St. Peter's Preparatory School

Infobox School
name = Saint Peter's Preparatory School
president = Rev. Robert E. Reiser, S.J.
principal = Mr. James C. DeAngelo, '85

type = Private all-male secondary
affiliations = Catholic, Jesuit
grades = 9–12
address = 144 Grand Street
city = Jersey City
state = NJ
zipcode = 07302
country = USA
motto = Sub Umbra Petri (Under the Shadow of Peter)
enrollment = 931 (as of 2005-06)
faculty = 72.1 (on FTE basis)
ratio = 11.9
established = 1872
colors = Maroon and Silver
nickname = Marauders
yearbook = "Petrean"
newspaper = "Petroc"
information = 201-547-6400
website = [http://www.stpetersprep.org School website]

Saint Peter's Preparatory School is a private all-male Jesuit college-preparatory school located in Jersey City, New Jersey. Located within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark, the Society of Jesus founded the school in 1872 and remains a contributing part of the administration and faculty.Prep is part of the Jesuits' New York Province.

Students are enrolled from multiple counties in Central and Northern New Jersey, as well as from nearby New York City. The school has a faculty of 72, which is made up of 10 Jesuits, 62 lay teachers, plus six counselors, including three college placement counselors. Tuition for the 2008–2009 school year is $8,680. The student activity fee is $750.

As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 931 students and 72.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 12.9. [http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/privateschoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&SchoolID=00862187&ID=00862187 St. Peter's Preparatory School] , National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed June 8, 2008.]

Academics

Saint Peter's Prep is in the Paulus Hook section of Jersey City. Prep consists of nine buildings: Memorial Gymnasium, Prep Field House, Mulry Hall, Burke Hall, Hogan Hall, Shalloe Hall, Saint Peter's Church, Saint Peter's Grammar School, and the Humanities Building. Prep has also purchased land in which they have constructed the James F. Keenan, S.J., Field, a football/soccer/lacrosse/rugby field. Prep recently acquired the Saint Peter's Church and Grammar School, which has held school masses and team practices.

Students at Prep are required to take two years of Latin, three years of mathematics, three years of history, three years of science, four years of English, four years of physical education, two years of modern language (choosing Spanish, French, German or Italian), and four years of religion. Prep offers art and music classes for students wishing to broaden their creativity and to pursue the arts in college. Independent study courses include Greek Honors, Portfolio Art, AP Calculus BC, and various forms of instrumental music. Other elective classes are offered to juniors and seniors and there are many honors and AP classes to choose from. The school recently inaugurated the John E. Browning, S.J., '46, Learning Center, which features resources for individuated learning and a learning specialist.

tudent Body

Prep has a diverse body of 915 students hailing from over 110 communities and twelve counties in New Jersey, as well as students from Manhattan and Brooklyn, two boroughs of New York City. Students arrive at the school by way of Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, local buses, and the PATH train. As well as being diverse in city, Prep is a racially diverse school. Today's students aren't just from Hudson County. Although 53 percent of the student body - 485 individuals - reside in Hudson County, the other 47 percent come from as far north as Sussex County (Green Township), as far south as Ocean County (Brick and Jackson), Middlesex County (Monroe Twp.), and as far west as Hunterdon County (Annandale). Seventeen students from Manhattan and two from Brooklyn are also enrolled at Prep this year.

As usual, students from Jersey City make up the largest demographic of the student body - 164 students, or 18 percent of the entire student population, are from Jersey City. Bayonne is a close second with 162 students (17.7 percent of the student population). Hoboken ranks third for Prep's Hudson County towns, with 43 students (5 percent).

Saint Peter's Prep is a Jesuit school, and students with different religions are encouraged to attend the school. It is not a requirement to be a certain religion to be part of Saint Peter's Prep.

Athletics

The school's 17 varsity athletic teams are called the Marauders and wear Maroon and White. The Marauders compete in the Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association (HCIAA), which includes private and parochial high schools in Hudson County. The league operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). [ [http://www.hciaa.com/home.html Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association] . Accessed July 15, 2007.]

