Paramus Catholic High School Explained

Paramus Catholic High School
Streetaddress:425 Paramus Road
City:Paramus
County:Bergen County
State:New Jersey
Zipcode:07652
Country:United States
Coordinates:40.9556°N -74.0958°W
Pushpin Map:USA New Jersey Bergen County#USA New Jersey#USA
District:Archdiocese of Newark
Religion:Roman Catholic
Superintendent:Margaret Dames
Founders:Thomas Aloysius Boland
Joseph P. Tuite[1]
Principal:Stephanie Macaluso[2]
Chaplain:Fr. Donnald Hummel
Avg Class Size:24
Type:Private, Coeducational
Tuition:$12,750 (2023–24)[3]
Grades:9–12
Conference:Big North Conference (general)
North Jersey Super Football Conference (football)
Accreditation:Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Mascot:The Paladin[4]
Team Name:Paladins
Colors: Black and
Vegas gold
Established:1965
Enrollment:1,353 (as of 2017–18)
Faculty:103.0 FTEs
Ratio:13.1:1
Us Nces School Id:00863329

Paramus Catholic High School is a co-educational Roman Catholic high school located in Paramus in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school, founded in 1965,[5] under Archbishop Thomas A. Boland, and Superintendent of Schools, Monsignor Joseph P. Tuite, Paramus Catholic operated as a co-institutional school until 1995. Paramus Catholic was staffed by the Brothers of Christian Schools under the leadership of Bro. James P. Kelly, FSC, Principal, and Paramus Catholic Girls' High School by the Sisters of Charity of Convent Station, New Jersey, under the leadership of Sr. Helen Demetria, SC, Principal. There was a sharing of the plant and facility, however, the two schools operated as separate academic institutions. Paramus Catholic was the last secondary school established by the Archdiocese of Newark in Bergen County. The two schools were unified into one by the Archdiocese of Newark beginning in the 1995–1996 school year. When the school was unified to one academic institution, the Christian Brothers withdrew from involvement, and the Sisters of Charity took over leadership, until their withdrawal from the school in the early 2000s. Paramus Catholic High School is one of several high schools in the Archdiocese of Newark.[6] It has the largest enrollment of any Roman Catholic high school in the state of New Jersey.[7]

Paramus Catholic is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1996 and is accredited through July 2027.[8] Only one student is accepted for every four applicants.

As of the 2017–18 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,353 students and 103.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.1:1. The school's student body was 33.1% (448) White, 22.9% (310) Hispanic, 18.8% (254) Black, 14.8% (200) Asian and 6.9% (93) two or more races.[9]

In the 2017–18 school year, Principal Stephanie Macaluso assumed leadership of the school.[10]

Extracurricular activities and athletics

The Paramus Catholic High School Paladins[11] compete in the Big North Conference, which comprises public and private high schools in Bergen and Passaic counties, and was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.[12] Prior to the 2010 realignment, the school participated in the North Bergen Interscholastic Athletic League (NBIAL).[13] With 914 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public A for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 381 to 1,454 students in that grade range (equivalent to Group III for public schools).[14] The football team competes in the United Red division of the North Jersey Super Football Conference, which includes 112 schools competing in 20 divisions, making it the nation's biggest football-only high school sports league.[15] [16] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Non-Public Group A (equivalent to Group III for public schools) for football for 2022–2024, which included schools with 225 to 723 students.[17] In addition to football, cheer and girls basketball, they are also a consistent power in ice hockey, girls swimming, and boys basketball. Their biggest rivals include Bergen Catholic High School, Immaculate Heart Academy, St. Joseph Regional High School, Academy of the Holy Angels and Don Bosco Preparatory High School.

