by Christine and Chris Bischoff

When we first learned that our school was on the Archdiocesan list to be closed and/or merged in January 2012, we were shocked.

At the time, we were completely happy with every aspect of our school. We were comfortable. We knew that our boys were learning and thriving, and we couldn’t imagine starting over somewhere else.

It would mean new teachers, new surroundings, new uniforms, and a whole new set of friends. On top of all that, our family was in the process of moving. The safe and secure world that our boys knew was now in complete transition.

The months ahead were filled with questions, web searches, appointments, open houses and interviews! And there was certainly no shortage of great schools from which to choose.

When it came down to making a decision, though, OMC made us feel like we were already a part of their family. That was very important to us. From our first meeting with Mrs. Lasek and Mr. Hagy, we felt at ease. They were warm and understanding of our situation, and they helped make our transition as easy as possible.

We chose OMC for so many reasons. The strong academic curriculum and class size were important to us. The proximity to where our new home would be was also attractive. We found OMC’s code of courtesy to be reflective of our desire to teach our children to respect others.

But more than anything, we felt a sense of community and closeness that was familiar to us. We felt it when we met the teachers and talked to other parents. We felt it while attending OMC’s masses. The school and parish exuded a sense of pride at every event we attended. It completely affirmed that we had made the right decision for our family in selecting OMC as our new school.

We are now happily settled at OMC, and our sons – entering third grade, first grade and pre-kindergarten – are having a wonderful experience. They have met new friends and are enjoying their new teachers and classes. We are excited to be a part of the OMC family.