Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 2, 1994 TAG: 9406020143
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: NANCY BELL STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The parochial school's 15 graduates joke about it a little. But mostly they are proud to graduate from a school where the students know each other well and even shop for food together to celebrate the last days of their senior year. The low student/teacher ratio, they say, is the glue that holds them together.
As she prepares for her first semester at the William and Mary College, Jackie Hinman struggles with a popular misconception about Catholic education.
"People think that there's more freedom of choice in public schools. But private schools have the freedom to teach things public schools cannot - like morals."
Hinman said Catholic school students are not force-fed religious doctrine as many people believe. Instead, religious education classes offer opportunities to explore religion throughout the world. She said one year of public high school was all she needed to make the comparison.
"I feel I have more personal freedom at Roanoke Catholic."
Classmate Matt Campbell agrees. "In science, we are given the freedom to learn evolution but also to explore religious principles. Nothing is done in a forceful way. We are free to explore possibilities."
Campbell, who will study engineering at Virginia Tech, said his education at Roanoke Catholic has prepared him for college in a way he could not have prepared elsewhere.
"I like the atmosphere. Other kids have the perception that it is People think that there's more freedom of choice in public schools. But private schools have the freedom to teach things public schools cannot - like morals. Jackie Hinman Catholic senior very strict here. But, really, we are allowed to be individuals."
Mary Molinary has attended Roanoke Catholic School since kindergarten.
"I feel that more is expected from you here. I have come to expect more from myself because of that."
Molinary, whose interests include teaching and psychology, will attend Roanoke College in the fall.
Mike Kolnok, 18, says he got a good education at Roanoke Catholic despite not always having the best grades. He said teachers have been available before and after school and even off school premises. He thrives at Catholic, he says, because he is encouraged to be himself.
"There have been no discipline problems," he says. Kolnok thinks this contributes to peace of mind among students. The absence of cliques - all 15 seniors form a close group of friends - helps ease some of the peer pressures his public school counterparts face.
"Never quit. This is the biggest thing I have learned," Kolnok said.
In addition to their educational experiences, Roanoke Catholic's seniors participated in a number of community outreach programs this year, including twice weekly visits to Forest Park Elementary School in Roanoke and food drives for the needy.
One hundred percent of the school's graduating class will attend a college or university in the fall.
by CNB