History
The Tradition of Catholic Education at its Finest
Located 5 minutes from I-84 and Rt.8 in the prestigious and mostly residential Town Plot neighborhood, on the West End of Waterbury, CT, Our Lady of Mount Carmel School is a Catholic elementary school. Our fully-degreed faculty takes great pride in our accredited curriculum. Our school offers a wide range of educational, spiritual, and extracurricular activities. Motivated students, engaged parents, expert staff, supportive parish family - these are the hallmarks of Our Lady of Mount Carmel School.
Our school opened its doors on September 4, 1957 with a Mass of the Holy Spirit celebrated by pastor Father Patrick W. Flynn at 8:00am. When the first bell rang at 8:40am, 256 children in grades 1-4 lined up with eight religious sisters and their principal. On September 8, 1957, the Most Reverend Henry J. O'Brien, Archbishop of Hartford, officially dedicated the school and the convent at a 3:00pm benediction. The dedication provided Father Flynn, through his pastoral message, an opportunity to publicly thank the parishioners, friends, benefactors, and businesses (neighborhood, local, and statewide) for their spirit of sacrifice, cooperation, generosity, and lively enthusiasm that helped Father Flynn's dream become a reality. Father Flynn had wanted a parochial school in the Parish so that the children would be aware of the fact that they were members of the family of God, members of the family of the church, members of their own family, and members of the community in which they live. This was to be Our Lady of Mount Carmel's first mission statement.
In 1974 a kindergarten was added in a continuing effort to provide the best education within the school's Catholic framework. In 1993 the school expanded to add a pre-kindergarten program of three and four year-olds staffed by a teacher and an aide. In 2001 our pre-kindergarten became two separate programs each staffed by a teacher and an aide. In 2001 "The Little Saints" before and after school program was added, as well as a foreign language. Italian is taught in Kindergarten through Grade 8. Lastly, in 2009 Child Care Center was opened in the former convent. Children from 6 weeks to 3 years are accepted.
The graduating class of 2024 will be the 64th class to graduate from Our Lady of Mount Carmel School and attend area public, private, and parochial high schools. Since the first graduating class, Our Lady of Mount Carmel School has graduated more than 2,800 students educated in its mission and philosophy.
