March 23, 2006 Issue                                               

©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

Norwood breaks ground for new Commons Building
by Kristin Pazulski

Norwood-Fontbonne Academy held their groundbreaking ceremony Sunday for the new Commons Building and other improvements taking place at the school. Pictured from left to right are NFA Principal Sister Jean Laurich SSJ, NFA Assistant Principal George Aspen, President of NFA’s Parents Association Jackie Woolley, NFA Assistant Principal Deborah Wood, Co-Chair of the Capital Campaign Eileen DePaul, President of NFA’s Student Council Devlin Carey, NFA faculty Chuck Seaton, President of the Sisters of Saint Joseph Sister Patricia Kelly SSJ, Chair of NFA’s Advisory Board Wm. Stewart Graham and Co-Chair of NFA’s Capital Campaign Tony DePaul.

The Norwood-Fontbonne Academy broke ground Sunday for its new Commons Building, part of a $12 million building project designed to “enhance the facilities we now have to match the programs and services we offer,” according to Sister Jean Laurich SSJ, the school’s principal. Construction of the building is set to begin later this spring.

The Commons Building is part of the first phase of the Master Facilities Plan, which also includes a two-story addition to James Anthony Hall, classroom restorations and traffic reconfiguration.

The approximately 7,000-square-foot Commons will be built on the Fontbonne campus, at Sunset and Norwood Avenues, and will serve as a multi-purpose facility for all grades, hosting liturgies, meetings and athletic events. Also, an area will be created on the Fontbonne campus for buses to pull in to alleviate traffic problems along Sunset Avenue.

The James Anthony Hall addition, also part of the first phase, will be built on the Norwood campus, 8891 Germantown Ave. The addition will be built onto the Germantown Avenue side of the hall and will house classrooms and an improved science laboratory.

Norwood-Fontbonne Academy was two boarding schools before joining forces in 1973. Norwood housed boys; Fontbonne, girls. This project brings the first new construction to the school in 30 years, since James Anthony Hall was built. Norwood-Fontbonne serves about 500 students, from its preschool Montessori program to eighth grade. Sister Laurich said an increase in enrollment is not planned.

The first phase of construction is expected to cost $5 million. The school has raised $1.3 million since last spring, and Sister Laurich said she is confident the full $5 million will be raised by the time construction begins in late spring. The first phase is expected to be complete by September 2007.

“I’m overwhelmed at the response to this groundbreaking event, as well as to the Reaching Our Dream campaign,” Sister Laurich said.

In the second phase, expected to cost $7 million, classrooms on both campuses will be renovated and a dining and gathering space for the seventh and eighth graders will be added to Norwood’s campus. A timeline for the second phase has not been set.

The new science lab in the James Anthony Hall addition will be named for Frank Donahue Jr., a 1930 alumnus who left the school $250,000 through the Barra Foundation.

“He’s the dream-maker” of the Master Plan, said Sister Laurich, adding that his gift had been a surprise. His family blessed the site of the two-story addition at Sunday’s groundbreaking, attended by about 450 people.