By Isabella Osgood
Eagle Times Correspondent
SUNAPEE, NH — Mount Royal Academy in Sunapee was recently ranked the number one Catholic High School in New Hampshire. Open since 1994, Mount Royal is a liberal arts school for Pre-k through high school students.
With Catholicism at the center of the academy’s values, the high school meets every morning to recite Lauds, or traditional psalms, in addition to meeting on Friday mornings for Mass.
“To be a Catholic school means that it [Catholicism] forms every other practice. It is what drives the selection of teachers, it’s what drives the curriculum by teaching the goodness of God’s creation and humanity. And it also drives how we live that out,” said Headmaster Derek Tremblay.
When reflecting on his favorite parts of working at Mount Royal, Tremblay, who has been the Mount Royal Headmaster for the past 10 years, said that watching students realize they are capable of higher thinking is a rewarding experience.
Tremblay also currently teaches a United States History course.
“It is not just learning how to read or how to do math, it is also learning to appreciate beauty and art,” said Tremblay. “Liberal arts is intended to free a person to discover the truth.”
The average class size throughout the school is 15 — with 50 total high school students.
“Because our mission is so personal, we believe in 15 per class, but we can push 18 if needed,” Tremblay said. He also said that in recent years, several students have chosen to transfer to Mount Royal for high school. The high school application process requires two years of academic records, a questionnaire and two recommendations written by individuals outside of the students family. The academy also meets with each family and provides tours of the school prior to acceptance.
Niche, a website used by students and families to choose schools that best fit their needs, uses their own data and feedback from families to determine the quality of schools and school districts. Based on the quality of academics, athletics, extracurriculars, teachers and college preparation, Mount Royal was given an “A-” overall. The highest ranking was in education, also with an “A-”.
Tremblay credits the Mount Royal Academy staff and families “belief in the [academy’s] mission” for this recent success.
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