Teurlings Catholic High School

Teurlings Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Lafayette, Louisiana. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette.BackgroundTeurlings Catholic High School was established in 1955 as Father Teurlings High School. Father William J. Teurlings was the pastor who envisioned the school and arranged for the purchase of the property the school sits on. The school opened shortly before his death in 1957.FacilitiesThe school is an open campus, consisting of 38 classrooms divided among different wings, a gymnasium, a cafeteria, library, practice football field, softball and baseball fields, weight room and athletic office, science lab, teacher's lounge, and other standard high school facilities. One unique facility that the school holds is "The Deck," a wooden deck used as a commons area for students before school, during break, and during lunch. There are three unpaved parking lots reserved for students: The side lot which runs along the gymnasium, the back lot which is located near the baseball and softball fields, and the front lot which is located in the front of school. There is a paved parking lot in front of the gym reserved for faculty and visitors.Clubs and organizationsTeurlings has a number of extracurricular activities available to students, including a nationally ranked Speech and Debate team. The team has numerous team state championships, individual state champions in events such as Extemporaneous Speaking and Student Congress, and elimination-round competitors at national tournaments such as the National Forensic League national tournament and the National Catholic Forensic League Grand National Tournament (as well as national invitational tournaments at Harvard University and George Mason University). The school also offers a variety of other extracurricular activities, such as 4-H, SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), Key Club, French Club, Art Club, FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), Rebel Ambassadors, Student Council, Quiz Bowl, Beta Club, National Honors Society, and Retreat Ministry. Most clubs contribute large amounts of community service hours, and hold many fundraisers throughout the year.