Academic Departments

Unmatched Curriculum Breadth and Depth

Our comprehensive business department offers a comprehensive pathway from foundational concepts to advanced specializations. We offer business education as a transformational pathway that develops the cognitive and communication skills employers and universities value most: the ability to analyze complex situations, generate creative solutions, evaluate tradeoffs, make sound judgments, and communicate all of it with clarity, confidence, and professional polish.

Progressive Learning Architecture

• Freshman/Sophomore Foundation: 
• Junior Specialization: Students choose their path—Entrepreneurship for future business owners, Logistics for supply chain careers, or Finance & Investments for financial sector aspirations
• Senior Mastery: Advanced coursework with real-world applications, internship connections, and portfolio development

Our students graduate with a complete business education, not just isolated knowledge.

Our Approach

Complex, ambiguous challenges that require creative thinking, analytical rigor, and collaborative innovation—the exact skills employers desperately need.

Why Presentation Skills Matter

Our business program acknowledges a critical truth: professional success depends as much on how you present your ideas as on the quality of those ideas themselves. Our students don't just learn to present—they master the art of professional communication at a level that sets them apart in college admissions, scholarship interviews, job interviews, and throughout their careers.

Lifelong Advantage

Presentation skills compound over time:

• College students who volunteer for class presentations, while others avoid them
• Young professionals who get noticed and promoted because they can articulate ideas clearly.

The question isn't whether business education matters. The question is: Do you want your child to develop the analytical, problem-solving, and professional communication capabilities that will serve them in any career, any challenge, any presentation they face for the rest of their lives?

Our business department isn't just better. It's in a completely different category.

Empowering students to think brilliantly, solve creatively, and communicate powerfully—preparing them not just for college, but for leadership. The difference will speak for itself.

Department Chair: Mrs. Shelley Lindgren

Where Lake County's Best and Brightest Engineer the Future

While most students follow their middle school classmates to the same high school, Lake County’s most ambitious future engineers make a different choice. They come to Carmel Catholic—where challenge meets opportunity, where passion meets expertise, and where the best and brightest push each other to excel.

Project Lead the Way Distinguished School

Carmel Catholic has earned Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Distinguished Program Recognition—celebrating our commitment to increasing student access, engagement, and achievement in engineering education. 1in 5 Carmel Catholic Students are enrolled in Engineering classes.

Championship-Level Excellence 

Our robotics teams don’t just compete—they dominate, winning state, regional, and world championships. Most recently, we claimed the state championship in 2025, proving that when the best minds collaborate, extraordinary results follow.

Real-World Impact 

Our capstone projects address actual problems: railway safety systems, specialized lacrosse equipment, and life-saving devices for people with diabetes. This isn’t theoretical learning—it’s engineering that matters.

 

Department Chair: Mr. John Titterton

 

English language skills serve as the foundation for communication. The responsibility of the English teacher is to help students use language to make sense of their own lives and to understand the lives of those they meet in the world. As a subject, English embodies the skills of reading, writing, speaking, researching and listening, as well as the content areas of literature and grammar, both of which contain identifiable bodies of knowledge. In all facets, however, the study of English serves to develop each learner’s practical communication skills and broader vision of relatedness among people.

 

• All Carmel students take four years of English.
• Our classes encourage students to be critical readers who consider a writer’s context and purpose as they discern the arguments and themes of readings. 
• Students develop their written voice in academic and less formal situations, practicing writing as a powerful tool for thinking as well as communicating. 
• Students read texts from different time periods and points of view, exposing them to a range of human experiences and ideas. 
• Class discussions offer students opportunities to develop their speaking skills as well as learn and problem-solve in a community built on respect.
• Successful students may seek more challenging coursework. In 2025, 55 of 89 students who applied to move up a level were approved.
• Seniors have a number of course options, including Dual Credit, Advanced Placement, and classes themed around sports, science fiction and fantasy, and modern literature. 
• Students wishing to enrich their studies can take electives in topics such as speech, creative writing, and film.
• Carmel is one of two Lake County high schools that host a National English Honor Society chapter.
• Many students are able to earn college credit in their junior and senior years through our Advanced Placement and Dual Credit Options:

