DETROIT AREA'S IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CITED AMONG OUTSTANDING AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOLS

by Marta Korol-Skalchuk
Special to The Ukrainian Weekly

WARREN, Mich. - Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic High School located in the metropolitan Detroit area has been named an Outstanding American High School by U.S. News & World Report.

The newsmagazine's cover story "Outstanding American High Schools" appeared in the January 18 issue. In conjunction with the highly regarded University of Chicago Research Center, U.S. News & World Report conducted an unprecedented, comprehensive, two-year analysis of secondary education in six major metropolitan areas: New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, Dallas-Fort Worth and Detroit. This was the first such study of high schools in America.

In the metropolitan Detroit area 169 high schools were studied, including urban public, suburban public and Catholic schools. The analysis of school performance included data measuring academic excellence, characterized by a challenging school curriculum, teacher qualifications, high academic standards and student achievement.

Of the 169 high schools studied in the Detroit area, only 14 were deemed outstanding. Of these 14, four were Catholic high schools. Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic High School was cited as one of these "Outstanding American High Schools."

This is a monumental achievement, since out of the 96 schools cited in the report as examples of outstanding institutions, only 19 were Catholic schools. Hence, Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic High School is one of only 96 outstanding high schools in the United States, and one of only 19 outstanding Catholic high schools in the country.

40th anniversary year

Immaculate Conception High School (ICHS) is located in Warren, a northeastern suburb of Detroit. One of only a handful of Ukrainian Catholic high schools in the U.S., ICHS was founded in 1959 and is affiliated with two Detroit-area parishes: Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church in Hamtramck and St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church in Warren.

This unique school is very small with a total enrollment this year of 79 students. By all standards, it is a remarkable school: students excel in academic achievement, show great athletic prowess and continue to be an important cultural part of the Ukrainian community.

How rewarding, and fitting, that during its 40th anniversary year, Immaculate Conception High School has been given the national recognition it so richly deserves.

History of ICHS

The cornerstone of the Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church was blessed on Christmas Day of 1913. The Ukrainians of the Detroit area were just beginning to get organized; they had grand ideas, and what happened in the next few decades was truly remarkable.

In 1936 a full-time grade school, Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Grade School, was established. This school has now been in existence for 63 years, with a current enrollment of 230 students - most of them of Ukrainian descent.

In September 1959, the Rt. Rev. Stephen V. Knapp, together with Immaculate Conception Parish founded Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic High School - the first Ukrainian Catholic co-educational high school in the United States. The year 1963 saw the first graduating class at Immaculate Conception High School. The 30 students of the class of '63 set numerous precedents and established myriad traditions for their successors. They chose the school colors of silver and blue, picked the Bengal tiger as the school mascot, and wrote the school song. As well, they established this school's identity.

At first both Immaculate Conception schools were located in Hamtramck near the church. As people began to move to the suburbs, the schools relocated. First the grade school relocated to its present location in Warren in 1983, then the high school followed in 1993. Both schools now share the same building at the Westbrook Campus.

Many individuals were instrumental in ensuring the success and survival of these schools. Among them are the former pastors and priests of Immaculate Conception and St. Josaphat Churches: Msgr. Stephan Knapp (founder of ICHS), Bishop Innocent Lotocky, the Very Revs. Bernard Panczuk, Michael Stelmach, Maxim Kobasuk and Patrick Paschak; the Revs. Jerome Barnych, Constantine Wysochansky, Nestor Fecica, Volodymyr Gavlich, Demetrius Wysochansky, George Zydan, Sergius Fedyniak and Sebastian Sobol; and Msgr. Stephen Chrepta. Also instrumental were the past principals of Immaculate Conception High School: Sister Salome, the Rev. Mother Emellia, Sister Boniface, Sister Thomas, Prof. Peter Stasiw, Sister Theodosia and Michaeline Weigle (a member of class of '63).

The current pastors at Immaculate Conception and St. Josaphat, the Very Revs. Roberto Lucavei and Basil Salkovski, and the principals of the high school and grade school, respectively, Sophie Rudnicki (class of '65) and Doris Jurek, have followed in their footsteps.