The school is known for its cheerleading squad and dance team. They both have won many national and state titles such as the 2002 State cheer champions, 2003 EDA National dance champions, 2004 Spirit Championship champions, 2005 NDA junior varsity pom national champions, 2006 Spirit Sports National champions, 2007 State Parochial cheer champions, 2007 EDA National dance champions and 2008 EDA National Dance Champions-Varsity Jazz/JV Jazz and Pom and Prop. 2009 EDA National Dance Team Champions- JV Jazz and Pom and Prop. 2010 EDA National Dance Team Champions- Varsity Hip Hop and Variety and JV Jazz and Pom.[18]

The boys cross country running team won the Non-Public Group A state championship in 1972 and 1975.[19]

The boys' track team won the Non-Public indoor relay state championship in 1977.[20]

The girls basketball team won the Group III state championship in 1978 (vs. Edgewood Regional High School) and in 1979 (vs. Ocean City High School), won the Non-Public A title in 1984 (vs. Notre Dame High School), 1985 (vs. Bishop George Ahr High School) and 1986 (vs. Paul VI), and was the Non-Public B champion in 2013 (vs. Morris Catholic High School). The program's nine state titles are tied for ninth in the state.[21] Led by Anne Donovan, the 1978 team finished the season with a 27–2 record after winning the Group III state title with a 60–58 win against Edgewood in the championship game.[22] The 1984 team went 28–0 after defeating Notre Dame in the tournament final by a score of 72–44 to win the Parochial A state title.[23] The team won the 2001 Parochial North A title with a 49–42 win over Immaculata High School.[24]

The girls soccer team won the Non-Public state championship in 1982, defeating Notre Dame High School in the tournament final.[25]

The girls volleyball team won the Group IV state championship in 1983 (vs. Hackensack High School), 1998 (vs. Hackensack), 1990 (vs. Lakeland Regional High School), 1991 (vs. Memorial High School of West New York), 1992 (vs. Memorial - West New York), 1993 (vs. Immaculate Heart Academy), 1995 (vs. Ridgewood High School), and won the Group III title in 1998 (vs. Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest) and 1999 (vs. Ramapo High School); the team's 10 group titles are tied for fifth-most in the state.[26] The 1983 team finished the season with a 30–1 record after winning the Group IV state championship in two games (15-11 and 15–9) against Hackensack in the final match of the tournament.[27] The team finished the 1990 season with a 28–0 record after winning the Group IV title in two games (15-1, 15–6) against Lakeland Regional in the finals.[28]

The softball team won the Non-Public A state title in 1987, defeating runner-up Paul VI High School in the final game of the tournament.[29] The team won the Parochial North A state sectional championship in 2001 with a string of shutout victories, topping Mount Saint Dominic Academy 2–0 in the first round, Immaculate Heart Academy 2–0 in the semifinals and Pope John XXIII Regional High School 2–0 in the tournament final.[30]

The 1992 baseball team finished the season with a 29–2 after winning the Non-Public A state championship, defeating Paul VI High School by a score of 4–2 in the final game of the tournament at Rutgers University.[31] [32]

The football team won the Non-Public Group III state sectional championship in 1997 and the Non-Public Group IV title in 2012, 2013 and 2016.[33] With the hiring of alumni Chris Partridge, the Paramus Catholic football team improved and began to compete more effectively against Bergen Catholic High School and Don Bosco Preparatory High School in New Jersey's Group IV Non-Public division. In December 2012, the Paramus Catholic football team won the Non-Public Group IV state championship against Bergen Catholic High School by a final score of 37–34 on a touchdown scored with 1:16 left in the game. This was the program's first Group IV title and its first sectional championship since 1997.[34] In 2013 and 2016, the football team won the Non-Public Group IV state sectional championship, defeating St. Peter's Preparatory School by scores of 13–6 and 33–28 respectively in the tournament final.[35]

The girls track team won the winter track Non-Public A state title in 2009 (as co-champion) and 2010.[36]

In summer 2010, Paramus Catholic formed a marching band for the first time, making it the only Catholic high school to have a marching band in the Archdiocese of Newark and Paterson.[37]

In August 2020, it was revealed that two former male students were suing the school, alleging that a former hockey coach had molested them numerous times on school grounds and while on school-sanctioned athletic trips between 1986 and 1988. The two former students, whose ages ranged from 14 to 15 at the time of the alleged abuse, also alleged that Archdiocese of Newark, the school and Archbishop Theodore McCarrick had covered up the abuse after it was reported as well.[38] In October 2020, eight more former Paramus Catholic students filed lawsuits accusing former hockey coach Bernard Garris of sexually abusing them.[39]

