Woodlands Academy dedicates its expanded campus
The unexpected, generous donation of 23 acres of adjoining land by anonymous donors three years ago is being put to use by Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart in a variety of mostly-open-space ways.
A Sept. 18 dedication ceremony and open house at the site formerly occupied by Barat College marked the official start of its new functions as part of the all-girls college prep high school in Lake Forest.
In honor of these events, the Lake Forest City Council recently adopted a resolution proclaiming Sept. 18 "Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart Day" in the city.
"Today is a very special day for our community," Head of School Meg Steele said. "Woodlands Academy and Barat College share a long and common history. At times, we have shared a building and, at others, we existed as neighbors. When Barat closed, there was a sense of palpable loss in the Woodlands community and our home has felt incomplete. Happily, today we celebrate the rejoining of this land as one campus."
Other participants in the morning dedication ceremony, which featured a formal blessing of Woodlands' new expanded campus, included: Board of Trustees Chair Barbara Wood-Prince of Lake Forest; Student Body President Madelyn Morris, a senior from Lake Forest; and Sister Suzanne Cooke, RSCJ, director of the Sacred Heart Conference and representative of the Provisional Team.
The dedication ceremony was followed by an afternoon open house, allowing the general public to get a first-hand look at features that include two new athletic fields - a softball diamond and a field for soccer and field hockey - along with a community walking path.
In addition, the college's former Cooney Library building, designed by architect Dirk Lohan, grandson of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, is being repurposed as the Gloria Dei ("Glory to God") Center for use by both Woodlands Academy and the Lake Forest community.
The cupola from Barat College's Old Main, which was removed from atop the building during its demolition, is being restored to serve as the focal point of the Barat Cupola Garden. This reflective/meditative space near where Old Main once stood will serve as a monument to Barat's proud past.
Work this summer also created a new entrance to the Woodlands campus, just west of the former one, that's marked with a new sign along Westleigh Road installed in time for the start of the current school year.
In formulating its expanded campus plan, Woodlands Academy conducted surveys to gather input from its faculty, staff, students and families, as well as the surrounding area. School officials felt this was important because they wanted to share this gift to them with the local community.
The 23-acre parcel was purchased by the donors in 2011 after having sat dormant since Barat College closed in 2005. It was deeded to Woodlands Academy Dec. 12, 2012, the birthday of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, who founded the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1800 and for whom the college was named. Its addition creates a reunited 41-acre site for Woodlands Academy at 760 East Westleigh Road.
Founded in 1858, Woodlands Academy is an independent, Catholic college preparatory day and boarding high school for young women. It's part of a worldwide network of Sacred Heart Schools that spans the United States and 40 other countries.
A nonprofit, Woodlands Academy's identity is rooted in Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat's desire to inspire young hearts and minds to excel, to lead lives of integrity and to serve.
For more information about Woodlands Academy, visit www.woodlandsacademy.org.
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