A truly Ukrainian school

"We desire to see our schools flourish and fulfill their mission in educating our children in the spirit of preserving the Ukrainian Catholic religion, heritage, culture, language, and traditions," underlined the Very Rev. Lucavei.

The schools are above all, Ukrainian schools. The primary purpose of the Immaculate Conception schools is to preserve the Ukrainian heritage. The core curriculum for both the grade school and the high school includes classes in Ukrainian grammar, literature, culture and history - these are mandatory classes, not electives, taken by each student and taught daily. In addition, it is mandatory for students at the high school to take East European history as a core requirement.

Another goal of the Immaculate Conception schools is the preservation of the religious spirit of the Ukrainian (Byzantine) Rite. Religion classes are taught by Basilian fathers and sisters, who have served at the Immaculate Conception schools since their inception. The school building has its own chapel, where all students attend the divine liturgy every Friday and on holy days. Liturgy is celebrated in Ukrainian by one of the Basilian fathers from Immaculate Conception or St. Josaphat, with students serving as altar boys. The entire student body, including non-Ukrainian students, actively participates in the liturgy as one family.

Advanced college prep curriculum

The core program at the high school is based on a college preparatory curriculum designed by the National Association of College Counselors. Required courses include English, mathematics, science, social studies, East European history, Ukrainian, religion, computer science, health, government and physical education.

Advanced placement classes are available in mathematics, English, history and Spanish.

Electives include music, psychology, the arts and humanities, foreign languages, economics, accounting, journalism and graphic arts.

There are also extracurricular activities such as the National Honor Society, Student Council, school newspaper, yearbook, Drama Club, Computer Club, Ukrainian Heritage Club, Arts and Humanities Club, and Community Service.

Academic excellence

"Our ultimate goal is to preserve the religious and Ukrainian spirit of our schools, while offering an outstanding curriculum taught by a highly qualified and dedicated teaching staff, enabling students to excel," stated Mrs. Weigle, former principal and current assistant principal at ICHS.

Although the emphasis is on the Ukrainian heritage, the main focus is academic excellence, as students received an outstanding co-educational, Catholic, college preparatory education. Students often take eight or nine subjects and then stay after school for extracurricular activities. Many students study a third language, German or Spanish. Educational instruction is highly individualized and personal, with a student-teacher ratio of 5:1, better than Harvard (8:1), Notre Dame (13:1) or the University of Michigan (15:1), all rated as top schools in America by U.S. News & World Report.

Immaculate Conception High School was first accredited in 1968 and most recently re-accredited in 1996. Through the years, over 1,000 graduates have passed through the doors of Immaculate Conception. Almost 100 percent of these graduates went on to continue their education at colleges and universities. Fifty percent of all graduates are awarded full four-year scholarships, with 85 percent of the students receiving individual philanthropic scholarships.

The school can boast of having among its graduates over 200 doctors, dentists and health professionals, over 150 engineers, over 100 attorneys, over 75 educators (including teachers, professors and principals), as well as a variety of other alumni who today include chemists, biologists, diplomats, journalists, authors, librarians, architects and builders, artists, accountants, criminologists, businessmen, photographers, priests, nuns, entertainers, musicians, rock stars, an archaeologist, a boxer, a fireman and a forest ranger. (One of ICHS's graduates, Roman Woronowycz, class of '77, is currently an editor at The Ukrainian Weekly, and is based in Kyiv.)

The athletic program

There is more to this school than books. There is an athletic program and athletic teams: junior varsity and varsity basketball for boys at the grade school, JV and varsity basketball for boys and girls at the high school, as well as a high school baseball team.

In the past there was also a high school football team, and the Homecoming Parade each year was the social event of the season, with an array of floats and decorated cars traveling the route from the church to Keyworth Stadium. Girls in both schools participated in cheerleading. The first annual sports banquet was held in 1970.

Through the years, the sports program has changed somewhat, with more sports available for both boys and girls. During the fall term, the grade school organizes six volleyball teams for the girls in grades 3-8; there are sixth- and eighth-grade soccer teams, which are often co-ed. During the winter the are sixth- and eighth-grade basketball teams for both boys and girls, and in the spring there are two baseball teams for boys and two softball teams for girls. The high school boasts JV and varsity basketball for both boys and girls, baseball for boys, softball for girls, volleyball for girls, and soccer teams for both boys and girls.

