Latest news with #AuroraCentralCatholic
Chicago Tribune
6 days ago
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Rosary High School in Aurora becomes Rosary College Prep, but it's staying all-girls: ‘We're never going to settle'
When students and employees of Rosary in Aurora welcome new freshmen to the building, they say, 'Welcome to our square,' referencing the shape of their one-story high school building on Edgelawn Drive just off West Indian Trail in Aurora. Just down the street from one of the area's other Catholic high schools, Aurora Central Catholic, Rosary's building was constructed in the 1960s, though it has been expanded and renovated in the decades since: from renovating its auditorium and building a new gymnasium to updating its science classrooms during the COVID-19 pandemic. But Rosary's goals and its place in the community have remained steadfast, school leadership says. And that's part of why the school is changing its name — to better reflect what the school already provides, and with the hope of amplifying its reach in the area. As of July 1, Rosary High School is now Rosary College Prep. Along with the name change, the school is getting a new logo, starting a 'house system' that will group the students into six different houses to build school spirit and changing some of its uniform policies, according to Rosary's Head of School Amy McMahon. McMahon, who's been the leader of Rosary since 2020, said the name change is 'more true to (its) identity.' She described the rigor of the classes and curriculum as the distinctions that make it a college preparatory school. 'A lot of reading- and writing-intensive, trying to get them prepared to do well in that, not only maybe in their … junior and senior year here at Rosary, but also … in college and university life,' she said. Rosary was founded by the Dominican Sisters of Springfield in the early 1960s, at the request of former Rockford Bishop Loras Thomas Lane, McMahon said. It joined Marmion Academy, the nearby all-boys school founded in 1933, as a single-sex institution in the area. Rosary has gone through changes and expansion since its founding, but has remained an all-girls, Catholic school sponsored by the Dominican Sisters of Springfield. The name change came out of the school's five-year strategic plan, according to Rosary. The school partnered with Leapfrog Marketing in 2024 to work on the school's brand, with the goals of differentiating Rosary in the education landscape, creating messaging that's clear and concise, increasing awareness of Rosary and improving perception of the school and demonstrating the school's value and assisting with enrollment growth, according to a news release from the school about the name change. Rosary initially launched the rebranding to the school community in January, McMahon said. 'We want everybody to know about Rosary, and that a Rosary education is something that all girls in this area, in the greater Chicagoland area, should have the chance (to have) if they would like to,' McMahon said. Student input about the school's future was one part of the rebranding process, McMahon said. The uniform change, for example, was guided by student feedback. Previously, Rosary had two different uniforms for underclassmen and upperclassmen. Now, students will all wear the same kilt, but underclassmen and upperclassmen will wear shirts in different shades of blue. 'The girls really wanted that differentiation,' McMahon said. 'I think it's really important for the girls to have a voice and feel like they're making decisions and helping with the process.' This change for Rosary is coming at a time of broader change for Catholic education in the area, too. In the fall of 2026, Marmion Academy, the area's all-boys school, will become a coeducational school. That will leave Rosary the only single-sex school in the area — and the only one in the Rockford Diocese, according to Kim White, the diocese's director of educational services and superintendent of schools. That's part of the school's 'unique role' in the region, per Rosary's news release, though McMahon noted that Rosary's rebranding plans started before Marmion announced it was going co-ed. Currently, Rosary is already one of only two independent schools within the diocese, the other being Marmion, White said. This means the schools are funded and governed independently from the diocese, which runs high schools of its own, such as Aurora Central Catholic. Many of the other areas in the Rockford Diocese — which includes Kane, DeKalb, McHenry, Boone, Carroll, JoDaviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago counties, per its website — don't have the population to support multiple Catholic high schools, White said, though she considers the single-sex schools to be 'a beautiful tradition.' The nearby Diocese of Joliet has eight high schools of its own, all co-ed, according to Mercy Robb, the diocese's director of Catholic school marketing and enrollment management. Marmion Academy made the decision to go co-ed this past November, said Abbot Joel Rippinger of Marmion Abbey. He said the school's facilities can accommodate up to 550 students, but its enrollment has been coming in at around 410. 