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John Bapst Memorial High School
Departments & Faculty
| English | Fine Arts | Health & Physical Education | Mathematics |
| Modern & Classical Languages | Science | Social Sciences | Technology |
English Department
Welcome to John Bapst Memorial High School’s English Department. Our primary goal is to bring all students to a high level of knowledge and achievement as thinkers, listeners, speakers, readers, and writers. Our means are relatively simple: a progressive, well-sequenced curriculum, a belief that every class every day will accomplish significant work on behalf of language and literature, high expectations of ourselves, and high expectations of our students. We understand, however, that we must temper our expectations carefully in light of our unanimous belief that we must serve the individual needs of every student who enters our classrooms, that we must be willing to provide at every level the individualized help that at once supports and encourages each student to aspire to the highest standards in the daily challenges inherent to a college preparatory curriculum. Currently, well over one third of Bapst’s students enter the Advanced Placement program in their eleventh and twelfth grade years, and their performance overall is excellent—because their preparation, overall, is excellent.
| John Emerson - Chair | AP English Lan., English IV |
| Jennifer Babcock | English I, English II |
| Patric Hamilton | English I, English II |
| Mel MacKay | AP English Lit |
| Mitch McCarthy | English II, AP English Lit |
| Sarah Wilder | English I, Psychology, Biology |
Fine Arts Department
Our Fine Arts Department offers a variety of opportunities for students, helping to develop skills and levels of excellence that will not only allow for them to shine in Fine Arts areas but also in other facets of their life, now and in the future. The successfulness of our program is attributed to:
- Motivated students,
- An enthusiastic Fine Arts faculty,
- A parent-led Fine Arts Boosters' group which lends a helping hand and provides tremendous support, and
- A supportive and appreciative Administration that recognizes the purpose of the arts in a well-rounded, well-educated individual in today's world.
| Al McIntyre - Chair | Concert Band & Chorale, Chorale, Music Theory |
| Melissa Avery-Burns | AP Studio Art, Advanced Studio Art, Drawing, Design, Painting, Sculpture-Ceramics |
| Julie Ewing | Concert Band & Chorale, Experienced Band & Chorale, Introduction to Band |
Health & Physical Education Department
Physical Education is offered both the freshman and sophomore years. One credit in Physical Education is required for graduation. Physical Education provides students with knowledge and skills that can be used in recreational activities and physical fitness throughout their lives. A positive sense of self is of great importance in young people, and the Physical Education Department strives to foster an atmosphere of positive attitudes and acceptance, no matter the level of an individual student’s skills. Our program focuses on improving student self-esteem, attaining better wellness, becoming less susceptible to stress and increasing the quality of life. The program hopes to instill in students the basic human values of fair play, self-esteem, self-confidence and respect.
| Dick Soucy - Chair | PE |
| Shannon Whiting | PE, Wellness I, Wellness II |
Mathematics Department
The Mathematics Department provides a strong core college preparatory curriculum by requiring four math credits consistent with college admission requirements. A great range of options in the math curriculum accommodates the needs of our student population by providing high standards and aspirations. Our offering of three Advanced Placement courses enables many students to take a fifth or sixth math course. All our courses use technology as a means to illustrate and enrich the curriculum.
Our teachers have undergraduate degrees in mathematics or engineering and five of our faculty have graduate degrees. Three members of our department are currently Advanced Placement readers and one is a College Board consultant. Our department has a wealth of knowledge and experience and we can all teach any math course our department offers. We work together as a team and are available to help students before/after school, even students that are not currently in our classes. Our teachers have high standards and expectations for their students. They enjoy what they teach and hopefully impart their enthusiasm for mathematics to their students.
| Sue Sheren - Chair | AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, Honors Precalculus, Honors Algebra II |
| Brendan Murphy | AP Statistics, Geometry, Honors Calculus |
| Nikki Novak | College Math, Algebra I, Precalculus |
| Joe Sekera | Algebra I |
| Rick Sinclair | Algebra I |
| Ashley Graves Smith | Geometry 9, Geometry, Honors Algebra II |
| Elizabeth Wood | Algebra I, Algebra II |
Modern & Classical Languages
Salve! ¡Bienvenidos! Bienvenus! Huanying! Those four words all mean "Welcome" in the languages that are taught here at John Bapst; Latin, Spanish, French, and Chinese! We are very proud to be able to offer a wide variety of offerings within our department of Modern and Classical Languages. Students may take two years of Chinese, a new program we initiated in the 2007-2008 school year, and four years of Latin, French, and Spanish.
