Why Choose Us
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Bishop Garrigan Schools represents a safe and welcoming space for all students. A home away from home.
Our Catholic school is located in Algona, a small, rural town in north central Iowa. Preschool through 2nd grade and Bear Care Daycare are found at the Seton Campus. The Garrigan Campus is home to 3rd grade through 12th grade. The curriculum is well-integrated throughout the system.
We also operate a full-time Daycare Program. Bishop Garrigan welcomes students from outside its corporation parishes. We have students from as far away as Emmetsburg, Britt, Livermore, Swea City, and Thompson, many of whom were members of Protestant churches and of the Hindu and Buddhist faiths, as well as Roman Catholics.
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seton elementary (grades Pre-k – 2 and bear care)
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bishop Garrigan (grades 3-12)
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Bishop Garrigan has traditionally been among the least expensive private schools in the Sioux City Diocese. Work study, tuition assistance, and payment programs are also available. The bulk of tuition costs at Garrigan is paid by the member parishes, through the contributions of their parishioners. The BGHS Development Office also raises funds that help to keep the cost of tuition as low as possible. No one is ever turned away from Bishop Garrigan or Seton for inability to pay.
Garrigan's faculty is well-trained and professional. All teachers are certified in the areas they teach, and about half have master's degrees. Several staff members have also taught at the college level, and college credit is available for some courses taught on-site at Garrigan. Almost every teacher works with extra-curricular activities.
Bishop Garrigan Schools is fully accredited by the State of Iowa Department of Education, as well as by the Catholic Diocese of Sioux City. Garrigan and Seton students score above state and national averages on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills and the Iowa Tests of Educational Development. High School students also score above the national average on the ACT.
Each year BGHS students receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in college scholarships, including many awards that are available exclusively to Garrigan graduates. More than 90% of BGHS students continue to further their education and the majority graduate from a four-year college. Although most of Garrigan's graduates choose colleges in Iowa or neighboring states, others have chosen selective schools in all regions of the country, including the Naval and Air Force Academies.
BGHS competes in almost every activity available to Iowa students.A full range of Golden Bear athletic programs are available to both boys and girls. In recent years the Bears have made it to the state tournament in football, cross-country, basketball, dance, track and golf. Many Golden Bears have been awarded scholarships to play sports in college.
Bishop Garrigan has a successful quiz bowl program and math team, both groups have made trips to regional and national tournaments. The school's dance team has won several state and national championships. Garrigan students consistently are nominated for the All-State Speech Festival. There are also extra-curricular programs in vocal and instrumental music, drama, art, broadcasting, publications, composition, foreign language, business, social studies, student government, and religious service. Garrigan graduates have competed at the college level in many activities, and the school's alumni include professional musicians (including the lead singer for the nationally-known a cappella group Tonic Sol Fa), writers, artists, actors, broadcasters, scientists, and business leaders who use the skills they gained in their high school classes and activities.
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Our Philosophy
We believe that every individual has been created and gifted by God with an innate dignity. The right to freedom and the right to learn are inherent in this dignity.
We believe that, as a person with an immortal destiny, each individual must be accepted as unique and important. Therefore, as much as possible, the needs of each student must be recognized and met, the potential of each student developed, and the contributions of each student accepted.
We believe that all human beings are created by God as a part of a larger community and have a responsibility to develop their gifts, for themselves and for services to their community, in order to build a just and peace-filled world.
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We see the students of Bishop Garrigan High School as young adults in the process of becoming Christians, effective citizens, and whole human beings. Therefore, through both classroom and extracurricular activities, the goals of Bishop Garrigan High School are:
- to develop students with a true sense of community, who see themselves as devoted and caring members of their family, their school, their church, their nation, and their world;
- to develop spiritually vigorous Christians who recognize and act upon Catholic obligations and convictions;
- to develop youth who can think logically, express themselves clearly, and maintain open and inquiring minds;
- to develop in youth the qualities of cooperation, sportsmanship, leadership, and service;
- to develop persons of sound mental and physical health;
- to develop youth who recognize their talents and limitations and can determine their suitable occupation or vocation.
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We encourage you to explore our website to learn more about Bishop Garrigan Schools. If you have questions or would like to visit, please contact us, we'd love to meet you!
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