School Philosophy St. Benedict's
Preparatory School
INTRODUCTION
1. St. Benedict's is a Catholic
preparatory school for boys, sponsored by Benedictine
monks whose traditions give it a special character. Just
as the monastery is a community modeled on the human
family, St. Benedict's is a school "family" to
which each student belongs; here he is important, unique
and irreplaceable. Because the monks are committed by
their vow of stability to their particular abbey for
life, the school reflects this permanence, continuity
with the past and promise for the future.
2. St. Benedict's is a diverse
community of students, lay and religious faculty,
parents, alumni and friends, each of whom plays an
important role in the life of our school.
3. St. Benedict's is a community
rooted in the Christian belief that every human being is
of inestimable value as a creature of God - intelligent,
feeling and free. Each student has the ability and
responsibility to shape his future and to meet the
challenges of today's world: the rapid changes in human
values and morality, in economic and social patterns,
and in religion and technology. In order to meet
successfully these and many other challenges, a person
must be properly prepared. This preparation is primarily
the responsibility of parents. The loving context of a
family encourages a child's moral and personal growth as
well as his intellectual competence and curiosity. The
role of the school is to assist parents in this most
important task, working hand in hand with them for the
benefit of their child.
4. "Anything that hurts my
brother, hurts me!" This forms the basis of the St.
Benedict's Covenant. The Covenant expresses itself in
trust and openness, which are at the heart of
relationships. It is a mutual promise and commitment
shared by every member of the school: "whenever I
am in trouble, you will help me, and you will not let me
hurt myself." Accordingly, St. Benedict's
administration and staff, faculty and students expect
and attempt to exemplify the highest standards of
honesty and integrity.
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INTERRELATIONSHIP
AMONG FACULTY, SCHOOL AND STUDENT COMMUNITIES
5. St. Benedict's is part of the
city of Newark. Our city is at once full of promise and
hope, as well as failure and decay. Its people are
striving to grow together beyond the evils that are the
causes and effects of racism. In a neighborhood where
poverty, AIDS and drugs are commonplace, we also see
growth, vision and accomplishment. While St. Benedict's
is at the center of all that is the city of Newark, we
are trying to be an exception to much of what goes on
around us. We are committed to educating Newark's
citizens and its future leaders, imbuing them with a
sense of the city's promise as well as its problems, of
its future as well as its past. The school's continued
presence over the past century is a sign of hope to the
people of Newark, and we are striving with them to
aspire toward a vision of greatness for our city and its
people. We want our students to have a sense of that
vision in their own lives and to be prepared for active
roles of leadership in our society, not just for service
to our society's needs and trends.
6. Because of its location in the
center of Newark, St. Benedict's has a unique mission to
bring together young men from city and suburb, from
poverty and from middle class backgrounds, from families
of many races and nationalities. We see this diversity
in our school as something of great value to the
learning process, as something to be enjoyed and
celebrated, not just accepted or tolerated. In
particular, the African American heritage of so many in
our school provides a strong religious dimension to the
universal human experience of suffering and tribulation.
St. Benedict's is committed to the Christian ideals of
harmony, tolerance and cooperation among people of all
racial, economic and religious groups.
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RELATIONSHIP OF
INTELLECTUAL AND MORAL EDUCATION
7. St. Benedict's believes that
its community of learners should be of diverse talents
and varying levels of ability: slower students can learn
from faster ones, and more importantly the gifted can
learn what their responsibilities are to their brothers
who are less gifted academically. A basic intellectual
competence is required for admission to St. Benedict's,
but there are other important factors that contribute to
a student's success: a desire to learn, a willingness to
work to develop God-given talents, and the courage to
take risks and face challenges.
8. As the name "preparatory
school" indicates, St. Benedict's prepares students
for the academic demands of college and at the same time
fosters the self-motivation and personal responsibility
necessary throughout life.
9. The development of high
academic standards and performance is a major goal for
St. Benedict's. A mastery of basic skills is essential
for success in academics and in the world of work.
Familiarity with the various realms of knowledge is
necessary for a person to be fully mature. He must be
able to see the interconnections among, for instance,
literature, religion, mathematics, history, science,
etc., and to apply in new situations what he has
learned. He develops a critical sense with which to
analyze and interpret information from a variety of
sources including books, mass media, and information
technology. He uses technology to become more involved
in his local and global community and to prepare him to
take an active role in the growing technological
economy.
