Preschool and Kindergarten Open House on Oct. 24 at Holy Cross School in Rumson

Holy Cross School in Rumson will host a Preschool and Kindergarten Open House on Friday, October 24 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at 40 Rumson Road.

Parents will be able to tour the school, meet the teachers and learn about the excellent formative educational program the school offers early learners.

Enrollment for 2015 Pre-K and Kindergarten opens November 1st. For an Open House Calendar and registration information, visit www.holycrossschoolrumson.org.

Parents interested in other grades are also welcome.

About Holy Cross School

Holy Cross School’s commitment to educating children in the Catholic faith can be traced to1894 in a one-room school, located in the Parish Hall on the current Rumson campus. The tradition of academic achievement was refreshed and strengthened with the dedication of a new school on September 8,1941 by the Most Reverend William A. Griffin, Bishop of Trenton. This school marked the beginning of the present day program.

The Rt. Reverend Monsignor Patrick J. Clune, Pastor of Holy Cross, purchased the home and estate of Bernon S. Prentice to serve as a school and as a convent for the Sisters of Mercy. Sr. Marie Jeanne, RSM was the first principal of the school. The initial enrollment of 74 students was limited to grades one through four. Classrooms on the first floor of the former Prentice home proved inadequate as the student population increased. Each year from 1946 to 1949, a new classroom was formed in the Parish Hall at the rear of Holy Cross Church.

In 1953, the present school building was erected under the guidance of Reverend Joseph A. Sullivan. Containing nine classrooms, an auditorium, kindergarten, library and clinic, the new school building accommodated the growing student population for just less than a decade. In 1962, the addition of six classrooms and a new convent and chapel for the Sisters of Mercy was completed and dedicated on the 23 rd of September by the Rev. George W. Ahr, Bishop of Trenton. The following spring, the Prentice home which had served both as school and convent for so long was razed, soon followed by the demolition of the Parish Hall.

The most recent addition to the school, which accommodates an enrollment of 500 students in Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade, was dedicated during the first mass in the new building on December 16, 2006. A gymnatorium (a multi-purpose space filing the needs of a gymnasium, cafeteria and auditorium), media center, computerized library, interactive classrooms and a science lab brought Holy Cross School firmly into the 21st Century.

Mission

The community of Holy Cross is dedicated to educating the whole child in a God-centered environment. Living in the light of Christ’s teachings, we celebrate the value and dignity of each child. To our children we entrust Christ’s mission here on earth.

Philosophy

Holy Cross School Proclaims the Gospel message of Jesus Christ and the truths of the Catholic Church. Its primary purpose is growth in faith for all those associated with it. This is accomplished in a living experience of a faith community through direct instruction, liturgical participation, service projects, and personal witness.

Ths school’s curricula, programs and activities are designed to meet the needs and capabilities of Holy Cross students and to foster each student’s total development--spiritually, intellectually, personally, socially and physically.

The challenge to integrate learning and living with faith is only accomplished when all members of the school community-administration, faculty, parents and students - are united in this purpose. By modeling Catholic Christian values and by expressing the importance of religion by word and example, the home and school together teach the student that the Christ-like life is possible and credible. For the Holy Cross School Community, it is the way to fullness of life now and in the future.

For more information, such as directions and admission information, visit: www.holycrossschoolrumson.org.