Students at McNicholas High School have a wealth of opportunities to dive into experiential learning, both in and outside of the classroom. For example, engineering students have had the chance to partner with alumnus Bill Deimling ('61) and his nonprofit organization called “May We Help,” which designs, creates and builds specialty adaptive devices for people with disabilities.
Last spring, McNicholas students designed a prototype of a machine that students with limited mobility at Margaret B. Rost School could use. The partnership will continue with Deimling, enabling new engineering students to practice building hands-on learning skills that can be utilized in the community.
“We are proud to have these kinds of special partnerships with our alumni as they stay extremely active in the school community as resources and mentors,” says Shannon Kapp, the director of communications and marketing at McNicholas High School. “McNicholas is a very close-knit community. The students continue to look out for one another even beyond graduation.”
The fact that alumni remain connected and committed to their alma mater speaks volumes about what the school means to them and how it shaped their careers and lives. According to Kapp, it’s that special kind of bond that is part of the reason the school was able to open this fall with a 12-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio.
“This ratio enables our students to receive more personal attention throughout the day,” says Kapp. “That means that our students are not disappearing into the crowd.”
Smaller class sizes mean it’s viable for administration to make the necessary adjustments to create a safer school. This includes such things as spreading out desks to create more distance. But that distance doesn’t impede the extremely caring, supportive McNicholas environment that personalizes each student’s school experience. As a result, this year, more than ever, everyone was eager to return to school to soak in what they call the “McNick Experience.” That experience is a big reason why so many families choose to send their children to the school in the first place. Parents want their children to have real mentors who will walk the journey with them as they discover their best selves.
“It’s a comfortable yet authentic environment,” says Kapp, noting that McNicholas was the first coed Catholic school on the city’s east side.
McNicholas High School is located at 6536 Beechmont Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45230. For more information, call 513.231.3500 or visit www.mcnhs.org.