| St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 4830 Walnut Grove Road Memphis, Tennessee, (Shelby County), 38117 United States |
|
| Information | |
| Motto | Veritas (Truth) |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1851 (St. Agnes) 1957 (St. Dominic) |
| Founder | 9 Dominican sisters |
| President | Barbara Daush |
| Dean | Joy Maness (St Agnes Upper) Kathleen Toes-Boccia (Lower) John Murphy (St. Dominic) |
| Grades | K–12 (St. Agnes) K–8 (St. Dominic) (Grades 7-8 are coed) |
| Gender | Female (St. Agnes) Male (St. Dominic) |
| Age range | 3-18 |
| Language | English |
| Color(s) | Blue and White (St. Agnes)
Purple and Gold (St. Dominic) |
| Sports | Basketball, Cross country, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Track, Volleyball, Football. Lacrosse, Bowling, Baseball |
| Mascot | Stars; Suns |
| Team name | Stars (St. Agnes) Suns (St. Dominic) |
| Accreditation(s) | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools [1] |
| Publication | Calliope |
| Yearbook | 'Aquila' |
| Dean of Admissions | Terry Forsythe |
| Athletic Director | Jim Lassandrello |
| Website | http://www.saa-sds.org |
St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School is a private Roman Catholic school consisting of an all-girls high school and a co-educational elementary and middle school located in Memphis, Tennessee, United States.
The school is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Memphis but is not run by the diocese.
Contents |
St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School serves girls from kindergarten through twelfth grade and boys from kindergarten through eighth grade.
The long history of St. Agnes makes it one of the strongest sources of Catholicism in Memphis. St. Agnes Academy was founded by the Dominican Sisters in January 1851, and chartered in January 1852. The founding sisters were: Sr. Magdalen Clark, Sr. Catherine McCormack, Sr. Vincentia Fitzpatrick, Sr. Ann Simpson, Sr. Lucy Harper, and Sr. Emily Thorpe. Sr. Magdalen and Sr. Catherine were professed at St. Mary's of the Springs while the other four were professed at St. Catharine, Kentucky. Sr. Catherine died in August and Mother Angela Lynch replaced her with Sr. Frances Conlon.
St. Agnes was situated in what were then the suburbs of Memphis (Vance and Orleans), about a mile and a quarter from Court Square, the center of the city. The doors were opened on February 4, 1851, with 20 boarders and about 15-day students. When the school year ended on July 7, 1851, the enrollment had increased to more than 50, and an addition to the school had been completed. The Sisters also boarded orphans until 1864 when the Dominican Sisters opened St. Peter's Orphanage.
In the fall of 1867 and again in the fall of 1873, Memphis was enveloped by the yellow fever epidemic. During these times, many Dominican Sisters died rendering service to the sick in Memphis. On May 16, 1878, after the yellow fever had faded, the Academy caught fire and was reduced to ashes. Another fire in 1900 caused lesser damage. Neither fire, however, hindered the School's continued operation.
In 1911, two wings were added to the building to accommodate the growing enrollment, a Romanesque Chapel and an auditorium. The community purchased the Porter property on the right side of St. Agnes. On October 5, 1918, the faculty of St. Agnes established the Memphis Conservatory of Music where students could acquire a B.A. degree in music. It became the formal music education center of Memphis for beginning, advanced and professional students. It was incorporated on August 4, 1923 and eventually formed the Department of Music at St. Agnes College.
In 1922, classes opened at St. Agnes College, the first Catholic women's college in the Diocese of Nashville and in the tri-states. It was the first college in Memphis to offer adult evening courses. It became evident that a separate location from the Academy was needed if the college was to grow. To emphasize the distinction between the Academy and the College, on January 1, 1939, the name of St. Agnes College was changed to Siena College. The college eventually was moved to Poplar Avenue (1953) where it was known for excellence in education until it closed in 1972.
After 100 years of life at Vance and Orleans, St. Agnes Academy began a new phase of existence in 1951 at the present site on Walnut Grove Road. Ground was broken in 1956 for an elementary school for boys on the property with St. Agnes. A library/science portable building was added in 1974. A regulation soccer field and a quarter mile track were added in 1986.
The campus has been expanded over the years with the construction of Madonna Hall in 1966, the purchase of portable buildings in 1972, and the completion of an expanded and enhanced campus library in 1988. The Buckman/Davis Building was added to the campus in 1991 and serves as the campus center for science and mathematics. Completing the Early Childhood Center and Tot Lot in 1998 provided appropriate learning spaces for the earliest grades. The opening of the a multipurpose building, Siena Hall, in 1999 allowed removal of all temporary structures and provided a pedestrian campus.
The “Reaching for the Stars and Suns” campaign created the Veritas Research Center, completed in 2008, which houses a Cybrary, Distance Learning Center, Multi-media Lab, Cyber Café, Senior Lounge, Tech Center and eight classrooms. St. Agnes is planning to build a new Early Childhood Center in 2009. As one of only 18 schools in the country to be named an Apple Distinguished School, St. Agnes has become known as one of the leaders in technology integration.
Due to the vision of the Dominican Sisters of St. Catharine, Kentucky, who prepared the way for success many years ago, St. Agnes is now a leading college preparatory school in the greater Memphis area. The spirit of the Dominican Sisters has formed and guided the students, faculty, staff and Board of Trustees of St. Agnes Academy - St. Dominic School and continues to do so. Students are imbued with Catholic principles and Dominican spirituality which stress truth in word and action, the value of study and sharing knowledge with others, and the necessity of combining contemplation with action. St. Agnes' affiliates rest upon the four pillars of Dominican charism: prayer, service, study, and community.
St. Agnes Academy - St. Dominic School stands proudly on its long, fruitful, academic and spiritual heritage. The School is currently operated as one entity by a Board of Trustees consisting of parents, local leaders and representatives of the Dominican Sisters of St. Catharine, Kentucky. The trustees, faculty and staff embody a vision of education for the future in the tradition of the Dominican Sisters.
The present school offers coeducational early childhood and kindergarten for boys and girls ages three through five, single sex classes for girls and boys in grades one through six, coordinated junior high classes for boys and girls in grades seven and eight, and college preparatory education for girls from grades nine through twelve.
St. Dominic School for Boys was built next door to St. Agnes in 1957.[2]