When finding the right school for your child, there’s much to consider. But what if I told you that Chaminade Middle School could be the perfect choice? Let’s explore why Chaminade is regarded as the best school right now.
Chaminade College Preparatory Middle School is a private Catholic school equipped with a top-notch faculty. It provides a seven-year learning experience using its thorough academic curriculum and various extracurricular activities for grades 6-12. This school has two San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles County, California campuses.
Furthermore, Chaminade College Preparatory Middle School was named after Blessed William Joseph (founder of the Society of Mary). The institution also comprises a middle school (grades 6-8) based in Chatsworth and a high school (grades 9-12) in West Hills.
Finally, Chaminade focuses on the whole student. This means that while academics are important, so are sports, arts, and personal growth. Students have countless opportunities to explore their interests and develop new skills.
Let’s discover why Chaminade Middle School stands out as the best choice for your child in the following sections.
Table of contents
- Brief History of Chaminade College Preparatory Middle School
- Chaminade College Preparatory Tuition
- Chaminade College Preparatory Middle School: Academics
- Chaminade College Preparatory Middle School: Faculty
- Chaminade College Preparatory Middle School: Maps and Directions
- Chaminade College Preparatory Middle School: Reviews
- Why is Chaminade Middle School the Best Now?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
- References
- Recommendations
Brief History of Chaminade College Preparatory Middle School
Chaminade was initially called Chaminade High School for boys and was established in 1952 by members of the Marianist Province of the Pacific at the Pacific Military Academy’s former site in West Los Angeles. Their desire to broaden their educational mission into Southern California led to the establishment of Chaminade College Preparatory Middle School.
Further, the school became famous due to the celebrity students attending it or attending its dances. Its mascot name, the Eagles, came into existence because the school’s tower featured an imposing Army Eagle emblem in tile, with its beak pointed toward the arrows, similar to wartime.
In 1961, the high school relocated to its present location in West Hills (and part of Canoga Park) after the brick buildings of the initial campus were unsound. Meanwhile, in 1967, a junior high school with grades 7-9 was founded when the school leased the previous St. John’s Military Academy in Chatsworth. This expanded Chaminade’s educational offerings from 3 to 6 years.
In 1989, the institution added a seventh-year and a sixth-grade class to the junior high school. Then, in the same year, the ninth grade was transferred to the high school campus to accommodate the sixth grade. This would now become the middle school.
Finally, Chaminade College Preparatory became co-educational in 1972 and graduated its first female class in 1974. Its two campuses were also used as the central locations for the 1976 movie The Pom Pom Girls.
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Chaminade College Preparatory Tuition
Chaminade middle school’s tuition information for the 2024-2025 school year is as follows:
| Tuition | $23,280 |
| Technology Fee | $530 |
| New Student Fee | $550 |
Meanwhile, Chaminade does not require an annual re-enrollment fee. You can visit the school’s frequently asked questions page for further information.
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Chaminade College Preparatory Middle School: Academics
The school’s academic year is split into two semesters, and classes take place each day for 87 minutes. However, since the pandemic, classes have lasted for 80 minutes with an easy block schedule.
Again, Chaminade gives out three progress grade reports each semester. But you can only see semester grades on your permanent record at the end of every semester (in January and June). It also operates a 4.0 grading system: A = 90–100, B = 80–89, C = 70–79, D = 60–69, and F = 0–59.
Further, Chaminade offers 23 Advanced Placement and 18 Honors courses. To maintain a balanced course load, you cannot take more than nine-year-long Advanced Placement courses: two in tenth grade, three in eleventh grade, and four in twelfth grade.
473 Chaminade students took 911 Advanced Placement examinations in 2014. Out of the comprehensive examinations taken, 17% were a score of five, 22% were a score of four, and 24% were a score of three. With a score of three and above, you can earn credit at several universities and colleges since it is a passing score.
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Chaminade College Preparatory Middle School: Faculty
The faculty/staff at Chaminade College Preparatory Middle School comprises the academic and non-academic staff. And the tables below show the various faculty across different departments in Chaminade College Preparatory Middle School.
