Paul VI High School

Student life

Paul VI is separated into four classes: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors. The school year begins in early September, and ends in the middle of June (Seniors graduate in late May or early June). Extended periods of vacation are given at Christmas and Easter.

The Paul VI school day starts at 8:05 AM, and ends at 2:30 PM. Students are required to wear the designated school uniforms for the entirety of the day, except during casual days. Separate gym uniforms are required for Physical Education. Discipline is organized into a system of demerits, whereby demerits are given out to students who break the school code of conduct as published annually in the student handbook. The number of demerits given depends on the severity of the infraction. Ten demerits result in a student receiving a detention. As Paul VI is a Catholic high school, students are expected to act according to Catholic teaching.

The school day is organized into eight periods, each 43 minutes long. Preceding 1st period is a homeroom period, where students receive news and announcements. Occasionally, periods are shortened to allow for a student assembly or pep rally, or for half days. Monthly, students attend mass together in the auditorium; a special mass schedule is used.

Students are required to take four years of math, English/Literature and religion in order to graduate. Three years of science and history are also required, as are two years of a foreign language, one year of writing, senior year health, and sophomore year physical/health education.

Curriculum

Arithmetic courses include everything from Algebra 1 Part 1, to Advanced Placement program (AP level) AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC. Recently, AP Statistics has been introduced as a class to follow the AP Calculus courses.

Literature courses include AP English Language and Composition, American Literature, British Literature, World Literature, and their respective honors and AP courses. Creative Writing, Film Appreciation, and Public Speaking are popular electives.

Science courses include a basic 'Integrated Science' course, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and their respective honors and AP courses.

Religious studies are a very important part of the Paul VI education, with four years of courses covering everything including Catholic Faith and Morality, Scriptures, Church History, prayer and worship, Issues of Faith and Morals and Social justice.

Two years of a foreign language are required, and students may take up to four years of their desired language. Languages offered to study include Spanish, Italian, French, Latin, and their respective AP class. Japanese is also offered, however, as of the 2008–09 school year, only two years of Japanese are offered. Two years of any language are mandatory.

The Social Studies are well represented, with World History, US History 1 & 2 (as well as Honors United States History 1 and AP United States History 2,) AP European History, Humanities, Sociology, Comparative World Governments, Logic, AP Economics, and AP Psychology.

Physical Education includes the courses Physical Education, Driver's Education, Nutrition and Fitness, Tae Bo and Pilates.

Available Business courses include 'Introduction to Business,' Marketing, Accounting 1 & 2, Business Law 1 & 2, Basic Programming, and Java Programming. Business courses are elective.

Drama 1 & 2, as well as Advanced Drama are very popular electives.

Dance classes include Ballet 1 & 2, Dance 1, Intermediate Dance, and Advanced Dance. All dance courses are elective.

Paul VI offers a wide array of music courses including Chorus, Chorale, Chamber Choir, A Capella Singers, Male Chorus, Music Theory, Advanced Music Theory, Band, Pep Band, Concert Band, Jazz Band, String Ensemble 1 & 2, and Music technology. All music courses are elective.

The Industrial Arts courses are all elective and include Technical Drawing 1, 2, & 3, and architecture. All four courses are successive.

Athletics

The Paul VI Eagles compete in the Patriot Division of the Olympic Conference, which operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. The Eagles' main rival is Camden Catholic High School, whom they play in football every Thanksgiving. Bishop Eustace Preparatory School is another rival.

Sports offered at Paul VI include:

The boys wrestling team won the Parochial A South state sectional championships every year from 1981 to 1992. The team won the Parochial A state championships in 1982, 1984–1990 and 1992. The team's nine state group titles are tied for fourth-most in the state and the streak of seven consecutive group titles is tied for the state's third longest.

Boys basketball team won the Non-Public Group A state championship in 1980 vs. Marist High School, in 1983 vs. Immaculata High School and in 1983 vs. Bergen Catholic High School in 1988.

The football team won the Non-Public A South state sectional championships in 1981.

The boys soccer team won the 2003 NJSIAA Parochial A state sectional championship with a 3–1 win over Notre Dame High School.

Boys cross country winning streak

The Paul VI boys cross country team had a dual meet unbeaten streak that started in 1979 and ended at 244 straight wins after 28 years. On October 10, 2007, Camden Catholic High School beat them 21–36 and took the division championship, ending the longest unbeaten streak in recent memory. In an editorial, The Philadelphia Inquirer cited the streak, which started when Jimmy Carter was President, as "an epic achievement". They have not lost since, and beat Camden Catholic High School in a dual meet during the 2008 season. Haddonfield High School now owns the current longest streak for South Jersey at 102 wins.

Notable alumni