Type Private Established 1915 Principal John Stanczak Phone +1 201-327-8003 Colors White, Maroon | Religious affiliation(s) Roman Catholic President Fr. Jim Heuser, SDB Tuition 14,200 USD (2014–2015) School fees 1,425 USD | |
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Motto Latin: Crescere Scientia et Gratia
(To Increase in Knowledge and Grace) Address 492 Franklin Turnpike, Ramsey, NJ 07446, USA Similar Bergen Catholic High Sch, Saint Joseph Regional, Paramus Catholic High Sch, DePaul Catholic High Sch, Immaculate Heart Academy Profiles | ||
Don bosco preparatory high school
Don Bosco Preparatory High School (Don Bosco Prep) is a private, Roman Catholic high school for young men in ninth through twelfth grades. Founded in 1915 as a boarding school for Polish boys, by the Salesians of Don Bosco, a religious community of priests and brothers, the school is situated on a 35-acre (140,000 m2) campus in Ramsey, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.
Contents
- Don bosco preparatory high school
- Accreditation
- Course offerings
- Athletics
- Fall
- Cross Country
- Soccer
- Football
- Bowling
- Ice Hockey
- Swimming
- Fencing
- Indoor track and field
- Wrestling
- Spring
- Outdoor track and field
- Baseball
- Rowing
- Lacrosse
- Activities and clubs
- Concert series
- Administration
- Notable alumni
- References
Located in northern New Jersey, approximately 2 mi (3 km) from the New Jersey/New York border, the school draws students from a wide geographical region, including Bergen, Passaic, Morris, Essex and Sussex counties in New Jersey as well as surrounding counties in New York.
As of the 2013-14 school year, the school had an enrollment of 871 students and 60.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.3:1.
From its early days from 1915 to 1973, Don Bosco housed resident students who lived on-campus, on the upper floors of St. Johns Hall. Freshman were in the center wing while upperclassmen stayed on the top floor in the north annex. During the 1960s, approximately 75 or 10% of the students were resident/on-campus. Resident students attended Mass each morning and were allowed to go home each weekend starting around 1963. Prior to that, weekend home visits were periodic.
Accreditation
The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools since 1960. Don Bosco Prep is a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the National Catholic Educational Association, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the National Honor Society and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.
Course offerings
Courses available include:
Mathematics
Literature
World Languages
Social Studies
Sciences
Theology
Fine Arts
Computer Sciences
Athletics
The Don Bosco Ironmen compete in the Big North Conference, a super conference of some 40 public and private high schools in northeastern New Jersey that operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). In the 2009-10 school year, the school competed in the North Jersey Tri-County Conference, a conference established on an interim basis to facilitate realignment. Until the NJSIAA's 2009 realignment, the school had participated in Division C of the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League, which was made up of high schools located in Bergen County, Essex County and Passaic County, and was separated into three divisions based on NJSIAA size classification.
The athletic teams are nicknamed the Ironmen and the school colors are maroon and white. In 2008 they were ranked as the number nine sports program in the nation by Sports Illustrated.
The school was recognized as the Group A winner of the NJSIAA ShopRite Cup in 2006-07. The award recognized the school for achieving a tie for 3rd in Boys Soccer, 1st in Boys Cross Country, 1st in Football, 2nd in Wrestling, 2nd in Boys Indoor Track and Field Relays, a tie for 3rd in baseball, 2nd in boys golf, a tie for 3rd in boys lacrosse and 2nd in boys track and field.
Fall
The Prep fields football, soccer and cross country teams in the fall.
Cross Country
The cross country team won its first New Jersey State Meets of Champions in 1992 under the leadership of Coach Tony Monks and Bill Barry. The team returned as Champions in 2007 and 2009 along with Non-Public A Titles four consecutive years from 2006 to 2009. The Ironmen placed third at the Nike Northeast Regional Race, and placed 10th at Nike Team Nationals in Portland, Oregon in 2007. They also recently ended Christian Brothers Academy's 11-year winning streak at the state group championships with their string of four wins, and in 2005 the freshman cross country team ended the 19-year streak of CBA in the NJCTCs. More recently the squad finished sixth in the country at Nike Cross Nationals in 2008. The Ironmen were the best team not to make nationals in 2009 finishing 23rd in the country. Under the guidance of head coach Kevin Kilduff, the program was named North Jersey's "Program of the Decade" for 2000-2009. They head into the 2014 Season ranked 9th in the Nation
Soccer
The soccer team were state runners-up in 2009 and is a perennial competitor for the state title. In 2009, they defeated Bergen Catholic High School in the Bergen County Tournament final 3-0, behind goals from Dylan Renna, Gio Esposito and Ryan McNamara. The Bergen County Coaches Association named Don Bosco's Ian Joyce and Steve Franchini to its All Decade Team, but selected Ramapo High School in 2010 as its Program of the Decade, despite both teams having won five championships in the ten-year span, citing the fact that Ramapo had beaten Don Bosco three of the four times the teams had played each other in the county championship.
