Mount de Sales Academy (Catonsville, Maryland) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount de Sales Academy |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Address | |
|
700 Academy Road
, , 21228
|
|
| Coordinates | 39°17′9″N 76°43′17″W / 39.28583°N 76.72139°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic (Dominicans) |
| Patron saint(s) | Saint Francis de Sales |
| Established | 1852 |
| Founder | Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary |
| Sister school | Mount Saint Joseph High School |
| Oversight | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore |
| NCES School ID | 00578546 |
| Principal | Sister Mary Raymond Thye, O.P. |
| Staff | 30 |
| Faculty | 50 |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Gender | Girls |
| Enrollment | 460 (2024) |
| Average class size | 16 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 10:1 |
| Hours in school day | 6.5 |
| Campus size | 10 acres |
| Campus type | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Blue and White |
| Song | "Hail to you, dear Mount de Sales" |
| Athletics conference | IAAM |
| Mascot | Sailor |
| Team name | Sailors |
| Rival | Seton Keough (Closed 2017) |
| Accreditation | Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools |
| Publication | The View from the Cupola |
| Newspaper | Anchor |
| Yearbook | Ionic Columns |
| Tuition | $18,375 (2024-2025) |
| Alumni | Audrey Powers, Juliette Whittaker, Isabella Whittaker |
| Website | |
|
Mount de Sales Academy
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Location | 700 Academy Rd., Catonsville, Maryland |
| Area | 10.3 acres (4.2 ha) |
| Built | 1852 |
| Architect | Curley, James & Son; Baldwin, E.F. |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival, Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 86001187 |
| Added to NRHP | May 30, 1986 |
Mount de Sales Academy is a high school just for girls. It is located in Catonsville, which is part of Baltimore County, Maryland. The school is close to the city of Baltimore.
This school is connected to the Roman Catholic Church. Some of its staff are Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia.
Mount de Sales Academy started in 1852. It was founded by the Visitation Sisters as a boarding school for girls. Today, it is a school that helps girls get ready for college. It was the first school in Baltimore County to offer education to girls of all different religions.
Contents
A Top Catholic School
Mount de Sales Academy is known as one of the best Catholic schools in the United States. Since 2004, it has been on the Catholic High School Honor Roll every year. This list looks at how well schools teach academics, Catholic values, and civic education [1]. It is the only school in Maryland to be on this special list.
School Campus and Buildings
Mount de Sales is built on about 12 acres of land. From the school, you can see the Inner Harbor and the skyline of Baltimore city. The school's backyard has a garden with a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The campus also has a Center for Performing Arts and Student Life, sports fields, a convent, and a gym.
The Main Building: A Historic Place
Most classes are still held in the original school building. This building was started in 1852 and made bigger in the 1860s. The main building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It still shows parts of its design from the Visitation Order sisters who started the school.
The Chapel: Oldest in Baltimore
The chapel is in the middle of the main building. It is the oldest place of worship in Baltimore that is still used today. The beautiful stained glass windows in the chapel are original to the building. They were made using the same method as the famous stained glass in the Cathedral of Chartres in France. These windows are at the back of the building. This was because Catholics faced challenges when the school was planned. The founders wanted to protect the windows from damage.
Over the years, the chapel has had several pipe organs. The current organ was built in 1884 by George Jardine & Son. This historic organ was played in a concert during the Organ Historical Society Convention in July 2024.
Other Important Rooms
The main building also has the Music Hall. This hall has special details like trompe-l'œil painting, which makes flat surfaces look like they have depth. Graduation ceremonies are held here every year. The building also has the Padre Pio library, which holds special items related to that saint and a mosaic in his honor. There are also computer labs, a large art studio, the Ramona Carrigan Science Center, a research lab, and new STEM and robotics rooms.
Other Campus Buildings
The Regina Keenan Knott Alumnae Hall used to be a place for sick students when the school was a boarding school. It was once connected to the main building by a walkway, but that is gone now. The front of this building faces away from the main building. This was so visitors would not see any sick students. Today, this building is used for school development and for connecting with former students.
The Constance and Samuel Pistorio Sports Complex was opened in 1999. Its design looks like the older, historic buildings on campus. This sports complex is across from the main building. It is located on a plaza with gardens and a bronze statue of Saint Joseph the Worker.
The Center for Performing Arts and Student Life is a large building that opened in 2021. It has music and dance classrooms. There are also practice rooms for students who perform. It includes a fully equipped scene shop and storage for students studying technical theater. The building has a 400-seat section for orchestras and a 200-seat flexible space upstairs. It also has a control room for sound, lighting, and visual equipment.
Brother School Connection
Mount de Sales Academy has a "Brother School" nearby called Mount Saint Joseph High School. This school is for boys. The two schools have a long history together. Today, they often work together:
- They put on plays and shows together.
- They share bus services for students.
- Mount de Sales cheerleaders support Mount Saint Joseph's sports teams.
- They have social events like dances together.
- Students from both schools share many clubs.
Famous Former Students
Many successful women have graduated from Mount de Sales Academy. Here are a few:
- Mary T. Waggaman (1864), an author who wrote Catholic books.
- Pat Moran (1964), a filmmaker.
- Audrey Powers (1994), a Vice President at Blue Origin, a space company.
- Brigid Kemmerer (1996), an author.
- Nicolette Jennings (2015), who was Miss Florida USA in 2019.
- Isabella Whittaker (2020), a track and field athlete and Olympian.
- Juliette Whittaker (2022), a track and field athlete and Olympian.
Images for kids
-
Chapel of St. Francis de Sales at Mount de Sales
-
Class photo at graduation on the front steps of the main building
-
The Music Hall
-
The Main Building
See also
- National Catholic Educational Association
