Anyone of a certain age who’s been through Catholic school remembers the stern nuns, the hard desks, the sting of a ruler on your knuckles or the click of large rosary beads as Sister walked by.

Don’t you?

Well, a few things have changed. And a high school student in Montana, Jordan Marquis, just got her first taste of Catholic school, and writes about what it is — and what it isn’t in the Great Falls Tribune:

Many have heard the horror stories of private Catholic schools. “Watch out for the nuns!” is a common warning.

However, is that stereotype fair? How many students have actually experienced the current Catholic school system?

In the Great Falls area, there are about 3,600 high school students. Of those 3,600, about 80 currently are enrolled in Great Falls Central Catholic High School. This means that only 2 percent of local high school students actually know what a Catholic high school is like.

Chances are that when someone tells you a story about nuns hitting students with rulers, it’s either not true or it may have happened to a previous generation. Most students probably have never even seen the inside of a Catholic high school and neither had I until just recently.

On Dec. 7, I set foot in Great Falls Central Catholic High School, not knowing what to expect. Within the first 10 minutes, I met several people. The students were willing to come up and introduce themselves, and the teachers seemed excited about the possibility of a new student. Granted, I was a bit nervous — switching schools can be traumatic. However, I felt very welcome at Central Catholic High School right from the beginning.

Coming from a religious background, it meant a lot to me to be able to combine my religion and my education. In a private Catholic school, teachers and students discuss faith and religion openly. The students and teachers often pray together — in the mornings, before lunch and even before some classes. Overall, there is a sense of spirituality, which for me translates into community and belonging.

When searching for a new school, it was important for me to find one with high academic standards. The grading scale at Central Catholic is set higher than most schools. In order to achieve an A, students must score at least 92 percent. At a minimum, it is expected that students know 70 percent of the material. If they are failing, they are required to attend remediation classes for half an hour after school until their grades are brought up.

Central uses a block schedule so a student can take up to eight courses, as opposed to only seven at my previous school. With block scheduling, students attend periods 1 through 4 on Mondays and Wednesdays for 90 minutes each. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, students attend periods 5 through 8 for 90 minutes as well.

On Friday, the schedule is altered in order to fit in Mass. Longer class periods allow for more instruction time and more complex projects. In biology, we are able to do longer and more complicated labs because we have the time.

The student attitude is much different at Central than at my previous school. Most students realize that being at this school is a huge privilege and that they are lucky to have the chance to attend Central Catholic High School. For the most part, the tuition and high standards ensure that the students are there to learn and to work hard. Central Catholic High School clearly has a high academic focus.

Read the rest and appreciate anew what it means to have a Catholic education.