Late September Events

CPK Fundraiser
On Monday, September 26, California Pizza Kitchen will host a fundraiser in support of SJA mission trips. Click here for the flyer to present to your server and have 20 percent of your check donated to the SJA mission fund. Visit the California Pizza Kitchen at 10001 Perkins Rowe all day on September 26 to participate.

College Fair
The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) National College Fair will be held at the Baton Rouge River Center on Tuesday, September 27, 6-8 p.m. This event allows students to interact with admission representatives from a wide range of postsecondary institutions to discuss courses, admission and financial aid requirements, college life and other information about the college selection process. There will be workshops on TOPS and financial aid, ACT and SAT strategies, how to choose a major, NCAA compliance and how to search for scholarships. To date, nearly 100 colleges are registered. Students will be required to complete an online form (www.gotomyncf.com) and print a bar code that will be scanned by the college representatives to register student interest.

Respect Life Mass
Friday, September 30, 9:45 a.m., Activity Center. Father Gary Belsome, pastor of St. Theresa’s in Gonzales, will be presiding. We will follow Assembly Schedule 4. Dress uniforms required. Parents are welcome to join us.

October Events

Rescue Bank Food and Donation Drive
Student Prints will once again host a food and donation drive for the Baton Rouge Area Rescue Bank. This group is dedicated to supporting animal rescue, foster and rehabilitation in and around the Baton Rouge area. The Rescue Bank is an all-volunteer organization committed to supporting those who help animals at their own expense. Donations of supplies and food help save money that can be used for medical care and vaccinations. We’re looking for new or used linens and pet beds; leashes, collars, toys and brushes; pet kennels or carriers; and food and water bowls. We also need bags of cat food and dog food.

The Helping People Helping Animals drive will take place October 3-14. Bins will be located by the Dining Hall.

Senior Pictures
October 1 is the deadline for taking senior portraits at Kleinpeter Photography. If you have not yet done so, we are asking that you schedule an appointment as soon as possible. Please call Kleinpeter’s at 928-7596.

Early Dismissal
Wednesday, October 5, and Wednesday, October 19, for Faculty Professional Development; Thursday, October 20, for Open House. Students will be dismissed at 1:45 p.m. on these days. We will follow Assembly Schedule 3.

Flu Vaccinations
HealthVacs will be on campus on Thursday, October 6, to offer flu shots to students, faculty, staff, family members and friends. Times are 6:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.; location is the concession area of the Activity Center. The cost will be $20 for the injection and $25 for the nasal vaccine. For more information on the seasonal flu injection and the seasonal flu intranasal vaccine, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov/flu.

Click here for the screening questionnaire/consent form. Please send completed forms, along with a check payable to HealthVacs for either $20 per injectable vaccination or $25 per intranasal vaccination, to School Nurse Mrs. Jenny Hanks. Checks should be made payable to HealthVacs. Please direct questions to Mrs. Hanks ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2208).

Senior Retreat
Sunday and Monday, October 9 and 10, The Wesley Center, Woodsworth. Retreat will begin on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. with a liturgy for seniors and their families celebrated by Father Gerald Burns, former pastor of St. Aloysius. Parents, you should have received information in the mail about your daughter’s retreat. If you have not yet responded, please do so as soon as possible. Faculty, staff and friends of SJA will help staff the retreat. Please keep the class of 2012 in your thoughts and prayers as they experience this sacred time. We will return at approximately 5 p.m. Monday evening. Please note that all SJA retreats are mandatory. Please direct questions to Campus Minister Mrs. Kristen Lazarine (lazarinek@sjabr.org; 388-2321).

We are asking that seniors not leave their vehicles on campus overnight while they are on retreat. If this is unavoidable, the student must contact Assistant Principal of Activities Mrs. Stacia Andricain ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2217).

Grandparents Day Jambalaya Lunch
Monday, October 10. Grandparents of freshmen are invited to join their granddaughter during her assigned lunch shift. Each lunch period is 50 minutes. Grandparents are asked to arrive no earlier than 20 minutes before their scheduled lunch shift. Parking is available in the Activity Center lot (corner of Parker and Broussard streets).