10. Good teachers know that
intellectual development, like any other worthwhile
pursuit, requires hard work and self-discipline. They
demand these from their students while at the same time
encouraging curiosity and guiding inquiry. Good teachers
take a clear stand on issues of moral and social concern
and help the students to clarify and commit themselves
to a coherent value system. By word and by example, they
teach Christian values, which include tolerance of many
viewpoints. Good teachers know that students learn at
different rates and according to different styles. They
seek to discover these differences and respect them in
their teaching.
11. The appreciation of life's
aesthetic dimension is central to understanding one's
own culture and those of other peoples. The creative
spirit must be fostered by training in the various arts,
including the visual arts, drama and music.
12. The mature person, the goal of
the St. Benedict's education, is one who makes
responsible judgments on the basis of his own clear set
of values and who can foresee and accept the
consequences of his decisions. He welcomes challenges of
all kinds—intellectual, physical and emotional - as
opportunities to grow in competence and self-knowledge.
The student bears the primary responsibility for his own
education and must avail himself of the extra help
offered by the school. The St. Benedict's student learns
through experience how to work as a member of a group,
contributing his talents and efforts to the task at hand
while being concerned for other people. He is given
opportunities to exercise genuine leadership in the
running of the school, in the Group System, and in
student activities. He sees himself as a brother to men
and women of every nation, every religion and every
race. He accepts responsibility as part of his world,
his nation, his church, his city and his family, and he
tries to understand, participate in and affect the
complex political and social processes influencing his
life. He uses leisure time in a way that contributes to
his own well-being and that of others.
13. The school provides an ordered
and serious environment for learning, including a
residence program for a limited number of students. It
constantly seeks to strike a balance between challenge
and support, between serenity and vitality, and between
the needs of the individual and those of the group.
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CHARACTER AND
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION
14. Since a person often learns
better by actually experiencing and doing than by merely
reading or hearing about something, the experiential
dimension of education is of primary importance.
15. Athletic and other nonacademic
activities and clubs contribute to a student's physical
health and to the development of various talents and
leisure activities. The visible results and the
immediate feedback they offer force participants to face
squarely such "grown-up" issues as
perseverance, the value of hard work, and dealing with
frustration and failure. Athletics and extracurricular
activities are as important as schoolwork in the
educating of a young man. The dedication and commitment
these activities demand often provide a challenge more
immediate than is usually found in the classroom.
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OBJECTIVES AND
PRACTICES BASED ON THE SCHOOL'S PHILOSOPHY
RELIGIOUS
DIMENSION
16. Believing that "We've
come this far by faith, leaning on the Lord," St.
Benedict's is characterized by an atmosphere of
Christian concern and respect for others. The rich
heritage of monasticism and the diverse religious
traditions of the faculty and students enrich and
highlight the importance of God and faith in human
existence and growth and influence the religious
activities in the school. The school day begins with a
song of praise, followed by a scripture reading and an
accompanying prayer. On special occasions, liturgical
and prayer activities are organized with a faculty
member assigned to oversee these functions. Religion
courses are required at all grade levels. In addition,
the school offers other activities to help students
deepen their relationship to God and explore their own
spirituality. These include voluntary retreats and the
Youth Quest Ministry which sponsors and oversees other
religious activities in the school.
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STUDENT BODY
17. The majority of the students
are from the cities of Newark, East Orange, and
Irvington, but a large number are from various outlying
towns. Students come from both public and private
elementary schools. The racial mixture in the student
body reflects approximately that of the city of Newark.
To be accepted an applicant must have shown a level of
motivation and achievement that gives promise of success
in a college preparatory curriculum. Financial aid is
available on the basis of need and/or academic merit so
that people from lower—income
families will not find St. Benedict's beyond their
reach.
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FACULTY
18. The faculty are well qualified
in their subject areas and dedicate themselves with
enthusiasm to the work of education. Faculty must give
their time and energy if they are going to demand these
from their students. A wide variety of teaching styles
is expected and encouraged among the faculty, as is
constant growth and willingness to improve teaching
effectiveness. St. Benedict's tries to minimize turnover
of staff in order to maintain a sense of continuity and
stability in the school from year to year. All staff
members have a crucial role to play as models of mature
behavior for the students.
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PARENTS
19. As the school assists parents
in their responsibility for educating their son, it
demands in return an active involvement in helping their
son fulfill the academic and social demands placed on
him by the school. Through the work and activities of
the Parents' Organization, the parents themselves
provide support and encouragement to each other in such
areas as orientation of parents of new students,
opportunities to be involved in their sons' academic
progress and college and career choices. Since St.
