What to expect from a Boylan Graduate

What to expect from a Boylan Graduate:

In many ways the high school graduate is a person on the edge of adulthood. During their four years of high school, the process has been smooth at times and wrought with anxiety, embarrassment, conflict, fear and excitement at other times. It has involved physical, emotional and mental developments that have brought out the student’s strengths, abilities and characteristics. Graduates have learned that they do some things well and other things very well. They have also experienced failure and disappointment.

In describing the goals that we work toward for each graduate, the faculty and administration have chosen six qualities that we believe are most advantageous for students as they grow toward responsible, loving and caring adults. We hope these six areas sum up the many aspects of life of a person living in Christ.

Some specific elements under the categories could have been placed under other categories. Obviously, all of the characteristics are in dynamic interaction. The choice of these six categories simply provides a helpful way to describe the graduate. Some overlapping is evident and in fact many of these qualities are related and intertwined.

Grow in Faith Life
Strive for Academic Excellence
Embrace Life Issues
Form Significant Relationships
Work for Social Justice
Develop a Healthy Life Style
In Conclusion

Grow in Faith Life

Graduates will have a basic knowledge of the major doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church. They will have had the opportunity to grow in faith, to establish a personal relationship with God and to choose lifestyles consistent with Christ’s teachings. Specifically, the students will have been given the opportunity to:

Experience the power of faith and GodExperience the power of faith and God’
Gain understanding of the central teachings and mission of the Church
Understand the central role of the Eucharist in Christian life and community
Read and study the Bible with an emphasis on encountering Christ in the New Testament
Experience God in a personal way through retreats, daily prayer, liturgical celebrations and Christian service to others
Form a Christian conscience
Accept responsibility for moral choices
Witness, value and participate in the process of reconciliation with the Lord, the Church and one another
Apply the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it pertains to the alleviation of human suffering, the development of people and the fostering of charity and justice in the world

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Strive for Academic Excellence

Upon graduation, all students regardless of academic ability will have had the opportunity to develop their talents to the fullest extent possible. Their educational experiences will prepare them for advanced forms of education or the workplace. Students will have developed many intellectual skills and understandings that enable them to connect ideas among diverse subject areas. The students will begin to see the need for intellectual integrity in their quest for religious truth and in their response to societal issues. Although this section deals specifically with academic competencies, these elements cut across and are an integral part of the total Boylan experience. Boylan graduates:

Are mastering a wide range of fundamental academic skills
Are organizing their approach to learning
Are beginning to express themselves with greater precision
Have begun to develop a general knowledge base in a variety of intellectual disciplines
Are developing logical and critical thinking skills
Have demonstrated academic achievements as measured by standardized tests such as the ACT or SAT
Are prepared academically to meet college entrance requirements or other forms of continuing education
Are developing or expanding curiosity to explore ideas and issues
Are applying knowledge and skills to new situations and adjusting to a variety of learning formats
Are beginning to understand current issues in their historical context
Have begun to understand the implications of public policy in the areas of science, technology and economics
Are growing in their understanding and acceptance of both rights and responsibilities as a citizen of the United States and the strengths and weaknesses of our form of government
Are progressing in their abilities to appreciate the human condition as depicted in literature, the arts, and science.

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Embrace Life Issues

Graduates of Boylan Catholic High School have begun to mature. They have acknowledged responsibility for emotional, intellectual, physical and religious growth. They have begun to seek opportunities to stretch their minds, imaginations, feelings and their religious consciousness. Boylan graduates:

Are beginning to take responsibility for growth as a person
Are beginning to value character, integrity and commitment to excellence in all facets of life
Are learning to appreciate their own talents and limitations
Are growing in awareness of their feelings and responsibilities to others
Are open and sensitive to a variety of aesthetic experiences
Are willing to listen to other points of view
Are becoming more reflective in their approach to life experiences
Are willing to take appropriate risks and accept the possibility of failure
Are approaching societal issues rationally, ethically and morally
Are learning flexibility and acceptance of change
Are exploring career choices within a value framework.

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Form Significant Relationships

As students approach graduation, they are on their way to establishing an authentic sense of self and developing and valuing significant relationships with others. Healthy relationships reflect the confidence, selflessness and compassionate nature of a true adult. Boylan graduates:

Have experienced the presence of God and His love
Are coming to accept self as a person who is lovable and loved by God and others
Are learning to trust the faithfulness of family, friends and some adults in the school and community
Have begun to appreciate deeper personal friendships and learned that not all relationships are long lasting or positive
Have begun to come to grips with prejudices and stereotypes and are developing an acceptance and appreciation of others
Are more capable of empathizing with the life situations and feelings of other people
Have experienced the support of the school community and have made positive contributions
Have gained an appreciation for the beauty of God’s universe and have become more caring about life and the natural environment.

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Work For Social Justice

By graduation Boylan Catholic High School students have achieved considerable knowledge of the needs of people in local, national and international communities. They are preparing for the day when they will take a place in these communities as competent, concerned and responsible adults. Students are beginning to acquire the skills, motivation and moral awareness of the need to live for others. Boylan graduates:

Are beginning to see that the Catholic faith includes a commitment to a just society
Are growing in awareness that many current social problems and their impact on people are global in nature
Have compassion for victims of injustice and are developing a sense of the changes that will assist them
Are more aware of the selfish attitudes that lead to unjust treatment of others
Respond to the needs of the disadvantaged or neglected through working with them in community service
Are beginning to understand the obligation as a Catholic to participate in the building of a humane, civic and ecclesiastical community
Are beginning to confront the moral problems presented by the values promoted by our culture and to realize that the values of a consumer society are sometimes in conflict with the demands of a just society and the teachings of Jesus.

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Develop a Healthy Life Style

Through participation in athletic teams, physical education classes and other academic courses, graduates have begun to develop behaviors and attitudes that result in a healthy lifestyle. Boylan students:

Have knowledge of the fundamentals of human physiology and physical development
Are aware of the choices for maintaining physical, moral and emotional health and fitness
Have had experience in several lifetime recreational activities and participated in physical exercise on a regular basis
Have been made aware of the major health issues and the implications of life style choices
Are aware of the danger of substance abuse and, if needed, have been given support in overcoming substance abuse
Have developed an understanding of the biological, medical and moral aspects of human sexuality

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In Conclusion

This document is a collaborative effort of Boylan’s faculty and administration. It must be recognized that in offering the profile of the ideal graduate that the influence of the school on a student’s growth is limited. Other influences, frequently beyond the control of the school such as family, friends, the youth culture and general social environment may hinder or foster the student’s growth. Nevertheless, Boylan makes every effort for every student to become an “ideal graduate”.

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