The Jaguar Experience

Enrich Your Summer! Discover! Inspire! Create!

Saint Joseph Academy’s new enrichment program, The Jaguar Experience, invites girls entering grades 7 and 8 for the 2026–2027 school year to discover what makes our community truly extraordinary. Over the course of two weeks, campers will dive into hands-on classes, explore new ideas and collaborate with peers in an engaging and supportive environment.
Participants will take four classes designed to spark curiosity and creativity while making meaningful connections with our students, faculty and one another. It’s the perfect opportunity to experience our beautiful campus, and feel the spirit and sisterhood that defines Saint Joseph Academy.

Registration will open on Wednesday, January 21 at 12 p.m.

The Jaguar Experience

June 15-26 (No June 19), 8:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Grades: 7-8
Registration Deadline: June 1
Registration is $405 and includes: 
  • Daily lunch.
  • SJA gear, including a t-shirt, tote bag and notebook.
  • Four daily classes, designed to inspire curiosity, creativity and confidence.
  • A meaningful service experience, reflecting our commitment to leadership, compassion and serving the dear neighbor. 
  • A field trip to Ohio City, allowing campers to explore and learn beyond the classroom (transportation will be provided). 
  • A field day celebration, bringing campers together in the spirit of sisterhood to mark the end of the program. 
Daily Schedule:
8-8:30 a.m. | Arrival
8:40-11:15 a.m. | Classes
11:20 a.m.-12 p.m. | Lunch
12:05-1 p.m. | Community Activities

Campers are welcome to register for an afternoon academic or athletic program to spend all day at SJA.

While The Jaguar Experience is designed as a full two-week program, we understand that your daughter may need to miss a day or two due to family vacations or other commitments. A camp t-shirt is not guaranteed for late registrations. 

For any questions regarding The Jaguar Experience, please contact summer@sja1890.org.

Class Overview

Campers will select preferred classes. We will try our best to accommodate every class request, but please understand that students may not get into every class they selected. 

Crafting Ancient Rome - Journey back to the Roman Era through hands-on projects inspired by the art and everyday objects of ancient Rome. Students will craft their own wax tablets and mosaic tiles, and even prepare a simple Roman dish—developing a deeper appreciation for the creativity, craftsmanship and culture of the ancient world.

Program Director: Mrs. Hannah Speice, Latin Teacher

Empower Performance Lab: Girls in Motion - Get ready for an experience in Health and Physical Education that will be full of movement, creativity, wellness, and fun! Each day brings a new adventure designed just for middle school girls to build confidence, try new physical activities and discover healthy habits.

Program Director: Mrs. Christina Actis, Health and Physical Education Teacher

From Stories to Cinema - Just like authors, movie writers and directors make choices that affect their audience’s experiences. Every word and every camera angle influences how we understand characters and tone. Explore a variety of books that have been made into movies in this session. We will read and view book and movie versions to deepen our understanding of authors’ and directors’ choices.
Program Director: Ms. Emmy Levine, English Teacher

Hidden Lines: Found Poetry - In these creative, hands-on sessions, campers will transform everyday materials into unique found poems that reflect their values, memories and dreams. Through paint chip poetry, blackout poetry, collage poems and other remix activities, they’ll unearth deeper meaning from the words already around them.

Program Director: Mrs. Holly Vinkovich, English Teacher and Department Chair  

Math Girl Summer - Designed to ignite curiosity and strengthen problem-solving skills, this class invites students to experience math in a dynamic and supportive environment. Through hands-on activities, STEM building challenges, artistic geometry projects and collaborative puzzles, students will discover the joy of mathematics while gaining confidence and developing creative thinking skills. It’s math made meaningful, fun and full of discovery!

Program Director: Mrs. Shannon McVay, Math Teacher
Mission to Mars - Blast off into an unforgettable adventure! In this class, campers take on the role of young astronauts preparing for a mission to Mars. They will explore the unique challenges of traveling to and living on the Red Planet. Through hands-on scientific investigations and real-world engineering practices, students will experiment, build, test and problem-solve their way through a series of mission challenges.
Program Director: Mrs. Kristen Barrett, Science Teacher
Positive Psychology - Students will explore the power of their own minds through various psychology activities like building brain hats, learning tricks to improve their memory and experiencing the benefits of positive psychology.
Program Director: Ms. Ali Conkey, Social Studies Teacher
Campers are encouraged to bring a refillable water bottle each day.