Historians use the word “boom” to describe a lot of things about the 1950s: the booming economy, the booming suburbs, and, most of all, the so-called “baby boom.” This boom began in 1946, when a record number of babies–3.4 million–were born in the United States. About 4 million babies were born each year during the 1950s. In all, by the time the boom finally tapered off in 1964, there were nearly 77 million “baby boomers.”
This population increase also had it effects on Dover. In 1952, the time proved to be ripe for Holy Cross and the current Pastor, Father Andrew Tocik. He realized his dream of a Catholic school in Dover.
Holy Cross School was opened in the parish hall located at New and William Streets. Father Tocik entered into an agreement with the Felician Sisters from Lodi, New Jersey, to teach at the school, which started with kindergarten through second grade. Sister Angelina served as the principal and taught second grade. In addition, Sister Arnold taught kindergarten, and Sister Celestia taught first grade. The enrollment totaled forty-two students.
Unfortunately, after a lingering illness, Father Tocik passed away in December, and Father Paul Taggart was appointed administrator of Holy Cross in 1953. Recognizing the need for more room for the church and school, Father Taggart purchased the Wolcott Estate on South State Street, which consisted of a 22-room estate house on 11 acres of land, for a new parish complex. The Felician Sisters immediately began living in the estate house as their convent. Also, the school was moved to the estate house for the 1953-1954 school year. Enrollment in first grade through third grade totaled 93 students. Kindergarten was not continued.
When Bishop Edmond Fitzmaurice appointed Father John Donohoe as Pastor of Holy Cross in 1954, he instructed Father Donohoe to “build a new school and church as soon as possible.” The boom was continuing its impact on small-town Dover and Holy Cross. A building campaign was launched in May 1954, and pledges of $145,000 were received to build a new school. The Philadelphia architectural firm of Gleason and Mulrooney was commissioned to design the building and the John H. Wood Construction Company was tapped to construct the building.
Bishop Fitzmaurice, who maintained an active interest in the project through its completion, turned over the first spade of earth for the school and activity building on September 26, 1954. The project cost was $270,000. While the construction was taking place, classes continued to be held in the convent. The 1954-1955 enrollment grew to 190 students.
In 1955, the new Holy Cross school building opened. Sister Mary Laura replaced Sister Angelina as principal, and the school year began with 310 students in grades one through five. The faculty remained 100 percent Felician Sisters. In October, a fully equipped cafeteria opened in the basement of the activity building, and in November, the school held its first Open House. The plans for the main floor of the activity building never came to fruition once the parish realized it was rapidly outgrowing the church on South Bradford Street. As a result, construction stopped on the activity building, plans were modified, and a temporary church was built instead. April 1956 brought the formal dedication of the church and school.
In September 1956, Sister Mary Laura added a sixth grade, which she taught, and increased enrollment to 394 students. Miss Mary Maybee, Holy Cross’ first lay teacher, began teaching second grade.
When school opened in September 1957, enrollment had increased to 429 students ,and the grades expanded to include grade seven. Some classes were as large as 75 students.
In the fall of 1958, Holy Cross school grew to include grades one through eight with an enrollment of 506 students. A milestone was achieved as grades one through four were spilt into two classrooms each. Due to the lack of space in the school building, the seventh and eighth grades temporarily moved to the recently completed high school building built on the campus. The faculty included eight Felician Sisters and two lay teachers – Mrs. Marian Heiser and Mrs. Mary Slimak. The first eighth grade graduation of 32 students took place in June 1959.
The Sixties brought additional changes to Holy Cross School as the gymnasium, to be shared with the high school, was dedicated in January 1962; Sister Stella arrived as the new principal in September 1962; construction of a second floor on top of the original school building began in 1963; demand for new student enrollment continued, and a need for more classrooms caused the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades to be moved to the first floor of the high school building until construction was completed; and Sister Maristela became principal in September 1964.
The second-floor construction was completed before the opening of school in 1965. Finally, all grades, first through eighth, were located in one building for the first time. Enrollment reached its peak of 740 students during the 1965-1966 school year.
In September 1969, Holy Cross School welcomed its fifth principal, Sister Alberthilia. Sister Alberthilia’s tenure continued until 1972 when Sister Roberta became principal. Under the direction of Sister Roberta, each grade level was split into two classrooms, so class size now ranged between 30 and 40 students. The staff consisted of four Felician Sisters and 12 lay teachers, a physical education teacher, a librarian, a part-time nurse, and a
full-time school secretary.
In September 1978, Sister Marie Barbara became principal and remained until June 1981 when enrollment dropped to 574 in grades one through eight.
Sister Eugene Marie assumed the leadership of the school in September 1981. Upon her departure in June 1984, enrollment declined to 456 students. A rise in tuition, faculty problems, and the permanent departure of the Felician Sisters all contributed to the decline. After 32 years of service to Holy Cross School, it was truly a sad day for Holy Cross and for the Felician Sisters.
In September 1984, Mr. Thomas Marrotti became the first lay principal of Holy Cross overseeing a completely lay faculty. After 32 years, Kindergarten was once again offered, and 24 children attended either a morning or afternoon session.
