Parent Newsletter

Back to School

TRAFFIC ISSUES
As you know, there is ongoing roadwork on Acadian Thruway. We have been made aware that this construction will likely continue until September. This will create issues with traffic backups for student and carpool drivers, especially coming to campus in the mornings. While we are requesting that additional turn signals be installed at various intersections, we know that traffic congestion will be a problem, particularly as we start the school year. We ask you and your daughters who drive to school to be aware that traffic will be heavy and encourage you to build in some extra time for your morning commutes. 

TABLET INSURANCE
The insurance you purchased through SJA on your daughter’s tablet computer expired on June 30. We strongly recommend that you renew your policy for next year. As you know, broken parts are costly to repair/replace. The policy covers the unit from fire/flood damage, vandalism, natural disasters, power surges due to lightening, accidental breakage (including drops/cracked screens/liquid spills), liquid submersion and theft. 

The cost of the insurance for the coming year (July 1, 2020-June 30, 2021) is $76.

The insurance process will once again be managed in house, and SJA will act as your contact when you need to file a claim. If you have not yet enrolled and would like to do so, please complete the Technology Policy/Insurance form by Friday, July 31, 2020. If you choose not to purchase insurance, please select that option on the form and return it by the same date. Please note that we need a signed form on file regardless of your decision to purchase or not purchase insurance.

Click here to purchase the insurance policy through Worth Ave. Group. This payment portal will be open until July 31. Please note that your insurance will not go into effect until we receive both the electronically signed form and payment.

Please direct questions to Technology Operations Manager Sharon Cashio (cashios@sjabr.org; 388-2246).

SCHOOL HANDBOOK
The 2020-2021 School Handbook is located on the SJA website under the Parents and Students portals. Please note that it is the responsibility of students and parents to read this handbook and to be informed of its contents. It is also the responsibility of students and parents to read the Roadmap to Reopening Handbook Addendum that was sent via email on July 22.

Click here for the School Handbook Acknowledgment Form. Signing and returning this form indicates that you have read the handbook and addendum and agree to follow and uphold the policies and practices of St. Joseph’s Academy. Parent/guardian signatures also grant permission for your daughter’s photograph, video image, name and/or interview answers to be used for publicity purposes on the SJA website, in Academy-produced publications and in various media outlets, including SJA’s social media platforms. (See the Communications section of the handbook for complete policy.)

The signed School Handbook Acknowledgment Form will be collected on your daughter’s orientation day. She may also turn it into the Deans’ Office. The form must be turned in no later than by Friday, August 14.

Failure to abide by the policies of the handbook by either the student or the parent/guardian may result in the student’s removal from school. 

The School Handbook can be amended at any time during the school year. Parents will be notified of changes via the Parents Newsletter; students will be notified via email. Final interpretation of all items is determined by the Administration. 

IMMUNIZATION RECORDS
If you have not yet provided us with an official, up-to-date immunization record, please obtain a copy and fax it to 344-5714; scan and email to vukovicsm@sjabr.org; or mail to St. Joseph’s Academy, ATTN: Nurse Marie Vukovics, 3015 Broussard Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70808. We will also accept records faxed directly from your doctor’s office. Please note that a photographed or printed copy from MyChart does not fulfill the state requirement. 

We ask parents of rising juniors to note the following: The State Department of Health and Hospitals’ immunization requirements have changed. All students 16 years of age and in the 11th grade are required by state law to show proof of having received a second dose of the MCV4 (Meningococcal) vaccine. Therefore, we need an updated record for all juniors and seniors.  
 
Until the 2019-2020 school year, the meningococcal booster was a recommended vaccine. Therefore, your daughter may have already received it; you can check with her doctor. If she has received the vaccine, a copy of the record can be faxed to SJA at (225) 344-5714. If she has not, you will need to schedule an appointment, as soon as possible, for her to catch up.
 
Please direct questions to School Nurse Marie Vukovics (vukovicsm@sjabr.org; 388-2208).

PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION
As a non-public school, St. Joseph’s Academy is not affected by the state law which requires parents to make an election at the beginning of each year to grant or deny consent for the school to collect your daughter’s Personally Identifiable Information and disclose it to the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA) for TOPS and other financial aid or to the state’s colleges and universities for admissions. We will share this information unless you request through your daughter’s grade-level counselor that it be withheld.

NEW TESTING PREP PROGRAM FOR ACT AND SAT
To better prepare our students for the ACT and SAT, we are adding a Test Prep Program this school year. Students will continue to receive ACT guidance and practice in their daily classes. New this year, they will also have nine meetings to provide personalized skills, strategies and practice of the ACT and SAT. 

ACT Diagnostic Testing: We will offer optional ACT Diagnostic Testing for juniors and seniors throughout the year, in which students practice taking a full-length ACT test in a test setting and receive specific feedback on the areas they need to work on to improve their score. Each student will receive a detailed explanation of her test results, stating specific skills and content areas to focus on to achieve a higher score. This test will simulate a real ACT test, with the setting, timing and test being the same as on an actual ACT testing day. The cost is $15 (purchased on Shop SJA). Dates for the ACT Diagnostic Testing are as follows: Saturday, August 22; Saturday, October 3; Saturday, November 28; Saturday, January 9; and Saturday, March 6. Doors open at 7:45 a.m.; diagnostic testing begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 11:45 a.m. This is an optional resource for students, and students may participate as many times as they wish. Additional dates may be added during the year if needed.

Gear Up for ACT: We will also offer optional four-hour sessions on weekends for each subject-specific test of the ACT. These sessions will focus on strategies and practice techniques for that content-specific ACT test. The cost is $45 per session (purchased on Shop SJA), which includes the ACT practice book for that subject. Space is limited. All sessions are held on a Saturday. Dates are as follows:

Math: November 14, 8 a.m.-12 p.m.; January 30, 8 a.m.-12 p.m. 
Science: November 14, 1-5 p.m.; February 20, 8 a.m.-12 p.m. 
English: November 7, 8 a.m.-12 p.m.; February 27, 1-5 p.m. 
Reading: October 31, 8 a.m.-12 p.m.; February 27, 8 a.m.-12 p.m.

Please direct questions about the Testing Prep Program to Dean of Curriculum & Instruction Aimee Urdiales (urdialesa@sjabr.org)

SUMMER READING REMINDER
Please be reminded that all students must complete a summer reading assignment for their English classes before the start of the school year. Click here for the Summer Reading List for 2020-2021.

DINING HALL ACCOUNTS
Please be sure that your daughter’s Dining Hall account has sufficient funds to begin the 2020-2021 academic year. Parents of freshmen and students new to SJA can create an online account through MyKidsSpending by clicking here after August 1, 2020. Click the Create Account bar at the bottom of the page and follow the prompts. If you have an existing MyKidsSpending account, please log in and verify that the Auto Fund feature is enabled to prevent your daughter’s Dining Hall account from running a deficit. Please note that you will not be able to create a new account or fund an existing account prior to August 1. 

Due to COVID-19 precautions, cash will not be accepted in the Dining Hall. It is imperative that MyKidsSpending accounts are funded and active. More information is available at www.mykidsspending.com. Be sure to download the “Touch of SAGE” mobile app for Android and iOS to track events, view menus and more. 

For additional information, please contact Food Services Director Carlie Boone (boonec@sjabr.org; 388-2247).

OFFICE HOURS/VISITORS TO CAMPUS
Following recommendations of healthcare officials, we are not allowing visitors to campus. We ask anyone who needs to conduct business with the school to please call the person with whom they need to talk, or the main line at (225) 383-7207. Office staff are available to assist you from 7:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Beginning August 3, office hours are 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. 

USED UNIFORM DROPOFF
If you have school uniforms your daughter has outgrown, or if your daughter has graduated, we ask that you consider donating these items to SJA. Please bring them to Mother Alice Hall (3080 Kleinert Avenue) beginning Wednesday, July 22, and place them in the blue barrels in front of the building. 