Benedict's relies so heavily on fundraising for its
finances, parents are also obliged to participate fully
in the activities of the Parents' Organization.
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ALUMNI
20. Alumni are involved in all
phases of the school: as teachers, as parents of
students, as financial contributors, and especially as
guests and friends who serve as models of success for
the present students. The Alumni Association sponsors
meetings, reunions, publications and other activities to
assure the continued involvement of this valued part of
the St. Benedict's Community.
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FRIENDS
21. The school tries to cultivate
the good will and cooperation of a wide circle of
friends from the neighborhood, business and academic
communities. The Board of Trustees plays a major role in
the planning and execution of the school's programs. The
Development Office cooperates with parents, alumni and
staff to make maximum use of the resources of such
friends for a variety of needs from guest lecturers and
field trips to financial and other contributions.
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ACADEMICS
22. The school year begins with
Summer Phase, a time of diagnostic, developmental and
enrichment activities. The school itself is divided into
four sections: Lower Division (pre-high school),
Freshman Year, Upper Division and Senior Year. A student
can be retained in Lower Division or in Upper Division
for as long as necessary, two years for each being the
norm. A student of any division may take any course for
which his counselor and the teacher judge him prepared.
As the student advances toward Senior Year he finds more
and more course options available, as well as more
possibility of unassigned time to be used responsibly.
Opportunities for courses at local colleges are
considered part of our academic offerings, as are the
many experiences available through the Network exchange
program (see "Student Exchange Programs"
below). A variety of library resources and audio-visual
aids allows teachers to challenge students with advanced
outside work and to vary approaches to regular classroom
instruction.
23. The academic program aims at
developing the basic skills of written and oral
expression, reading and mathematics. Courses are offered
in religion English, mathematics, literature, history
and social science, physical sciences, foreign
languages, graphic arts, music, and physical education
and. While including all courses generally needed for
college admission, the curriculum is oriented toward
preparation for coping with a world of rapid change. Our
students come to us with a wide variety of backgrounds
and levels of abilities and skills. This diversity
offers students the opportunity to learn both how to
give help to their peers and to accept it from them. The
benefits that come from this interaction are constantly
balanced against the benefits that come from grouping
students by skill levels. Thus whenever possible
students are placed in classes of widely diverging
abilities; and in certain subjects, courses are offered
on developmental, intermediate and advanced levels.
Class sizes vary depending on many factors, but are
never larger than will allow for effective individual
interchange between teacher and student. All faculty are
required to be present after the last class period to
continue this interchange. Parents and their sons'
teachers may arrange for after-school conferences as the
need for these arises. Parents are also encouraged to
attend their sons' classes whenever they wish.
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TECHNOLOGY
24. Access to modern technology
has become an essential element of education. Because
many of the students we serve do not have adequate
access to information technology at home, the school
provides such access in order that all our students may
fully participate in our rapidly evolving technological
society. St. Benedict's has created a flexible, open
ended, curriculum-driven technology plan which will
empower students and give teachers the tools they need
to use technology creatively in the classroom. As a
result of this implementation, our students will not
only gain technical skills, but also the ability to
critically evaluate the information they receive from
these new sources.
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SPRING PROJECTS
25. Since education and learning
should not be limited to classroom work and activities,
the Spring Phase in May emphasizes the experiential side
of learning by having students actively participate in
activities outside the classroom (courtrooms, offices,
Appalachian Trail, etc.). These courses are an integral
part of the academic program and are required for
graduation. These include the major areas of outdoor
challenge, social service, urban studies and more
traditional subject areas such as science or art. A
project helps a student to plan ahead and accept real
consequences of his decisions, to learn how to work with
others, and discover new talents and abilities that
might not be uncovered in a classroom setting.
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NETWORK EXCHANGE
PROGRAM
26. The school encourages students
to learn more about themselves and about others through
participation in the Network of Complementary Schools.
Participants may attend courses in any of 28 schools in
all parts of the United States, in Canada and in Puerto
Rico, while giving St. Benedict's the opportunity to
host students from these schools.
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STUDENT
LEADERSHIP
27. Much of the everyday running
of the school is in the hands of the appointed Senior
Group Leader and his four Section Leaders. They,
together with the elected Group Leaders, work with the
Headmaster to oversee the general discipline and
atmosphere of the school, as well as the running of the
Group System.
