Of Cornelia Connelly’s many cherished quotes, one that seems particularly apropos at Oak Knoll during the Christmas season is, “Be full of joy.”  

Upper School Division Head Laura Hollenbaugh summed up this sentiment in her holiday letter to the Oak Knoll community. “This simple yet profound phrase resonates deeply with the Advent and Christmas season here at Oak Knoll,” she explained. “It reminds us of the joy that fills our hearts as we prepare for the birth of Christ — a joy that comes alive in the shared moments of prayer, tradition, and community.”

One of Oak Knoll’s longest-serving Upper School faculty members, Art Teacher Will Cardell, has witnessed a wealth of these shared moments in his more than four decades of teaching. “For me, the Christmas Prayer Concert is the most essential tradition of this holy season at Oak Knoll,” Cardell explained. “The integration of scripture readings, tableau scenes, and sacred music in this spiritual presentation provides an awe-inspiring experience for our community in anticipation of the birth of our Lord. This is what Christmas is about!”

“The children of Oak Knoll are the true light of my Christmas,” added long-serving Lower School Religion Coordinator and Grade 3 Religion Teacher Patti Ceparullo. “From our youngest singing ‘There Was a Little Baby, Oh My Lord,’ to our sixth-grade John the Baptist proclaiming, ‘Get the road ready for the Lord,’ these heartfelt traditions remind me each year of the true meaning of Christmas.”

In this centennial year, we take stock of all the wonderful traditions that have evolved over our 100-year history — the age-old and beloved, the decades-long and counting, and the relatively new traditions that are planting seeds of joy for the future.

Age Old and Beloved (More than 40 Years)

• Immaculate Conception Mass
• Grade 1-6 Christmas Concert and Tableau
• US Christmas Prayer Concert
• US Advent Angels Secret-Santa-like Charitable Donations 
• LS Christmas Assembly
• Kindergarten Christmas Pageant
• Annual Student-designed Oak Knoll Community Christmas Card

Decades-Old and Counting (More than 10 Years)

• Senior Tree Decorating
• PA Advent Morning of Reflection Service
• LS Grandparents/Special Friends Day
• LS Creche Prayer Service
• Holiday Dance Showcase
• LS Los Posadas Reenactment of Joseph and Mary’s Search for an Inn
• Royal Boutique Holiday Market
• LS Christmas Dinner Baskets for Sacred Heart School Families
• US Grade-level Christmas Outreach to Six Nonprofit Partners
• US 12-days of Christmas Song Spoof

Planting Seeds of Joy for the Future (Less than 10 Years)

• Grades 1-2 Nativi-Tea Party with a Parent or Special Adult
• Gingerbread House Decoration Party with a Parent or Special Adult
• All School Tree Lighting
• LS Santa Shop to Buy Gifts for Family and Pets
• PA Cookie Decorating
• Pre-K Christmas Performance
• PA Lunch Packing for Bridges Outreach
• LS/US Humorous Holiday-themed Faculty Videos
• LS Countdown to Christmas Schedule of Themed Days
• Toy Drive for St. John the Baptist Church in Newark

For generations of students, staff, and faculty, the weeks leading up to Christmas Break are 
looked back upon with a nostalgia that is difficult to describe but always mentioned among “my favorite Oak Knoll memories.” 

Whether it is worship, prayer, providing service to the community, exchanging gifts, surprising friends, reveling in the arts, or simply laughing amongst colleagues and friends and experiencing the wonder and anticipation of the season, Oak Knoll has been filling holiday hearts with joy for a century, and planting seeds of joy that future generations will cherish. 

Happy Holidays from all of us in the Oak Knoll community!