Football
Don Bosco Prep's football program has been a perennial contender for the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Non-Public Group IV championship. The Ironmen have won 15 state championships, declared winners in 1968, 1970 and 1973, and winning playoff tournaments in 1983–84, 1990, 2002–03, 2006–11 and in 2015, defeating Saint Joseph Regional High School by a score of 21-10 to win the program's first title in four years. In 2009 the Ironmen became the first ever New Jersey team to be selected as the High School Football National Champion, finishing atop the lists of both the USA Today and the National Prep Poll rankings. Don Bosco would repeat in 2011 as the National Champion of both the USA Today and the National Prep Poll.
Prior to achieving National Champion status, the Don Bosco football team ended the 2002 season ranked No. 8 in the nation in USA Today's "Super 25" ranking of the best high school football teams in the country, was ranked No. 2 in the nation in the 2003 season and ranked No. 7 in the 2006 season. The team finished first overall in USA Today's regional rankings for the East at the end of those same three seasons.
In 2002, 2003, 2006 and 2010 the football team won the Star Ledger Trophy as the newspaper's top-ranked program in the New Jersey.
On September 27, 2008, the nationally ranked football team traveled to California where they defeated powerhouse De La Salle High School 23-21 on national television, the winning margin coming with 10 seconds left on a 19-yard field goal. A year later Don Bosco hosted De La Salle, defeating them 30-6 on September 12, 2009. Later that year the Ironmen travelled to Prattville, Alabama to take on another national powerhouse. This game was televised nationwide by ESPN. The Ironmen came out on top winning 35-24. Don Bosco finished the season with a perfect 12-0 record and, following a number of weeks ranked second in the nation, was chosen 2009 National Champion when 2008 National Champion Saint Thomas Aquinas of Fort Lauderdale, Florida lost in the Florida State semi-finals.
While becoming one of the most notable high school football teams of the past few years, Bosco has sent more than 40 football players to Division I colleges across the country.
Bowling
The bowling team won the overall state championship in 1991 and 1993.
Ice Hockey
The hockey team dates back to the 1960s. The team currently plays in the Gordon Conference. Consistently ranked among the top 5 teams in the state, the Ironmen have been to two state championships, won the 2012 Gordon Conference Championship, four Bergen County championships, a Van Cott Cup and numerous other championships. Coach Greg Toskos, the all-time leading scorer at Don Bosco, has led the Ironmen since the 2006-07 season (his first two seasons as co-coach) and has a career 116-79-23 record.
Swimming
The swimming program was introduced in 2005. On January 5, 2008, Don Bosco swim team defeated Bergen Catholic High School, 98-72. It was Bergen Catholic's first dual meet loss in 23 years.
Fencing
The fencing team in the 2011-2012 season got 2nd place in Section 4 district championships and was undefeated, going 13-0.
In the 2012-2013 fencing season, the Ironmen were again undefeated in District 4 dual meets, placed second in the District 4 tournament, and, for the first time in team history, advanced past the first round of the State Tournament to achieve a ranking of 6th in the state.
Indoor track and field
The indoor track team & field team has risen to national prominence in the past few years, as the Ironman quartet of Steven Wexler, Jason Baker, Conor Sullivan and anchor leg Sharif Webb won the National Championship in the 3200m (4 × 800 m) relay at the 2006 National Scholastic Indoor Championships held in New York City. Four years later at the NSIC, the 2010 4x1 mile relay, led by an astonishing anchor from Michael Belgiovine (and also including Rafael Vargas, Howard Rosas and Phelan McCormack) earned 2nd team All-American status for their runner-up finish in that race. In addition, the Ironmen have won County championships indoors for five consecutive years and have won numerous league/conference and invitational titles. The team captured the NJSIAA Non-Public "A" State Title at the Bennett Indoor Complex in Toms River, NJ. The program was named "Program of the Decade" by the Bergen County Coaches Association.
