Mount St. Mary Academy

For other similarly named schools, see Mount St. Mary's (disambiguation).
Mount St. Mary Academy
Address
1645 U.S. Route 22
Watchung, NJ, (Somerset County) 07069
Coordinates 40°38′53.6″N 74°24′54.6″W / 40.648222°N 74.415167°W / 40.648222; -74.415167Coordinates: 40°38′53.6″N 74°24′54.6″W / 40.648222°N 74.415167°W / 40.648222; -74.415167
Information
Type Private, All-Girls
Religious affiliation(s) Roman Catholic,
Sisters of Mercy
Established 1908
Directress Sr. Lisa D. Gambacorto[1]
Faculty 57.6 (on FTE basis)[2]
Grades 9–12
Enrollment 350 [2] (2009-10)
Student to teacher ratio 6.1:1[2]
Campus size 80 acres (320,000 m2)
Color(s) Blue and Gold         
Slogan Tradition empowering the future
Athletics conference Skyland Conference
Accreditation Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[3]
Publication Echoes (literary magazine)
Peeks (literary magazine)
Yearbook Chimes
Tuition $17,600
Assistant Directresses Sr. Mary McAuley Ronan
Karen Calta
Margaret Shaw[1]
Dean of Students Margaret Shaw[1]
Admissions Director Donna Venezia Toryak[1]
Athletic Director Denise Materia[1]
Website mountsaintmary.org

Mount Saint Mary Academy is a four-year private high school for girls, located in Watchung, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. Located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen, the school operates financially independent of the Diocese.[1] The Academy 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. In the 1980s and 1990s it was a boarding school that housed local, out of state and international students.

As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 350 students and 57.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 6.1:1.[2]

Mount Saint Mary Academy has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools since 1937.[3] It holds membership in the National Association of Independent Schools, the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools,[4] the National Catholic Educational Association, the College Board, and the Educational Records Bureau.

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 (37 km) 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. The average tuition is in the range of $17,600 for the 2011-12 school year. Students are required to purchase a tablet PC, which costs approximately $2,250 or can be leased for $640 per year.[5]

Awards, recognition and rankings

In 1984, Sister Mary Eloise Claire Kays became Directress of Mount Saint Mary Academy. Under the direction of Sister Mary Eloise Claire, the Academy enjoyed national recognition as an "Exemplary Private School" a designation bestowed on it by the US Department of Education.[6] 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,[7] the highest award an American school can receive.[8][9]

In 1984–85, Mount Saint Mary Academy was one of 65 private schools in the United States to receive the Council for American Private Education’s Exemplary Private School Recognition Project award.[10]

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.

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.

In 2008, The Angels of Victory field was completed, a turf field for soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, and track and field.

Athletics

Mount St. Mary Academy competes in the Skyland Conference, which is made up of public and parochial high schools spanning Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren counties in northern New Jersey, operating under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[11] Prior to the NJSIAA's 2009 realignment, the school had participated in the Mountain Valley Conference, which included public and private high schools in Essex County, Somerset County and Union County.[12]

The swim team won the Non Public - B state sectional championship with a 116-54 win vs. Pingry School.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mount Saint Mary Academy, Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Accessed September 18, 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Mount St. Mary Academy, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed September 18, 2011.
  3. 1 2 Mount Saint Mary Academy, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools. Accessed September 18, 2011.
  4. ↑ School Search, New Jersey Association of Independent Schools. Accessed July 29, 2008.
  5. ↑ Tuition and Fees For the 2011-2012 academic year, Mount Saint Mary Academy. Accessed September 18, 2011.
  6. ↑ http://obits.lehighvalleylive.com/obituaries/etpa/obituary.aspx?n=mary-eloise-kays-sister-of-mercy&pid=127807497
  7. ↑ Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed April 12, 2011.
  8. ↑ "CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department", Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006.
  9. ↑ 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."
  10. ↑ Staff. "1984-85 Exemplary Private School Recognition Project Honors 65 Schools", Cape Outlook of The Council for American Private Education, Number 112, June 1985. Accessed September 18, 2011.
  11. ↑ League Memberships – 2014-2015, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 15, 2014.
  12. ↑ Home Page, Mountain Valley Conference, backed up by the Internet Archive as of February 2, 2011. Accessed December 15, 2014.
  13. ↑ 2007 Girls Team Swimming - Non Public - B, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 4, 2007.
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