Our Lady of Mercy Academy (New Jersey)

Our Lady of Mercy Academy (OLMA) is a college preparatory, all-girls Catholic high school founded in 1962 by the Daughters of Our Lady of Mercy in Franklin Township, New Jersey, United States. Despite its location in Franklin Township, the school has a Newfield mailing address. Operated under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden,[4] the first class, consisting of 23 students, graduated in June 1965. Its first principal was Sister M. Dolores. The first faculty members were Sisters Gertrude, Dominica, and Matthew Marie; now, most of the faculty is lay.

Our Lady of Mercy Academy
Address
Our Lady of Mercy Academy
Our Lady of Mercy Academy
Our Lady of Mercy Academy
1001 Main Road

Newfield
,
(Gloucester County)
,
NJ
08344

United States
Coordinates39°32′39″N 74°59′47″W
Information
TypePrivate, All-Girls
MottoKnowledge and Truth
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic
Established1962
PrincipalBrooke A. Coyle
Faculty19.3 FTEs[1]
Grades9–12
Enrollment125 (as of 2015-16)[1]
Student to teacher ratio6.5:1[1]
CampusSuburban
Campus size57 acres (230,000 m2)
Color(s)     Green and
     gold[2]
Athletics conferenceCape-Atlantic League
Team nameVillagers[2]
AccreditationMiddle States Association of Colleges and Schools[3]
NewspaperThe Oracle
Websitehttp://www.olmanj.org

As of the 2015-16 school year, the school had an enrollment of 125 students and 19.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 6.5:1. The school's student body was 84.8% White, 8.0% Black, 4.8% Asian, 1.6% Hispanic, 0.8% Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander[1]

OLMA is the only all-girls high school in South Jersey. The school grounds span 57 acres (23 ha) and include a gym, sports fields, a Chapel and an indoor pool. Its traditions include a senior trip to Florida, a religious retreat for all grades, junior Ring Mass and celebrations of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Three Kings Day, Mary Day, and pi day.

Description

The school colors are green and gold; Green represents hope; gold represents victory.[2] The school motto is "Knowledge and Truth". The school crest features a lamp for knowledge, a globe for truth, a cross for Christianity, an open book "of life" and an "M" for the Blessed Mother. The school is inspired by the vision of Saint Mary Joseph Rossello, who educated young girls in the 19th century. The school's community service club is named in her honor. OLMA is a sister school to St. Augustine College Preparatory School, the all-boys college prep school in Southern New Jersey, with which they share certain amenities such as busing and use of sports fields.

Each year, students, faculty, staff, family, friends, and alumni gather for the traditional Communion Breakfast, a Mass followed by a brunch. On October 2, 2011, this event kicked off OLMA's year-long 50th anniversary celebration, and featured as guest speaker Theresa Grentz of collegiate basketball fame.

Athletics

The Our Lady of Mercy Academy Villagers[2] compete in the National Division of the Cape-Atlantic League, an athletic conference consisting of both parochial and private and public high schools located in Atlantic County, Cape May County, Cumberland County, and Gloucester County, that operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[5]

OLMA sports include: Crew, Lacrosse, Softball, Swimming, Basketball, Track, Cheerleading, Winter Track, Cross Country, Tennis, Volleyball,Soccer and Field hockey

References
  1. School data for Our Lady Of Mercy Academy, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed October 20, 2017.
  2. Our Lady of Mercy Academy, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed August 14, 2017.
  3. MSA-CSS. "MSA-Commission on Secondary Schools". Archived from the original on 2009-09-17. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
  4. Catholic Schools Directory, Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden. Accessed October 20, 2016.
  5. League & Conference Affiliations 2016-2017 Archived 2012-11-09 at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 10, 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.