About Our School & Parish
Saint Gerald School provides a dynamic Catholic education to Preschool through 8th-grade students, celebrating over 90 years of academic excellence.
- Serving families for over 90 years
- Est. 1929
- Preschool through Grade 8
- PK3–8
- Archdiocese of Chicago
- Parish school
- Illinois
- Oak Lawn
Mission & vision
Our mission
We at St. Gerald School believe that each individual is unique in her/his potential. We are committed to providing quality Catholic education for each student. We encourage achievement with dignity and strive to establish a deep sense of commitment to the religious truths and values of the Catholic faith. We desire to equip each child to be a true Christian witness relating and living the Gospel message.
Our vision
Our vision is to develop well-rounded, confident, and responsible individuals who aspire to achieve their full potential. We will do this by providing a welcoming, happy, safe, and supportive learning environment through our Catholic faith and guiding principles.
Root beliefs
- We instill a sense of responsibility, respect, and integrity.
- We are a diverse community, learning and growing together.
- We see God in all people.
Our faculty’s goals
We the faculty of St. Gerald School, in response to the Good News, will aid our students spiritually, intellectually, psychologically and socially. We will strive to preach the Good News in a community based on Gospel values.
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Spiritual
We will provide religious experiences that pursue the continual study of Catholic theology and help our students live out the message of Jesus Christ. Regular participation in the Eucharist, various forms of prayer and reception of the Sacraments will be emphasized. Each student shall be taught how to apply values based on Catholic doctrine proclaimed in the Gospel.
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Intellectual
We will encourage our students to develop their individual gifts and talents. Our curriculum will emphasize the basic learning tools. We will enhance basic communication skills through listening, speaking, reading and writing. We will encourage our students to investigate, analyze and apply theories in daily living, and develop critical and creative thinking.
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Psychological
We believe in guiding our students in a nurturing atmosphere where love and trust are evident. We will help them in the development of their feelings of self-worth, self-awareness and self-confidence.
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Social
We are charged with the responsibility of developing our students as social beings with social skills and virtues to live in harmony in a diverse society of all races, cultures and nations. We strive to instill a sense of responsibility in our students that will affect changes to help bring about a more just world. We must foster respect for self and others while working towards building the family of God on Earth.
Our parish and faith life
St. Gerald is a parish school of the Archdiocese of Chicago, led in faith by our pastor, Father Pajor.
Visit the St. Gerald Parish website (opens in a new tab) →
Faith is at the center of the school day. Students pray together every day and celebrate Mass each week, and regular participation in the Eucharist, prayer and the Sacraments is part of school life. Families of every faith are welcome.
Our history
The longest-running Catholic school in Oak Lawn.
The Beginning
St. Gerald School opened on September 9, 1929, in the original St. Gerald Mission Church, located at the northwest corner of 95th and Minnick Streets in Oak Lawn. The school was founded by the Sisters of St. Francis from Clinton, Iowa, and three nuns, Sr. Winifred, Sr. Patrick, and Sr. Lelia, taught the first 134 students in grades 1–8.
The original church looked like a white frame cottage with eight stairs leading to double doors. Inside the church, the 3rd–6th grade students used the kneelers as seats and the pews as their desks. Downstairs in the basement, the 1st and 2nd graders, along with the 7th and 8th graders, were taught at card tables with blankets hung to separate the classes. The classes shared one green chalkboard among them.
Just six days after school started, the cornerstone was laid for a new combination school/church building at the corner of 94th Street and 55th Avenue. In mid-December of 1929, the building opened with the church on the first floor, an auditorium in the basement, and four classrooms and the nuns' quarters on the second floor. The sisters taught two grades in each classroom. The 'old' church on 95th Street became an assembly hall and a gym. 1932 saw the beginning of students being bused in to St. Gerald from Bridgeview, Burbank, Hickory Hills, Hometown, and all of Oak Lawn.
Read the full history
St. Gerald High School
During this time many children did not go on to high school but worked instead on their family farm or in their family business. In order to encourage further education since most high schools were quite a distance from Oak Lawn, the decision was made to add a high school in the new building. For one year, from September 1932 to June 1933, twenty-five students in two classes attended St. Gerald High School. Unfortunately, due to the Depression, the high school's enrollment dropped because students needed to go to work to help their families, and the high school was closed.
A New Addition
In 1949 a new addition to the school was completed, adding six new classrooms and a convent. By 1957, due to the tremendous growth in the area, ten more classrooms were added to the existing school. Four others were built as a link between the church and the school, and the existing church was converted into six more classrooms. A new church was also built.
A Growing Parish and School Community
Between 1956 and 1966 the population of Oak Lawn nearly doubled. Two new Catholic parishes were established in Oak Lawn, and St. Gerald School grew exponentially. The average class size was 60 students with double sessions (morning and afternoon) becoming a necessity. By 1964 ten buses were transporting students to and from the school.
The Oak Lawn Tornado
At 5:27 P.M. on April 21, 1967, a tornado ripped through Oak Lawn, taking over thirty lives and causing millions of dollars worth of damage. At St. Gerald twelve classrooms were completely destroyed and much damage was done to the rectory. The St. Gerald community, nonetheless, felt grateful. Had the tornado occurred one hour earlier, classes would still have been in session. Had it been just one hour later, the fifth and sixth grade students would have been arriving for Confirmation classes.
Once the storm abated, parishioners formed a human chain to pass every textbook, desk, and piece of equipment still salvageable from the destroyed classrooms to the church basement. Within ten days students were back at school. The Oak Lawn community pulled together to provide classrooms for students at Brandt, Gasteyer, and Covington Schools, along with Burbank Manor Presbyterian, Pilgrim Faith, and St. Germaine Churches.
During the 1967–1968 school year, mobile units were set up in the parking lot for the first graders, and the 7th and 8th grade students used the undamaged classrooms. Other students were bused to Burbank Manor Presbyterian Church and St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church.
Not a parish to ever give up, the parishioners were determined to build again. On September 9, 1968, the new school with twenty-four classrooms and six renovated classrooms opened.
Today
As you can see, St. Gerald School and Parish have quite a history, rich in tradition, faith, and determination. That sense of history, deep faith, and steadfast determination carries through to today, where St. Gerald School is still a great place to be!
Faculty & staff
Administration
Preschool
Kindergarten
Primary Grades (1–2)
Intermediate Grades (3–5)
Junior High (6–8)
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Ms. Kennedy
8th Grade Teacher / 7th & 8th Grade Social Studies, 8th Grade Literature & Religion
dkennedy@stgerald.com -
Enrichment & Specials
Parish
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Father Navarro
frnavarro@stgerald.com
School Advisory Board
- Jennifer Solski President
- Virginia DeLorenzo
- Kathleen Kobel
- Roberto Lara
- Pete O'Reilly
- Yessica Oroczo
- Evelyn Rivera
- Evelia Torres
- Lindsey Villanueva
The SAB can be reached at schoolboard@stgerald.com . We'd love to hear from you!
Alumni Network
Did you graduate from St. Gerald? Join the Alumni Network to hear about alumni news, events and announcements. We look forward to connecting with you!
Ready to see St. Gerald in person?
A tour takes about 30 minutes — and it's the best way to know if we're the right home for your child. We'd love to meet you.