It’s official! A year and a half after the groundbreaking ceremony, School of the Holy Child opened its Field House on September 21.

By Melanie Cane

It’s official! A year and a half after the groundbreaking ceremony, School of the Holy Child opened its Field House on September 21. Families, faculty, and special friends filled the new Kelly Family Gym for the school-wide Mass during which Rev. Matt Janeczco blessed the space.

Half of the spectacular 22,000 square-foot Field House is taken up by the gym, which is named after alumna Peggy Kelly and her husband Al, both of whom donate a tremendous amount of time to the school. The building also includes a physical therapy training room, fitness room with state-of-the-art workout equipment, dance studio, and locker rooms for both the home team and visiting teams, a Wi-Fi-ready common area, offices for the athletic staff, and classrooms.

Build it and they will come! Since its unofficial opening in late August, the Field House has been buzzing with activity during and after school, and even on weekends. Faculty and students alike are thrilled with the new facility. “We love it!” said the volleyball team and coach said unanimously.

Head of School Bill Hambleton spoke about all the good things that will flow from the Field House. “As an independent Catholic girls’ school, it is very important for us to perpetuate our mission of providing the best possible environment in which to create great young women. Athletics is a large part of this character-shaping, teaching students leadership, sportsmanship, and healthy lifestyles.”

Athletic Director Amy Pare added, “From the athletic teams and dance program, to the physical education classes, this facility improves the life of every single student at Holy Child. And many of the faculty members are already using the facilities on a daily basis.”

Holy Child is proud to share that 87% of students play on at least one team. “Our new Field House will continue to foster even greater student participation and provide a diversification of physical education classes for our girls,” proclaimed Joseph Kennedy, Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

Holy Child is one of the only schools in the Fairchester Athletic Association to have both a Thirds basketball team and a Thirds volleyball team, which are growing in popularity.

Athletic Director Pare said, “This fall, we added a strength and conditioning program for all Upper School teams and the weight room has already been incorporated into the Upper and Middle School Physical Education curriculum. We want our girls to leave Holy Child educated on how to stay physically fit, and to have a vast comfort level in a weight room.”

The Field House is part of the $6 million capital improvement initiative to improve and expand the Holy Child campus. The only remaining project, transforming the old gymnasium into a state of the art theater, is underway.