Mount Saint Joseph Academy Viewbook 2023-2024

VIEWBOOK

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT SISTER CHARLENE

Welcome to Mount Saint Joseph Academy.

Welcome to our sisterhood.

In this place, you will nurture deep friendships that last for a lifetime. You will hear the cheers of your classmates when you speak with conviction in the classroom, nail the high note on stage, flex on the field, put the finishing touch on that work of art or have that “aha!” moment in the lab. You will find a community of young women who share an unapologetic enthusiasm for dreaming big about their future and ability to transform the world. You will listen with your heart, learn from experiences that your peers have lived and gather new perspectives. You will journey deep together spiritually to explore and better understand your faith. You will join a legacy of women who share a lifelong commitment to serve the dear neighbor, whether in their own communities or halfway across the globe. You will harness the remarkable gifts of others and discover the remarkable gifts you can call your very own.

Here at the Mount, you will find your sisters. And here at the Mount, you will find yourself.

Sister Charlene Diorka, SSJ

THE POWER SISTERHOOD of

Founded in 1858, Mount Saint Joseph Academy is a college preparatory school for girls that inspires its students to dream big and journey deep. Choosing the Mount means opportunities that empower students to lead and serve with compassion. Supported by a solid academic, social and spiritual foundation, young women at the Mount have powerful voices, clarity of mind, confidence and a commitment to the serve. A personalized and dynamic curriculum allows our students to engage in collaborative STEM learning, enroll in “Women as Founders”—a course that allows students to educate and advocate for social change—compete on the athletic field and much more. A Mount education is distinctive and transformative. During her years at the Mount every student has her academic, emotional, physical, social and spiritual needs supported and nurtured by educators and her peers. This personalized approach and the sheer strength of our community bonds lead our students to develop the strong, confident sense of self that we all hope will lead us into a bright future.

UNIQUELY the MOUNT

1) LIMITLESS LEARNING

• The academic excellence that the Mount is known for extends throughout the entire school community

• Young women at the Mount are consistently engaged in co-curricular programming—student societies, activities and clubs are inclusive of interests such as service, music, visual art, Robotics, and much more

• The Mount Fine Arts program teaches technique and skill while allowing students to discover their own uniquely creative voice

• The acclaimed Mount Athletics program offers 13 sports that instill qualities of leadership, confidence, sisterhood and strength

2) COMMUNITY LED BY FAITH

• Following the Sisters of Saint Joseph tradition, students are unifiers who support their peers in all their endeavors

• A st rong and resilient community built with active inclusive love

• Da ily Advisory time with adult and student leaders—a space where there is an intentional focus on Academics, Mission, Community and Clubs

• St udents attend mission-focused and faith-centered retreats throughout their years at the Mount

3) FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS

• St udents flourish in a learning community that challenges and inspires young women to dream big and journey deep, to lead with compassion and to seek God in themselves and others

• The Learning Team at MSJA serves a range of learners w ith research-based, inclusive methods to help with time management and build lifelong strategies and skills

• College Counselors help grade 10-12 students to explore their passions and goals in order to find a right-fit institution of higher learning

• School Counselors partner with students one-on-one from the first to the last days of their Mount experience to focus on social and emotional learning

• Young women at the Mount develop skills around self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship building and responsible decision-making

4) ROBUST ACADEMICS

• Dedicated Faculty with expertise and experience in their disciplines

• College-style scheduling with 80 minute classes, provide collaborative, impactful, engaging and flexible teaching and learning for peers and educators

• Women as Founders Seminar: A missionaligned course where students select a research project centered around a social issue of personal significance

• Integrated math and science curriculum where teachers collaborate to effectively teach the subjects with an interdisciplinary approach

• Unique offerings such as Principles of Engineering and D esign; Print and Broadcast Journalism courses

• One of a few schools nationwide that offers both AP Computer Science A and AP Computer Science

MOUNT SAINT JOSEPH ACADEMY ACADEMICS

ACADEMICS

Choosing the Mount means distinctive opportunities that empower students to boldly lead as future founders. A personalized and dynamic curriculum allows the young women in our care to engage in collaborative STEM learning, participate in college-level courses, serve others while gaining research experience—and much more.

Our collegiate-inspired block scheduling has become a definitive part of a distinctive Mount education, having operated on this schedule for more than 20 years. Traditionally, a high school student takes eight 40 minute classes every day, all school year. At the Mount, we redistribute that time in order to give our students a comprehensive and engaging education. Modeling college schedules, the Mount school year is divided into two semesters and classes are held in four 80 minute blocks for each half of the school year.

COLLEGE OUTCOMES

100% of Mount graduates attend post-secondary institutions, including some of these prestigious colleges and universities:

Boston College

Bowdoin College

Brown University

Columbia University

Cornell University

Dartmouth College

Duke University

Fordham University

Georgetown University

Harvard University

Johns Hopkins University

Lehigh University

New York University

Northeastern University

Pennsylvania State University

Princeton University

Savannah College of Art and Design

Smith College

Spelman College

The College of William and Mary

The Juilliard School

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Tulane University

United States Naval Academy

University of Notre Dame

University of Pennsylvania

University of Virginia

Villanova University

Vanderbilt University

Wake Forest University

Wellesley College

“The Mount and its mission have wonderfully contributed to my success in becoming a well-rounded student, founder, and young woman. By challenging me in all areas of academics and extracurriculars, the Mount continually motivates me to reach my highest potential.”