Weekend school

As of November 2022 the Japanese Weekend School of New Jersey (ニュージャージー補習授業校), a Japanese supplementary weekend school, holds classes at Paramus Catholic,[40] [41] while the school offices are in Fort Lee.[42] It is one of the two weekend Japanese school systems operated by the Japanese Educational Institute of New York (JEI; ニューヨーク日本人教育審議会 Nyūyōku Nihonjin Kyōiku Shingi Kai), a nonprofit organization which also operates two Japanese day schools in the New York City area.[43]

Notable alumni

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20110926024811/http://www.paramuscatholic.com/index.php?section=74 We are Paramus Catholic
  2. https://www.paramuscatholic.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1438254&type=d&pREC_ID=2059043 Principal's Welcome
  3. https://www.paramuscatholic.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1439734&type=d&pREC_ID=1602713 Tuition & Financial Aid Scholarships
  4. https://www.paramuscatholic.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1438254&type=d&pREC_ID=2058961 Facility
  5. http://www.paramuscatholic.com/index.php?section=74 We are Paramus Catholic
  6. https://catholicschoolsnj.org/high-school/bergen-county-catholic-high-schools/ Bergen County Catholic High Schools
  7. Alex, Patricia. "Pope held special spot in hearts of youth", The Record, April 5, 2005. Accessed August 21, 2008. "Today a memorial Mass will be celebrated at the school - the largest Catholic school in the state, and the rosary will be said in 10 languages..."
  8. https://www.msa-cess.org/school-profile/?oId=0065e00000B8S9f&typ=school-profile Paramus Catholic High School
  9. https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/privateschoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&ID=00863329 School data for Paramus Catholic High School
  10. https://www.paramuscatholic.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1438254&type=d&pREC_ID=2059043 Principal's Message
  11. https://www.njsiaa.org/schools/paramus-catholic-high-school Paramus Catholic High School
  12. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020-10/2020-2021-lc-officers-schools.pdf League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021
  13. https://web.archive.org/web/20110724142847/http://www.njsiaa.org/NJSIAA/09leagueaffiliations.pdf New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association League Memberships – 2009-2010
  14. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020-11/general-classifications-2018-2020.pdf NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020
  15. Cooper, Darren. "Here's what we know about the new Super Football Conference 2020 schedule", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference (SFC) is a 112-team group, the largest high school football-only conference in America, and is comprised of teams from five different counties."
  16. Cooper, Darren. "NJ football: Super Football Conference revised schedules for 2020 regular season", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference has 112 teams that will play across 20 divisions."
  17. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2022-08/Football%20%2722%20%26%20%2723.pdf NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2022–2024
  18. http://www.eteamz.com/paramuscatholic/index.cfm? Home page
  19. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2021-12/21-xc-group-team-champions_0.pdf NJSIAA Boys Cross Country State Group Champions
  20. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020-12/20-relay-history_0.pdf History of the NJSIAA Indoor Relay Championships
  21. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020-11/2020-girls-basketball-history.pdf NJSIAA Girls Basketball Championship History
  22. Schwartz, Paul. "Paramus Catholic wins; Takes Group 3 title", The Record, March 19, 1978. Accessed January 30, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The ball hung on the rim, and with it rested Paramus Catholic's chances for its first State girls basketball title. Then Carol Shemansky's last-second try came off the rim as the buzzer sounded, and the Paladins had their long-sought Group 3 title 60-58 over previously unbeaten Edgewood in overtime yesterday."
  23. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/182544529/ "Paramus Catholic rips Notre Dame to win title"
  24. http://www.bracketmaker.com/scripts-bracketmaker/tmenu.cfm?tid=3353&tclass=Parochial%20North%20A 2001 - Parochial North A
  25. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2021-12/21-girls-soccer.pdf NJSIAA History of Girls Soccer
  26. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2021-12/21-volleyball-history.pdf NJSIAA Girls Volleyball Group Champions
