Loyola Academy Performing Arts and Thespian Troupe 4729 performed Children of Eden to delighted audiences on March 22–24, with a special matinee for students from Chicago Jesuit Academy and East Lake Academy grade schools on Thursday, March 21. Freely based on the Book of Genesis, Children of Eden is the heartfelt and funny story of Adam, Eve, Noah, and the "Father" who created them—with show-stopping musical numbers from Stephen Schwartz, the composer of Wicked and Pippin.
On Sunday, March 24, nearly 300 Rambler parents and students, including members of Loyola's incoming Class of 2028, participated in the annual Family Mass & Day of Service, sponsored by the Rambler Parent Organization (RPO). The Family Mass & Day of Service has been a Loyola tradition since 2013 and is one of the many ways the Loyola community fulfills its mission to be women and men for others.
On Monday, March 18, Loyola Academy's College Counseling Department hosted its annual College Fair for students and parents to begin the college exploration process. With over 150 colleges and universities and over 600 Ramblers in attendance, Loyola's College Fair remains one of the largest private high school college fairs in the state of Illinois. Entrance to the fair was staggered to allow juniors and their parents to enter first, optimizing their time, followed by sophomores and their parents slightly later.
On Saturday, March 9, members of the Loyola Academy community celebrated Ramble 2024: Inspire Excellence, Transform Lives. Thanks to the generosity of Loyola parents, alumni, and friends supporting our Tuition Assistance Program! Your support makes a difference in the lives of many of our students, and we thank you.
Loyola Academy's AP Studio Art and Design Exhibition, now in its thirteenth year, is an annual celebration of student work in the visual arts held at the Evanston Art Center (EAC). Many of the students exhibiting work in the show have been in art courses at Loyola for two to four years and come from the following disciplines: studio (drawing, painting), graphics, photography, and architecture. The opportunity to present in a professional gallery is a unique and valuable experience for students.
On Saturday, March 2, Loyola Academy and Francis W. Parker School hosted the fourth annual Young Women of Color (YWOC) Symposium, which led over 200 sixth through twelfth grade participants in a series of workshops, affinity group sessions, and activities to create a space for conversation, connection, and community for students who self-identify as young women of color. The day's conversations were guided by the 2024 theme: Find Your Path.
On Wednesday, February 28, Loyola Academy Choirs presented their annual winter concert titled "The Distance Between Then & Now." The concert featured songs from Billie Eilish, The Beatles, and Kirk Franklin.
From February 26 through March 1, Loyola's Hope Squad hosted a special "Week of Hope" to spread positivity across campus and raise awareness for suicide prevention. Hope Squad is a student organization that seeks to prevent youth suicide through education and the destigmatization of mental illness. Hope Squads are implemented in high schools across the country as peer-to-peer mentorship programs that build a culture of care and support among students.
The Loyola Academy girls' varsity basketball team defeated the Nazareth Academy Roadrunners 44-40 to become the 2024 IHSA 4A State Champions! This is the 3rd state championship title in program history (1997, 1998, 2024). Join us in congratulating all our players and Coach Schoenecker & his coaching staff on a perfect ending to an incredible 38-0 undefeated season.
On Thursday, February 22, Loyola Academy alumni artists and members of our community gathered for an exciting preview of the inaugural Alumni Visual Arts Exhibition, which debuted at the McGrath Family Performing Arts Center and will run through Monday, March 18. This exhibition celebrated the exceptional accomplishments of fourteen alumni artists who submitted their work during an open call period at the beginning of 2024.
During the month of February, Loyola Academy students had the opportunity to explore and celebrate the contributions of Black Americans to our country and our community. Through powerful displays and reflective activities, Ramblers were encouraged to pause and consider the impact and influence of Black history. This year’s special focus was intersectionality.
On Friday, February 23, Loyola hosted International Night, an annual celebration of the unique cultures and traditions that enrich our Loyola community. Guests at this year's International Night, or I-Night, enjoyed an array of performances from a number of Loyola's heritage clubs including:
Loyola Academy President Rev. Gregory J. Ostdiek, SJ, announced that Ms. Alice Kearney Alwin ’98 of Chicago has been named the school’s next vice president of mission, ministry, and identity.
On Wednesday, February 14, Loyola celebrated Ash Wednesday with an all school Mass in the West Gym. During the homily, Campus Minister Rev. Stanislaw Czarnecki, SJ, reminded students of Jesus' invitation to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving during this holy season.
On Wednesday, February 7, sixteen Loyola Academy student athletes signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to play their respective sport at the collegiate level. Congratulations to the following students and their parents!
On Friday, February 2, Rambler daughters and dads enjoyed a night of dinner, dancing, and carnival fun at the 2024 D4: Dinner Dance for Daughters and Dads, held at the Evanston Golf Club in Skokie! D4, which alternates annually with Mom Prom, was a wonderful night our Rambler daughters and their dads will not soon forget.
Loyola Academy senior Milannia Martin-Hayes has been awarded admission to Connecticut College through The Posse Foundation, which works to improve college access and attests that the key to a promising future for our nation rests on the ability of strong leaders from diverse backgrounds to develop solutions to complex social problems. Fewer than five percent of applicants nationwide are selected as Posse Scholars.
On Tuesday, January 9, the Village of Wilmette approved an ordinance that grants Loyola Academy with approval to move forward with its proposed lighting plan. The decision comes after the school conducted a months-long process of community outreach and dialogue between school officials and surrounding residents. The process concluded after two Zoning Board meetings (September 6 and October 11) and a vote to approve a drafting of an ordinance by the Village Trustees on November 14.