Because we are unable to welcome visitors to campus at this time, we will not host the Used Uniform Sale, originally scheduled for August 8. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Mothers’ Club moderator Katie Jeter Valenciano (valencianok@sjabr.org; 388-2244).

UNIFORM ITEMS ON SHOP SJA
PE shirts are available on Shop SJA and will be distributed by the PE teachers. Also required for PE are red or navy athletic shorts, any brand, of appropriate length. 

CLASS SCHEDULES
Student schedules will be posted online prior to the start of the school year. Schedules will not be printed and provided to students; as a result, students must print their own schedules. Once the school year begins, schedule changes will be considered during the first two weeks of classes based on level changes only (i.e., moving from Algebra II Honors to Algebra II College Prep). These requests are honored only if dropping or adding a course does not affect class sizes or teacher load and if the change is possible in the student’s schedule. Because electives are not required courses and are based on student choice, schedule changes cannot be honored as the deadline for requesting changes has passed.

Parents of freshmen and new students to SJA will receive login information to our password-protected community at the beginning of August. 

Please direct questions to Dean of Academics Aubrey DeJohn (dejohna@sjabr.org; 388-2269).

STUDENT ORIENTATION
Monday, August 10, for sophomores and some juniors; and Tuesday, August 11, for remaining juniors and all seniors. Click here for orientation schedules. Please note that freshmen will not attend a student orientation schedule, as they will receive all pertinent information during their Computer Orientation session. 

Dress uniforms are not required on orientation days. Students may wear regular uniforms. 

Please be reminded that orientation is required. If your daughter cannot attend her scheduled time, please submit the reason in writing to Dean of Women Erika Angarita (angaritae@sjabr.org). For additional information, please call the Deans’ Office at 388-2280.

YEARBOOK AND STUDENT ID PICTURES
Kleinpeter Photography will take photographs for the SJA yearbook and student ID cards during student orientation. Click here for the order form. The completed form and payment should be given to the photographer at your daughter’s designed picture time. Retakes will be take place on Wednesday, August 19, during all lunch periods. 

CLASSES AT CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
Questions/issues for SJA students taking classes at CHS will be addressed during student orientation. Please direct curriculum questions to Dean of Academics Aubrey DeJohn (dejohna@sjabr.org; 388-2269). Transportation questions should be addressed to Dean of Women Erika Angarita (angaritae@sjabr.org; 388-2278). 

YEARBOOK ORDERS
The SJA yearbook captures once-in-a-lifetime memories in a single place. You can save $10 on the cost by purchasing your copy before school begins. Click here to purchase your copy today. A receipt will be emailed to you once your purchase is complete. If you have more than one daughter attending SJA, please purchase a copy under each student’s name.

August

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
In order to bring students back to campus in the safest way possible, we will stagger our students for the first three full days. Wednesday, August 12, will be students with last names A-E; Thursday, August 13, will be F-M; and Friday, August 14, will be N-Z. Monday, August 17, will be all students, all grade levels. This will allow us the time and space needed to teach students the proper procedures we will expect as they return.  

ALTERED BELL SCHEDULE
We have added an additional minute (for a total of six minutes) between each class period to provide as much distance as possible between students as they walk across campus. Our school day will end at 2:54 p.m.

Class: 50 minutes

First Bell	7:25 a.m.
Prayer & Pledge	7:28 a.m.
1st period	7:30-8:20 a.m.
2nd Period	8:25-9:16 a.m.
Announcements	9:22-9:24 a.m.
3rd Period	9:24-10:14 a.m.
4th Period	10:20-11:10 a.m.
5th Period	11:16-12:06 p.m.
6th Period	12:12-1:02 p.m.
7th Period	1:08-1:58 p.m.
8th Period	2:04-2:54 p.m.

PRAYER SERVICE
Monday, August 17. We will follow a special schedule for a live stream of our Opening-of-School Prayer Service. Students must wear dress uniforms. The prayer service will be broadcast into classrooms. We will not gather as a school community.  

LITURGY OF THE WORD
We will celebrate the Liturgy of the Word on Thursday, August 20. The service will be broadcast in the classrooms and posted on SJA’s Facebook page so parents can join remotely. Students must wear dress uniforms.  

