Servite High School

Servite High School is an all-male, Roman Catholic college preparatory high school operated by the Order of Friar Servants of Mary (the Servites). Located on a 15-acre (61,000 m2) campus in Anaheim, California, USA, as of 2011 it had an enrollment of about 985 and about 9200 alumni. Its mascot is the Friar and its colors are black and white, trimmed with gold. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, however, it is not a diocesan school, but is run privately by the Servite Order itself.

The focus of Servite is to "Form Faith-Filled Leaders", young men who are well-prepared for leadership and success in college and life. Servite's innovative four-year Formation Program continuously tracks the performance of each student in multiple dimensions (academic, leadership/teamwork, character/spiritual development) to ensure formation of the whole person in every aspect. The Servite Formation Program is a continuous four-year program that begins in the summer before freshman year with Freshman Formation Weekend and concludes with graduation.

In 2007 Servite implemented an ambitious student leadership program by dividing the student body into 8 student-led communities called "Priories" and 48 smaller student-led homeroom communities. Each week a block period is dedicated to student-led leadership activities. The Priories are based on the Seven Holy Founders, and St. Philip Benizi.

The school is also known for its rigorous academic curriculum, sports tradition, performing and visual fine arts programs (including courses in classical guitar and jazz band), and school spirit emphasizing unity and brotherhood. The motto Credo ut Intelligam ("I believe so I may understand") illustrates the emphasis the school places on developing leaders who are faith filled men of God. The academic curriculum has a wide variety of courses, including College Prep (CP), Honors Placement (HP), and Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

Servite has two sister schools, Cornelia Connelly High School (Society of the Holy Child Jesus), in Anaheim and Rosary High School in Fullerton; both are all-female Catholic institutions. Connelly (www.connellyhs.org) is around the corner from Servite in Anaheim. Servite also has exchange programs with Collège Notre-Dame des Servites in Ayer's Cliff, Quebec, Canada, and Servite College in Perth, Western Australia.

The Servites responded to an invitation by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles to open the school in 1957, teaching the first classes at nearby St. Philip Benizi Elementary School until the first building was completed. The main building was officially dedicated on February 12, 1959. Major expansions since then include a gym and aquatics facilities (in 1967), theater (1977), new classrooms (1984), and new science and library facility (1998). Servite's wrestling room was also a recent addition to the school on the campus' priory lawn (2006).