Immaculate Conception Cathedral School (Memphis, Tennessee)

Immaculate Conception Cathedral School
Address
1695 Central Avenue Memphis , (Shelby County) , Tennessee 38104 United States
Coordinates	35°7′33″N 90°0′19″W
Information
Type	Private, Parochial school
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic
Established	1921
Closed	May 24, 2024
Oversight	Diocese of Memphis
Superintendent	Janet Donato
Principal	Kadesha Gordon
Grades	Pre-K - 8th grade (coed),
Color(s)	Blue and White
Slogan	Serving, Educating, Uniting
Nickname	"IC"
Team name	Wildcats
Accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Publication	Steps
Newspaper	Immaculata
Yearbook	The Marian
Alumni	Priscilla Presley, Margaret Scobey
Website	http://www.myiccs.org

Immaculate Conception Cathedral School (ICSS) was a private Catholic school in the heart of the historic Central Gardens neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee. ICCS was co-educational and served students of all faiths in its Pre-K3 through 8th grade.

Background

Founded in 1921 by the Sisters of Mercy, ICCS shares the campus of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, the mother church of the Diocese of Memphis and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools as a unit school. Grades Pre-K through 8th are co-ed.

In August 2016, the school opened a new early childhood center that connects to the existing lower school building. The building also includes a library/media center and art room for all grades.

ICCS became only one of two schools in the Memphis area that incorporates "Mindfulness" into the Pre-K through high school curriculum. Intensive Spanish language instruction begins in Pre-K and continues through high school. Students can also choose French foreign language instruction in middle and high school. Other programs include STEM underwater and land-roving robotics teams, Orff music instruction, daily foreign language courses in all grades, and Accelerated Reader.

High school students had the opportunity to earn college credit through Christian Brothers University. For some science honors courses, high school students attended classes alongside college students at Christian Brothers University in the Cooper-Wilson Center for Life Sciences.

Closure of the school

On May 26, 2020, Immaculate Conception Cathedral School issued a news release to ABC Local 24 on its closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This statement was made by Bishop Robert W. Marshall Jr.[1] The school would not reopen for the fall semester but the pre-K through 8th grade elementary and middle school would remain open.[1]

The statement described how the global pandemic caused financial difficulties that made it "impossible for the parish of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception to continue to operate the high school portion" of the school.[1] Students had the opportunity to transfer to Saint Benedict at Auburndale, another diocesan high school.[1] The school completely closed doors for all grades on May 24, 2024.

Notable alumni

• Priscilla Presley[2]
• Margaret Scobey, former United States Ambassador to Egypt and Syria.[3]

References

1. "Immaculate Conception Cathedral announces closure of high school". localmemphis.com. May 26, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
2. "Girlfriend's Role Beats Wife's: Priscilla Presley". St. Petersburg Times. United Press International. February 14, 1978. Retrieved June 6, 2011. When Presley was discharged from the Army he invited Priscilla to Memphis for Christmas - and beyond. Her parents' fears were calmed when Presley promised to send Priscilla, a high school senior, to Immaculate Conception High School.
3. Sullivan, Bartholomew (January 31, 2011). "Ambassador, a former Memphian, describes events in Egypt as 'pretty unpredictable'". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved April 24, 2011.

External links

• School Website
• Immaculate Conception Middle and High School at the Wayback Machine (archive index)
• IC In the News [1]