St. Michael Academy (New York City)
Encyclopedia
St. Michael Academy was an all-girls, private
, Roman Catholic high school
in Manhattan
in New York City
. It is located within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
.
. The mission had long been dedicated to educating young women in a loving and caring community, assisting each to develop her gifts and talents to live a fully Christian life.
Every student completed at least 25 hours of community service. Service could include documented hours inside or outside the school setting, such as working at a homeless shelter, or helping to host an alumnae event at the school. The requirement helped students practice helping others, including those in their immediate community.
Food Drive: Throughout the year, students and staff participated in a food drive for the hungry by bringing prepackaged food to the school for collection. Food was then delivered to a variety of food pantries and shelters, including the nearby homeless shelter, The Dwelling Place, at 39th Street and 10th Avenue, and The Little Sisters of Assumption Family Center in East Harlem.
Toy Drive: Each year in December, students and staff collected toys to distribute to needy families as Christmas presents for children. Students voted on the recipient agency. Last year, the toys were given to Target Stores for distribution.
College Fair: Each year, St. Michael Academy hosted a Catholic college fair at the school as a gift to the community. Admission was free, and students from Catholic schools across the city attended to learn about Catholic colleges across the country. This was the only college fair in the region that focused on Catholic higher education.
or on a comparable exam administered by the school.
Tuition for the 2009-2010 school year was $6,000.
It used to be a coed grammar school as well as an all-girls high school up until approximately 1968.
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
, Roman Catholic high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It is located within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York covers New York, Bronx, and Richmond counties in New York City , as well as Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties in New York state. There are 480 parishes...
.
Background
St. Michael Academy (which closed in June, 2010) was a college preparatory Catholic high school located in the West Midtown section of Manhattan near Pennsylvania Station. The school had an 85-year history educating young women in grades 9 through 12. It once was also an elementary school consisting of coed classes from 1st grade thru 8th. Of its graduates; 98 percent were accepted into college.History and Mission
St. Michael Academy was created in 1874 by The Presentation Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary Presentation SistersPresentation Sisters
The Presentation Sisters, also known as the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary are an order of Roman Catholic women founded in Cork, Ireland by Nano Nagle in 1775....
. The mission had long been dedicated to educating young women in a loving and caring community, assisting each to develop her gifts and talents to live a fully Christian life.
Where Students Came From
St. Michael Academy attracted students from all five boroughs of New York City, as well as Long Island and New Jersey. The largest concentration of students came from Manhattan.Curriculum
St. Michael Academy offered a college preparatory curriculum which exceeded the New York State Regent’s requirements. Students took English, Mathematics, Science, Language, Art and/or Music, History, Physical Education, Health, and Religion. Electives included Business, Law, Technology, Music, Spanish and Latin. The school also offered Advanced Placement courses in Spanish and English, and college level History courses through Mercy College.Extra Curricular Activities
St. Michael Academy had a variety of clubs and activities, including National Honor Society, Honora Nagle Society, Prayer Group, Spanish Club, Movie Club, Global Community, Drum Circle, Newspaper, Yearbook, Step Team, World Dance, Ambassador’s Club, Book Club, Latin Club, Mad Scientists Club, and Student Council. There was also an annual trip abroad; in recent years, students had taken trips to Italy and Greece.Service to the Community
St. Michael Academy recognized that its students and staff were members of a larger world family. Because of this, the school encouraged everyone to participate in service to the community. The following summarized opportunities available to students and staff to give back to the world that fed them.Every student completed at least 25 hours of community service. Service could include documented hours inside or outside the school setting, such as working at a homeless shelter, or helping to host an alumnae event at the school. The requirement helped students practice helping others, including those in their immediate community.
Food Drive: Throughout the year, students and staff participated in a food drive for the hungry by bringing prepackaged food to the school for collection. Food was then delivered to a variety of food pantries and shelters, including the nearby homeless shelter, The Dwelling Place, at 39th Street and 10th Avenue, and The Little Sisters of Assumption Family Center in East Harlem.
Toy Drive: Each year in December, students and staff collected toys to distribute to needy families as Christmas presents for children. Students voted on the recipient agency. Last year, the toys were given to Target Stores for distribution.
College Fair: Each year, St. Michael Academy hosted a Catholic college fair at the school as a gift to the community. Admission was free, and students from Catholic schools across the city attended to learn about Catholic colleges across the country. This was the only college fair in the region that focused on Catholic higher education.
Athletics
St. Michael Academy fielded teams in basketball, volleyball, softball and track. The Varsity Basketball Team won the state championship in its division in 2009; this year, it was ranked in the top 20 nationally.Admissions and Tuition
To be admitted to St. Michael Academy, you had to score at least 80 percent on the TACHS testTACHS test
The Test for Admission into Catholic High Schools or TACHS is the admissions test for Catholic high schools in and around New York City. First used in autumn 2004, the test allows schools to compare the academic abilities of students. including how a student performs under pressure...
or on a comparable exam administered by the school.
Tuition for the 2009-2010 school year was $6,000.
Scholarship and Financial Aid
Sixty-percent of St. Michael Academy students received scholarships and financial aid. Support came from a variety of sources, including the Be a Student’s Friend Program, the Cardinal’s Scholarship Program, the Endowment for Inner City Education, Friends of Nick, Student Sponsor Partners, the Michael Gordon Foundation, Italian American Scholarship Program, and Child Inc. The school also received scholarship support from individual donors contributing directly to the school, allowing a full menu of options for students.External links
It used to be a coed grammar school as well as an all-girls high school up until approximately 1968.