St. Raymond Academy


St. Raymond Academy for Girls is a private, Roman Catholic high school for girls in Parkchester, Bronx, New York, United States. It was established in 1960 by the Sisters of Charity and located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.
The school has been accredited by the NYS Board of Regents since 1965. The Commission on Secondary Schools of the Middle States Association first granted the academy accreditation effective 2003–2010. In 2009–2010, the academy completed the review for re-accreditation and received the renewal of certification. Accreditation has been renewed until December 2017.

History

St. Raymond Academy was established in 1960 by the Sisters of Charity, a congregation of religious women in the Catholic Church whose primary missions are education and nursing. For nearly 200 years, the Sisters of Charity of New York have served the needs of the poor. The congregation's history began with its foundress, Elizabeth Ann Seton, who was later canonized as the first American-born saint. Since Saint Raymond Academy for Girls opened its doors, its motto has been "Commitment to Excellence".
St. Raymond Academy for Girls began as a small, parish-based high school with an enrollment of 95 students. Msgr. John Corrigan, the pastor at the time, appointed Sr. Regina Angela, a Sister of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul of New York, as the first principal. The school occupied the third floor of the school building built in 1952 and through the years has prided itself on serving a relatively small school population. In order to better meet its educational goals, the school was recognized with a NYS Board of Regents Charter in 1965 and with an additional accreditation by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools in 2003, which was recently renewed.
The Sisters of Charity were joined through the years by the Sisters of St. Dominic Blauvelt and Sparkill, the Sisters of Mercy, Sisters of the Holy Child, and lay women and men.

Academics

The school's program of studies is primarily college-oriented, with business, computer and science electives included in upper years. In addition to preparing students for a New York State Regents Diploma with four-year programs in English, Social Studies, Mathematics, Spanish and Science, the school also offers Advanced Placement courses in English Literature and Composition, United States History and Government, and Spanish Literature and Language.