OLPH invites all to celebrate Catholic Schools Week

Faith, academics, service — Our Lady of Perpetual HelpElementary School has been bringing these principles to the youthof the community for over 100 years.

O.L.P.H. is the educational leader by providing strong academics,growing faith, building values and community in a safe andnurturing environment. Did you know that children of all faiths arewelcomed to join our school? Children who study have the advantageof enjoying a great education for a much lower cost versus otherschools in the private sector.

To kick off Catholic Schools Week, we invite you to join us onSunday January 29, at the Basilica of Our Lady Of Perpetual Help. Aspecial Family Mass celebration led by Pastor Tizio will be held at10:15 AM in the lower church.

We invite you to see firsthand how our students carry out theprinciples of faith, academics and service in their daily lives.You will be highly impressed. It’s a special mass where thefaculty, students, home school association, parents and communitycome together to celebrate their successes and contributions overthe past year. At this mass, our students will be featured eitheras greeters, lecturers, offering gifts, or singing in thechorus.

During Catholic Schools Week, students and teachers willparticipate in specially planned themed events and appreciationdays. Come in and see why we are a cut above the rest and put us onyour consideration list! Please visit our Open House on WednesdayFeb 1, 9 a.m. – 11a.m. at 5902 Sixth Avenue, Brooklyn, and take apersonal tour of the school. You will not only see how great ourstudents and teachers are, but you will be able to see their workfirsthand that they prepared especially for the religionfair.

O.L.P.H., serving nursery to grade 8, sets its high academicstandards based on the New York State learning standards. As aresult, O.L.P.H. students have continued to achieve excellentscores on each of the New York State Tests in grades 4, 6 and 8.Student’s skills are enriched through literature, projects, fairs,experiments and educational trips.

We are especially proud of Justine Fido, who recently won acitywide essay contest, What the Blessings of Christmas Mean toMe, sponsored by the Archdiocese of New York in conjunction withRadio City Music Hall. She was visited by a Rockette, as well aswinning tickets for her family and class to Radio City Music Hall’sChristmas spectacular.

O.L.P.H. offers a computer lab and Smartboard technology. Studentsin grades kindergarten to 8 learn the academic applications oftechnology. Through the use of age-appropriate software, thestudents begin mastering the keyboard and proceed to research onapproved internet websites. Students utilize graphic organizers,word processing and publishing programs to present information forreports and projects in content areas such as religion, science andsocial studies.

While parents make sacrifices by investing in O.L.P.H., they areassured that their child will be taught values, discipline andstrong academics in a safe and nurturing environment. We have seenan influx of families who choose O.L.P.H. because of the classsize, excellence in education, and for a safer environment versuspublic school. Children are taught to do the right thing.

Catholic schools have always enjoyed diversity, as begun by theIrish and Italians and is now embraced by the new wave of Asian andHispanic immigrants.

Our students are guided up the ladder for growth and achievementfor making a difference in building a better future.

Catholic school students have a better high school graduationsuccess rate of 99% vs. 41% for public schools. Many of ourgraduates continue onto excellent Catholic high schools. Theysuccessfully pass the test for admission into Catholic schools andare often offered scholarships based on their high scores. Some ofthe graduates opt to take the exams for specialized highschools.

As a Catholic school, O.L.P.H. helps students develop the skillsthey need to in becoming active, moral, responsible members ofsociety. Students are prepared in the sacramental programs forReconciliation, First Holy Communion and Confirmation.

In addition, students from all religions, races and ethnic originsare welcomed to all programs and activities available to thestudents at O.L.P.H. We also offer gym, art and musicprograms.

O.L.P.H. is continuing the mission begun when the doors of theschool were first opened in 1903. That mission is to provide thebest in Catholic education to all children.

With the unfortunate closures of neighboring Catholic schools,O.L.P.H. Elementary plays an even more vital role to the community.Students presently enrolled in O.L.P.H. travel from far and wide inorder to receive a faith-based education.

O.L.P.H. is committed to remaining vibrant for generations to come.What better place than O.L.P.H. to get a strong sense of faith,education and community? At a time when public schools are undercriticism, with overcrowding, cutting back programs, etc., O.L.P.H.has now been a key consideration on top of parents’ lists for alltheir educational needs, whether it’s early childhood, middle orjunior high.

Not only do we build community, but we do help those in need. Comein and ask about some of the programs we offer to help offsettuition needs.

O.L.P.H. provides a safe environment for students to learn in.Throughout the grades, an emphasis is placed on respect for eachother as the children build morals and values anchored in theCatholic tradition.

Being part of the O.L.P.H. family allows the students theopportunity to reach beyond the books. There are many parishactivities the students and public school students can takeadvantage of. Many of the youth get out during the weekends eitheras part of the O.L.P.H. Twirlers, O.L.P.H. Ridgemen or O.L.P.H.Soccer League, or dive as part of the St. Andrew’s/O.L.P.H. swimteam. Basketball and bowling are also available for any child whois interested.

For more information about O.L.P.H. Elementary School, pleasecontact us at 718-439-8067, by email [email protected] or log on toour website www.O.L.P.H.schoolbrooklyn.org.

Patricia Winters is the principal of O.L.P.H.School.