Day In the Life: Matteo F. '30
7:30 am - Arrive At School
“Usually I get a ride to school from my mom or my dad.” While he waits for the bell to ring at 8 am, Matteo will sit with friends in the Dining Commons to finish up studying for any tests or quizzes that day or just hang out.
8:00 am - First Class, Computer Science
“Good morning St. John’s, today is Day 6 in the rotation schedule,” announces campus minister Mr. Driscoll’s voice over the PA. This means that after morning prayer, Matteo’s first class of the day, computer science, will begin. When asked what his favorite class is, he’s hesitant. “That’s always a tough question to answer because I have such great teachers who make it all fun.”
8:48 am - Social Studies
Topics covered in seventh grade: Students look at recurring patterns throughout the ancient world and how they affected the development of civilization, with particular attention to the development of religion and government. Students also look at various geographical challenges faced by river civilizations and design solutions to common problems, then compare their inventions to the real-life developments of the Mesopotamians.
9:48 am - Wellness Break
In addition to their PE classes, seventh graders can have a wellness break built into their schedule. Matteo says it’s an opportunity for some free time to play with friends in the Mahoney Wellness Center or outside when the weather is nice.
10:37 am - Religious Studies
“We’ve learned a lot about the School’s history in religious studies class, which I think is cool. We’ve covered the history of the Xaverian Brothers and their five spiritual values: compassion, humility, simplicity, trust, and zeal.”
11:32 AM - Lunch
Matteo is a bring-your-own-lunch kind of guy.
12:01 pm - Advisory
Middle Schoolers have a 30-minute advisory period every day. It serves as an interlude during which students can connect with other adults and it provides time for questions and catch-up work. Just some space in the middle of their day for students to reset or take a beat.
12:35 pm - Algebra
Topics covered in seventh grade: All things linear—graphing and writing equations of linear functions, graphing and writing linear inequalities, and solving linear systems in several different ways. Ms. Duren also reads The Man Who Counted by Malba Tahan to her class, a story about a gifted but humble 13th century “calculator” from rural Persia. The boys look forward to it every time!
1:34 pm - Latin
Topics covered in seventh grade: Along with language skills, students learned about the daily lives of Romans and participated in a Generative AI pilot program where they interviewed a “Roman Emperor” and made observations about the reliability and accuracy of responses and engaged with an AI language tutor to prepare for story-based assessments.
2:34 pm - Co-Curricular Activities
"I was never interested in photography before I came to the Prep, but now I've been a part of the Photography Club for two years. I've also been able to play tennis and golf, and last year we went on a ski trip during the month of February to Ski Bradford. There are so many advantages and opportunities you get with this school."