The history of St. Francis de Sales Central Catholic School spans over 100 years. During this century, there have been numerous awards and accomplishments our school lay claim to. The purpose of this page is to signify our school’s accomplishments. It will continually be updated whenever new awards are earned. Along with that, it is going to take time to comprise the honors accumulated for over 100 years.
Because there was a St. Francis High School for seventy-seven years, we feel obliged to recognize those accomplishments as well. Therefore, we have intently added a High School link in the sidebar menu so that no part of the St. Francis de Sales Central Catholic School Community be negated. This page will take longer to complete in fullness than many of our other website pages. We ask for your patience and welcome you to share with us any accomplishments in the SFdSCCS history that may have been forgotten.
Thanks to God for over a century of blessings!
Blue Ribbon School of Excellence
The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and non-public elementary, middle, and high schools where students perform at very high levels or where students are making significant gains in academic achievement. A vital part of the U.S. Department of Education, the program identifies and disseminates knowledge about effective school leadership and instructional practices. The Award is both a high aspiration and a potent resource of practitioner knowledge.
A National Blue Ribbon Schools flag overhead has become a symbol of educational excellence recognized by everyone from parents to policy-makers in thousands of communities. In its 31-year history, the Department has bestowed this coveted award on some 7,000 American schools. SFdSCCS was fortunate enough to be recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School in 1994 and we proudly strive to continue that mantle of excellence to this day.
Catholic Schools for Tomorrow
St. Francis de Sales Central Catholic School was selected as one of only a few schools in the nation to be awarded the 2011 Catholic Schools for Tomorrow Award.
For the students and staff of SFdSCCS, the school motto—”We are here to serve, not to be served”—takes on amazing and far-reaching meaning. This pledge includes prayer, education, living, searching, giving, and advocating for a more just and peaceful world.
In the words of art teacher Nora Sheets, “Incorporation of Catholic Social Justice Teachings into our curriculum provides opportunities to advocate, empower, enrich, and raise the consciousness of students, school, and community.”
In keeping with the motto, students have participated and continue to participate in a variety of activities such as Mission Fridays, hunger banquets, Students Against Landmines, working with West Virginia University to tutor children with disabilities, school musicals based on peace, a social justice fair, and numerous others.
Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge
St. Francis de Sales Central Catholic School has been awarded the top school in the state of West Virginia for the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge multiple years in a row. The challenge is a free program designed to keep kids reading over the summer months when school is not in session. Though the program has changed over the years, the SFdSCCS focus on making sure our students are keeping up with their academics over the summer is still of the utmost importance and has not changed.