Feeling a part of the OMC family

Posted 8/29/13

by Mrs. Laura-Anne Wright – OMC 1st Grade

In 2012, I was on maternity leave with my daughter when it was announced that the school I had been teaching at would close at the end of the year. I …

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Feeling a part of the OMC family

Posted

by Mrs. Laura-Anne WrightOMC 1st Grade

In 2012, I was on maternity leave with my daughter when it was announced that the school I had been teaching at would close at the end of the year. I began interviewing at different schools but didn’t have a good feeling about any of them. None of the schools at which I was interviewing seemed to be a good fit.

One day in late April, I came across a mass email for Archdiocesan teachers looking for a position in the fall. Many of the positions were for upper grade teachers. While I am confident in my ability to teach at any level, I do so enjoy working with the younger students. One of the listings caught my eye. Our Mother of Consolation Parish School in Chestnut Hill was looking for a teacher for first grade. I had wanted to teach first grade since I had graduated from college (I had previously taught third and second grades). This was the first moment I felt a tremor of real excitement in my job search.

I promptly sent off my resume to Mr. Hagy. Although excited by the possibility of teaching first grade, I was also wary about allowing myself to get too excited. It was late in the year and I knew the position may have already been filled. To my surprise, Mr. Hagy contacted me for an interview. I was ecstatic but I was in a bit of a conundrum: I had no one to watch my 9-month-old daughter while I interviewed. I told Mr. Hagy about my situation and asked if we could arrange another time for an interview. He told me to bring Lily-Anne as they were very “family friendly” at OMC. I could not believe it! That one small gesture gave me tremendous hope about the school, the faculty and the position. I did bring my daughter to the interview.

I can honestly say the first time I walked through the doors at OMC and felt the positivity and family friendly atmosphere I knew I wanted to work here. I felt like God had guided me to this school; it is the perfect fit for me. I felt it the first moment I met Mr. Hagy and Mrs. Lasek. Everyone from faculty to students welcomed me and made me feel a part of the OMC family from the moment I was offered the teaching position. My daughter Lily-Anne loves coming to visit whenever she can--and next year she will be joining OMC as a PreK student!

Compared to other schools at which I have taught, OMC truly does have a family focus. We work closely with the family and really take the time to get to know each one. The partnership between home and school is just remarkable. There is such a warm and inviting atmosphere at the school. The small class sizes and family environment make attention to student achievement much more meaningful.

OMC takes a proactive approach to educating the whole child and involves parents every step of the way. The Code of Courtesy was something that really impressed me; no other school I have worked at had such a well-defined and powerful way of making the home-school-student-parent connection!

What is great about OMC is the positive spirit and can-do attitude of not just the faculty and the staff but also of the students . The students are some of the most amazing young people who are just brimming with ideas and knowledge; they are ever excited to share their knowledge with others. The rigorous academics at OMC mean the students are working to meet and beat high expectations every day.

As a teacher and as a parent, I would recommend the school as a haven for engaged and active learning in an environment of safety, courtesy, and love. I know that God guided me on a path that led me to fulfill my passion for teaching the little ones as well as providing a school to which I will be proud to send my own daughter. OMC is the perfect fit for me!

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