Waldron Mercy Academy - Merion Station, PA

Waldron Mercy Academy (WMA) is a private, Catholic, diverse, co-educational elementary school sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy. WMA's Mercy roots are nurtured at every level and are the foundation for the extensive service and outreach program, recognized as a Middle States Program of Distinction, and for the social justice curriculum that includes the Sisters' Critical Concerns of Racism and Nonviolence.

WMA's reaccreditation highlight, Building Resilience in Students, includes a strong emphasis on building relationships and developing student independence and resilience. Waldron's pervasive sense of community is evident in its hallways, classrooms, and sports fields and is nurtured by teachers and a strong parent connection. WMA's Student Support Team recognizes and addresses the increasing need, particularly with the addition of distance learning, to assist teachers with student academic and emotional support.

As a previously twice-awarded National Blue Ribbon School, Waldron's long established academic strengths continue, as do STEM offerings, a strong athletic program, and the arts program, where almost half the students participate in individualized instruction and students in the upper and lower grades participate in two different musicals. WMA's school-wide embrace of technology and ongoing focus on building resilience and relationships allowed the school to transition seamlessly and instantly to virtual learning. This year classrooms will contain smiling faces at home and in school, with students in both locations engaged in author visits and hands-on activities and interacting with each other.

WMA enters each school year, including this challenging one, ready to develop each student's leadership and Mercy roots.