Wolfe Island Schools
Sacred Heart Catholic School
Click on photo for larger version
Sacred Heart School 1987
Photo by Mable McRae
Built: 1952
Location: Con 6 Lot?
Address: Box 59, #27 Road 95, Wolfe Island, ON K0H 2Y0
Webpage: Sacred Heart Page
“As the population and need increased, four separate schools were established - Separate Schools # 1, 2, 4, and 7. These schools were brought together under the Union Separate Board on January 1, 1946. In 1971, the four smaller schools were amalgamated under Sacred Heart School named in conjunction to Sacred Heart of Mary Church. It is the present location of Grades 1 - 8 and is also the home of The Msgr. Ryan Outdoor Education Centre and Extended Adult Education Classes.”
In 1972 the new enlarged six room school was opened by Mrs. Rodney McKenna. It would accommodate all separate school children. Additions put on in 1972 were; six classrooms, library , gym, kitchen, staff room, supply room, janitor's closet.- From Theresa Broeders
Articles
Submitted by Theresa Broeders
Transcribed by Dean Snider
New School will Consolidate Facilities
Wolfe Island--Architect Smith's Conception of Sacred Heart Separate School
A $316,799 Contract to expand the two-room Sacred Heart Separate School in Wolfe Island's first Central School has been awarded to a Kingston company.
Three one-room schools will be phased out with completion of the project, hopefully by September, officials of the Frontenac, Lennox and Addington County Roman Catholic Separate School board said today in making the announcement.
They termed it a significant move toward consolidation of separate school facilities that will bring approximately 150 pupils under one room in Marysville. The schools to be closed are in the outer fringes of the island.
Six companies bid for the project with the contract going to Foley Construction LTD., of Kingston, the low bidder. Next lowest bid was $327,700 and the highest was $357,400.
Architect on the project is Harry P. Smith, of Kingston. Preliminary construction is under way.
The expanded school will have five classrooms, a general-purpose room, a kindergarten, library, and a multipurpose assembly room.
Adjacent to the assembly room will be boys’ and girls' change rooms so that the assembly room can be used for basketball or other games and athletic activities.
Also off the assembly room will be a kitchen, to be used for social activities and which will be linked to the staff room.
The assembly room will contain a stage to which access can be gained from the change rooms or corridor(words missing)
The assembly room, which will project above the one-story-level of the main school, will have no windows so that many types of games can be played. The room is specially ventilated.
Another feature of the assembly room will be tables which fold in flush with the wall when not in use for lunch purposes. The tables will accommodate 300 pupils.
The kindergarten will be of standard size with up - to - date facilities and its own entrance and outside play area.
A new heating system will be installed, and a new septic tanks and a new field tile disposal bed. Two cisterns will supply water. One will have drinking water, which will be treated, and the other will have water for sanitary purposes.
A circular one-way driveway from the highway will make it safer for children coming to school by bus. The buses will not have to back up and turn around to leave the school grounds.
New Sacred Heart School, Wolfe Island
Submitted by Theresa Broeders
Date: 1953
Submitted by Theresa Broeders
Transcribed by Dean Snider
JAN 1, 1953
NEW SCHOOL COMPLETED IN WOLFE ISLAND PARISH
When the bell rings to open the 1953 school term on Wolfe Island 70 pupils will march into a brand new school. They will take over the modern two classroom Sacred Heart Union Separate School, begun last June, completed last week and blessed on Sunday by Father Ryan, pastor of the parish.
The new school is of double red brick and fireproof throughout. Modern design inside and out with plenty of surrounding playground, the new school adjoins Sacred Heart Church, and makes a total of four separate schools now on the Island. It will look after the village children of the parish. The other three schools, all one-room structures, care for the children in the rural areas. Some of these schools date far back onto the history of the parish. The one room school now in use in the village, and which will close with the opening of the new school is more than 70 years old. With the increase in pupils during recent years a large school became necessary. The new school will have 35 pupils in each of its classrooms.
The architect of the new school was the firm of Drever and Smith, Kingston. The contractor was Kelsey and Slack of Arden. Cost of the building was $39,000.
BRIGHT INTERIOR
The school is the length of the two classrooms, with a small teachers’ room, boys’ and girls’ washrooms, and entrance corridor between. The two bright classrooms show the modern classroom design of lively colors and ample lighting. Lively green tones in one room and a pink color scheme in the other add to the cheery atmosphere. Large full length windows extend all along the wall on the pupils left as they face the blackboard, and small wall-top windows run along the opposite side allowing the maximum of natural light all day long. For dull days, a series of nine ceiling lights in modern style fixtures with additional adjustable overhead blackboard spotlights guarantee all the light necessary.
Each classroom has a book closet and built-in clothes closet with air conditioning to dry out clothes on damp days.
Polished terrazzo floor covers the hall and washrooms, while light colored inlaid battleship linoleum cover the classrooms.
An oil furnace, hot water heating system, is in operation and a well provides water for the toilet and washroom facilities. A large cistern has been built beneath the school to offset the danger of water failing in the well.
MANY WORK
The Union Separate School Board, Pastor Father Ryan and Matthews, all shared in the work of planning and bringing to completion the new school. At present pupils up to and including grade VIII are cared for by the schools, but Father Ryan hopes to add grades IX and X in time.
Property for the building was donated by Noble Staley. The large piece of land, about three acres in all, is ideally situated adjoining the church property.
Submitted by Theresa Broeders
Transcribed by Dean Snider
Imprint
Spring 1972
Frontenac County Lennox & Addington County Roman Catholic Separate School Board
Mrs. RODNEY MCKENNA LAYS CORNERSTONE AT SACRED HEART OPENING.
(Photo caption Laying of Cornerstone at Sacred Heart School, Wolfe Island Mrs. Rodney McKenna, 1st Principal Sacred Heart)
Mrs. Rodney McKenna, teacher for twenty-five years in “the little red school house” on Wolf Island, in a May 23rd ceremony officially laid the cornerstone for the island’s new six-room Sacred Heart School which is to retain its unique character of being used by the community and shared by both pupils of the Separate School and Public School systems.
Mr. Robert Welch, Provincial Secretary for Social Development and former education Minister, in his address at the opening ceremony, commended Separate School Board planners for their “public use” concept of the new school.
The total community of Wolfe Island will use the gymnasium and library and library resource facilities of the Sacred Heart School. Public School children on the island have always used the Separate School kindergarten facilities and will continue to do so in the new school. In exchange for this sharing of kindergarten facilities on Wolfe Island, Separate School children in Sydenham, Harrowsmith, and Hartingon attend Public School kindergartens.
School Superintendent Ray Doyle explained that it is board policy to allow the use of any school facility by groups in the community wanting to hold meetings, concerts, put on shows. plays.
“We will provide the space and facilities”, said Mr. Doyle but the community group must take on the extra costs for cleaning, putting in chairs, and the responsibility of providing volunteer staff if they need it for their event.
The new Sacred Heart School is located o the edge of the village of Marysville and replaces three one-room schools and one two-room school scattered throughout the island and now closed.
Teachers
From Laura Monroe: Marilyn Grise taught at Sacred Heart in Marysville in the 1980s, and possibly in the late 1970s. She then left Sacred Heart and taught in Kingston.
**If you have information on Teachers who have taught at this school please email me.
**If you have more information on the history of this school please email me!
The Islands: Schools: Wolfe Island: Sacred Heart
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