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Our Lady of Good Counsel High School is beginning the year-long celebration of its 50th anniversary – five decades that have brought about many changes while its core mission has remained the same.

"I've been at the school for 30 years," said school President Arthur Raimo, who was once a teacher at Good Counsel. "While much has remained the same – include the founding values, our outreach to a diverse population of students, and an outstanding faculty and staff — we have made many positive changes over the years, allowing us to educate even more students and provide them with even more educational opportunities and ways to grow in the Catholic faith.

"That, along with our new building, strong academic, religious and extracurricular programs makes Good Counsel a very exciting place to be," he added. "We're proud of the past 50 years and are looking forward to the future."

The school is sponsored by the Xaverian Brothers, a lay religious congregation founded in 1839 in Bruges, Belgium, by Theodore James Ryken.

Devoted to the education of youth, six brothers opened their first school in the United States in Kentucky in 1854. The Xaverians brought their beliefs of education and service to Maryland in 1956, when Patrick O'Boyle, Archbishop of Washington, invited them to sponsor Our Lady of Good Counsel High School.

The archdiocese donated 10.6 acres at 11601 Georgia Ave. in Wheaton, upon which the school was built. The facility cost $1.5 million and was built to accommodate 1,000 boys.

Ground was broken on June 19, 1957, and the doors for the new school opened on Sept. 8, 1958.

The 1960s brought many firsts for the school: its first full graduation class, the establishment of clubs and athletic programs, and an increase in enrollment to approximately 1,000 students.

In the 1970s, the school introduced its first art and music courses. Camp Good Counsel, one of the school's service and volunteer programs, was established.

In 1986, the board of directors selected Mike Murphy, a graduate of the class of 1968, as the first lay principal in charge of students. Under his direction, Our Lady of Good Counsel opened to female students is the fall of 1988. The school remains Montgomery County's only coeducational Catholic high school.

During the mid 1990s, the school received local and national recognition as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.

The school also created its Ryken Studies Program for students with diagnosed learning disabilities and the International Baccalaureate Program for high-achieving, highly motivated students.

In 2000, the board of directors approved the purchase of 52 acres of land in Olney with the intention of moving the school to the new property.

Having outgrown the Wheaton facility, Our Lady of Good Counsel broke ground for its new building in 2005. The Good Counsel community bid farewell to the Wheaton facility in December 2006, and moved to its present location at 17301 Old Vic Boulevard in Olney.

The state-of-the art wireless campus includes over 50 classrooms, science and technology labs, a media center, a 150-seat chapel, two gymnasiums, and numerous athletic fields. It can accommodate 1,200 students.

Our Lady of Good Counsel was a big part of Olney resident Mike Clancy's life.

He graduated from the school in 1969. His three brothers also graduated from Good Counsel, and his mother worked there for 20 years and served on its board of directors for nine years. He has remained involved over the years and seen many changes.

He said he initially had mixed feelings about the school's relocation to Olney, but believes it will ensure the school's future success.

"In some aspects, it is a little sad because some of my memories have to do with specific classrooms or the athletic fields in Wheaton that are now gone, but I think they made the right decision for the future of the school," he said. "It's a great facility and will help to bring in even more students and expand their class offerings and sports programs."

Even though lay teachers have replaced the brothers, he said the basis for education in the Catholic faith is still there, citing principles of integrity, honesty and hard work.

"The fact that the school is thriving after 50 years tells me it will be around for at least another 50. Tssssssshey are doing everything right," he said.

Events are planned throughout this school year to celebrate the 50th anniversary.

The school year began with the unveiling of a statue of a falcon, the school mascot, perched on the exterior of the gymnasium wall.

A year's worth of golden anniversary festivities will begin at the homecoming game Sept. 26.

Other events include a Golden Anniversary Gala for St. Francis Xavier members on Oct. 3, a bull roast on Oct. 24, and a communion breakfast, closing ceremony and family picnic on April 26.

Throughout the year, students will hear a series of motivational guest speakers and will participate in a special 50th anniversary service project.

"We think celebrating the school's 50th anniversary is important because it is a chance for us to showcase the contribution Good Counsel has made to the community, and it is an opportunity to celebrate our alumni and longtime faculty who, we are proud to say, were a large part of creating Good Counsel's history and tradition," Raimo said.