Welcome to St. Joseph's Academy

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Welcome trail

Welcome

Tour stop audio transcript

Welcome to St. Joseph's Academy. This tour is designed to give you a feel for SJA's beautiful campus and great facilities. Before we get started, let me explain the many ways you can explore our beautiful space. You can click on the forward facing arrow to start walking around. You can jump to the next stop by clicking on the "Next" button. Now, if you already know where you want to go, you can select any location by using the list OR by clicking directly on the map. Lastly, remember that you can explore any particular location in more detail by clicking the 360, Photos, or Video icons.

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St. Joseph Hall

Tour stop audio transcript

St. Joseph's Academy is a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence founded in 1868 by the Sisters of St. Joseph. This premier Catholic high school for girls is located on 15 residential acres in Baton Rouge. SJA is one of the largest all-girls high schools in the country and the oldest high school in the city. SJA is guided by the charism of the Sisters, providing opportunities that ensure balance among the three pillars of its mission statement: faith development, academic excellence and personal growth. Built in 1941, St. Joseph Hall is the oldest building on campus. It houses the English and Math departments, administrative offices and full-time school nurse.

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Sister Agatha Dining Hall

Tour stop audio transcript

The Sister Agatha Dining Hall was built in 1965 and underwent extensive renovations in 2014, with bright colors, track lighting, new seating and a retro lunch counter. SJA partners with SAGE Dining Services, whose talented chefs make lunchtime a daily culinary adventure. Students enjoy food cooked from scratch, start to finish. Seasonal menus are custom-designed, reflecting students' preferences as well as the fresh products available in the local market. There are plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole-grain breads, in-house roasted deli meats, hot entrées and healthy side dishes, house-made soups, authentic Asian and Latin dishes and substantial vegetarian and vegan options. SJA girls especially enjoy the extensive salad bar.

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Café IV

Tour stop audio transcript

Café IV is SJA's senior-only dining area. Each summer, rising seniors participate in the tradition of personalizing Café IV for the start of the school year. Seniors gather as a class to paint, decorate and add special touches to their eating space using their Class Cup mascot for inspiration. It's a fun and time-honored way to create a cheerful space that seniors enjoy throughout their final year at SJA. All students enjoy eating in the inviting Dining Hall or taking their lunch outside, where they find bistro-style overhangs, ceiling fans and plenty of seating. There are also picnic tables where they can enjoy the sunshine as they eat with friends.

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Mother Alice Hall

Tour stop audio transcript

Built in 1965, Mother Alice Hall originally served as the Sistersí residence and home of the orphans in their care. Today, the building houses the Theology and Family & Consumer Science departments and provides spaces for school-community gatherings. There is a required Theology curriculum at each grade level. Faith development is reinforced by morning prayer, monthly Liturgies, annual retreats and a daily environment of Catholic Christian life. The building houses the Campus Minister and Pastoral Care Minister, who help guide spiritual formation. SJAís Archives are located here. Youíll also find the Sticker Shop, the source for official SJA spirit items. The Sticker Shop is open three days a week.

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Counseling Center

Tour stop audio transcript

The Counseling Center provides four grade-level counselors who meet with students in individual and group settings. Counselors work with students on academic, college and career-planning issues. Two college advisors assist with college and scholarship applications, recommendation letters and admissions. They also coordinate visits from college representatives throughout the year. SJA has received the Golden Achievement Award every year since 1990 for earning college credits in the prestigious LSU Spring Invitational testing program. SJA is a regional and state leader in National Merit finalists and Advanced Placement scholars. Nearly 100 percent of Academy graduates go on to four-year programs at colleges and universities across the United States.

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Chapel at SJA

Tour stop audio transcript

Mother Alice wanted a chapel to provide students with a serene place of prayer. Her dream came true when The Chapel at SJA was completed in 1965. This beautiful space has an atmosphere of reverence and devotion. Devotion to "the dear neighbor" means that service is a vital part of the SJA experience. The four-year service program offers enriching opportunities to express God's love within the school community and the broader world. SJA also sponsors summer service trips both in the United States and abroad, enabling students to connect with those in need as they reflect on personal dignity and what it means in the context of the human family.

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Family and Consumer Science

Tour stop audio transcript

Located in Mother Alice Hall, the Family & Consumer Science Department is part of SJA's popular applied arts curriculum. In Family and Consumer Science, a full-year elective, students spend one semester in the kitchen and one in the sewing lab. A second-tier cooking class – Food and Nutrition – is available to juniors and seniors. Seniors can take Adult Responsibility, which covers personal finances, budgeting, vehicle maintenance, healthy cooking for college, job resumes and applications. Beginning with sophomore year, FACS covers early childhood development, nutrition and clothing construction. Other sewing courses include Intermediate Clothing Construction and Advanced Clothing Construction. All classes participate in the popular FACS Style Show each year.

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Andrea Clesi McMakin STEM Lab

Tour stop audio transcript

With SJA's continued emphasis on increasing women's representation in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math, the Andrea Clesi McMakin '74 STEM Lab has been expanded to provide even more hands-on learning opportunities in a laboratory setting. The STEM Lab is highly popular with students, who love gathering here during their lunch hours and after school to explore self-directed projects. The STEM Lab provides students with access to 20 3D printers – unprecedented on the high school level – laser cutters, arduinos and other great electronic devices. The lab is filled throughout the day with engineering students as well as those from other disciplines wanting to utilize the state-of-the-art tools.

