Mount St. Mary Academy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mount Saint Mary Academy is a four-year private high school for girls located in Watchung, New Jersey. The school was founded in 1908 by the Sisters of Mercy of New Jersey and opened with 77 students. A fire destroyed the main building in 1911, but the school reopened in the following year and has grown steadily to its present enrollment of 360. The school’s philosophy encompasses a view of human life as ‘‘a journey of people in evolution toward a final destiny which is knowable through faith and attainable through free choice.’’
Mount Saint Mary Academy is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and holds membership in the National Association of Independent Schools, the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools, the National Catholic Educational Association, the College Board, and the Educational Records Bureau.
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[edit] Campus
The campus is situated on a ridge of the Watchung Mountains, overlooking surrounding suburban towns and the skyline of New York City, which is 23 miles to the east.
The school, a sponsored work of the Sisters of Mercy, is a nonprofit organization governed by a Board of Trustees. Its Alumnae Association, composed of about 4,100 graduates, provides support for a number of school functions. The school’s physical plant is owned by the Sisters of Mercy of New Jersey.
The recent $4.2 million renovation on windows, doors, and structure are one of many changes to the school
[edit] Awards and recognition
During the 1984-85 school year, Mount St. Mary Academy was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education[1], the highest award an American school can receive.[2][3]
In 1984–85, Mount Saint Mary Academy was one of sixty-five private schools in the United States to receive the Council for American Private Education’s Exemplary Private School Recognition Project award for being a ‘‘model for the nation.’’ In a congratulatory letter, Governor of New Jersey Thomas Kean stated, ‘‘I hope that we can guarantee all of New Jersey’s young people the opportunity to receive the kind of education your school provides.’’
[edit] Mission Statement
- The mission of Mount Saint Mary Academy is to challenge each student to develop her fullest potential in a Christian atmosphere of love and caring. As a private Catholic secondary school, founded by the Sisters of Mercy of New Jersey, and rooted in the tradition of their Foundress, Venerable Catherine McAuley, Mount Saint Mary Academy is committed to academic excellence with special concern for women.
[edit] Future
In 2001, state-of-the-art science laboratories and science and math classrooms greeted students as they began the school year. Several months later, a student center/cafeteria and school bookstore were completed in the newly renovated lower corridor of the Saint Joseph’s building.
Over the next few years, the strategic plan calls for further renovations. The most recent capital improvement slated for the near future is the "Field of Dreams", a renovation of the land surrounding the school buildings designed to provide athletes with the opportunity to practice and compete on the campus.
[edit] References
- ^ Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), accessed May 11, 2006
- ^ CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department, Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."
- ^ Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test; The Washington Post. September 29, 2005 "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."
