For four years of our lives – definitely some of the most formative years of our lives – high schools become our second homes. In addition to classes, we might spend additional time there for extracurricular activities. Then when we go home, we do additional work for school that essentially permeates into the rest of our lives. With so much time dedicated to school, we doubtless have an endless amount of stories and other memories, many of which are hopefully positive.

If we are ever forced to part ways with our childhood homes – whether due to moving, foreclosure or something more negative – we would feel like a part of us has been destroyed. We feel as if our identities are being stripped away, identities that soon exist as nothing more than memories.

I believe the case is the same in terms of how we view our school years. Now I am lucky enough to have gone to a high school, Archbishop Ryan, that will hopefully be immune to closure for a long time due to it being co-ed and its accessible location with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia – right on the edge of Northeast Philadelphia and almost right down the street from the suburbs.

Not everybody is so lucky. Take my parents, for instance. My father graduated from Northeast Catholic, which closed in June 2010. And the Archdiocese suggested at the beginning of the month that my mom’s alma mater, St. Hubert’s, be one of nearly 50 schools to close at the end of the school year. The future will be certain once the Archdiocese announces its official decision in mid-February. continue reading »

Archbishop Ryan Director of Admissions Pam McPeak discussds the school's shadow program with students Christopher Gatton (L) and freshman Julio Polanco (center) as the school prepared to take on displaced North and Dougherty students in 2010. Photo/Morgan Zalot.

UPDATE: It’s being widely reported that St. Hubert’s is among five archdiocesan high schools recommended for closure. The others are West Catholic, Archbishop Prendergast, Monsignor Bonner and Conwell-Egan.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia will hold a news conference this afternoon to discuss the future of Catholic education in and around Philadelphia. For many, it could mean saying goodbye to their schools.

At 4 p.m., the diocese will livestream the event, which is billed as an announcement of the findings of the Blue Ribbon Commission. continue reading »

Friday – The Philadelphia Police Officer who was shot late Thursday night was released from Temple University Hospital early Friday morning. Officer Kevin Gorman of Mayfair was shot in the shoulder while on duty on the 3300-block of North Howard Street. The suspect remains on the loose. continue reading »

Police were called out twice this morning to the former Northeast Catholic High School building after reports of unauthorized people in the building.

The first call came around 3 a.m.when a witness reported seeing three teenagers or young men enter the building. Though further details have not been released, police did take several people into custody with the help of the K-9 unit. continue reading »

Here’s a summary of the week’s Northeast news we didn’t cover. See others here.

Northeast Catholic High School held its final graduation ceremony yesterday. Including the class of 2010, there are 39,746 alumni with 30,728 of them still living. The school opened its doors in 1926.

Keep reading for news on the end of the Army Experience Center, a visit to a local hospital by May Nutter, and more. continue reading »

Ryan Director of Admissions Pam McPeak discusses the school's shadow program with students, junior Christopher Gatton (left) and freshman Julio Polanco (center).

Patrick Boylan and Tom McGowan, both juniors at Northeast Catholic High School, would have ruled the school as seniors next year – McGowan as a National Honor Society member ranked fifth in his class and Boylan as a legacy student, following his father, grandfather, uncles and older brothers by attending the school.

Now, both Boylan and McGowan will find themselves adapting to new schools for senior year, after the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced plans to close Northeast Catholic, opened in 1926 on the border of Frankford and Kensington, and Cardinal Dougherty High School, opened in 1956 in Olney, at the end of the academic year due to waning enrollment.

“When I first heard North was closing, I was really mad,” McGowan, who is enrolled at Father Judge High School for next year, said. “I was mad that this announcement came out of nowhere and I was even more upset that North was closing a year before my senior year. I was confused because I didn’t know where I was going to go next year and what was going to happen with my scholarship.” continue reading »

Sometimes, all it comes down to is uniforms.

Denise Maccari knows about uniforms. As the mother of sophomore at Northeast Catholic High School, she understands that uniforms have to be bought, and not at a discount price. If you’re lucky, perhaps a neighbor with a son just out of school will be able to give you a tie or a sweater. But Maccari’s son is also an athlete. That translates into even more uniform purchases, and a gym bag to carry everything. And all of this merchandise has one thing in common – it all proudly displays the name of Northeast Catholic. continue reading »

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has announced the closing of two local high schools. Both Cardinal Dougherty and Northeast Catholic will be closed at the end of the 2009-2010 school year.

“It is with a heavy heart that I make this announcement,” Cardinal Justin Rigali said. “We must make difficult decisions in the prayerful hope for a bright future.”

According to Rigali, the closings come as a result of a comprehensive study of all Archdiocesan schools. The study ended in early September. Today, notices were sent to parents from both schools, and letters have been mailed to every family. continue reading »

Falcons seniors wide receiver/defensive back Mark Allen (#20) and running back/ defensive back David William (#34) take down Raider wide receiver/defensive back Dom Vinciguerra at the end of the first half.

Below are more photos from the Falcons/Raiders games, and a photo of a spontaneous game of touch football between two young cousins on the sidelines. These photos are part NEast Philly’s High School Football Preview package. continue reading »

NEast Philly contributors Pat McNally and Bill Achuff will have continuing coverage of the high school football previews for the 2009 season. Below are the previews and standings for the three major Catholic league teams in the Northeast. For the public league previews, click here. continue reading »