Our Lady of Prompt Succor School

School website: promptsuccor.org

Welcome

Our Lady of Prompt Succor School is located in the Garden District of Alexandria and serves students in grades Pre-School (age 3) through six from Rapides, Avoyelles, Allen and Grant Parishes. We endeavor to adhere strictly to the Catholic Christian philosophy of education and to provide an environment in which excellence can prevail. We exist primarily to serve our Catholic students and to help them grow in their Catholic faith and morality. However, our school is open to students of all faiths, and we respect their beliefs.

OLPS offers a diverse and challenging curriculum. All courses meet or exceed the basic state accreditation requirements. In addition to Reading/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies, we offer a daily Religious Program, Weekly School Liturgy (K-6), Art (1-6), Computer (1-6), Physical Education (all grades), Music (all grades), Reading and Math Resource,  Library (all grades), Spanish (all grades) and the D.A.R.E. Program. Our Lady of Prompt Succor School prides itself on high Christian standards, academic leadership and achievement, and community involvement. We are blessed to have supportive parents and an active Home and School Association. We are also fortunate to have a Partnership in Education with Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hospital.

The 2017-2018 enrollment as of August 2017 is 480 students.  We have two Pre-School classes and  three classes each of Pre-Kindergarten through sixth grade.  We have a full-time art teacher, computer teacher, P.E. teacher, librarian, music teacher, a part-time Spanish teacher, a  full time title I teacher, and two part-time resource teachers.  We also have nine classroom aides, two secretaries, a receptionist, an office assistant, and a public relations manager.  Father Dan O’Connor is our Pastor, and Father John Wiltse is the Parochial Vicar. Mrs. Jo Tassin is the Principal, and Mrs. Jackie DeWorth is the Assistant Principal.

Our extracurricular activities include an athletic program consisting of Football (5^th and 6^th), Basketball (5^th and 6^th), Baseball (5^th and 6^th) Softball (5^th and 6^th), Intramural Basketball (1-6), and a Booster Squad (5^th and 6^th). We also have a 4-H Club (4^th-6^th), a Jr. Beta Club (5^th and 6^th), a choir (4^th-6^th), an Altar Server program (4^th-6^th) and Scouts. Students in grades K-6 are invited to participate in our annual play. We also participate in the National Geography Bee, Mathletics, and various art and essay contests. Students in grades 3-6 take ACT Aspire in the spring.

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Annual Events

Fall Festival – September

Living Rosary – October

4^th grade Parade of Saints – November

PreK Christmas Play – December

Grades K-6 Christmas Concerts – December

Catholic Schools Week – January

PreK Mardi Gras Parade – February

Grades K-6 School Play/Musical – February

1^st Grade Easter Play – April

5^th Grade StarBase Math/Science Camp – April

6th Grade Retreat – April

3^rd Grade Louisiana Day – May

4^th grade May Pole Dance – May

Grades 3-5 Patriotic Concerts – May

6^th grade May Crowning – May

Field Day – May

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How to Enroll

Parents interested in enrolling their children in Our Lady of Prompt Succor School may call the school office at (318) 487-1862 and ask to speak to Pam Schexnyder or Nelwyn Boudreaux, who will explain the enrollment process. Waiting lists for Pre-School, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten open on October 1st for the following school year. Enrollment for the upcoming school year takes place in February. Students entering Pre-School must be three years old, Pre-Kindergarten students must be four years old, and Kindergarten students five years old by September 30th.

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News and Events

Please visit the school website at www.promptsuccor.org

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Brief History

In February of 1949, a man who purchased a corn patch from the Sisters of Divine Providence began converting it into an elementary school called Our Lady of Prompt Succor School.  The man’s name was Right Reverend Monsignor A. Olinger, and the land belonged to Providence High School.  The sisters “gave” the property away for $9,000.00.  By September of 1949 classes were in session and the enrollment was 405 students.  The newly erected school included nine classrooms of seven grades, a principal’s office, a small library, two store rooms and two restrooms.  Seven Sisters of Divine Providence and two lay teachers made up the faculty.

Sister Helen Margaret, the first principal, saw to it that the children would receive the best education–even with the barest of necessities:  chalkboard and chalk, desks and texts, and children!  Until 1952, sisters and students ate their lunch in a converted barracks.  A plank walk connected the school and cafeteria–a real boon on muddy days.  But the plank walk was discarded as soon as the new cafeteria, kitchen, and storeroom were constructed.  At the same time the Mother’s club donated the Statue of Our Lady of Prompt Succor which adorns the school lawn today.  Four new classrooms were added, and Reverend Mother Angelique sent two more sisters to increase the number of sisters to nine educating 525 students.  By 1954, there were 16 classrooms, seven lay teachers, and nine sisters.  In 1958, the principal was relieved of a regular class and one more lay teacher joined the faculty. Seventh and eighth grades were added by 1959.

In 1988, the seventh and eighth grades moved to Holy Savior Menard Central High School.  This opened up some classrooms which enabled us to start a Pre-Kindergarten program and to have more classrooms available for the grades that were overcrowded, thus lowering the student-teacher ratio. In 2007, we added a Pre-School program for three-year olds.

Staff

Email: olpsoffice@promptsuccor.org

Megan Beck, Principal

Rev. Rusty Rabalais, Pastor

Holly Carbo, Assistant Principal

Nelwyn Gentry, Secretary

Pam Schexnyder, Secretary