| EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS
St. Xavier prided itself on turning out students that were of high quality and moral standards. In most cases, the girls either went into college with the hope of becoming teachers, took commercial courses to work in offices, or joined the convent to become Sisters of Mercy,
Here is a list of some of the courses that were offered to St. Xavier students in the 1890’s: orthographic diction, grammar, penmanship, composition, geography, sacred history, familiar science, English literature, French, German, algebra, geometry, chemistry, astronomy, geology, philosophy, natural history, botany, physiology, and bookkeeping.
BASKETBALL
We are aware St. Xavier was a member of the Catholic High School Girls’ Basketball League from 1927-31, but did not win a conference title. Other schools that competed were St. Catherine (later known as Siena), Visitation, Loretto High, Loretto Academy, Longwood, Mercy, St. Mary, Alvernia, Aquinas, Evanston Marywood, and Wilmette Mallickrodt. The conference was broken up by the formation of a new league by the Catholic Youth Organization in 1932.
MEMORIES
From Carol (Hicks) McShan:
“I was a student in the primary grades in the early 50’s and have a few memories from that time. There was a hot lunch served and I recall, not too fondly I must say, a Friday menu of salmon loaf, peas, saltines and grapefruit juice.
“In my classroom we played instruments daily; I was assigned the triangle and sticks. The May crowning, in a beautiful side garden, was filled with flowers and brightly colored ribbons.
“Our little uniforms, which my grandmother made for me by hand, were navy blue pleated skirts, Eisenhower jackets, white Peter Pan collared blouses, white anklet socks and black oxford shoes. We also were required to have a handkerchief pinned somewhere on our uniforms.”
**From Carol Gleason Rafferty
“I read with interest the information found via Google about St. Xavier Academy. It seemed as though this very special icon just about disappeared through the years. I attended SXC starting in 1st grade in 1951 with Sister Honorata as my teacher. She was just about as tall as all her students. I recall attending special speech class with Miss Crowe and dancing with Ms. Hauck. There was a beautiful chapel where I made my first communion. We walked ‘single file’ down the hallways which were beautiful wood with a path of vinyl trimmed with oak. This was where we walked.
“There were college girls in the building. I recall the hot lunch and the meatless Fridays, little glass bottles of milk and coca-cola vending machines for 5 cents a purchase. We had recess on the grounds and rode the school bus to and from school with some poor nun always assigned to the ride.
“Gym was in a separate building at which our first grade ‘rhythm band’ performed. I played the drum. I recall the best of education, wonderful friends and an experience I anticipated each day. A wonderful time! I attended until the school closed and moved to 103rd street. I did attend St. Xavier College as well.”
**From Mary Ruddick Silze:
“I attended St. Xavier Academy from 1948-1951, transferring at the beginning of 5th grade from St. Rita’s School on the South Side of Chicago. The classes were small, about 14-16 girls per grade, and the 5th and 6th grades met together for many activities such as art, PE, music, drama, etc. and a portion of class time in certain subjects. I was “smart” and advanced quickly in math, English, etc. The principal recommended to my parents that I complete the curriculum for both 5th and 6th grades in one year and move into 7th grade the following fall, which I did.
“It was an easy transition since we girls had friends in both grades and the nuns were readily available for any help I needed to cover the extra ground. It was exciting to wear the uniform of the 7th and 8th grade girls the following fall – houndstooth check straight skirts (instead of navy pleated skirts), white blouses and navy blazers. We felt VERY grown-up compared to the younger girls.
“I rode the school bus for about 35-40 minutes to and from school each day. None of my schoolmates lived within walking distance of each other, so our social time was on the bus. The school was situated on a beautiful campus – the old estate-like grounds and buildings were magnificent – surrounded by a high wrought-iron fence patroled by security guards to assure a safe enclave for all the women. Our “PE” was mainly playing softball outside at lunch time, when the weather permitted, with the nuns coaching us and playing on our teams.
