History
In September of 1950, the first grade class of our “new” parochial school began holding classes in our parish hall. Kindergarten was held in a nearby house owned by the parish. Ground was broken for Our Lady of Mount Carmel School during our annual parish feast in July of 1951. Our Lady of Mount Carmel School opened its doors in beautiful downtown Bristol, Rhode Island in September of 1952, governed by the Religious Sister Filippini, who are still here with us today. We began with an enrollment of 140 students in grade 1 through 6, and maintain an enrollment of approximately 160 students today. We graduated our first class in June 1958. We now have 10 classes, Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 8. Our Lady of Mount Carmel has been a labor of love from the beginning, a school founded on hope and faith, cementing its foundation with the strengths of academic excellence and moral integrity.
We remain located in the beautiful historic school district of Bristol, Rhode Island, surrounded by homes of character, the Bristol Town Common, our parish Church, and public schools of the Bristol/Warren School District. Our school, being situated in town, has the opportunity to be a very community-oriented school. Walks to the Rogers Free Library, volunteering at the Good Neighbors Soup Kitchen, and other community activities are commonplace in our school family.
At Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, we value the well-rounded student. Our students develop a strong moral character, beginning with their religion classes and daily prayers, and continuing through the incorporation of Christian teachings in all activities and studies. Our school provides the children with a comprehensive language arts and reading program, including the foreign language program featuring Latin and Italian. They receive extensive computer training offered in our state-of-the-art computer lab. A strong math program is in place, providing the use of manipulatives to enhance learning, and preparing them for high school with advanced math, pre-algebra and algebra. We offer a hands-on, in depth science program, from which we produce Science Fair winners at the state level yearly. We provide art education, which includes practical application and historical study. We have a wonderful music program that offers individualized lessons in recorder, stringed instruments and piano. We teach our children essential library skills to complement their work-study habits.
There is always so much going on at OLMC that it is almost too much to list! We have monthly Parent-Teacher Group meetings to keep parents well informed, Christmas and Spring music programs, monthly raffles for the children to take chances on, book fairs, Santa’s Secret Workshop, Field Day, middle school dances, and so much more!!
At OLMC, it’s no wonder our motto is “Our SPIRIT will MOVE you!”