'Both for material, financial reasons, but especially for a look at our mission and where we want to be, we think the time is now for this to take place,' Rippinger told The Beacon-News. He said the school is no stranger to changes, having over the years switched its focus from serving as a military academy, and closing its residential program around two decades ago. 'I think, in retrospect, they proved to be the right decisions,' Rippinger said. 'We hope that we are on the same track with the co-ed.' These changes at area schools are unfolding amid a decline in enrollment in Catholic schools nationwide over the past few decades, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. For example, enrollment in Catholic secondary schools in the United States was at just over one million students around the late 1960s and early 1970s, according to NCES data. For the 2022-23 school year, it was just under half of that. The number of Catholic schools themselves has also gone down over the years, with the number of Catholic secondary schools in the U.S. in 2022-23 at about half the number it had at its peak, per the National Center for Education Statistics. Private school enrollment overall increased slightly between 2011 and 2021, though Catholic school enrollment fell slightly across that time period. Public school enrollment, on the other hand, decreased slightly nationwide across a similar time period, per NCES figures. In Illinois, public school enrollment decreased by 11% from 2012 to 2022, according to NCES data, one of the sharpest drops in the country. But, in 2021, the state's private school enrollment hovered around the national average of 9% of students. Rosary intends for the name to, in part, 'serve to quell occasional rumors that the school will close or merge with another school,' according to documents about the name change from Rosary provided to the school community. McMahon noted declining birth rates, for example, as a broader trend affecting educational institutions' enrollment overall. But she said Rosary believes single-sex education continues to offer something unique. 'There's really nothing like it,' she said. 'The girls are the ones that are front and center here. They get all the funds, whether it's fine arts or athletics or academics, the leadership positions.' And she said they have no plans for changing that focus. 'I feel like it's so important, specifically in this day and age with what's going on in the world, that they have this safe space, this second place that they can call home,' McMahon said. Those benefits extend beyond Rosary's walls, school leadership has said. '(Something) I hear from alums all the time is that, when they get to college, they sit up front, they raise their hand, they ask pertinent questions,' said Vicki Danklefsen, Rosary's director of philanthropy and alumnae, saying that being in a smaller community of all girls helps build students' confidence and relieves some of the pressure that a larger school might bring. Rosary's enrollment sits at about 215 students, McMahon said. But its student population extends beyond the immediate area, Danklefsen noted. 'We are the only single-sex school for miles and miles,' Danklefsen said, noting that students come from west of Aurora, from DeKalb, even Homer Glen. 'They wanted what we offer without going into Chicago.' McMahon said recruitment is always a goal for Rosary, but that, in addition to reflecting its academic goals, it hopes the new branding will also serve as a recruitment strategy going forward. 'We want to cast a wider net,' McMahon said. White, too, noted efforts going on in the diocese meant to boost enrollment — for example, adding liberal arts or performing arts tracks at diocesan schools, and raising money for tuition assistance to help children in underserved communities attend Catholic schools. Rosary's name change was made official on July 1, in time for school to start on Aug. 18 for freshmen and Aug. 19 for all other students. Incoming seniors this year will still receive diplomas that read 'Rosary High School.' Now, as Rosary gears up for another school year, a few things will look different when students return to classes, like their school's logo and their uniforms. Some of the impact Marmion's going co-ed will have on Rosary remains to be seen — on enrollment, as well as on the schools' joint band program and relationship between the two institutions for their theater productions. Rippinger said that, after next year, Marmion won't be taking Rosary students for its band, but said the theater program is yet to be decided on. McMahon said Rosary intends to start its own band in the future. It may open up its theater program to all male students in the area after Marmion switches to co-ed, and is considering expanding to offer both a musical and a play during the school year. In terms of other changes, Rosary has an engineering program in the works that is set to be offered starting in the fall of 2026, McMahon said, along with a law class. But the school plans to retain its overall missions and traditions, even as it continues to evolve. 'We're never going to settle,' McMahon said. 'And I think that's important for the girls to also know and understand, like, it's great that you can accomplish your goal, but you should never settle. You should keep pushing yourselves. … Like doing what was right for Rosary, which was committing to our single-sex education, being true to our Catholic, Dominican identity and especially our place in Aurora.'
