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When will the new 7th and 8th grade classes be accepted at Bishop Kearney, expanding the program to grades 7-12?
7th and 8th grades will begin classes at Kearney in September 2008.

How and When Can I Reserve a Spot For My Student at the Junior High School?
Registration is underway now for grades 7-12; however, we will host a registration night on Tuesday, February 12, 2008 from 6-8pm. Current Parents, Faculty and Administrative staff will be on hand that night to answer questions. You can receive a registration packet and register at another time by contacting Anita Nagel, Director of Student Affairs, at 342-4000, x246 or anagel@bkhs.org
Space is limited, so prospective students are encouraged to complete registration forms right away.

Is Catholic Identity Important at Kearney?
Bishop Kearney High School |A Golisano Education Partner, is a Catholic school. Our Catholic identity is very important, with the foundation of Christian Brothers and School Sisters of Notre Dame. So is carrying out the mission of Blessed Edmund Rice who founded Christian Brothers. It is who we are. It is important to note that we continue to use 21st century tools of education to carry out the long-standing tradition and mission of our school. Values, discipline and faith are vital parts of the school life at Kearney. Service is important as well. Concepts of social entrepreneurship are woven throughout the school life.

Must prospective students take an entrance examination for Junior High at Kearney?
Prospective junior high school students will not be required to take an entrance exam. Administrators will review academic and disciplinary records from current grade schools and, when necessary, will conduct interviews with school personnel and/or the student and parents. In the future we may choose to administer an entrance exam. This admissions process is similar to our High School admissions process and has always proved to be effective for us to enroll a diverse and talented student body, members of which live the Kearney motto of "Do All Things Well."

For prospective high school students (grades 9-12) the first required entrance examination has already been administered and accepted students will be notified in early February. There will be another high school entrance exam in March. Contact Anita Nagel for more information.

What will the tuition be for the Junior High? Will it be the same as Bishop Kearney High School?
The Junior High School tuition rate for the 2008/2009 school year will be $2,950. Our High School tuition will be $7,100.

Where will the Junior High be located at Kearney? Is there enough space?
There is ample and welcoming space for a Junior High at Kearney. The classrooms will be centrally located on the south wing of the first floor of our current building. This will allow the best of both worlds for our 7th and 8th graders. They will have a designated area specifically for their grade-level, while still being integrated as part of the larger school community. Students will also have access to individual lockers and shared gym, library, cafeteria and other athletic facilities.

Will My Child Wear a Uniform?
Yes. Our uniforms at the Junior High School will be the same as the High School students, as it is our goal to create continuity and a spirit around the entire Kearney family throughout grades 7-12. Boys will be required to wear suitable khaki trousers, button-down collar shirts with school logo, and ties with optional sweaters or sweater vests. Girls wear button-down collar shirts with school logo, with an optional skirt, Capri or full-length khaki pant and optional sweater or sweater vest. Gym uniforms are also required for physical education. Order information is available by contacting the Director of Student Affairs.

What will the academic program look like?
The students will participate in all New York State-required core curriculum classes: English, Math, Social Studies, Foreign Language, and Science and Religion. They will also participate in art, physical education and music classes. Their program will be enhanced by the opportunity, when appropriate, to take high school level courses at an earlier age and to be exposed to our enhanced high school curriculum with a focus on 21st century skills. Such skills include global awareness, critical thinking and problem- solving, technology skills, communication and collaboration.

What is the Expected Class Size?
We like our current High School class size of 20-25 students in a class and feel it is the best size for our learning environment. We will continue this class size in the future with the Junior High School. Appropriate class size adds to the family atmosphere and the ability of students and parents to know each other, their teachers, staff and administrators by name.

Who Will Teach My Student?
Bishop Kearney will recruit the best and brightest faculty in the area. They will be specifically certified to teach at the junior high level. This may include, but is not limited to, some of the Catholic school teachers displaced by school closings in the Diocese. One thing is certain: all Kearney teachers—grades 7-12—will continue to be well-trained. Kearney has a commitment to providing ongoing professional development and continuing education for teachers.

Will My Student Be Able to Participate in Kearney Sports and Extracurricular Activities?
Yes. We are still in the process of determining the exact number and make-up of the sports teams, but we anticipate providing a variety of athletic teams at the Junior High level with the option for students to participate in Junior Varsity sports if they are ready for that commitment of time and have the ability to compete at that level. We will also offer a full spectrum of extracurricular clubs and activities for students, similar to our High School program, but appropriately geared toward the 7th and 8th grade levels.

