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Alumnae of Academy Immaculate Conception and Marian Heights Academy
“…perpetuation of friendship and mutual encouragement…”
Academy Immaculate Conception is a girls boarding school owned and operated by the Sisters of St. Benedict for 130 years. It opened in 1870, three years after the sisters founded Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand. The school was established to provide an education for girls who wished to acquire proficiency in the fine and practical arts. The school name was changed to Marian Heights Academy in 1973, and in 2000, the sisters closed the Academy due to increasing operating costs, decreasing enrollment, and concerns about the future of girls boarding schools.
The Academy Alumnae Association was formed in 1925. All attendees and staff of Academy Immaculate Conception/Marian Heights Academy are members of the Alumnae Association. A board of directors provides leadership for the association. The Academy Alumnae Reunion is held annually on the last Sunday in June.
ALL who attended the Academy, whether you graduated or not, are invited to the Alumnae Reunion. Those of us who share the Academy experience have a unique bond of friendship and sisterhood. The summer reunion on the hill allows us to reconnect and to strengthen those bonds, as well as make new friends. “It’s more than just meeting up with our class,” said board member Tina Dalton. It’s a “network of Academy girls.”
Representatives from special anniversary classes — graduation years ending in 1 or 6 — have been contacting their classmates and making plans for the reunion in June.
The Alumnae Reunion schedule is as follows:
Saturday, June 25
- No scheduled activities on campus
- Alums and classes are welcome to visit and spend time on campus
Sunday, June 26
- Check-in/registration confirmation and continental breakfast – 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. EDT in the Assembly
- Mass in the monastery church – 10:30 a.m.
- Dinner with delicious desserts made by the Alumnae board – noon in St. Gertrude Hall at the monastery
- Annual alumnae meeting and class recognitions following the dinner, drawing for art raffle winners, door prizes, and more fun
- Visiting throughout the afternoon
The $25 fee charged for Alumnae Day helps cover the cost of the meal, set up, continental breakfast, and for the publication of Jottings, the alumnae newsletter. Payment may be made when you preregister or when you check in on Alumnae Day.
A big hit and a real bargain the past few years has been the silent auction held on Sunday. You can place bids for a piece of beautiful artwork (jewelry, painting, ceramic piece, glasswork, gift basket) made and contributed by Academy alums. The items will go to the highest bidders.
If you need accommodations for the weekend, check the list on page 6. There may be a few rooms (two twin beds in each) with common bathroom facilities to rent in Benet Hall, located on campus. For information and room reservations, contact Anita Aders at Kordes Center, 812-367-1411, ext. 2915, or 800-880-2777.
We hope to see you in June!
And the bottom line is REGISTER FOR THE SUMMER REUNION BY JUNE 13.
In 1870, the Academy was established. So at the annual Alumnae Reunion this summer, we celebrated our 140th anniversary and took a walk back into history. Look for more info in the fall issue of Jottings.
Jottings
Jottings is the newsletter for alumnae of Academy Immaculate Conception and Marian Heights Academy. It is published twice a year.
Past issues