Chicago Tribune
7 days ago
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Former Aurora Central principal now back in area as pastor in Sugar Grove
After serving more than two decades as a priest of the Rockford Diocese in his hometown of Aurora, the Rev. William Etheredge did not have a lot of experience with packing up and moving. Unlike most Catholic priests who tend to be relocated every six to 12 years by the bishop, he was comfortably situated in his role as principal of Aurora Central Catholic High School and superintendent of the Catholic schools here. And as he crept closer to age 70, he'd hoped to ease into retirement there. But God — and/or the bishop – had other plans. In the past three years, Etheredge has certainly been on the move, relocating from Aurora in July of 2022 to St. Mary Catholic Church in Sycamore, and now, the popular priest has been transferred again, this time back home. Or at least, darn close to home. On June 18, after only a few years at St. Mary, Etheredge officially became the new pastor of St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church in Sugar Grove. That's no doubt great news for hundreds if not thousands of his fans who were as much devastated as disappointed when Bishop David Malloy, who Etheredge has known since their seminary days, moved him from Aurora Central Catholic, which had thrived under his leadership. The announcement led to a whole lot of tears, not to mention hundreds of names on petitions to the diocese asking that the popular priest be left in Aurora. Etheredge was disappointed, too. But he also was well aware of the Catholic priest shortage, and moved from his hometown to Sycamore with a great attitude and that seemingly ever-present smile on his face. That move came out of the blue, he told me back in June of 2022 when we sat down to talk about his exodus from ACC. And so also has this most recent relocation, which follows the retirement of St. Katharine Drexel Pastor Stephen St. Jules, who arrived in Sugar Grove four years ago. Yes, 'I was very surprised,' admitted Etheredge, noting with a laugh that, 'in the past three years I've been in three places. Before that, in 40 years, I was in three places.' I have no doubt the members of St. Mary Parish loved him as much as any of us who know Father Etheredge or ever listened to one of his sermons or Gospel readings — which usually are recited by heart as he steps down off the altar and walks close to the congregation. The humble, affable priest – frequently described as 'one of a kind' – certainly developed close relationships in his few years with this DeKalb County parish. Still, Etheredge is looking at this latest move as a 'real blessing.' For one thing, when St. Katharine Drexel was founded in October of 2008 – the first new parish in the Rockford Diocese since 1989 and largely due to a major gift from the Anthony Rich family which owns the prestigious Rich Harvest Farms golf course – Etheredge was part of those early efforts, including moving tables and chairs to set up for Mass in the gymnasium of John Shields Elementary School to the eventual groundbreaking. 'It really does feel like I'm coming home,' he said, noting there are still 'many families I know' at St. Katharine's, including those who had or have children at ACC. 'I certainly feel very welcomed back.' Of course, he quickly noted, the moves are 'not getting any easier. 'I'm still in boxes but have found the essentials,' said Etheredge when I caught up with him last week. 'I'm meeting with people here; with staff and volunteers. I'm learning about the nuts and bolts …' Still, he misses education and working with young people, one reason he was thrilled St. Mary Parish included an elementary school. But this move brings him closer to his beloved ACC, making it 'much easier,' he acknowledged, to get to sporting events, plays and other high school activities. 'It is hard to leave where I was,' he said. 'But it also is so good to be back in the area.'
Chicago Tribune
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
A plucky Jessica Pleckham goes from bench to leadoff-hitting star for Aurora Central Catholic. ‘Worked her butt off.'
