MCS welcomes students back for new school year

Mount Carmel School students participate in an opening Mass at Mount Carmel Cathedral on the first day of classes for the 2022-2023 school year. The Mass included the traditional commissioning ceremony of its employees. (Photos by MCS)

Mount Carmel School team welcomed its students back last Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022, for the start of the 2022 – 2023 school year. The opening of the school year was led by the school’s new president, Frances T. Taimanao, and acting principal Filmah Buenaflor.

The first week of classes prioritized students and their transition back to school. Students took part in various get-to-know-you activities as well as time spent learning about what to expect from their course work and the school’s latest student policies. In line with the school’s Catholic identity, the entire school community participated in its annual opening Mass, led by Fr. Ray Rosal.

As the CNMI remains at Community Level Green, Mount Carmel School shared the complete reinstatement of all student events and activities and the return to a five-day school week. Inspired by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mount Carmel School said it will dedicate Fridays to a health and wellness curriculum. Health and Wellness Fridays will be designed to teach students various personal skills not typically taught in the classroom such as coping with negative emotions, personal financial management, anti-cyberbullying, how to be an “Upstander,” and how to be a leader.

“The last two years during this pandemic have been difficult for everyone and what we noticed were changes in student behavior. Instead of assuming students will rebound easily because of student activities, our team is taking a progressive approach to dedicate one school day out of the week to teach various wellness skills and provide students with the time and space to lead on-campus student activities,” Taimanao said.

Mount Carmel School’s business manager, John S. Blanco, shared the ongoing facility projects that aim to support student learning such as the opening of the library, initial construction of the Sugar King Building, and other restoration projects affected by Super Typhoon Yutu.

“It’s been an ongoing process, most notably by Priscilla Dela Cruz and the other members of the MCS Business Office team, who have been hard at work restoring the campus to what it was before Super Typhoon Yutu so we can continue to fulfill action items in our facilities master plan,” Blanco said. “We will always prioritize the safety and learning needs of our students and we are grateful for the patience our families have given us. More is to come, and we are eager to finish these projects for our school community.”

Mount Carmel School currently has 537 students enrolled for this academic year. While applications are still accepted, slots are limited for certain grade levels.

For more information, visit www.mountcarmelsaipan.com. (MCS)