Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Delivers Strong Academic Foundation

Asafe and nurturing environ - ment is what awaits students at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School in the Bronx. The elementary school’s small, family like atmosphere creates a supportive place for students to learn.

A new early childhood development program aimed at teaching basic skills to 3-year-old pre-kindergarteners started at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel this past fall – enrollment for the program is taking place throughout Catholic Schools Week. It will join the school’s already established univer sal pre -kindergarten program (UPK) and is par t of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel’s expanding early childhood education initiatives, which Principal John Riley sees a s essential to the formation of a strong academic foundation for Our Lady of Mt. Carmel’s students.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel educates students through grade 8. It’s located on Bathgate Avenue in the middle of the Bronx and welcomes students from all religions and backgrounds. The goal at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is to provide a Catholic environment that emphasizes strong academic standards; develops pride and self- discipline within each child; teaches respect for all God’s people and creations; and works with parents to foster and encourage mastery of basic learning skills.

“The thing that separates Our Lady of Mt. Carmel from other schools is what the school offers to enrich its academic curriculum,” Riley says.

E x tracurricular ac tivities include a newly revamped after-school program, an earlier morning program, prep classes for state exams, Catholic high school and specialized public school entrance exams, dance, chorus, debate, Mandarin Chinese lessons and Model UN. Cheerleading and self-defense classes were also introduced this past year.

To keep parents in the loop, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel revamped its parents association. “We wanted to give parents a greater voice within the school,” Riley says.

For more information on Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School, call (718) 295-6080 or visit www.olmcbronx.org.