News Post

St. Joseph’s Academy celebrated the start of the 2025-2026 academic year with a mid-morning prayer service on August 8. Students, faculty and staff gathered in the Academy Student Center to begin the year in song, prayer and warm welcomes. 

Principal Stacia Andricain welcomed the large gathering. She asked the students and chaperones who participated in this summer’s mission trips to stand and said the trips accounted for more than 2,000 hours of service to the dear neighbor. 

Andricain said this year’s charism theme, Relationships: Sacred Threads that Connect, is built on the core values of unification and reconciliation as we work to connect with each other and the dear neighbor. 

Student Minister Claire Valluzzo, a senior, began the service with a reading of Portrait of a Daughter of St. Joseph by Marius Nepper, SJ. Liturgy Club President Sophie Stelly, a senior, read from the Gospel of John, then led the opening prayer. 

Student Council moderator Jennifer Nola inducted the executive committee members who will lead the student body this year: senior Jenna Braud, president; senior Adeline Bonner, vice president; junior Harper Brown-Rachleff, secretary/treasurer; sophomore Molly Roussel, historian; and sophomore Addison Pham, communications coordinator. 

Class presidents introduced their respective class’ representatives, who were then sworn into office. 

Senior Class President Hattie Boone introduced representatives Kate Barrilleaux, Claire Brooks, Camille Cotton, Louisa deBlieux, Linley Denstel, Olivia Funes, Sarah Guidroz, Lily Ruth Hyde, 
Ruthie Jumonville, Reese Landry, Camille Masterson, Greysen Millet, Emmy Neumann, Gretchen Payne, Lucy Roussel, Jane Templet, Hollis Wendell, Lizzie Williams and Madison Word.

Junior Class President Amelie Schmitt introduced representatives Cate Barbier, Mary Clement Bourgeois, Kate Broome, Madelyn Campbell, Savannah Cruz, Kate Funes, Ava Harrison, Isabella Heck, Elle Jumonville, Caroline Kitchen, Liv Lawrence, Mary Frances Lemann, Caroline Monsour, Avery Rodrigue, Emma Shuford, Camille Vaughan and Harper Zeringue.

Sophomore Class President Macy Bruni introduced representatives Mimi Boyce, Sarah Boyce, Kathryn Carby, Mathilde Fuselier, Camille Hamner, Ashtyn Hiebert, Camryn Houston, Scarlett Kirsch, Raegan O’Brien, Cecilia Rumfola, Lexi Sumich, Annalise Trahan, Marguerite Uzee, Ellie Whalen and Emma Willman.

Class presidents and freshman class representative Camille Comeaux led their respective class in reading the “State of our H.E.A.R.T.S.” norms that were presented during orientation. Liz Fontenot led the faculty and staff, while members of the school leadership team recited the final norm. 

H: Honor Responsibilities
E: Encourage Resilience and Inspire Leadership
A: Assume Positive Intent
R: Reflect, Improve, Grow
T: Trust God in All Things
S: Serve Unselfishly

Andricain thanked the facilities staff for their work throughout the summer months to ready campus for the first day of school. She thanked the Help Desk staff for readying the tablet computers and thanked the Academy’s 12-month staff for their work while the school was closed for summer vacation, including members of the Mission Advancement, Alumnae, Admissions, Operations, Human Resources, Communications and Finance offices.

Dean of Academics Aubrey DeJohn welcomed the 288 members of the freshman class. She also welcomed new sophomores Macey Amorello, Annalise Anderson, Isabella Bickley, Adriah Brown, Marley Bunch, Payton Calfo, Sophie Castex, Jenna Comeaux, Defne Demirkay, Kamryn Gautreaux, Delaney Graves, Elizabeth Hanna, Serenity Honore, Ava King, Calli Merritt, Taylor Merritt, Emma Mounce, Cinclare Teague, Abigail Vicknair, Elizabeth Windham and Skylar Zettlemoyer; new juniors Caroline Bull, Gracie Castex, Nya Guidry, Rose Iverstine, Carley Mattear, Claire Merryweather, Nolyn Moore, Anna Newsom and Ava Ricks; and new senior Camryn Odle. 

New faculty and staff members were introduced, including Melissa Rossi, dance instructor; Allie Adler Dasso ’16, class of 2028 counselor; Alex Forestier Freeburgh ’13, art; Beatrice Belony, French; Rachael Duchmann, assistant campus minister and theology faculty; Erin Hidalgo, Spanish; Simone Franklin ’08, math; Kendall Keating, English; Donna Pixley, volleyball coach; Adrienne Ourso ’12, assistant communications director; Susan Hsu, Mission Advancement database assistant; Kierra Allen, custodial staff; and Ryeasha Powell, custodial staff. 

Dean of Women Christina Richardson said the Sisters who founded SJA in 1868 used their unique gifts in service of others. She said the Academy is built on loving service and strengthened by celebrating the legacies that service has helped create. She said that every Academy student, whether she is part of a legacy or the first Redsticker in her family to attend the school, is part of the SJA community and is forever connected through sacred threads. 

A group of senior vocalists lent their musical gifts to the prayer service. They were joined by Choir Director Danielle Laird and accompanied by Hugo Andricain, guitar, and Stephen Barrios, percussion.

Following the service, faculty and staff members who are Academy graduates posed for a group photo.