Trustees with the Sudbury Catholic District School Board voted Dec. 8 to name a new green elementary school Holy Cross Catholic School.

"The name 'Holy Cross' has significant meaning," said board chair, Jody Cameron, in a press release.

"The four points of the cross represents the coming-together of four existing school communities into one new, learning community where our children will learn and make lifelong friends. This is a very
exciting time for the board and the expansion of Catholic education in Sudbury's South End."

The decision comes after extensive consultation with students, teachers and parents from Corpus
Christi, St. Christopher, St. Michael and St. Theresa schools -- as well as St. Francis. The board
also got input from the local parishes and community partners, stated the press release.

The new school will be located on the St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School site.

The board will decide on the site plan for Holy Cross at next Tuesday's regular board meeting.
The school will open in September 2011.

“Holy Cross Catholic School will have lower energy and utility costs than traditionally built schools, and the money saved can go back into the classrooms,” said Catherine McCullough, director of education for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board.

“That means more money to expand on programs such as our already-established, nationally recognized Learning with Laptops program as well as full-day junior kindergarten which the Board announced just last month.”

"The naming of this new state-of-the-art school is only the beginning of the many new steps that our Board will be taking in creating this educational village in the city’s south end,” said Cameron. "The next step is to complete the architectural final plans for the design of the new school and get shovels in the ground.”