St. Michael Catholic High School (Alabama)

The school's four year curriculum allows students to take courses at the Collegiate Studies or Honors--Advanced Placement level. The school requires four years of core subjects in Theology, Math, English, History and Science, two years in a foreign language and the Arts, and one year of Physical Education/Health. Freshmen and sophomores must also take a foreign language (either Spanish or French) and an arts elective (either Chorus, Band) In their junior and senior year, students have three electives in addition to the five core classes. They may opt to take a third or fourth year of a foreign language and/or the Arts among their choices. [5]

Students take 8 classes each semester. On Mondays, they attend all 8 classes, whereas on Tuesday they attend 6 classes, with two classes rotating out of the schedule each of those days. Students may earn a total of 32 credits during their four-year tenure.

St. Michael requires every student to take two years of the Arts, beginning with the performing arts in freshman year (band or chorus). For students' second year, the school offers the option of art, band or chorus. Students have the option to take four years of the arts if they choose. In the words of the founding principal, Faustin Weber, "It is the school's intention to make the Arts central to the life of the school." The band and choral program were both rated "superior" in state competitions in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

The school has a house system in which students are divided into four houses, each named after the early bishops of Mobile: Michael Portier, John Quinlan, Jeremiah O'Sullivan, and Edward Patrick Allen. The houses compete against each other for the Annual 'House Cup' and serve as the foundation for the student council of the school.

The school is an AHSAA sponsored school competing at the 3A level. It consists of football [6], men's and women's basketball, baseball, swimming,[7], cross-country[8] bowling, volleyball, track (distance), men and women's tennis and men's and women's soccer. There is also a cheerleader squad for both the football and basketball teams. During the 2018–19 academic year, the school conducted a successful capital campaign for 5.1 million dollars to build athletic facilities, including a field house, football/soccer stadium, baseball field, concessions/bathroom building and an outside amphitheater. [9]

The school won its first state championship in November of 2019--in men's cross country. Its coach, Jon Hall, a Physics teacher, was named cross country coach of the year across all divisions. That same year, the boys' swim team narrowly missed the school's second championship, finishing as state runner-up.

For the last two years, eight-time all-pro quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts QB, Philip Rivers, sponsors a football clinic[10] for youth at St. Michael's campus.

Friday May 8, 2020, at a press conference [11], the school named Rivers as the head football coach at St. Michael Catholic High School upon his retirement from the NFL. The quarterback, who is heading into his 17th season, signed a one-year, $25 million deal with the Colts in March.

The Catholic faith is the "lens through which the activity of the school is focused." In addition to a four-year theology requirement, the school's Campus Ministry program hosts weekly mass, with frequent opportunities for prayer, worship and service.