​The Virtues Program at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Secondary School

One of the on-going initiatives at OLMC is the Virtues Program.  Our goal is to encourage students to live the virtues of Acceptance, Conscience, Empathy, Faith, Hope, Kindness, Love, Patience, Respect and Self-Control.  Highlighting these virtues each month brings to light the kind of individual we should strive to be in our daily lives.  As we nurture these traits in our students, we foster a healthy state of mind, meaningful relationships and create a safe environment for them to learn. We promote the “virtue of the month” on our announcements, post them in each classroom and most recently had them printed on the pillars lining the school foyer so as to remind students that our virtues are the foundational strength holding us up each day.  In addition to visual cues, this program also acknowledges and rewards students for weaving the virtues into their daily interactions. 

Each month teachers are asked to nominate a student that most embodies the virtue of that month.  Those students are rewarded with a personalized note from their teacher describing why they were nominated, a free civvies day, and a small token of recognition, which is unique to those who have been nominated.  It is a club yielding a sense of belonging to each of its chosen members. These students also participate in a group photo, which is showcased in the yearbook in a section dedicated to the Virtues Program.  Collectively these elements address the different aspects of how it feels to be accepted, valued and appreciated.  Our Virtues program has shown a positive impact on the wellbeing of students during this period of self-discovery and character development. Through it we have developed a community that honours an authentic moral character and inspires those within it to be the best person they can be.