St. Mary’s School opened its doors on Chartres Street in New Orleans under the leadership of Mother Josephine Charles.

Victoria Jourdan became the first graduate.

St. Mary’s School moved from Chartres Street to the historic Quadroon Ballroom at 717 Orleans Avenue and became St. Mary’s Academy, the first secondary school for girls in New Orleans.

Mother Magdalen Alpaugh served as Principal.

Xavier Preparatory opens another secondary school for Colored students, decreasing the number of student steadily at St. Mary’s Academy.

Only 68 student from first through eleventh grades.

Mother Elizabeth gave her full attention to rebuilding St. Mary’s Academy. She appointed a new faculty of certified Sisters, adopted the state course of studies, renovated and added a sewing room and home economics lab.

Mother Elizabeth applied for State approval.

Enrollment doubled and after a visitation by the state official, the school became state accredited.

Sister M. Boniface Adams was the principal during this period.

Rank first in the state after scoring highest on the state approved graduation examinations.

Mothers’ Club (PTA) was reorganized.

Excelsior (school paper) began.

Maris Stella (yearbook) began.

Was under the leadership of Sr. M. Francis Borgia.

Sr. Esperance Collins led the school to another milestone in our history; the entrance of St. Mary’s Academy into the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS.)

The school was led by Sr. Mary Demetria Williams until 1990. During this time, the Sisters of the Holy Family again devoted full attention to St. Mary’s Academy, as they were now ready to move the school from the French Quarter location at 717 Orleans Street to the Chef Menteur property where the new Motherhouse was built.

Classes were held at the old St. Louis Cathedral School on St. Ann Street

Students began occupying the new building at 6905 Chef Menteur Boulevard.

School was lead by Sr. Leona Bruner until 1999.

School was lead by Sr. Richard Francis Daigle until 2002.

The school year began with a new type of leadership. For the first time a president was assigned. The new administrative leadership included President Sr. Greta Jupiter; Principal Sr. Jennie Louise Jones; and Assistant Principals, Sr. Judith Therese Barial and Sr. Clare of Assisi Pierre.

The Administrative Team made another milestone in history by appointing Cheryl Ross-Brown, ’78 as SMA’s first lay assistant principal, following the assignment of Sr. Judith Therese to Delille Academy in Belize. The Middle School Coordinator, Sr. Patricia Rogers, O.P. also became a member of the Administrative Team.

SMA suffered a devastating blow when the City of New Orleans was hit by Hurricane Katrina. Inundated by 5-6 ft of water and sludge, the campus was left virtually uninhabitable.

They joined forces with St. Augustine High School and Xavier Preparatory High School as part of the MAX SCHOOL, St. Mary’s held classes on the campus of Xavier Prep until May

As part of a generous gift from the Archdiocese of New Orleans, St. Mary’s Academy moved its classes to the former St. James Major School, located at 3774 Gentilly Blvd. The school also expanded its curriculum to offer classes for Pre-k-4 through 5th grades to help accommodate students and families displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The elementary and middle schools became co-educational while the high school continued its legacy as an all-girls private school. Operating with 620 students, the school successfully accommodated many of the city’s displaced youth.

St. Mary’s Academy returned to its Chef Menteur Highway campus. State-of the-art modular buildings house students in Pre-k-3 through 12th grades while the rebuilding of the permanent campus takes place.

FIRST SEM. EXAM SCHEDULE 2015-1