Lacordaire Academy In Montclair Unveils 3 New Science Labs

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Lacordaire Academy in Montclair recently unveiled three new science labs for students at a community event, taking a moment to honor the three people that the new facilities are named for.

According to a news release from the school, the “state-of-the-art” labs are located in Lacordaire Hall, one of the academy’s three main campus buildings. They were made possible by a gift from Lacordaire’s Board Chair, Christine James, in addition to funding from the E.J. Grassmann Trust, Hyde & Watson, the Investors Foundation, the McMullen Family Foundation, and the Nicholas Martini Foundation.

Last month, administrators at the private, independent Dominican school held a dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony in tribute to the three people whom the new labs are named after: The James Family, the Lee Family (named for the late Jennifer Lee, a former Lacordaire student) and the late Dr. William Probst, a beloved Lacordaire science teacher.

At the event, Sister Jeanne Goyette of the Sisters of St. Dominic of Caldwell, led the community in blessing the new labs. Dozens of guests attended the ribbon cutting ceremony and received tours of the new facilities.

“We teach science not as a collection of facts, but as a way to understand the world,” said Jennifer Zinman, Lacordaire’s science and math department chair. “That critical thinking transfers to every part of a student’s life. The new labs provide space for the students to experiment, test, evaluate, and draw conclusions and explanations.”

“While the physical space of our labs was untouched for many years, our science program has still flourished under our amazing faculty,” head of school Megan Mannato said.

“However, we have always known we could have an even brighter future in science should we have the resources,” Mannato continued. “So, thanks to our many generous individual donors, foundations who awarded us grants, and supporters in our Lacordaire community, we are now able to unveil our three brand-new labs.”

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