  27. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/494540469/ "Park Ridge, Secaucus, OT, Paladins win titles"
  28. DeMarrais, Kevin G. "Late goal foils Mahwah in quest for State crown", The Record, November 18, 1990. Accessed January 23, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Paramus Catholic, Northern Valley at Old Tappan, and Lyndhurst, each a loser in last year's State volleyball Section 1 finals, got second chances Saturday and won one-sided matches at Fair Lawn to win group championships. Unbeaten Paramus Catholic needed just 34 minutes to defeat Lakeland, 15-1, 15-6, for the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association Group 4 title; Old Tappan stopped Pascack Valley, 15-3, 15-13, for the Group 3 crown; and Lyndhurst rolled over Rutherford, 15-4, 15-3, for the Group 2 championship.... Paramus Catholic (28-0) broke open its first game with 12 consecutive points."
  29. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2024-02/Softball%2023.pdf Softball Championship History 1972–2023
  30. http://www.bracketmaker.com/scripts-bracketmaker/tmenu.cfm?tid=5816&tclass=Parochial%20North%20A 2001 NJSIAA Softball - Parochial North A
  31. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020-11/20-baseball-history.pdf NJSIAA Baseball Championship History
  32. Kurland, Bob. "Ricca gives Paramus Catholic its first title", The Record, June 9, 1992. Accessed January 9, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Mike Ricca presented Paramus Catholic with something none of his illustrious predecessors could deliver a State Parochial A baseball championship. The junior right-hander allowed only three hits as the Paladins defeated Paul VI of Haddonfield, 4-2, in the championship game Monday at Rutgers.... Meanwhile, PC (29-2) opened a 4-0 lead."
  33. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2021-12/21-football.pdf NJSIAA Football History
  34. Guthrie, Charles. "Football: Paramus Catholic stuns Bergen Catholic, 37-34, with late score for Non-Public, Group 4 title", The Star-Ledger, December 7, 2012. Accessed December 10, 2012. "Shanley completed all seven of his passes, including a tight spiral he lofted right into the hands of a streaking Tyrone Washington for a 55-yard touchdown down the sideline with 1:16 left in the game to lift Paramus Catholic, No. 5 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, to a 37-34 victory over No. 3 Bergen Catholic in the NJSIAA Non-Public, Group 4 final in front of 9,072 at MetLife Stadium. It marked the first Non-Public, Group 4 title for Paramus Catholic and second championship overall. The Paramus school won the Non-Public, Group 3 crown in 1997."
  35. Perez, Braulio. "Turnaround complete: Huge 2nd half leads Paramus Catholic to NP4 crown", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 2, 2016. Accessed December 11, 2016. "Paramus Catholic is back on top. On Friday night, coach Dan Sabella and his team took down St. Peter's Prep 33-28 to capture the coveted Non-Public, Group 4 championship at MetLife Stadium. The title comes one year after PC missed the playoffs and went 3-6."
  36. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2021-08/21-spring-track-group-history.pdf NJSIAA Girls Spring Track Summary of Group Titles
  37. Staff. "Paramus Catholic debuts its band", Clifton Journal, October 15, 2010. Accessed February 20, 2011. "Paramus Catholic High School is the first Catholic school in Bergen County, and maybe the first in the Archdiocese of Newark, to offer a marching band."
  38. Nobile, Tom. Two former students sue Paramus Catholic, saying the school knew of sex abuse by hockey coach", The Record, August 12, 2020. Accessed August 17, 2020. "In a lawsuit filed in state Superior Court, the two unnamed alumni say Paramus Catholic, the Archdiocese of Newark and its archbishop either were aware or should have known that coach Bernard Garris had “sexually inappropriate and/or sexually abusive relationships with many minor children." Garris molested both boys numerous times on school grounds and while on school-sanctioned athletic trips between 1986 and 1988, when the students were 14 or 15, says the suit, filed last week. Gerald McCarthy, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said more may come forward.... 'Despite this duty, defendants have for decades adopted policies and practices of covering up criminal activity committed by its agents and employees,' the complaint says."
  39. Nobile, Tom. "Eight more Paramus Catholic alumni file sex abuse lawsuits accusing former hockey coach", The Record, October 9, 2020. Accessed January 23, 2022. "Eight more alumni of Paramus Catholic High School have come forward to accuse former hockey coach and teacher Bernard Garris of sexually abusing them in the 1980s."