CLASS OF 2021 RING CEREMONY
As you know, we originally moved the date for this event from May 1 to August 28. Because we are still in Phase II, meaning that only 25 persons can gather in one spot, we will not be able to gather for a formal ceremony this year. Instead, we will include part of the original ceremony at the end of our Liturgy of the Word on August 20. Students who ordered a ring and have paid the balance will have their rings prior to this day. Parents are invited to join the live stream on our Facebook page. If you have questions or need to pay the balance on your daughter’s ring, please contact our Balfour representative, Robert Leake, at bobee.leake@balfour-rep.com or (225) 756-1881.

BIG SIS/LITTLE SIS PROGRAM
On Thursday, August 27, freshmen “little sisters” will meet their senior “big sisters” as part of SJA’s traditional Big Sis/Little Sis program. The event will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. and will follow our COVID-19 safety guidelines. The program’s purpose is to welcome incoming freshmen to our school. Each freshman will be randomly matched with a senior group to foster new relationships with their peers and establish connections with their new classmates.

Usually, several SJA-sanctioned activities and events occur throughout the year, all on campus. Because of this year’s extenuating circumstances, these events may look different than in years past. We will communicate our plans as we get closer to Candlelight Ceremony, Sweet Tooth Day, Hat Day, Senior Mass flowers and Senior Goodbye letters. Due to COVID-19 and the limitations on social gatherings, we ask that seniors, freshmen and their parents refrain from any Big Sis/Lil Sis events off campus and outside of school hours (such as sleepovers, parties, dinners, etc.) to minimize the risk to all.

Questions? Parents of seniors should contact senior class moderators Aimee Cronan (cronana@sjabr.org) or Angelle Saia (saiaa@sjabr.org). Parents of freshmen should contact freshman class moderators Cristina Benigno (benignoc@sjabr.org) or Allie Mitchell (mitchella@sjabr.org). 

BACK-TO-SCHOOL NIGHT FOR PARENTS
While we recognize that meeting your daughter’s teachers is an important start to the school year, we will not be able to host our parents on campus as we normally do. We are working on a creative plan for parents to meet their daughters’ teachers and will communicate that to you soon. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out to any teacher by email or phone.

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS
In our ongoing efforts to be responsible stewards of the earth’s resources, we feel strongly that electronic communications should replace paper communications whenever possible. Please note that if you choose to unsubscribe to any electronic message you receive from us, you are unsubscribing to all electronic communications. 

Please note that we must have one valid, regularly checked email address on file. If your email, phone number or physical address has changed since last time you updated our records, we ask that you let us know. Please address questions to Assistant to the Registrar Stacy Rennhoff (rennhoffs@sjabr.org; 388-2318). 

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
SJA generally follows the same procedures as the East Baton Rouge School Board and Diocese of Baton Rouge. School closures due to weather and other circumstances are announced via our phone/text messaging system. If your phone number has changed since you last updated our records, or if you would like to add additional phone numbers to those we call, please contact Stacy Rennhoff (rennhoffs@sjabr.org; 388-2318) in the Registrar’s office.

To improve the efficiency of our phone alerts, we ask that parents add St. Joseph’s Academy – (225) 383-7207 – to their contacts and to listen to voice messages before hitting their phone’s call-back button. When we receive a large number of calls from parents before they listen to the voice message, it results in busy phone lines. Thank you for your cooperation as we strive to keep you informed.

2020-2021 SCHOOL CALENDAR 
Click here for important dates for the 2020-2021 school year.

HOLIDAY OFFICE CLOSINGS
The main office is closed on these holidays. Please plan accordingly.

September 7	Labor Day
October 16	Fall Holiday
November 23-27	Thanksgiving
December 21-January 4	Christmas
January 18	Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday
February 15-19	Mardi Gras
April 2-9	Easter

     

PARKING AT SJA
Parking will continue to be a privilege for our juniors and seniors only. We will continue to provide security for our school and parking lots between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. each school day. We ask parents of freshmen and sophomores to make carpool or other transportation arrangements. 

