Pope John XXIII Regional High School
Encyclopedia
Pope John XXIII Regional High School is a Roman Catholic high school
in Sparta Township
, New Jersey
. The school was founded in 1956, originally as Our Lady Of The Lake School, and is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson
. The school name was changed to honor Pope John XXIII
after his death in 1963.
As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 907 students and 70.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.8.
(AP) courses are offered. An eighth grade honors program for math and science is also offered for other Catholic schools in the area, including Rev. Brown, Immaculate Conception, and St. Joseph's, collectively known as "The Academy of Sussex County Catholic Schools." The math and science taught to the eighth grade honors students is also taught to the freshman. In addition to the eighth grade honors program for area Catholic schools, Pope John launched their own eighth grade class in the 2009-2010 academic year, but only accepted eighth grade students who were previously from public schools.
Like most Catholic schools, students are required to wear uniforms. The uniform policy is often strictly enforced to ensure students live up the proper standard expected of them by the administration and faculty. Uniforms, for example, include uniform dress shoes, ties (for boys), and dress pants and skirts, respectively, which are coordinated by class and change as a student moves to the next grade. The school also does not allow for any facial hair on boys or any "hair that reaches past the ear or below the collar;" infractions of proper uniform often result in punishment by the administration or faculty.
While the school is Catholic, they accept students from other Christian religions and non-Christian religions, but about 80% of the student body is Catholic. Its theological position is that of a mainstream Roman Catholic belief taking neither a progressive or traditional position.
and until 2009, participated in the Sussex County Interscholastic League
. The school is categorized by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
(NJSIAA) as Non-Public North, Group A.
Pope John is mostly known for their success in cross country and track & field. Year in and year out, The boy's cross country team as well as the track team dominate the NJAC and continue to be the most successful sports team in the school.
Through the years, its football
team has had a great amount of success accumulating 20 state championships under coach Victor Paternostro. In 2002, the football team won the Parochial 2 state sectional championship with a 41-12 win against Queen of Peace High School
in the tournament final. In 2009, Coach Paternostro became New Jersey's winningest high school football coach with the Lions' win over West Morris Mendham. After the 2010 season, Paternostro resigned from his coaching position after a disput with the school President Rev. Msgr Kieran McHugh. He leaves the school with an overall record of 373-68-5, 20 state championships, 19 Sussex County Interscholastic League titles and two NJAC titles*. He was replaced by Brain Carlson formerly from Kean University. His first season led to much disappointment earning a 5-5 record and a first round loss in the playoffs.
In 2005-06, the hockey team advanced to the state semi-finals, where they lost 3-2 to the Delbarton School
. The 2003-04 team was the champions of the Northern Red division, going undefeated in conference play and winning the conference tournament. The 2002-03 team had lost the previous year in the conference championship game after winning the conference regular season title.
In March, 2008, the Pope John Ski Team won its first State Championship.
robotics: FLL
for area elementary schools, FTC
and FRC
for high school students. Pope John does not restrict the program to their own students, approximately ten to fifteen percent of the FTC and FRC team members in any given year come from other area high schools, and FLL students come from both public and private area elementary schools. In the 2010-2011 academic year sixty-two students were involved in some level of the program.
In the 2009-2010 season the school's two FTC teams both qualified for the World Championship held in Atlanta, Georgia. FTC Team 247 won the New York City Championship as captain team, and FTC Team 248 won the New Jersey Championship as captain team. Additionally, the teams jointly came in second place at the Pennsylvania Championship.
In the 2010-2011 season the school expanded FTC to three teams. One of the three teams qualified for the World Championship held in St. Louis, Missouri (team 4391). This marked the third consecutive season in which a Pope John FTC team qualified for the World Championship.
The team also publishes a book, FTC Robotics: Tips, Tricks, Strategies, and Secrets, which guides new and veteran teams through the process of building a winning FTC program. The book is available through major online retailers. Over one thousand copies sold during the 2010-2011 season.
