OLMC after-school program earns acclaim
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
By Christina Leslie |Correspondent
The after-school program in Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, Asbury Park, has been judged one of the 15 best STEM projects in the nation and is primed to receive further public honors this coming March. The program, which stresses the arts in addition to traditional science, technology, engineering and mathematics, educates and entertains over 100 area children in a safe and faith-based environment.
Click here to see photo gallery on this story.
OLMC and their financial partner, the Friendship Train Foundation, instituted the after-school program nearly three years ago. The program was awarded a five-year, $300K per year grant under the auspices of the N.J. 21st Century Community Learning Centers, the only Catholic school in N.J. to have done so, according to OLMC principal Sister of St. Joseph Jude Boyce.
Each weekday session of the program begins with the students in grades four through eight receiving a nutritious snack in the cafeteria before heading back into their classrooms for an hour to complete their homework; the children then participate in enrichment classes in a variety of fields held throughout the OLMC campus.
“This is their program; we want them to take ownership of it,” stated Sowmiya Thirumoorthy, the program’s director, as she described how the children sign up for activities and keep their attendance records with stickers. “It’s an engaging atmosphere.”
Teachers and aides recruited from the OLMC staff and surrounding community lead the youngsters in a wide variety of fun yet educational classes. On a recent Monday afternoon visit, children attended religious education classes in a classroom while nearby in the kitchen others excitedly awaited the cheesy biscuits they had baked to emerge from the oven. A group of young thespians were practicing their lines in preparation for their springtime production of “The Wizard of Oz,” and the music emanating from a Zumba class got young feet dancing in the church hall.
Other classes held throughout the week include knitting and needlework, music, glass painting, sewing, digital photography, dance, chess and community service projects. About 110 students hailing from OLMC and two community schools are enrolled in the program which stresses fun and education in equal measures.
“We make it harder for the kids to fail. This is our mantra,” Thirumoorthy declared. “We want to build a positive culture.” The program manager recognized the need to instill core values in the young students in her care to give them the incentive to succeed outside the school’s four walls. “Consistency is a big thing. We tell them we believe in you, they may not get that in their families,” she said. “We say you can come out of this community and do your best.”
An advisory council comprised of both staff and parents meets every two weeks to assure the program’s success, and periodic showcases and information nights also draw the families to the school. The success of the year-round program and requests from parents led Sister Jude to invite students’ younger siblings into the mix; about three dozen first through third graders, dubbed the “mini all-stars,” meet three days per week; their classes are funded partially through Title I monies and private donations.
The success of the after-school program has attracted attention from the state Department of Education, which invited OLMC to apply as one of only 15 in the nation to be included in the first national STEM showcase. The school will learn March 1 whether they are judged as one of the three national winners which will be videotaped and highlighted on the You for Youth (Y4Y.ed.gov.) website as a resource for other programs.
“It’s not just a daycare,” Thirumoorthy asserted. “We get tremendous support from the parents, faculty and community, but Sister Jude is a pillar of strength. This would not have happened without her.”
The school principal deflected the praise, focusing instead on the Asbury Park school’s 90-year tradition of Catholic faith and service. “This is really very complimentary,” she noted. “The kids are already set up to be respectful and have good values.”
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By Christina Leslie |Correspondent
The after-school program in Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, Asbury Park, has been judged one of the 15 best STEM projects in the nation and is primed to receive further public honors this coming March. The program, which stresses the arts in addition to traditional science, technology, engineering and mathematics, educates and entertains over 100 area children in a safe and faith-based environment.
Click here to see photo gallery on this story.
OLMC and their financial partner, the Friendship Train Foundation, instituted the after-school program nearly three years ago. The program was awarded a five-year, $300K per year grant under the auspices of the N.J. 21st Century Community Learning Centers, the only Catholic school in N.J. to have done so, according to OLMC principal Sister of St. Joseph Jude Boyce.
Each weekday session of the program begins with the students in grades four through eight receiving a nutritious snack in the cafeteria before heading back into their classrooms for an hour to complete their homework; the children then participate in enrichment classes in a variety of fields held throughout the OLMC campus.
“This is their program; we want them to take ownership of it,” stated Sowmiya Thirumoorthy, the program’s director, as she described how the children sign up for activities and keep their attendance records with stickers. “It’s an engaging atmosphere.”
Teachers and aides recruited from the OLMC staff and surrounding community lead the youngsters in a wide variety of fun yet educational classes. On a recent Monday afternoon visit, children attended religious education classes in a classroom while nearby in the kitchen others excitedly awaited the cheesy biscuits they had baked to emerge from the oven. A group of young thespians were practicing their lines in preparation for their springtime production of “The Wizard of Oz,” and the music emanating from a Zumba class got young feet dancing in the church hall.
Other classes held throughout the week include knitting and needlework, music, glass painting, sewing, digital photography, dance, chess and community service projects. About 110 students hailing from OLMC and two community schools are enrolled in the program which stresses fun and education in equal measures.
“We make it harder for the kids to fail. This is our mantra,” Thirumoorthy declared. “We want to build a positive culture.” The program manager recognized the need to instill core values in the young students in her care to give them the incentive to succeed outside the school’s four walls. “Consistency is a big thing. We tell them we believe in you, they may not get that in their families,” she said. “We say you can come out of this community and do your best.”
An advisory council comprised of both staff and parents meets every two weeks to assure the program’s success, and periodic showcases and information nights also draw the families to the school. The success of the year-round program and requests from parents led Sister Jude to invite students’ younger siblings into the mix; about three dozen first through third graders, dubbed the “mini all-stars,” meet three days per week; their classes are funded partially through Title I monies and private donations.
The success of the after-school program has attracted attention from the state Department of Education, which invited OLMC to apply as one of only 15 in the nation to be included in the first national STEM showcase. The school will learn March 1 whether they are judged as one of the three national winners which will be videotaped and highlighted on the You for Youth (Y4Y.ed.gov.) website as a resource for other programs.
“It’s not just a daycare,” Thirumoorthy asserted. “We get tremendous support from the parents, faculty and community, but Sister Jude is a pillar of strength. This would not have happened without her.”
The school principal deflected the praise, focusing instead on the Asbury Park school’s 90-year tradition of Catholic faith and service. “This is really very complimentary,” she noted. “The kids are already set up to be respectful and have good values.”
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