Dear Families,
We eagerly await the arrival of students next week. Our colleagues have been preparing for a warm welcome to set the stage for a gleeful year!
We are grateful to our maintenance team for their around-the-clock efforts to ready the facilities for a smooth opening.
Our theme for the year is leadership rooted in gentle courage. We realize that it takes courage to rebuild community and cultivate women leaders.
We are thankful for your partnership and pray for you.
Please see updates, reminders, and opening schedules below.
School Opening Procedures
As we look forward to the upcoming school year, we continue to monitor recent developments and recommendations for opening procedures by talking to medical experts and remaining flexible if we need to make adjustments to our campus policies.
We recommend vaccines for all students. Per CDC and CHOP guidance, COVID-19 vaccinations are the single most reliable intervention for ensuring safety and returning to pre-pandemic activities.
Please send a copy or picture of the vaccine card or printout from your doctor's office with the information about the vaccination dates via email to our school nurse, Francie McGovern.
In the spirit of serving the dear neighbor, during this unprecedented time, we require that all students have a mask with them at all times. A community member may require students to wear masks in certain spaces (i.e. during a particular large group activity). Masks may also be required in certain large, indoor settings such as all-school gatherings.
At this time, fully vaccinated students will be able to attend all school activities without masks, indoors and outdoors. Vaccinated community members are also welcome to wear masks as they feel necessary.
Regulations for unvaccinated students in a school setting include:
● Masking indoors and physical distancing at all times
● Quarantine upon exposure, duration determined by case rates, and restrictions on school-related travel as specified by Montgomery County Office of Public Health and the CDC. Please note, we will not accommodate virtual learning in the same way that we did during the 2020-21 academic year.
● Limited opportunities for school day and overnight trips based on district
recommendations.
● Other restrictions, depending on incidence and positivity rates, may include COVID-19 screening, testing and/or other precautions as required.
The current Montgomery County School Exclusion Recommendations can be found at COVID-19 School Exclusion Guide.
All members of the Mount community who are sick should stay home, contact their medical professional, and promptly seek a diagnostic COVID-19 test. Please be sure to notify Francie McGovern. We all have a personal responsibility to maintain our safety and promote healthy behaviors in the service of others.
As the situation is constantly changing, please find updates here.
We will plan to assess and communicate as needed. Our next COVID-19 protocol benchmark communication update will be sent by Labor Day, September 6.
We appreciate your grace, patience, and understanding should we need to adapt our approach in the days and weeks ahead.
This is a time for us to embrace gentle courage as we transition this academic year.
For reference, please also see the update sent on August 7.
OPENING WEEK SCHEDULES
** NOTE: All students should take note of the advisory section listed in PowerSchool before coming to school on the first day. As of now, we will NOT being using the Ruvna application for student check in.
Monday, August 23, 2021, 8:15am–12:30pm: 9th Graders report
Tuesday, August 24, 2021, 8:15–11:00am: Upperclass students report
Wednesday, August 25, 2021, 8:15am–3:00pm: All Students report
DRESS CODE
Each student should arrive in full uniform: khaki kilt/pants, white golf shirt, plain white ankle socks, and loafers. Navy blue MSJA quarter-zips are optional. No blazers are needed on Opening Days. Remember, school photos will be taken on the first day.
WHAT TO BRING
On Opening Days, each student should bring:
● Her iPad
● A mask
● Any completed forms not already submitted to MSJA
● Any completed summer assignments
● A pen and paper
● All new students should also bring money for her backpack and gym shirt, if needed.
- Please bring $60 for the backpack and $12 for the gym shirt (if applicable).
- Gym shirts are only required for freshmen and sophomores.
- Payment may be made in exact cash amounts or personal checks made out to: Mount Saint Joseph Academy.
We hope you share our excitement and we look forward to seeing you on campus soon!
Opening Schedules Details and FAQs
Please visit our website to access opening week scheduling details and
frequently asked questions.
School Calendar
Please visit our website calendar for the most updated version of the academic calendar.
Transportation
Please email transportation2021@msjacad.org with questions regarding
transportation. For district bussing questions and details, please contact your
local district.
Lunches
There will be no lunch services on early dismissal opening days (August 23 & 24). Full lunch service will begin August 25. More details on lunch purchases will be available on August 23.
New Parent/Guardian Information Session
We invite new parents and guardians to gather in the auditorium on Monday,
August 23 at 7:00 pm. Please check your email for details.
Back to School Night
Our Back to School Night will take place on Thursday, September 9. We have a 1:30PM early dismissal on that date. Event details will be communicated closer to the date.
Renovated Spaces
When our students return to school, they will be greeted with renovation of all
school bathrooms. These updates not only allow us to adhere to safety protocols but also contribute to a more pleasant environment. We are grateful to our maintenance team who have worked diligently to prepare our building for the return of our students.
Student Schedules
Student schedules were distributed via email at the end of July. PowerSchool
access for families will be opened by Thursday, August 19. At that time, students will be able to access their official course schedules in PowerSchool.
Welcomes!
We welcome Elle Rupert as our Dean of Student Life. Elle recently moved to Philadelphia from Boston where she worked at St. John's Prep, a 6-12 Xaverian Brothers sponsored school for boys. Elle served as the lead of the Community Programs department and most recently as the Assistant Director of the school's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity office. Her academic background is in Women, Gender, and Sexuality studies and she has a Masters of Education in Community Engagement with a focus on social justice education in K-12 schools.
Kristen MacPherson will join as the Administrative Assistant to the Principal. Kristen has over 17 years of experience in the education field. She was a preschool teacher for 10 years at Green Lane School in Roxborough and has recently served the past 7 years as office manager at John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls' High school, her alma mater. She brings with her skills in crisis management and organizational structure. She received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration/HR from LaSalle University.
We welcome Colleen Mars back to the Mount! She is a Mount alumna who is excited to return to the art department. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Studio Arts, she is a multi-disciplinary artist who has done photography work for the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, as well as freelance art commissions.
Alex Schmauk will also be joining our Fine Arts Department in the role of Instrumental Teacher and Band Director. With a Master's Degree from The New England Conservatory of Music, and a wealth of experience in the professional and educational music worlds, Alex's experience will be an asset to our growing Instrumental Program.
Paul Morrissey comes to us with many years' experience teaching Math at St. Joe's Prep and at Bishop Eustace Prep. In his own words, he hopes, "beyond formulas and theorems, to teach his students how their minds work, how to persevere, how to seek help when necessary and how to act with integrity." Paul earned his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from Princeton, and then went on to complete his law degree at Villanova. He brings to the Mount not only strong academic credentials, but a love for teaching and student-focused philosophy of education.