The vehicle registration process will be completed on Shop SJA. Those who complete the registration form will be given either a street spot or an assigned spot according to a lottery system. Seniors will be assigned first, then juniors.  

Follow these steps for registering your daughter’s vehicle for a parking permit for the 2020-2021 school year. Please keep in mind that you are allowed to register your daughter’s car only if she has a valid driver’s license and a vehicle to begin parking by Monday, August 10. Permits must be purchased by Thursday, August 6, at 3 p.m.

1. Required information and payment must be completed online. Juniors and seniors must have a valid driver’s license (not a learner’s permit) by Monday, August 10, in order to register a vehicle. If your daughter’s birthday falls after this date, her form will not be processed, and the payment will be refunded.
    
2. Submit the completed form and pay online ($275 for an assigned spot or $75 for a street permit) by Thursday, August 6, at 3 p.m.
    
3. This is a lottery, not first-come/first-served, so all students who purchase a parking permit have an equal chance of being assigned a parking spot in a lot. Seniors will be assigned before juniors.
    
4. Included in the lottery are these five lots: Kleinert, Synagogue, Mother Thollot House, Lawyers and the gymnasium.
    
5. The student must bring a copy of her driver’s license in order to receive her parking tag. If a student does not have a license, or if she has a learner’s permit, she is not eligible to get a tag and should not complete a form at this time. 
    
6. There are a limited number of spots for valid street parking. If more than 65 students choose the street, seniors will be assigned first, then juniors. If more juniors want a street spot than are available, a lottery will be held for the remaining spaces. Juniors not getting a street spot will be moved to their alternate spot in a lot for the increased parking fee.
    
7. If a student is assigned a spot and given a permit, she must use the space. A spot cannot sit empty. If your daughter will not have a car to drive beginning the day she gets the tag, she must wait until she is ready to park to complete the form.
    
8. If a student chooses to be in the lottery for a spot and is assigned a lot that is not her preference, she will not be allowed to then request to a refund to park on the street.
    
9. For safety reasons, our goal is to have as few students on the street as possible and in an assigned lot.

CALCULATOR REQUIREMENTS
Students must have a TI-30XIIS scientific calculator for Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-Calculus, Algebra III and Business Calculus. Pre-Calculus Honors, AP Calculus and AP Statistics students are required to have a TI-84 Plus CE series graphing calculator. We ask that you permanently label calculators before bringing them to school. Please direct questions to Math Department Chair Lauren Morris (morrisl@sjabr.org).

ACT TEST DAY FOR ALL JUNIORS
All students in the junior class will be required to register and take the ACT on March 9, 2021. Parents will be required to pay the registration fee. More details will be shared in February of 2021. 

SAFETY REPORT
SJA is in compliance with federal regulations concerning asbestos. All federal guidelines for underground pipes are also in compliance. For further information, contact Maintenance Supervisor Arthur Smith (smitha@sjabr.org).

PESTICIDE HYPERSENSITIVITY
SJA is in compliance with Act 237 and maintains a registry of students who are hypersensitive to pesticides. If your daughter has this sensitivity, please send written verification by a licensed physician and your written statement regarding her condition so we may attend to her needs. Send verification to School Nurse Marie Vukovics (vukovicsm@sjabr.org).

CARPOOL
If you are interested in forming a carpool in your neighborhood, please contact Students’ Receptionist Erin McLean (mcleane@sjabr.org; 388-2256) beginning Wednesday, August 5.

STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE
SJA carries student accident insurance through Wellfleet Insurance. All students are automatically covered, so there is no need to enroll.  

Coverage limit is $30,000 per injury from the first day of school until the last day of school. The policy pays 80 percent of the reasonable and customary expenses incurred for necessary medical, dental or hospital care (within 104 weeks for Accidental Dental expenses) up to a maximum of $30,000 for any one injury, subject to the deductible amount, excess provision and exclusions.  

Expenses incurred after one year from the date of injury are not covered. Deductible is $100, or the amount collectible from any other insurance sources, subject to the excess provisions, if applicable. Liability for school-time-only coverage will be limited to the part of expenses that is in excess of the total benefits payable by other valid coverage on an expense-incurred or provision-of-services basis. 

