Catherine McAuley High School

This was my first year going to school here, and I thought that it was wonderful. It was a lot better than I had imagined. The studies and the work are hard, but the teachers are all friendly and willing to help you. I loved all of my teachers this year. Many people would be put off bythe fact that there arent any boys, but honestly, you don't even notice it. I love this school and am very much looking forward to my next three years here.
--Submitted by a student

Our oldest daughter graduated from McAuley having had an outstanding experience with teachers and peers. Our youngest will begin at McAuley in the fall and has been exited to do so since she was six! The over-arching theme at the school is familial and supportive. Friendships crossed groups and interests.
--Submitted by a parent

The Catherine McAuley experience is unique in Maine. It is academically rigorous, but there is respect for all students - even those who are not at the top of the academic heap. The participation rate is amazing...virtually every student is involved - really involved, not just piling up junk to look good on the college app- in multiple activities. Nearly everyone participates in at least one sport, and 4 are offered each season. Additionally, the drama program, 'We the People' and Poetry Out Loud winner abound. Community service is a big deal, and my daughter was changed by it, the Ethical Leadership course and her participation in several youth leadership programs. I can't say enough good things about McAuley, it is like a big family.
--Submitted by a parent

Being a Senior this year at McAuley I cannot say enough about what the school has done for me. I have developed my character throughout my years spent at McAuley. The teachers and staff are extremely focused on the subjects they teach and their students. Willing to help and spend anytime you need with them outside of class allowed me to excel in my classes. I will also emphasize how much the school have driven me above my limits, always pushing me to take harder courses which have rewarded me. About to graduate, I feel extremely well prepared for college next year!
--Submitted by a student

I am a former McAuley student from '03-'05 and despite many of the stellar reviews from parents, I would not recommend this school. I made many wonderful friends at McAuley, but the overall atmosphere was overbearing and stifling. I found the academics to be rigorous but devoid of content. I learned to work hard at meaningless tasks for meaningless reward, and learned painfully. McAuley puts more effort into maintaining an image than in living up to it. The individual is only valued if that person fits into the mold of a 'proper' young woman. Those who don't are discouraged, discredited and even put down. In some karmic way, I sure McAuley was good for my character. I just wish I could have learned these lessons in a less depressing way.
--Submitted by a student

To begin with, McAuley was not my school of choice, but my mom told me I had to go because she believed in the whole single-sex education ideal, and also my sister had gone there before me. I remember dreading Freshman orientation, but I loved it. I had the time of my life and I met my best friend that day. The girls at McAuley while I was there were amazing. They were always supportive of eachother in good times and in bad. I never really experienced the whole 'clique question' because I was friendly with everyone in my class. In middle school I was kind of shy and scared because I had switched schools halfway through 7th grade, but that persona disappeared at McAuley. I find myself able to connect to others easily, and McAuley definitely prepared me for college in countless ways. I loved this school and the sisters!
--Submitted by a student

Our oldest daughter, now a sophomore in college, is studying nursing. The education she received at mcauley allowed her to be a chemistry tutor and to be on honor roll. She not only received a stellar education, but she became a confident young woman, able to be herself in a time where we have lost focus on the importance of this issue. Our second daughter, is a sophomore, and is very successful at mcauley. She is a leader on the field, in the classroom and on the stage. She is celebrated for all of her acheivements. The faculty is caring and wants each student to be successful, it is a college prep school, the academics are vigorous.At mcauley young women are leaders because they have to....They are the student body president, the captain of the debate team, the editor of the school paper, the lead in the school play...It's where girls belong...
--Submitted by a parent

After putting our two eldest girls through CMHS, this year we have elected to send our youngest daughter to Cheverus for high school. I, as a parent, feel that CMHS did little to step out side the relm of 'traditional' and 'by route' education (the three R's so to speak). Little, or no emphasis was placed on technological education, and the variety of studies were lacking. Also, I found the depth of study of the material somewhat less than what I expected of college-prep level course work. It seemed that the excessive time focused on religious studies could be better spent by exploring academics in greater depth. This could be improved by hiring more experienced educators who endorse a more rigorous academic approach, and be willing to compensate them financially. Also, the students are excessively clique-ie.
--Submitted by a parent

McAuley provides an atmosphere that isn't replicated in any other high school, middle school, or college setting that I have experienced. The friends you make are remarkable, the freedom to be yourself is incomparable, and the encouragement that you receive to succeed is constant. Involvement in sports and activities as well as academic honors such as the National Honor Society are admired and worked for, not downplayed as they can be in other schools. McAuley provides it's girls with a safe, warm, and educational enviroment that I wouldn't have traded for anything.
--Submitted by a former student

As both a parent and teacher, I have grave concerns about the quality of education at CMHS. Students are quite diverse, but the lack of special education resources means that the most needy students are enrolled in college-prep courses, which slows progress there significantly. A decade of shrinking enrollment speaks for itself, but it has exacerbated McAuley's problems by creating a funding deficit that supports abysmally low teacher salaries and that drives repeatedly poor decisions by the administration. My opinion is that the school cannot be sustained for long under its current leadership.
--Submitted by a teacher