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What it means to be a Raven

Our mission of helping young men and women grow in knowledge and grace challenges us to be our best. For me, that means being the best Catholic boarding school in North America with a global reach that attracts the best and brightest from around the world.

Matthew Walter
Head of School

Matthew Walter

Head of School

"Our mission of helping young men and women grow in knowledge and grace challenges us to be our best. For me, that means being the best Catholic boarding school in North America with a global reach that attracts the best and brightest from around the world. At Portsmouth Abbey, we continue to build on the School’s already stellar reputation for academic excellence in the Catholic intellectual tradition, innovative electives, competitive athletics, and inspirational arts. Bolstered by our traditions of the past and reassured by the accomplishments of today, we look boldly to Portsmouth Abbey’s bright future and are poised for a second century of excellence."

As Head Girl I have the opportunity to represent and advocate for my fellow students, as well as converse regularly with the faculty. The Abbey has created so many spaces and opportunities to grow and learn while being surrounded by people who want to help!

Marron Gibbons '22
Head Girl

Marron Gibbons

Class of 2022, Head Girl

"I grew up surrounded by the Portsmouth Abbey community and always wanted to experience life as a high school student there. I loved my first three years, and decided to be further involved with the community. As Head Girl I have the opportunity to represent and advocate for my fellow students, as well as converse regularly with the faculty. The Abbey has created so many spaces and opportunities to grow and learn while being surrounded by people who want to help!"

In my subject, being a Raven means being part of a community that actively engages with the great literature of the past and present.

Michael St. Thomas
Chair, English Department

Michael St. Thomas

Chair, English Department

Abbey students approach their studies with a combination of enthusiasm and maturity that I’ve not seen elsewhere. In my English classes, I witness this in their ability to sustain serious conversations in class and develop original insights in their writing. They never fail to impress me with their ability to take what we read to heart. As a teacher of the liberal arts, I couldn’t ask for more from my students or my school. In my subject, being a Raven means being part of a community that actively engages with the great literature of the past and present.

I love being a Raven! Our students are full of wonder and curiosity and love to learn and make scientific discoveries.

Mrs. Susan McCarthy
Science Department

Mrs. Susan McCarthy

Science Department

"I love being a Raven! Our students are full of wonder and curiosity and love to learn and make scientific discoveries. In Green Chemistry, my students have embarked on their independent research endeavors and have accomplished things that I never would have imagined in a high school setting."

I have so many wonderful memories from my time there; you can’t live in a place from age 14 through 18 and not build some wonderful friendships. After so many years of attending classes at the Abbey six days a week, I felt like I had a leg up when I got to college. The Abbey’s faculty is terrific.

Chidozie Onyiuke '10
Loyola University of Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine

Chidozie Onyiuke

Class of 2010, Loyola University of Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine

"The Abbey’s faculty are terrific. I’m so grateful to my teachers and my basketball coach, Mr. Chenoweth. They helped me establish a strong academic foundation and taught me solid time-management skills. To be honest, after the full schedule of coursework and sports I juggled at the Abbey, I felt like I had more free time in college than in high school... Physicians seek to find the truth with respect to their patients’ mental and physical wellbeing, so if you want to be a great physician, you need to treat body and soul. I spent a week in Lourdes, providing care for pilgrims and assisting them in visiting the holy sites. As a physician, you’re primarily focused on your patient’s physical concerns, but when I witnessed the expressions on the faces of pilgrims who travelled to Lourdes seeking healing from the waters, I realized that there’s also a large spiritual component to consider. Attending to a patient’s emotions is as important to the healing process as treating his physical ailments."

When reflecting on my four years at the Abbey, I find that exposure to a well-rounded curriculum and genuine care from faculty helped me discover where my talents thrive.

Kaitlyn Soares '07
Communications & Outreach at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Kaitlyn Soares

Class of 2007, Communications & Outreach at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

"When reflecting on my four years at the Abbey, I find that exposure to a well-rounded curriculum and genuine care from faculty helped me discover where my talents thrive. Father Ambrose’s English class specifically comes to mind. He was truly invested in my development as a writer, taking extended time to explain his edits and advice. He taught me that failure is an opportunity to realize what isn’t working and to open new avenues of approach – a lesson that helped me clear a new path to Jet Propulsion Laboratory after my first application was unsuccessful."

525 Acres on Campus

350 Total Students

5:1 Student:Teacher Ratio

80% Faculty with Advanced Degrees

43 Athletic Teams

3Plays Performed Each Year

75Courses Offered

71% Of students in the Class of 2021 were admitted to a least one college ranked as "most" or "highly" competitive by Barron

10 Grants awarded to students for scientific research each year

19 AP and Post- AP courses offered

About Portsmouth Abbey

For 95 years, our liberal arts curriculum has been preparing students for lives of significance and purpose.

Part of our mission is to live in a community that values each of its members. This enables students to better understand themselves and the world around them. We celebrate our achievements and we offer help to those in need in an effort to make this a more gracious community.

Welcome to Portsmouth Abbey School

Where we believe in something greater;

Where intellect and the human heart unite. As we help you become the next generation’s problem solvers and big thinkers, we’re guided by our Benedictine values of love of God, respect and hospitality.

Portsmouth Abbey Announces New Head of School

Matthew P. Walter

Following an extensive national search, Abbot Michael G. Brunner, O.S.B., announces the appointment of Matthew P. Walter as the new Head of School at Portsmouth Abbey, effective immediately.

Mr. Walter brings a wealth of experience, insight, knowledge and passion to the position having served as Development Director and then Assistant Headmaster for Advancement at Portsmouth Abbey School for seven years. In 2021, he was appointed Acting Headmaster.