Open House Brochure 2020-2021

Faith Development | Academic Excellence | Personal Growth

2020-2021

www.sjabr.org

For 152 years, St. Joseph’s Academy has stood as a pillar of excellence in the Baton Rouge community.

Founded in 1868 by the Sisters of St. Joseph, this premier Catholic high school for young women is a place where relationships are strengthened and young girls become women of faith, hope and love.

Academy students grow in Catholic faith traditions through a comprehensive religious education program, liturgical rituals and service opportunities; become lifelong learners through interaction with master teachers and mentors; and enjoy peer relationships and learn leadership skills in a variety of co-curricular activities.

Our 10,480 graduates are leaders in business, industry, academia, government, their churches and communities. They’re advocates, volunteers, wives, mothers and grandmothers. They serve the dear neighbor, always as women for others.

The mission of St. Joseph’s Academy is to educate young women as responsible and unifying members of the world community. In the spirit and charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph, St. Joseph’s Academy offers opportunities for faith development in the Catholic tradition, academic excellence and personal growth.

FA I T H

DEVELOPMENT Mass celebrated regularly, including holy days and feast days.

Required theology curriculum at each grade level.

Morning prayer each day.

Rosary each Wednesday morning.

Retreats held annually for student reflection, prayer and discussion.

Senior Service Day held each year.

Student Ministers assist with retreats at Catholic elementary schools.

Opportunities for spiritual growth in religiousbased clubs, including Student Ministry for juniors and seniors, Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Choir and Respect Life Club.

Reconciliation services twice a year.

Campus Minister guides spiritual formation.

Pastoral Care Minister helps students explore faith-based questions.

Opportunities for serivce immersion trips every summer both in the United States and abroad.

Chapel located on campus.

Each year, the St. Joseph’s Academy community is guided by a charism theme which supports the vision and mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph and SJA. This year’s theme is We Are All One: Gifted and Transformed by God’s Spirit.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE Honors courses are offered in English, mathematics, science, social studies and foreign languages. There are 23 Advanced Placement courses (college-level work) offered across all disciplines. Of the 363 SJA students who took AP tests in 2020, 318 SJA students (or 88 percent of test takers) scored at least a 3 or higher on one of the AP tests taken this year.

SJA has been accredited by the Louisiana State Department of Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools since 1932.

SJA has implemented AP Capstone, an innovative diploma program that allows students to develop critical research, collaboration and communication skills.

91.6 percent of the class of 2020 earned $26.86 million in scholarships.

SJA awards the Seal of Biliteracy to students who complete a level 4 foreign language course and earn qualifying scores on the English and Reading sections of the ACT. The average composite ACT score for the class of 2019 (latest data available) was 25.9 compared to the national composite score of 20.7 and the state composite score of 18.8.

100% of SJA graduates attend a four-year college or university.

Members of the class 2020 were offered admission to 135 colleges and universities.

Students are recognized annually in the National Merit Scholarship Program.

PERSONAL GROWTH

ATHLETIC TEAMS compete on the 5-A level. Eligibility is determined by the Louisiana High School Athletic Association.

Student-athletes compete in basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field and volleyball.

There are 39 CO-CURRICULAR CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES for the development of students’ interests and talents. Through membership, students grow in leadership, initiative, responsibility and cooperation.

“BIG SIS” SENIORS HELP “LIL SIS” FRESHMEN

DANCES AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES are regularly held

with Catholic High School.

learn Academy traditions and make the transition into high school easier. The Big Sis/Lil Sis program, which dates back to 1910, celebrates the relationship between the freshman and senior classes and creates friendships that often last a lifetime.

SJA students attend CLUB

CONVENTIONS AND MUSIC FESTIVALS each year.

There are optional CULTURAL ENRICHMENT TRIPS taken yearly to Washington, D.C., (during Thanksgiving break) and to foreign countries (during Easter break or summer).

TECHNOLOGY

In 1997, SJA became a leader in technology integration, becoming one of the first high schools in the country to implement a 1:1 learning environment.

