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Mount Saint Dominic Academy

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Coordinates: 40°50′2″N 74°16′9″W / 40.83389°N 74.26917°W / 40.83389; -74.26917
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Mount St. Dominic Academy
Address
Map
3 Ryerson Avenue

Caldwell
,
(Essex County)
,
New Jersey
07006

United States
Coordinates40°50′2″N 74°16′9″W / 40.83389°N 74.26917°W / 40.83389; -74.26917
Information
TypePrivate, All-Girls
Motto"Empowering Young Women"
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic,
Dominican Sisters
Established1892
NCES School ID00862664[8]
PrincipalKaren D'Avino[2]
Head of schoolChristopher Hampton[1]
Faculty26.0 FTEs[8]
Grades9–12
Enrollment229 (as of 2021–22)[8]
Average class size13
Student to teacher ratio8.8:1[8]
Color(s)  Navy blue and
  white[5]
Athletics conferenceSuper Essex Conference
MascotLeo the Lion
Team nameLady Lions[5]
AccreditationMiddle States Association of Colleges and Schools[4]
PublicationGolden Fleece (literary magazine)[6]
NewspaperThe Argosy[7]
YearbookLumen
School fees$1,700[3]
Tuition$20,639 (2023–24)[3]
Websitewww.msdacademy.org

Mount St. Dominic Academy is a four-year Catholic college preparatory school for young women located in Caldwell, in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades. The school was founded in 1892 by the Dominican Sisters of Caldwell.[9] It is located within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.[10]

As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 229 students and 26 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 8.8:1. The school's student body was 71.6% (164) White, 9.2% (21) Hispanic, 9.2% (21) two or more races, 7.0% (16) Black and 3.1% (7) Asian.[8]

History

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Founded in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1892, the school moved to Caldwell in 1912. A new building was completed in 1915, providing space for dormitories and other school facilities.[9]

Description

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Mount St. Dominic Academy has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1934.[4][9] MSDA is a member of the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools,[11] the National Coalition of Girls' Schools (NCGS), and the Dominican Association of Secondary Schools.[12] Sister Frances Sullivan '60, O.P., is the Head of School. The school, whose motto is "empowering young women", has a graduation rate and a college acceptance rate of 100%. Students are accepted into and attend some of the most highly regarded colleges and universities nationwide.

The school shares a campus with Caldwell University and the Sisters of Saint Dominic that covers 21 acres (8.5 ha).[13] Facilities include science labs, an athletic center and a 400+ seat performing arts center.[14]

Study, prayer, community, and service are the basis of religious education at Mount St. Dominic Academy. The Siena Service Program is a four-year community service program that consists of a specific number of hours of approved service at in-school or outside agencies. The Mount not only focuses on college prep, but career readiness as well. The special academic programs include Senior Capstone, L.E.O. Program, Health Science & Social Justice Endorsements Program, Robotics, and optional participation with OneSchoolhouse.

Mount St. Dominic Academy provides students with a wide range of honors classes, including Mathematics, Literature, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Anatomy, U.S. History, Modern World History, Spanish, and French. Advanced Placement AP Courses include Biology, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chemistry, English Literature and Composition, English Language and Composition, French Language and Culture, Physics, Psychology, Spanish, Spanish Language and Culture, and Statistics, US Government and Politics, U.S. History, and World History. Graduates from the Mount's class of 2020 were accepted into over 100 schools and were awarded more than $17 million in scholarships and grants.[14] A number of students receive commendation in the National Merit Scholarship Program and recognition in the National Hispanic Scholar Award.

Athletics

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The Mount St. Dominic Academy Lady Lions[5] compete in the Super Essex Conference which is comprised of public and private high schools in Essex County and was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[15] Before the NJSIAA's 2010 realignment, the school had competed in the Northern Hills Conference an athletic conference which included schools located in Essex, Morris and Passaic counties.[16] With 396 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 381-1,454 students in that grade range (equivalent to Group I for public schools).[17] The Mount offers a variety of both Varsity and JV teams, including sports such as basketball, bowling, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track, and volleyball.[18] Approximately one half of the students participate in athletics.