• Grade 11: AP English Language and Composition
• 28 enrolled in 2025-26 (38 in 2024-25)
• 100% earned a 3 or higher on the AP exam in 2025 (100% in 2024)
• 74% earned a 4 or 5 on the AP exam in 2025 (69% in 2024)
• Grade 12: 
• DC Composition I & II (6 credits) through the College of Lake County
• 95 enrolled in 2025-26 (75 in 2024-25)
• AP English Literature and Composition / DC Interpreting Literature (3 credits) through Loyola University Chicago
• 11 enrolled in 2025-26
• 28 enrolled in 2024-25
• 93% earned a 3 or higher on the AP exam in 2025 (95% in 2024)
• 82% earned a 4 or 5 on the AP exam in 2025 (60% in 2024)

 

Department Chair: Ms. Patricia Van Spankeren '95

At Carmel Catholic, our Fine and Performing Arts program offers students exceptional value, not only in artistic growth but in personal and academic development. Throughout the year, all faculty members enrich their classrooms by bringing in professional guest artists and instructors. This exposure allows students to experience a broad range of teaching styles and artistic perspectives across dance, music, theatre, and visual arts.

We believe in fostering well-rounded artists. Carmel Catholic students have the unique opportunity to excel across multiple disciplines, whether it’s performing in band, choir, strings, theatre, or dance, while simultaneously developing as visual artists. Our educators collaborate to support students who are engaged in more than one artistic field, ensuring their success without compromise.

Each year, between 12 and 24 seniors choose to pursue fine and performing arts at the collegiate level, either as majors or minors. Our program not only instills a lifelong appreciation for the arts but also equips students with the skills, discipline, and experience necessary to thrive in competitive college programs and beyond. In May, we honor these achievements with a special Senior Signing Ceremony, recognizing those who are continuing their artistic journey in higher education.

Our commitment to experiential learning extends beyond the classroom. Students regularly participate in off-campus excursions, including local field trips throughout the Chicagoland area and visits to regional universities. We also offer out-of-state travel opportunities that provide rich cultural experiences and lasting memories.

We offer comprehensive instruction in Band, Choir, Dance, Theatre, and Visual Art, accommodating students at every level of experience, from beginner to advanced. Incoming freshmen and transfer students are encouraged to audition or submit portfolios for placement in upper-level courses, ensuring they begin their artistic journey at Carmel in a program that best aligns with their skills and aspirations.

 

Department Chair: Mrs. Joyce Haqq '89

 

 

 Follow @cchsphotodesign for the latest in Carmel Catholic photography and graphic design.

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 Follow @cchsthespian for the latest in Carmel Catholic theater.

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 Follow @carmel_band for the latest in Carmel Catholic band.

 

Choosing Carmel Catholic means investing in a math program that treats your student as an individual, not a number. Unlike the one-size-fits-all approach often found in larger public schools, our program provides the personalized flexibility to meet your child exactly where they are mathematically—whether they need additional support to build confidence or are ready to start high school beyond the traditional entry point. This individualized programming ensures your student enters high school genuinely prepared and appropriately challenged, maximizing engagement and setting them up for success in advanced coursework, including Dual Credit and AP mathematics.

 

Department Chair: Mr. Sean Rank

A Holistic Investment in Your Child’s Health and Performance

Our Physical Education and Health Department delivers far more than a traditional gym class—it’s a strategic investment in your child’s lifelong health, wellness, and athletic performance. Families can be assured that their tuition supports a program that rivals private athletic training, while being seamlessly integrated into the school experience.

Personalized, Data-Driven Growth

• Velocity-Based Training with Devices ensures every workout is scientifically tailored to maximize results.
  
  
• Student progress is tracked through Teambuildr, a professional platform used by collegiate and professional athletic programs.
  
