Catholic Memorial Viewbook

CATHOLIC MEMORIAL SCHOOL A UNIQUE PLACE. A ONE-OF-A-KIND EDUCATION.

There’s no school in Greater Boston quite like Catholic Memorial.

We’re different because we believe educating boys is different.

It requires a profound understanding of what makes boys tick.

Boys are relational learners so their connection to our faculty is critical to their learning. Every member of our staff is highly accomplished and passionate about helping boys grow.

Here, teachers don’t just teach, they transform lives, ignite passion, and unlock potential so that boys become leaders.

In the classroom. On the athletic field. And in the community.

It’s different here at CM, and that difference is what makes us great.

Catholic Memorial is a college preparatory school in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. We’re part of a global network of 200 schools. Our campus sits on the corners of Spring and Baker Streets in West Roxbury.

Friendships that last a lifetime begin in our classrooms, hallways, and on our fields.

TABLE OF CONTENTS A TIGHT-KNIT COMMUNITY 2 AN ELITE EDUCATION 4 AN ACADEMIC POWERHOUSE 6 A DYNAMIC CURRICULUM 8 MEN OF CHARACTER 10 TALENTED FACULTY 12 RENAISSANCE MEN 14 ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE 16 COLLEGE COUNSELING 18 FAQs 20

CATHOLIC MEMORIAL SCHOOL 235 BAKER STREET WEST ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS 02132 P 617.469.8000 F 617.325.0888 www.catholicmemorial.org

Boys are relational learners. We understand that we must know who boys are and what makes them tick before we can teach them to write, to explore, and to challenge themselves.

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“Catholic Memorial School is a warm and friendly community strengthened by its tradition, but laser-focused on meeting the needs of today’s students and families. In our academic setting, I love that students and faculty challenge each other in our collective pursuit of excellence.”

MR. VINCENT BRADLEY Social Studies Teacher

EVERY TEACHER KNOWS EVERY STUDENT. CM is the smallest of our peer schools, and that makes a huge difference. We’re a tight-knit community, not a big academic factory.

Here, the average class size is twenty. Boys get personalized attention every day from teachers who truly care about their lives in and out of the classroom. We believe the strong mentorship between teachers and boys increases engagement and cultivates learning.

We know that mentorship inspires growth so no student ever gets lost in the shuffle here. Instead, they find their passions and discover new possibilities.

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“I love CM because I like being in a diverse environment meeting new people every day. I have amazing friends that have become my brothers.”

ZACH BRODERICK ’20 Westwood

AN ELITE EDUCATION THAT’S NEVER ELITIST. Our students come from all over Greater Boston.

103 different zip codes to be exact.

So while boys learn from their teachers, they also learn an incredible amount from each other. There’s great diversity here, not just in the boys’ backgrounds, but also in their interests and personalities. And that diversity helps prepare our students to thrive in the interconnected world that we all live in today.

The relationships formed at CM heighten the boys’ understanding of the real world, and give them new perspective on their place in it.

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48% 52% 87%

STUDENTS FROM THE CITY OF BOSTON STUDENTS FROM SUBURBAN TOWNS CATHOLIC

CM boys embrace socioeconomic, ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity.

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20 4.1 80% 300%

A.P. COURSES OFFERED AVERAGE SCORE ON A.P. U.S. HISTORY OF STUDENTS RECEIVED A PASSING SCORE ON A.P. EXAMS COMPARED TO 51% NATIONALLY INCREASE IN ADMISSION TO BARRON’S MOST SELECTIVE COLLEGES IN THE PAST THREE YEARS

ADDED 31 NEW COURSES AT ALL ACADEMIC LEVELS OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS. 100% OF UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS OFFICERS CALL CM’S ACADEMIC PROGRAMS “RIGOROUS.”

Our faculty appropriately challenge each student.

More importantly, their availability and approachability help students meet these challenges.

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SCHOLARS PROGRAM Our Scholars Program offers our strongest students the opportunity to grow intellectually and expand their academic horizons in ways not typically available to students until college.

AN ACADEMIC POWERHOUSE. Rigorous. Challenging. Inspiring. CM is an academic institution that stands with any in the Greater Boston area.

Based on our philosophy of the importance of relational learning, we provide a liberal arts program with an emphasis on inquiry, collaboration, and innovation.

It’s a style of education that inspires learning in every single student.

We motivate the students who have not yet maximized their potential, and push the top students to the next level.

We encourage learning by doing, and discovering by inquiring.

Teachers don’t just challenge students. Students challenge themselves. They learn new ways to learn, and use the skills they develop to achieve uncommon success in a way that’s actually pretty common around here.

