St. Joseph's Academy (SJA) is an all-girls
Catholic school established in 1868 by the
Sisters of St. Joseph
The Sisters of St. Joseph, also known as the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, abbreviated CSJ or SSJ, is a Roman Catholic religious congregation of women founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France, in 1650. This congregation, named for S ...
of Medaille. St. Joseph's Academy (SJA) is the oldest high school in Baton Rouge. It is the sister school of the all-boys
Catholic High School
Catholic schools are pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered under the aegis or in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest religious, non-governmental school syste ...
, only three-tenths of a mile to the north.
[St. Joseph's Academy History](_blank)
/ref> It is located on a live oak shaded campus in Mid-City Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of counties ...
, within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge.
History
SJA has been recognized four times as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence
The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States Department of Education award program that recognizes exemplary public and non-public schools on a yearly basis. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures, ...
by the U.S. Department of Education.[National Blue Ribbon Award Winners](_blank)
/ref> In 2002, the Academy was recognized as a school of technology excellence by the U.S. Department of Education, one of only three in the nation.
Athletics
SJA competes in the highest classification (Class 5A) in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association
The Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) is the agency that regulates and promotes the interscholastic athletic competitions of all high schools in the state of Louisiana.
Organization
LHSAA was founded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in ...
. The team is known as the Redstickers in a nod to its host city, Baton Rouge. The school's colors are red and white, with navy blue used as an accent color.
SJA competes in Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Gymnastics, Powerlifting, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Track and Field (Indoor and Outdoor), and Volleyball. SJA also has a Competitive Cheerleading team. Though cheerleading is classified as a club at SJA, they are still athletes who compete and bring home titles.
State Championships and Runners-Up
The Academy has been very successful in many sports with sixty-six state championships, sixty-two state runners-up titles, and three national titles in competitive cheerleading.
Bowling:
Two state runners-up (2007 and 2008).
Cross country:
Fourteen state championships (1983, 1985, 1992, 1993, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, with seven in a row from 2016-2022).
Thirteen state runners-up (1980, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2009, 2015).
Competitive Cheerleading:
Three Super Varsity National Champions title (2018, 2021, and 2022).
Golf:
Three state championships (2000, 2007, and 2008).
Ten state runners-up (1994, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017).
Gymnastics:
Eight state championships (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2019, and 2021, with five in a row from 2006-2010).
Five state runners-up (2003, 2004, 2005, 2014, 2015).
Soccer:
A state championship (2023).
A state runners-up (2022).
Swimming:
Seventeen state championships (1994, 1996, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, with twelve in a row from 2011-2022).
Nine state runners-up (1988, 1990, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010).
Tennis:
Nine state championships (1984, 1990, 1991, 2006, 2007, 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022).
Nine state runners-up (1977, 1978, 1979, 1988, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2019).
Outdoor Track and Field:
Two state championships (2019 and 2021).
Indoor Track and Field:
Two state championships (2020 and 2021).
Three state runners-up (2019, 2022, 2023).
Volleyball:
Ten state championships (1986, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2013, including four in a row from 2001–2004).
Ten state runners-up (1963, 1966, 1983, 1987, 1999, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021).
Clubs and Activities
SJA has forty+ clubs, including American Sign Language Club, Art Club, Beta Club, CHS Bruinettes, CHS Cheerleaders, CHS Marching Band, Classical Club, Cooking and Crafts Club, Creative Writers Club, Criminal Justice Club, Diversity Club, Drama Club (The Black Box Company), eSports Team, Film Club, French I Club, French II Club, French III/IV Club, Future Business Leaders of America Club, Games Club, Girls Who Code Club, Historical and Geographical Society, Latin Club, Literary Ladies Society, Liturgy Committee, Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society, Praise and Worship Band, Red Steppers, Respect Life Club, Robotics Team, Science Club, Self-Defense Club, SJABR TV, Spanish Club, Student Ambassadors, Student Council, Student Ministry, Video Games Club, Yoga Club, and Youth & Government Club.
References
External links
School website
Article on Student-Run Help Desk
Fujitsu Case Study
Article on Fujitsu Tablets at SJA
Laptop Institute Spotlight School
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Joseph's Academy, Baton Rouge
Schools in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Catholic secondary schools in Louisiana
Educational institutions established in 1868
Girls' schools in Louisiana
1868 establishments in Louisiana
St. Joseph's Academy