128113 AdmissionsViewbookFinal-NWC121 AdmissionsViewbook · 2016. 9. 21. · UMass Amherst ’01 MS...

Be Challenged

Be Committed

Be Inspired

Be Confident

Be Fulfilled

Be Supported

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O U R P H I L O S O P H Y

Northwest Catholic High School is a

coeducational college preparatory secondary

school established and maintained in the

Catholic educational tradition. It aims to foster

in young people a life-orienting faith, at the

same time guiding them in the pursuit of

academic excellence, commitment to principles

of peace and justice, and service to community

on all levels, within a context of awareness of

the global dimension of modern life.

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Why Catholic School?

Because you will…•Make friends who will last a lifetime.

•Be well-prepared for college whether you are anhonors student or not.

•Compete in sports you already love, either onintramural or interscholastic teams, and probablytry new ones too.

•Have teachers who will educate you not just abouttheir subjects but also about life.

•Perform in a play, sculpt in a studio, sing with achoir, or dance on a stage.

•Be accepted and respected for who you are.

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Academics—BeChallengedNorthwest Catholic offers a range of programs designed to challenge and support the interests and

needs of each individual student. Our curriculum prepares students for college and provides a well-

rounded education for high school and for life. The requirement for graduation is 24 credits and

includes requirements in English, Religion, Social Studies, Science, Mathematics, Foreign

Language, Fine Arts, Physical Education and

Health. Courses range from College

Preparatory to Accelerated (Math only) to

Honors (all disciplines) to Advanced

Placement (all disciplines except Religion).

Our outstanding faculty members dedicate

their lives to their craft and to young people

and model a love for learning. Students are

invited to explore all the various disciplines

in depth — and the teachers, in turn, learn

from the interests and enthusiasm of the

students.

I like the camaraderie among the facultyand staff. It is a place of encouragementwhether student to student, student toteacher or teacher to teacher. Theredefinitely is a spiritual side to my day too,whether that is through the morning prayeror discussion with a student or teacher.

Claudia Hart ’78Chairperson, Math Department


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12:1student:faculty ratio

15Advanced Placement classes

offered; Honors courses offeredin every subject

1:1iPad initiative

(Every student issued an iPad)Apple TVs in every classroom

I like that the class sizes are small. It makes it easier to hear theteachers, learn from them and ask questions. It also makes it easy tomake friends and find people who share the same interests as you.

Angelica De Los Santos ’19Hartford, CT


44teams / 3 seasons

82%of the student body

participates in athletics(60% in more than one sport)

47state championships

(11 since 2011)

6sportsmanship awards

in the last 5 years

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FALL Football • Boys’ Soccer • Girls’ Soccer • Boys’ Cross Country • Girls’ Cross Country Volleyball• Field Hockey • Cheerleading

WINTER Boys’ Basketball • Girls’ Basketball • Boys Indoor TrackGirls’ Indoor Track • Boys’ Hockey • Girls’ Hockey • Swimming (coed) • Cheerleading

SPRING Baseball • Softball • Boys’ Lacrosse • Girls’ Lacrosse • Boys’ TennisGirls’ Tennis • Boys’ Outdoor Track • Girls’ Outdoor Track • Boys’ Golf • Girls’ Golf • Unified Sports Volleyball*

*In conjunction with the Intensive Education Academy, West Hartford


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Athletics—Be CommittedAt Northwest Catholic, athletics are considered a critical component in the physical, social, emotional and moral

development of our students, and are viewed as a necessary complement to the academic education students receive.

About 82% of our students participate in sports at Northwest Catholic, on one of our 44 different teams or in our

intramural program. We are very proud of our long history of athletic growth and success. Participation in the Northwest

Catholic athletic program is not a right of all

students, but rather a privilege afforded to

those who possess ability, positive attitude,

cooperative spirit, and the desire to represent

our community in a manner that reflects

favorably upon our school’s reputation.

Northwest Catholic coaches recognize the

tremendous influence of their positions.

They strive to instill ideals and character

traits in our student-athletes that are

consistent with the philosophy of Northwest

Catholic High School.

I remember the friendships that I made, theups-and downs of athletic participation, theschool spirit and the real sense of communitythat existed at Northwest.

Alumni John B. Shukie ’95Bowdoin College ’99UMass Amherst ’01 MS Sports ManagementUniversity of Chicago ’04 Juris DoctoratePresident, Forward Progress Athletics Consulting, Colorado


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Fine & Performing Arts—Be Inspired

The Fine and Performing Arts Department

offers courses that provide a variety of

experiences for all musical, dance or artistic

backgrounds and abilities. These courses are

designed for students who wish to pursue

the arts as a hobby, as well as those planning

a career in the fine or performing arts. Some

of the courses are open to all students; others

require a special audition/portfolio for

membership. The Breen Center for the Arts,

the Dyber Art Studio, the Alice C.

Mortensen Theater, and the Maximilian E.

and Marion O. Hoffman Art Lobby provide a visually pleasing and professional

backdrop for the pursuit of the arts at Northwest Catholic.

NWC played a big role in my career. Ichoreographed some of my first dancesthrough dance program at school. It wasduring high school when I really begantaking choreography and dance seriously.