Students are covered for injury that occurs:

• while on the school premises during the hours and days when classes are in session and while participating in or attending any school activity, including athletics, sponsored by and under the direct and immediate supervision of the school;
• while away from the school premises, if participating in a school-sponsored, directly supervised activity, including all athletics on field trips;
• while commuting directly and without interruption to or from their place of residence and school for regular school-day sessions; and/or
• while traveling to or from any school-sponsored, directly supervised activity, including athletic events, in a school-authorized vehicle.

Please note that virtual insurance coverage extends to students participating in a school- sponsored class or activity whether at school or elsewhere. 

Click here for a claim form for submission. Please direct questions to Director of Operations Linda Thompson (thompsonl@sjabr.org; 388-2305).

8th ANNUAL SJA STICKER SCRAMBLE
On Monday, October 26, the SJA Dads’ Club will hold its 2020 Sticker Scramble at TopGolf of Baton Rouge. The Sticker Scramble is now in its 8th year and has raised almost $80,000 for enhancements to SJA.

If you are interested in playing or in supporting this great event with a sponsorship, please contact Dads’ Club Moderator Meg Gerald (geraldm@sjabr.org; 388-2254). You can also visit www.stickerscramble.org for more information.

Our goal is to raise $10,000 this year. All sponsorships, gifts and services are tax deductible. Rain or shine, we hope to see you on October 26 at TopGolf!

SAVE THE DATE: GRANDPARENTS WEEK FOR SENIORS
Grandparents Week for Seniors is tentatively set for the week of January 25, 2021. Grandparents of seniors will receive an invitation to join their senior granddaughters for lunch during that week. Seniors and grandparents will dine together in Mother Alice Hall during one of the days of the week, which will be indicated on the invitation. Seniors will then take a photograph with their grandparents and lead them on a tour of campus. Grandparents should look for “SJA Event” signs posted around campus which will indicate parking spaces. Grandparents are asked to RSVP by Tuesday, January 19, to Assistant Director of Advancement Cydney Morris (morrisc@sjabr.org; 388-2270).

GRANDPARENTS DAY FOR FRESHMEN
Grandparents Day for Freshmen will be held during the spring semester. Once the date has been set, we will notify parents, and grandparents will receive an invitation. Please direct questions to Assistant Director of Advancement Cydney Morris (morrisc@sjabr.org; 388-2270).

SOIRÉE RESCHEDULED: SAVE THE DATE
Mark your calendars for Thursday, March 4, for The Soirée. Join us for live music, silent and live auctions and great food and drinks in the Academy Student Center. If you would like information about serving as a committee member, volunteering or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Assistant Director of Advancement Cydney Morris (morrisc@sjabr.org; 388-2270).

MOTHER-DAUGHTER BRUNCH AND STYLE SHOW
The 2020-2021 Mother-Daughter Brunch and Style Show has been postponed. The theme for this much-anticipated event will be A Part of Your World. Be on the lookout for a new date and details in the September Parents Newsletter.

SJA ANNUAL FUND

Each year, our parents learn about the importance of SJA’s Annual Fund during our Back-to-School Night gatherings. Due to restrictions currently in place because of COVID-19, we are unable to welcome parents to campus this fall. To provide you with information about the 2020-2021 Parents Annual Fund, we will email a link to a video during the week of August 24. Additional information, including your Annual Fund commitment form, will follow in the mail.

We look forward to the start of the 2020-2021 academic year and to partnering with you as we educate your daughters in the spirit and charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph.   

For additional information, please contact Mission Advancement Director Meg Gerald (geraldm@sjabr.org; 388-2254).

PAVE THE WAY BRICKS
Make your mark on SJA’s campus by purchasing a brick for your daughter. Engraved brick pavers are placed outside the Sister Agatha Dining Hall. For more information, contact Mission Advancement Assistant Wendy Coniglio (conigliow@sjabr.org; 388-2336). Click here to purchase your brick today.

