Knights of Saint Elizabeth Academy of Saint Elizabeth

About

The Academy of Saint Elizabeth is the oldest all-girls Catholic high school in the State of New Jersey. Founded in 1860 by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, our mission is to develop academic excellence and moral responsibility within our young women by building an educational, faith-filled environment.

Admissions

The Academy of Saint Elizabeth is a four-year college preparatory school which focuses on fostering the bonds of SEAsterhood among our young women through academic excellence, extracurricular involvement, and service to one another and society at large. Come discover why attending the Academy will be your Best Decision Ever.

Academics

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, patroness of our Academy, is revered for her work in education. We uphold her vision to challenge and develop young women educationally, socially, and spiritually. Our rigorous curriculum provides students with numerous opportunities to explore their interests in various fields of study.

Athletics

Think you have what it takes to be a Panther? At the Academy, our athletics program focuses on the well-rounded development of our student-athletes. With 11 different sports programs offered throughout the year, we pride ourselves not only on our competitive, championship caliber teams, but also displaying grace in victory or defeat.

Student Life

Every student at the Academy becomes one another’s SEAster, a bond unique to our young women and sustained throughout their lives. Cultivating this bond of SEAsterhood occurs through students' interactions in the classroom, on the fields and courts, in numerous extracurricular activities, and in the charitable works they perform for others.

Giving

Supporting the Academy is an integral component to our mission and success. Support does not entail financial donations alone, but also volunteering one’s time, talents, and passions. Any and all support provided to the Academy ensures the future vitality, growth, and success of this prestigious educational institution to continually develop young women into lifelong SEAsters.

Dear Friends of the Academy,

In 2014, my wife, daughter, and I entered the historic building of the Academy of Saint Elizabeth for the first time. Through the 8^th grade, both our son and daughter attended public school, yet my family wanted something more than what the local high school had to offer.

Our son, Mike, graduated from Seton Hall Prep in 2013 with an experience that far exceeded our expectations. Being six years younger, Katie was in awe of the culture at Seton Hall Prep as she watched her brother’s experience and decided that she wanted the same for herself when it came to high school.

We toured all of the girls’ Catholic high schools in the area, but none of them offered anything remotely similar to what our son had experienced until we attended the Academy’s Open House and Accepted Students’ Night. As we drove home from the Academy of Saint Elizabeth on those impressionable nights, three takeaways left us with no doubt that this school was the right choice for Katie.

Our passion and call to support the Academy has only grown as alumnae parents.

We left the Academy that night with an overwhelming feeling of being welcomed into a tight-knit family that spans across numerous generations. The Academy made it very clear from the beginning that no matter what grade level a student was in, everyone, including our daughter, would be welcomed and accepted by her peers. This was the beginning of Katie’s SEAsterhood.

For the past 162 years this school has been special, and we take pride in our role of continuing such distinction into the future.

Like so many students at Saint E’s, our daughter made the life-changing decision to part ways with her childhood friends from public school and forge her own path at a school that would mold her into the young woman she was destined to become. The warm welcome from her peers is something our family values to this day.

The dedication and passion of the faculty and administration in their academic and spiritual pursuits were apparent. Smaller class sizes allowed the faculty members to focus on challenging the students to achieve their highest potential. Support from an administration dedicated to preparing the students for college and ensuring spiritual growth to support life’s journey was a big differentiator. Perhaps most importantly, we were blown away by the young ladies at the Accepted Students’ Night who carried themselves with poise, maturity, and eloquence beyond their age as they detailed their passions and experiences at the school.

Today, now more than ever, it is important for us to sustain the school for future generations of young women to learn, grow, and flourish.

The Academy offered a unique opportunity not only for young women to flourish, but also for parents to become active participants in the community. I was initially apprehensive about getting involved, as I did not want to get in the way of my daughter’s independent experience with the school she fell in love with. Fortunately, my initial hesitancy did not stop me from charting my own path of immersion in the school’s community. I served as the Parents’ Association Vice President then the President, Parent Ambassador, basketball clock operator, and now a founding member of the Knights of Saint Elizabeth. I may have “missed the mark” of not getting in my daughter's way, but I did foster a deeper connection to the school that has become a significant part of our family’s lives.

To say the experience exceeded our expectations would not give justice to all the Academy has to offer. Our Academy experience, rooted in quality academics, rich traditions, spiritual development, athletic diversity, enrichment in the arts, and an overall sense of encouragement, surpassed what we would have received in any other high school setting. I hope each of you feels the same way and understands the importance of supporting the continued excellence of our beloved school.

The gift of giving is always a personal choice but rest assured that all contributions go to a very worthwhile cause. If you are able, I invite you to join my fellow Knights in making a Founders’ Circle level gift to the Academy.

GO PANTHERS!!!

Mr. Kenneth Purzycki, P '19

Affiliates