-Senior Student, Class of 2023

Our extensive co-curricular offerings provide Mounties access to activities that will uncover and amplify their own gifts, while learning from the talents of their Mount sisters. More than 50 clubs and activities — from academic honor societies, affinity and cultural clubs, community service groups, fine arts, performing arts and robotics to speech and debate — provide limitless learning and daily moments of joy, balance, leadership-building and camaraderie.

We strive to continually refresh the activities we offer in order to reflect the current needs and interests of the modern student. New clubs are frequently spearheaded by students, offering them a chance to take the lead and learn accountability and ownership.

Just a few of our activities:

Academic Bowl

Campanile Newspaper

Culinary Club

Fall Musical

Firebirds Robotics

Glee Club Gold Key Club Spirit Week Committee

Student Leadership Council

We all glow when we find what makes us shine.

ATHLETICS

Of our entire student body at Mount Saint Joseph Academy, 75% are student-athletes. At the Mount, we intentionally create a space that enables students to strive for excellence in both athletics and academics. Our teams and players consistently place in local, regional and national competitions in 13 sports with both Varsity and Junior Varsity teams. Our skilled athletics and coaching staff have competed at the collegiate level and work to instill qualities of leadership, loyalty, and sportsmanship in their players. Mount student-athletes learn not only by winning and losing, but also through the process of growing as an athlete and acting for the good of a team. The Mount is a member of the Athletic Association of Catholic Academies (AACA) and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA).

The Mount offers 13 sports with Junior Varsity and Varsity teams, including:

Basketball Crew Cross Country

Diving

Field Hockey

Golf

Lacrosse

Soccer Softball

Swimming

AND SERVICE CAMPUS MINISTRY

We uplift each other when we journey deep.

Through religious education, retreats, liturgies and communion services, we celebrate our faith and the spirituality of the Sisters of Saint Joseph in an effort to grow as individuals and as sisters in humility and charity and evolve as human beings. Campus Ministry is an integral part of the vibrant community we foster. We encourage students to explore and deepen their sisterhood and spirituality. All are welcome, wherever they may be on their faith journey.

Three main aspects define Mount Campus Ministry:

RETREATS: Throughout the year, we offer transformative retreat experiences, including gradelevel retreats for a day and a culminating senior overnight Unitas retreat. These retreats provide students with valuable opportunities for selfreflection, personal and spiritual growth, and solidify the bond of unity the class has built over the years.

SERVICE: The original Sisters of Saint Joseph of Philadelphia were praised for being “ready for any good work.” Our students continue the Sisters’ legacy of compassionate service. Students contribute to our vibrant liturgies through their ministry on a Liturgy Service Team. Beyond our campus, they organize fundraisers for charitable causes close to their hearts, participate in a week-long service-immersion program in Camden, support St. Joseph Villa residents, serve at local soup kitchens, and more! We seek to form, in the language of our mission, “agents of transformation” in the face of injustice, rooted in deep faith.

PRAYER AND LITURGY: We believe that prayer energizes and enriches our entire community. All members of our school community are welcome to participate in monthly liturgies, daily prayer, Communion Services and, regardless of their faith background. It is through these shared moments of worship that we connect more deeply with God and strengthen our sense of unity.

MOUNTIES FOREVER

Sisters. For life.

They graciously share their wisdom and expertise with younger Mounties. And they continue to make memories together at girls’ weekends, vacations, dinners, holiday get-togethers and milestone life events. Our alumae honor an understood and unspoken sisterly pledge to lift each other up in times of challenge and share in one another’s joy.

Whether they settle in Greater Philadelphia or halfway across the world, Mount women lead within their spaces in the world and continue to serve the dear neighbor. This service begins with a lifelong commitment to step up for their fellow Mount sisters, always answering their call as they navigate through life’s many chapters — from the college experience to career exploration and motherhood to retirement and everything in between.

OUR MISSION

Mount Saint Joseph Academy, a college preparatory school, empowers young women to realize their fullest potential. Imbued with a spirit of unity and reconciliation, the charism of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, Mount Saint Joseph Academy fosters excellence tempered by gentleness and compassion.

Enriched by the values of the Catholic Church, Mount Saint Joseph Academy offers academically rigorous programs, which challenge students to shape the future. In a student-centered, collaborative environment, Mount Saint Joseph Academy provides a holistic education with an emphasis on global responsibility.

Faithful to “educating founders,” Mount Saint Joseph Academy enables students to be agents of transformation in the face of moral and ethical challenges in an ever-evolving society. Trusting in the wisdom echoed by the Constitution of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, the mission asserts, “On the education of women largely depends the future of society.”