Our main goal is to develop speaking proficiency that will allow our students to acquire an important skill in today's global market. With the use of memorized proficiency dialogs and authentic listening Cd's of native speakers, the emphasis in our classrooms is the promotion of these real language speaking skills. In addition, we have developed systematic programs with reading, writing, geography and art to give our students the necessary linguistic and cultural skills to have a well rounded understanding of the language they are studying and of the people who speak that language.
Our classes are vertically aligned with standardized quizzes and tests being administered in all classes of the same language and level. This alignment allows a smooth transition from one level to another as our students learn in their first year class what we expect of them and how our program works. We encourage our students to take all four years of their chosen language, and many double up and take a second language as well.
In addition to our in class cultural experiences, trips are often organized to areas where the foreign languages are being spoken. Within the past five years student groups have gone to Quebec City, Italy, Mexico, France and Spain.
| Audrey Swanton | French I, French III, Honors French IV |
| Lynn Harvey | French I, French II |
| Joan Howson | Latin I, Latin II, Latin III |
| Betsy Hudson | Spanish I, Spanish II |
| Spanish II, Spanish III, Honors Spanish IV, AP Latin: Vergil |
Science Department
The Science Department insists on intellectual rigor in all its many course offerings; hence, all Bapst students, the majority of whom take at least four science courses, experience a continuously challenging, diverse science education. Continuity between levels, multiple levels of the core courses, an accelerated course of study with numerous Advanced Placement offerings, and a close relationship with the Guidance Department ensure appropriate placements for all students. In complement, regular dialog among teachers of core courses (Integrated Science, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics) ensures consistency of instruction and uniformity of learning. All students receive a “hands on” science education; all students “do” science.
| Scott Burgess - Chair | Physics, AP Physics, Honors Physics |
| Ken Beland | Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, Ecology |
| Steve Cheff | |
| Mary Lammert | Chemistry, Integrated Science |
| Kamille Morgan | Integrated Science |
| Chris Packard | Biology, AP Biology |
| Sarah Wilder | Biology, Psychology, English I |
Social Science Department
The Social Science department at John Bapst features an impressive variety of academic courses and learning opportunities. Study within our department is typically sequential and begins with our year-long World History survey course for all ninth graders. In tenth grade students may opt for American History I or the more challenging Honors American History I course. By their junior year our students are choosing from a required course in American History II or Advanced Placement American History II, as well as electives as diverse as Psychology, Contemporary Politics, Sociology, Economics, and Cultural Anthropology. Senior year courses include the above electives, plus Advanced Placement European History and Advanced Placement Political Science. In addition, our department is currently home to our school yearbook, our student newspaper, and our faculty and student exchange program with Dragonskolan in Umea, Sweden.
| American History II, AP Poli Sci, Sociology, Anthropology | |
| David Armistead | Economics |
| Jeremiah Gorman | World History, American History II |
| Amy Grover | American History, American History II, Journalism |
| Lynne Manion | World History, AP European History |
| Jason O'Reilly | AP US History, American History |
Technology Department
the Technology Department provides excellent access, variety, and management of technology and media resources for both academic and personal pursuits. The library’s collection reflects a balanced, wide range of viewpoints in multiple formats. Information literacy skills are taught sequentially as part of required courses from grade 9 through grade 12. The sequence is the result of cooperation between teachers and the library staff. Technology courses, taught formally in the ninth-grade year and coordinated with the Wellness program, provide students with a strong knowledge base and an appropriate skill set for further pursuit of the computer sciences. Although students are not required to take another technology course after their ninth-grade year, many students do elect to take one of the upper level technology courses in programming or web design.
The Department has been working to integrate technology into the curriculum and into the life of the school. To that end, they have extended hours at the library, which gets heavy use from the students before and after school. The computer lab is also available beyond the school day, and it also gets heavy use from the students. Additionally, both the library and one of the computer labs can be used by classes during the school day. Finally, students can utilize either resource during their study hall or open campus.
| Thom Cosgrove | Technology |
| Computer Programming I & II, Advanced Programming I & II, Digital Media |