Even though they compete against much larger schools, the high school and grade school consistently field first-place teams; several teams have been consistently undefeated. The high school soccer team was the Sectional and Divisional Champion in 1994, 1995 and 1997. The high school girls' basketball team was the Sectional and Divisional Champion three years in a row, 1996, 1997 and 1998, and District Champion in 1996, 1997 and 1998. In volleyball, the high school was District Champion in 1995,1996 and 1998. The girls' softball team was the Sectional and Divisional Champion in 1996 and 1997, and co-champions in 1998. All this with less than 40 girls and 40 boys in the entire high school!

A Ukrainian mascot

Every aspect of the Immaculate Conception Schools has some Ukrainian character - even the school mascot, the Bengal tiger, has a Ukrainian heritage. It may look familiar to readers since it is the linocut titled "Tiger" (1972) by world-renowned Ukrainian woodcut artist Jacques Hnizdovsky. In 1997 the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) at the grade school, under the direction of Nadia Sawka-Maddens, was able to obtain permission from Stephania Hnizdovsky and the estate of her late husband to use his tiger as the school mascot. The Athletic Department then adopted this symbol as the official representation of the school mascot.

That same year the PTO hosted a large exhibit of Hnizdovsky woodcuts, and continues to be a selling agent for them, with all profits going to the school.

Contribution to culture

A wonderful artistic and cultural component of Immaculate Conception schools was established by Prof. Bohdan Saramaga in the 1960s. He organized all of the students in both schools into a Ukrainian choir, with an accompanying classical orchestra made up of students who played violins, pianos, drums, trumpets, clarinets, saxophones, etc.

Prof. Saramaga wrote the lyrics and music to his own operettas; composed the musical scores for his symphony orchestra, worked in costume design and on every aspect of his productions. He even translated such well-known songs as "The Impossible Dream" into Ukrainian.

The culmination of Prof. Saramaga's career was the recording of an album by both schools in 1971 titled "Lety Nasha Pisne." This artistic tradition continued in 1983 when "Lety Nasha Pisne" was re-recorded under the direction of Larysa Stasiw-Hnatiuk (class of '71).

This artistry continues today with the annual Christmas concert held jointly by the grade school and high school for the past 20 years and presented the Sunday evening before Christmas at Immaculate Conception Church in gratitude to parishioners for their ever-present support. The presentation comprises mostly Ukrainian Christmas carols, including solos, duets and choral arrangements prepared by the music teachers of both schools, Christina Lypeckyj and Iryna Shamraj.

Ukrainian culture permeates every aspect of life at Immaculate Conception. Each year the graduating class at the high school produces a senior play - a tradition established by Vera Andrushkiw in 1983, with the aid of Chrystyna Kozak, Myrosia Stefaniuk and Luba Kytasty. These are usually light-hearted productions, all in Ukrainian, in which every senior is given the chance to become an actor. Past themes have included: "An Evening of Ukrainian Folk Tales," "King Kryvoborodko," "I Want - I Must," "King Kvata Kooba" and "The Kingdom of Okh."

The high school has a large library containing over 3,500 Ukrainian volumes. Most of these were collected by Ivan Bodnaruk and his wife, Leontyna, who were teachers of Ukrainian at the high school. Recently, the grade school library added a Ukrainian corner commemorating the many years of dedicated service of two Ukrainian teachers at the grade school, Irene Tarnavsky and the late Olga Mychalowych.

A community effort

While both the schools and the students were flourishing, the parents were very busy scheduling fund-raisers. They organized themselves into the Parents Club at the high school, and the Mothers' Club at the grade school, which was subsequently transformed into the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) at the grade school. Their main function is to help the schools thrive and prosper through various fund-raising efforts, including a phone-a-thon, Continental Party and an auction.

