CHICAGO (August 26, 2005) Catholic elementary and high schools throughout Cook and Lake counties have begun their annual “Back to School” activities with full and half-day session scheduled to begin throughout late August and early September.

Academy of Our Lady, a new Catholic school formed as a result of the consolidation of Immaculate Conception School and Lake Shore Catholic Academy is scheduled to begin classes on Monday, August 29, at 510 Grand Ave., Waukegan. A concelebrated Mass followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception for students and their families is planned for Saturday, August 27 beginning at 5:00 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Parish, located next door to the new school. The Most Rev. Raymond Goedert will concelebrate the mass with three pastors from the parishes that now send their children to the Academy of Our Lady, Rev. James Merold, Queen of Peace, North Chicago; Rev. Gary Graf, Holy Family, Waukegan, and Rev. Francis Plotka, Immaculate Conception, Waukegan.

Academy of Our Lady, located in the extensively renovated and upgraded Immaculate Conception school building, also has a new principal, Sr. Camille Bena, CSSF the former principal of St. Linus School in far south suburban Oak Lawn.

“We believe that the Academy of Our Lady will provide a great opportunity to ensure Catholic faith-based education and quality academic programs for all the children and their families in the Waukegan and North Chicago communities,” said Nicholas Wolsonovich, Ph.D., Superintendent of Catholic Schools.

Among the approximately $600,000 in upgrades and renovations at the Academy’s will be a new state of the art computer lab with classrooms networked together with access to the Internet. All classrooms have their own computers. Extra curricular activities at Academy of Our Lady include football, volleyball, cheerleading, band and basketball as well as Student Council and Junior National Honor society.

Parents interested in enrolling their child at Academy of Our Lady can call Sr. Camille at 847-623-4110 or visit the Academy’s web site at www.acadofourlady.org

Jesuits open new school

Another new school that is opening in the Archdiocese this academic year is the Chicago Jesuit Academy, located at 212 S. Francisco Ave., Chicago. Operated by the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus, the Academy will operate as a full-scholarship Jesuit middle school for boys of modest economic backgrounds who live on the West Side of Chicago.

Chicago Jesuit Academy has small classes, individualized instruction, an extended academic day and an 11-month school year to assist students as they work to become “gentlemen for others” in the Jesuit tradition. The Academy’s commitment to students will extend beyond middle school to include support for alumni during high school and their transition to college.

Chicago Jesuit Academy begins their first year with fifth grade boys and will add one grade per year until fully constituted with a 5 th through 8 th grade in 2008. Parents or guardians seeking additional information about Academy admissions can contact Matthew Lynch, President, at 773-638-6103 or visit the Chicago Jesuit Academy web site at www.cjacademy.org

St. Joseph High School in Westchester now co-ed

St. Joseph High School, 1840 S. Mayfair Ave., Westchester, begins its 45 th year in existence as a college preparatory high school sponsored by the Christian Brothers. This is also the school’s first year as co-ed after receiving approval from Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I., to change the mission of the school and expand from an all-boys school to a co-educational school. Almost 800 young women and men r egistered for the 2005-2006 academic year at St. Joseph High School come from more than 100 elementary schools from the western suburbs and the City of Chicago. St. Joseph also has become the first high school in the area to provide students with a choice of co-ed or single-gender classes.

St. Joseph High School was the first Catholic high school in Illinois to inaugurate a mandatory laptop program. As a “100% laptop school” every student, teacher, and staff member at St. Joseph High School has a laptop or desktop computer.

Information about upcoming Open Houses and information for 6 th, 7 th and 8 th graders and their parents who are interested in St. Joseph High School can be found on the school’s web site, www.stjoeshs.org or by calling David McCreery, President, at 708-562-4433.