Parent volunteers are needed to help set up for our celebration. We’re looking for volunteers on Sunday, October 9, immediately following mass for senior retreat participants in the Activity Center. Please direct questions to Alumnae Director Mrs. Emily Kline ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2244).


Special Schedules
Students will be dismissed early on Tuesday, October 11, and Wednesday, October 12. See details below.

Standardized Testing (9th and 10th grades) and Holocaust Studies (11th grade)
Tuesday, October 11.

Freshmen will take the Preliminary American College Test (PLAN) beginning at 7:30 a.m. After the test, students will complete an interest inventory which aligns interests with values and abilities. Tablet computers are not needed on this day. The test will end at 10:30 a.m.

On Tuesday, October 11, freshmen who have been selected to take the PSAT test on Wednesday, October 12, will eat lunch in the Dining Hall from 10:30-11:10 a.m. At 11:10 a.m., they will go to the Commons of Mother Alice Hall for STEP/Emergenetics Profile results until 2:45 p.m. Dr. Greg Brandao of the Browning Group will explain the profile as an insight into thinking and behavioral attributes. Students must be picked up by 3 p.m. from Mother Alice Hall.

Sophomores will take the Preliminary American College Test (PLAN) from 7:30 until 10:30 a.m. After the test, students will complete an interest inventory which aligns interests with values and abilities. Tablet computers are not needed on this day. Dismissal for sophomores is 10:30 a.m.

Juniors will view Schindler’s List. Dismissal is 11:40 a.m.

Buses will follow normal morning schedule. Breakfast will be served 6:50-7:15 a.m. The library will be open for after-school supervision until noon.

Seniors will not have school on this day.

STEP Seminar (9th grade), Standardized Testing (10th and 11th grades), Sophomore Retreat and Senior Class Service Day
Wednesday, October 12.

Freshmen will be served breakfast from 6:50 until 7:15 a.m. and will then receive STEP/Emergenetics Profile results from 7:30 until 11 a.m. Dr. Greg Brandao of the Browning Group will explain the profile as an insight into thinking and behavioral attributes. After the STEP/Emergenetics seminar, the freshman class will remain in the Activity Center from 11 until 11:30 a.m. to hear Student Council class president speeches. Dismissal for all freshmen is 11:30 a.m.

Some freshmen who have been previously notified will take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT), a practice form of the SAT, from 7:25 until 10:40 a.m. They will have a break from 10:40 until 11 a.m. At 11 a.m., they must report to the Activity Center to hear Student Council class president speeches. Dismissal for all freshmen is 11:30 a.m.

Sophomores will take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT), a practice form of the SAT, from 7:25 until 10:40 a.m. Breakfast will be served 6:50-7:15 a.m. Lunch will be served from 10:40 until 11:30 a.m. The sophomore retreat will be held in the Activity Center from 11:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Snacks will be provided during the afternoon.

Juniors will take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT), a practice form of the SAT, from 7:25 until 10:40 a.m. Breakfast will be served 6:50-7:15 a.m. Juniors will be dismissed at 10:40 a.m.

Seniors will take part in Service Day. They will meet at SJA at 8 a.m., then disperse to assigned local community agencies. Seniors will be dismissed from service at 12:30 p.m. Each senior will receive four (4) service hours. Senior Service Day is part of Senior Retreat and is mandatory. Parents are welcome to participate. Seniors who are Student Ministers will be required to work Sophomore Retreat on this day. Please direct questions to Campus Minister Mrs. Kristen Lazarine ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2321).

The library will be open for after-school supervision until noon.

Guest Speaker
You are invited to join Parents Who Pray on Wednesday, October 12, 1-2 p.m. in The Chapel at SJA as they celebrate the Month of the Rosary. On this eve of the anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima, guest speaker Judy Zelden will give a talk entitled Fatima For Today. A retired teacher and guidance counselor, Judy is a founding member of Magnificat, a ministry to Catholic women, and taught a women’s Bible study at Our Lady of Mercy for eight years. Judy and Mike, her husband of 42 years, have three sons and nine grandchildren.

