Academic FAQs

In the Four-by-Four Block schedule, all Prep Division students take four, 75-minute classes in the Fall Term, and then four different 75-minute classes in the Winter Term. The block schedule allows for deeper study within most, if not all, disciplines. The block schedule also allows faculty to increase the range and scope of courses offered.  

We are a personal device free school. Students turn in their phones at the beginning of the day during Convocation, and receive them back at the end of the day during Group period. Students also do not bring in personal laptops or tablets, and we provide devices to those who need them during supervised class time. Being a personal device free school allows us to cultivate community, and having school technology available when needed in service of the curriculum helps students gain valuable experience with different platforms, programs, and data products.

St. Benedict’s students interact with technology on a daily basis, whether a class is being presented with a Promethean Board, assignments are digital in nature or just checking email for announcements. All classrooms have Internet access and all academic areas are wireless accessible. Access to real-time data, such as while forecasting in Meteorology class, is a benefit of this. Additional technologies are also used in certain courses such as flight simulators in Journey of Flight, 3D printers in Engineering Fundamentals, and gel electrophoresis apparatus in Genetics. 

St. Benedict’s email and documents are hosted by Google. This gives us access to Google's whole suite of products including Gmail, Google Drive, Docs, and Classroom. Current students have access to their files and email in school, at home, and on the road. This allows for education to continue anywhere on and off the property.

Students can also learn about technology outside of the traditional classroom. Students can learn how to digitally produce a yearbook and newspaper in school activities. We have had several intense courses during our Spring Phase where students can learn how to edit photos and videos. Students produce our daily Convocation broadcasts and other streaming events.

Further details on accessing and using technology, can be found in the Students & Parents page.

St. Benedict’s offers a program that’s better than Advanced Placement (AP) courses, the Early College Program. The structure of our academic year (final exams in April and the month of May devoted to Spring Phase) is not compatible with the AP program. Therefore, we established three partnerships with Seton Hall University, Rutgers-Newark and NJIT that provide a range of college level courses that students can take as early as sophomore (UDI) year. Colleges and universities have varying policies on accepting AP courses for college credit. When St. Benedict’s students successfully complete a course in the Early College Program, they receive a transcript with the college credit, that may be applied to the college or university they attend after St. Benedict’s.  

The following courses must be completed by a student at St. Benedict's Preparatory School to meet the requirements for graduation.

1. Four courses in:
    a.  English (English I through IV. Students who do not place out of the FY Writing Seminar will also be required to take that course.)
   b.  History (WH1, WH2, US1, US2)
   c.  Science (including Biology, Chemistry, and Physics)
   d.  Mathematics (through a minimum of Algebra 2; students who take Calculus must pass both the A and B portions of the course)

2.  A minimum of two consecutive courses in the same world language

3. One course in Physical Education

4. One course in the Arts

5. One course in Religion

6. One Spring Project for each spring spent in school, including Backpacking as a FY

7. One Summer Phase for each summer spent in school, including:
   a. WAC (if enrolled at SBP as a UD1)
   b. WILD (if enrolled at SBP as a UD2)

Academic questions & concerns should go to the attention of individual teachers first, then Level Coordinators.

Elementary Division: Sr. Ann Marie Gass, O.S.B.
Middle Division: James Duffy
Boys Freshman Level: Alexis Arriaza and Jon Marlow
Boys UD1 Level: Danielle Laube
Boys UD2 Level: Cavill Henrigues
Boys Senior Level: Brian Delaney 
Girls Division: Alexander Melchor(Freshman) and Char-Lotte Searcy (Upper Division and Senior Year)

Scheduling A Parent-Teacher Conference

Parents wishing to arrange a conference with one or more of your child’s teachers, please contact those teachers directly, via e-mail or the faculty contact list, with your request. Parents who would like to meet with several teachers at once should contact teacherconference@sbp.org with your requests. It is very helpful for an entire student’s academic support team to meet together with parents whenever possible. If you have any difficulty in contacting a teacher, please email Michelle Tuorto, Associate Headmaster for Academics, at mtuorto@sbp.org or call 973-792-5742.

1. Recommendations from the student's 8th grade math teacher

2. Performance on the SBP placement test, which is aligned to our curriculum

3. Previous math grades in 7th and 8th grade

4. Strengths or areas of need presented during summer phase math classes

Science placement for freshman students takes into account the student's science and math grades in 7th and 8th grade. Students with a record of A's in both math and science in those grades will be considered for placement into biology instead of earth science.

Middle school credits for math and science courses are not accepted as substitutes for high school level math and science classes.