All of us at OA believe that we are indeed the best choice for what matters most – your children.  We believe we have the perfect recipe for success:  a rigorous and diversified curriculum, an extraordinary faculty and staff, this amazing collegiate style campus, and multi-faceted co-curricular, athletic and fine arts programs.  Plus – and most importantly – we offer this premier educational experience in a vibrant, faith-filled environment where your sons and daughters become equipped with the values and beliefs so essential in this complex and often confusing world.  

Our mission and vision statement focuses and frames all that we do at OA.   You will notice that at its core are our Franciscan sponsorship values: prayer, care of creation, dignity of the individual, justice/peace, and reconciliation/conversion.  We choose one of these values to focus on every year and integrate into our classes and school culture. 

The outward movement of these values generates the key attributes of our mission statement that direct who we want our graduates to become – a sort of “grad at grad” statement:  men and women who are exemplars of Academic Excellence, Social Responsibility, Leadership, Personal and Spiritual Growth. Under each of these you see some specific descriptions of what that actually means in day-to-day life.  (effective communicator, a global ambassador, a critical thinker, etc.)

But this infographic can be a bit overwhelming at first glance.  We like to chunk it into 3 themes:  FAITH, FUTURE, and FAMILY that we believe will help you answer the question “Why I will choose to send my son or daughter to OA”. 

Here is a high-level overview, a trailer of sorts, for each theme.

Faith

To give you some examples of how our Catholic identity is central and integrated into our day-to-day life (which is really where it counts, eh?), let us share with you some memos posted in a recent Twister News, our weekly parent newsletter. 

Wednesday Morning Prayer: ALL are welcome to join us in the old gym (or in front of school if weather permits) each Wednesday morning from 7:45-7:55 am. This is in addition to new daily opportunity to pray the Liturgy of the Hours in the ICA oratory each morning. Let's pray, OA!

Advent Confessions:

students will have the opportunity to go to confession during religion class.

Advent Prayer services:

All-school Advent prayer service is held during REACH each Monday of Advent. 

On December 8 is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and our namesake “Feast Day” commemorating the date that the Sisters Chapel was first opened in 1890 but also the recognition that the Academy has always been consecrated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and blessed under her protection and guidance.   

As a school community we will commemorate this special day together by celebrating Mass at 2:00 at Holy Family.  Freshmen will receive a “miraculous medal” during Mass as well.  This has been a tradition for all students new to the Academy for several years.   

Archdiocesan Senior Mass:

The Senior Class traveled to Brownsburg to St. Malachy to celebrate Mass with their Senior Classmates from throughout the Archdiocese.  Archbishop Thompson celebrated the Mass and shared about how  life is full of 'Mountain' and 'Valley' moments.  Senior year is one of those "Mountain Moments".  It is a big deal.  Archbishop Thompson also told the Seniors that they are the leaders of all schools.  More than anything any school leader or teacher could do, the senior class sets the climate of the school.  

Information about 2 future opportunities for our students to grow in their faith:

• Indy March for Life

• Summer High School Youth Conference:

Strong, clear Catholic beliefs, values, rituals, sacraments, and disciplines have always been our guideposts for OA. We join you as the primary role models and leaders for your child’s spiritual growth. It is our greatest differentiator and a responsibility we take seriously.

Future

If your son or daughter is your oldest child, you may already be shaking your head at how quickly you got to this moment – choosing a high school for your baby!  Those of you with older children are nodding your heads saying – hold on to your hats – it only speeds up from here!  

OA is dedicated to offering our students a rigorous, diverse, and dynamic college preparatory curriculum. Even though you may be uncertain at this moment whether a 2 or 4-year college is your child’s next step after high school, we can assure you that the content and skills developed and reinforced here are essential for future success whatever the next step in their journeys.

Specific strengths we bring to the table for this are

• Small class size

• Personal attention and mentoring

• A 4-year College to Career readiness program

• Gifted, engaged, qualified teachers

Family

We regularly describe our school as the “OA Family”.  This is intentional.  We are passionate about the philosophy that being “known”, listened to, supported and challenged are keys to a students’ capacity for growth and learning.  When we ask our graduates what was most important to them about their years at OA, the consistent response “my teachers…. They believed in, helped me believe in myself, and encouraged me to try new things and be successful”.  

For the past 2 years, we’ve been focused on developing a multi-tiered support system plan that will provide the scaffolding for ALL students to meet and even exceed academic and social-emotional goals.  We recently dedicated an entire professional development day to continued work on this.  

Family = safety, identity, camaraderie and fun.  In addition to the classroom, this is generated in co-curricular activities such as athletics, academic team, art club, drama.  A small school means there is the opportunity for ALL to find a place (often several!) to connect with friends, unleash the power of collaboration and teamwork, and share their talents and skills with others.