Public Square Rosary for America
All are invited to the Public Square Rosary on Saturday, October 15, beginning at noon on the front lawn of the Catholic Life Center. (Look for the banner near the oak at the corner of Acadian and Hundred Oaks). Parking is available. Please bring your rosary and a lawn chair, if needed. For more information, please call 769-0271.

Candlelight Ceremony
Monday, October 17, 6:30 p.m., Activity Center. Part of the Big Sis/Lil Sis program. Families of freshmen and seniors are welcome. More information will be given to students in their classes.
For more information, parents of seniors should contact Mrs. Aubrey Cucullu ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2269) or Mrs. Mary Beth Elfert ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2281). Parents of freshmen should contact Mrs. Lori Harper ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2326) or Ms. Anna Landrum ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2280).

SJA Golf Tournament
The 2nd annual Sticker Scramble will be held Monday, October 17, at the Oaks at Sherwood. Registration begins at 8 a.m. with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. If you are interested in being a hole sponsor, entering a team and/or playing, please contact Athletic Director Ms. Dorinda Beaumont ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2290). Click here for a registration form.

Open House
Thursday, October 20, 4:30-7 p.m. For sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade girls and their parents. We will follow assembly Schedule 3, with students dismissed at 1:45 p.m.

Current parents are invited to help with this important event. To volunteer, please contact Mrs. Maria Conti at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Fall Holiday
Friday, October 21. School is closed.

Halloween Carnival
Sunday, October 23, Dining Hall, 3-5 p.m. Hosted by the SJA Alumnae Association. $5 per child. Join us for games, activities and snacks. All children are welcome, including nieces, nephews, cousins and children of friends. Register online at www.sjaconnections.org/halloween2011. Please direct any questions to Alumnae Director Mrs. Emily Kline ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2244).

Mothers’ Club Fall Luncheon
Join us on Tuesday, October 25, at the home of Mrs. Heidi Smith. Times are 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Click here for an invitation. You are asked to RSVP by October 7.

Pep Rally
Friday, October 28, 1:45 p.m., Activity Center. We will follow Assembly Schedule 3.

Blood Drive
Monday, October 31, 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Activity Center concession area. Parents, friends and seniors who are 17 years of age or older are invited to donate. Permission slips will be emailed to seniors and should be returned to the Administrators’ Office by October 29 signed by a parent.

October Fun Day
Monday, October 31. Halloween costumes are permitted but should be appropriate and tasteful (no bathing suits or bare midriffs). Masks must be removed in class; full face paint and glitter are not permitted. Student and faculty/staff costume contest, music and games at lunch.

Please note that the Student Council will sponsor a food drive to benefit the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank each time we have a Fun Day.

Upcoming Events

All Saints Mass
Tuesday, November 1, 9:45 a.m., Activity Center. Father Jamin David, associate pastor at St. Aloysius Church, will be the presider. We will follow Assembly Schedule 4 on this day. Parents are invited to join us.

We will remember all the deceased members of the St. Joseph’s Academy family in our prayer, and we invite you to send us the names of anyone you would especially like us to remember. The names will be brought up at the offertory along with the gifts bread and wine. Please send the names by email or regular mail to Sister Joan Laplace ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) no later than October 25.

Early Dismissal
Wednesday, November 2, for Faculty Professional Development. Students will be dismissed at 1:45 p.m. We will follow Assembly Schedule 3.

Sticker Stampede 5K Run and 1-Mile Fun Run
Online registration is now available for the inaugural St. Joseph’s Academy Sticker Stampede 5K Run and 1-Mile Fun Run. Join us on campus on Saturday, November 5, for this exciting event to benefit the SJA Alumnae Scholarship. Visit www.sjaconnections.org/stickerstampede.

Pre-race registration is $15; race-day registration is $20. The 1-Mile Fun Run begins at 8 a.m., and the 5K begins at 8:30 a.m. Packet pickup is available on Friday, November 4, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at SJA Activity Center or on race day.

For more information, contact Alumnae Director Mrs. Emily Kline
( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2244).

