WARWICK — With the start of the 2015-2016 academic year, eighth-graders will be wearing Bishop Hendricken uniforms, as the Catholic, college preparatory high school is launching its SELECT Honors Institute for younger, high-ability students.
According to a press release, the program will be a “highly-selective” initiative reserved for eighth grade students from Rhode Island and nearby Southeastern New England. A custom curriculum will provide them a demanding academic track and the chance to enroll in university-caliber coursework in later grades.
“We’re very excited about it because it gives the opportunity for a whole new group of students to be able to receive a Hendricken education,” said Principal Jay Brennan Jr., who graduated from the school in 1972.
Hendricken President John Jackson, a 1971 graduate, agrees. He announced the creation of the program in September, noting that there’s a growing need in the region for Catholic education that challenges the area’s most academically talented younger students.
“We often talk about the ‘Hendricken experience,’ so these young men will be able to get an extra year of everything this school has to offer,” said Jackson. “It will enable them to take a broad range of subjects over the course of the five years that they might not be able to do in four. It’s going to be challenging, invigorating, exciting, and it’s going to test the limits of their capabilities.”
SELECT is named for the program’s six core tenets. The “S” stands for “Scholarship,” as “students will study a rigorous curriculum in mathematics, science and the humanities subjects,” including many college-level courses.
“Excellence” represents the first “E” in SELECT, while “Expression” signifies the second.
In terms of excellence, students will “train to seek the highest achievement in areas in and outside the classroom, including Catholic values that form them as faith-filled young men.” As for expression, they will “discover their unique talents and voice against the backdrop of classical and modern arts, languages and history.”
The “L” indicates “Leadership,” as students will develop “confidence, critical thinking and communication skills.” While “Community” represents the “C,” as it encourages students to “grow in awareness of significant issues in their neighborhoods, state, country and the world through volunteer work and knowledge of Catholic teaching,” the “T” stands for “Technology” because they will use “state-of-the-art” equipment to learn and succeed.
“They will be what I like to call ‘super charged’ in terms of their academic profile,” said Cathy Solomon, Hendricken’s director of admissions. “It will open up other opportunities for them for higher level classes, especially when they become juniors and seniors.”
SELECT will also feature seminar-style courses in American Studies and European Studies to blend themes from English, history, and theology in grades ten through twelve, a combined AP Calculus/BC Physics course in grade twelve and a “SELECT Forum,” spanning grades eight and nine, which will use “experiential learning” and trips to museums, performances and cultural events to educate students about local and regional society.
Marie Theroux, who teaches Spanish, will be teaching eighth-graders, and is thrilled to begin the new school year.
“I’m very excited,” she said. “I feel honored to be a part of it and work with a group of kids who are just as excited.”
English teacher Mike St. Thomas, a 2001 Hendricken graduate, is equally as eager. He’s particularly pleased about the humanities approach.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge and being able to teach an advanced group of middle schoolers,” he said. “We can set the bar really high for them.”
As noted, the program includes a study of classics across the English, history and theology curriculum. While eighth-graders read ‘The Odyssey’ for English, they will simultaneously be studying the ancient Greeks in history class, as well as learning about the origins of the Judeo-Christian tradition in theology.
“That piece is going to be very unique,” Brennan said. “Those kind of academic challenges will be really exciting for kids who have an excitement for learning. It will give them something that they won’t be able to get in any other eighth grade setting.”
Brennan and Jackson, as well as Solomon, went on to say that SELECT students will also participate in community-wide events and programs alongside Hendricken high schoolers. They’ll be eligible to study in the school’s honors Arts Academy or Technology Academy, and choose from several after-school clubs, including performance groups in theater and instrumental and vocal music.
“There’s not a middle school in the state that can offer a list of activities that we can offer,” said Brennan, with Jackson adding, “Every opportunity that’s available to our ninth through twelfth-graders will be available to them.”
However, they said, eighth-graders will be involved in a separate athletic program, as they will play interscholastic sports against middle-school teams. They’ll also have their own dances apart from high school students.
But they’ll share the physical building with high-schoolers, as well as an atmosphere that promotes the Catholic faith. Together, they’ll attend school Masses, fulfill a 25-hour-per-year Christian service requirement, and take part in a one-day retreat led by Hendricken peer ministers.
“These students will be in a school where a Catholic nature is at the center of everything we do,” Brennan said. “They are going to be part of what we do with our mission, which is to bring every member of the community closer to God. They will not only learn about their faith, but put it into action.”
Jackson said high school students are looking forward to meeting and welcoming new students to Hendricken. Brennan agreed, noting that the older students will be “looking out” for eighth graders.
“The nice thing about their experience is that they will have 940 big brothers to take care of them,” he said.
The admission process for the inaugural eighth grade SELECT class is underway, and students from any public, Catholic or private school are encouraged to apply. The school will be hosting a tour for prospective students in February.
Learn more by visiting Hendricken.com, or by contacting Solomon at 739-3450, ext. 163, or CSolomon@Hendricken.com.