I Live a Distance from Bishop Kearney, is Busing Available for My Child?
State law requires school districts within a New York State-defined radius to be bused by their school district of residence. We can give you specific information on the busing requirements and availability for your school district if you call our main office at 342-4000, x201.

The state-of-the-art Technology at Kearney has received a lot of attention. Will Junior High School students be able to use it?
Yes. Every classroom in the new junior high will be equipped with interactive white boards, and wireless internet, as well as the latest educational software.

What kind of technology will my junior high school student use?
The philosophy around technology use at Kearney, is that all students will have complete, but monitored access, so they can develop 21^st century skills.  All Bishop Kearney Junior High School 7^th and 8^th grade students will receive a laptop for classroom use.  Bishop Kearney Junior High School teachers will utilize electronic whiteboards and other technology in the classroom, which will mirror what happens at the High School level at Kearney. Junior High students will use their laptop computers with teacher supervision, to access web and electronic resources that enhance the core curriculum.

The educational program for grades 7 and 8 at Bishop Kearney Junior High School |A Golisano Education Partner combines a concentration on New York State Core subject requirements with an emphasis on 21^st century learning.   A variety of skills are interwoven into the core subjects to create a learning environment that focuses on real- world knowledge and skills. Instructional methods and technology enhance the classroom learning environment to allow for a higher level of understanding and application.

Technology opens the door for potential misuse by students. How does Kearney address this?
We take this issue very seriously, and have implemented extremely strict policies around the use of technology at school. Additionally, we monitor student activity very closely. We have a secure network which is continually adapted to meet changing security needs as students use the World Wide Web in their education. The technology usage policy is available on our web site at www.bkhs.org.

We have also contracted with the National Center for Missing Exploited Children, which provides educational programming around important safety issues for all children when technology and the internet are used. These policies and the training will be made available to Junior High students and parents as well.

We hear a lot about the new College Prep. Plus. curriculum at the high school level. What is it?
Both the technology implementation, and our curriculum concept, known as College Prep. Plus., were developed through our unique partnership with B. Thomas Golisano, founder of Paychex and owner of the Buffalo Sabres. The new curriculum allows our high school students to prepare for college by studying important core subjects like Math, Science, English and Social Studies, but the way they are instructed is at the core of our innovative approach. The "Plus" comes with the integration of real-life lessons and practical life and business applications into the core curriculum. The critical thinkers who emerge from Kearney will become smarter about new sources of information. In an age where they're forced to process an overflow of information from a variety of media, it's important that they can discern what's important and what's not. A mastery of technology and understanding of its use in the workplace are vital for graduates heading into the 21st century. The critical thinking advanced by rigorous math and science will add to this understanding.

You're talking about college preparation, but how will students at the Junior High School get the advantages of College Prep. Plus.?
As previously indicated, every classroom will have interactive white boards with access to the latest teaching tools, software and the worldwide web. Introduction of technology into the High School has revolutionized the way Kearney faculty teaches. The students are the real winners as our teachers become more and more entrepreneurial in the classroom.

Our Junior High teachers will receive the same continuous training as our High School teachers to learn to integrate the technology into the curriculum, and all teachers will have curriculum mapping software and administrative support to learn how to integrate 21st Century learning into their daily curriculum, in all subject areas. In addition, our students will have access to laptops when they are appropriate for the educational programs developed for our teachers. This means our students will have access to the best technology and curriculum innovations available as we set a standard for 21st century learning.

Explain more about the Kearney | Golisano Partnership?
We are so pleased about this partnership with Tom Golisano. The transformation that has occured at our school is wonderful. Tom has been so generous with our school--certainly with financial resources in the form of his pledge of $3 million over three years. But it's more than that. Tom is a success story. He understands what it takes to succeed out in the real world. He looks at things differently--he is the epitome of the entrepreneurial spirit. And now, he's sharing that spirit with our students.

Can I See the School and Take a Tour?
Yes. We will host an Open House on Thursday, January 31 from 6-8pm. Current Parents, Faculty and Administrative staff will be on hand that night to answer any questions you will have.
You can also take a private tour at your convenience, and speak with our administration by contacting Anita Nagel, Director of Student Affairs, at 342-4000, x246 or anagel@bkhs.org.