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LEARNING AT THE SPEED OF SCIENCE. Science and technology never stop evolving. The way they’re taught needs to keep pace. That’s why we created flexible and active learning spaces where students inquire, create, and collaborate. It’s a hands-on approach we call Knight Based Learning.

It’s an innovative way to teach with cutting-edge technology.

Here, the curriculum includes robotics, 3D printing, biotechnology, environmental science, CSI forensics, sports science, and design thinking.

It’s a curriculum that keeps students current with the fast-moving world of innovation, and ensures they never fall behind in understanding the science and technology that surrounds them.

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CM has the only Critical Making course offered to middle schoolers in the state. We’re preparing our students for a dynamic, innovative, fast-paced economy.

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CM students lead through service and become men of action who care for those on the margins of our city and world.

STUDENTS GIVE 16,000 HOURS OF SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY EACH YEAR STUDENTS HAVE VOLUNTEERED IN 8 COUNTRIES INCLUDING SPAIN, CHINA, PERU, AND BOSNIA

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“I never would have imagined I would have so many brothers at CM who care about me and want to see me succeed.

There’s a spirit around the school that makes you feel right at home.”

JACOB AZZI ’19

CHARACTER MATTERS HERE. The CM community is passionate about making a difference in the local and global communities.

All of our students spend hours volunteering off-campus.

It’s during this time and through these experiences that students learn how every little act of kindness can have a huge effect on the lives of others.

Of course, we’re committed to creating better students here, but we’re just as dedicated to creating better citizens and more inspiring leaders.

Our upperclassmen and faculty serve as mentors to younger students, and pass on the values and virtues that teach our students to be men of character and integrity.

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“Students at CM appreciate knowing that I am more than just a teacher. In class, I allow for occasional moments of conversation about life.

This way they have a model of another adult doing his best to be a husband, father, coach, and man of faith, and I learn from them about what it is like to be a teenager in these times of rapid change.”

MR. GABE VERDAGUER World Languages Teacher

TEACHING. INSPIRING. CONNECTING. Teaching here requires a little more.

Every member of our staff has an advanced academic pedigree and a sophisticated understanding of teaching in today’s world. 90% of our faculty have earned advanced degrees, including several doctorates.

But teaching here requires even more than that.

It requires a specific understanding of how to teach boys during the most important years of their development. It requires a passion that inspires, and a commitment that extends well beyond the classroom.

Our philosophy of relational learning is centered around the connection between teacher and student. So teachers here matter more. And we’re blessed to have a faculty we believe is the best in Greater Boston. More importantly, our students agree.

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Our teachers don’t just teach content.

They teach grit, persistence, and the value of hard work.

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LIST OF ACTIVITIES A Capella

Math Team

Art Club

Model UN

Bowling Club

National Honor Society

Business Club

Ping Pong Club

Chamber Ensemble

Robotics Club

Chess Club

Ski/Snowboarding Trips

Cycling Club

Speech and Debate

Drama Club

Student Government

Edmund Rice Society

Students Against

Errant Magazine

Destructive Decisions

Guitar Ensemble

World Language Honor Society

Intramural Sports

Writing Club

Jazz Band

Yearbook Club

Knight Insight Latin Club Liturgical Choir

Visit our website for a more complete list of all the extracurricular opportunities offered here.

Boys embrace passions and find new talents.

In the single-sex environment, they are free to be themselves.

2 CONSECUTIVE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN SPEECH & DEBATE 75 STUDENTS HAVE QUALIFIED FOR THE NATIONAL TOURNAMENT IN SPEECH & DEBATE OVER THE LAST 4 YEARS 29 STUDENTS HAVE WON AWARDS AT MODEL UN CONFERENCES IN THE LAST TWO YEARS

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“The thing that stands out about CM to me is the community, and how easy it is to get involved.

There are so many opportunities and activities to explore and find out what interests you.”

NICK OLWELL ’21 Dedham

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES. EXTRAORDINARY POSSIBILITIES. The years spent at CM are the most important time of a boy’s development. We believe that helping students find out who they are starts with enabling them to discover untapped talents and passions.

We encourage students to embrace new experiences, and we ensure they have plenty of opportunities to do just that.

There are more than 30 different extracurricular activities here because sometimes the most important learning a student can do occurs outside the classroom.

It’s where boys learn what they love.

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“CM taught me the importance of sportsmanship, poise, and class.

Those were the best 6 years of my life. I flourished academically and athletically, leading me to the top Catholic university in the world.”

ANDREW O’LEARY ’18

WHERE KNIGHTS BECOME BROTHERS. CM has a long and well-known tradition of athletic success.

