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Saint Agnes Academy

 

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Saint Agnes Academy


 
 

Saint Agnes Academy is a DominicanDominican Order

The Order of Preachers , more commonly known as the Dominican Order, or Dominicans is a Catholic religious order...
 university-preparatory schoolUniversity-preparatory school

A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a private secondary school designed to prepare a stud...
 for young women in southwest HoustonHouston, Texas

Houston is the largest city in the state of Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States....
, TexasTexas

Texas is a state in both the Southern and Western region of the United States of America....
, United StatesUnited States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., and America, is...
. The school is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-HoustonRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston encompasses 8,880 square miles of ten counties in the southeastern area ...
.

History

Pauline Gannon, a nun for the Dominican Sisters of Houston, Texas, founded St. Agnes Academy in 1905. St. Agnes opened on February 11, 1906, at 3901 Fannin in what is now considered to be Midtown. The school was named after Saint AgnesSaint Agnes

Saint Agnes is a virgin martyr and saint of the Roman Catholic Church and its Eastern Rites....
 of RomeRome

Rome is the capital of Italy and of its region, called Latium....
. The school was founded as a grade 1 through 12 school with boarding facilities.

The University of Texas and the Texas State Board of Education accredited St. Agnes in 1917.

In 1939 boarding was discontinued. In 1952, St. Agnes began to serve grades 9 through 12 only.

In September 1963 the school opened at 9000 Bellaire Boulevard at the intersection of Gessner Drive next to Strake Jesuit College PreparatoryStrake Jesuit College Preparatory

Strake Jesuit College Preparatory is a Jesuit preparatory school for young men in southwest Houston, Texas, founded on June ...
 in the Sharpstown neighborhood of Houston, where it resides as of 2006. The land was originally donated by Frank SharpFrank Sharp

Frank Sharp was a land developer in Houston, United States who was responsible for creating several large post-World War II ...
, the developer of Sharpstown, to the Jesuits, who in turn "sold" the land to the Dominican sisters for one pennyCent (United States coin)

The United States one-cent coin, commonly called a penny, is a unit of currency equaling one-hundredth of a United Sta...
.

Founding Principles

Mission Statement

The school's mission statement reads: "Rooted in the Dominican tradition, St. Agnes Academy provides a Catholic college preparatory education that encourages young women to develop intellectual curiosity, to work for social justice and to act with integrity and compassion."

Students and Alumnae

Just as the students at Strake Jesuit College PreparatoryStrake Jesuit College Preparatory

Strake Jesuit College Preparatory is a Jesuit preparatory school for young men in southwest Houston, Texas, founded on June ...
, the Jesuit high school next door, the students at SAA are required before graduation to complete a Junior and Senior service project, with the Senior service project requiring 100+ hours of community service.

In addition, St. Agnes Academy students, known as "Academy Women", must have a computer laptop as part of their school experience. The school is wireless and many assignments are assigned, submitted and graded via electronic files instead of on paper.

Notable alumnae

  • Alexis BledelAlexis Bledel

    Kimberly Alexis Bledel is an American actress and former fashion model....
    , actress in Gilmore GirlsGilmore Girls

    Gilmore Girls is an hour-long American television drama/comedy that has aired since 2000....
  • Delores Martin, Mayor of Manvel, TexasManvel, Texas

    Manvel is a city in Brazoria County, Texas, United States....


Before St. Agnes

Students of some private schools, such as Presbyterian SchoolPresbyterian School

Presbyterian School is a combined primary and secondary independent school in Houston, Texas, United States....
 , The Village SchoolThe Village School

The Village School is a Pre-K-8 private school located in West Houston....
 , Annunciation Orthodox SchoolAnnunciation Orthodox School

Annunciation Orthodox School, or AOS, is a private school located in Houston, Texas established in 1970....
 , and ,St. Cecilia Catholic School, and Saint Anne Catholic School matriculate to St. Agnes.

VTV

The school uses a closed circuit television system known as Veritas Television (VTV). Televisions are in every class room. Daily morning announcements are presented by the student body president and vice president and are produced by students. This is similar in format to Strake Jesuit's "Strake Jesuit Educational Television" (SJET) closed-circuit system.

Decade of Peace Program

St. Agnes Academy has responded to the call by Noble Peace Laureates, the United Nations and our Dominican Sisters to take part in the Decade of Peace and Nonviolence. Over the course of the academic year the student body and faculty/staff will participate in the program.

External links