In the two-plus decades since, SJA has continued to develop programs that impact teaching and learning. Active engagement, collaboration, frequent feedback and motivated learning support the building of skills essential to meeting challenges and being able to collaborate with others in the workforce of tomorrow.

The crown jewel of the technology program is the student-run Help Desk, thought to be the only all-girls help desk in the country. All tablet maintenance is done onsite by paid student technicians.

Technicians undergo a rigorous internship in their computer architecture or computer support class.

Because women have traditionally been underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math, SJA established the Andrea Clesi McMakin ’74 STEM lab to provide cross-curricular, hands-on learning in a laboratory setting.

Students work with a laser cutter and microcomputers and are able to bring their ideas to fruition using one of 20 3D printers.

Placing a premium on 21st century learning, SJA embraces the Innovation and Design model, which offers cutting-edge, projectbased learning to equip young women for success in college and beyond. The I&D model helps students develop criticalthinking, collaboration, creating and problem-solving skills. Students utilize the design thinking methodology to design solutions to real-world problems. The sixstep design process – identify, interpret, ideate, invent, implement and improve – draws on methods from engineering and design and combines them with ideas from the arts, tools from the social sciences and insights from the business world.

GENERAL SJA partners with SAGE DINING SERVICES to provide healthy, madefrom-scratch meals every day.

CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 1,126

SCHOOL HOURS: 7:25 a.m.-2:48 p.m. with seven academic periods and a lunch period.

Research affirms that adolescent girls perform better academically, have greater educational aspirations and hold more favorable attitudes toward academic study in an ALL GIRLS ENVIRONMENT. Graduates of allgirls schools are at a competitive advantage when entering college.

The LIBRARY is open until 5:30 each afternoon.

For the 2020-2021 academic year, TUITION IS $11,684. Seniors pay an additional $440 senior fee for a total of $12,124.

SJA provides TUITION ASSISTANCE to ensure an Academy education is available to all young ladies who wish to attend and have the academic ability and motivation to succeed. A limited amount of tuition assistance is available to qualified students and their families based on financial need. Contact Louise Babin at (225) 388-2234 or babinl@sjabr.org.

In keeping with the vision of the Sisters of St. Joseph, no student has ever been denied admission solely on the basis of her family’s ability to pay full tuition. The philosophy of SJA’s tuition assistance program is that an Academy education be available to all young ladies who wish to attend and have the academic ability and motivation to succeed. Each year, SJA offers more than $600,000 in financial aid through our ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS PROGRAM. Awards range from $1,100 to $8,500, with the average award being $4,500 per family.

SJA offers two MERIT-BASED AWARDS: The Josephine Bahlinger Award, worth $4,000 towards freshman-year tuition, and The 1868 Award, worth $1,868 toward freshman-year tuition.

Visit sjaawards.org for more information and to apply.

ADMISSIONS POLICY St. Joseph’s Academy is a Catholic, all-girls, college-preparatory high school. SJA has an admissions policy that is nondiscriminatory regarding race or national origin. Students of all faiths, educational and socioeconomic backgrounds who have the academic ability and motivation to succeed are invited to apply. Special consideration is shown to Catholic families who have consistently supported Catholic education or who have a legacy at SJA. Final decisions regarding admission are made by the President and Principal with recommendations of the Admissions Committee and support of the SJA Board of Directors.

ADMISSIONS CRITERIA Overall middle school (grades 6-8) record Standardized test scores Personal interview with applicant and her parents

Space availability at SJA Recommendation of elementary school principal (for students attending Catholic elementary schools) Completed online application

The mission of St. Joseph’s Academy is to educate young women as responsible and unifying members of the world community. In the spirit and charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph, St. Joseph’s Academy offers opportunities for FAITH DEVELOPMENT in the Catholic tradition, ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE and PERSONAL GROWTH. Please direct questions to the Admissions Team of Meredith Smith and Cori Martone at admissions@sjabr.org or (225) 388-2243.

A P I L L A R O F E XC E L L E N C E F O R 152 Y E A R S

3015 Broussard Street Baton Rouge, LA 70808 (225) 383-7207 www.sjabr.org