Brandon D. Couloute ’10CCSU ’14Choreographer and dance instructor


Recent trips included the Berklee Jazz Festival and Heritage Festival,Boston (1st Place 2016-Big Band);

Lincoln Center, New York; New Orleans Service Trip

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24Courses in art, dance, music

and theater including AdvancedPlacement Music Theory and Advanced

Placement Studio Art

9award-winning choral

and instrumental performing groups

2productions per year including a fall comedy or drama and a

spring musical

My experiences in the arts have taught me to enjoy my time in highschool and give every second my all. It takes immense hard work andpractice to achieve the goals you set for yourself. That same mentality issomething I utilize in every aspect of my life, including academics,service or athletics. I’m blessed to be part of such a community and I’mgrateful for the memories and friends I’ve made here.

Daniel Ogbonna ’18West Hartford, CT


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Leadership—Be Confident

Learning at Northwest Catholic isn’t restricted to the classroom.

To encourage students to get involved in their community and in the

world, we offer our unique “Challenge Program,” which is designed to

help students develop leadership skills:

OARS (Outdoor Adventure, Recreation, and Survival) – through

camping, canoeing and other outdoor activities, students develop

leadership and team-building skills in an outdoor setting.

ACTS (A Chance to Serve) – This is a senior religion course featuring

Christian leadership training that provides students the

opportunity to serve the needs of others in the community.

HILL (Honors Institute for Leadership in Life) – Another course for

seniors only, this class meets for two periods a day, fulfilling

Religion and Social Studies requirements. Focusing on specific

moral and historical themes, this class also includes a week of

study abroad (during spring vacation). Students receive three

credits from University of St. Joseph.


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As part of Northwest Catholic’s Mission Statement and Statement of

Values, students are called to accept the challenges of responsible

citizenship, to demonstrate compassion for others and to exercise

leadership centered in the Gospel. The LEADS (Leadership,

Engagement, Accountability, Determination and Service) program

provides the students at Northwest Catholic with opportunities that

will allow them to achieve the school’s mission and vision.

LEADS complements the academic program with concepts and skills

thereby ensuring NWC students’ success in college and beyond. Each

year students will take a semester long class that is linked to the theme

of that grade level. At the end of four years, students from Northwest

will demonstrate the following characteristics:

• Open to Growth

• Intellectually Competent/Distinguished

• Religious

• Loving

• Committed to Doing Justice

• Developed as Leaders

Learning beyond the classroom

Past trips have been to England, France, Italy, Greece,

Ireland, Spain, Germany, Austria

United Nations, NYC – Model UN Club

When we were visiting schools prior to our son Dario’s freshman year, oneof the items that stood out from our visit to NWC was the LEADS program.The description was very unique and something that was on the “shortlist” of why Dario enrolled at Northwest. After his first year, it is even moreobvious why this program is fantastic. As a freshman, LEADS reallyhelped integrate him and his classmates into the NWC family andprovided assistance with goal setting and other important attributes. Weare eager to have him be part of the 10, 11 and 12 LEADS program whichwill incorporate job shadowing, partnering with Junior Achievement andeventually preparing him for college and independent living.

Bob and Lesa LaraiaWest Hartford, CT


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Service—Be FulfilledSophomore Service ProjectThe Sophomore Service Project is a Sophomore year requirement

of service in an agency that performs a Corporal Work of Mercy.

The Corporal Works of Mercy include:

With their service, students have the opportunity to interact both

with the people receiving services and the people whose life work is

dedicated to the service of those in need.

• Feed the hungry

• Give drink to the thirsty

• Clothe the naked

• Shelter the homeless

• Visit the sick

• Visit those in prison

• Bury the dead


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School-Wide Service OpportunitiesThere are a variety of opportunities for the entire

school community to participate in service projects.

Casual Days for Charity: At the end of each

month, Northwest Catholic students and faculty

are given the opportunity to dress casually for a $2

donation, with the money collected supporting a

different charity each month.

Thanksgiving Turkey Drive: The sophomore class

sponsors the annual Turkey Drive, which collects

money to buy turkeys for the Catholic Worker

House and Foodshare. A food drive is run in

conjunction with this project.

Freshman Toy Drive: The freshman class sponsors

the annual Toy Drive, which helps the Catholic

Worker House provide toys to children in need at

Christmas.

Service and Faith-Based School GroupsIn addition to their sophomore service project, students are also

able to participate in the following groups:

St. Vincent de Paul Club — students work to help those in need

providing food, shelter, clothing and compassion.

Theology on Pizza — students discuss various religious and

ethical topics in an informal setting.

Respect Life Club — spreading the pro-life message throughout

the school community.

St. Isidore Gardening Club — students plant a garden behind the

school and donate the produce to various organizations.

MANNA Community Meals — a monthly program in which

NWC students and faculty donate food and serve meals at a soup

kitchen in Hartford.

ConnectiKids — a weekly program where NWC students tutor

elementary school students from Hartford.

Praise Band — performs the music at each monthly Mass and

during prayer services at the school.

