Mount Saint Charles Academy is a private Roman Catholic coeducational junior and senior high school located in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence.
History
In the late 1800s, a significant number of French Canadians migrated to the mill town of Woonsocket, RI. A local clergyman, Monsignor Charles Dauray, sought 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 to a number of boarders and commuting students. Brother Josephus, SC served as the first principal.
Three years after the completion of the school, Br. Josephus oversaw the construction of a gymnasium. The early curriculum included a wide variety of courses emphasizing academic and athletic training. In 1963, the Br. Adelard Ice Hockey Arena, named after the "Father of Schoolboy Hockey" and the first built to serve a particular school, was added to the campus.
By the 1970s, with the closing of the all-girls' high school in the city, and following a diminished interest in boarding schools, the Academy was modernized into a Grade 7–12 co-educational day school. By 2015, Mount Saint Charles had expanded and incorporated the 6th grade to compete with schools in the area.
It is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and has been recognized twice as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education.
In 2009 it was announced that Mr. Herve Richer, Jr. would become the first lay president of Mount Saint Charles. Mr. Edwin Burke, former assistant principal and advanced-placement European History teacher, assumed the position of Principal.
In March 2016, it was announced that the school would not take transgender students, including a statement in their handbook. Alumni of the school took to social media and created a petition to oppose this announcement. In response, the school released a statement stating that their intent was not discriminatory and claimed their facilities could not accommodate gender diverse students. As of March 10, 2016, the school has rescinded the policy.
In 2017, Herve Richer stepped down as president. Alan Tenreiro, a 1992 graduate of the school, was selected as the third president of Mount Saint Charles Academy. Tenreiro was recently named National Principal of the Year for his role in transforming Cumberland High School into one of the most successful high schools in the state.
In 2019, the school received $3.7 million in 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
Bands
The music department provides opportunities for students in grades 6 through 12 to participate in a long history of stage bands, jazz bands, and brass choirs, as well as woodwind, percussion, and strings ensembles. At present, there is a junior high band and a senior high band, the Symphonic Wind Ensemble. The department offers extracurricular bands, including jazz and contemporary, which play year-round. The senior high band participates in the Woonsocket Autumnfest Parade during the school year.
Chorus
The chorus program includes both junior high and senior high school students. Students develop vocal and performance skills through a range of music styles, including religious, musical theater, and popular songs.
Dance
The dance program is an academic and performance-based program that includes modern, jazz, ballet, and tap. Students also gain experience in choreography and performance in different settings.
Excelsior Yearbook
The MSC yearbook publishes a complete and formal summary of each year's social, scholastic, and athletic activities. It also contains individual pictures of all students and faculty. Although the teaching staff of the academy and the respective senior classes are depicted in color print each year, the remainder of the student body is depicted in black and white.
Handbell Choirs
The arts department offers the opportunity to participate in handbell choirs performing at school concerts. The advanced group Excelsior Bells also performs in the community on a regular basis.
Theater
Junior high and senior high programs offer theory, training, and stage experiences during school hours. In addition, these theater classes schedule public performances.