Administration
| Name | Office | |
| Michael Chiuri, SM Chaplain | Chaplain | mchiuri@chaminade.org |
| Carolina Gunter | Vice Principal – Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology | cgunter@chaminade.org |
| Dorothy Kane | Vice Principal – Academics and Parent/Faculty Concerns | dkane@chaminade.org |
| Michael Valentine | Principal | mvalentine@chaminade.org |
Athletics
| Name | Office | |
| Joseph Norton | Assistant Athletic Director | jnorton@chaminade.org |
| Walt Stewart | Athletic Director | wstewart@chaminade.org |
Campus Ministry
| Name | Office | |
| Kate Beskid | Director of Campus Ministry/SHINE Moderator | kbeskid@chaminade.org |
| Michael Chiuri, SM Chaplain | Chaplain | mchiuri@chaminade.org |
| Gail Glasser | – | gglasser@chaminade.org |
| Jacqueline Rodriguez | – | jrodriguez@chaminade.org |
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Counseling
| Name | Office | |
| Heather Eaton | Director of Counseling | heaton@chaminade.org |
| Jason Kertz | – | jkertz@chaminade.org |
| Cheryl Lovejoy | – | clovejoy@chaminade.org |
| Sara Shenouda | Counselor | sshenouda@chaminade.org |
Deans
| Name | Office | |
| Alicia Gonzalez | – | agonzalez@chaminade.org |
| Jason Kertz | – | jkertz@chaminade.org |
| Sara Shenouda | Counselor | sshenouda@chaminade.org |
English
| Name | Office | |
| Christina Khoury | – | ckhoury@chaminade.org |
| William Adler III | Faculty-Religion and English | wadler@chaminade.org |
| Susann Bachel | – | sbachel@chaminade.org |
Kristin Del Pizzo | – | kdelpizzo@chaminade.org |
| Carolina Gunter | Vice Principal – Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology | cgunter@chaminade.org |
| Kerrie O’Shea | – | koshea@chaminade.org |
| Emily Piper | – | epiper@chaminade.org |
| Kimberly Tomasoski | Substitute Teacher | ktomasoski@chaminade.org |
| Jennifer Yu | – | jyu@chaminade.org |
Exploratory
| Name | Office | |
| Kathleen Baucom-Acker | – | KBaucomAcker@chaminade.org |
| Pauline Breeden | – | pbreeden@chaminade.org |
| Annette Damien | Director of Student Activities | adamien@chaminade.org |
| Joseph Norton | Assistant Athletic Director | jnorton@chaminade.org |
| Kerrie O’Shea | – | koshea@chaminade.org |
| Kristina Pine | – | kpine@chaminade.org |
| Kathy Rohrs | – | krohrs@chaminade.org |
| Mike Russ | – | mruss@chaminade.org |
| Cynthia Snyder | – | csnyder@chaminade.org |
| Walt Stewart | Athletic Director | wstewart@chaminade.org |
| Jill Teehan | – | jteehan@chaminade.org |
| Lee Thorneycroft | – | lthorneycroft@chaminade.org |
Fine Arts
| Name | Office | |
| Mike Russ | – | mruss@chaminade.org |
| Ana Madariaga | – | Amadariaga@chaminade.org |
| Kathy Rohrs | – | krohrs@chaminade.org |
| Cynthia Snyder | – | csnyder@chaminade.org |
Library
| Name | Office | |
| Linda Anderson | – | landerson@chaminade.org |
| Brenda Zeyrek | Library Assistant Chatsworth | bzeyrek@chaminade.org |
Mathematics
| Name | Office | |
| Colleen Cheek | Teacher | ccheek@chaminade.org |
| Rick Chamanara | Faculty-Math | rchamanara@chaminade.org |
| Danielle Del Cid | – | ddelcid@chaminade.org |
| Catherine Eckley | – | ceckley@chaminade.org |
| Eric Esby | – | eesby@chaminade.org |
| Gregory Klee | Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management | gklee@chaminade.org |
| Andrew Mussack | – | amussack@chaminade.org |
| Anthony Ploesch | Instructional Technology Specialist | aploesch@chaminade.org |
Physical Education
| Name | Office | |
| Walt Stewart | Athletic Director | wstewart@chaminade.org |
| Brandi Cirlin | Coach/ Substitute Teacher | bcirlin@chaminade.org |
| Michael Evans | Teacher | mevans@chaminade.org |
| Mary Hauser | – | mhauser@chaminade.org |
| Joseph Norton | Assistant Athletic Director | jnorton@chaminade.org |
| Lee Thorneycroft | – | lthorneycroft@chaminade.org |
Science
| Name | Office | |
| Trimeka Calderon | – | tcalderon@chaminade.org |
| Catherine Eckley | – | ceckley@chaminade.org |
| Alicia Gonzalez | – | agonzalez@chaminade.org |
| Robert Jones | – | rjones@chaminade.org |
