SJB School History

St. John Brebeuf School History

The following is a historical timeline highlighting the growth and development of St. John Brebeuf School from 1953 to the present.

1955

  • St. John Brebeuf Grammar School opens with six sisters, two lay teachers and 420 students in grades six through eight.

1956

  • Contracts are issued for the construction of six more classrooms and a hall.
  • The school has grown to 550 children.

1957

  • SJB students win the first of three consecutive awards for Fire Prevention activities which culminated in a “First” prize in 1980.

1958

  • SJB School has its first 8th grade graduation with 62 students.

1961

  • The school population had grown so large that the primary grades were on split sessions, one group attending in the morning, the other in the afternoon.

1962

  • Twelve classrooms were added to the school to accommodate 1,470 children.

1964

  • The last addition to the school is completed.  This brought the school to 38 classrooms.

1967

  • School enrollment peaks at 1,600 students.  There were five classrooms for each grade from one through five.

1968

  • An elected School Board was created with nine lay members to work with the Pastor and the School Principal in all matters related to curriculum and finance.

1976

  • SJB School opens it doors to the first Kindergarten class.

1978

  • “Jubilee Year” for St. John Brebeuf Parish marks its 25th Anniversary with 2,620 families and 699 school children being taught by 12 sisters and 20 lay teachers.

1980

  • Sr. Rita Green became Principal of St. John Brebeuf School.

1985

  • In spring, the after-school program for students in grades Kindergarten through eighth grade begins.

1994

  • The first Gala, a cocktail and dinner party with a silent auction, was started as a new vehicle for raising additional parish funds.  Proceeds from Gala go to support the parish school.

1995

  • Margaret Whitman is hired as Principal of St. John Brebeuf School.

1997

  • The Commemorative Walkway between the church and the school was started as a way to help support special school projects.  The committee was Fr. Robert Banzin, Principal Margaret Whitman, Pete Zonsius, Tony LaCorte, Joe LoVerde Jr., and Don Wiedemann.

1998

  • SJB School receives a gift of art.  A wood carving, life size, sculpture titled “Jesus Welcoming All Children” is installed at the front entrance of the school.

2003

  • An all-class reunion held on April 11th for all SJB graduates to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Parish.