Curriculum

The Science Department hosted its annual Science Fair on Thursday, Jan. 26. 35 students were invited to present their projects to a panel of judges comprised of faculty, friends of McNicholas, and Science National Honor Society members. Science teacher Ms. Mary Dennemann said, “Students have been preparing science fair projects for the 18 last weeks. We are proud of their hard work." 

McNicholas engineering students stepped up to the plate, helping Little League baseball players who use walkers and wheelchairs to field ground balls. The grabbers they designed, tested, and manufactured were delivered to the Mason Challenger Baseball team in December.

Congratulations to the members of the McNicholas CyberPatriot Team who earned 2^nd Place in the gold tier at the state level of The National Youth Cyber Defense Competition. Coach Mrs. Jolene Esz attributes their success to their enthusiasm and their hard work in the UC Early IT Program. “All of the students on the team are in the McNicholas cohort of the UC IT Early College Program so they have taken college level classes in Networking and Systems Administration. Their success is a testament to their hard work and the outstanding program we have here,” Mrs. Esz said.

Rockets made delicious discoveries when they combined fundamentals of science and cooking in the inaugural semester of the Culinary Chemistry class. The goal of the class is to give students a different perspective on science and an appreciation for chemistry in our everyday lives. Trading beakers for mixing bowls and Bunsen burners for convection ovens, students participated in hands-on cooking labs where they used principles of chemistry to assist them in creating a variety of tasty treats.

More than 40 McNicholas students are skipping study hall for a good reason: They’re tutoring kids at Sands Montessori, Mt. Washington Elementary, and St. Joseph Catholic School. Through a program launched in the 2021-22 school year, our students provide reading enrichment at Sands, math and language arts support at Mt. Washington, and homework assistance at St. Joe’s.

McNicholas High School celebrated students achieving their academic best by inducting 31 new members into the Altiora Chapter of National Honor Society on Thursday, Dec. 1. The National Honor Society recognizes the achievements of junior and senior students who excel academically and fill leadership roles in the school and community.

Students in the Environmental Science classes are caring for God’s creation and learning about sustainability by taking responsibility for the school recycling program. Science teacher Mr. Eric Hickman jump started the program as part of his Environmental Science curriculum. “My goal for this class is to make students aware of environmental issues and empower them to be a part of the solutions,” Mr. Hickman said.

Congratulations to freshman Louis Smith and sophomores Eli Holland and Jonathan Byrum who earned top awards in University of Cincinnati’s Early IT Fall Competition. Louis won first place in the Programming category for his Java script program that helps builders to calculate construction costs. Eli and Jonathan, who took second place as a team in the Web Development category, were challenged to create an original website that highlights the UC Early IT Program at McNicholas. 

McNicholas students celebrated fall and Halloween with pumpkins galore inside and outside the classroom! Mr. Steve Dalton's class participated in the yearly pumpkin catapult STEM lab, the English Department hosted a literary pumpkin decorating contest, and CREWs carved out some time for fun with their own contest.  

The Theology Department held their annual Heritage Week, a mini course for the freshman class highlighting the history, legacy, culture and vision of McNicholas High School. Students learned about our founders the Sisters of Saint Joseph, our namesake Archbishop John T. McNicholas, and the values and mission we continue to strive toward today.

Dr. Denver Stanfield, President of McNicholas High School, is spearheading a task force to find a qualified, enthusiastic, and experienced candidate to serve as our next Principal. 

McNicholas student organization Hands Across Campus (HAC) was honored for their compassionate leadership by the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center (IJPC).  At their annual gathering, IJPC awarded the first Youth Justice Award to HAC for their work to promote justice, diversity, and inclusion at McNicholas and in the community.  

McNicholas alum Tony Ranieri ’05, guest speaker during the Science National Honor Society induction, shared how science and entrepreneurship go hand-in-hand through his personal journey with both. Congratulations to the 12 seniors who were inducted..

Congratulations to the 16 students who were inducted to The Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (SHH). The Spanish Honor Society recognizes high achievement in Spanish and promotes continuing interest in Hispanic studies and culture.  

McNicholas welcomed 5 students from Collegi Casp, a sister school in Barcelona, Spain, for a 3-week study abroad program. During their stay, Ariadna, Ana, Andrea, Biel, and Abel lived with McNicholas host families, explored Cincinnati, and experienced life as a Rocket. They participated in clubs, cheered from the Launch Pad, attended a full class schedule, and even helped in our Spanish classes.  

President Dr. Denver Stanfield and Principal David Mueller touch base in this second episode of Conversation with the President & the Principal. Tune in to hear Dr. Stanfield discuss progress on the HVAC project and enrollment and to hear Mr. Mueller’s updates on our innovative programs such culinary chemistry and Leadership McNick.  Mr. Mueller also shares ways in which McNicholas is continuing to support students in all areas, including mental health.