A major expansion of the Robotics program took place in 2010-2011. This expansion included adding academic awards recognition to robotics team participants, adding a Varsity Letter program in Robotics, and adding a new course to the 2011-2012 academic year, Honors Robotics I.
Secondary education in the United States
In most jurisdictions, secondary education in the United States refers to the last six or seven years of statutory formal education. Secondary education is generally split between junior high school or middle school, usually beginning with sixth or seventh grade , and high school, beginning with...
in Sparta Township
Sparta Township, New Jersey
Sparta Township is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 19,722...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. The school was founded in 1956, originally as Our Lady Of The Lake School, and is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson
Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson
The Diocese of Paterson is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, which includes three counties in northern New Jersey: Passaic, Morris, and Sussex. The city of Paterson, third-largest in the state of New Jersey, was chosen as the episcopal see, even though...
. The school name was changed to honor Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
after his death in 1963.
As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 907 students and 70.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.8.
Philosophy and Coursework
Pope John XXIII Regional High School has a Catholic philosophy in accordance with Church teaching.The school also has a college prep course of study in academic subjects. Students are required to not only take state required courses but an additional year of Math and Science. Theology coursework is required for every marking period a student is enrolled at the school. Two years of a foreign language such as Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Arabic, Russian or Latin (and Mandarin Chinese being introduced the for 2009-2010 curriculum), are also required as well as computer courses. 17 Advanced Placement ProgramAdvanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
(AP) courses are offered. An eighth grade honors program for math and science is also offered for other Catholic schools in the area, including Rev. Brown, Immaculate Conception, and St. Joseph's, collectively known as "The Academy of Sussex County Catholic Schools." The math and science taught to the eighth grade honors students is also taught to the freshman. In addition to the eighth grade honors program for area Catholic schools, Pope John launched their own eighth grade class in the 2009-2010 academic year, but only accepted eighth grade students who were previously from public schools.
Like most Catholic schools, students are required to wear uniforms. The uniform policy is often strictly enforced to ensure students live up the proper standard expected of them by the administration and faculty. Uniforms, for example, include uniform dress shoes, ties (for boys), and dress pants and skirts, respectively, which are coordinated by class and change as a student moves to the next grade. The school also does not allow for any facial hair on boys or any "hair that reaches past the ear or below the collar;" infractions of proper uniform often result in punishment by the administration or faculty.
While the school is Catholic, they accept students from other Christian religions and non-Christian religions, but about 80% of the student body is Catholic. Its theological position is that of a mainstream Roman Catholic belief taking neither a progressive or traditional position.
Athletics
Pope John has a full complement of boys and girls athletic programs. Currently Pope John competes in the Northwest Jersey Athletic ConferenceNorthwest Jersey Athletic Conference
The Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference is a sports league that includes public and private high schools from Morris County, Sussex County and Warren County, New Jersey, that operates under the auspices of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association...
and until 2009, participated in the Sussex County Interscholastic League
Sussex County Interscholastic League
The Sussex County Interscholastic League was a high school athletic conference located in Sussex County and Morris County, New Jersey. The league was formed in 1976 when a number of new high schools opened up in the previous year. The formation of the league was to promote athletics and to cut...
. The school is categorized by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association is an association of hundreds of New Jersey high schools that regulates high school athletics and holds tournaments and crowns champions in high school sports.-State championships:...
(NJSIAA) as Non-Public North, Group A.
Pope John is mostly known for their success in cross country and track & field. Year in and year out, The boy's cross country team as well as the track team dominate the NJAC and continue to be the most successful sports team in the school.
Through the years, its football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team has had a great amount of success accumulating 20 state championships under coach Victor Paternostro. In 2002, the football team won the Parochial 2 state sectional championship with a 41-12 win against Queen of Peace High School
Queen of Peace High School (New Jersey)
Queen of Peace High School is a Roman Catholic, coeducational parochial secondary school operated by the Sisters of St. Joseph and the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. It is located in North Arlington, New Jersey. The school has been honored two times by the Blue Ribbon Schools...
in the tournament final. In 2009, Coach Paternostro became New Jersey's winningest high school football coach with the Lions' win over West Morris Mendham. After the 2010 season, Paternostro resigned from his coaching position after a disput with the school President Rev. Msgr Kieran McHugh. He leaves the school with an overall record of 373-68-5, 20 state championships, 19 Sussex County Interscholastic League titles and two NJAC titles*. He was replaced by Brain Carlson formerly from Kean University. His first season led to much disappointment earning a 5-5 record and a first round loss in the playoffs.
