Saint Frances Academy (Baltimore) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids ST FRANCES ACADEMY ATHLETICS |
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| Address | |
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501 East Chase Street
, 21202
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| Coordinates | 39°18′8″N 76°36′30″W / 39.30222°N 76.60833°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private |
| Motto | Providentia Providebit (Providence will provide) |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic (Oblate Sisters of Providence) |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Established | 1828 |
| Founder | Mother Mary Lange, OSP |
| Oversight | Oblate Sisters of Providence |
| CEEB code | 210185 |
| Head of school | Deacon Curtis Turner, Ed.D. |
| Teaching staff | 14 |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Enrollment | 260 |
| Average class size | 18 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 15:1 |
| Campus size | 2.96 acres (1.20 ha) |
| Campus type | Urban |
| Color(s) | Blue & White Athletics: Black & Gold |
| Slogan | "We can. We will. We must." |
| Athletics | MIAA, IAAM |
| Mascot | Panthers |
| Nickname | SFA |
| Team name | Panthers |
| Rival | Everybody |
| Accreditation | Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools |
| Yearbook | The Counsellor |
| School fees | $0 |
| Tuition | $12,400 (2024–25) |
| Affiliation | Catholic school |
| NCEA School ID | 1026047 |
Saint Frances Academy is a private Catholic high school. It is located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school was started in 1828 to teach African American children. It is the first and oldest Black Catholic school in the United States that has been open continuously.
Contents
History of Saint Frances Academy
How the School Started
On June 13, 1828, a school called the Oblate School for Colored Girls opened. It was founded by Mary Elizabeth Lange in Baltimore. The school's goal was to teach "children of color to read the Bible." It was near the first Catholic seminary in the U.S.
In 1829, the school moved to different locations nearby. By 1832, the first group of students graduated.
Name Changes and New Location
By 1853, the school's name changed. It became the Saint Frances School for Colored Girls. This name honored St. Frances of Rome. Later, the name was shortened to Saint Frances Academy.
In 1871, the school moved to its current home. This is at 501 East Chase Street in Baltimore.
Saint Frances Academy Today
In the 1900s, the school focused on high school grades. In June 1974, boys were allowed to attend. The school became known as Saint Frances-Charles Hall High School.
In 1991, it became an independent school again. Today, it teaches both boys and girls. It prepares students for college, offering grades nine through twelve. There is also a special honors program for some students. All students must complete community service.
The school is approved by the Maryland Department of Education. It is also accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Most students at Saint Frances Academy are African-American.
Community Support
In 2012, Camille Cosby, who attended a school run by the Oblates, and her husband Bill Cosby made a donation. This money helped Saint Frances Academy build a community center. The center was first named after both of them. However, Bill Cosby's name was removed after some serious issues became known.
Athletics at Saint Frances Academy
Saint Frances Academy has strong sports teams. Their mascot is the Panthers. Their colors are black and gold for athletics.
Football Program
The football program started in 2008. It received an early donation to help it begin.
In the late 2010s, the football team became very successful. They started recruiting many talented players. This led to them winning games by large scores. Other teams in their league, the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA), stopped playing them. They said they were worried about player safety. Some people believed the real reason was about race.
Because other teams refused to play, Saint Frances won the MIAA championship by default. The team then scheduled games with opponents from far away. They even played teams from Canada and traveled to the South. The team continued to be very successful. In recent years, they have been ranked among the top high school football teams nationally.
Basketball Achievements
Saint Frances Academy has successful basketball teams too.
- Men's Basketball (MIAA A Conference Championships): They won championships in 2008–09, 2009–10, 2012–13, 2015–16, and 2018–19.
- Women's Basketball (IAAM A Conference Championships): They have won many championships. These include 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, and 2019-20.
Famous Alumni
Many notable people have graduated from Saint Frances Academy.
- Billie Holiday (Class of 1920), a famous jazz singer.
- Sandra Williams Ortega (Class of 1953), a PhD and U.S. Air Force officer.
- Devin Gray (Class of 1991), basketball player.
- Mark Karcher (Class of 1997), basketball player.
- Darnell Harris (Class of 2004), basketball player.
- Angel McCoughtry (Class of 2004), basketball player.
- Sean Mosley (Class of 2008), basketball player.
- DaQuan Bracey (Class of 2016), basketball player.
- Gary Brightwell (Class of 2017), football player.
- Jaelyn Duncan (Class of 2017), football player.
- Kingsley Jonathan (Class of 2017), football player.
- Nia Clouden (Class of 2018), basketball player.
- Eyabi Okie (Class of 2018), football player.
- Darrian Dalcourt (Class of 2019), football player.
- Shane Lee (Class of 2019), football player.
- Ace Baldwin Jr. (Class of 2020), basketball player.
- Jahmal Banks (Class of 2020), football player.
- Chris Braswell (Class of 2020), football player.
- Blake Corum (Class of 2020), football player.
- Nikhai Hill-Green (Class of 2020), football player.
- Traeshon Holden (Class of 2020 - transferred), football player.
- Angel Reese (Class of 2020), basketball player and WNBA All-Star.
- Jamon Dumas-Johnson (Class of 2021), football player.
- Julian Reese (Class of 2021), basketball player.
- Jaishawn Barham (Class of 2022), football player.
- Derrick Moore (Class of 2022), football player.
- Elijah Sarratt (Class of 2022), football player.
- Bub Carrington (Class of 2023), basketball player.
- Michael Van Buren Jr. (Class of 2024), football player.
Images for kids
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Dr. Sandra Williams Ortega, a notable alumna.
See Also
- Mother Mary Lange, who founded Saint Frances Academy
- Oblate Sisters of Providence