In February 1985, Mr. Marrotti was asked to resign his position by the Diocesan Schools Office. Upon his departure, enrollment had dipped to 431 students.
Sister Mary Kelly, Diocesan Superintendent of Schools, appointed Mrs. Margaret Whiting, then the eighth-grade teacher, as interim principal. Mrs. Whiting continued in this position for the 1985-86 school year.
During the 1985-1986 school year, a before- and after-care program was established. Twenty-five children took advantage of this program during its inaugural year.
Mrs. Kathleen Mullaney assumed the role of principal in September 1986. Enrollment at the beginning of the school year totaled 318 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The kindergarten program expanded to include two morning classes while maintaining the one afternoon class. The program enrolled 45 students. The childcare program expanded to 50 children.
Unfortunately, Holy Cross High School closed at the end of the 1986-1987 school year.
In the summer of 1987, Miss Mullaney married and returned in September as Mrs. Feliceangeli. She continued her tenure as principal until June 1988 when enrollment dropped to 260 students.
Ms. Marcia Bertino became principal in September 1988, and enrollment grew to 340 by June.
In September 1989, several expansions were ready for the start of school. A pre-school program was started, and 12 children enrolled; kindergarten grew into three full-day classrooms; and three sections of the first grade were necessary with 20 students in each section. The before- and after-care program expanded to 80 children.
With the start of the school year in September 1990, the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades moved to the recently-closed high school building to allow expansion of the lower grade classrooms. Furthermore, the music program expanded to all grade levels. An outgrowth of the music program was a full band program. Art, Music, Library, and Physical Education programs required that the school contract full-time teachers for these areas.
In 1992, the library was computerized, and the Pre-K program doubled from 12 to 24 students.
In the fall of 1993, the computer lab expanded and moved into the old high school building and new equipment was installed.
Enrollment was increasing and was accommodated by adding a third classroom for the grades where it was necessary. Parent volunteerism increased and the Parent-Teacher Organization became more active.
By September 1994, enrollment was just below 500 students. As a result, the computer teacher began teaching four days a week. The faculty and staff numbered 32.
During the years 1995-1997, many positive trends continued. Enrollment continued to increase to over 500 students. Staff increased to 35 and the nurse’s hours were lengthened to provide coverage for the majority of the school day, and a part-time assistant was hired for Ms. Bertino. Technology integration into various subject areas became part of the curriculum. The school participated in Net Day ‘96, which provided materials to wire both school building for the Internet. All offices and classrooms had wiring installed to make the school technology-friendly.
During 1996-1997, the Holy Cross school campus found itself in the middle of the building of the parish’s new church. Once the new church was dedicated, the old church began to be used by the school and parish as an activity building. After 45 years, the building was finally being used for its original intention. As part of the new church project, the school’s first floor bathrooms were renovated, and the school lobby received a facelift as it now was the connector to the new church’s gathering space.
New lighting was installed in the upstairs and downstairs hallways of the junior high building (old high school) along with the upstairs classrooms in the elementary building.
During the summer of 1997, the parking lot was redesigned and new walkways created. Work continued through the fall, with trees, curbs, and landscaping being added. Additional electrical circuits were installed in the computer lab to provide much-needed air conditioning.
In 1999, as demand increased for the Pre-K and kindergarten programs, additional space was needed, and a capital campaign was initiated to build a state-of-the-art parish office and early learning facility.
With the opening of the Early Learning Center in the fall of 2000, enrollment increased to over 600 students.
Ms. Bertino resigned as principal in July 2002 and Father Hanley appointed Mr. William Farley as principal with Mrs. Haydee Rosario as assistant principal.
As the school year began in September 2002, enrollment was 695. The new administration tackled a number of challenges brought on by the complexity of the campus that now included three buildings with classrooms, an annex, a gymnasium, and an activity building with a cafeteria in the lower level. There were four Pre-K classes, four kindergarten classes, and three classes each for grades one through eight. The ability to communicate in this large organization was improved with handheld radios provided for each staff member, which permitted communications throughout the campus.
In 2003, the school implemented the Diocesan child safety program, For The Sake Of God’s Children. An updated emergency action plan and first aid training for the faculty and staff created an atmosphere of readiness that enhanced the sense of safety and security on the campus. French was added as an enrichment program for seventh and eighth grades, increasing the number of enrichment programs already available to students.
In the fall of 2003, a Spanish program was initiated for kindergarten through eighth grades through the generosity of a volunteer teacher. So successful was this endeavor that, in the fall of 2004, a part-time Spanish teacher was hired.
In response to increased enrollment, the computer lab was upgraded through the efforts of a parent-driven technology committee. The cost was defrayed through the contributions of parents and local businesses. In the fall of 2005, the school began using the Power School software to track attendance and grades.
During 2004, the school developed a strategic plan spearheaded by a committee selected by the Pastor and principal. This committee collaborated with administration, parents, students, and parishioners. The information collected helped to lay the groundwork for the current Middle States accreditation process.
