Letter From The Principal

When attending The OLC school, our families enter into a close-knit and diverse community that promotes mutual respect amongst staff, students, and parents. Our staff values each student’s growth both as an intellectual and as a person, and, as a Catholic school, we strive to send good people into the world who are capable of reaching their full potential. At OLC, students at all grade levels experience a warm and caring environment paired with academic rigor and individualized attention. We believe strongly in the importance of strengthening their mind and character.

OLC’s focus on teaching the whole child is one of our most important traits. By adopting a “Responsive Classroom” approach, our classroom environment focuses on promoting community, responsibility, and engaging academics. We strive to instill in our students and staff the importance of having a growth mindset and becoming a lifelong learner. Parents often mention that they appreciate how OLC is kind, caring, and supportive with a “family feel”, and that our focus on teamwork and collaboration is one that extends throughout our community.

When it comes to academics, we focus on each individual's strengths and opportunities for growth. For information on our curriculum, click here. For standardized testing, students in grades 2-8 participate in MAP Growth at the beginning, middle, and end of each school year. Students have personal IXL accounts that generate personalized test prep based on their most recent scores. As our middle school students prepare for high school, our eighth grade coordinator helps walk families through the application process to ensure that they have the support they need no matter where they are applying. 

Whenever our alumni visit, it warms our hearts when they say how well-prepared they felt when beginning their freshman year. We are grateful to be a part of such a vibrant and dedicated community, and The OLC School continues to provide the best possible environment for families on the downtown Jersey City waterfront. But our values of kindness, teamwork, and growth extend outside the classroom. Whether you are in school, participating in our clubs/sports teams, or attending school-wide community events, the OLC spirit is always present. To get a sense of that spirit, be sure to check out our Instagram to see our latest posts from around the school!

Sincerely,

Tom Keating
Principal