© St. John School 2011. All Rights Reserved. Made with Xara 5 St. John Square Middletown, CT 06457 (860)347-3202 The History of St. John School      The history of St. John School is a long and glorious one.  From its humble beginnings over one hundred fifty years ago,  St. John has grown into one of the finest schools in the Diocese of Norwich.       St. John School began in 1855, making it the oldest school in the Diocese.  Classes were originally held in the old  church, which was on the site of the current sacristy.  The first teacher was Mr. Andrew Cody, a graduate of Fermoy  College, County Cork, Ireland.  Two sisters, Miss Isabel and Miss Helen Fagan, assisted him in conducting classes.         In 1866 St. John School was taken over by the Middletown Board of Education and became a public school until 1872.   At that point, the pastor of St. John Church, The Reverand James Lynch, decided the school should once more belong to  the parish, and he petitioned Bishop McFarland for permission to seek a community of nuns to staff the school.  The Bishop  sent The Reverand Thomas Walsh to Ireland to bring back a group of Sisters of Mercy.  A convent was constructed and this  became one of the Mother Houses of the Sisters of Mercy of Connecticut.  The Sisters served the school with enthusiasm  and their Mission--to offer a challenging and enriching curriculum interwoven with an emphasis on the teachings of Jesus  Christ--still stands today.      St. John School quickly outgrew the old church and the present school building was constructed in 1887.  The three-  story, sixteen room building facing Main Street and overlooking the Connecticut River was blessed in August of 1888.  The  convent was vacated in 1963 when Mercy High School opened.  The original convent served as the St. John Community  Center until it was deemed structurally unsound and was demolished in 2007.  The area where the convent once stood is  now a grassy area which serves as a play area for the children of the school.      Through the years, each successive pastor and principal has made remarkable achievements.  The school has  undergone many technological changes including security cameras, computers and printers in every classroom, as well as  a state of the art computer lab, and internet access throughout the building.       There are around 200 students attending St. John.  They represent Middletown and surrounding towns and come from a  variety of backgrounds.  According to the Survey of Catholic Elementary Schools Finance report, 76% of St. John students  are Catholic, while 24% are non-Catholic.       Students from pre-kindergarten through grade eight work hard to carry on the fine traditions and achievements of the  past.  Many of our students are fourth generation students.  The enthusiasm of the students, the generous involvement of  parents, and the dedication of the staff ensures that St. John School will continue to serve the community well into the  future.