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Sixty years ago, when Immaculata High School’s founder, Msgr. Eugene B. Kelly, and his advisors formulated plans for the soon-to-be-opened high school in Somerville, they established Catholic values and academic excellence as its cornerstone.
A Marine chaplain who served on the World War II battlegrounds in Asia, Msgr. Kelly wanted Immaculata to have a legacy of challenging its students, building integrity, character, and faith, and fostering service.
Today, more than 10,000 graduates later, Immaculata proudly embraces that legacy with an alumni base who have excelled in their professional and personal lives. Following the blueprint established in the early 1960s, Immaculata’s administration and faculty continually look at its academic offerings to ensure the curriculum remains competitive and relevant for this and future generations of students.
While simultaneously facing the demands of teaching and learning through a pandemic, Immaculata introduced the block schedule this year, which allows more time for the intense concentration of subject matter. Partnering with Rutgers University, New Brunswick, and maximizing the block schedule advantages, the school launched its Health Science Careers Program this September. Taught by Dr. Bob Berckes, the program currently includes two full-year courses, Medical Terminology and Dynamics of Health Care in Society. Next fall, Immaculata’s traditional Anatomy and Physiology class will be adapted to Rutgers’ specifications. All three classes involve dual enrollment, dependent on university standards. “My students love the opportunity to earn college credit,” Berckes said, “and they find the material very intriguing.”
Launched four years ago, Immaculata’s select Capstone Program has benefited from the longer class periods and regular feedback generated by current college students, who tracked through the pilot program. Capstone’s emphasis is on developing sophisticated research, reading, writing, and presentation skills. The students chose contemporary topics with a 21st-century edge and they dynamically delve into the material in preparation for their year-end presentations.
According to co-coordinator of the Marian Scholars Program and AP teacher Nancy Bonham, “The program’s graduates, who are in college now, are so grateful for the intensity of the class. They feel it has given them a substantial advantage in their coursework on the university level. Providing valuable input to us, our grads have helped fine-tune our program.”
More time in the studio is welcomed in the school’s impressive Visual Arts program, taught by Deirdre Rosinski, a professional architect, and award-winning filmmaker and artist Joe DeVito, an alumnus from the class of 1998. Students can take classes in ceramics, traditional studio art, digital design and photography, videography, AP Art History, broadcasting, and portfolio development. Very popular among students and parents is the hands-on Spartan News Network Program, which provides an incredible experience in broadcasting, writing, filming, and producing.
“Monsignor Kelly laid the foundation for future Immaculata administrations to look at rigorous educational opportunities to elevate our curriculum,” states Head of School Joan M. Silo, Ed.S. “For example, we continue to enhance our Chesterton Classical Program, which integrates humanities, philosophy, theology, and language. With block scheduling, our elective offerings expanded, featuring such pertinent classes as mobile app development, forensic science, criminal justice, engineering, history and sports, and web design. Our 2021 programming will expand further with additional signature electives in business, science, music, and visual arts.
This year, from Jan. 31 to Feb. 6, the United States celebrates Catholic Schools Week. This year’s theme is “Faith. Excellence. Service.”
“Immaculata is so blessed to have had such a visionary leader at its beginning to identify those three tenets as its guide,” Silo said. “We continue to embrace Msgr. Kelly’s inspiration as we look to provide the most valuable education for our current and future Spartans.”
For information about Immaculata High School, visit www.immaculatahighschool.org