O’Hara, Our Lady of Angels start school together
MARPLE » It was a landmark occasion for both Cardinal O’Hara High School and Our Lady of Angels Regional Catholic School Wednesday morning.
As O’Hara celebrated 55 years as an archdiocesan icon of secondary education, OLA moved in to the high school to start its first year in the temporary space as their Ridley school looks to rebuild after a devastating July fire.
Hundreds of students of the two schools ranging from kindergarten to ninth grades met in the gymnasium of O’Hara to cut the ribbon on history achieved, and a bright future together.
O’Hara President Jay DeFruscio said he comes from a large family, so he’s looking forward to having hundreds more students in his school every day.
“We have about 900 (O’Hara) students who are now a part of my family. I’m a big family guy, but I am blown away by 330 new members today,” he said about the merging of the two schools under his roof. “For that, we’re so excited to have you (OLA) here. The Cardinal O’Hara community welcomes you with open arms. We’re here to work together for the common good which is Catholic education.
“I ask parents to be patient in the transition and have smile on your faces everyday like these young people do today.”
Staff members from OLA have been working with parents and other volunteers over the last month to get the first floor of the building organized and the new classrooms decorated to educate students. Teachers who have lost their teaching supplies in the fire were able to recoup some of their losses after an online fundraising campaign collected over $36,000 for them to buy new supplies.
Students arrived in droves by bus or car with their bookbags hoist on their backs and big bags of start-of-year supplies like tissues for the classroom. Parents got first day of school pictures at OLA’s entrance on the building’s east side as others drove off honking and shouting well wishes from their passing cars.
School buses from William Penn and Southeast Delco dropped off dozens of children who were kindly escorted by a traffic attendant in the O’Hara parking lot to the safety of the school entrance where staff members created their returning pupils.
“Are you ready for fifth grade?” one teacher asked an approaching student.
“No!” he replied in jest as he made his way into the building.
The joyful sight of students coming back for a new year was abutted just a few feet away from teenagers tinkering on their phones and making the customary stroll to the cafeteria as part of the regular high school entrance. Only freshmen were starting at O’Hara on Wednesday, but they will be joined by the rest of their classmates on Friday.