But we believe the biggest win our students can have is simply the experience of competing. Boys develop work ethic, overcome challenges, and forge unbreakable bonds with teammates.

They also strengthen their connection to their teachers because teachers coach here. Athletics is an extension of the classroom where lessons about the importance of relentless effort are taught every day.

We believe sports build character and create leaders, so win or lose, our students always win. With that said, a win on the scoreboard is always nice. And we’ve had lots of Ws there, too.

We’ve also had many students who have gone on to athletic success at the next level. From DI to NESCAC, CM scholar-athletes have continued their education and careers at schools like Harvard, Notre Dame, Boston College, Ohio State, Holy Cross, Dartmouth, Bowdoin, Bates, Middlebury, and Stonehill.

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71 31 15 209 86% 88%

CATHOLIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS INDIVIDUAL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS MULTI-SPORT ATHLETES OF SENIORS PLAYED A SPORT DURING THEIR TIME AT CM OF MIDDLE SCHOOLERS PLAYING A SPORT

Our varsity coaches are CM faculty and staff members.

The field, ice, mat, and court are extensions of our classrooms.

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40% OF CM STUDENTS ENROLL IN THE MOST HIGHLY SELECTIVE COLLEGES

50% OF CM STUDENTS ENROLL IN CATHOLIC COLLEGES

As a result of our Beyond CM College Counseling program, students are admitted on average to 4 of the 5 colleges to which they apply.

KNIGHTS ACHIEVE AT THE BEST COLLEGES COAST TO COAST

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Babson College

Northeastern University

Bates College

Northwestern University

Boston College

Providence College

Bowdoin College

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Brown University

Santa Clara University

Carnegie Mellon University

Swarthmore College

Colby College

Trinity College

Colgate University

University of Michigan

College of the Holy Cross

University of Notre Dame

Connecticut College

University of Richmond

Dartmouth College

University of Rochester

Fairfield College

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Harvard University

Villanova University

Marquette University

Wake Forest University

Middlebury College

Wesleyan University

New York University

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

“CM’s counselors carved a path that put my strengths into action.”

MATT MARCANTANO ’17 Bowdoin College ’21

“CM’s college counseling program led me to discover new passions and opportunities I didn’t know existed for me.”

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HARRY CAO ’18 Swarthmore College ’22

COLLEGE PREP MIGHT BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT. When boys come here, they can go anywhere.

We make sure our students are ready for the next step by entrusting each student to a full-time college counselor to receive a personalized plan through the college search, application, and selection process.

Our expert college counselors know how to structure a program that supports each student’s search for self, purpose, and potential.

So when college admissions time comes around, that feeling in the pit of the students’ and parents’ stomach isn’t worry.

It’s excitement about what lies ahead.

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ADMISSIONS FAQ How do I apply to Catholic Memorial?

Catholic Memorial uses Ravenna, a web-based application for paperless submission of online applications. The application may be accessed from our website at www.catholicmemorial.org.

When can I start my application to Catholic Memorial?

Catholic Memorial’s online application is available September 1st.

Do I need to take an entrance exam?

Yes. Catholic Memorial requires an entrance exam for admission. We administer the ISEE to middle school applicants and the HSPT to ninth grade applicants. However, applicants may opt to take the SSAT or ISEE upper level. Transfer applicants should submit SSAT or ISEE upper level results.

Does Catholic Memorial have an Open House?

Catholic Memorial hosts an annual Open House in October. There are additional opportunities to visit CM’s campus throughout the fall and into the spring.

Am I required to interview with a member of the Admissions Staff?

Applicants are required to visit Catholic Memorial. Applicants may choose to sit for an interview or participate in the Knight for a Day Program.

What is the admissions decision based on?

First and foremost, we are looking for excellent students; students who want to be challenged and will use CM as a stepping stone to college. We review a student’s entrance exam scores, current and past grades, and ask for evaluations from two teachers. While we look for demonstrated excellence, we are also gauging a student’s potential and seek students who will thrive on our campus.

Does Catholic Memorial offer financial aid?

Catholic Memorial offers financial aid. The distribution of aid is based on a family’s financial circumstances, academic promise and good character, and potential of the student to contribute to the CM community.

Can I apply for a scholarship?

No applications are available for CM scholarships; instead, every application for admission is reviewed for scholarship potential. Scholarships are awarded upon admission to Catholic Memorial School.

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EDUCATING BOYS FROM GREATER BOSTON SINCE 1957

Learn more at www.catholicmemorial.org or visit for yourself.

CATHOLIC MEMORIAL SCHOOL 235 BAKER STREET WEST ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS 02132 P 617.469.8000 F 617.325.0888