Our Lady of Mercy R C Church

Our Lady of Mercy grammer school had a high enrollment when I was a student there for eight years, graduating in 1985. Classes were small enough that all students received individual attention and the teachers made every effort to ensure the student body would be ready for the high school years that were fast approaching. In terms of size, each grade one through eight had enough students that there were two classes for each grade level, so perhaps fourty children per grade.
Life was quite enjoyable as a student at OLM as I attended classes with many of the kids I grew up with in the Forest Hills area. Homework and some classroom work could be done collectively, pranks were sprung occasionally.
The dress code was shirt and tie for the boys from the from first grade eventually dress jackets made their way into the required daily wear. This set a nice precedent for our future in the professional world and it was really no extra effort to gear up into our daily regalia.
English and math were the strongest subject areas in OLM’s curricula in my opinion, not to suggest science, history or any other subjects were lacking in any way. But once in high school, I felt I had a excellent foundation and a bit of a better start on other students from other schools.
As it was a Catholic school we had events during a portion of the school year, like the May Crowning and a few others. The Sacraments of communion and confirmation although preformed in church, were learned about in school. It was not called theology, perhaps it was called religion, the name is currently evading me.
Children grew through and thrived in their Our Lady of Mercy years in academics, Catholic faith and very close bonds with friends. In fact my friends in grammer school are my closest friends today, some twenty eight years later.