St. Edmund Prep Now Offers IB Program

St. Edmund Preparatory High School, Sheepshead Bay, has recently become an International Baccalaureate School. It is the only Catholic co-educational school and third Brooklyn school to offer the prestigious IB Diploma. Xaverian H.S. was the first high school to offer the pre-college curriculum in the borough.

Prep students will commence the challenging and comprehensive course of study, recognized by universities and colleges across the globe, this September. Students who pursue the IB Diploma must have a strong academic foundation, a solid work ethic and be willing to meet the rigors of the program.

The IB Program is widely considered to be among the best and most comprehensive high school curriculum in the world. According to Ray Malafronte, the school’s IB Program director, academic dean and English coordinator, “We looked for an academic program to augment our already rigorous course of study to challenge our brightest students and decided upon the IB Programme.” In addition to the current Advanced Placement courses and College Credit courses, the Prep will offer a two-year college preparatory curriculum which requires students to study across all disciplines.

The IB Program offers courses such as: IB World Literature, IB 20th Century World History, Spanish, Italian, Mathematics, Psychology, and Fine Arts. It also includes a strong emphasis on writing, research and a commitment to community service. Participating students also complete 150 hours of community service and write a 4,000-word essay at the culmination of the two-year program.

The demanding course of study, taught by trained teachers on the premises, meets the needs of highly motivated students. Students will share an academic experience that would emphasize critical thinking, intercultural understanding and exposure to various points of view with a strong focus on internationalism. Students learn to relate school experiences to the realities of society as they develop their unique talents. They demonstrate a capacity for in-depth study while maintaining a broad perspective of the different subject areas.

The IB Program gives students an advantage because the program is acknowledged by colleges during admissions, allows students to earn college credit and increases scholarship opportunities.

Malafronte added that “this is a program which not only prepares students for the rigors of college life, but has as its aim the goal of creating lifelong learners, good citizens, and members of a global community.”

St. Edmund Prep, which recently celebrated its 75th anniversary, has undergone many changes under the leadership of John Lorenzetti. In addition to becoming an IB School, the school added three new technologically equipped science laboratories and is building a Library/Media/Fine Arts Center set to open in September, 2008.

“These advancements and programs will not only benefit our top students, but they have the potential to serve our entire student body,” said Malafronte.

St. John’s Prep’s National Honor Society Members Inducted

Class of 2008 NHS Members at St. John’s Prep, Astria

Congratulations to the new National Honor Society members at St. John’s Prep, Astoria. Administrators, family members and fellow students gathered at the school to witness the induction ceremony.

The following seniors are among the newly installed: Lisa Asaro, Glenn Caldit, Jasmine Callender, Cheng-Jui Chiang, Elisabeth Cimi, Melissa Clermont, Catherine Cuervo, Chandria Davis, Suzanna Delgado, Caitlin Dillon, Ric Leroy de Leon, Amanda Delgrosso, Thomas Delos Reyes, Jessica Faustin, Brenda Garcia, Asha Gellineau, Patricia Gomez, Brian Guerra, Herman Bryan Guerrero, Tanisha Ince, Kimberley Kearns, Christopher Kiprovski, Anna Kodra, Christina Kosman, Sean LaPlace, Jennie Laborde, Thomas Lenz, Monica Michelle Lopez, Zachary Lopez, Diandra Malahoo, Cynthia Malone, Alexis Michaelides, Nicholas Mistretta, Dariusz Mrozek, Stephanie Munoz, Ramazan Musovic, Marco Naranjo, Amy Nelson, Stella Paz, Angelica Perez, Robin Ramdeen, Roslyn Sakyi, Christian Santana, Daniel Santos, Kristen Senese, Brian Shea, Adrian Simpson, Rochelle Sylvestre, Simon Tam, Carolina Torres, Stephany Torres, Alyssa Viola, Curtis Walker, Alfred Ying, and Diana Zhanay.

Special congratulations to the new officers, all members of the Class of 2008, Kimberley Kearns, president; Kristen Senese, vice president; Daniel Santos, secretary; and Alexis Michaelides, treasurer.

Youth Views

January is National Hobby Month. What is your favorite leisure activity and would you recommend it to others?

Rachel Ruiz St. Joseph H.S. Sophomore My favorite activity is to run track. I got involved in track when my aunt started to run. I would recommend it to others because it keeps you in shape and healthy	Alaina Chisholm St. Joseph H.S. Sophomore My favorite pastime is volleyball. I learned to play in the eighth grade. I recommend it because it’s fun and it’s great exercise.

Nicholas Meyers Cathedral Prep Seminary Sophomore My favorite activity is playing baseball. I got involved because my older brother played. I would recommend it because it’s a fun sport.	Lisamarie Hernandez St. Joseph H.S. Junior My hobby is shopping. It’s fun. Everyone likes buying new things and looking good in new clothes.

Julia Dutan St. Joseph H.S. Senior My favorite activity is karate and I recommend it to others because you learn about self-defense.	Daniel Archbold Cathedral Prep Seminary Senior Snowboarding. The first day I was falling off. Now I curve down the mountain doing board grabs. Everyone should try it. When you fall, just get up again.

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