The softball team won the Non-Public B state championship in 1994 (defeating Gloucester Catholic High School in the finals) and 1995 (vs. Eustace Preparatory School), and won the Non-Public A title in 2014 (vs. Immaculata High School).[19] In 1994, the team beat Gloucester Catholic by a score of 12-2 to win the Parochial B championship game and finish the season at 24-3.[20] The 1995 team finished the season with a record of 24-1 after defeating Bishop Eustace by a score of 7-0 in the championship game.[21] NJ.com / The Star-Ledger ranked Mount St. Dominic as their number-one softball team in the state in 1994.[22]

The basketball team won the Non-Public Group B state championship in 1994, defeating St. Rose High School in the tournament final.[23] The team entered the 1994 Tournament of Champions as the third seed, and defeated number-six seed Haddonfield Memorial High School by a score of 57-32 in the quarterfinals, second seed St. John Vianney High School by 74-55 in the semis and went on to win the championship with a 52-45 win against fifth-seeded Delsea Regional High School in the finals played at the Jadwin Gymnasium.[24][25]

The volleyball team won the Group I state championship in 1994, against runner-up Secaucus High School in the playoff finals.[26]

The track team won the indoor relay state championship in Non-Public Group IV in 2011 and 2018.[27] The 2011 indoor track team won the NJSIAA Non-Public Relays championship and the New Jersey Catholic Track Conference championship and finished second by a single point to perennial powerhouse Columbia High School at the Essex County Track Championships, where The Mount team set several records.[28] The track team won the indoor track public state championship in Non-Public Group B in 2010-2012 and 2016.[29]

The school's swim team won the Non-Public Group B state title in 2012, ending the season with a 13–0 record and winning conference and county titles in addition to the program's first state championship.[30][31]

The spring track team was the Non-Public Group B state champion in 2012.[32]

Arts

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Visual arts

Mount St. Dominic Academy offers a variety of arts courses, such as Drawing, Photography, Painting, and AP Studio Art; and extracurriculars such as Art Club, Choir, and Dance.

Performing arts

The Performing Arts Department features two annual productions: a Fall Drama and a Spring Musical. Past productions include: 2009-2010 Anything Goes, 2010-2011 Once Upon a Mattress, 2011-2012 Sarah and Eleanor & The Drowsy Chaperone, 2012-2013 The Odd Couple & The Mystery of Edwin Drood, 2013-2014 The Dining Room & The King and I, 2014-2015 Our Town & The Boyfriend, 2015-2016 Radium Girls & Peter Pan, 2016-2017 Little Women & 42nd Street, 2017-2018 Almost, Maine & Bye Bye Birdie, 2018-2019 A Midsummer Night’s Dream & Hairspray, 2019-2020 You Can't Take It With You & Beauty and the Beast, 2020-2021 Radio Play Disaster/39 Steps & Seussical, 2021-2022 Letters to Sala & Newsies, 2023-2024 It's a Madhouse & Anastasia