Campus Life

Enrollment Statement by St. Joseph’s Academy Administration
St. Joseph’s Academy is a Catholic, college-preparatory school serving girls in grades 9-12. A National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, the Academy was founded in 1868 by the Sisters of St. Joseph. Today, this premier secondary school continues to provide an environment of excellence, where relationships are strengthened and young girls become women of faith, hope and love.


The mission of St. Joseph’s Academy is to educate young women as responsible and unifying members of the world community. In the spirit and charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph, St. Joseph’s Academy offers opportunities for faith development in the Catholic tradition, academic excellence and personal growth.


It is in this spirit that we welcome all young women who desire an Academy education and are motivated to succeed academically. SJA has a long history of offering admission to generations of Baton Rouge families, and this remains our priority. As the number of families desiring an Academy education for their daughters continues to grow, SJA will reach maximum enrollment with the class of 2016. Under construction at SJA is the Academy Arts Center to provide fine arts classrooms, a chorus studio, dance studio, drama and theatre space. This building will help us to continue the privilege of educating those young women who embrace our sacred ideals of sanctity, joy and action.
Adopted September 2011

Academic Counseling Center
We want to continue to keep you updated on the programs and activities of the Academic Counseling Center. Please click here to read the September newsletter for parents of students in grades 9-11; click here for the September newsletter especially for parents of seniors. These monthly newsletters can be found on SJA’s Naviance/Family Connection website.

To get started, go to http://connection.naviance.com/stjosephsacadem/. Enter your personal registration code in the New User box and follow the on-screen instructions to create your account. Login and password information is being sent in a separate email.

As always, we welcome your feedback. Please send comments and suggestions to your grade-level counselor.


Old PA System
We have replaced our old Dukane public address system. If you are interested in making an offer this antique, please contact Facilities Director Mr. David James ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2204).

Yearbook Sales
The 2011-2012 yearbook is available for order on Shop SJA until November 1. No additional books will be ordered after this deadline. The price is $66.75. For questions, please contact Ms. Kacie Fuselier ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2338).

After-Hours Emergencies
If you have an emergency, please call 383-7207 and press 9. Leave a message. This will be sent to Principal Mrs. Linda Harvison’s email address, and she will receive a voice mail. Be sure to leave a phone number so she can return the call.

Student Prints
In addition to the traditional printed newspapers, we will post each issue of Student Prints, our award-winning student newspaper, on our website. Look for the first issue of the year during the last week of September.

Pianos Needed
As we anticipate the opening of the Academy Arts Center at the beginning of the 2012-2013 academic year, we are asking for donations of pianos that are less than 25 years old. If you have a piano that you’d be interested in donating to SJA, please contact Facilities Director Mr. David James ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2204).

Dining Hall
If you have questions for the SJA Dining Hall, please contact Cafeteria Manager Mrs. Dodie Craig directly at 343-7805.


St. Joseph Spirituality Center Class
Father Matt Linn, SJ, will present Healing the Loss of a Loved One on Friday, October 14, 7-9 p.m., and How to Deal with a Prickly Porcupine on Saturday, October 15, 9 a.m.-noon. Both presentations will be in the SJA Dining Hall. Cost is $25 on Friday, $35 on Saturday. Call 383-3349 for details.

Rosary
Each Thursday at 7 a.m., Mary’s Plaza (outside Chapel at SJA). Parents are welcome to join us. (In case of inclement weather, the rosary is recited in the chapel.) Please park on Broussard Street.

An Invitation to Prayer
We will pray on Tuesday mornings to Our Lady of Prompt Succor. She protected New Orleans during the Great Fire of 1812 and again during the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. She is the patroness of both the City of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana. Today, many pray to Our Lady of Prompt Succor for protection against hurricanes. Until the end of November, we will pray at 7 a.m. each Tuesday morning in the chapel for those victimized and threatened by hurricanes. Let’s gather as a faith community to offer the gift of prayer.


Job Opportunities
Job opportunities are posted on the bulletin board in St. Joseph Hall outside the Academic Counseling Center offices. SJA does not solicit these job announcements and does not endorse the postings. Call the prospective employer for all necessary information.

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