McNicholas is excited to unveil Leadership McNick, its newest initiative in the development of compassionate leaders. Leadership McNick is a four-year, intentional growth experience that combines high-quality leadership training with small-group relationship building, retreat programming, vocation and career exploration, and formal and informal mentoring.

Partnering with Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, members of the RLC collected and packed hygiene kits to send to Manna from Heaven Outreach, a group working to support the people of Eastern Kentucky who were devastated by the recent flooding. With a focus on Community, Curiosity, and Creativity, the RLC provides students with the opportunity to learn through community engagement.

Junior Remington Holder earned a superior rating for his project “Low Level vs High Level Programming Languages” at the State Science Fair this summer. He was awarded a $3000 STEM scholarship for 4 years at Ohio Northern University for this accomplishment.

Please join us in welcoming new faculty and staff members to the McNicholas family, many of whom are filling new positions in our growing community. 

McNicholas is proud of and grateful for theology teachers Mrs. Mary Beth Sandmann and Mr. Jeff Hutchinson-Smyth who were featured in the August issue of The Catholic Telegraph as “Role Models of Faith.”

McNicholas is pleased to welcome the school’s new President, Dr. Denver Stanfield, who began his tenure at McNicholas on July 1. Meet Dr. Stanfield and listen in on our first episode of Conversation with the President & the Principal.

At McNicholas, we pride ourselves on helping students discover and develop their God-given talents, but students are not the only ones growing and challenging themselves. Teachers and staff members are also developing their gifts and finding new ways to use them to serve the McNicholas community.

As the 2022-23 school year begins, four faculty and staff members are taking on new roles and responsibilities: Mr. Bill Losekamp, Mrs. Emily Materna, Mr. Mike Orlando, and Mr. Dan Rosenbaum

Art teacher Mr. Willy Corbett will clean his last paintbrush and theatre director Ms. Teresa De Zarn will take her last bow as the 2022-23 school year comes to a close.

Congratulations to our newest graduates who received their diplomas at the PromoWest Pavilion at Ovation on Sunday, May 22. Student Body President Lauren Keith, Valedictorian Andrew Collette, and English Teacher Mr. Jeff Mulvey were nominated by the Class of 2022 to speak at the graduation ceremony.

Students in Mrs. Kendra Lonneman’s personal finance classes learned about the importance of philanthropy and supported pediatric cancer research by participating in the Magnified Giving program. 

At McNicholas, students are consistently challenged to achieve their academic best. Congratulations to all our Rockets who stepped up to the challenge this year. They were recognized at our annual Academic Awards ceremony on Friday, May 13.

At our annual Academic Signing celebration, we recognized the Class of 2022 Top 10. These 10 students have achieved the highest weighted cumulative grade point average up to and including the third quarter of their senior year: Jack Caccavari, Emma Clemons, Andrew Collette, Bobby Fechtel, Emily Fridley, Zach Geiser, Maria Klug, Ethan Koran, Arden Jakubovic, and Jason Munzel.

The senior St. Joseph Scholars highlighted the ways they have grown in compassionate leadership as they presented their Social Justice Capstone Projects.

The Class of 2025 grew in compassionate leadership this week as they bonded together during leadership formation. This day of formation laid the groundwork for the Leadership McNick program, a joint venture between McNicholas and the Xavier University Leadership Center (XLC), that will officially kick off next school year.

At McNicholas, we build bridges...but sometimes we break them too! Ms. Gaskins’s Architectural Drafting students designed, constructed, and then tested the strength of their spaghetti bridges. Junior Caroline Mohahan’s brilliant design was the strongest, holding 14.1 pounds!

Twenty-six Rockets were inducted to the National Art Honor Society this April. NAHS inspires and recognizes students who have shown an outstanding ability and interest in art and supports members in their efforts to attain the highest standards in art scholarship, character, and service.

As part of the Guardian Angels School’s CANabilities Program, McNicholas hosted the eighth grade class from GA, leading them through a morning of witness, reflection, and activities fostering kindness and compassion.

The World Languages Department celebrated National Foreign Language Week with fun, food, and “Fallas.” Activities included "Ojos de Dios" crafts from Mexico, “Fallas" from Valencia, and a Greek temple building project.

All three seniors who were announced as National Merit Semifinalists in September have advanced to Finalist standing. Congratulations to our National Merit Finalists Ethan Koran, Erin McManus, and Jason Munzel!

Congratulations to senior Conner Dute whose achievement on the American Legion Americanism and Government Test has earned him the State Award and an all-expense-paid trip to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.  