  40. Wassel, Bryan. "Paramus school board considers leasing space on weekends." Northjersey.com, North Jersey Media Group. Accessed July 7, 2013.
  41. Web site: 2022-11-18 . Japanese Weekend School of NJ ニュージャージー補習授業校 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221103102502/https://jwsnj.org/ . 2022-11-03 . 2022-11-18 . ニュージャージー補習授業校 . Japanese.
  42. "入学のご案内 entrance" (Archive). Japanese Weekend School of New Jersey. Accessed July 7, 2013. "Japanese Weekend School of NJ ニュージャージー補習授業校事務所 2 Executive Drive, Suite 660, Fort Lee, NJ 07024"
  43. "学校案内" (Archive). Japanese Educational Institute of New York (ニューヨーク日本人教育審議会). Accessed April 15, 2015. The names of the weekend schools as stated on the pages should be "The Japanese Weekend School of New York" and "The Japanese Weekend School of New Jersey" - note that the Japanese names between the day and weekend schools are different.
  44. [David Brock|Brock, David]
  45. Caswell Jr., Mark. "Brendan Burke Named as Islanders TV Play-by-Play Broadcaster", Utica Comets, August 11, 2016. Accessed November 2, 2017. "Burke is from the tri-state area - Fair Lawn, New Jersey - and is a graduate of New Jersey’s Paramus Catholic High School and a 2006 Cum Laude graduate of Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York."
  46. Hole, Isaiah. "The Hilarious Story of How Chris Partridge Identified Bushell-Beatty at Paramus Catholic", USA Today, November 7, 2018. Accessed May 2, 2020.
  47. https://scarletknights.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/nunzio-campanile/2997 Nunzio Campanile
  48. http://www.all-xfl.com/nynjhitmen/team/roster/anthonydicosmo.htm Anthony DiCosmo
  49. http://www.wnba.com/storm/news/Writing_About_Anne_Donovan-76535-221.html Writing About Anne Donovan
  50. https://fordhamsports.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/danielle-etienne/9878 Danielle Étienne
  51. Dunleavy, Ryan. "Rashan Gary commits to Michigan as No. 1 recruit in nation", Asbury Park Press, February 3, 2016. Accessed February 7, 2016. "Gary spent the first two seasons of his career at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School before transferring to state powerhouse Paramus Catholic in the summer of 2014. Gary's move sparked always ready-to-flare tensions between public and non-public schools in the state over alleged recruiting."
  52. https://www.sjearthquakes.com/players/jason-hernandez/Jason Hernandez
  53. Siemaszko, Corky. "Cart Of The Deal Screenplay Lets Him Bag Job In Store", New York Daily News, July 12, 1997. Accessed January 8, 2020. "After graduating from Paramus Catholic High School, Lemke went on to study screenwriting at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan."
  54. Tartaglia, Greg. "Boston College football commit Christian Mahogany headlines Paramus Catholic signees", The Record, February 6, 2019. Accessed May 3, 2023. "Christian Mahogany heard about Boston College's reputation for fielding strong offensive lines and decided he wanted to be a part of one. The Paramus Catholic senior signed to play football on Chestnut Hill Wednesday, and he headlined the Paladins' National Signing Day ceremony, at which two of his teammates also announced their college commitments."
  55. https://gozips.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/adam-najem/2222 Adam Najem
  56. http://www.newyorkredbulls.com/post/2016/05/19/new-york-red-bulls-ii-sign-david-najem "New York Red Bulls II Sign David Najem"
  57. Web site: Chris Partridge - Football Coach.
  58. Cooper, Darren. "Jabrill Peppers", The Record, October 9, 2014. Accessed February 14, 2015. "In his text, Peppers, who started his high school career at Don Bosco, described the uncomfortable situation he says the school created for him when he decided to transfer to Paramus Catholic after his sophomore season."
  59. Bondy, Stefan. "Tchani's Journey", The Record, January 14, 2010. Accessed September 6, 2011. "Paterson's Nelson Becerra and Teaneck's David Reed, both St. John's products who were listed as eligible draftees, did not get picked. Becerra, a St. Benedict's graduate, was invited to the combine as the 2008 Big East midfielder of the year. Reed, a defender, is a Paramus Catholic graduate."
  60. https://wildcats.athletics.wilmu.edu/sports/msoc/2017-18/bios/saling_jordan_wfdm Jordan Saling
  61. Ilich, Bobby. "Who Is Jussie Smollett? 'Empire' Actor Faces Police Questions About Possible Staged Attack", International Business Times, February 16, 2019. Accessed January 8, 2020. "Smollett was born in Santa Rosa, California, to a Jewish father and black mother. He graduated from Paramus Catholic High School in New Jersey."

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