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1846 »
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Decades before its opening, the spirit of Oak Knoll took root in England when Cornelia Connelly founded the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.
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1924 »
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Six Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus and seven lay teachers crossed the Atlantic to transform Summit’s Larned Estate into Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child. Their dedication to “Simplicity, Humility and Charity” began with the education of seventeen children who became Oak Knoll’s “pioneer” students when they entered on September 24, 1924.
The school took the fitting name of “Oak Knoll” from its location on a knoll surrounded by a stand of oak trees. The 11-acre site included the stone manor house known as “Stoneover,” which was constructed in 1887, a stable and a caretaker’s cottage. Originally, “Stoneover” was the convent for the sisters, but it also housed boarding students in the early years. The stable on the property, where Connelly Hall now stands, was converted for use as a gym and for classroom space for the Junior School. Two houses on Prospect Street, one called “Gracemere” and the other known as “Senior School,” also contained classrooms and convent space.
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1950s »
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After World War II, as enrollment increased and programs developed, new buildings were needed. In 1954, Bonaventura Hall was constructed for the elementary grades, and in 1956, construction on the new Upper School, Connelly Hall, was completed.
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1970s-80s »
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Smaller classes and a more diverse curriculum strengthened Oak Knoll’s educational program, but these developments also increased its need for more space. Accordingly, the school adopted a long-range plan to accommodate the growth of the academic program and diversity of the athletic and extracurricular offerings.
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1990s »
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Renovation and growth characterized the ’90s—the renovation of the Lower School’s Bonaventura Hall Library in 1992; the addition of the Tisdall Hall athletic complex and expansion of the Upper School’s Hope Memorial Library in 1993; the renovation of Grace Hall Chapel in 1994; the completion of the Mother Campion Center for the Performing Arts in 1995; and modernization of the Aileen Maury Dining Hall in 1997.
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1996 »
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To ensure the preservation of Oak Knoll’s rich Holy Child heritage for future generations of students, the Board of Trustees announced the establishment of the Acorn Fund Endowment Campaign. This long-term development effort continues to raise vital funding for Oak Knoll’s endowment, providing the financial reserves necessary to sustain a student body reflective of today’s world.
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2004 »
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Building for the future of athletics, Oak Knoll acquired and developed a 13-acre complex in Chatham, affording the school a field house, related buildings, a 64-car parking lot and two multi-purpose playing fields.
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Present »
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From its modest beginnings, Oak Knoll’s current enrollment now exceeds 550 students. Growth and change continue to be evident at Oak Knoll, as the school endeavors to fulfill Cornelia Connelly’s exhortation to “meet the wants of the age.” Cornelia Connelly’s educational philosophy, dedicated to the growth of the whole child “in all learning and all virtues,” has guided Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child throughout its eight and a half decades of existence, providing over two thousand young women and men with an excellent foundation for lives of achievement, service and fulfillment.