Core Subjects

The mission of the English Department at Xavier College Preparatory High School is to instill in our students a greater curiosity and respect for the literary expressions of the human experience. Through mastery of writing, speaking and reading skills, our students will enter the world with thoughtful purpose -- so that they may become effective writers and communicators for others.

The Math Department’s goal is for students to develop the necessary perseverance to work through challenging problems using critical thinking while taking personal responsibility for their individual learning. In addition to competency in math fundamentals, classes encourage an appreciation for the study of math and its applications in the real world. Our math program is rigorous but flexible, serving the needs of students of all abilities. Students from any freshman math class are given the opportunity to accelerate eventually into any Advanced Placement course within the Math Department. The curriculum is designed to give students a solid foundation in math so that may find sustained success across all disciplines as well as college level math.

The mission of the Physical Education Department is to celebrate the mind and body that God has given us, and our responsibility to care for ourselves appropriately through physical activity. Physical Education is an integral part of the total educational process that gives students the opportunity to develop physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually through the use of physical activity. Our program provides educational excellence to all students by providing a safe, non-threatening, positive environment where cooperation and the opportunity to acquire knowledge, physical and social skills, fitness and attitudes are essential to a healthy lifestyle.

The Science Department courses are designed to develop within our students the ability to read and understand technical/scientific writing, to develop critical thinking through experimentation, cultivate our student’s ability to design and execute experiments based on logical thought and scientific method, create lab reports based on experimental findings, and to apply the scientific method and logical thought to contemporary issues beyond the science scope. Science courses will encourage students to design questions and logical thought through the process of hands on experimentation. Science students will explore the Grad at Grad through the lens of experimentation and reflective thought.

The Xavier College Preparatory High School Social Studies Department is committed to helping students become creative and independent thinkers by guiding them in the understanding and analysis of important economic, geographic, legal, political, and social issues of our contemporary and historical world. Our mission is: 1) to foster an understanding of the processes which are critical to solving complex problems, and to engage students in the regular practice of these problem-solving skills; 2) to assist the student in seeing the world from different perspectives; 3) to create students who can write, clearly, critically, and persuasively; and, 4) to guide our student population in their potential as citizens of a democratic nation and a contributing member of our local community.

The mission of the Technology Department is to invite our students to discover how the gifts of intelligence and creativity can be used to make the world a better place for all people in an ever-changing world. Technology is changing the way we approach some of the greatest challenges faced by today’s societies. Our ability to respond to the needs of our times rests in the development of 21st century skills in our students. Courses offered in this department provide students the opportunity to develop such skills as critical thinking and problem solving, creative thinking and innovation, collaboration, and complex communication, through active, hands-on, student-centered, content-rich learning experiences. All courses focus on mentoring and engaging responsible digital citizens who use technology ethically, effectively and appropriately, while at the same time building relationships with others and finding God in all things.

It is the commitment of our Theology Department that as a result of the courses and the guidance of teachers, our students will: 1) Know that they are created in the image of God, and, although sinners, are intimately and unconditionally loved by God; 2) Understand how to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ and the ways this relationship calls them to respond to a world ever in need of Christian love and charity; 3) Experience a fundamental and existential gratitude for the gift-nature of all that exists; 4) Understand the meaning and value of embracing a religious community, particularly that of the Catholic Church, as an anchor for their spiritual and moral growth; and, 5) Recognize that earth is only a temporary home, and that they are called to a supernatural destiny to live with God forever.

The Visual & Performing Arts Department seeks to facilitate a respect for a range of Visual and Performing arts traditions. Primary to our students’ formation is understanding that the arts enhance life intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally. Thus, Visual and Performing Art courses are designed to develop comprehensive aesthetic language and concepts that include opportunities to creatively problem-solve through individual responses to aesthetic challenges. VPA courses also encourage students to design the next level of questions to be solved. By reflecting how aesthetic studies intersect with faith lives, students are made aware that the arts are deep human responses to God, the Ultimate Creator.

Our World Language Department focuses on the growth and development of the target language in each student, their knowledge of Mandarin Chinese, French, or Spanish-speaking countries, and their understanding of the Chinese, Francophone, or Hispanophone culture while comparing it to their own. Our World Language department accompanies our learners on a journey to enhance their levels of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills using interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational modes of communication. The majority of the courses are conducted in the target language. The students are expected to become effective communicators and demonstrate an understanding of the relationships developed through practice and leadership. We invite students to understand the regional and global perspectives of (and in) the target language. Students make connections through language with other disciplines, and with multilingual communities.