“We staged plays and programs in which we girls also took the male parts. I was once John Paul Jones in an historic production and in a Thanksgiving play, I got to be a turkey and stomped around the stage in what was euphemistically called a dance. When we studied history and geography, we would form teams and create colored-chalk murals on the blackboards on three sides of the room, illustrating what we were learning. We knew many of the nuns from the convent and often would see the high school and college girls around the campus.
“During my first year at SXA, one of the elderly nuns in the convent died, and we girls lined up and walked to where she was lying in state, to pay our respects and recite the rosary. It was my first, and to this day my only, viewing of a dead person in a coffin. I still recall the shock of seeing how pale her face and folded hands appeared, clad in her black and white habit.
“In 1951, my family moved from Chicago to the State of Washington. SXA always had a toy drive at Christmas-time to collect our outgrown games and toys to deliver to the poor. That year, I contributed most of my childhood toys before moving, with mixed emotions. I left SXA with reluctance, having cherished the quality education and the direction and stability of the nuns who guided us to develop Godly moral values and habits of prayer. I felt secure in an environment with friends who, like me, were eager to learn and to please. It was a good place for young girls to become young women, and I’m sorry to learn that the school is gone. In thinking back, I guess the only thing I DIDN’T like about SXA was the oxford shoes we had to wear…I longed for sandals or Mary Janes instead!”
From Sheila Winters:
“I have found your website “Glory Days” in an attempt to get more information on a silver medal I possess. I am an antique owner in McIntosh, Florida. The wonderful little medal is a Senior Medal awarded to Nannie Brown and dated June 23, 1892. I will be glad to photograph it for you, as it really quite lovely, and perhaps there is a museum that would like to have it, or better yet, a member of Miss Brown’s family? Please let me know if this would be of any use.”
from Karin Sorenson Grandione:
“I attended St Xavs for first and second grade beginning in 1947. I live in South Shore and was picked up by the bus everyday.
“I remember two things about the school. First of all, my best friend was Judy Crippen, who rode the bus with me every day. To this day, I wish I could locate her. Secondly, one day I decided I wanted to go to one of my friend’s house after school. So I wrote this wonderful (1st grade) note to the nun in charge. It requested that I be allowed to get off the bus at my friend’s house on the way home from school. Somehow????? The nun approved the request and I did not get off the bus where I was supposed to – rather I got off at my friend’s house. My mother, in turn, became quite frantic when I did not get home when I should have. I have no recollection of the reprecussions to the nun who allowed this to happen.
“Also, I do remember the uniforms because I have a very good picture of myself sitting at a round table (1st grade) with a few other girls who were my classmates. In the picture, hanging on the wall behind the round table was my classwork with my name on it. The uniform was navy blue with a little pleated skirt, a bolero one-button jacket and a white round collar blouse. I loved going to that school and was very sad when I had to leave during second grade because we left Chicago to move to Pittsburgh.
“Many many years later, I returned to Chicago as a married person and a teacher. I had occasion to visit McAuley high school and to chat with one of the nuns. I mentioned the round table that I remembered from first grade and she was very excited. She said the tables still existed and were in a storage area on the top floor of McAuley High School and were still being used for little children when they visited the high school. She also stated that all of those round tables had been built by her father. She was thrilled to meet me and I was also quite moved that I remembered something that made that nun very happy. By the way, my first grade teacher’s name was Sister Maurice.”
WHAT MEMORIES DO SOME OF YOUR RELATIVES HAVE?
Certainly, we feel that there have to been some older family members who may remember or even attended St. Xavier Academy in Chicago that could tell some stories or recall a few things. We invite those thoughts to be submitted to us as well as facts about the school at the following addresses. The Sisters of Mercy have had a profound effect on the history of education in the state of Illinois, as well as world-wide, so please let us know.
By email: dr.veeman@gmail.com or
By USPS mail: Illinois High School Glory Days
6439 North Neva
Chicago, IL 60631 |
