School of the Holy Child recently announced a $6 million capital campaign to fund the construction of a new field house and the renovation of the school’s 1959 gymnasium into a state-of-the-art theatre.

School of the Holy Child recently announced $6 million capital campaign to fund the construction of a new field house and the renovation of the school’s 1959 gymnasium into a state-of-the-art theatre with portable stage platforms.

“We are excited at the prospect of providing new facilities which will better reflect the outstanding accomplishments of our young women while, at the same time, help them to achieve success well into the future,” said Head of School Ann F. Sullivan at a private reception for parents, alumnae, and friends earlier this month.

Trustees and Campaign Committee Co-Chairs Joe Houlihan and Domenick Ciaccia reported that 75 percent of the campaign goal has already been committed by 71 families. “Many of these families told us their pledge to Holy Child’s capital campaign represented the largest gift that they had ever made to any one charity,” said Houlihan.

The capital campaign will fund the first phase of construction projects in the school’s Master Campus Plan, which was last updated in 2009 under the direction of Peter Duncan, Trustee and Buildings & Grounds Chair, in partnership with the architectural firm Peter Gisolfi Associates of Hastings. The field house will include a 9,700 square foot gymnasium with two full-size courts; locker rooms for students, coaches, and visiting teams; office space for Athletics/PE staff; an athletic trainer room; and a student commons. The completion of the new field house will quickly make possible the renovation of the current gymnasium into a space for music, dance, and drama productions, liturgies, and assemblies. Plans for the theatre include seating for 400; an enhanced and larger staging platform; state-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment; a workshop for set-building and costume design; and dressing rooms and wardrobe storage.

The Master Campus Plan also takes into account planning for future additions to the field house, among them a weight and fitness room; a dance and aerobics studio; and regulation-sized squash courts. “We will build the field house in a very smart way so that it becomes a living, breathing building that grows over time,” said Board Chair Al Kelly. “Getting this project underway will be transformational for the school.” Noting that the project must be funded 100 percent through philanthropy and the need for additional fundraising, Kelly added, “We plan to file plans with the Town of Harrison this spring. I hope that we can break ground sometime during the next academic year.”

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