As a result of the parish’s participation in the diocesan Bringing the Vision to Life capital campaign, in 2006, new roofs were installed on the elementary and activity buildings, the cafeteria kitchen and serving area were renovated, and electric wiring was upgraded to accommodate the installation of air conditioning and ceiling fans in the elementary building. In addition, air conditioning and ceiling fans were installed in the junior high building during the 2007-2008 school year.
Mrs. Denise Jacono was named principal in July 2007. Mrs. Haydee Rosario continued in the position of assistant principal. The administration’s attention was focused on the goals of the strategic plan. When school opened in 2007, there were 618 students from Pre-K through eighth grade.
Mrs. Jacono approached some parents about collaborating to upgrade the science program. A capital campaign was conducted that targeted school parents and those who were professionals in the science and medical professions. As a result during the summer of 2010, two classrooms, one in the elementary building and the other in the junior high building, were gutted and converted into science labs. Along with the science lab renovations, the school adopted the LabLearner science curriculum.
At the end of the 2009-2010 school year, Ms. Rebecca Tatman, the beloved physical education teacher and coach to both high school and elementary school students for 41 years, retired. Known by everyone simply as “Miss Becky,” she exemplified the values she taught and instilled in her students a proper athletic spirit. Many of her former students remain close friends with her today. To honor her service to Holy Cross, the gymnasium was formally named the Rebecca S. Tatman Gymnasium.
After the resignation of Mrs. Jacono, Mrs. Haydee Rosario, then-assistant principal, was appointed interim principal for the academic year 2011-2012; the assistant principal position was left vacant.
School parents and HCHS alumni organized a painting party, and the entire interior of the Tatman Gymnasium was painted—even the ceiling received several coats of paint.
Focus continued on the goals of the strategic plan, marketing the school, upgrading the infrastructure, and using technology in the classrooms.
In April 2012, Mrs. Rosario was named principal and Mrs. Linda Pollitt was named assistant principal for the academic year 2012-2013. There were 562 students from Pre-K through eighth grade.
In 2014, the Diocese began its second capital campaign called Sustaining Hope for the Future. As soon as pledge payments began, the Tatman Gymnasium had its roof replaced.
As January 2015 rolled around, Father Lentini decided to reduce the number of “tracks” in the school. Each grade level would now only have two tracks (classrooms) per grade level in grades one through eight. This was done because of decreasing enrollment and to reduce the subsidy the parish was providing to the school each year.
Mrs. Rosario resigned as principal at the end of the 2014-2015 school year, and Mrs. Linda Pollitt was appointed principal.
During the summer of 2015, the fruits of the Sustaining Hope for the Future capital campaign started to be seen with the installation of new energy-efficient windows in the elementary building. The windows replaced were the original windows installed in 1955. In addition, new blinds were installed, the non-working radiators were removed, new shelving was added, floors were replaced, and each classroom was painted.
Over the summer, a new Pre-K3 program was offered to parents and 13 three-year-olds participated. When school opened in fall 2015, the elementary building had a sense of freshness and, indeed, hope for the future. Overall, there were 410 students from Pre-K3 through eighth grade. That hope continued in the summer of 2016 when the junior high building received the same treatments as did the elementary building in 2015.
Also during the summer, work began on renovating the activity building into a parish hall. The stained-glass windows were removed and filled in, the interior was gutted to the beams and block walls, and the space was transformed into a state-of-the-art hall. When the building opened for use in December 2016, it was unrecognizable as the former “temporary” church. New HVAC air handling was installed to distribute the air across the entire room. There were permanent areas for coffee and other refreshments, a fully equipped warming kitchen, and a removable stage area with curtain. However, best of all, a new sound system and professional stage lighting would serve the school plays, concerts, and meetings for many years to come. To have a sense of continuity, the hall and school foyers also received a matching facelift.
Over the next three years, curriculum enhancements were evaluated and these items were included—Chromebooks were made available to students in grades 5-8; Science and Reading updates were implemented; Robotics, Science Explorers, and a Fitness Club are now offered as extra-curricular subjects. Also, in the junior high building, a spare classroom was turned into a chapel to be used for prayer services by each grade level. The students attend Mass weekly and hold a May Procession concluding with the May Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
At the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, there were 394 students from Pre-K3 through eighth grade. By March, most students around the world were sitting at home wondering when they would return to their classrooms because of the spread of the coronavirus. And then one word became ubiquitous—zoom. Zoom was one of a number of computer apps targeted toward businesses, but became a mainstay for education because of its collaborative capabilities over the Internet. As the school year moved forward, teachers and students began to reconnect in virtual classrooms.
Over the summer of 2020, the Schools Office of the Diocese of Wilmington worked with the parish schools to determine the plan for safely opening schools or continuing virtual classrooms. Unfortunately, that decision was not made public when this publication went to press.
At the conclusion of the 2023-2024 school, Mrs. Pollitt retired, and Mrs. Mallory O'Mara-Tunell was appointed as the new principal. She comes to us from Saint John the Beloved School in Wilmington, Delaware, where she was a teacher.