Notable alumnae

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References

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  1. ^ "Dr. Christopher Hampton has been Appointed to Serve as Head of School at Mount St. Dominic Academy", Mount Saint Dominic Academy, May 26, 2022. Accessed December 22, 2022. "At the beginning of this spring semester, we announced that our own Dr. Christopher Hampton, member of our faculty and campus minister, had been appointed to serve as Interim Head of School at Mount St. Dominic Academy. After reviewing his performance in his four months as Interim Head, we are convinced that Dr. Hampton is the right choice to serve as Head of School at the Mount. Today, we enthusiastically announce that he will assume that role effective immediately."
  2. ^ Mount St. Dominic Academy Welcomes Dr. Karen D’Avino as New Principal for the 2024-25 Academic Year, Mount Saint Dominic Academy, Accessed July 24, 2024. "Mount St. Dominic Academy, the independent Dominican Catholic college preparatory school for girls in Caldwell, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Karen D’Avino, Ed.D. to the role of principal, effective July 1, 2024."
  3. ^ a b Tuition and Payments, Mount Saint Dominic Academy. Accessed July 24, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Mount Saint Dominic Academy, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed February 8, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c Mount Saint Dominic Academy, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  6. ^ Clubs and Activities, Mount Saint Dominic Academy. Accessed February 8, 2022.
  7. ^ Home Page, The Argosy. Accessed February 8, 2022.
  8. ^ a b c d e School data for Mount Saint Dominic Academy, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 1, 2023.
  9. ^ a b c Mission and History, Mount Saint Dominic Academy. Accessed February 8, 2022. "The Caldwell Dominicans became an independent congregation in 1881 and began a school in our current location in 1892.... In 1912, the Motherhouse and Novitiate officially moved from Jersey City to Caldwell. This increased the need for more space. In 1915 a three story school with a theater, auditorium and dormitory building, Mercedes Hall, was constructed across from the Motherhouse."
  10. ^ Essex County Secondary Schools, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. Accessed February 8, 2022.
  11. ^ List of Member Schools, New Jersey Association of Independent Schools. Accessed August 13, 2017.
  12. ^ Dominican Schools, Dominican Association of Secondary Schools. Accessed July 25, 2011.
  13. ^ Rao, Maya. "CRDA reconciles giving public money to private schools / State agency provided $5 million in casino investment funds to help build gym, dorm in Essex County", The Press of Atlantic City, March 2, 2008. Accessed April 23, 2012. "Both Caldwell University and Mount Saint Dominic are sponsored by the Caldwell Dominicans. Caldwell's and Mount Saint Dominic's operations are totally independent of each other, although they share an administrative building and campus."
  14. ^ a b Fast Facts Archived November 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Mount Saint Dominic Academy. Accessed April 23, 2012.
  15. ^ League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  16. ^ Home Page, Northern Hills Conference, backed up by the Internet Archive as of January 28, 2011. Accessed November 25, 2014.
  17. ^ NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  18. ^ Athletics Home Archived November 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Mount Saint Dominic Academy. Accessed April 23, 2012.
  19. ^ Softball Championship History 1972–2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated July 2023. Accessed April 1, 2024.
  20. ^ Chessari, Joe. "IHA retains State crown", The Record, June 11, 1994. Accessed January 24, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Senior center fielder Amy Davies set a school career hits record in leading Mount St. Dominic to a 12-2 victory over Gloucester Catholic in the Parochial B championship game.... Mount St. Dominic (24-3) collected 15 hits against three Gloucester Catholic pitchers."
  21. ^ Chessari, Joe. "Ramm, Dellapenta make it IHA three-peat; Mount St. Dominic tops Eustace", The Record, June 10, 1995. Accessed January 5, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Senior first baseman Paula Giardina was 4-for-4, and junior shortstop Dominique Kostecki was 3-for-4 with three runs scored Friday night as Mount St. Dominic retained its NJSIAA Parochial B softball championship with a 7-0 victory over Bishop Eustace.... Muglia got help in the field when the Lions (24-1) turned a 3-2-4 double play with the bases loaded that ended the fourth inning."
  22. ^ "Softball: Every No. 1 team in the state from 1979 to 2015", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 21, 2015, updated August 24, 2019. Accessed January 4, 2021. "Following are the teams that finished as the NJ.com No. 1 softball team in the state with year and record.... 1995: Mount St. Dominic (24-1)"
  23. ^ Girls Basketball Championship History: 1919–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated March 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
  24. ^ NJSIAA Girls Basketball Tournament of Champions History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  25. ^ "Mount St. Dominic, Orange win state basketball crowns", Asbury Park Press, March 21, 1994. Accessed November 30, 2020. "The third-seeded Orange boys defeated top-seeded Paterson Catholic, 64-55, and the third-seeded Mount St. Dominic girls took a 52-45 win over fifth-seeded Delsea in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association's Tournament of Champions finals yesterday at Jadwin Gym."
  26. ^ NJSIAA Girls Volleyball Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  27. ^ History of the NJSIAA Indoor Relay Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  28. ^ Staff. "Lions impress in Essex County track", The Progress, February 4, 2011. Accessed April 23, 2012. "In the state Non-Public Relays on Jan. 15 in Toms River, the Mount took the title by totaling 40 points, while Monsignor Donovan, Notre Dame and Bishop Eustace tied for second with 34 points each."
  29. ^ Girls Winter Track and Field Championship History: 1922-2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  30. ^ Allen Jr., W.L. Bill. "Mount Saint Dominic Academy in Caldwell wins first-ever state title, completing sweep of titles", The Progress, March 2, 2012. Accessed April 23, 2012. "Powered by first place finishes in eight of the 11 events, the swim squad from Mount Saint Dominic Academy edged perennial power and defending champion Mount Saint Mary Academy of Watchung, 88-82, in the State Non-Public, Group B championship meet on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 25, at the College of New Jersey in Ewing."
  31. ^ NJSIAA Boys and Girls Team Swimming History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  32. ^ NJSIAA Girls Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  33. ^ Waldman, Tyler (February 13, 2012). "Mount Saint Dominic Classmate Remembers Whitney Houston". Patch.com. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  34. ^ Staff. "Too Cool for School", Vibe (magazine), p. 78, June 2007. Accessed April 18, 2011. "Whitney Houston as a senior at Mount Saint Dominic Academy, Caldwell, NJ, 1981."
  35. ^ "The Senior Class of Mount Saint Dominic Academy High School Caldwell NJ 1960"[permanent dead link], US Gen Web Archives Essex County NJ schools. Accessed September 12, 2012.
  36. ^ Career Day, Mount Saint Dominic Academy. Accessed October 25, 2017. "Additional alumnae and associates were present to share in the day:... Assemblywoman L. Grace Spencer ’86, New Jersey General Assemblywoman 29th Legislative District"
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