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  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Are
      • The HFS Difference
      • Our Mission
      • Celebrating 100 Years
      • Principal's Message
      • Faculty & Staff
    • Ways to Contact Us
      • Contact Us
      • Prayer Requests
    • News & Events
      • School News
      • Calendar
    • Board of Limited Jurisdiction
      • Board of Limited Jurisdiction
    • Parishes
      • Saint Ann
      • Saint Basil the Great
      • Saint Mary of the Assumption
      • Saint Joseph
  • Prospective Families
    • Prospective Students
      • Admission & Registration
      • Inquire Today
    • Tuition & Assistance
      • Tuition
      • Tuition Assistance
    • Curriculum
      • 2016 and 2024 Blue Ribbon School
      • Academic Curriculum
      • Enrichment
      • Preschool & PreK
      • Graduate Highlights
      • Catholic School SNAPS
    • Specials
      • Art
      • Technology
      • Music
      • Phys. Ed
    • Before & After School Programs
      • CARES
      • Athletics
      • After School Programs
  • Current Families
    • Procedures & Policies
      • 2024 Handbooks
      • Uniforms
      • Technology Policy
      • Volunteers & Clearances
      • Lunch Program & Menus
      • Crisis Management
      • Wellness
    • Forms
      • Continuous Enrollment
      • Health
      • Bus Transportation
      • Responsible Use of Technology
    • Academics
      • Option C
      • Class Sites
      • CCIU
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    • Before & After School Programs
      • CARES
      • After School Programs
      • CYO Athletics
    • Get Involved
      • Home and School
  • Giving
      • Give to HFS - Annual Fund
      • Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC)
      • Playground Fundraising
  • Celebrating 100 Years    
    Celebrating 100 Years    
    1922 - 2022
    • Christ Centered…Student Focused… Family Driven

      The timeline below provides key moments of our history.
    • Proud of our history of outstanding Catholic education in Phoenixville and grateful for God’s presence in our lives, we continue the mission entrusted to them, summarized in our motto:

    • 100 Years of Catholic Eduction In Phoenixville

      • 1922 - 1939
      • 1940s
      • 1950s - 1970s
      • 1980s
      • 1990s
      • 2000s
      • 2010s & 2020s
      1922 - 1939
      • 1920s

        Holy Family School began as the parish school for St. Ann Church in Phoenixville. Construction of the school was begun in the early 1920s on a plot located at Third Avenue and Buttonwood Street. The pastor, the Rev. James J. Wilson, initiated and oversaw the construction of the school. He invited the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, whose Motherhouse was at Villa Maria, West Chester, to staff the parish school.  They readily agreed, establishing a loving relationship which grew throughout their 60 years of service to the parish.

        1922

        Parishioners were joined by thousands of residents of Phoenixville and local communities to celebrate the dedication and laying of the cornerstone of the school on June 25, 1922. During this ceremony, a parade of children clad in white and bearing small American flags presented officiant Bishop Michael J. Crane with bouquets of flowers. A large national flag and the parish service flag was draped from the new building and a time capsule, containing documents and coins from that year, was placed inside the cornerstone before it was sealed.

        1923

        On February 4, 1923, the completed school building was blessed and the following day the school officially opened with 100 students, grades 1 through 8. By the end of the first week of school, 145 students were attending. The original school building, constructed by John McShain, consisted of two stories and a basement. The first floor was divided into six classrooms and located on the second floor was a large auditorium complete with stage. The structure of the light tapestry brick building measured 56 feet wide by 102 feet deep. The roof consisted of black slate and all the metal work was copper.

        1924

        In September of 1924, commercial classes were begun for ninth graders. These classes  continued until 1944.

      1940s
      • 1930s - 1940s

        1941

        By 1941, an expanded student body required more nuns to teach courses, and this larger group of sisters was moved to a new convent at Fourth Avenue and Main Street. The first Mass was offered in the convent chapel by Father Corbett.

        1944

        Graduating Class of 1944 - St. Ann
        Graduating class of St. Ann, 1944

      1950s - 1970s
      • 1950s - 1970s

        1956

        In October 1956, it was apparent that the school building needed to be expanded and Rev. Anthony L. McCarron initiated plans for the construction of a new school building.