Wrestling
The wrestling team won the 2007 Non-Public North A state sectional championship with a 32-28 win against rival Bergen Catholic High School.
Razohnn Gross became the school's first individual wrestling champion when he won the 2012 title at 195 pounds in overtime vs. Eric McMullen of North Bergen High School. Gross won his second title in 2013 with a victory over Anthony Messner of Franklin High School.
Spring
The school offers seven varsity sports in the spring season including baseball, golf, lacrosse, track & field, tennis, crew and volleyball.
The lacrosse, golf, and volleyball teams are teams on the rise. The golf team finished undefeated in 2009 and was ranked within the top 5 teams in the state.
Outdoor track and field
The Ironmen are six-time state champions in Spring track with wins in 1955, 1961, 2006 and three consecutive titles in 2009, 2010 & 2011. The track team has won county championships for several years running, and won many league & conference titles in the now-defunct NNJIL before joining the Big North Conference. Also of note, in 2007 the Sprint Medley Relay (Jason Kelsey, Matthew Cato, Marvin Whilby and Sharif Webb) captured a National Title at the Nike Outdoor Nationals held in Greensboro, North Carolina. In 2009, the 4x1 Mile Relay team earned All-American status with a 5th-place finish at the Nike Outdoor Nationals and most recently the Shuttle Hurdle Relay Team, 4 × 400 m Relay Team and Javelin thrower Tyler Yee medalled at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in June 2011. Don Bosco Prep has become one of the elite high school track & field programs in the nation, culminating in an 8th-place finish at the Nike Track Nationals, held in Eugene, Oregon in June 2011. The team was voted as "Program of the Decade" for 2000-2009 by the Record's track reporter, Paul Schwartz and Head Coach Rob DeCarlo Jr. was also named "Coach of the Decade" for his efforts in leading the team since 2003, ending a 45-year state title drought in 2006. DeCarlo was honored as New Jersey Boys Track "Coach of the Year" by The Star-Ledger in June 2011.
Baseball
The baseball team has won the county title nine times since 2000 and the state championship six times; the team won the Non-Public A North title in 1963 and won the State Non-Public A championship in 1979 (vs. Notre Dame High School), 1986 (vs. Red Bank Catholic High School), 1988 (vs. Holy Cross Academy), 1989 (vs. Saint Joseph Regional High School), 1994 (vs. Monsignor Donovan High School) and 2008 (vs. Christian Brothers Academy). The 2008 squad posted a record of 33-0 and won the Non-Public A state championship, and were ranked No. 1 in the nation by ESPNHS50 and No. 2 by USA Today. Former ML pitcher Mike Stanton coached the team in 2010 before stepping down. In 2011 they went 25-1 and were 18th in the nation according to MaxPreps Xcellent 25. in 2012 Don Bosco was pre-ranked at No. 6 in the nation by MaxPreps but because of a bad start they fell off but still finished the season 26-4.
Rowing
The rowing team has won two Scholastic Rowing Association of America National championships and two Stotesbury Cup Gold Medals. They have at one point possessed the title in every men's sculling category. The rowing team has only competed against Bergen Catholic High School once during the spring sprint season in the Junior Quad head race qualifier at the 2010 Stotesbury Cup Regatta. The Bosco crew defeated the recently formed crew of their longtime athletic rivals by over a minute in the 1500 meter race. In 2012 the varsity double (Aaron McAvey and Brian Sullivan) won the SRAA national championships.
Lacrosse
The boys' lacrosse team won the Non-Public A state championship in 2013, defeating Seton Hall Prep in the tournament final.
Activities and clubs
Don Bosco Prep offers clubs and activities for student involvement, both on and off-campus:
Concert series
In order to raise awareness of arts at Don Bosco Prep, the music department and alumni have begun a series of concerts. Some of these concerts feature religious or classical music and are included in the "Mary, Help of Christians Chapel Concert Series." Other concerts, organized by the alumni association, present more contemporary music. Billed artists have included:
Administration
Core members of the school's administration are: