president of Mount Saint Charles Academy. Tenreiro was named National Principal of the Year in 2016 by NASSP for his contributions to Cumberland High School.

In 2019, the school received $3.7 million from Educational Institutional Revenue Bonds in order to create a new residence hall. The residence hall was opened in October 2019 to house 70 students for the first time in nearly 50 years.

Arts

The school offers the following arts programs:

• Stage bands
• Jazz bands
• Brass choirs
• String ensembles
• Chorus
• Dance
• Yearbook
• Hand-bell choirs
• Theater

Campus Ministry

In collaboration with the Religious Studies Department, the Office of Campus Ministry provides a range of experiences that form a more reflective faith community. Campus ministers oversee activities such as the Mission Drive, annual Christmas Baskets for the needy, and Days of Recollection.

Athletics

The Mount Saint Charles Academy boys' hockey team won twenty-six consecutive state titles from 1978 to 2003 and four consecutive title from 2008 to 2011. Over the years, a total of 20 alumni have been drafted into the NHL. Alumni Brian Lawton and Bryan Berard were drafted 1st overall in the NHL Entry Draft. The story of this school's hockey program is recorded in the book Pride on the Mount by John Gillooly. The current coach, Normand "Bill" Belisle, has a record of 990 wins, 183 losses, and 37 ties. In 2006, a documentary was created called Ice Kings, which encompasses the material covered in the book as well as insights from alumni and Coach Belisle.

The school also won back to back Division II state titles in boys soccer 2004 and 2005 before moving up to Division I in 2006.

The swim team also had a leap from Division III to Division I in one year, making it the first team in RIIL history to move two divisions in one year.

In 2015 the boy's varsity soccer team won the Division II state championship over Moses Brown.

In 2021, Mount St. Charles Hockey Academy was one of two schools to have all 4 tournament bound teams (18U, 16U, 15O and 14U) qualify for their respective National Tournaments.

In 2022, the boy's Varsity Lacrosse team was the first team in RIIL history to win two back-to-back State Championships in 2 separate divisions (Division IV in 2021 and Division II in 2022).

In 2023, the school announced that it was leaving the Rhode Island Interscholastic League to play for the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council.

State Championships
Season	Sport	Number of Championships	Year
Fall	Soccer, Men's	5	1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2015
	Tennis, Women's	5	2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008
	Volleyball, Women's	2	1995, 2009
Winter	Hockey, Men's	45	1933, 1934, 1935, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1942, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1968, 1972, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2022 (18U National Championship)
	Basketball, Women's	1	2001
	Swimming, Men's	3	2002, 2003, 2004
	Swimming, Women's	1	2003
	Hockey, Women's	6	2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011
Spring	Lacrosse, Men's	3	2008, 2021, 2022
	Volleyball, Men's	5	2001, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2018
	Baseball, Men's	3	2009, 2010, 2015
All	Cheerleading	4	2005, 2007, 2008, 2011
Total		83

Notable alumni

Mathieu Schneider

• Bryan Berard, ice hockey player
• Brian Boucher, ice hockey player
• Ed Bradley, journalist, 60 Minutes co-host (attended MSC)
• Jennifer Brien, radio host for WHJJ
• Keith Carney, ice hockey player
• Paul Guay, ice hockey
• Jeff Jillson, ice hockey player
• Brian Lawton, ice hockey player
• Johnny Martorano, number two to Whitey Bulger and known as "The Executioner" (graduated elsewhere, Milton High School)
• Ben Mondor, owner of Boston Red Sox AAA affiliate, Pawtucket Red Sox
• Mathieu Schneider, ice hockey player
• Garth Snow, ice hockey player, General Manager of the New York Islanders
• Carl Betz, actor on The Donna Reed Show, Emmy Award winner for the television show Judd, for the Defense

See also

• Catholic schools in the United States
• Higher education
• List of Rhode Island schools