6410 South Dante Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637
Phone: 773-324-1020 Fax: 773-359-0506
Mothers Shadow Day
On Thursday, April 26, Mount Carmel held its first shadow day for prospective mothers. An invite was sent to all mothers of seventh-grade boys in the school’s database, and details for the event were posted on the school’s various social media networks. Personal invites were also sent out to certain traditional feeder grammar schools where many mount Carmel students come from. The event featured numerous presentations from different and teachers and faculty members, as well as a chance to sit in on different classes during the day. Thirty-three mothers came to the event.
When reaching out to other schools in the Catholic League about their similar events, most estimated that they had at most 25 mothers, so 33 was more than the school initially expected. Phil Segroves, Director of Student Recruitment who was in charge of setting up the event, noted “It is the first opportunity to build a relationship with the mothers. It’s also a chance to make contact with families even sooner now that the entrance exam was moved up six weeks.” Segroves stated that the event was a success, and many mothers seemed to really enjoy it.
After a brief breakfast in the morning and talk from Principal John Haggerty introducing the mothers to Mount Carmel, Mr. Dan Burke discussed the importance of all-learning and all its benefits. The mothers were then taken to the school’s chapel, where Father Jim Lewis talked about the Carmelites and what it meant to attend a Carmelite school. Doctor Michael Rodgers, Mr. Caribee Collier, and Mr. Andy Sobucki, three of the school’s science teachers who are also in charge of the STEM cohort, talked with the mothers about the school’s science program and the new STEM offerings, with student demonstrations of different STEM projects as well.
The mothers also had the chance to sit in on various classes throughout the day. They were able to see Mr. Dan Haggerty’s AP English: Language class, Mr. Dominic Villa’s Excel Algebra 1 class, and Mr. Sean Sweany’s Honors Latin class. Segroves noted that these teachers “well-represent the school” and thought that “their positive energy in the classroom reflects all teachers at the school.” The classes also offered a variety in what the mothers in attendance could see, displaying classes with various grade levels and offering insights into honors and excel classes.
The day finished with a Question and Answer session with four students, one from each level. The mothers were able to hear from freshman Christopher Welton, sophomore Patrick Navarre, junior Abdel Raoul, and senior Christian Lucio. The students also well-represented the geographic diversity of the school, coming from all over the Chicagoland area. These students were able to answer questions and share of their own experience at Mount Carmel.
The event was the school’s first ever of its kind, though Segroves noted that he hopes to have similar events in the future. He hopes that, in the future, even more mothers can attend and see everything Mount Carmel has to offer.