        1957

        On July 28, 1957, Father McCarron broke ground for the new building, which was to be connected by a glazed passageway enabling the two buildings to function as one unit. The construction consisted of a two-story edifice of reinforced concrete with brick and limestone exterior, designed to make possible the addition of another floor should extra facilities ever be needed. It included 10 classrooms, a basement cafeteria, and storage facilities.Ground Breaking Ceremony of new school, July 28, 1957
        Fr. McCarron breaks ground for the new school as Sexton Eddie Morgan watches.  July 28, 1957

        1958

        On August 31, 1958, Bishop McCormack dedicated the new school and, assisted by the pastor, curates, and priests from surrounding parishes, laid the cornerstone. Classes officially began in the new building in September 1958 with Mother Rita Augustin, IHM serving as principal.

        Dedication of the new school 1958
        Dedication of the new school, 1958

        To accommodate the increased enrollment additional nuns were assigned to the facility. Through the years improvements were continuously made to St. Ann School and its equipment through the generous support of the St. Ann’s Women’s Guild and the Home and School Association.

      1980s
      • 1980s

        1986

        The parishes of Holy Trinity, St. Ann, St. Mary of the Assumption, and Sacred Heart, merged their schools, originally established between 1890 and 1930, forming Phoenixville Area Catholic Elementary School.

        1989

        Administered by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, on December 31, 1989, the Feast of the Holy Family, the school changes its name to Holy Family.
      1990s
      • 1990s

        1991

        The prekindergarten program, which had been operated independently by St. Ann Parish, is incorporated into Holy Family School.

        1993

        In 1993 the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters withdrew from Holy Family School and Mrs. Patricia Dura is named the first lay principal. During Mrs. Dura’s tenure several renovation projects were undertaken, including construction of the preschool and pre-K classrooms, creation of a computer lab, remodeling of the office and nursing areas, and conversion of the auditorium into four classrooms and an art room. A scholarship program was also established.

        1995

        The three year old preschool program is added to the school.

        1999

        The children of St. Joseph Parish (Spring City, PA) join the Holy Family School community. 
      2000s
      • 2000s

        As principal, Mrs. Dura implemented many technological advances that put Holy Family ahead of most diocesan and many public schools. A website was launched, the library was computerized, on-line grading and parental access to grades were initiated, report cards were computer-generated, and projectors and whiteboards were installed in many classrooms.
         

        2009

        With Mrs. Dura’s retirement, Mrs. Ann Marie Braca is named the new principal, and Holy Family continued to evolve.  Smartboards are installed in all classrooms; seventh and eighth graders are outfitted with personal iPads; fifth and sixth graders are equipped with personal netbooks; a set of iPads is acquired for lower grades; the computer lab is upgraded; and a new website is launched.

      2010s & 2020s
      • 2010s & 2020s

        2012

        The Holy Trinity and Sacred Heart parishes merged with St. Mary and St. Ann parishes, respectively.

        During this time the schooled increased the focus on DIBELS and other reading assessments in Grades K-2 to enable teachers to identify and address areas of concern. The adoption of the Common Core Standards, the introduction of Rosetta Stone Spanish in grades 6-8, and the implementation of the First-In-Math on-line program enhance an already strong academic program.

        Beyond academics and service, the school undertook many facility improvements, including repainting more than 75% of the interior, replacing most of the old carpeting with more sanitary tile, and landscaping the exterior, and installing a Holy Family statue in the front of the school.  

        An Annual Fund Drive is established to increase revenue from outside sources, and Holy Family enjoyed an increase in both scholarship money and EITC funds for scholarship.

        2016

        Holy Family School is recognized as a 2016 National Blue Ribbon School, one of 50 private schools in the nation to receive this honor. 

        2017

        Mr. Tom Dever is named principal of Holy Family School.

        2019

        Mrs. Jennifer D'Amelio is named principal of Holy Family School.

        2020s & Beyond

        Today the school remains a preschool through eighth grade operation supported by St. Ann, St. Joseph, and St. Mary parishes. Fiscally, the school is on sound footing.  Holy Family School is currently debt free with a balanced budget and a capital fund.
          
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