How teachers and approach can prepare students for college
Ask any parent or school administrator about high school education today and there will be no shortage of opinions — or experiences. With the plethora of private, catholic, charter, academy school and public school offerings, competition has never been greater.
So, what does Paramus Catholic High School- the largest Catholic high school in New Jersey since 1965 believe makes for a successful academic program in this era of choice?
Dr. Stephanie Macaluso, longtime principal at Paramus Catholic High School, believes that every student should have access to a Catholic education. Beyond values and respect, she sets the bar high for students academically and in virtually everything they do in high school.
“I think it’s the challenging curriculum that is making the difference — the number of AP and Honors courses — that propel students to excel,” said Talia Dombrowski, a 4.1 GPA Aquinas scholar at Paramus Catholic recently noted, adding that parents, administrators and faculty must also be in regular communication, so that “no one is left to fail or fall behind while being challenged.”
Joe Wilson, longtime vice-principal at Paramus Catholic, sees teachers as facilitators of excellence. “It is our policy — one that is embraced heartily by faculty, that teachers be available to students after school and by prompt responses by email,” he said.
Additionally, 100% of teachers stay after school to provide students with extra help, answers to questions and to just listen. Teachers at PC say they do this because they want their students to succeed.
Students today represent many races, colors, creeds and experiences in an environment such as PC. It is known to be “Catholic, co-ed, real world.” This fall, over 65% of the incoming freshmen class came from public schools.
“We needed to put our child in an environment where they could excel academically,” said one parent in a recent one-on-one with Paramus Catholic’s new President, Chris Farrell during what has become known as the Paladin for a Day informational and experiential session for both parents and prospective students alike.
“We want them to have a sense of community, yet one in which they can be challenged and grow,” said another parent.
Parents of transferring public school students often point to lower expectations as a hinderance to preparation for college, where 65 is often a passing grade. “Paramus Catholic sets a standard of 70 for a passing grade,“ said Director of Admissions Jean Cousins. “We believe keeping the bar high — and helping them to achieve it — better prepares them for college.”
SarahFaye Mahon, a life sciences instructor at PC, believes in science as a prep for the business world in many careers unrelated to science.
“Environmental sciences help them to understand the world we live in. They can apply this knowledge to virtually any current situation from civic planning to understanding wildfires in Australia,” she said. “We also teach students to communicate. They will need these skills to present their ideas to management later in their careers, in making funding requests and in legislative and legal presentations.”
This “empowerment” is evident throughout everything at PC. “Empower Your Passion” in the schools advertising speaks to students pursuing careers in medicine, finance and other interests’ students have. “Empower Your Creativity” opens up windows in the arts, communications and other fields. PC students are being accepted to such prestigious universities as Princeton, NYU, Duke University, Berkeley and UPenn, just to name a few.
Recent graduating students from PC are being awarded over $50,000 in grants and scholarships on average at the colleges and universities they choose to attend. This is equal to the total cost of their entire high school education at PC.
“It is the way we teach here at PC,” said Honors Chemistry and Physics teacher, Mike Meyer, himself a 2019 alumni of Paramus Catholic. Meyer incorporates 15 labs a year into his Honors and AP courses. “It is more hands-on learning.”
“They get a top-notch education here, with a great student life and a well-rounded college prep, real-world experience,” said Larry Hughes, a 42- year veteran teacher at Paramus Catholic, and a father of three daughters, all of whom have graduated PC. “I see PC graduates as happy, as well as successful.
“In the end, it is about the experience. But it is the college outcomes and students’ preparation for life that determine whether we’ve succeeded for them,” he said.
Paramus Catholic High will be holding a winter Open House on Feb. 12.
Parents and students interested in learning more about Academics and Honors programs as well as course offerings in at PC can do so by visiting the school’s website at www.paramuscatholic.com/apps/pages/academics.
Applications for the 2025 school year are being accepted at www.paramuscatholic.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=2046371&type=d&pREC_ID=2537412