Saint Gertrude High School

Saint Gertrude High School is an independent Catholic college preparatory day school for young women grades 9-12 in Virginia. Founded in 1922 by the Benedictine Sisters of Virginia, Saint Gertrude provides young women with an academic education in an environment of Christian values and cultural diversity. Located in a historic district of urban Richmond, Saint Gertrude High School is the only Catholic girls' school in the state of Virginia.

Background

Saint Gertrude was built in 1913 to provide a home and a chapel for the Benedictine Sisters who taught at Saint Mary’s School on Fourth and Marshall Streets in Richmond, Virginia. The building also had two rooms used as a small private elementary school and housed a care center for exceptional children which was later discontinued.

In 1922, Saint Edith Academy, a boarding school for girls at Bristow, Virginia was closed, and the high school department was transferred to Saint Gertrude in Richmond. Sister Gertrude Head, the first principal, and a three-member faculty began the educational program for eight students. In the course of the first year the enrollment increased to twenty-six.

The school continued to operate solely in the original building until a new classroom wing was added in 1956. These two structures then made up the school building for nearly twenty years, until the 1972 addition was completed. The newest addition, dedicated in May 2005, houses a new library/media Center, athletic facility, and science labs.

At the very onset, the School was affiliated with the Catholic University of America. In 1925, Saint Gertrude was accredited by the Virginia State Board of Education and in 1942 by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 1978, the school became a member of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools. Saint Gertrude’s accreditation continues to be through VAIS and SACS, which are affiliated with the Virginia Council of Private Education. Saint Gertrude High School was awarded "Blue Ribbon School" designation in 1996.

Profile

During the 2006-2007 school year, there were approximately 275 students enrolled at Saint Gertrude and the 2006 percentage of college-bound graduates was 99%. Saint Gertrude fields 17 teams in 12 sports. Teams offered by season include: Fall: Tennis, Volleyball (JV and Varsity), Filed Hockey (JV and Varsity), Cross Country; Winter: Basketball (JV White, JV Green, Varsity), Indoor Track, Swimming; Spring: Softball, Soccer (JV and Varsity), Lacrosse, Outdoor Track, Golf.

Notable Alumnae

*Leslie Bibb, actress, model

External links

* [http://www.saintgertrude.org/ School Website]

Notes and references