Is Aurora Central Catholic senior Jessica Pleckham having fun yet? You better believe it. 'Jessica has worked her butt off,' ACC coach Mark Pasqualini said of his right fielder and leadoff hitter who has blossomed this spring. 'It's been a struggle. She's had her ups and her downs. 'Last year, she was behind an all-stater. She had to wait her turn, find the right spot, and I couldn't be happier for her. She worked as hard as she could to put herself in the position she's in.' That position is someplace special. Last week, Pleckham was named the GCAC White's player of the year and joined three teammates — senior center fielder Kate Gambro, junior shortstop Morgan Vaghy and junior pitcher Corina Miller — on the all-conference team. On Wednesday, Pleckham started a six-run rally in the first inning with a leadoff walk and the Chargers made short work of their playoff opener in soggy conditions, topping fifth-seeded Winnebago 15-0 in three-and-a-half innings of a Class 2A Marengo Regional semifinal. Senior third baseman Madalyn Torrance highlighted the outburst with a grand slam and added a double in the six-run third inning for third-seeded ACC (23-9), which advances to a 4:30 p.m. Friday regional final against second-seeded Marengo (26-9). 'That's kind of how it's been all season,' Pasqualini said. 'I don't know who's gonna have their day. Maddie hits the grand slam, and she hasn't hit a home run in two years. 'It was a good moment for her.' Gambro added three hits, including two doubles, and senior designated player Ashley Moore had two hits with a double. It was plenty of support for Miller (16-3), who broke the program record for wins in a season. 'I don't know where it comes from sometimes,' Pasqualini said of the way his team shares the wealth. 'I have the lineup set, then you get (No. 8 hitter) Maddy Torrance with a grand slam.' The 5-foot-7 Pleckham, a speedy, slap-hitting lefty who throws right-handed, may be the team's prime example this season with her turnaround. She had a rare hitless day, going 0-for-2. It all began for her as the courtesy runner for Purdue Northwest-bound catcher Olivia Hernandez. 'Freshman year, I didn't see the field very much, but I was OK with that,' Pleckham said. 'I got to pinch run for one of the seniors, Olivia Hernandez. 'There were only 18 players, so we didn't have a JV team until last year. My sophomore year, I began to get on the field more. That was probably my better season.' Pleckham plays travel ball with the Aurora-based Illinois Hawks, coached by Minooka varsity assistant coach Sydney Singleton. Her twin brother, Brady, plays baseball at Marmion. 'I just love the sport a lot,' Pleckham said. 'I don't know where I'd be without it.' Last spring, however, she struggled. 'I started playing at the start of the season,' Jessica said. 'I didn't perform exactly the way I needed to, so I didn't see much of the field for the rest of the season, which makes sense. 'It just made me work a lot harder over the summer, fall and next winter.' That work ethic was fueled when she was 10. Her dad switched her to hitting lefty and slapping. 'He just turned me around and said, 'I don't care how mad you get, you're gonna learn how to do it,'' she said. 'It's a good thing he did. He thought I was fast, and by then, hitting right-handed wasn't going too well for me. It's worked out.' Has it ever. Pleckham entered the postseason hitting a team-best .451. She batted a league-best .515 in the GCAC White. In the fall, she committed to play at Trinity Christian in Palos Heights. 'Last year, I got in my head a lot and was really lacking confidence,' Pleckham said. 'This year, I think I stopped caring about what could go wrong and more of what could go right and just started hitting the ball.'
Chicago Tribune
08-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
When it comes to clutch hits, Ashley Moore keeps Aurora Central Catholic covered. ‘Know what you're gonna get.'
With the game on the line and your team in need of a big hit, who you gonna call? For Aurora Central Catholic, a team boasting a lineup that's loaded with a handful of good options, the answer is pretty easy — and it's not Ghostbusters. For the Chargers, it's senior first baseman Ashley Moore. 'She's been our steady, No. 1 consistent hitter all three years on the varsity,' ACC coach Mark Pasqualini said. 'It's not just the hits and production. It's everything like keeping total strikeouts down, total contact and having good at-bats. 'Very rarely does she go up there where, if she doesn't hammer the first pitch, she'll run 5-6-7 pitches deep in the count. It's been nice to have one hitter you know what you're gonna get.' Moore has been Ms. Reliable at the plate since settling in on the varsity as a freshman and batting .425 with 34 hits that included her two career home runs. Pasqualini marveled at Moore's consistency Monday as ACC prepared to start an indoor workout in the school's gym. A nonconference home game with Sandwich had been postponed as dropping temperatures and a strong wind sent the wind chill into the low 20s. 'She's generally going to regress to her normal,' Pasqualini said of Moore. 'She's gonna be right around .400, a little above, a little below. We can roll with that. 'It just shows in the stats. She's had 30-plus hits every year, and that's about one hit a game.' It led to an offer from Hannah Tomasko, Waubonsee Community College's first-year coach, that Moore accepted earlier this school year. As a sophomore, Moore hit .367 with 33 hits and earned all-state recognition. She followed that up with a .371 batting average last season on 34 hits, giving her exactly 100 hits for her career. ACC (9-2) has had good luck with weather this spring, getting an area-best 11 games played without making a spring trip to a warm weather locale. Moore's team-high 15 hits for the Chargers from the third spot in the batting order have her batting .385 with four doubles, one triple and eight RBIs. She's driven in 84 runs during her career. She credited good friend and senior teammate Kate Gambro with helping convince her parents to choose ACC. 'She's really the reason I came here,' Moore said. 'I played softball with Kate and her younger sister Abby on a team coached by their mom at like age 7.' Moore lives in Montgomery and attended a grade school in the Yorkville district. Kate Gambro, a Yorkville resident, attended another grade school in the district. Their bond continued to grow through summer softball, however, continuing up to still playing travel for the Wheatland Spikes. With only 17 players in ACC's program, Moore and Gambro were two of the four freshmen who received considerable playing time from Pasqualini, along with four sophomores. 'We have to have her in the lineup,' Pasqualini said. Moore also can handle the designated player role and sees some time in the outfield for the Chargers, giving her coach options with his lineup. 'I've batted her third since she was a sophomore,' Pasqualini said. 'I put her in there and said, 'I'm gonna let you do your thing. I'm never gonna take you out unless you ask me to take you out. I know what I'm getting. I'll ride that out.'' Gambro pointed to her best friend's consistency, remembering a big hit during a 6-4 win in 10 innings at Joliet West. 'I was on second, and I just know she's either gonna get on or get a hit,' Gambro said. 'She hit one to the fence for her second double to score me with the winning run.' And so it goes. 'If she was a big home run hitter, I would think about moving her,' Pasqualini said of Moore's spot in the batting order. 'But her swing is always on and it's line drive, line drive, line drive.'