  
• Customized training plans can be downloaded directly to a student’s phone, putting elite-level training in their hands at all times.
  
  

Support at Every Level

• Whether a student is a beginner, fitness-focused, or an elite athlete, our staff meets them where they are and helps them progress.
  
  
• Coaches provide continuous feedback and individualized recommendations to elevate performance safely and effectively.
  
  

Access and Affordability

• Students gain free access to our 12,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art fitness center, eliminating the need for expensive commercial gym memberships or personal trainers.
  
  
• With extended hours to meet student schedules, families save both money and time while students gain a consistent training environment.
  
  

How We Are Different

Unlike most public-school PE programs, which are often limited to standard fitness testing and general exercise:

• We offer college-level training technology like Velocity-Based devices and Teambuildr tracking.
  
  
• Our program individualizes fitness, rather than relying on one-size-fits-all activities.
  
  
• Public schools rarely provide elite athletic development on campus—our program prepares students for next-level performance, whether in varsity athletics, college recruiting, or lifelong health.
  
  
• Our fitness center rivals many private gyms, ensuring students have a safe and supportive environment tailored to their needs.
  
  

Comprehensive Fitness and Training Program

Parents’ investment in Carmel Catholic High School includes a comprehensive fitness and training program valued at thousands of dollars per year if pursued independently.

• Commercial gym membership: $600–$1,200 annually
  
  
• Personal training sessions: $60–$100 per session
  
  
• Technology-based performance tracking: $500+ annually
  
  

At Carmel Catholic, all of these are included—helping families maximize the return on their educational investment while ensuring their child develops the confidence, discipline, and strength to succeed both on and off the field.

 

Department Chair: Mr. Billy Moore

• Starting Freshman Year - Earth and Space Science UCP (semester)
• Starting Sophomore Year - AP Environmental Science
• Starting Junior Year - Forensic Science UCP (semester), Zoology UCP (semester), Organic Chemistry Honors (semester), Faith, Science and Reasoning Honors (semester), Anatomy and Physiology Honors AP Biology (opportunity for a direct admit from Sophomore Honors Chemistry to Junior year AP Biology based on meeting specific criteria), AP Physics, AP/DC Chemistry 

Students Remain Engaged

Outdoor Classrooms

Beautiful outdoor areas, especially the Chuck and Theresa Bartels Garden, are used as outdoor classrooms to allow students to interact with nature through observation and experimentation.

Department Chair: Mr. Colin Spude '05

 

The Theology Dept. believes that all are welcome at Carmel Catholic because we are all made in the Image and Likeness of God.  Our classes offer an opportunity to deepen your relationship with God through His Son, the Holy Spirit, and the Church.  We also teach our students to be aware of the dignity of all people and to respect the diversity of the human family. Carmel Catholic tends to the whole student—mind, body, and soul.

• A Foundation in Faith
  Your investment provides your student with daily opportunities to deepen their relationship with God through Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Church. This spiritual grounding builds a moral compass that guides decision-making well beyond high school.
• Character Formation & Respect for Others
  Through the Theology curriculum, students learn the dignity of every person and the importance of respecting the diversity of the human family. This translates into stronger interpersonal skills, leadership rooted in compassion, and readiness for today’s diverse world.
• Whole-Person Development
  Carmel Catholic is committed to tending to the mind, body, and soul. The Theology program ensures that academic rigor is balanced with spiritual growth and emotional resilience, shaping graduates who are not only knowledgeable but also well-rounded and centered.
• Lifelong Value
  The lessons of faith, respect, and holistic growth stay with students for a lifetime, impacting their college, career, relationships, and community involvement. This enduring return far exceeds the immediate cost of tuition, as it prepares your child for a meaningful life of purpose and service.

Your tuition dollars don’t just buy classroom instruction; they invest in your child’s spiritual foundation, moral character, and whole-person growth, equipping them to thrive in every area of life.

 

Department Chair: Mr. Jeff Ptacek