Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child is a Catholic private school in Summit, in Union County, New Jersey]], United States. It is coeducational from kindergarten to grade 6 and all-girls for seventh grade to twelfth grade. The school operates under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. The school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools since 1992. The school is a member of the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools. As of the 2013-14 school year, the school had an enrollment of 526 students and a student/faculty ratio of 7:1.
Oak Knoll was founded in 1924 and is one of 10 schools in the Holy Child Network of Schools that provides independent Catholic education across the United States. The Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus have also founded schools in England, Ireland, France, Nigeria, and Ghana. All Holy Child schools operate under the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, based in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. Oak Knoll shares the goals of the Schools of the Holy Child Jesus.
History
Founded in 1924, Oak Knoll's roots go back to 1846, when Cornelia Connelly founded the Society of the Holy Child Jesus and opened her first school in England. The Provincial Council of the Society of the Holy Jesus responded to a need identified by the Bishop of Newark for a Catholic School for girls. In January 1924, the Society received permission from Rome to open a school in Summit, New Jersey. Several properties were considered, and the estate of William Zebdee Larned was acquired in May 1924.
The 11-acre (45,000Â m2) site included the stone manor house, "Stoneover" (now known as "Grace Hall"), built in 1887. A stable, located where Connelly Hall now stands, provided gym and classroom space for the Junior School. Two houses on Prospect Street also contained classrooms and convent space. In 1954, Bonaventura Hall, named after benefactor Bonaventura (Kirby) Devine and her husband Christopher J. Devine a Wall Street banker, was constructed for the elementary grades, and in 1956, construction on the new Upper School, Connelly Hall, was completed.
Renovation and growth characterized the 1990s, with the renovation of the Lower School Library in 1992, addition of the Tisdall Hall athletic complex and expansion of the Upper School Library in 1993, renovation of the Grace Hall Chapel in 1994, completion of the Campion Center for the Performing Arts in 1995, and modernization of the Aileen Maury Dining Hall in 1997. From modest beginnings, numbering just 17 students, Oak Knoll's current enrollment exceeds 500 students.
In 2004, Oak Knoll completed construction of athletic fields, located five miles (8Â km) away in Chatham Township.
Technology
Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child boasts a completely wireless campus with a 1:1 technology program, state-of-the-art computer labs equipped with the latest software and equipment, including scanners, laser and photo printers, visual presenter/document camera, digital cameras, and video cameras. and new Makerbot 3D Printers. All Lower School (coed, K-6) classrooms have SMART Boards and video/DVD players.
Athletics
The Oak Knoll School Royals compete in the Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). Prior to the NJSIAA's 2009 realignment, the school had participated in the Mountain Valley Conference, which included public and private high schools in Essex County, Somerset County and Union County. Oak Knoll School offers interscholastic sports for students in grades 5 through 12. For students in grades 9-12, Oak Knoll offers 13 varsity and seven junior varsity competitive programs including: cross country, field hockey, soccer, tennis, volleyball, basketball, indoor track, fencing, swimming,lacrosse, softball, spring track, and golf. For students in grades 7 and 8, Oak Knoll offers: soccer, field hockey, cross country, basketball, lacrosse and non-competitive tennis. For students in grades 5 and 6 Oak Knoll offers: boys soccer, girls field hockey, boys baseball, Intramural, coed basketball, and non-competitive girls lacrosse.
The school was the winner of the 2014-15 ShopRite Cup for Group B, finishing with 113 points, two points ahead of Villa Walsh Academy.
The girls' lacrosse team won the Group I state championship in 2010 (defeating Glen Ridge High School in the tournament final]]) and in 2013 (vs. Mountain Lakes High School). The team won the 2005 North B state championship with an 8-4 win over Mountain Lakes High School.
In 2007, the field hockey team won the North I, Group I state sectional championship with a 4-1 win over Pompton Lakes High School in the tournament final. The team moved on to win the Group I State Championship with a 2-1 win over Shore Regional High School in the semis and a 4-0 win against Holy Cross High School in the finals.
After falling behind by a score of 4-0 after five minutes of the tournament final, the 2013 girls lacrosse team went on to defeat Mountain Lakes High School by a score of 10-9 to win the Group I state championship.
Arts
The fine and performing arts provide a broad array of creative experiences aimed at cultivating the whole aesthetic of each student, kindergarten through grade 12. The Mother Mary Campion Center for the Performing Arts holds approximately 500 people and houses musicals, concerts, plays, assemblies, and campus-wide prayer services.
College preparation
100% of Upper School graduates attend college. Oak Knoll offers 15 advanced placement courses to Upper School students,including Chemistry, English Language, French, Physics B, US History, Biology, Calculus AB and BC, Computer Science A, English Literature, European History, Latin, Spanish, and Studio Art.
Community service
100% of Oak Knoll students volunteer in community service and campus ministry, kindergarten through grade 12. Students and faculty aid numerous outreach programs in the area both during school-wide service days and on an ongoing basis.
Financial assistance
Oak Knoll awarded more than $1.4 million in financial assistance to students for the 2013-14 school year.
Extracurricular activities
There are about 35 extracurricular activities available to Upper School students at Oak Knoll. Beginning in 7th grade the students can choose from many activities.
References
External links
- School website
- Oak Knoll School Of The Holy Child, National Center for Education Statistics