Bishop Lynch High School
Encyclopedia
Bishop Lynch High School is a co-educational Catholic high school (grades 9-12) founded by the Dominican Order
in east
Dallas
, Texas
(USA
). It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas
. It opened in 1963 with 365 students and now has over 1,000 students. In keeping with its Dominican tradition, the school mascot is a Friar
and the colors are black and white. It was designated a Blue Ribbon School by the Texas Department of Education in 1991 and 1998.
Also notable is the Golf Garden. This space is maintained by the Golf Team as a popular destination for classes who seek fresh air, seniors who eat outside, and all students during late start days and after school. It frequently showcases student sculpture on its lawn.
The Atrium is where many pieces of hanging artwork are displayed, as well as where students congregate before and after classes. Off the Atrium is the St. Catherine's Chapel. Students may go there either for confession or an abbreviated Mass in the mornings.
The gym, located adjacent to the Cafeteria, is fairly modern. It contains Bishop Lynch's more than 60 victory banners collected over its 40 year history. It has facilities for boys, girls, and teams.
The VPA (Visual Performing Arts) center houses art studio classrooms as well as a newly renovated dance space. Several classrooms, including those for health and some language classes, are also located in the building. Behind the VPA is the Band Hall.
There are four different sports fields at BL. The first is the softball field located at the end of the school facing Heritage Hall. It is commonly used as a practice field by the band, colorguard, and soccer team during the summer. The second is the baseball field located behind the football stadium and to the left of the football practice field. The stadium is where the soccer, football, and track teams play, and where the band, colorguard, and brigade perform.
The school offers over 30 Dual-Enrollment and Advanced Placement Course opportunities. Dual Enrollment classes allow college credit to be earned in the high school classroom in association with Eastfield College.
The school runs on an academic block schedule with A days and B days. Each day consists of four 90 minute classes which meet every other day, with eight classes in all. This scheduling structure allows for more intensive, comprehensive, and concentrated classes. The students also enjoy the additional homework time, since there's no such thing as "assigned today, due tomorrow."
The Bishop Lynch TAPPS Academic team of 2008-2009, composed of volunteer student competitors from specialties such as Computer Science and Mathematics to Persuasive Speaking and Literary Criticism, brought home the team State Title for the fifth straight year with individual state champions in Spelling, Literary Criticism, Science, Physics, Chemistry, Number Sense, Mathematics, and Advanced Mathematics .
The school serves as a fine arts center of the Dallas Catholic secondary schools. Bishop Lynch has symphonic and marching bands; eight award-winning choirs; two dance teams; Brigade(Varsity); Silver Cadettes(JV); and an extensive visual arts program, all of which participate in TPSMEA competitions yearly. The school is typically represented in all-region and all-state band and choir competitions. In addition, the spring musical of Bishop Lynch draws a significant portion of the student body as participants.
The annual academic, artistic, and athletic achievements of TAPPS member schools are charted in a "school-of-the-year" contest. The results are compiled and the school with the most points is recognized as the overall champion. Bishop Lynch has won the distinction in the following school years: 1995-1996, 1997–1998, 1999–2000 and every school year since.
and participates in the 6A classification, the largest in the league.
In its history the school's football
team has won one TCIL (1988) and five TAPPS (1994, 1995, 1997, 2002, 2003) state championships . Their principal rivals are Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas
and Nolan Catholic High School
. After a 17 year hiatus, Jesuit and Bishop Lynch renewed their rivalry on the football field in 2004. Currently, Bishop Lynch trails the "new" series 0-6.
The Lady Friar basketball team has won 24 state titles, including 19 of the past 20 and a streak of 12 straight which ended in 2000 in the semifinals to Incarnate Word of San Antonio. The Lady Friars also lost in the 2010-11 season in the second round to St. Agnes of Houston, and didn't win their district. It also marked the first season they lost both district games to Ursuline Academy in the history of the school.
. In 2008, Coach Andy Zihlman was named the Women's Basketball Coaches Association high school Coach of the Year.
The wrestling program has won the state championship in 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2008. In 2005 and 2008, the school also won the Prep State championship, a contest between TAPPS and SPC
schools. The Friars wrestling team also placed second at the Prep National wrestling tournament in 2005 and 2006; the school placed 5th in 2007, and 2nd in 2008..
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
in east
East Dallas
East Dallas comprises many communities and neighborhoods in Dallas, Texas, .- Neighborhoods :*Baylor/Meadows*Belmont*Hilltop*Bryan Place*Buckner Terrace*East Grand*Casa Linda Estates*Cochran Heights*Casa View*Claremont*Deep Ellum*Eastwood...
Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas
Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas is a Roman Catholic diocese in Texas. It was founded on July 15, 1890 by Pope Leo XIII. The diocese's cathedral is the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe....
. It opened in 1963 with 365 students and now has over 1,000 students. In keeping with its Dominican tradition, the school mascot is a Friar
Friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...
and the colors are black and white. It was designated a Blue Ribbon School by the Texas Department of Education in 1991 and 1998.
History
- In 1963 Bishop Lynch High School was founded in honor of Bishop Joseph Patrick LynchJoseph Patrick LynchJoseph Patrick Lynch was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Dallas from 1911 until his death in 1954. He remains the longest-serving Catholic bishop in the United States....
. - Originally, the school was co-institutionalCo-institutionalCo-institutional schools employ a style of schooling wherein both male and female students study on the same campus but classes are single-gender. Usually each division has its own building but may, on few occasions, use the facilities of the other division. Each division has its own administration...
, with the main building divided down the middle of its square floor plan into a boys' half and a girls' half. Therefore, the male bathrooms are on one half of the main building and the women's room on the other. The school is now co-educational
Campus
The Bishop Lynch campus was built with three main hallways: Ferguson Hall, Science Hall, and Inadale hall. Later, The newest Heritage Hall was built to be extra and branch from Ferguson. The courtyard houses a greenhouse, a Shakespeare garden, and a memorial to Bishop Lynch students who have died while attending.Also notable is the Golf Garden. This space is maintained by the Golf Team as a popular destination for classes who seek fresh air, seniors who eat outside, and all students during late start days and after school. It frequently showcases student sculpture on its lawn.
The Atrium is where many pieces of hanging artwork are displayed, as well as where students congregate before and after classes. Off the Atrium is the St. Catherine's Chapel. Students may go there either for confession or an abbreviated Mass in the mornings.
The gym, located adjacent to the Cafeteria, is fairly modern. It contains Bishop Lynch's more than 60 victory banners collected over its 40 year history. It has facilities for boys, girls, and teams.
The VPA (Visual Performing Arts) center houses art studio classrooms as well as a newly renovated dance space. Several classrooms, including those for health and some language classes, are also located in the building. Behind the VPA is the Band Hall.
There are four different sports fields at BL. The first is the softball field located at the end of the school facing Heritage Hall. It is commonly used as a practice field by the band, colorguard, and soccer team during the summer. The second is the baseball field located behind the football stadium and to the left of the football practice field. The stadium is where the soccer, football, and track teams play, and where the band, colorguard, and brigade perform.
Academics & the Arts
Bishop Lynch was designated a Blue Ribbon School by the Texas Department of Education in 1991 and 1998.The school offers over 30 Dual-Enrollment and Advanced Placement Course opportunities. Dual Enrollment classes allow college credit to be earned in the high school classroom in association with Eastfield College.
The school runs on an academic block schedule with A days and B days. Each day consists of four 90 minute classes which meet every other day, with eight classes in all. This scheduling structure allows for more intensive, comprehensive, and concentrated classes. The students also enjoy the additional homework time, since there's no such thing as "assigned today, due tomorrow."
The Bishop Lynch TAPPS Academic team of 2008-2009, composed of volunteer student competitors from specialties such as Computer Science and Mathematics to Persuasive Speaking and Literary Criticism, brought home the team State Title for the fifth straight year with individual state champions in Spelling, Literary Criticism, Science, Physics, Chemistry, Number Sense, Mathematics, and Advanced Mathematics .
The school serves as a fine arts center of the Dallas Catholic secondary schools. Bishop Lynch has symphonic and marching bands; eight award-winning choirs; two dance teams; Brigade(Varsity); Silver Cadettes(JV); and an extensive visual arts program, all of which participate in TPSMEA competitions yearly. The school is typically represented in all-region and all-state band and choir competitions. In addition, the spring musical of Bishop Lynch draws a significant portion of the student body as participants.
The annual academic, artistic, and athletic achievements of TAPPS member schools are charted in a "school-of-the-year" contest. The results are compiled and the school with the most points is recognized as the overall champion. Bishop Lynch has won the distinction in the following school years: 1995-1996, 1997–1998, 1999–2000 and every school year since.
