St. Saviour High School, Celebrating 92 Years of Educating Young Women
(Publication Date: 6-17-2009)
by Brooklyn Eagle
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St. Saviour Honor Society |
St. Saviour High School in Park Slope, founded in 1917 by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, has achieved national recognition as an “outstanding school” on the list of the top 96 high schools across the United States, in a research program conducted at the University of Chicago.
St. Saviour is proud to commend its 2009 Scholars in the National Latin Exam, administered by the National Classical League. The National Latin Exam, given to students in the U.S. and schools teaching U.S. citizens overseas, has awarded these students medals:
• Latin I Silver Medal: Alana Devine-Dunn;
• Latin I Gold: Deirdre O’Halloran; Meagan Freeze; Eloise Chopin;
• Latin II Silver: Mary O’Neill;
• Latin II Gold: Jessica Pacitto; Noreen Doherty; Jenee Benjamin; Maggie Coughlin;
• Latin IV (Poetry) Gold: Irenae Aigbedion.
St. Saviour students excel in a broad range of academic and civic areas. Senior Irenae Aigbedian is a $2,500 winner of the prestigious National Achievement Scholarship Program, an honor awarded to less than one percent of high schools graduates nationwide. Among her many activities at SSHS: she is the senior editor of the yearbook, Thabor, a journalist for the school newspaper, Skyline, a member of Campus Ministry, National Honor Society, Student Government, Booster Club, Anime Club, and Chess Club. Irenae is also a Girl Scout and as such has attended courses in Law, Journalism, Art and Architecture, and Economics at Barnard and L.I.U. Irenae received two scholarships from The Girls Scouts of America in recognition of her outstanding talents. In September she will attend Trinity College, CT, where she has been offered a full four-year scholarship. Irenae, one of five children, lives with her mother, Yvonne, and father, Anthony in Crown Heights.
In March, Saint Saviour High School inducted 18 of its 72 seniors — 25 percent of the senior class — into the Mother Mary Myles Chapter of the National Honor Society. The four pillars of NHS were read by four of the honored seniors: the president of the club, Tamara Obradovic, Patricia Gelling, Jenee Benjamin and Noreen Doherty. Presiding over the induction were Principal, S. Valeria Belanger SSND and Assistant Principal, Mrs. Margaret Bernstein, and the moderator of NHS Miss Regina Bellettiere.
High Demand
St. Saviour offers studies in areas that are in high demand in today’s world, such as linguistics. Luis Riquelme, director of the Center for Swallowing & Speech-Language Pathology at NY Methodist Hospital, and assistant professor at N Y Medical College, Valhalla, NY, recently invited the linguistics class and their teacher, Nancy Labrada, to a presentation and tour of their nearby facilities. Most of these students have an interest in pursing careers in special education, bilingual education, speech therapy, and working with the deaf and/or blind — career options that are increasingly in demand.
Riquelme told students about of undergraduate options and the day-to-day demands of a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). Visiting the hospital, the group viewed equipment that SLPs use on a daily basis in diagnosing swallowing dysfunctions and problems in communication.
Curriculum
The curriculum at St. Saviour meets all the latest N.Y.S. Regents requirements. Advanced Placement (A.P.) courses are offered in English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, American and European History, Latin, Psychology, Calculus, and Chemistry. College level courses in French, Spanish, and Calculus are offered in conjunction with St. John’s University. The Honors Program is offered to qualified students in English, Math, Social Studies, and Science.
French, Spanish, and Latin are taught at Regents’ level; each senior must select a Math course from the following options: AP Calculus, College Calculus (College Extension program), Pre-Calculus, and Pre-College Math.
Electives include Physics, Advanced Biology, Forensic Science, Psychology, Mythology, French 5, Senior Art, Advanced Music, Computer, Creative Writing, Linguistics, and Speech and Drama. The sports programs include basketball, boosters, cheerleading, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, and volleyball. The many club activities include Gaelic, French, and Spanish Clubs, Campus Ministry, Drama, Art, and Chess clubs, to name but a few.
The academic excellence initiated by the School Sisters of Notre Dame continues to offer the girls in their care a challenging academic program, steeped in faith, justice, and peace. Embedded in their teachings are the changing roles of women in today’s society and the responsibilities and privileges that accompany those roles.
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