Our Mothers’ Club membership drive is officially under way for the 2020-2021 school year. As an incentive, the first 100 moms to join will be entered into a raffle for free tickets to our annual Mother-Daughter Brunch & Style Show. Details about this wonderful SJA tradition will be provided soon. We ask that you note that senior moms must be a Mothers’ Club member to participate as a model in the style show, so be sure to join by clicking here.

The Dads’ Club works in partnership with the school on a variety of events throughout the year. Some of the highlights of our involvement are class retreats, seniors’ last day, Open House and exam snacks, to name a few. Your membership dues, in combination with the profits from Dads’ Club-sponsored events such as Father-Daughter Day and the Sticker Scramble, benefit our daughters. Are you ready to join for the 2020-2021 school year? If so, simply click here.

The first 100 dads to join will have their names put into a drawing to receive two complimentary tickets and t-shirts for Father-Daughter Day. Save the date of Sunday, April 18, 2021, and join us for a day of fun and fellowship with your daughter and other SJA dads and daughters.

The Sticker Shop, run by the SJA Mothers’ Club, is your official source for SJA spirit merchandise. In accordance with COVID-19 guidelines, the Sticker Shop will not be open for in-person shopping this fall. We are working to have an online presence in August.

Once items are available for online purchase, we will provide curbside pickup on Wednesdays and Thursdays between 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. from the circle driveway in front of Mother Alice Hall (3080 Kleinert Avenue). When you arrive on campus, call the Sticker Shop at (225) 388-2237, and a Mothers’ Club volunteer will bring your items to your vehicle. 

Additionally, students can pick up items on Wednesdays and Thursdays during their lunch periods. Please note that students will not be allowed to enter the Sticker Shop to shop. They can pick up pre-purchased items from the Sticker Shop window on the Dining Hall side of Mother Alice Hall. 

The Sticker Shop offers a large selection of merchandise for everyone in the family, including short- and long-sleeve t-shirts, athletic shorts that can be worn for PE, men’s polo shirts, children and baby t-shirts, dri-fit long-sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, pajama shorts, jewelry, blankets, hats, coffee cups, umbrellas, stadium seats, vehicle decals for all sports, water bottles, phone wallet stickers, SJA plaques and more. 
 
We carry SJA uniform sweatshirts, sweatpants and rain jackets all year.
 
Please be on the lookout for more information regarding our online retail store. In the meantime, please send your questions to stickershop@sjabr.org.

ATHLETICS IN THE FALL
We are awaiting guidance from the Louisiana High School Athletic Association regarding athletic competition in the fall of 2020. Please look for an email regarding athletics in the coming weeks. 

STUDENT-ATHLETE PACKETS
Any student interested in trying out for an athletic team must upload a completed and signed doctor’s LHSAA physical form online before the first day of team tryouts or workouts. The rest of the athletic forms packet, including a copy of the student’s birth certificate, must be completed and submitted online once the student is selected for the team. You will receive information on completing this form before the start of school. 

The LHSAA Executive Committee, in consultation with the LHSAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, has determined that physicals currently on file for returning athlete will be recognized as valid until October 1, 2020. However, any new student-athletes must have an official LHSAA physical form on file in order to try out, practice and compete.

Please note that your daughter’s required immunization records are not submitted online and are a separate process. Please see important information pertaining to immunizations included under the Back To School tab.

SWIM TEAM INFORMATION
Tryouts are tentatively set for Sunday, August 9, 2-4 p.m., at Crawfish Aquatics. Returning swimmers who did not letter last year will try out from 2 to 3 p.m. New swimmers will try out from 3 to 4 p.m. Please note that masks will be required when swimmers are not in the water.

We ask any new swimmer who plans to try out to email Coach Nan Murtagh (murtaghn@sjabr.org) by August 1 so we can apprise Crawfish Aquatics as to the number of swimmers we expect on this date.

BASKETBALL INFORMATION FOR FRESHMEN ONLY
Tryouts for incoming freshmen will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, July 29 and 30, 2:30-3:30 p.m. in the Academy Student Center. Please email Coach Tim Waller (wallert@sjabr.org) to register and/or if you have questions.