The first annual benefit banquet for the Immaculate Conception Schools was held in 1977. The first guest speaker was the actor Jack Palance, who made a repeat appearance in later years. This banquet has been held every year since then, and the guest speakers have included: Mike Mazurki, Larysa Lauret, Raisa Moroz, Brig. Gen. Bohdan Danyliw USAF, Rear Adm. William Lukash, M.D., USN, Metropolitan-Archbishop Stephen Sulyk, Helen Slywynskyj-Petrauskas, Luba Goy, Bohdan A. Futey, Msgr. Stephen Knapp, Miss America 1988 Kaye Lani Rae Rafko, Yuri Shymko, Major Gen. Nicholas Krawciw, Lesia Krypjakevycz, Bishop Pavlo Vasylyk, Maestro Dmytro Hnatiuk, Bishop Innocent Lotocky, Dr. Bohdan Vitvitsky, Dr. Leonid Rudnytzky, Bishop Lubomyr Husar, and the Very Rev. Patrick Paschak.

At the benefit banquet in 1987 a special honor was bestowed upon Peter Stasiw for 26 years of loyal service at Immaculate Conception High School, as both a teacher and the principal. Mr. Stasiw received the Papal Medal of Honor (Pro Ecclessia et Pontifice), the highest recognition the pope can bestow upon a layman.

In August of 1987 the tradition of holding the Annual Sunflower Festival was established. This three-day event featuring Ukrainian cuisine, exhibits, dancing and other merriment is sponsored jointly by the parishes of Immaculate Conception and St. Josaphat, and held on the St. Josaphat Church grounds in Warren during the first weekend in August every year.

A school in crisis

The Immaculate Conception schools have experienced a great fluctuation in enrollment. At one time the enrollment of the high school was over 235 students. Today it is merely 79. This decline is due mainly to the natural changes in population experienced by most schools. Today the grade school is undergoing a resurgence in enrollment, and it is hoped this rebirth will transfer to the high school. A new generation of Ukrainian Americans has begun attending the schools, and there has also been an influx of recent Ukrainian immigrants.

However, the low enrollment coupled with the rising costs of constant building repairs has put a great financial strain on the schools. Immaculate Conception Grade School and High School truly need help if they are to continue to thrive in the next millennium.

The schools desperately need an athletic center. At present the school building does not contain a regulation gym, but simply a large room that serves as an auditorium for school assemblies, a cafeteria for lunch, and a room for team practices. All basketball and volleyball games must be played in Hamtramck, over 20 minutes away from the school, and even further for most families. Instead of playing at their home school, children must be bussed or driven to games by their parents. Athletes feel like thankless heroes, often frustrated by a lack of attendance at games due to the long commute. Without an athletic center, the entire athletic program at Immaculate Conception will be in jeopardy.

Preserving this Ukrainian treasure

Today, supporters are striving to not only keep these Ukrainian schools alive, but to improve them. During this 40th anniversary year of ICHS, a fund-raising drive to rebuild and improve the schools has been initiated. A monumental project is under way to build a new athletic center and a world-class Ukrainian museum, and to renovate the school property.

In past decades this school has preserved the Ukrainian culture not only in Detroit, but for the worldwide Ukrainian community as graduates of Immaculate Conception have gone out into the world as Ukrainian ambassadors, nurtured with Catholic values and Ukrainian traditions, and enriched with the wonderful spirit of this school. Thus, the schools are now turning to Ukrainians around the globe for financial support. As the Immaculate Conception schools enter the new millennium, they are looking back at the achievements of the last century - and looking forward to even greater accomplishments in the future.

* * *

For more information about the school, or to make a donation to the Immaculate Conception Cultural, Athletic, Rebuilding and Educational Fund (I CARE), please write to: Immaculate Conception Schools, I CARE Fund, Att: Marta Korol-Skalchuk, 29500 Westbrook, Warren, MI 48092; call the Immaculate Conception High School Office at (810) 574-0510; or e-mail Ms. Korol-Skalchuk, ICGSCHOOL@aol.com.

Marta Korol-Skalchuk is a graduate of both Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Grade School and High School. She was the valedictorian of the class of '74 and was awarded a full four-year merit scholarship to Wayne State University, where she obtained a B.S. in chemistry and a B.S. in biology. She continued her studies by earning an M.S. in chemical engineering from Drexel University.

Her oldest son, Alex, is in the seventh grade, Adrian, is in fifth grade, and their sister, Stefanie, will enter kindergarten in the coming millennium.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, March 21, 1999, No. 12, Vol. LXVII

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