VIEWBOOK
Sister Charlene Diorka, SSJ President
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MESSAGE
A DIORKACHARLENESISTERPRESIDENTFROMMESSAGETHE
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.
Welcome to Mount Saint Joseph Academy. Welcome to our sisterhood. MOUNT SAINT JOSEPH ACADEMY FROM THE PRESIDENT
THE POWER OF SISTERHOOD
A Mount education is transformative. We seek to nurture the academic, emotional, physical, social and spiritual facets of our young women. Each Mount student is led to discover a confident, strong sense of self in her years with us and leave ready to passionately shape our ever-evolving world.
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Founded in 1858 by the Sisters of Saint Joseph, Mount Saint Joseph Academy is a college preparatory school where we challenge students every day to realize their limitless potential. For more than 160 years, we’ve been powered by a sisterhood comprised of individuals who share their aspirations, experiences, faith, ideas, talents and voices to lift and support each other for life.
Our curriculum focuses on establishing an understanding of the past to provide critical context to the present. Students engage with a world that extends far beyond the boundaries of the physical campus, through partnerships and programs designed to provide them a broad perspective and inspire selfawareness. Courses with a global focus include World Literature Themes, Music & Cultural Identity, World Religions, Human Geography, Genocide in History and Advanced Placement (AP) World History. Extracurricular activities focused on global issues include Diversity Club, Model United Nations and Mock Trial.
1. AGENTS OF TRANSFORMATION
Student life at the Mount is rooted in the philosophy that “on the education of women largely depends the future of society” and is designed to inspire a global and lifelong sense of curiosity, ambition, service and community, with a focus on four core pillars:
Transformational education is more than simply the lessons taught within the classroom walls. Instead, it refers to high-impact educational practices that promote learning on a significantly deeper level through diverse and wellrounded experiences, with an emphasis on social responsibility.
2. LIMITLESS LEARNING
MOUNT LIFE 03MOUNT SAINT JOSEPH ACADEMY MOUNT LIFE
We lean onto each other as we lean into the future.
4. COLLABORATIVE CLASSROOMS
Our signature block scheduling model promotes deeper, more collaborative learning across all disciplines. In schedules that resemble what many students will see in college, students study three to four subjects at a time, versus the traditional six or seven. Longer classes promote immersive instruction and propel intellectual discovery through discussion, debate and deeper social relationships. Team-based assignments are common as students receive frequent encouragement to participate in group study and conversation.
We firmly believe the ability to write both critically and creatively is a skill that will sustain a young woman throughout her lifetime. Thus, a focus on comprehensive writing is woven throughout our course offerings, such as Theology, Social Studies, Business & Technology and various Arts classes. Co-curricular writing opportunities include The Campanile, our student-produced newspaper, and The Muse, our student-produced literary magazine.
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3. INTENSIVE WRITING
ACADEMICS05MOUNT SAINT JOSEPH ACADEMY ACADEMICS
FordhamUniversityUniversity
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Women as Founders Seminar Course
Dartmouth College Duke Georgetown
CornellUniversityColumbiaBrownBowdoinCollegeCollegeUniversityUniversity
Diocesan Scholars Program: Dual enrollment agreement with local Catholic colleges and universities
HarvardUniversityUniversity
Boston
Student proficiency in Microsoft Office
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tulane University United States Naval of Notre Dame University of Pennsylvania University of Wake Forest University Wellesley College
Mount faculty is composed of both Sisters of Saint Joseph and lay teachers — 44 full-time and 4 part-time — the majority of which hold advanced degrees.
Johns Hopkins
UniversityAcademy
Pennsylvania State University Princeton University
VillanovaVirginia UniversityVanderbiltUniversity
COLLEGE OUTCOMES
Smith TheWilliamTheSpelmanCollegeCollegeCollegeofandMaryJuilliardSchool
Mount’s experienced faculty teach within a college-style block schedule, where students flourish through meaningful lessons and the transformative bonds of sisterhood. A personalized and dynamic curriculum allows students to engage in collaborative STEM learning, enroll in “Women as Founders”—a servicelearning course that confronts women’s issues, and much more.
