FEATURE STORY
OUR MISSION KEEPS The Hive is back and firing on all cylinders thanks to the generosity of the St. Benedict’s Prep community.
marketing helps us reach pockets of communities that we have no access to,” he explained. “Alums create a sense of legacy, too. Kids who come here learn a fundamental thing from Day One. St. Benedict’s doesn’t start and end with who is on the Property. It’s much bigger than us.” To accommodate the growth, offices were relocated and four new classrooms were constructed on the first floor of Bishop Joseph Francis Hall and two classrooms were added to Cawley Hall. Bishop Francis is the academic home base for the majority of freshmen in the Boys Prep Division. “It’s new and fresh,” said Grace Lenahan, who teaches religion to freshmen boys in Bishop Francis. Faculty are adjusting to the new classrooms and the School created a tent on the Lower Court that can be reserved for outdoor classes. The influx of students, “is palpable,” said Ms. Lenahan. St. Benedict’s is actively planning to enhance space and capacity to accommodate more students on the Property.
All kids can thrive at The Hive.
Enrollment Jumps 28% in Five Years Mario Gallo and Analisa Branco have been fielding non-stop inquiries for admission to St. Benedict’s Prep throughout the fall. With enrollment reaching 962 students during Fall Term, a 28% increase over the 750 enrolled in 2017, Mr. Gallo, Director of Admissions, and Ms. Branco, Associate Director of Admissions, are managing wait lists in multiple grades. The new Girls Prep Division, which began with 85 young women last year and grew to 125 in 2021-22, certainly accounts for a big chunk of growth. Yet demand has also escalated in the Elementary and Middle Divisions with growing awareness that St. Benedict’s is a K-12 Catholic school. “People are seeing us as a ‘one-stop shop’ where all of their kids can thrive,” said Mr. Gallo. “We’re also seeing a phenomenon of families wanting to ensure a place in the Prep Division by entering Benedict’s in either the Middle Division, which now starts at sixth grade, or even earlier in the Elementary Division.” This contradicts the general trend among urban Catholic schools experiencing stagnant or declining enrollment. According to Mr. Gallo, alumni and friends are a big part of The Hive’s exploding growth. “Their support is priceless because their word-of-mouth
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St. Benedict’s Prep Magazine • Fall 2021
“Stay and Build” artwork created by one Gray Bee for this year’s Interdisciplinary Project.
With ‘Stay and Build,’ Past and Present Converge Interdisciplinary Projects are an academic hallmark at St. Benedict’s Prep because the artwork, performances and research produced all stem from a timely theme relevant to kids’ lives. In 2018, the