Early in my freshman year in college I realized that to truly express my gratitude I had to sharethe lessons I had learned with as many people as possible, leading to my yearly summer servicetrips to Africa. When I first heard about the Education and Social Empowerment Program, Iknew I had found my students. They are the most motivated people I’ve ever met, but theKenyan school system does not prepare them for American universities the way NorthwestCatholic does for us. The biggest challenge I had was condensing four years of invaluablelessons into a 7 week curriculum. What has emerged is a one woman show in which I attemptto faithfully portray such disparate characters as Mrs. Metzler (NWC Math) illuminating calculus,Ms. Keating-McKeon (NWC English) exposing logical fallacies, and Mrs. Bournique (NWCReligion) demonstrating service and humility. And that is just Act 1!

Sarah Gillespie ’13Harvard University ’17Manchester, CT


By being able to pray before classand freely discuss religionthroughout the school day, I havebeen able to grow deeper in myCatholic faith.

Community service and volunteeringis important to me because it allowsme to give back to the communityand share my Catholic faith withothers. Through these experiences Ihave learned that volunteering is arewarding activity. Fromunderstanding how other peoplelive, seeing the troubles they gothrough, and being able to helpthem, even in a little way, I havebetter understood how to put myCatholic faith into action.

Sophia Argay ’19Avon, CT


Faith—Be SupportedAs a Catholic school, faith is an important part of life at Northwest

Catholic. We welcome students of all faiths to our community —

21% of Northwest Catholic students are not Catholic. The school

day begins and ends with prayer. Students are encouraged to pray

throughout the day in their classes, and all are invited to share

special prayer intentions with the office to be included with

Morning Prayer, which is said throughout the school.

A school-wide Mass is celebrated each month, and at the beginning

of each athletic season, Mass is offered with the season’s athletes

after school.

The school’s chapel is always open for prayer, with Mass celebrated

each Tuesday after school and a weekly prayer group gathering each

Wednesday before school.

In addition, students go on retreat by grade with their classmates

once a year.

At Northwest Catholic, entrance into the upper classes isdemonstrated through our Junior Investiture which hasseveral parts:

Students are required totake four years of religion.

9th Grade: Sacred Scripture: OldTestament and Sacred Scripture:

New Testament

10th Grade: History of theCatholic Church and

Living as a Disciple of Jesus Christ in Society

11th Grade: Responding to theCall of Jesus Christ and Christian

Morality and ConscienceFormation

12th Grade: Ecumenical and Interreligious Issues

and an elective

• A half day retreat for the members of the Junior class to reflect on their

membership of the faith community, meeting social and academic

expectations, and the importance of their role as a leader and role model

while integrating faith into daily living.

• A school community Mass, in which each Junior is called forth by name in

front of the entire school community, supported by a Senior sponsor, to

accept this challenge and to accept a blessed cross as a symbol of his or her

new status and commitment to the school and faith community.

• An evening prayer service to which family members are invited which

reinforces this call to live up to new expectations and demonstrates the

support of the family for the student.

• A reception for students and families to come together in a social setting as a

group and develop an identity that will sustain the students through the

remaining time they have at Northwest Catholic.


Tufts UniversityMiddlebury CollegeVillanova UniversityGeorgetown UniversityBrown UniversityHarvard CollegeCollege of William

& MaryWestern New England

UniversityMerrimack CollegeUniversity of Arizona University of

Rhode Island Tufts University Quinnipiac UniversityUniversity of

Connecticut Keene State College Syracuse University Eastern CT State

University Arcadia University

University of Hartford Colorado College Emmanuel CollegeSuffolk University Drexel UniversityVillanova University Marymount

Manhattan College University of the Arts Georgetown University Central CT State

UniversityAssumption CollegeBrown UniversityConnecticut CollegeUniversity of

New EnglandEmerson CollegeSiena CollegeUniversity of ScrantonBryant UniversityMount Saint Mary

CollegeBecker College

College of the Holy Cross

Providence CollegeFairfield UniversityClark UniversityWorcester Polytechnic

Institute Elon University Florida International

UniversityBoston College University of

Saint Joseph Stonehill College Bowdoin College Bryant UniversityCollege of Charleston Western CT

State UniversityHarvard College University of

South DakotaHigh Point University

Saint Michael’s College

Fairfield University Saint Anselm CollegeRegis College Seton Hall UniversityFordham University St. John’s UniversityWidener University Ohio UniversityCollege of the

Holy Cross Elms College Lafayette College Stevens Institute

of Technology Northwestern

University Rutgers University Fordham University University of New

HampshireUniversity of Delaware Colgate University

University of South Carolina

Roger Williams University Curry College Southern CT

State University University of California

at San DiegoGettysburg College Wake Forest University Providence College Pace University Marist CollegeEndicott CollegeRochester Institute

of Technology Salve ReginaUniversity Utica CollegeNortheasternUniversityBabson College Manchester

Community College

2016 College Matriculation

29 Wampanoag Drive, West Hartford CT860.236.4221, ext. 140

northwestcatholic.org/admissions


128113 AdmissionsViewbookFinal-NWC121 AdmissionsViewbook · 2016. 9. 21. · UMass Amherst ’01 MS...

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