UniversityNortheasternUniversityNewLehighUniversityUniversityYork
One-to-one iPad for all students
We shape our world when we expand our minds.
Savannah College of Art and Design
Special curriculum features include:
Our educational philosophy reflects the mission, charism and tradition of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. Teachers and students alike are challenged to love and serve God and neighbor with joy, and to respond with hope to problems presented during their time at the Mount and beyond.
Advanced Placement Program
100% of Mount graduates attend post-secondary institutions, including some of these prestigious colleges and universities:
We all glow when we find what makes us shine. 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.ACTIVITIES Just a few of our activities: Academic Bowl Campanile FallCulinaryServiceCommunityNewspaperCorpsClubMusical Firebirds Robotics Glee Club Gold Key Club Spirit Week Committee Student Leadership Council 07MOUNT SAINT JOSEPH ACADEMY ACTIVITIES
We all win when we discover what fuels us.
ATHLETICS
Of our entire student body at Mount Saint Joseph Academy, 72% 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 Cross-Country/Crew Track Diving Field Hockey GolfLacrosseSoccer Softball VolleyballTennisSwimming 08
MOUNT SAINT JOSEPH ACADEMY SPIRITUALITY AND
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 both individually and as a sisterhood in humility and charity. This focus on faith urges our students to resist complacency, to nourish mutual healing and to foster reconciliation. It also inspires in us a spirit of social responsibility and service in which we look beyond our own lives and reach out to people in need — the young and old, the homeless and abused, the sick and, sometimes, one another.
AND SPIRITUALITYSERVICE
We uplift each other when we journey deep.
SERVICE
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Serving at soup kitchens
Executing special collections and distribution projects
From our “Women as Founders” course, which empowers students through education and hands-on service and explores the women’s reform movement and current women’s issues, to the ability to attend the annual Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph Student Leadership Conference — Mount students are provided a number of opportunities to witness the SSJ philosophy in action.
COMMUNITY SERVICE CORPS
Visiting the sick and elderly
Mount students carry on the legacy of the Academy founders by seeking out those in need of help and lending a hand through a variety of CSC programs, such as:
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Working with animal rescue organizations
GLANCEAAT CAMPUSACRE78 STUDENTSTOTAL IN FORSCHOLARSHIPSCLASSOF2022 460+ Our students come from thirty-one school districts, eighty different middle schools, seventy zip codes, and six counties. AP TESTING IN 72%2022 Of students scored 3+ 10:1 Student to Teacher Ratio 485 Tests 230 Students Scholastic Rowing Association of America Championships20 OLYMPIANS London 2012 and Rio 201603 13 STUDENTS/CLASS AVG. 50 Honors and AP Courses 55+ Clubs and activities 13 Athletic teams with Junior Varsity and Varsity levels $30.4 M 558 College acceptances for class of 2022 100% Of Mount graduates attend post-secondary institutions PIAA CHAMPIONSHIPS DISTRICT I 11 Golf 3 Basketball 2 Field Hockey STATE 4 Golf 1 Basketball 11MOUNT SAINT JOSEPH ACADEMY AT A GLANCE
Sisters. For life. SAINT JOSEPH ACADEMY A LEGACY OF SISTERHOOD
A student’s time at Mount Saint Joseph Academy is only four years, but her place in our legacy of sisterhood knows no bounds. While she will graduate with a class of sisters with whom she has formed deep bonds, from her first day at Mount, she will be supported by her sisters of all ages, experiences and walks of life. Long after they’ve left our halls, Mount sisters come home time and time again to gather and renew their bonds at our annual reunions, Golden Girls luncheon, school fundraisers and family/ networking events sponsored by our active alumnae association.
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FOREVERMOUNTIES
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.
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They graciously share their wisdom and expertise with younger Mounties. And they continue to make memories together at girls’ weekends, vacations, dinners, holiday gettogethers 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.
OUR MISSION
Faithfulresponsibility.to“educating
Ready to find your place at the Mount? Email
120 W. Wissahickon Ave. Flourtown, PA 19031
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.”
Our admissions team is here to answer any questions you may have and schedule a tour: admiss@msjacad.org or call 215.233.9133
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