Chicago Tribune
05-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Sophomore Preston Morel maintains a persistent approach for Aurora Christian. Spotlight or not. ‘I play loose.'
The sharp glare of the spotlight doesn't bother Aurora Christian's Preston Morel whatsoever. A sophomore infielder/pitcher, the versatile Morel doesn't feel out of place in the big moments. 'I've been dealing with pressure ever since I was a little kid,' Morel said. 'I'm used to it — and that is all the motivation I need. I play loose and I know how to keep my teammates up.' Morel kept the Eagles on the upswing Friday afternoon, coming up with a two-run single that sparked his team to a 9-3 nonconference victory over host Aurora Central Catholic. Junior infielder Nolan Robertson added two hits and drove in a run for Aurora Christian (8-2). Junior starter Zach Zappia (3-0) struck out eight, allowing five hits and a walk in five innings. Junior pitcher Tyler Davis and freshman infielder Leo Corral drove in a run apiece for ACC (8-3). Morel finished 2-for-2 with two walks and two runs. A starting guard in basketball, he had a quick turnaround to the spring season following the Eagles' run to the supersectional in Class 1A. 'I was still practicing in the offseason, but basketball was a long season and I only had a week off between seasons,' Morel said. 'I had a slow start with baseball, but I'm getting used to it.' The 6-foot-2 Morel is hitting .379 with eight runs, three doubles and nine RBIs. He has the size and power to go deep and the athleticism to make plays on the bases or with his smooth fielding. In his only start as a pitcher this spring, Morel struck out eight in four innings March 27 during an 8-3 win over Serena. 'He's a baller,' Aurora Christian coach Andy Zorger said of Morel. 'He comes to play every day. He never lets a strikeout or anything negatively affect him. 'He's not really fazed by anything. He's very versatile defensively and he can play a lot of different positions. He's got a good head on his shoulders.' Robertson said Morel has a disarming quality that allows him to fit into the culture of the team. 'The guy's hilarious and he makes me laugh,' Robertson said. 'He's a competitor. He has fun, but he competes at the same time. 'I could tell last year when he was a freshman that he was going to be up with us. He's just a natural.' He has also emerged from the shadow cast by older brother Cameron, a two-sport star who was the second-leading scorer as the Eagles took fourth place in basketball at state in 2023-24. Their parents were both tennis players in college. 'It was so competitive with the two of us when we were growing up,' Preston said of Cameron, who's now playing basketball at Wisconsin-Platteville. 'We'd fight all the time. 'I miss him not being around. He's really the reason why I started playing both sports. I saw him playing and I wanted to play with him.' Playing at the highest levels in baseball and basketball, Preston is primed for any experience. 'You need such a strong mentality, especially in baseball,' he said. 'The game is all mental. When I pitch or out in the field, it doesn't really matter. You just need that short-term memory. 'You make an error, just forget about it. Scratch it and move on.' Morel deflects the attention and prefers to be part of a larger collective. It's his nature. Even if his talent dictates otherwise. 'I just love hanging out with the guys,' Morel said. 'What I've taken from them and my brother is just the hard work I'm always putting in. 'I feel like I can't go a day without going to hit or something like that.'