| David Kaczor | – | dkaczor@chaminade.org |
| April Leyva | Science Teacher | aleyva@chaminade.org |
| Christine Mutell | – | cmutell@chaminade.org |
| Name | Office | |
| Stephanie Money | – | smoney@chaminade.org |
| Dorothy Kane | Vice Principal – Academics and Parent/Faculty Concerns | dkane@chaminade.org |
| Christine Mutell | – | cmutell@chaminade.org |
| Kristina Pine | – | kpine@chaminade.org |
| Mike Russ | – | mruss@chaminade.org |
| Martha Siping | – | msiping@chaminade.org |
| Ian Tindell | – | itindell@chaminade.org |
Theology
| Name | Office | |
| Kate Beskid | Director of Campus Ministry/SHINE Moderator | kbeskid@chaminade.org |
| William Adler III | Faculty-Religion and English | wadler@chaminade.org |
| Annette Damien | Director of Student Activities | adamien@chaminade.org |
| Michael Evans | Teacher | mevans@chaminade.org |
| Jacqueline Rodriguez | – | jrodriguez@chaminade.org |
| Nicetas Russ | Teacher | nruss@chaminade.org |
| Martha Siping | – | msiping@chaminade.org |
World Languages
| Name | Office | |
| Jacqueline Rodriguez | – | jrodriguez@chaminade.org |
| Kathleen Baucom-Acker | – | KBaucomAcker@chaminade.org |
| Kathleene Bauer | – | kbauer@chaminade.org |
| Kira Johnson-Howe | – | kjohnson-howe@chaminade.org |
| Jill Teehan | – | jteehan@chaminade.org |
The above tables provide information concerning Chaminade College Preparatory Middle School’s staff/faculty, including their various offices/positions and email addresses. Hence, this information can be helpful if you want to contact any of the Chaminade Middle School faculty highlighted above.
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Chaminade College Preparatory Middle School: Maps and Directions
Chaminade College has both high and middle schools in two different locations. Below are directions to each school:
Middle School
10210 Oakdale Ave
Chatsworth, CA 91311
Phone: 818-363-8127
High School
7500 Chaminade Avenue
West Hills, CA 91304
Phone: 818-347-8300
Visit their website for further directions and maps to Chaminade College Middle and High Schools.
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Chaminade College Preparatory Middle School: Reviews
According to niche.com, Chaminade School has the following ratings from parents and students:
- Ninety-six people gave it a 5-star rating for Excellent.
- One hundred four people gave it a 4-star rating of Very Good.
- Thirty-four people gave it a 3-star rating of Average.
- Three people gave it a 2-star rating of Poor.
- Four people gave it a 1-star rating of Terrible.
The above rating indicates that Chaminade College Preparatory School is one of the best. Below are other reviews from individuals about Chaminade College Preparatory School.
A Parent said:
“Personal attention, excellent work ethic taught, personalized interaction, encouragement of students to think for themselves. Recognition of the individuality of students, focus on what the student needs regarding college prep and on to Medical School. Athleticism is strongly encouraged; the student is enrolled in the Tennis program and excels there and in the classroom. We are 100% sold on Chaminade College Preparatory!”
A Senior said:
“I loved Chaminade, and while the school has several issues, I can proudly say it is where I discovered my second family. My major challenges with the school are that it underfunds certain programs and overemphasizes other (sometimes less successful) teams/organizations. It also looks as though some changes that can be made are left untouched, where a lot of money is invested into areas that seem less pressing. I’ve had some unsettling conversations with teachers (nothing so serious). However, that is the extreme minority. Majority of my teachers have been wonderful, and I have gotten an amazing education. It is, however, highly competitive. Hence, that should be taken into account. At the end of the day, I recommend Chaminade to high school students that can afford it, especially for the robotics program”.
