History
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Saints Simon and Jude Roman Catholic Church, located in Westtown Township, West Chester, Pennsylvania, had its official beginning on May 25, 1961, when Reverend Joseph A. Cavanaugh founded the parish for the Catholic families of this area. On September 5, 1962, Saints Simon and Jude School opened its doors to the children of the parish with an enrollment of 327 students. The Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, who are committed to the apostolate of Catholic Education, staff the school. Four Sisters and two lay teachers comprised the first faculty. Grades one through four were single grades; grades five through eight were double grades. There were eight classrooms at its opening.
In the summer of 1970, eight new classrooms were completed and construction of a gymnasium had begun. By November, 1970, the two-story building had sixteen classrooms, two of each grade from one through eight. In September of 1990, ground was broken for a new wing to be used for school and parish use. In that wing, four classrooms, library, music room, faculty room, computer room, a large parish social hall, kitchenette, bathrooms, and smaller rooms for tutoring were constructed. In September, 1991, our first kindergarten class began. A morning and afternoon session was offered. In September, 1992, a second kindergarten class was formed to expand our school to include two sections of each grade kindergarten through eighth grade.
In 2005, a new church was built and the former church was renovated in 2006 to include a school cafeteria and meeting rooms. In 2007, the gym was renovated with a wood floor and bleachers added. 2009 saw the installation of a science lab offering students a hands-on science experiment each week. In 2013, our computer lab was renovated with modular seating to encourage cooperative group work and air conditioning was added to the school.
In 2015, the parish Finance Council in partnership with the pastor and principal, established an Office of Advancement and in 2016, a School Board of Limited Jurisdiction began with a focus on school finances, marketing, enrollment, faciliites, development, board membership, and long range planning. Under the board's leadership a preschool for 3 and 4 year-old children opened in the fall of 2017. In the fall of 2019, the school's ad hoc security committee was added as a standing committee of the board.
Today 316 students attend preschool through grades 8. A sister principal, works with 25 teachers to provide a quality Catholic Education to the children of Saints Simon and Jude Parish.