Congratulations to senior Zach Geiser who placed first in our school-wide Poetry Out Loud competition for his recitation of “Dream Song 14” by John Berryman. Zach will move on to the regional semi-finals for an opportunity to compete at the state level.

Rockets presented science fair projects ranging from exploring nutrients for hydroponically grown kale plants to testing the effectiveness of antibiotics on bacteria. The first place winner was sophomore Carly Kent. 

Conner Dute ’22 and Conner Gibson ’22 were both awarded Gold Keys for their architecture work. Connor Dute was recognized for his pizza oven rendering, Rock-In Park, and Conner Gibson received his Gold Key for The Cozy Comb, a plan for sustainable living for displaced persons. Both Conners will move on the National Scholastic competition.

Rockets grew in compassionate leadership today thanks to Hands Across Campus (HAC), our inclusion and diversity student organization, who organized an assembly whose topic was autism and theme was “Show me my neighbor.”

Please join us in welcoming three new faculty and staff members to the McNicholas family. Mr. Pete Collopy joins the Athletic Department as a strength and conditioning coach, Mrs. Julie Miller has returned to McNicholas as full-time math tutor and co-teacher, and Mrs. Andrea Wheeler joins us as a full-time co-teacher in the English Department.

McNicholas engineering students learned real-world skills and provided a valuable service to the community through a semester-long partnership with May We Help.

Twelve students were inducted to The Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (SHH). The Spanish Honor Society recognizes high achievement in Spanish and promotes continuing interest in Hispanic studies. 

Junior Peter Anderson and senior Gabrielle Gruppo's photographs are on display in the Studio San Giuseppe Art Gallery at Mount St. Joseph University as part of their Selections biennial exhibition.

St. Joseph Scholars spent the day serving and learning at the Cincinnati Recycling and Reuse Hub.  Scholars sorted recyclables, “shopped” for reusable items, and learned about ways that they can be more sustainable in their daily lives.

In addition to the three seniors announced on Sept. 15 as semifinalists in the 2021 National Merit® Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) program, six are being recognized as Commended Students: Emma Clemmons, Andrew Collette, Bobby Fechtel, Emily Fridley, Zach Geiser, and Joe Walters.

The McNick Minute podcast will be hosting its first live podcast of the 2021-22 school year on Wednesday, Sept. 29 at 6 p.m.

Congratulations to the ten members of the Class of 2022 who were inducted into the Science National Honor Society on Wednesday, Sept. 22. These students excel in and show a passion for science related fields.

McNicholas High School is proud to announce that seniors Ethan Koran, Erin McManus, and Jason Munzel are semifinalists in the 2021 National Merit® Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) program. Semifinalists represent the top 1% of seniors nationwide based on the results of the PSAT/NMSQT test the students took as juniors.

Congratulations to senior Erin McManus who was awarded the Junior Science Award from the Mercy Health – Anderson Hospital’s Physicians Charitable Foundation. 

Junior Gia Guessford presented her project at the State Science Fair this summer where she scored a superior rating and won first prize for the Milt Austin Aquatic Science Award.

Please join us in welcoming eleven new faculty and staff members to the McNicholas family, many of whom are filling new positions in our growing community. 

McNicholas is excited to announce the Big Read for Summer 2021, What the Eyes Don't See by Mona Hannah-Attisha.

Congratulations to our newest graduates who received their diplomas at the PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music Center.

SAIL students connected with 69 alumni between the Classes of 1960 and 1972 through a pen pal program. 

After 45 years of service, Mr. John Norman taught his last class at McNicholas High School and exited the school building amidst the cheering of students and staff.

Ms. Mel Gaskins, recent recipient of the Scholastic Educators Art Award, and her Architecture students tested the design of their egg drop contraptions.

COVID may have put a stop to our traditional annual Art Show, but it has not limited the creativity, productivity, or talent of our Rocket artists!

Congratulations to the Class of 2021 Top 10 who were honored at an Academic Signing celebration.

Thirteen students, who were inducted to the Science National Honor Society in September, have spent the school year providing science-related service.

Twenty-three students were recognized for the ways that their artistic talents and creativity make our world more beautiful.

Senior Anna Rahner has been named a semifinalist in the 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, landing her among the top 0.0002% of graduating seniors in the United States.

At McNicholas, we partner with professionals to give our students opportunities that build on classroom learning.

Rockets earn Superior and Excellent ratings in the Ohio Music Education Spring Solo & Ensemble Competition.

Senior Isabella Bonner wins a Silver Medal in the National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards competition for her exceptional work in ceramics.

Jakob Tucker places second in the Ohio Poetry Out Loud competition.

Rockets present projects in COVID-safe science fair. 

Freshmen Amanda Braig and Taylor Ferenc and junior Shannon Whitely win Poetry Slam contest.