By Bruce Frankel

The first thing you notice when you walk through the halls of Bishop McGuinness High School, located on Highway 66 in Kernersville, is the Ω atmosphere of the students, faculty, and staff. There is a positive sense of purpose that radiates from the school’s motto, Praesis ut Prosis , ‘Excel that you might better serve’ and you see the focus and interest in everyone you come across on the campus.

Founded in 1959, Bishop McGuinness is now the largest non-public high school in the Triad. And considering that enrollment has exceeded projections for each of the past four years, it will continue to build on its primary mission to develop students holistically, and equip them to live and serve in a complex world in need of peace, love, and justice. This is accomplished by creating opportunities for all students to excel, no matter what their academic interest. With eight academic departments offering over 100 courses, students are encouraged to explore and expand their educational awareness.
As a coeducational college preparatory institution for students in grades 9 through 12, academic excellence is confirmed by the fact that ninety-eight percent of graduates attend four year colleges and universities, while two percent enter two-year institutions or access higher education while in military service.

Bishop McGuinness attracts students from more than 20 different local area schools as well as home school students looking for a learning institution where faith and values are integrated into all aspects of learning. In addition, with over 17% of the total population of 446 students being non-Catholic, the school embraces diversity and invites students of all faiths, ethnic, and social and economic backgrounds to attend.

The Bishop McGuinness Board of Education is an advisory body chartered to assist the school with institutional and program planning and support in certain important activity areas of school life.  The Board is made up of school administrators, alumni, parents of students, and recent alumni as well as other supporters of the school, who are chosen for their particular areas of expertise which might be of value to the school community. All those on the Board have a proven history of helping the school community to thrive and prosper.

The school’s ten-to-one, student to staff ratio, provides the personal resources needed to deliver the quality of support required for a meaningful learning environment. In addition, the recent popularity of on-line courses being offered at the school allows students to pursue an expanded curriculum and not stifle curiosity or limit possibilities. The importance of academic excellence also means cultivating next-generation skills such as collaboration, creativity, problem solving, and communication. With more than 110 clubs, activities, and sports, Bishop students pursue their passions on stage, on the playing field, and in the community.

To assist students with their individual development, the Guidance and Counseling Center takes time to look at each student from both an academic and personal perspective to provide the support and direction needed to assure their success. The competencies and objectives, grouped by academic development, career development, and personal/social development, are aligned with the strategic goals of high student performance.

Bishop McGuinness has a tradition of spiritual and academic excellence and prides itself on the community atmosphere it provides through its Campus ministry which offers opportunities for spiritual growth through retreats and prayer services. All Bishop students are required to complete 15 service hours per year. These hours can be split between their Church communities and other civic or non-profit organizations. The students are involved in many different kinds of activities from volunteering as bible school assistants, to working in nursing homes, animal shelters, and even mission trips overseas. Last year’s mission trip was to Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico where the students ministered to children in orphanages, the elderly in a nursing home, and helped with needed repairs at a community green-house and a couple of local churches. To further cultivate the significance of serving, each year it is a requirement in Theology class for the students to write a reflection on their service.

Arts

Bishop’s Fine Arts Department offers a comprehensive and widely diverse curricula in areas of music, visual arts, and dramatic arts. In addition, the department regularly offers cultural enrichment opportunities—performances in prominent music festivals and field trips to museums in North Carolina and across the country. One of the central goals of the Department is to develop community through collaboration such as drama/music in stage productions and music/art in the annual Winter Art Show and Spring Fine Arts Day Festival—a school wide all-day and into-the-night celebration.

Athletics

As a recent winner of the Wells Fargo Cup, which is sponsored by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association and is awarded to the schools that have the best interscholastic sports programs in each of the four classifications, it is not surprising to know that more than sixty percent of the student population participates on 33 teams in 18 different sports.

As Athletic Director, Jeff Stoller points out, “We are very proud of the efforts of our student athletes and coaches. Winning the Wells Fargo Cup is a great honor for our entire student community and demonstrates the balance of our athletic program and the equal emphasis that we place on all of our girls’ and boys’ teams.”

Spectators to sporting events are often surprised by the school’s mascot which is, “The Villain.” However, the mascot is in recognition of the school’s early roots at the all-girls school, Villa Marie Anna Academy in Winston-Salem.

When talking about their school, students and staff refer to a place where young people are eager to come together, supported in a community of faith that encourages a relationship of academic quality with a culture of service. Students look to help and support one another and a sense of ‘family’ seems to be a common thread in how they feel about the school.

“I love all the opportunities to learn, and I was able to participate in a lot of different clubs and service projects which allowed me to interact and meet a lot of good friends,” stated Danielle Nieters, who will be graduating and attending Dartmouth in the fall.

To find out more, visit the school’s website at www.BMHS.us or call 336-564-1010.