Where our
graduates go
Most of our eighth graders walk into Quincy Notre Dame already knowing the building, the teachers, and half their classmates.
Most of our eighth graders go on to Quincy Notre Dame
In a given year a class might have a few students who go somewhere else. The rest walk into QND in August already knowing the building, the teachers, and half their classmates.
That's not an accident of geography. It's the point of the whole thing.
They don't arrive as strangers
By the time a St. Francis student starts high school, they've been to Quincy Notre Dame many times: for music, for sports, for dances, for competitions, and for class visits.
And QND students have been here just as often. The transition isn't handled in an orientation week. It's built over years, in both directions.
How students get to know QND
Eight ways the high school becomes familiar long before freshman year.
- Music, from fourth grade onwardStudents who join PMO band or choir rehearse and perform at QND starting in fourth or fifth grade, and many keep going straight through their QND graduation. That's eight or nine years in the same music community, with the same directors, in the same building. Some of our eighth graders play in the QND band before they've finished junior high.
- Junior RaidersMany of our students play Junior Raiders football or take part in cheer and pom, with events held at QND. These are independent club programs rather than school teams, but the students in them tend to arrive at high school already knowing the place and the people.
- Field trips through the upper gradesStudents visit QND on a variety of days through junior high, seeing classrooms, meeting teachers, and getting a feel for the place long before they have to choose it.
- Olympic Day at the QND athletic complexOur older students spend a day competing on the same fields they'll play on in a few years.
- The Quincy Catholic danceSeventh and eighth graders from all four Catholic schools gather at QND each year, so our students arrive at high school already knowing students from the other three.
- Cheering at QND gamesQuincy Catholic students turn up regularly at QND games and events, and there's even a group specifically for them. Plenty of our students have been in those stands since second grade.
- Placement testing and a head startEighth graders take the QND placement test as a normal part of the year. Those who are eligible take Early Bird Algebra at QND before the school day starts, earning high school credit and arriving as freshmen already a course ahead.
- And QND comes hereTheir students read to our younger classes, bring pep rallies, and perform for us with their music groups. Some work in our extended care program, and others earn service hours helping around the school. A first grader at St. Francis knows high schoolers by name, so by the time that child is choosing a high school, it was never a place full of strangers.
What QND tells us
Our students arrive consistently well prepared, and they do well once they're there.
Many of our graduates receive academic and merit scholarships to QND, along with financial aid that makes the next four years workable for families who need it. The affordability of Catholic education in Quincy doesn't stop at eighth grade, and families are often surprised by that.
Scholarships & assistance →Eighth grade is worth staying for
Some families wonder whether to move a child for junior high. We'd make the case for the last year here, and the students themselves usually make it better than we can.
- The Washington, D.C. tripOur eighth graders spend the better part of a week in Washington, and most of the class goes. Fundraising through the year keeps it affordable, so it isn't a trip only some families can manage. For a lot of our students it's the first time they've traveled that far, and it's the thing they talk about at graduation.
- They're the oldest, and it mattersEighth graders lead here. They're paired with younger students, they serve at Mass, and the little kids know their names. That's a year of being looked up to that a student doesn't get as a seventh grader in a bigger building.
- Subject teachers, small classesBy eighth grade students are learning math from the math teacher and science from someone who chose science, in a junior high small enough that every teacher knows every student.
- A head start on high schoolEarly Bird Algebra, QND band, placement testing, and a year of visiting the school they're about to attend.
You're not choosing eight years
Families weighing tuition usually do the math on the years in front of them: eleven if they start at three-year-old preschool, fewer if they start later. That's the wrong denominator.
A child can start three-year-old preschool at St. Francis, finish eighth grade here, go on to Quincy Notre Dame, and graduate fifteen years later having been formed in the same faith by the same community the entire way.
In a country where Catholic schools have been closing for decades, four healthy parish schools feeding a strong Catholic high school is uncommon.
One block, one work
Quincy University stands directly across College Avenue from our front doors, offering undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs. A child can begin in a three-year-old preschool classroom here and finish a doctorate without ever leaving this block.
That isn't a coincidence of geography. When the Bishop of Alton asked the Franciscans to come to Quincy in 1859, he asked them for two things: a parish and a school of higher learning. Both began in 1860. The same building committee raised funds for both, the same architect drew the plans for both, and both went up on land given by the same man.
The college was called St. Francis Solanus College long before it was Quincy College, and longer still before it was Quincy University.
The parish, the school, and the university on this block were founded as one work by the same friars. They've been here together ever since.
