The School

Ground was broken for the new school on Christmas Eve 1954, when Father Joseph Lynaugh dug the first shovel full, beaming for the camera.

Construction began on January 1955 for a one level modern structure, built for function and economy. Containing eight classrooms, a superior’s office, nurse’s room and spacious kitchen, it was also built with room for expansion and additional classroom space. An auditorium seating 700, a parking lot for 120 cars and an open field for sports completed the project.

At the invitation of Father Lynaugh, the Sisters Of The Holy Family of Nazareth came to teach our children. Mother Bonita, the first principal and six other Sisters occupied one of the newly built homes in the area as temporary convent.

Meanwhile among church council a unique idea for a fund raiser came up called: “Buy a Brick Campaign”. Men of the parish would visit the homes of Catholic families on Monday evenings with tickets for .50 cents a piece, giving four chances to win at the drawing later that evening. Cash prizes were 1st. place $100, $50 for second and $25 each for 3rd. and 4th. place. It was a popular lottery and continued until school and convent were paid for.

Classes formally started in September 1955 with an enrollment of 285 pupils in eight grades. On that first day of school, behind a small desk in first grade sat a little girl with big brown eyes quietly taking it all in. She and her older sister in fifth grade had only a short time ago emigrated from Italy and did not speak much English. Both girls enjoyed special attention from their homeroom teachers with daily one on one sessions and were lovingly accepted by their classmates. That same little girl grew up to be a respected faculty member of Queen of Peace School.

An active Mothers Club was formed which did much to alleviate some of the burdens of operating the school and volunteered their time and energies for the many social activities. Meanwhile the growing parish made it necessary to start an addition to the school with more classroom space while also at the same time construction was begun for building the new convent in March of 1958 and completed in September of that year.

An open house was held, the beautiful little chapel blessed and dedicated after which the sisters moved i