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THE GROUP SYSTEM
28. Each student is drafted into a
group, which consists of about 25 students from every
age and grade level. A Group Leader is elected to run
the group and to represent it at meetings with the
Headmaster. Groups, which meet about 40 minutes three
times a week, are responsible for cleaning their group's
homeroom, for running convocation in the morning, and
for assisting their members in academic difficulty.
Groups compete and are awarded points based on their
academic performance, intergroup athletics, attendance
records and discharge of cleanup and other
responsibilities. This unique system fosters many of the
school's ideals: helping the student to feel "at
home" as a member of a small supportive group, to
work with and be responsible for others, to exercise
leadership and to have some feeling of responsibility
for the running of the school.
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RESIDENCE/BOARDING
PROGRAM
29. The residence program at St.
Benedict's aims to address the needs of students who
would benefit from a structured living environment at
the school. Those students range from those who lack
evening supervision at home to those encountering more
complex issues in the home or neighborhood that keep
them from achieving their full potentials. Students who
are successful in school and come from stable homes are
also welcome. The residence program is designed to
provide a family environment that is safe, stable, and
nurturing. The school philosophies of leadership and
care for one's brother are present throughout all
aspects of the program, including daily sit-down dinner
and evening prayer with the entire house and student
responsibility for the daily cleaning of the house.
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FRESHMAN YEAR
PROGRAM
30. Freshman Year at St.
Benedict's is more than a student's first year of high
school. It is the time when the student first
experiences many of the most important objectives of the
school. It is also designed to be a time during which
the student comes to a deeper knowledge and acceptance
of himself as a unique, gifted and worthwhile person.
Freshmen Year begins with the five-day Overnight at the
school in July. This activity, conducted under the
supervision of the Senior Group Leader and other student
leaders, establishes for the Freshman what St.
Benedict's is all about: trust and openness, challenge
and teamwork, accomplishment and rewards. This tone is
carried into the academic work throughout the year and
into special activities for Freshmen. Their particular
needs are the subject of periodic meetings with the
Headmaster and other faculty members. The culmination of
the Freshman Year Program is the Backpacking Project
during Spring Phase at the end of the year.
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THE HONOR CODE
31. The St. Benedict's Honor Code
is the published list of regulations by which a student
commits himself to respect the rights and property of
his schoolmates and of the school community. Trust is a
vital part of the spirit of the school (as evidenced by
the absence of locks on lockers). The maintaining of an
orderly and pleasant atmosphere in the school is the
responsibility of the students themselves, with help
from faculty and administration. Group Leaders have a
major role in this area. The administration of the
school keeps track of tardiness, absences and other
breaches of good order and takes appropriate action when
necessary, but much of the discipline in the school is
left to Group Leaders and older students.
Interpretation and enforcement of
the Honor Code is entrusted to a committee comprising
both students and faculty. Serious matters are brought
to the Headmaster and at his discretion to the
committee. Students who consistently fail to cooperate
in regard to disciplinary matters may be asked to leave
the school.
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EXTRACURRICULAR
ACTIVITIES
32. Every student is strongly
urged to participate in some organized after-school
activity or sport as another opportunity to experience
commitment to a group and the value of perseverance and
conscious effort. Because of the importance of these
lessons, a student is ordinarily discouraged from
"quitting" an activity or sport in the middle
of a season. Such activities can develop talents or
interests that can be pursued as leisure activities in
later years. The school provides interscholastic
competition in forensics and a large number of sports
each season (fall, winter and spring) as well as team
sports among the student groups. There are after-school
activities in drama and forensics, as well as a school
newspaper, yearbook, literary magazine, math league and
Gospel Choir. The Art Department is open every day after
school for student use.
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CAREER
DEVELOPMENT
33. The Career Development Center
offers seminars, workshops, field trips and roundtables
that allow students to develop social and presentation
skills, employability skills, and knowledge of career
choices.
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COUNSELING AND
COLLEGE PLACEMENT
34. The formal guidance staff
includes the Head of Guidance, a social worker and
school psychologist. This office coordinates crisis
intervention, testing for various learning deficiencies,
as well as group and individual counseling for various
issues (substance abuse, how to cope with a
dysfunctional family situation, etc.). Referrals are
made through this office to outside agencies.
Because a relatively close and on-going relationship
with a concerned adult can often make a significant
difference in a young man's life, much of the counseling
at St. Benedict's is often informal. Teachers and
administrators speak with students in a variety of
contexts, including the daily group period, and can
refer serious or persistent difficulties to the Guidance
Office.
College and career counseling is done by the College
Counselor, as well as by Group Advisors, coaches and the
Headmaster.
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