Saint Peter's Prep football won the 2005 Parochial Group IV State Championship defeating Don Bosco Prep 22-15. [ [http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=128997&tclass=Non%2DPublic%2C%20Group%20IV 2005 Football - Non-Public, Group IV] , New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 1, 2006.] In 2006, Saint Peter's Prep fell short in the finals of the Non-Public, Group IV tournament, losing to Don Bosco Prep 41-0. [ [http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=188015&tclass=Non%2DPublic%2C%20Group%20IV 2006 Football Tournament - Non-Public Group IV] , NJSIAA. Accessed December 10, 2006.]

On September 14, 2007 Coach Rich Hansen surpassed legendary coach Bill Cochrane as the all time winningest coach in Prep history. Hansen was awarded in a pre-game ceremony the following game on September 28, against North Bergen High School. The game was nationally televised on ESPNU. Coach Hansen also set an unprecedented record in the 2007 year, winning 70 consecutive HCIAA games. [Ford, Ed. [http://www.nj.com/columns/jjournal/ford/index.ssf?/base/columns-0/1195228943253160.xml&coll=3 This St. Peter's team belongs with the elite] , Jersey Journal, accessed November 17, 2007.]

On November 17, 2007 the Marauders beat Bergen Catholic High School 41-7. [http://www.gridironnewjersey.com/playoffs.aspx?year=2007 accessed November 17, 2007] . This victory advanced Prep to its third state sectional championship game in three years, all of which have been against Don Bosco Preparatory High School. On December 2, 2007, the Marauders played Don Bosco Prep again, and lost 42-14 in the Non-Public, Group IV sectional championship game. [ [http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=246272&tclass=Non-Public%2C%20Group%20IV 2007 Football - Non-Public, Group IV] , NJSIAA. Accessed July 23, 2008.] This was the third consecutive State Championship game in which the two met, with Don Bosco winning two of three.

The Saint Peter's Prep volleyball team achieved 100 consecutive wins in Hudson County in 2006, but lost the winning streak at the county championships that same year. It has consistently been ranked among the top ten teams of the state of New Jersey. The team won the 2007 Boys Volleyball - North state sectional championship over Bayonne High School (25-17, 25-20). [ [http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=221882&tclass=North 2007 Boys Volleyball - North] , NJSIAA. Accessed June 12, 2007.] The team moved on to play for the NJSIAA overall state championship on June 8, 2007 against East Brunswick High School, [Battaglia, Joe. [http://www.nj.com/hssports/volleyball/ledger/stories/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/118119316456180.xml&coll=1 2007 No. 5 St. Peter's downs No. 4 Bayonne] , "The Star-Ledger, June 7, 2007. Accessed May 7, 2007.] falling 25-21, 25-22. [ [http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=221882&tclass=State%20Final 2007 Boys Volleyball - State Final] , NJSIAA. Accessed June 12, 2007.]

The Saint Peter's Prep Hockey program has had a top five team in the state nearly every year, producing many great players who go on to play at higher levels of the game. In the 2006-2007 season, they advanced to the final round after defeating Christian Brothers Academy (New Jersey) 2-0. They played St. Augustine College Preparatory School in the NJSIAA championship, but fell 3-1. [ [http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=205263&tclass=Non%2DPublic 2007 Ice Hockey Tournament - Non-Public] , NJSIAA, accessed March 24, 2007.]

The Prep basketball team won the 2008 Hudson County Coviello Division Championship by defeating #2 seeded Union Hill by a score of 48-47. In the process they pulled off "upsets" against #1 seeded Bayonne, 79-76 in overtime, and #5 seeded Emerson in the 2nd round on Thursday night 71-55. This marked the first time the #8 seed won the tournament.

Teams

Saint Peter's offers a variety of 17 varsity sports and 37 teams on various levels. They include Football, Soccer, Cross Country, Basketball, Bowling, Fencing, Indoor Track, Wrestling, Swimming, Ice Hockey, Baseball, Golf, Volleyball, Outdoor Track, Lacrosse, Tennis, and Rugby.

Co-Curriculars

Prep offers a wide variety of other activities open to all students. They include Anime Club, Art Club, Asian Society, Band, Campus Ministry, Celtic Club, Chess Club, Classics Club, Computer Club, Dance Committee, Dramatics, Ebony Club, Exchanges & Trips Abroad, Filipino Society, Forensics (speech and debate), Gay Club, German Club, Godzilla club, Independent Film Society, Intramurals, Islamic Cultures Club, Italian Club, Jazz Ensemble, Joy Food, Junior Prom Committee, Hispanic Society, Library Club, Math Club, Math Team, Model United Nations, [http://sites.google.com/site/maraudernation09/| Marauder Nation] , Medical Club, Mission Committee, Monty Python Club, Multicultural Club, National Honor Society, Outreach, Literama (literary magazine), Pax Christi, Peer Advisors, "Petrean" (yearbook), Reifen Club, SADD, Science Clubs, Seinfeld Club, Senior Prom Committee, Spirit Committee, Stage Crew, Student Council, T.V. Studio, and a Ukrainian Club. A student is allowed to begin his own club by gaining recognition as an acceptable club, gaining fifteen fellow students to join, and identifying a teacher to be the moderator.

Christian Service

At Saint Peter's, each year of study, other than accumulating the adequate grades, must also complete a Christian Service requirement. Christian Service goes with the school's goal of building men in mind, body, and spirit. Service opportunities are offered by the school, but the students are encouraged to find their own form of giving back. The school also sees this as assisting with future occupational work, for in some cases an agency where a student volunteered and did service could later hire that student. The outline of service for the students is as follows:
*Freshmen - 10 hours: working with children
*Sophomores - 20 hours: working with sick/elderly
* Juniors - 60 hours: to be decided upon with direction from the Campus Ministry department.

At the end of their Sophomore year a student may participate in a summer immersion trip. Trips typically last for one week. Locations of trips include West Virginia, Kentucky, Camden, and the New York Metropolitan area, among others. Completion of this trip fulfills a student's Junior service requirement.

In the summer of 2007, the school introduced a senior service immersion experience in New Orleans. This program was continued in August of 2008 as Prep sent 16 students and 4 faculty members to Covington, Louisiana to work with Habitat for Humanity.

Retreats

Retreats are an essential component of Saint Peter’s Campus Ministry program. They provide students with the chance to step away from their busy lives and reflect on the relationships they have with God, family, and friends. The retreats also offer students an opportunity to reflect on themselves – providing them the time to examine who they are, where they come from, and what they believe in. The retreats are as follows:
*Freshman: Freshman "IgNite" Retreat. Begins after school and ends the following day. Students stay overnight at Prep. Mandatory for all freshman. 2007 was the first year this retreat took place.
*Sophomore: Sophomore "Halftime" Retreat. Retreat designed to help a student to assess their first two years at Prep.
*Junior: "Emmaus" Retreat. The Emmaus Retreat program has been a part of Prep since Fr. Ned Coughlin, S.J., directed the first "Emmaus Weekend" in 1977. A three-day retreat at the Mount Paul Retreat House, "Emmaus" provides students with the opportunity to examine their own spirituality and their relationship with God, form a community with fellow classmates and faculty members, and open their minds and hearts to the experiences, beliefs and feelings of others.There are nine Emmaus retreats throughout the year. The retreat is optional, although most students attend. There have been over 240 Emmaus retreats over the years.
*Senior: Kairos retreat. Kairos – which, translated from Greek, means the appropriate time and is lossley translated into God's Time – is an opportunity for seniors to reflect on the presence of God in their everyday life. The themes for the four-day retreat are based on Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises, and they challenge students to a deeper self-examination than the reflections of previous retreats. 2007 is the first year this retreat is taking place. There are two scheduled per year.Two retreat teams lead the retreats: The "Emmaus" team and the "Kairos" team. They also lead the freshman and sophomore retreats.Prep also offers a Mother/Son retreat and a Father/Son retreat, providing opportunities for students to come together with their parents for a day of reflection, prayer, and fellowship.

