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2009: Outstanding Religious High School

Scholastic Rigor, School Spirit
Lasallian education underscores spiritual and intellectual growth

At Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School, a typical walk through the halls might include listing to strains of the Rocky theme song and bumping into students in blue medical scrubs.

Founded by Brooklyn’s Roman Catholic diocese in 1851 and named after the borough’s first bishop, the high school helps students nurture a personal relationship with God in the context of a strong, hands-on learning environment.

“A part of what we always need to be cognizant of is whether we’ve given our students the skills that they need for when they go on to the next step of their lives,” said assistant principal Nancy McKeever. “Some of those skills are intellectual, some of them are personal. “

The school provides a Lasallian education based on the teachings of St. John Baptist de La Salle, which seeks to help students grow both intellectually and spiritually.

Bishop Loughlin’s curriculum is tied to the state’s, and all 800 students take the required Regents exams. The school also offers many Advanced Placement classes and electives, as well as a mandatory religion class.

Principal James Dorney has been at the school for 37 years, and while there have been several changes—becoming co-ed in 1973, for example—he believes one thing has remained the same: the school’s dedication to providing students with unusual learning opportunities.

Honors biology students, for example, walked into class one day and met nurses from Brooklyn’s Lutheran Medical Center. Instead of listening to a lecture, the students, many of whom are aspiring doctors and nurses, donned bright blue scrubs and learned how to prepare for surgery.

For senior Naa-Shorme Aidoo, who moved to Brooklyn after Hurricane Katrina, Bishop Loughlin’s rigorous classes have pushed her to work harder.

“Coming from New Orleans, there were lots of sports and activities that you could do, so a lot of the focus is on that instead of academics,” Aidoo said. “I was really impressed by how much I learned when I came to Bishop Loughlin and how much the teachers really care.”

Aidoo has since discovered a passion for writing, and took part in a three-day journalism seminar that the school held in conjunction with the New York Times. She has published two stories in the Times’ Fort Greene blog and became editor of the school newspaper.

Dorney is also proud of the school’s huge performing arts program, led by band director Louis Maffei.

“We have 400 students in performing arts, with seven dance groups and six different music ensembles, plus drama and stage crew,” said Maffei, who has worked at the school since 1978.

The concert band is also the original New York City Marathon band. Every year, all 140 students and even some alumni perform the Rocky theme song at the run.

“Bishop Loughlin has a lot of activities and it broadens your horizons to many things,” said Madjeen Garcon, a senior. “Most of us never played an instrument, never did any type of dance before and coming to this school gave us the opportunity to try new things.”

This fall, the school instituted a house system similar to the one many of its students have read about in the Harry Potter book series. But instead of houses named Gryffindor and Slytherin, Bishop Loughlin’s eight houses are named after important Roman-Catholic figures, like St. Augustine and Bishop Charles E. McDonnell.

Each is divided into five families and meets every Wednesday morning to discuss school issues.

Unlike homerooms, which are separated by grade level, the “house system gives a chance for everyone to actually know people from different grades,” Garcon said. “Before this year, somebody in their senior year might not know somebody in their junior year, but now it gives a chance for everyone to get to know each other and work on something that we want to change in the school.”

So far, students have worked together to host a “Spirit Week” dance and form more volunteer groups.

“We’re trying to get students involved in doing community services like ‘It’s My Park Day,’ or clean up Fort Greene Park or going to a nursing home to help out the senior citizens,” Garcon said.

The house system is especially helpful for incoming freshmen.

“You come in and you’re straight in a family and house so you’re surrounded by people of all different age groups so you don’t really feel like you’re underneath them,” Aidoo said.

Despite the school’s relatively big size, Bishop Loughlin’s staff works to maintain personal relationships with both students and parents.

“I do everybody’s schedule individually,” McKeever said. “I write on every report card every quarter because I want them to know that I’ve looked at it.”

For many students, that personal touch serves as strong encouragement.

“They give you impressive stories about how people who were just like you sitting in your seats made it very far, like Mayor Giuliani,” said Garcon, who hopes to become a corporate lawyer or a politician. “They really give you that sense of ‘You will make it someday.’ I really like that about this school and I have since the first day I’ve come here.”

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Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School
357 Clermont Ave.
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11238
James Dorney, Principal
Brother Dennis Cronin, President
718-857-2700
www.blmhs.org
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— Patty Lee

 

Above: Top Left: A teacher works with students during a science lab. Right: Video and photography class at Bishop Loughlin. Bottom Left: Brother Dennis Cronin, President. Photos by Daniel S. Burnstein