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Orchard

Tour stop audio transcript

When SJA moved to its current campus in 1941, the Sisters of St. Joseph planted pecan trees in The Orchard for all to enjoy. Today, The Orchard is a wonderful gathering spot and is also used for physical education activities such as archery, golf and flag football. The Batchelor Terrace overlooks The Orchard and provides a beautiful setting for school activities. The terrace features fountains and bluestone bands representing the Sistersí journey from France across the Atlantic and up the Mississippi River to Baton Rouge in 1868. Our students and faculty love the walking trail. Itís a great way to enjoy cardiovascular exercise before or after school or during lunch.

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Academy Arts Center

Tour stop audio transcript

Completed in 2012, the Academy Arts Center houses SJA's vibrant visual and performing arts program. The 29,000-square-foot facility houses Choral, Dance and Visual Arts studios as well as large Fine Arts classrooms. A beautiful rotunda provides aesthetic gathering spaces, and an art gallery offers plenty of space to show off student work. Arts electives are very popular and include a wide variety of courses in theater, choral music, dance, art, drawing, painting and ceramics. Advanced classes in chorus, band and wind ensemble are offered in conjunction with the all-boys Catholic High School. The Black Box Theatre is home to the Black Box Company, which performs two theatrical productions each year.

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Innovation & Design Lab

Tour stop audio transcript

Opened in August 2016, the Innovation and Design Lab offers cutting-edge, project-based learning to equip young women with 21st-century skills, including critical-thinking, collaboration, creating and problem-solving. The Lab will link SJA's STEM Lab to the global community, teaching students the six-step engineering and design methodology – Identify, Interpret, Ideate, Invent, Implement and Improve – to help them learn to design solutions to real-world problems. Students dream, take steps to make their dreams a reality, fail, regroup and then try again. Failure and the resulting re-thinking are crucial components of the model. Colleges are paying close attention to students who participate in these programs, as they are more marketable in the workforce.

Activity Center trail

Academy Student Center

Tour stop audio transcript

The newest addition to campus is the Academy Student Center. This state-of-the-art facility houses SJAís four-year Health and Physical Education program, which develops interests and skills in activities that encourage a healthy lifestyle. Sports Medicine electives are very popular. Year-round strength-and-conditioning programs place a premium on studentsí physical well-being. Girls train on modern equipment under the guidance of a full-time Strength and Conditioning Coach. Interscholastic athletics are an integral part of the educational experience. Students compete in 11 sports on the Class 5A level. Outstanding athletes and knowledgeable coaches have enabled SJA to win district, city and state championships. Many graduates have gone on to compete at the collegiate level.

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Activity Center

Tour stop audio transcript

When the Activity Center was built more than 30 years ago, the SJA student body numbered 600. Today, there are more than 1,100 young women at the Academy. There was a great need to provide space to celebrate masses and other school events with extended families, grandparents and friends. With the addition of the new Academy Student Center, the Activity Center is now used for health and physical education classes, intramural athletic events, athletic team practices, alumnae events and other purposes.

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Medaille Hall

Tour stop audio transcript

Built in 1947, Medaille Hall served as temporary living quarters for the Sisters and was the location of the Redstickers' first gymnasium. Today, Medaille Hall is home to the Social Studies and Foreign Language departments as well as the popular Media Arts courses, where students use professional equipment to explore digital photography, graphic design, digital art and film production. A control booth has been added to broadcast live feeds. This building also houses the Writing Center. Through sessions with trained peer consultants and after-school workshops, the center fosters writing improvement in a supportive, encouraging environment. Students gain competence and confidence as writers as well as an appreciation for their talent.

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Library

Tour stop audio transcript

Located in Medaille Hall, the Library was recently renovated into an attractive, comfortable space where students work individually and in small groups. Many hard-cover reference and fiction books have been replaced with eBooks, digital collections and online databases. eReaders are available for checkout. The Help Desk has been in operation since 2000 and is the authorized service provider for the tablet computers issued to all students, faculty and staff. All repairs are made by paid Student Technicians who intern during their technology classes before being hired. SJA is one of the first high schools in the nation to have a 1:1 tablet computer program supported by a student-run Help Desk.

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Pennington Science Center

Tour stop audio transcript

The Irene W. Pennington Science Center was completed in 1999. It contains combined classroom and lab space. SJA has won many regional and state Science and Engineering Fairs, and science students are invited to present their original research at national and international competitions. Every year since 1998, SJA has been represented at the prestigious Intel International Science & Engineering Fair. Students' research has helped them earn scholarship money. The Science Club is one of the most active student organizations on campus. In 1999, members helped launch the LSU Coastal Roots Seedling Nursery Program. Ever since, students have planted seedlings at Fontainebleau State Park, which lost many trees in Hurricane Katrina.

Courtyard

Tour stop audio transcript

At the heart of SJA's beautiful and historic campus is the courtyard. This is a popular gathering spot for students. They can study in small groups, eat lunch or just spend time with friends. Because SJA is a wireless campus, the girls can also work on their tablet computers or check their phones. In recognition of its time-honored presence in the community, St. Joseph's Academy was designated as Baton Rouge's first Local Historic Landmark by the Metro Council.

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