Immaculata High School (New Jersey)

Awards, recognition and rankings

During the 1997-98 school year, Immaculata High School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, the highest award an American school can receive.

Academics

A total of 132 credits are necessary for graduation. This includes Theology, which is required each year at Immaculata High School. Students must select six major subjects yearly. Prerequisites for upper level courses are determined by the respective departments and must be met for entry into those respective courses. These courses help to not only build the students knowledge of the world but to also give them a broad overview of topics that could help them better prepare for their intended major in higher education.

Advanced Placement (AP) program courses are available in AP English Language and Composition, AP United States History, AP Spanish Language, AP Chemistry, AP Calculus, AP French Language, and AP Art History. In addition, Honors courses are offered to students in English, French, Spanish, Mathematics, Science, and History.

Spartan Spirit

Spartan Spirit is an activity in which each class has to incorporate a color theme into song lyrics or another popular culture reference. Seniors are Blue, Juniors are Red, Sophomores are Yellow, and Freshmen are Green. There are various class races that are won, number of students who attend per class, spirit, attitude, sportsmanship, and theme are voted on for points. The class with the most points wins a casual dress day for their class. All other classes must report in their uniforms.

Library

The library has enough computers to allow a class to do a project or learn how to use the resources it has to offer. It has many great books and participates in the inter-library loan program, which allows books to be borrowed from other Central Jersey High School libraries. Students are allowed to use the library before school, after school, during lunch periods, and during study periods.

Athletics

The Immaculata Spartans compete in the Skyland Conference, which includes public and parochial high schools covering Hunterdon County, Somerset County and Warren County in west central New Jersey and operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Immaculata is categorized by the NJSIAA in Non-Public Division III and school colors are blue and white.

Interscholastic sports offered at Immaculata include:

Immaculata won the Non-Public B North state sectional championships in 1984 and 1985, in Non-Public Group II in 1994 and in Non-Public Group III in 2006; the team appeared in the state finals on six other occasions (1998, 2001, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012). In 2006, Immaculata's football team faced the Delbarton School in the Non-Public Group III final at Rutgers University, winning 22-14, and finishing the season with a record of 12-0, the first team in school history to finish their season with 12 wins, and were ranked in the top 5 in the state by various Top 20 polls.

Pierce G. Frauenheim coached the Spartans since the high school formed a team in 1966 through the 2012 season. Frauenheim coached his 400th career game on November 17, 2006, when the Spartans defeated Holy Spirit High School in the NJSIAA semifinals by a score of 35-6. On January 15, 2013, John Hack, assistant coach and 2000 graduate of the school, was named Immaculata's head football coach after Frauenheim's retirement. Frauenheim had served as head football coach for 50 years.

Since 1978, the Spartan football team has not had a losing season. The Spartans won 23 consecutive games in the 2006-2007 seasons (12 in 2006, 11 in 2007), the longest streak in team history, before losing in the NJSIAA Non-Public Group III state final by a score of 26-13 to Holy Spirit High School on December 1, 2007, at Rutgers University.

The girls' basketball team won the Non-Public Group B state championship in 1987 vs. Immaculate Conception High School. The boys team won the Non-Public Group A title in 2008 vs. Camden Catholic High School and in 2009 vs. Christian Brothers Academy.

The boys' lacrosse team won the Non-Public B state championship in 2007 (vs. Pingry School), 2009 and 2010 (vs. Pingry both years), 2011 (vs. Montclair Kimberley Academy) and 2014 (vs. Morristown-Beard School).

The bowling team won the Group I state championship in 2014.

Clubs

The school has many clubs including foreign language clubs, drama, various student outreach programs through campus ministry, and spring track.

Marching band

The Immaculata High School Spartan Marching Band is one of the cornerstones of the school, consisting of over 90 wind, percussion and color guard members. The band performs at all school football games and competes in United States Scholastic Band Association (USSBA) competitions in the New Jersey area. Among the many accolades the band has achieved are: marching in the 1989 Presidential Inaugural Parade in Washington DC, and traveling to Canada, Virginia, and Florida, and all over the Northeastern United States. In 2008, the band placed first in USSBA National Competition at the Annapolis Naval Academy winning Best Music, Percussion, Colorguard, and Overall Effect with their show called "Heroes".

In the 2011 competition season, the band won the USSBA (now USBands) Group 6 Open New Jersey state championships with a score of 96.925 with their show "The Planetarium", taking the captions for Best Visual, Best Effect, Best Color Guard, Best Percussion, and The Cadets Award for Excellence. They also placed second in National Competition at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis with a score of 97.988, winning awards for Best Music, Best Effect, Best Color Guard & Best Percussion.

While celebrating the 50th anniversary of the school during the 2012 season with their "We Are Spartans" show, the band captured the USBands NJ State and National titles. At States, the band took all special awards (Music, Visual, Effect, Color Guard and Percussion) and had a score of 97.375. At National, IHS came out first over 15 band, taking home the Best Music special award and scored a 96.587, narrowly winning the title by .049 points over their nearest competitor.

Track

The track program was recently an "official" club sponsored by the school. Before the 2005-06 school year it was an unofficial team through the cross country runners. The 2005-06 year lead to an official Spring Track Club. Wilt Robinson, the varsity cross country coach, coached the sprinters. Mr. Flannery, a Princeton University alumnus, coached the distance runners. Practice is commonly held throughout Somerville and the track at Raritan Valley Community College. The Spring 2007 season was coached by Mr. Robinson again along with another alumnus.

Drama

Musicals are performed each year at the school in the spring. The shows are directed by Trent Van Doren, with musical direction by Sr. Dolores Margaret. The 2008 spring musical was How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and in 2009 they put on "Seussical". The shows were in the middle of March 2008 and March 2009, respectively. The 2010 production was Beauty and The Beast, the 2011 musical was Children of Eden, and the 2012 musical was Les Miserable.

Model United Nations

The Immaculata Model United Nations program (MUN) is designed to give students an understanding of the structure and functions of the United Nations in New York City. Since 1985, Immaculata High School has won numerous awards at the annual YMCA Model UN Conference in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Legal controversy

In November 2013, former Immaculata volunteer coach Patrick Lott was sentenced to six years in prison after he pleaded guilty to multiple counts of child endangerment and invasion of privacy. Between 2007 and 2011, Lott had videotaped male students in the showers at Immaculata High.

Administration

Core members of the schools administration are:

Notable alumni