Our School History

Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast History

In 1850 Christopher Fallon built a mansion known as "Runnymede" on our grounds. In 1882, the building was bought by Colonel Anthony Drexel. The mansion stood on what was called "The Hill of Drexel"  and our surrounding area became known as Drexel Hill because of this. In 1908 the mansion burnt down completely and only the gatehouse (which still stands) was left. In 1917 Archbishop Edmond Prendergast purchases the land (33 acres) and announced that he would be constructing an orphanage called "St Vincent's Orphanage" on the grounds where the mansion once stood. From 1920 through 1952, St. Vincent's remained open. As the number of orphans dwindled, Cardinal O'Hara the remaining orphans to another place and St. Vincent's became Archbishop Prendergast School for Boys. Three years later a newer school was built nearby and called Monsignor Bonner. Bonner was designated for the boys and Prendergast (Prendie) for the girls. The two schools served thousands of student for over 50 years as independent schools. In 2006, the schools were combined with both buildings remaining in use In 2012 Bonner and Prendie was in danger of being closed by the Archdiocese. We made a plan to appeal this closing and many donations were made to save our school. On February 24, 2012, we were told we were staying open. Bonner and Prendie combined into one school,becoming Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School. We all moved into Bonner's building and our enrollment is increasing again and our future looks secure!

There are currently:

Freshman (grade 9)- 248 students
Sophomore (grade 10)- 212 students
Junior (grade 11) - 224 students
Senior (grade 12) - 223 students
Total = 907 students

Teachers- 47

The classes we take are:

THEOLOGY I

First Semester: The Revelation of Jesus Christ in Scripture
Second Semester: Who is Jesus Christ

E.L.A (ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS)

Critical Reading, Writing, and Speaking Supported Through Genre Studies
(Mrs. Toner's favorite)

WORLD HISTORY 1

Through a chronological treatment of Western and non-Western civilization from ancient Greece to the age of Napoleon, this course provides students with the historical background that enables them to understand the modern world. 
(Dennis's favorite class of the day!)

ALGEBRA I

Based on the Common Core Standards, students enrolled in Algebra I will examine structure in equations, and will create equations that describe numbers or relationships.
(Laura's & MaryKate's favorite)

PHYSICAL SCIENCE

Physical Science is an introduction to principles of physics and chemistry. Strong emphasis is placed on basic science skills, problem solving and the metric system. Demonstrations and experiments are included to reinforce concepts taught in the classroom.

HONORS BIOLOGY

This biology course investigates life from a cellular and molecular point of view. It studies the basic biological concepts of genetics, diversity, microbiology, biochemistry, and ecology with evolution and the relationship between structure and function as the unifying themes. Labs are designed to emphasize these topics.

WORLD LANGUAGE

Students must take either Spanish, French, or Italian for two years here at Bonner and Prendie.

(Ben's Favorite)

The extracurricular activities we participate in are:

Sports

• Softball: Laura
• Volleyball: MaryKate
• Basketball: Laura
• Soccer: Ben
• Football: Nathan
• Hockey
• Lacrosse
• Rugby: Nathan
• Field Hockey
• Baseball: Ben
• Tennis
• Ultimate Frisbee
• Cheer leading
• Wrestling
• Crew
• Bowling
• Swimming
• Golf
• Track: MaryKate
  Activities
  • Community Service Corps: Dennis
  • Yearbook
  • Gang Green
  • Drama: Nathan
  • Panda Pride
  • Dance Team
  • Hi-Q         
  • Creative Writing
  • Mathletes
  • Student Council
  • MBAPTV
  • Stage Crew
  • Mock Trial
  • Respect Life
  • National Honor Society           
  • Step Team
  • Newspaper
  • Chorus
  • Orchestra
  • Jazz Band: Nathan
    
    
    
    
    What do you do at your school that's different from ours?