Notable alumni

*Sean Adams, Reporter, WCBS Newsradio 880 [ [http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/2386.php?contentType=4&contentId=92935 Sean Adams] ]
*Ron Allen, NBC News Correspondent [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3080793 Ron Allen] ]
*Lawrence Babbio, Jr., Former CEO, Verizon Wireless Corporation, now CEO, ADC Telecommunications Corp.
*George Blaney (born 1939), former New York Knick, Head Basketball Coach at Seton Hall and Holy Cross, Assistant Coach at UConn. [ [http://www.databasebasketball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BlaneGe01 George Blaney] , databaseBasketball.com. Accessed November 4, 2007.]
*Philip Bosco (born 1930), Tony Award-winning actor (Broadway and Hollywood). [ [http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=538680&pn=3 Q&A with Philip Bosco] , interview dated October 15, 2006.] [Rohan, Virginia. [http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxNjcmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcyMjA5MTkmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3 "Haworth's Philip Bosco is a seasoned star"] , "The Record (Bergen County)", November 14, 2007. Accessed November 14, 2007. "It was at St. Peter's Prep High School in Jersey City that Bosco met his mentor, a retired actor named James Marr."]
*Frank D'Amelio, CFO, Pfizer.Fact|date=July 2008
*Will Durant (1885-1981), writer of such works as "The Story of Civilization" and "The Story of Philosophy". [ [http://www.willdurant.com/bio.htm The Life of Will Durant] , Will Durant Foundation. Accessed June 7, 2007. "His teachers were nuns, and he practiced his religion so fervently that no one doubted that he would become a priest. In 1900 he entered St. Peter's Academy and College in Jersey City, where his teachers were Jesuits, and, one of these, Father McLaughlin, urged him to enter the Jesuit Order following his graduation in 1907."]
*Thomas Fleming, Historian [ [http://duel2004.weehawkenhistory.org/tfleming.php Thomas Fleming] ]
*Ken Jennings (born 1947), actor. [Janiga, Bruce. [http://www.sondheim.com/features/ken_jennings.html "Side by Side with Ken Jennings"] , "Sondheim.com", undated. Accessed July 23, 2008. "I lived in Jersey City, went to St. Peter's Prep, went to St. Peter's College on a dramatic scholarship."] Drama Desk Award Winner
*George A. Krol, Former United States Ambassador to Belarus. [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=84916 George A. Krol] , Our Campaigns. Accessed December 24, 2007.]
*John Rodino, Key Grip for Miramax Films; Work includes "City of God" and "Garden State"
*Nathan Lane (born 1956), Tony and Emmy Award winning actor. [Gardner, Amanda. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0DE6DD1E3CF930A35755C0A9679C8B63 "THEATER; Tony Awards' New Jersey Ties"] , "The New York Times", July 23, 2008.] [ [http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=539049&pn=3 Q&A with Nathan Lane] , interview dated October 23, 2006.]
*Fr Earle Markey, SJ., Holy Cross College Scholar-Athlete, drafted by the Boston Celtics. Jesuit Priest and Holy Cross College administrator and faculty memberfact|date=December 2007}
*Rick Mina, President and CEO of Foot Locker
*Paolo Montalbán (born 1973), Actor. [ [http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/1997/10/05/1997-10-05_u_s__benefits_urged_for_fili.html "U.S. BENEFITS URGED FOR FILIPINO VETS... A FRENCHMAN ANSWERS FOR WW2 CRIMES... DEBATE CONTINUES ON QUEBEC INDEPENDENCE..."] , "New York Daily News", October 5, 1997. Accessed June 8, 2008. "Filipino-American Paolo Montalban of New Jersey will play the prince in a new television production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella." The musical airs Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. on ABC. Montalban has been interested in musical theater since his high school days at St. Peter's Prep in Jersey City, where he starred in "Oliver."]
*Nick Warnock, semifinalist on the reality show "The Apprentice" as well as a participant on the reality show "Dog Eat Dog"
*Elnardo Webster, former Pittsburgh Steeler, attorney. [ [http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=WEBSTELN01 Elnardo Webster profile] , database Football. Accessed June 7, 2007.]
*Kenny Santucci, MTV veteran

References

External links

* [http://www.stpetersprep.org Saint Peter's Prep Website]
* [http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/privateschoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&SchoolID=00862187&ID=00862187 Data for Saint Peter's Preparatory School] , National Center for Education Statistics
* [http://www.njsiaa.org Bracket Information for New Jersey School Sports Provided by NJSIAA]