Warming Hearts in the Cold: Mount Students Serve with Bridges Outreach

On a chilly January morning in 2025, Theology teacher Mrs. Valerie Haggerty and seven compassionate Mount St. Dominic Academy students piled into the school van, ready to spread warmth—literally. With 100 PB&J sandwiches (made by fellow student volunteers in the PB&J Club), stacks of donated winter gear, cases of water, and treats, all courtesy of Mount families, they headed to Newark to partner with Bridges Outreach of Lincoln Park, bringing much-needed aid to those in need.

The students served soup, poured hot chocolate, distributed toiletries, fresh fruit, and sandwiches, and warmly welcomed individuals struggling to meet their basic needs. “Despite the cold morning, the experience was incredibly rewarding, leaving a lasting impact on all involved,” Mrs. Haggerty reflected.

"The Bridges Program is great in regard to charitable giving—food, soup, and more. But the justice component is just as important, including access to services through a social worker," shared Stella Luna '26, a student volunteer.

Students at Mount St. Dominic Academy are encouraged to embody Caritas, which translates to love in Latin. This principle serves as a guiding philosophy, instilling in students a sense of commitment to social justice and human rights—a commitment to charity and justice for the greater good. As part of the Mount’s Dominican values, one of the four pillars is mission, emphasizing the call to serve others.

“At MSDA, students not only receive a high-quality education, they are also nurtured to become socially responsible, globally aware leaders of tomorrow, equipped to make meaningful contributions to the world beyond the Mount. This is just one way Mount students 'find their fire,'”said Dr. Karen D’Avino, Principal, Mount St. Dominic Academy.

About Mount St. Dominic Academy
Mount St. Dominic Academy (MSDA), established by the Sisters of St. Dominic, is an independent Catholic college preparatory school dedicated to educating young women from diverse ethnic, religious, and economic backgrounds. Located in the picturesque town of Caldwell, New Jersey, the Mount has been empowering young women in the Dominican tradition since 1892.

MSDA is a member of several prestigious organizations, including the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools, the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the International Coalition of Girls' Schools, the Dominican Educators Learning Community (DELC) formerly known as Dominican Association of Secondary Schools (DASS), the National Catholic Educational Association, and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.

The Mount offers an impressive array of signature programs, which are similar to having college minors, including the: L.E.O. Entrepreneurship Program; Health Sciences Concentration (HSC); Social Justice Concentration, and the Directed Research Senior Capstone Program. Through these programs, students gain invaluable real-world experience that prepares them for future success.

Mount St. Dominic Academy has received numerous accolades, including the “Gold with Access” on the 2024 College Board AP School Honor Roll, as well as the 2023 College Board AP® Computer Science Female Diversity Award for exceptional female representation in AP Computer Science A (CSA), and the 2023 and 2024 AP Computer Science Principles (CSP) Award. It also earned Gold Medals in the 2023 and 2024 “Best of Essex” contests in the “Best Private High School” category. Additionally, the Mount achieved an A+ rating on Niche’s 2024 Best Schools list, a distinction awarded to only 2.5% of schools nationwide.

One hundred percent of Mount graduates are accepted to 4-year colleges. The 60 graduates of the Class of 2024 earned more than $13 million in scholarships and merit awards. Accepted into 119 colleges and universities across the country, more than 40 of these schools welcomed Mount graduates as freshmen in the fall of 2024. MSDA currently has students at leading colleges and universities across the country, including Notre Dame, Villanova, Holy Cross, George Washington, University of Michigan and NYU – to name just a few.

Rolling Admissions for the Class of 2029 has begun! Private Family tours and “Mountie for a Day” visits are available to current 8th graders and transfer students in Grades 9-11, or join us at our Spring Open House on April 2, 2025. Your sisters can’t wait to meet you! Visit the Mount for more information.