Archbishop Wood Catholic High School


Archbishop Wood Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The school was built in 1964 in Warminster Township in Bucks County.

School Seal and Motto

The school seal is in the shape of a shield bearing a cross with green ivy and a gold crown superimposed. The symbolism of the seal and free translation of the motto:
Fidelity to Christian principles will merit for students and the graduate the crown of everlasting life. Emblazoned below the shield is the school motto: "Coronam Fidelitas Merebit", meaning "Faithfulness Merits The Crown".

History

Archbishop Wood was founded and built in 1964 in Warminster Township, Pennsylvania as two separate but essentially identical buildings. Named after Philadelphia's 19th century Archbishop James Frederick Bryan Wood, the school was originally divided into Archbishop Wood High School For Boys and Archbishop Wood High School For Girls.
Though the original blueprints for the school included an auditorium to be built in the space between the separate buildings, budgetary constraints forced plans for the auditorium to be scrapped. By 1987, funding for the auditorium had been secured thanks to donations by the Archbishop Wood Alumni Association. The Sophia A. Friedman Auditorium was completed by 1989, coinciding with the joining of the two schools into Archbishop Wood Catholic High School, wherein the school became co-educational and the two buildings were united by means of the auditorium.

Academics

Archbishop Wood Catholic High School is well known throughout the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for its excellence in academics. The school currently offers eleven Advanced Placement classes, and over 98% of students take the SATs each year. 75% of the graduating class attend a four-year college, while 19% attend a two-year college. Graduates frequently gain acceptance into some of the most prestigious schools nationwide, including Ivy League and Patriot League schools as well as service academies, and are awarded over $18 million in scholarships yearly.

Student life

Archbishop Wood's mascot is the Viking. Students participate in a variety of co- and extracurricular activities from athletics to academic programs to student-run activities. The students of Archbishop Wood provide fantastic support for their sports teams and are often referred to as the "Warminster Wackies." The Warminster Wackies are usually led by one or two devoted student leaders each year.
A total of fifty classroom teachers are employed, with around a 1:20 teacher-to-student ratio.

The Viking Voice (Newspaper)

The Viking Voice is Archbishop Wood's student newspaper. When the school was founded in 1965, the student newspaper was split into two divisions, one for the boys' school and another for the girls'. The newspaper was called "Crossroads" and "Wood Winds", respectively. When the two buildings were united and Archbishop Wood made co-educational in 1989, the newspaper was rechristened "The Viking Voice".
Individuals within the school have maintained an extensive physical archive of the newspapers dating back to 1967. In 2006, various alumni began a project to digitize the archives to preserve them for posterity. The digital archives can be accessed . Though efforts have been made to enhance the standing of the newspaper, there has historically been little financial or institutional support for an expanded, comprehensive student-run newspaper infrastructure.

The Viking (Yearbook)

Prior to the school becoming co-educational, the boys' school yearbook was titled "Woodsman", and the girls' yearbook was titled "Embers."

Performing Arts Department

Two theatre productions are presented each year, one in the fall and one in the spring. Performances consistently sell out in advance, performing for over 3,000 audience members as well as over 2,000 elementary school students in the week leading up to the performance weekend.
The Marching Unit was disbanded in 2013 due to lack of interest, and the focus shifted towards concert ensembles within the department. While active, the unit competed at the highest level of its class, most recently winning the 2011 Cavalcade of Bands Independence A Championship in Hershey, PA, and the 2010 Tournament of Bands All Chapter Championship in Hershey, PA. Recent awards also include a USSBA All-State Championship in 2001, USSBA PA State Championships in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2005, and a Cavalcade of Bands Championship in 2007. The Indoor Percussion Ensemble and Color Guard shared in the Marching Unit's success, winning several TIA championships over the past ten years.

Past Shows

YearMarching Unit Show Indoor Color Guard Indoor Percussion Unit Show Fall Theatre ShowSpring Theatre Show
1998–1999Legacy / Harlem Nocturne / Land of Make Believe Stormy MondayN/AN/A42nd Street
1999–2000Sing A New Song / Be Ye Glad / Make His Glorious Praise Known WomanLatin GroovesN/AN/A
2000–2001The Shape of Things to Come Jeremiah's SymphonySurvivorScroogeGuys and Dolls
2001–2002The Music of Riverdance Leonard Bernstein's "The Mass"The Music of RiverdancePeter PanSeven Brides for Seven Brothers
2002–2003The Music of Aaron Copland Dar Williams "February"Appalachian Spring AnnieMy Fair Lady
2003–2004The Music of Karl Jenkins George Winston "Canon in D" The Music of Karl JenkinsOliverThe Music Man
2004–2005Cirque du Soleil: La Nouba Paso Doble The Music of Buddy RichHonk!Footloose
2005–2006The Machine Breaking In / Space Shapes and Colors in Three Movements AladdinThe Wizard of Oz
2006–2007The Music of Michael McDonald Eleanor RigbySticks on StyxBeauty and the BeastHigh School Musical
2007–2008Cirque du Soleil: Quidam The Ten Commandments Cirque du Soleil: Quidam A Christmas CarolSeussical the Musical
2008–2009The Music of Beethoven Krush / Fay Jazz Club MulanGuys and Dolls
2009–2010Fascinating Rhythms Snowbirds / Spring Earth, Wind, and Fire Willy WonkaThoroughly Modern Millie
2010–2011Tribal Elements The Hunter Jesus Christ, Superstar Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamcoatKiss Me, Kate
2011–2012Jekyll and Hyde A Thousand Years Around the World in 80 Days A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the ForumHello Dolly
2012-2013The Eternal Flame, Firebird When She Was Mine Soaring Theatre ShowcaseThe Music Man
2013-2014N/AWhere the Sidewalk Ends N/ASound of MusicBye Bye Birdie
2014-2015N/AN/AN/AMeet Me in St. LouisFiddler on the Roof
2015-2016N/AN/AN/AMary PoppinsInto the Woods
2016-2017N/AN/AN/AShrek: The MusicalFootloose
2017-2018N/AN/AN/AThe Addams FamilyMy Fair Lady
2018-2019N/AN/AN/ADisney's The Little MermaidSister Act: The Musical
2019-2020N/AN/AN/AAll Shook UpRogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella

Student Council

The Student Council consists of a president, three vice presidents, two executive board members from each graduating class, and six class representatives.

Athletics

Archbishop Wood has a proud athletic tradition with numerous Philadelphia Catholic League Champions.
The Championship teams are:
The Archbishop Wood Vikings beat Harrisburg's Bishop McDevitt Crusaders 52-0 in the 2011 PIAA AAA State Championship game at Hersheypark Stadium. Archbishop Wood rushed for 343 yards. The team finished the season ranked #17 in the nation by Sports Illustrated.

Notable alumni