FAQ

Yes, we are accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges through the Commission on Independent Schools and apply for reaccreditation every ten years.

No, we accept day students as well as domestic and international boarders.

We have been educating young ladies continuously since 1874.

We are a private academy owned by the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady, Mother of the Church with 50 – 60% of the Staff being members of the Sisters of Charity. The combination of a day and boarding high school run by a congregation of religious women is currently a unique institution in the United States.

Students from many different religious affiliations are enrolled at the Academy. Students take one course on the Roman Catholic religion each year even if they have no affiliation with any organized religion. All attend the school’s religious services and are asked to attend with respect, leaving participation in the services optional if they are not Catholic. Although we believe that Jesus Christ is the Founder and His doctrines the foundation of our beliefs, we do not proselytize or demand that students convert to the Faith. Respect for each student’s religious freedom and the dignity of the human person are core to our beliefs at the Academy.

All of our teaching staff have a Bachelor’s Degree and more than half have one or more Master’s Degrees.

The standard college preparatory courses, including honors courses in the core program, are offered to the students. A small number of AP courses are offered on campus with the opportunity of students taking AP courses online if they qualify academically and demonstrate their willingness to give due diligence to these challenging courses.

Students with mild learning disabilities or ADD type challenges are able to meet with success at the Academy because of our excellent faculty/student ratio. We do not have specialized staff on hand for these students, so each situation will be determined accordingly. Our challenging curriculum would be difficult for a student with severe disabilities.

All students have a study period built into their academic day and the resident students have two additional 90 minute study periods, one in the late afternoon and one in the evening.

95-100% attend colleges and universities with a range that spans small community colleges to ivy league schools. Since our mission is to assist our students to reach their potential academically and socially, they have many opportunities to prepare for colleges and/or universities that will meet their personal goals. Our school’s profile lists the colleges our students have been admitted to in recent years.

Team sports of soccer in the Fall, basketball in the winter, and softball in the spring are offered. Clubs include Drama Club, Student Council, Environmental Club, National Honor Society, FIT Club, Speech and Debate Club, Human Rights Club, Yearbook, Legion of Mary, Multicultural Club, Ambassadors Club, Peer Ministry, and TOP-Life Club. Students are encouraged to be part of at least two extracurricular activities per year while at the Academy.

Each Saturday, except for one Saturday a month, each of the three dorms rotates to plans trips to large cities or events that are of interest to the students. These trips often include cultural, social and academic enriching experiences as well as the ever present female pastime of shopping.

We have built in security cameras and alarms within and outside the building. There is a staff member present for the students’ needs in the dormitory whenever the dorms are open and residents are present. When the students go on trips away from the campus, at least two staff members (Sisters) are always with them. The staff drives the activity buses when taking trips out of town.

Because the majority of our parents are geographically scattered around the globe, there is a limited physical presence. With the use of technology, our parents are able to monitor their daughters’ academic progress through the Parent Portals, speak or email any teacher or dorm proctor, and decide how much access their daughter is allowed for social media during the week. Likewise, students have free time to contact their parents through technology and the use of the telephone.

Room and board are included in the tuition cost for boarding students. In addition, international students are required to take medical insurance at a cost of around $2000 for ten months. School uniforms for four years are approximately $150-$200 or the Environmental Club offers used uniforms at a reduced rate. Textbooks are loaned to the students at no cost. School supplies and spending money are the responsibility of the families. The resident students also pay for their laundry using quarters and it is $2.50 for washing and drying. There are no hidden costs.

The Academy is more than an academic institution; for many of the students, it is their home away from home. In this environment, the students take a Life Skills Course each academic year in which they learn to use these skills as they pertain to their life at the Academy and beyond. Students who experience dorm life and take care of their personal and financial needs are more prepared for a similar experience when they enter college life. The Academy of the Holy Family is where “Friends become Family.” We encourage the young ladies at our Academy to grow in their relationships beyond tolerance and to accept each person as a gift to be celebrated and honored.

Because of our small numbers, our students have many opportunities to grow and develop effective study skills and strong leadership skills along with receiving a strong academic foundation to be successful at the college level.

Freed from the distractions that can arise due to the presence of male students, the girls at our academy are able to be themselves and truly get in touch with the development of their spiritual, emotional and social selves, making the development of these facets of their personalities to be ever more possible. At the Academy, we educate the whole person.

Students usually bring something warm for the wintertime, such as coats, boots, or gloves. They possibly bring something to organize their rooms such as storage bins, an organizer set, or a caddy, etc. to make the room neat. We do provide drawers and cupboards for clothes and essentials. There’s also a nearby Walmart that is within close range. The Sisters can arrange a time to make a trip to Walmart. For more information or specific details concerning necessities, go to https://ahfbaltic.com/student-life/supply-list/ and scroll down to Boarding student clothing /supplies list and personal items.

The school provides a Chromebook to each student and there is a computer lab, so it is not a necessary for the students to bring their ownlaptops since they already have the Chromebooks provided to them for the school year.

Sometimes, on Saturdays, the resident students would go on trips and they would have to provide lunch for themselves, so have spending money available. For laundry, you would have to pay $2.50 to wash and dry clothes.

You are not allowed to stay at the Academy during Christmas, February, and Spring break. If you live quite a distance from the Academy, you have to make the arrangements to stay with a day student’s family. The parents of the family where you might be staying, as well as your own parents, need to give permission for these arrangements.

The purpose of the schedule is to form a habit of managing your time well and creating a routine of studying to prepare you for college.

The Academy prepares you not only academically, but socially as well. We provide college preparation courses as a regular class. We have high expectations for our students and within a year, we already notice growth in the young women if they are willing and open to accept challenges and experiences they have at the Academy.

Our college guidance counselor and academic advisor/guidance counselor strive to direct you to a college that is the best fit for you. 95-100% of our students are accepted into a college or university.

Our guidance counselor arranges an SAT teacher to come into the Academy to help the students improve on their SAT scores, and the class applies to all of our students ranging from resident students and day students. The cost is $250 and a SAT practice book will also be provided. The SAT Teacher can also provide ACT classes but it is not a common request. Transportation will be provided to the SAT testing site and it will be located at a nearby high school approximately ten minutes away from The Academy.

You are able to purchase your uniform at www.donnellysclothing.net. For more information about specific clothing details, go to https://ahfbaltic.com/student-life/supply-list/. If you are unable to purchase a uniform, arrangements can be made when arriving at the Academy. There are also used uniforms available at a reduced rate that are provided by the Environmental Club.