Athletics
Bishop Lynch is a member of TAPPSTapps
Tapps is the name of Canada's eurodance/Hi-NRG recording acts. Formed and based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the group's original line-up consisted of Allan Coelho, Tony DaCosta and Paul Silva. In the midst of composing their debut single which was to become "My Forbidden Lover", Silva exited the...
and participates in the 6A classification, the largest in the league.
In its history the school's football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team has won one TCIL (1988) and five TAPPS (1994, 1995, 1997, 2002, 2003) state championships . Their principal rivals are Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas
Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas
Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas is a private, college-preparatory school for young men under the direction of the Society of Jesus and home to the Jesuit Dallas Museum in Dallas, Texas...
and Nolan Catholic High School
Nolan Catholic High School
Nolan Catholic High School is a private, coeducational, college preparatory school in the Marianist tradition, and is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas. It serves the mission of the Church by educating and forming youth in the Roman Catholic faith...
. After a 17 year hiatus, Jesuit and Bishop Lynch renewed their rivalry on the football field in 2004. Currently, Bishop Lynch trails the "new" series 0-6.
The Lady Friar basketball team has won 24 state titles, including 19 of the past 20 and a streak of 12 straight which ended in 2000 in the semifinals to Incarnate Word of San Antonio. The Lady Friars also lost in the 2010-11 season in the second round to St. Agnes of Houston, and didn't win their district. It also marked the first season they lost both district games to Ursuline Academy in the history of the school.
. In 2008, Coach Andy Zihlman was named the Women's Basketball Coaches Association high school Coach of the Year.
The wrestling program has won the state championship in 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2008. In 2005 and 2008, the school also won the Prep State championship, a contest between TAPPS and SPC
Southwest Preparatory Conference
The Southwest Preparatory Conference is an athletic conference for certain private high schools in Texas and Oklahoma. It is composed of the following schools:*All Saints Episcopal School in Fort Worth, Texas*Casady School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma...
schools. The Friars wrestling team also placed second at the Prep National wrestling tournament in 2005 and 2006; the school placed 5th in 2007, and 2nd in 2008..
Notable alumni
- Gene Nichol, '69, former president of the College of William and MaryCollege of William and MaryThe College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
, former dean of the University of North Carolina School of LawUniversity of North Carolina School of LawThe University of North Carolina School of Law is a professional school within the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Established in 1845, Carolina Law is among the oldest law schools in the nation and is the oldest law school in North Carolina. It is consistently ranked in the top-tier...
and the University of Colorado at BoulderUniversity of Colorado at BoulderThe University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
Law School. - Jim McIngvaleJim McIngvaleJim McIngvale is a businessman from Houston, the founder of the Houston furniture store Gallery Furniture....
, '69, aka Mattress mac, founder of Gallery Furniture, owner of the Westside Tennis Club in Houston, and the lead sponsor of the GalleryFurniture.com Bowl. - Michael DucaMichael DucaMichael Gerard Duca is the Bishop of Shreveport since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 1 April 2008.He attended elementary and secondary school in Dallas. He attended Holy Trinity Seminary 1970-78, and while there received a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master of divinity degree in...
, '70, Bishop of ShreveportRoman Catholic Diocese of ShreveportThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Shreveport is a Roman Catholic diocese located in northwestern Louisiana, and a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. It is under the governance of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and belongs to Conference Region V...
- James Bruner, '10, Current top hunter: both an Arena Master and a Battlemaster.
- Richard (Ritchie) Martin, '85, won a Grammy AwardGrammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
during ceremonies on Sunday, February 11, 2007. This is a project that Mr. Martin began working on about ten years ago, researching and collecting old wax cylinders. He would remaster them and record them on cd. - Stephen HowardStephen HowardStephen Howard may refer to:*Stephen Howard , US athlete in professional basketball*Stephen Howard , Australian athlete in cricket*Stephen Goodwin Howard , English politician-See also:...
'88, former professional basketball player, played from 1992 to 1998 in the NBA for the Utah JazzUtah JazzThe Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, the Toronto RaptorsToronto RaptorsThe Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
, the San Antonio SpursSan Antonio SpursThe San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
and the Seattle SupersonicsSeattle SuperSonicsThe Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
. - Nick GarciaNick GarciaNick Garcia is an American soccer player who grew up playing for the Dallas Texans Soccer Club and most recently played for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
, '97, professional soccer player, currently plays for Toronto FCToronto FCToronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
in Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
. - Ryan MoatsRyan MoatsRyan Moats is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, '02, Running Back for Houston TexansHouston TexansThe Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...