Our Lady of the Wayside School welcomes new students from area towns
When school started at Our Lady of the Wayside School in Arlington Heights on Tuesday, Aug. 21, the school welcomed about 35 new families, with new students in PK-3 to eighth grades. These new families come from Arlington Heights, Rolling Meadows, Mount Prospect, Palatine, Buffalo Grove, Niles and Des Plaines.
"We know we offer an excellent educational experience for students with the added benefit of teaching Catholic principles," said Our Lady of the Wayside Principal David Wood. "It's exciting to us that so many new families are choosing Wayside for school this year. They recognize our philosophy of teaching the whole child through Catholic virtues and holistic academic teaching."
Our Lady of the Wayside School has over 400 students enrolled in Pre-K through eighth grade. Our Lady of the Wayside School is dedicated to enriching each student's mind, fostering a deep and meaningful faith in every child and expanding the talents and abilities of the students.
Our Lady of the Wayside was recognized as a national Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education in 1997, and again in 2015. Only 10 percent of Blue Ribbon Schools have earned this distinction more than once.
The core curriculum, consisting of language arts, math, science, social studies and religion, provides the backbone of the academic programs at Our Lady of the Wayside. Both in and out of the classroom, Our Lady of the Wayside students are encouraged to develop critical thinking and organizational skills that prepare them for high school and beyond.
The smaller class sizes at Our Lady of the Wayside are beneficial to the learning environment of each child. Middle school courses build on the foundation laid in the elementary years and challenge students to investigate and analyze topics more fully.
Our Lady of the Wayside regularly sends many seventh-grade students to the Illinois State Science Fair where several win Gold or Silver awards. In addition to great academics, Our Lady of the Wayside has an award-winning robotics program run by parents accomplished in that field. Students may also participate in a robust band and choir program from fifth to eighth grades.
Other opportunities for students include trivia club, the middle school spring musical, and sports teams starting in fifth grade.
Our Lady of the Wayside parents often talk about the caring teachers and wonderful parent community as the reasons they chose Our Lady of the Wayside. Many Our Lady of the Wayside teachers are active members of the Our Lady of the Wayside Parish and they are modeling Catholic practices. This is one of the intangible benefits of a Catholic school.
To learn more about Our Lady of the Wayside and its commitment to Catholic education, call the school office at (847) 255-0050 or send an email to dkenney@olwschool.org.
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