Catholic Schools
Considering a NYC Catholic School
What to know about choosing the right school for your family
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Caribbean Life, JAN. 28-FEB. 3, 2022 19
JACLYN GRIFFITH
The impact of school choice
It’s hard to imagine a decision
that impacts your child’s
present and future more than
the decision of which school
they will attend. Academics,
community, relationships, location,
guiding principles—
all of these are sure to infl uence
your family’s school
choice. While considering the
overwhelming number of options,
it’s important for parents
to understand the benefi ts
of a Catholic school education
in New York City.
For more than 200 years,
Catholic schools in New York
City have provided an education
that is both academically
rigorous and fi rmly rooted
in the Catholic faith. Today,
more than 67,000 students in
grades pre-K through twelve
are served by the Catholic
Schools of the Archdiocese
of New York, which includes
rural, urban, and suburban
Catholic schools in the ten
southern counties of New York
State. The Catholic Schools of
the Archdiocese of New York
describe their mission as follows:
“To ensure our schools
are Christ-centered, academically
excellent, and welcoming
communities that teach
students to be life-long learners
and leaders energized by
fi delity to Christ, the Church,
and one another.” But students
need not be Catholic to
attend a Catholic school; children
of all faiths are welcome
to experience the benefi ts of a
Catholic school education.
The success of Catholic
school students
Each year, 99 percent of high
school seniors from the Archdiocese
of Catholic Schools
will graduate, and the vast majority
of these students will go
on to college. When comparing
scores on state tests of English
Language Arts (ELA) and
Mathematics, Catholic school
students outperform New York
State and City public school
students, as well as most charter
school students.
The Archdiocese insists
that it is the Catholic approach
that leads to high success
rates for its students. By
seeing each student as a child
of God with individual needs,
while simultaneously encouraging
students to embrace
that they are part of a larger,
global community, the “stewardship
of the whole person”
is prioritized. In other words,
students are guided to understand
their talents, fi nd meaning
in their lives, build upon
their strengths, and develop
self-discipline and confi dence.
They are not only expected but
prepared and encouraged to
become compassionate leaders
of society. The Archdiocese reminds
parents that “the Catholic
school experience is an
unparalleled opportunity to
develop a child’s mind, heart
and soul.”
Religion and academics go
hand-in-hand
What exactly do the religion
classes and the traditional
academic courses
look like at Catholic schools
in New York City? The Archdiocese
ensures that the ideals
of the Gospel support
the “substance and structure”
of all lessons in Catholic
schools. These 67,000 students
proudly share their
faith through daily prayer,
regular mass as a school community,
and participating in
Christian service.
At the same time, traditional
academics at Catholic
schools are grounded in the
skills necessary to prepare
students for success outside
of school and church. These
skills vary between school
communities, as each group
of students requires an individualized
approach to reach
their fullest potential. In all
schools, the curricula are
forward-focused and aim to
make students competitive
in our increasingly complex
world. To do so, they incorporate
technology, advanced
math, hands-on science, foreign
language study, and a
variety of classes in the arts.
In addition to students of
all faiths being welcome to experience
a Catholic school education,
students of all social
class backgrounds are welcome
as well, as need-based
scholarships are available for
students and families. Students
with special needs are
also welcome to attend Catholic
schools, and the Catholic
teachings surrounding oneon
one nurturing ensure a
supportive environment for
students of all abilities.
Safety during the
COVID-19 pandemic
Nearly two years into
the pandemic, the Catholic
Schools of the Archdiocese
of New York choose to view
our current challenges as a
chance “to reinforce core values”
and to “reimagine education
in a positive, formative,
and future-oriented manner
to soar into the future with
pride and confi dence.” This
means that Catholic schools
in New York City continue to
lead with compassion, in-person,
as they remain adaptable
to all necessary safety precautions.
Currently, Catholic schools
are required to maintain six
feet of distance between cohorts
of students, and students
within each cohort must
maintain at least three feet of
distance from each other. All
members of the school community
must always wear
masks indoors. Hallway,
classroom, and entrance/exit
traffi c must be clearly labeled
to avoid crowding at any time.
Proper ventilation is essen-
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