THE MARY LOUIS ACADEMY
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Overview
● TMLA Middle School
● Middle School Launch Principles
● Academics
● Athletic Offerings
● Extracurricular Programming
● Faculty and Staff
● Tuition
TMLA Middle School
Founded in 1936, The Mary Louis Academy in Jamaica Estates, NY is a Catholic college preparatory high school for young women sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph and rooted in their charism of unity, reconciliation, and inclusive love that embraces all of creation.
Today, it is the high school and middle school choice for smart, extraordinary girls. At a time when excellent middle school options are limited, it is important that families enroll their daughters in the strongest academic program possible. The whole student - especially the whole teenager - needs the strongest school community and environment possible to ensure success at the highest levels in high school, college and beyond.
Middle School Launch Principles
Care for the whole student comes first.
THE MARY LOUIS ACADEMY
MIDDLE SCHOOL
The mission pushes TMLA middle school students to engage in the joyous work of supporting each other through the journey of identity formation, giving them language and skills to articulate exactly who they are, and making them feel loved, respected and seen.
Set the bar high for extraordinary program design.
Middle school can have a profound impact on students, as it is a time of significant physical, emotional, and social changes. The Mary Louis middle school program is comprehensive, focusing on academic foundation building, social-emotional development, and the exploration of hobbies and interests.
Recruit the best teachers.
Middle school students need to feel safe and supported to focus on their growth, and adults play a key role in providing this environment. The TMLA middle school faculty and staff is committed to supporting grades 6-8, offering both teaching expertise and personalized attention to meet the diverse needs and interests of their students.
Align with TMLA mission and values.
Parents want their daughters to learn and lead with faith and love. Their daughters need to stand firm with strong moral values, which cannot be delayed until high school or college.
Academics
THE MARY LOUIS ACADEMY
MIDDLE SCHOOL
The Mary Louis Academy sixth and seventh grade program will have nationally aligned curricula in core content areas, as well as religion, world language, art and music. In eighth grade, students will take three Regents-level courses, ensuring they are prepared not only for ninth grade, but upper-level high school courses.
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
ELA Our newly developed, in-house ELA curriculum is thoughtfully designed to inspire a lifelong love of reading, while building strong foundational literacy skills. The program blends high-quality literature with engaging, age-appropriate instruction in reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking. Through a diverse selection of texts, students will deepen their comprehension, expand their vocabulary, and develop confidence as thoughtful, articulate speakers. A strong emphasis is also placed on grammar and spelling, ensuring students develop the mechanics of clear and accurate communication alongside their creative and analytical abilities.
Math
Amplify Desmos Math is a dynamic, student-centered program. Blending rich visual models with digital tools, it brings math to life through problem-based learning. The curriculum empowers students to explore, reason, and make connections.
NYSED Integrated Algebra I Regents
Religion Connect! Bringing Faith to Life is a three-year Catholic middle school religion curriculum that presents the core teachings of the Catholic faith to young people. Centered around relevant life issues, lessons help young people navigate life through the lens of faith. The result is a religious education curriculum that connects young people with their everyday experiences. Each year delves into the four pillars of Catholic faith formation: the Creed, Liturgy and Sacraments, Christian Morality and Justice, and Prayer.
Science Open Sci Ed is Next Generation Science Standards-aligned, and allows students to learn science through discovery. The curriculum centers on student-led questioning, investigating, and problem-solving, where teachers facilitate learning rather than lecture. Open Sci Ed has also received a ‘green’ rating from EdReports, indicating the highest quality of science education instructional materials.
NYSED Earth Science Regents
Social Studies McGraw Hill offers a comprehensive, engaging exploration of history, geography, economics, and civics. Aligned with national and state standards, the program blends compelling narratives, primary sources, and interactive digital resources to build critical thinking and inquiry skills. With a focus on diverse perspectives and real-world connections, it helps students understand the past, engage with the present, and prepare to shape the future as informed citizens.