The whole path is within reach
Parish support keeps our tuition where it is, the QCES Foundation and merit scholarships carry into high school, and families who need help get it at every stage.
Questions about what comes next
Wondering how it would work for your child? Call the school office.
(217) 222-4077Where do St. Francis Solanus graduates go to high school?
Most continue to Quincy Notre Dame. A class might have three or four students who go elsewhere, but the large majority go on to QND.
Do students have to go to Quincy Notre Dame?
No. Families choose the high school that fits their child. Most choose QND, and the transition is well worn.
How does the transition to QND work?
It happens gradually rather than all at once. Students who join PMO band or choir rehearse at QND from fourth or fifth grade and often continue through high school. Many play Junior Raiders football, cheer, or pom at QND facilities. Students visit on field trips through the upper grades, compete at the athletic complex on Olympic Day, attend the Quincy Catholic dance for seventh and eighth graders, and go to QND games regularly. Eighth graders take the QND placement test, and eligible students take Early Bird Algebra or play in the QND band before they graduate.
What is Early Bird Algebra?
Eligible eighth graders take algebra at Quincy Notre Dame before the school day begins and earn high school credit, which puts them a course ahead as freshmen.
Are our students prepared for high school?
Quincy Notre Dame tells us St. Francis students arrive consistently well prepared and do well once they're there. Many receive academic and merit scholarships to QND.
Is Catholic high school affordable?
Many St. Francis graduates receive academic and merit scholarships to QND, and financial aid is available. Families are often surprised how workable the four years are.
Tell me about the eighth grade Washington, D.C. trip.
Eighth graders spend the better part of a week in Washington, D.C., and most of the class takes part. Fundraising through the school year keeps the cost manageable for families.
Should we move our child for junior high?
That's a fair question and it's yours to decide. What we'd say is that eighth grade here comes with the D.C. trip, real leadership among the younger students, excellent subject teachers in small classes, and a year of preparing for QND alongside the classmates they'll start high school with.
What our families say
Faith & Tradition
Our family's love for St. Francis Solanus School is deeply rooted in faith and tradition. With Joe's family having attended for generations, it is incredibly meaningful to now watch our children walk the same halls and grow in the same values-rich, faith-centered environment.
Joe & Alexis Darnell FamilyKnown at every stage
St. Francis Solanus meets the individual academic needs of all our children at every stage of development. Our older kids recognized the "St. Francis Solanus difference" during an initial school visit and were ready to start the next day! The parent-teacher partnership is collaborative and focused on helping students do their best, and the Catholic influence of the priests, deacons, DRE, and staff is focused on fostering a true and lasting relationship with Jesus Christ.
Aaron & Karen Weiman FamilyTo be Jesus to others
St. Francis provides a quality Catholic experience. They learn not only how to add and subtract but to know Jesus, love Jesus, and to be Jesus to others. We are proud of our choice to have provided a faith-based education for our children and that our children have continued to choose St. Francis for their children. It is important to celebrate the privilege of a Catholic education and we have been blessed to have been supportive of continuing this legacy.
Deacon Dennis and Pat HolbrookAccountability with grace
The culture is one of partnership. Students are truly known by their teachers and staff. There is accountability paired with grace. Leadership is present and engaged.
The Friye Mamdani FamilyEnthusiasm and dedication
The teachers of St. Francis are observing and always seeking ways to improve the abilities of our students. The enthusiasm and dedication from the teachers has helped our children gain confidence and excel in multiple areas.
Brad & Makenzie Holtmeyer FamilyLessons come to life
The teachers at St. Francis bring lessons to life, creating engaging classrooms where students feel excited about learning. What stands out most is their strong training in literacy instruction, ensuring that every student grows as a confident, capable reader and communicator.
John & Lindsey Kelly FamilyAcademic excellence
St. Francis School offers a welcoming and nurturing environment where academic excellence is paired with strong values rooted in the Catholic tradition.
Dr. Samuel & Danielle Healy FamilyInviting family-feel
The school is small which gives it a warm, inviting family-feel. Staff and students alike begin to know everyone within the building. This brings a sense of comfort knowing our children are being well taken care of while growing in academics and in faith.
James & Tera Terwelp FamilyLoved and cared for.
We find comfort in the fact that our girls are loved and cared for from the moment the door opens and they are welcomed into school each morning until the staff wave goodbye at the end of the day. Everyone they encounter throughout the day at St. Francis is Jesus to them - just what a true Catholic school should be!
Come see where it starts.
The fifteen years begin with an ordinary Tuesday. Come walk through one.