An Alum said:
“Chaminade College Preparatory is an excellent school that offers its students a quality education and a supportive family-like environment. Regarding academics, the school provides her students with various types of courses to participate in, with helpful and personable teachers. Again, the teachers go above and beyond to ensure students understand the material and are helped through obstacles. Another thing that distinguishes it is the immense family spirit. Student culture and activities allow for a community-like feel where all Chaminade students have school pride and are connected through their school. I feel like Chaminade allowed me to grow as a person in my education and mindset in the four years I attended. I love Chaminade and hope to send my kids there someday”.
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Why is Chaminade Middle School the Best Now?
Chaminade College Preparatory is indeed one of the top Catholic schools. But then, what makes the school stand out? Let us show you why Chaminade Middle School is the best now and why parents have continued choosing it.
Strong support system
At Chaminade, there’s a team to help each student reach their best. Their teachers understand that learning should be active, interactive, and experiential. Hence, they use diverse learning approaches tailored to each student.
Furthermore, Chaminade’s Academic Support Program provides additional support for those who need it through a Writing Lab, an After School Academic Program, an Academic Lab, and Study Skills Support. Their unique learning approach also involves academic and guidance counselors who work directly with students on any challenges they encounter.
Chaminade’s pastoral care also involves a collaborative effort between Coaches, Resident Directors, House Mentors, Parents, and other learning consultants and student advisors. Meanwhile, college counselors work with families on personalized programs to establish timelines, develop college goals, and finish applications.
Overall, college counselors are always available for students and parents.
Rigorous curriculum
Typically, there are seventeen students in any class. Thus, the class is small enough for teachers to support different learning approaches and help students achieve more. Also, Advanced Placement courses allow students to take on college-level work while still in high school and earn college credit and placement.
Chaminade students start preparing for this from middle school by honing pre-Advanced Placement skills like critical thinking and reasoning. This prepares them for high school, where they can take the 26 AP classes.
Generally, this introduces them to college-level expectations and enables them to earn over 40 college credits while in high school. So when they enter the university, they will be one step ahead of their mates.
Technologically equipped and has several extracurriculars.
Chaminade provides students with the latest technology that prepares them for the challenges and benefits of the digital age. These technologies are embedded in the curriculum, offering various opportunities to learn, create, and explore.
This educational technology allows teachers to navigate between various instructional activities effortlessly without connecting to a computer. Unlike traditional projectors, lessons are dynamic with Promethean boards with built-in Android Operating Systems.
Among its facilities is the ZSpace lab, which features 24-inch flat-screen computers with immersive 3D technology. Students can interactively explore their curriculum, such as dissecting a human brain or analyzing the inside of a volcano.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Chaminade College Preparatory High School is in West Hills, CA. The student population of Chaminade College Preparatory High School has a student population of 1,272.
Students at Chaminade are required to wear a uniform consisting of khaki or navy bottoms and a Chaminade polo shirt in white, navy, or gray. Dennis Uniforms is the school’s primary uniform provider.
Chaminade means presbytery, rectory, or priest’s house.
Penn Foster High School is the most prominent high school in the United States, with more than 60,000 high school students.
Chaminade University of Honolulu is a private university that was established in 1955. Its campus size is 65 acres.
Conclusion
With its rigorous curriculum, modernized educational tech facilities, faculty of professionals, and small class size, Chaminade College Preparatory Middle School is one of the best Catholic schools in California, United States.
In addition to imbibing good christian morals in students, the institution also prepares students for the university. Therefore, students at Chaminade are often one step ahead of their mates when they get to the university.
References
- en.wikipedia.org – Chaminade College Preparatory School (California)
- studyinternational.com – 3 Reasons Parents Choose Chaminade College Preparatory School
- chaminade.org – Employee Directory
- privateschoolreview.com – Chaminade College Preparatory Middle School
- niche.com – Chaminade College Preparatory
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