Maur Hill–Mount Academy
Maur Hill–Mount Academy(MH-MA) is a coed Catholic, college prep, boarding high school in Atchison, Kansas. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and sponsored by the St. Benedict's Abbey (monastery) and Mount St. Scholastica (convent) in Atchison, KS. The school became Maur Hill–Mount Academy with the merger of the two long established schools. Maur Hill Prep School (1919) was an all-boys school and Mount St. Scholastica Academy (1863), an all-girls school. Maur Hill - Mount Academy is a Benedictine school with a Raven mascot representing  Benedictine symbolism. It is also affiliated with Benedictine College (BC) in Atchison Kansas. Its colors are navy blue, black and gold. The student population is around 190-220 students (about 80-90 boarding and 100-120 day students from the surrounding area. Boarding students attend from many states across the US and approximately 50 of the boarding students are international students. History. The Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica began educating girls in 1863 in Atchison, KS. The college section of their school merged in 1971 with their counterpart in Atchison, St. Benedict's College which was an all-boys  college. The high school girls continued their education on the Mount's campus as Mount St. Scholastica Academy. St. Benedict's and Mount St. Scholastica's college sections eventually merged to form the present-day Benedictine College. The Benedictine Monks began educating boys in 1858 in Atchison, KS. In 1919 the monks obtained additional property in Atchison and moved the younger boys to the new campus. It was originally St. Benedict's Maur Hill and later Maur Hill. In 2003, Maur Hill and Mount St. Scholastica Academy unified their school's strengths and merged into Maur Hill–Mount Academy. Campus . Maur Hill–Mount Academy is located on a spacious 90 acre campus that contains several buildings and sports fields. All buildings and activity areas are within steps of each other. Academics. Regular high school courses, honors courses, college courses and AP courses are all available. Upper-level students also are able to take college courses at Benedictine College. The school accepts student of average or above average intelligence that plan to continue their education into college. A challenging and supportive academic environment is provided at the school with an academic assistance program, and beyond the school day in the dormitories  with evening study halls and tracking academic progress. Faith. MH-MA is a Catholic school with deep roots instilled from the Sisters at Mount St. Scholastica and the Monks of St. Benedict's Abbey in Atchison, KS. The school holds close the traditions of their Benedictine heritage which is reflected in the school motto; “Ora et Labor” (Pray and Work). Students of all faiths and backgrounds are welcomed and do attend. Athletics and Clubs. Maur Hill–Mount Academy is part of the Northeast Kansas League and has many sports and clubs for students to be involved in during the year . Activities include but are not limited to Football, Volleyball, Soccer, Cheerleading, Cross Country, Dance, Basketball, Baseball, Golf, Track, Swimming, Tennis, Wrestling, Choir, Softball, Debate, Drama, Forensics, International Club, Math Club, National Honor Society, Journalism, Pep Band, Pep Club, Photography, Scholars Bowl, Science Club, French Club, Spanish Club, and Yearbook. House System. The school separates the student body into four (4) diverse and evenly represented groups of the school community, and each group is known as a “House”. The Houses are named after St. Sebastian, St. George, St. Gabriel, and Mother Teresa. The House system is student-led and exists to  strengthen the school community and provide leadership opportunities. Community service, activities, and student government are a part of the House System. Faculty advisers are assigned to each House and ensure a student's personal, academic, and spiritual growth is being supported. Each House breakdowns into smaller groups called a “Family” in which students are assigned a teacher adviser . Each “Family” will meet with their teacher adviser three (3) times a week. The Houses compete against one another in intellectual, athletic, artistic, and other competitions. A point scoring system is in place for individual student and House points. Weekly and monthly  House winners have special privileges or awards, with a House Cup and special trip awarded to the winning House at the end for the school year. Accreditation and association memberships. Maur Hill - Mount Academy is fully accredited by AdvancED and maintains memberships or association in the Secondary School Admission Test Board (SSATB), Catholic Boarding School Association (CBSA), Small Boarding School Association (SBSA), the Cardinal Newman Society, and the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA). Although an independent school with primary sponsorship from St. Benedict's Abbey and the Mount St. Scholastica Monastery, it is recognized and maintains connection with Roman Catholic  Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Maur Hill - Mount Academy competes athletically and academically as a member of the nine school Northeast Kansas League, as well as participates in further competitions with other schools due to the number of sports/activities offered at the school. The school adheres to all state and league guidelines and students have the opportunity to participate in tournaments and competition for league and state titles.