Archbishop Blenk High School
Encyclopedia
Archbishop Blenk High School was an all girl Catholic
high school
in Gretna, Louisiana
. The school was located on the West Bank of Jefferson Parish
. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans
, the school was founded in 1962 and staffed by the Marianites of Holy Cross
. Blenk's school colors are blue and gray and proud home to the doves
, their mascot.
The school has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
since 1975.
, both located on the westbank, will merge. The new school will be called The Academy of Our Lady
. Alumni, parents of students, and students have protested against this merger. One group of concerned parents, students and alumni have created a web site called Stop The Merger to pass along information in the hope of preventing the merger of Archbishop Blenk and Immaculata. http://www.stopthemerger.net/ The new school, like Immaculata, will be run by the Salesian Sisters.
The Times-Picayune reported on January 4, 2007: "Reversing course for the third time in less than a year, the Archdiocese of New Orleans will close the 46-year-old Archbishop Blenk High School in Gretna at the end of the school year and shift its students to Immaculata High in Marrero. Under a plan announced last spring, students at both schools would have been consolidated at Blenk’s Gretna Boulevard campus, and Immaculata closed, until construction of a new all-girls Catholic school on the West Bank. Then, a second plan to retain both campuses under a new name was announced in October."
The Blenk building will be remodeled and used for a new magnet school. Since the magnet school is public, all religious figures and statues will be removed from campus. The incoming school is Thomas Jefferson Senior High School, a magnet school for advanced studies.
Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education
, the highest award an American school can receive.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Gretna, Louisiana
Gretna, Louisiana
The city of Gretna is the parish seat of Jefferson Parish, in the US state of Louisiana. Gretna is on the west bank of the Mississippi River, just east and across the river from uptown New Orleans. It is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. The school was located on the West Bank of Jefferson Parish
Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
Jefferson Parish is a parish in Louisiana, United States that includes most of the suburbs of New Orleans. The seat of parish government is Gretna....
. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, officially in Latin Archidioecesis Novae Aureliae, is an ecclesiastical division of the Roman Catholic Church administered from New Orleans, Louisiana...
, the school was founded in 1962 and staffed by the Marianites of Holy Cross
Marianites of Holy Cross
The Marianites of Holy Cross is a Roman Catholic congregation of nuns, founded in Le Mans, France, in 1841, by the Blessed Father Basil Anthony-Marie Moreau, CSC...
. Blenk's school colors are blue and gray and proud home to the doves
Doves
Doves are an English alternative indie rock band, originating from Wilmslow, Cheshire. The band comprises brothers Jez Williams and Andy Williams , and Jimi Goodwin . The members started working seriously together after meeting at The Haçienda in Manchester. Doves' unofficial fourth member is...
, their mascot.
The school has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
since 1975.
Blenk/Immaculata merge
The Archdiocese of New Orleans has announced that after the 2006-2007 school year, Archbishop Blenk and Immaculata High SchoolImmaculata High School (Marrero, Louisiana)
Immaculata High School, was a Catholic high school in Marrero, Louisiana.Immaculata High School opened in 1956 as a part of Immaculate Conception Parish. Immaculata answered a growing need for Catholic secondary education on the Westbank. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans,...
, both located on the westbank, will merge. The new school will be called The Academy of Our Lady
The Academy of Our Lady
The Academy of Our Lady is a high school for girls on the west bank of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans.-Background:...
. Alumni, parents of students, and students have protested against this merger. One group of concerned parents, students and alumni have created a web site called Stop The Merger to pass along information in the hope of preventing the merger of Archbishop Blenk and Immaculata. http://www.stopthemerger.net/ The new school, like Immaculata, will be run by the Salesian Sisters.
The Times-Picayune reported on January 4, 2007: "Reversing course for the third time in less than a year, the Archdiocese of New Orleans will close the 46-year-old Archbishop Blenk High School in Gretna at the end of the school year and shift its students to Immaculata High in Marrero. Under a plan announced last spring, students at both schools would have been consolidated at Blenk’s Gretna Boulevard campus, and Immaculata closed, until construction of a new all-girls Catholic school on the West Bank. Then, a second plan to retain both campuses under a new name was announced in October."
The Blenk building will be remodeled and used for a new magnet school. Since the magnet school is public, all religious figures and statues will be removed from campus. The incoming school is Thomas Jefferson Senior High School, a magnet school for advanced studies.
Awards and recognition
During the 1994-98 period, Archbishop Blenk High School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon SchoolBlue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
, the highest award an American school can receive.