History of the School |
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History of Seven Holy Founders School Since the very beginnings of Seven Holy Founders Parish, the education of the children has been important. Classes first began just fifteen months after the day in June 1927 when Archbishop John Glennon commissioned Fr. Boniface Efferin,O.S.M. to establish a parish at Gravois and Rock Hill Roads. At that time the area was primarily a farming community and the celebrations of the Eucharist were held at the Gravois Farmers Club or in the home of a parishioner. The cornerstone for the original church was laid in 1927 and on the Feast of the Seven Holy Founders, February 12, 1928 the church was dedicated. Even though the new school building would not be ready until November 1928, classes began in the church basement that September 1928. Thirty-two students attended the first year. The school was staffed by the Ursuline Sisters who remained here until 1989. The growth of the parish was marked by new building projects which required tremendous sacrifice and commitment from the parish community. On July 5, 1948 ground was broken for a new combination church and school. The main floor was to be used as a temporary church with plans to convert it to a gymnasium later. The ground floor had four classrooms and a hall. In 1955, eight more classrooms and a new cafeteria were added. As the farmlands of Affton gave way to subdivisions, the enrollment at Seven Holy Founders School grew. The peak came in 1957 when 1204 students were enrolled. At that time, parish boundaries were realigned causing a drop below the 1000 mark. But the decline did not stop plans for an annex with three more classrooms and a first aid room. The current three-story school with music room, cafeteria, health room, library, reference room, science lab, gymnasium, kindergarten and computer room is a far cry from the two-room country school that first opened its doors to thirty two students in 1928. Generations of children have been taught and loved. Many have returned to teach in the school or to enroll their own children. They come because they know that at Seven Holy Founders the Servites, the teachers and the parish people still care, just as they have done for over seventy years. Seven Holy Founders is an accredited school - Missouri Chapter of National Federation of Nonpublic School State Accrediting Association. Seven Holy Founders School follows Archdiocesan Policies and Procedures in all school matters. |
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