The Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Chicago Jesuit Academy

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CJA is a loving and supportive life-long community for our students and alumni. We are a tuition-free, Catholic lower and middle school for students and families impacted by historic disinvestment. We also accompany alumni as they transition to high school, post-high school options and on to the start of their careers, and we engage with the larger community to support creating access to better educational resources.
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CJA accepts 3rd-5th grade students first come, first served and we are not academically selective. For 6th-8th grade applicants, academics and willingness to partner with the school are taken into account. We accept students in all grades without regard to race, ethnicity or religion. Learn more about our school and see why your child belongs at CJA!
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At CJA, we believe in caring for the whole person. We provide rigorous academics in a loving and supportive environment but we also support our students physically, mentally and spiritually through a dedicated school nurse, a team of social workers, a faith-based education, enriching co-curriculars and a nutritious meal program.
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After students graduate from CJA, they work consistently with their College & Career Persistence (CP) counselor until age 25 and they and their families are considered part of our community forever. Our dedicated team of CP counselors accompany students and alumni through the transition to high school, post-high school and ultimately careers.
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When children are given the resources they deserve in order to thrive in and outside of the classroom, they can reach their full, incredible potential. We see the impact each day in working with our students, alumni and partner schools. Their hard work, dedication and resilience demonstrates what can be achieved when obstacles to educational equity begin to be removed.
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We’re expanding our services to students across Chicagoland! By 2027, we’ll be supporting students in nineteen elementary schools as they identify and choose their best-fit high schools.

And, now that our expanded school building is open, we are working to deepen relationships with neighbors and local organizations as we seek to provide a community gathering space.
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As a tuition-free school, the success of our mission depends entirely on the generosity of people who believe in the great promise of our students and alumni. All gifts are critical investments in ensuring access to the academic resources and holistic care for the community we serve.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

The holiday season is always a special time at CJA. Our hallways are filled with excitement and joy as students and teachers alike look forward to the special traditions that celebrate the coming of light and love during Christmastime. Over the last several weeks, our boys and girls have taken part in holiday activities and field trips that highlight Christmas traditions and celebrations around the world. Today, we will gather as a community to rejoice in our own special CJA traditions at our Christmas chapel service and our Christmas Field Day!

As our students experience the joy and wonder of the season, we cannot help but be grateful for you and all the other members of our community who help make so many wonderful things possible for our students and alumni.

Across our six grade levels, each cohort of students used their creativity and ingenuity to deck the halls of CJA with holiday artscapes for our first ever door decor competition.

Some of our 8th-grade students volunteered their recess time to decorate CJA’s Welcome Center Christmas tree.

Our 3rd- and 4th-grade boys learned about the holiday traditions and cultures of 100 different countries while visiting the Christmas Trees Around the World exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry.

After spending time in class reading Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, our 5th- and 6th-grade boys were able to attend the play at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre.

Our 3rd-, 4th- and 5th-grade girls enjoyed using their imaginations to create ice castle prints in a Printmaking Unit facilitated by our two full-time art teachers during their weekly studio classes.

Eight CJA alumni who are currently undergraduates at DePaul University returned to campus with Jim and Michelle Ryan last Friday night. We also welcomed nearly 100 alumni to campus on Thursday evening for our annual Alumni Reunion.

Thank you for being a part of our community, for helping bring light to our days and for believing in the great promise of our young men and women.

We wish you and your loved ones a holiday season full of peace and joy, and we look forward to keeping you updated about all things CJA in the new year!