In 2005-06, the hockey team advanced to the state semi-finals, where they lost 3-2 to the Delbarton School
Delbarton School
Delbarton School is a private all-male Roman Catholic college preparatory school in Morristown, New Jersey, educating young men from 7th to 12th grade. Delbarton is a Catholic independent school directed by the Benedictine monks of St. Mary's Abbey....
. The 2003-04 team was the champions of the Northern Red division, going undefeated in conference play and winning the conference tournament. The 2002-03 team had lost the previous year in the conference championship game after winning the conference regular season title.
In March, 2008, the Pope John Ski Team won its first State Championship.
Student Organizations and Clubs
The following organizations and clubs are present at Pope John XXIII Regional High School:- Academic: Academic Team, Computer Science Club, Math Club, Mock Trial Competition, Pope John FIRST Robotics Team
- Fine Arts: Concert Band, Concert Choir, Drama Club, Jazz Ensemble, Mixed Choir, Pep Band, Pope John Players
- Language & Culture: German Club, Latin Club, Middle-Eastern Culture Club (MECCa), Spanish Club
- Leadership: National Honor Society, Pope John Leadership Council
- Publication: Le Coeur de Lion (Literary Magazine), The Lion's Pride (School Newspaper)
- Spiritual & Service: Habitat for Humanity, Key Club, Lifeguards, Mission Club, Pope John Vision Club, Search
Robotics Team
The Pope John XXIII Regional High School FIRST Robotics Team supports three levels of FIRSTFirst
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one.First or 1st may also refer to:* First , minor summit below the Schwarzhorn in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland* First , mountain in Bernese Alps in Switzerland...
robotics: FLL
FIRST Lego League
The FIRST® LEGO® League is an international competition organized by FIRST for elementary and middle school students ....
for area elementary schools, FTC
FIRST Tech Challenge
The FIRST Tech Challenge , formerly the FIRST Vex Challenge , is a mid-level robotics competition targeted toward high-school aged students. It offers the traditional challenge of a FIRST Robotics competition but with a more accessible and affordable robotics kit...
and FRC
FIRST Robotics Competition
The FIRST Robotics Competition is an international high school robotics competition organized by FIRST. Each year, teams of high school students compete to build robots weighing up to , not including battery and bumpers, that can complete a task, which changes every year...
for high school students. Pope John does not restrict the program to their own students, approximately ten to fifteen percent of the FTC and FRC team members in any given year come from other area high schools, and FLL students come from both public and private area elementary schools. In the 2010-2011 academic year sixty-two students were involved in some level of the program.
In the 2009-2010 season the school's two FTC teams both qualified for the World Championship held in Atlanta, Georgia. FTC Team 247 won the New York City Championship as captain team, and FTC Team 248 won the New Jersey Championship as captain team. Additionally, the teams jointly came in second place at the Pennsylvania Championship.
In the 2010-2011 season the school expanded FTC to three teams. One of the three teams qualified for the World Championship held in St. Louis, Missouri (team 4391). This marked the third consecutive season in which a Pope John FTC team qualified for the World Championship.
The team also publishes a book, FTC Robotics: Tips, Tricks, Strategies, and Secrets, which guides new and veteran teams through the process of building a winning FTC program. The book is available through major online retailers. Over one thousand copies sold during the 2010-2011 season.
A major expansion of the Robotics program took place in 2010-2011. This expansion included adding academic awards recognition to robotics team participants, adding a Varsity Letter program in Robotics, and adding a new course to the 2011-2012 academic year, Honors Robotics I.
External links
- Pope John XXIII High School
- NJIT High School summer internship program
- Data for Pope John XXIII Regional High School, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...