Union Catholic Regional High School is a private accredited high school located in Scotch Plains, in Union County, New Jersey, United States. Its motto promises to provide a "Quality education in a faith-based environment." Founded in 1962 as separate schools for boys and girls, each with its own separate administration and faculty, it has been coeducational since a merger of the two schools in 1980. The school is an active participant in the Anytime/Anywhere learning program. Students from three counties attend the school. The school operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.
The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools since 1970.
Academics
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 758 students and 51.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a studentâ€"teacher ratio of 14.7.
Requirements for graduation
A minimum of 124 Credits is required for graduation and is distributed as follows: English, 20; US History, 10; World History, 5; Lab Sciences, 10; Mathematics, 15; World Language, 10; Phys. Ed., 8, and Religion, a passing grade each year.
Course levels
Union Catholic offers many classes at a variety of levels that range from easy to difficult. Levels include Basic, Regular Adapted, Regular, Honors, Accelerated, and Advanced Placement (AP).
Advanced Placement courses are offered in AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP United States History, AP United States Government and Politics, AP Calculus, AP Statistics, AP Physics B and AP Spanish Language. Accelerated and Honors courses are offered in English, History, Mathematics, World Languages and Science. Most courses available have an Honors/Accelerated/AP equivalent available for students to take provided certain prerequisites are met.
Athletics
The Union Catholic High School Vikings compete in the Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). Prior to the NJSIAA's 2009 realignment, the school had participated in the Mountain Valley Conference, which included public and private high schools in Essex County, Somerset County and Union County. James Reagan Sr. is the Athletic Director.
Union Catholic's girls' volleyball team won the 2005 Non-Public State Championship with a win over Lacordaire Academy in the tournament final (25-21, 19-25, 25-22). The win marks the school's first ever state championship.
The boys' 4 × 200 m relay placed first with a time of 1:28.81 at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships in New York City, on March 16, 2008. The boys' 800m sprint medley relay team took first place at the Nike Outdoor National Championship held on June 18, 2008. Their time of 1:31.72 broke the school's record and placed them #7 in New Jersey records.
Union Catholic student Sydney McLaughlin, class of 2017, qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in the women's 400-meter hurdles.
Technology
Union Catholic High School currently has a Laptop for Learning Program. All Freshman students receive an IBM/Lenovo Laptop. This laptop is used all four years of high school. Laptops are used for scholarly purposes such as taking notes, searching for information, and doing homework. Students also receive their own @unioncatholic.org email address. This email address is used to send information and notes within the building. Wireless Internet is available throughout the building and can be utilized by all students. Some textbooks are available online, so students are not required to bring all textbooks to class. An acceptable use policy is in place to prevent misuse of the Internet. UC also has a virtual library that utilizes various Internet databases. Smartboard (virtual blackboards) are available in some classrooms, and this technology helps to bring learning to life. Union Catholic is committed to using technology and believes that technology brings students into the 21st century.
Performing Arts Company
The Union Catholic Performing Arts Company (UCPAC) showcases professional theatre on a high school level. The company celebrated their 25th Anniversary in 2006 with their fall comedy: and their spring musical: Sugar which is based on the movie Some Like it Hot. Some of their past plays include: Arsenic and Old Lace, Fools, and Inspecting Carol. Some of their past musicals might include: Pippin, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Honk!, and Seussical. In 2007 the fall comedy was The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, and the spring musical production was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The 2008-2009 UCPAC Season presented the play Incorruptible by Michael Hollinger in the Fall and the musical Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim in the spring. The summer production Love (Awkwardly) was performed on the Union Catholic stage during the Summer of 2009. It then moved to NYC Off-Broadway at the end of the summer. Due to critical acclaim, it returned to NYC in January 2010. In the 2009-10 school year, UCPAC presented Noises Off and Les Misérables. The 10-11 season showed The Nerd and The Drowsy Chaperone. In the 2011-12 year, UCPAC presented The Miss Firecracker Contest and Zombie Prom. The 2012-2013 season showcased Stepping Out and Legally Blonde. The 14-15 season performed Boeing-Boeing in the fall and Hairspray in the spring. The 15-16 season performed The Cripple of Inishmaan in the fall and Bring It On in the spring. The 16-17 season showcased "Rumors" in the fall and "In The Heights" in the spring. This upcoming season will consist of "Peter and the Starcatcher" for the fall play and "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" as the spring musical.
Notable alumni
- Damon Lynn (born 1995, class of 2013), college basketball player for the NJIT Highlanders.
- Sydney McLaughlin (born 1999, class of 2017), hurdler and sprinter who is competing in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
- Bob Wischusen (born 1971, class of 1989), sportscaster who is a college football and basketball voice for ESPN and ESPN International, the radio voice for the New York Jets.
References
External links
- Union Catholic Regional High School web site
- Data for Union Catholic Regional High School, National Center for Education Statistics