SOFTBALL TRYOUTS FOR NEW PLAYERS
While a tryout date has not yet been set, we ask that any student who is interested in being part of the softball team to register with Coach Amanda Henley. She will communicate directly with students when a date has been confirmed. Email her at henleya@sjabr.org. 

GENERAL INFORMATION
Please direct questions regarding the SJA athletic program to Athletic Director Dorinda Beaumont (beaumontd@sjabr.org; 388-2290).

SPIRITUAL FORMATION
Faith development is a key component in the lives of our students, and we will do our very best to safely facilitate ways for our girls to encounter Christ. Our new Campus Minister, Kathleen Peek Evans, will continue to offer weekly rosary, adoration, Bible study and retreats following COVID-19 safety guidelines.  
 
STUDENT RETREATS
Being unable to have an overnight retreat during the fall, we are looking at moving Senior Retreat to the spring semester. We will be in communication as we have more information. Currently, class retreats are scheduled on the following dates but are subject to change.

Junior Retreat: February 1, 2021
Sophomore Retreat: Monday, March 8, 2021
Freshman Retreat: Monday, November 9, 2020

REQUIRED SERVICE PROGRAM
Service is an integral part of the SJA curriculum. Important information about this year-long program can be found on the SJA website under the Faith tab. The Service Directory can be found on Moodle. Please read this information so you are aware of requirements. The deadline for completing service requirements is April 1, 2021. There will be checkpoints throughout the year to ensure timely completion of the service requirement. 

The x2vol program for tracking service hours has a smart phone app. Go to your app store, search x2vol and follow the prompts.

During Computer Orientation, incoming freshmen and students new to SJA will register their x2vol account. Pastoral Care Minister and Service Hours Coordinator Sister Chris Pologa will verify their membership. In August, Sister Chris will visit freshman theology classes to teach the students how to enter their service hours into the x2vol program.

Returning students who completed service hours during the summer should enter their hours into x2vol by the first day of school. If they updated their SJA password, they also need to update their x2vol password. 

Students who have transferred into SJA will be invited in August to visit with Sister Chris during their lunch hour to enroll in x2vol and to have questions answered. 

Sister Chris is available on Tuesdays during all lunch periods to answer questions about service and to help students with service entries. Students may also email her at pologac@sjabr.org or stop by her office in Mother Alice Hall, room 212.

Please note that failure to turn in service hours by the deadline will result in a checklist. Seniors must complete their service requirements in order to graduate from SJA, and underclasswomen must complete their service hours in order to return to SJA the following year.

Learning Center 

The Learning Center provides free-of-charge assistance to any student needing extra help with math, science, English or writing. Also offered is academic counseling. Peer tutoring in foreign languages and social studies is provided by members of the National Honor Society and Beta Club. These student-led sessions are offered during lunch hours on Monday through Thursday in the library.

MATH RESOURCE
Math Resource is available on Tuesdays and Thursdays during all three lunch hours and on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Learning Center classroom in the library. Email mayk@sjabr.org.

SCIENCE RESOURCE
Science Resource is available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during all three lunch hours and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Learning Center classroom in the library. Email brownh@sjabr.org or mayk@sjabr.org. 

ENGLISH RESOURCE AND ACADEMIC COUNSELING 
English Resource is available Monday, Wednesday and Thursday during all three lunch hours and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Learning Center classroom in the library. Email abadiej@sjabr.org. 

WRITING CENTER
The Writing Center provides instruction, resources and support. Trained peer consultants    help students gain competence and confidence as writers through one-on-one sessions. After-school workshops are offered on a variety of topics. The Writing Center is modeled on university writing centers and is a place for all writers at any stage of the writing process. Email knottsl@sjabr.org.

Counseling Center

The Counseling Center provides students with resources and support they need to be successful. Grade-level counselors support students during all four years at SJA. The Counseling Center collaborates with teachers and administrators to identify and discuss students who may need additional assistance and to determine best practices to reach all students both academically and socially. In addition, counselors meet with every student at least twice a year to discuss college and career readiness. Two full-time college advisors assist students with scholarship and college applications.