World
Language -
Latin (Grades
7 & 8)
Fine Arts
Physical Education
Social & Emotional Skills
THE MARY LOUIS ACADEMY
MIDDLE SCHOOL
NYSED United States History Regents
In this course, students explore the Latin and Greek roots of common English words with the objective of increasing students' vocabulary, grammar knowledge, and general word power. Students also examine linguistic topics such as parts of speech, prefixes, suffixes, and tenses to further build literacy skills. Greek and Roman culture and mythology is also incorporated. The course also uses the LatinAlive!Series, which is a relevant, rigorous, yet engaging introduction to Latin for middle school students. Written by experienced and enthusiastic Latin teachers, the LatinAlive!Series provides complete training that enables students to read and translate original Latin. Additionally, the series features a unique blend of grammatical training and engaging reading of original Latin texts that will help maintain student interest and impart skill and mastery.
Grade-specific visual arts and music curriculum aligned with the “creating, presenting, and responding” sequence.
Grade-specific programming focused on the value of physical activity for overall wellness, enjoyment, challenge, and/or self-expression.
Each cycle students meet with Miss Cam, the Middle School Mental Health Counselor, to better understand the transition from elementary to middle school, and the changing social and emotional dynamics that adolescents experience.
Athletic Offerings
THE MARY LOUIS ACADEMY
MIDDLE SCHOOL
The Mary Louis Academy boasts the largest girls athletic program in New York City. With over 25 teams, more than half of TMLA students are scholar-athletes, and many continue playing in college. The middle school athletic program is run by the TMLA Athletic Director, Christina Falsone, ensuring that students learn the basics, refine skills and gear up for high school-level competition.
Before taking the helm of TMLA’s Athletic Department, Mrs. Falsone played Division II softball at Dowling College. She served as a Graduate Assistant at Dowling in 2006, then went on to lead as the Varsity Softball Assistant Coach at St. John the Baptist from 2008 to 2013, before transitioning to Head Varsity Coach in 2013, where she led the team for six seasons.
For the current school year, TMLA offers volleyball and basketball teams for middle school students. Both teams compete in the Catholic Middle School Athletic Association.
Extracurricular Programming
Middle school students have access to a wide range of extracurricular activities. TMLA students have boundless choices and opportunities to perform, experiment and lead. Middle School students participate in the following extracurricular activities:
- All By Hand (arts and crafts)
- Film
- Architecture - Filipino
- Baking - French
- Big Apple Super Fans
- Black Students Union
- Game
- Breaking Bread
- British
- Chess
- Dance
- Eastern European
- G.E.M. (Girls Enjoying Math)
- Genesians (theater)
- Hellenic Society
- Hispanic
- History
- Irish
- Italian
- K-Pop
- Mariel (newspaper)
- Medical Unlimited
- Mental Health
- Pax Christi
- Sacred Art
- Science
- SciFi
- South Asian/ Desi
- Student Council
- Students for Animals
- Yearbook
Faculty & Staff
Assistant Principal: Ellie Siwicki
Dir. of Admissions & Enrollment: Amanda Cunniff
Dir. of Athletics: Christina Falsone
Dir. of Finance: Maria Finocchio
Dir. of Technology: Richard DiLorenzo
Transportation and Accessibility
TMLA offers a range of transportation options:
THE MARY LOUIS ACADEMY MIDDLE
SCHOOL
TMLA Leadership Middle School Administration TMLA Directors Middle School Teachers TMLA General Office
ELA Teacher: Gillian Guile (‘17)
Math Teacher: Kristin Beaudry (P ‘28)
Religion Teacher: Rebecca Carey Science & Tech Teacher: Michelle Kurzyna Social Studies Teacher: Alexander Halka
● Existing routes in Middle Village, Whitestone, the Rockaways, Rosedale, Queens Village and Cambria Heights
● New routes being considered for SY 26-27 (See attachment to view routes and vote for your needs!)
● OMNY Cards for Gr. 6-8 students residing in NYC
● LIRR reimbursement for Gr. 6-8 students residing in Nassau/Suffolk County
● Yellow bus service provided by home school district for students residing in Nassau/Suffolk County
Tuition
The tuition for SY 26-27 for Gr. 6 is $10,000. The tuition for SY 26-27 for Gr. 7 & 8 is $6,500. All families are invited to apply for financial aid. Additional scholarships exist for legacy students and daughters of first responders. A sibling discount exists, as well.