Mount St. Mary Academy

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.

For other similarly named schools, see Mount St. Mary's (disambiguation).

Mount Saint Mary Academy
Address
1645 U.S. Route 22

Watchung
,
(Somerset County)
,
New Jersey
07069

United States
Coordinates40°38′53.6″N 74°24′54.6″W
Information
TypePrivate, All-Girls
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic,
Sisters of Mercy
Established1908
DirectressSr. Lisa D. Gambacorto[1]
Faculty37.1 FTEs[2]
Grades9–12
Enrollment370 (as of 2017-18)[2]
Student to teacher ratio10.0:1[2]
Campus size80 acres (320,000 m2)
Color(s)  Blue
  Gold and
 [3]
SloganSuccessful Journeys Begin Here
Athletics conferenceSkyland Conference
MascotLion
Team nameMount Lions[3]
AccreditationMiddle States Association of Colleges and Schools,[4] National Association of Independent Schools, New Jersey Association of Independent Schools
PublicationEchoes (literary magazine)
Peeks (newspaper)
YearbookChimes
School fees$3,400[5]
Tuition$22,600 (2019-20)[5]
Websitewww.mountsaintmary.org

As of the 2017–18 school year, the school had an enrollment of 370 students and 37.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.0:1. The school's student body was 86.5% White, 5.7% Hispanic, 4.3% Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander, 1.6% Black, 1.4% Asian and 0.5% two or more races.[2]

Mount Saint Mary Academy has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1937.[4] It holds membership in the National Association of Independent Schools, the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools,[6] 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 $22,600 for the 2019–20 school 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.[7] 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,[8] the highest award an American school can receive.[9][10]

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.[11]

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

The Mount St. Mary Academy Mount Lions[3] compete in the Skyland Conference, which is comprised of public and parochial high schools spanning Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren counties in northern New Jersey, operating under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[12] 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.[13] With 528 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public A for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 381 to 1,454 students in that grade range (equivalent to Group II for public schools).[14]

The swimming team won the Non-Public Group B state championship in 2003, 2004, 2007-2009 and 2011, and won the Non-Public A title in 2005 (as co-champion with Immaculate Heart Academy) and 2006. The program's seven state titles are tied for fourth-most in the state.[15] The swim team won the Non Public B state championship in 2007 with a 116–54 win vs. Pingry School.[16] In the 2013 finals at The College of New Jersey, the team defeated defending champion Mount Saint Dominic Academy 95-75 to win the Non-Public B title.[17]

The cross country team won the Non-Public B state championship in 2002, 2003 and 2012.[18]

Notable alumni

References
  1. Mount Saint Mary Academy, Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Accessed September 18, 2011.
  2. School data for Mt St Mary Academy, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed September 26, 2019.
  3. Mount Saint Mary Academy, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  4. Mount Saint Mary Academy, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed September 26, 2019.
  5. Tuition, Financial Aid & Scholarships, Mount Saint Mary Academy. Accessed September 26, 2019.
  6. List of Member Schools, New Jersey Association of Independent Schools. Accessed August 13, 2017.
  7. http://obits.lehighvalleylive.com/obituaries/etpa/obituary.aspx?n=mary-eloise-kays-sister-of-mercy&pid=127807497
  8. Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed April 12, 2011.
  9. "CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department", Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006.
  10. 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."
  11. 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.
  12. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 10, 2017.
  13. Home Page, Mountain Valley Conference, backed up by the Internet Archive as of February 2, 2011. Accessed December 15, 2014.
  14. NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  15. NJSIAA Boys and Girls Team Swimming History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  16. 2007 Girls Team Swimming - Non Public - B, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 4, 2007.
  17. Kelly, Carol J. "Mount St. Mary turns the tables a year later", Courier News, February 25, 2013. Accessed January 25, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The Mount Lions, who advanced to the state final for the 12th consecutive season, faced Mount St. Dominic, a team that edged them 88-82 to snag the 2012 title. But Sunday's script was different. Mount St. Mary notched a 95-75 victory over the defending champions to capture the NJSIAA Non-Public B girls swimming team crown at The College of New Jersey."
  18. NJSIAA Girls Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 26, 2019.
  19. "Steve Adubato goes One-on-One with Janeen Uzzell, Former Head of Women in Technology at GE, from the Amazon Alexa VOICE Summit at NJIT, to talk about the importance of diversity within the tech community.", One on One with Steve Adubato, September 28, 2018. Accessed February 2, 2020. "Janeen Uzzell, she is a former head of Women in Technology at GE, and currently emerging market and tech consultant.... Born and raised at the Beth? Beth Israel?... So, I grew up in Plainfield... It's a good town. Went to Mount St. Mary's"
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