Mazzuchelli Middle School
Encyclopedia
Mazzuchelli Middle School (commonly Mazzuchelli or MCMS) is a three-year Roman Catholic middle school
located in Dubuque, Iowa
. It is the only middle school in the Holy Family Catholic School
system, and enrolls 417 students in grades 6-8. Mazzuchelli is named in honor of Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, OP
, a Catholic pioneer and missionary. The school's mascot is the Eagle
, and it competes in the Iowa High School Athletic Association.
Holy Family looked to open a centralized middle school to better serve grades 6-8, and to keep way more students enrolled in the school system. The elementary schools were converted into K-5 programs, and grades 6,7, and 8 were moved temporarily to the former Nativity Elementary School. A fundraising drive was begun to build the new school, and the system chose to name the facility after Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, founder of the Archdiocese of Dubuque. In August 2006, Mazzuchelli Middle School opened on the campus of Wahlert High School
, utilizing some vacant classroom space, along with a newly-constructed wing housing a gymnasium, classrooms, and offices.
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
located in Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
. It is the only middle school in the Holy Family Catholic School
Holy Family Catholic Schools
Holy Family Catholic Schools is a Roman Catholic school system based in Dubuque, Iowa . Holy Family, which operates schools in eastern Dubuque County, is a part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque...
system, and enrolls 417 students in grades 6-8. Mazzuchelli is named in honor of Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, OP
Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli
Father Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli, O.P. was a pioneer Italian Catholic missionary who helped bring the church to the Iowa-Illinois-Wisconsin tri-state area. He founded a number of parishes in the area, and was the architect for a number of parish buildings.-Background:Father Mazzuchelli was born...
, a Catholic pioneer and missionary. The school's mascot is the Eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
, and it competes in the Iowa High School Athletic Association.
History
Since the beginning of Roman Catholic education in Dubuque, the city's 12 parishes largely ran their own, independent elementary and middle schools, which were mostly K-8 operations. However, in the early 2000s, faced with slipping enrollment and rising tuition costs, the parishes chose to merge their individual schools into a large, comprehensive school system, the Holy Family Catholic Schools. As part of the cost-saving objective of the merger, several schools were closed or reconfigured.Holy Family looked to open a centralized middle school to better serve grades 6-8, and to keep way more students enrolled in the school system. The elementary schools were converted into K-5 programs, and grades 6,7, and 8 were moved temporarily to the former Nativity Elementary School. A fundraising drive was begun to build the new school, and the system chose to name the facility after Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, founder of the Archdiocese of Dubuque. In August 2006, Mazzuchelli Middle School opened on the campus of Wahlert High School
Wahlert High School
Wahlert Catholic High School is a private, co-educational, Roman Catholic high school in the city of Dubuque, Iowa. It is one of four high schools in Dubuque, the others being Central Alternative High School, Hempstead High School and Dubuque Senior High School. Wahlert is the central Catholic high...
, utilizing some vacant classroom space, along with a newly-constructed wing housing a gymnasium, classrooms, and offices.