New Families

This is a summary of information for use when giving tours or talking about the school. For information on fees or the admissions process, please refer to the Tuition and Fees 2022-2023 sheet and the Admissions Procedures sheet.  Each Open House Folder will contain one of these items. 

1. What sets Everest Academy apart from other schools in the area?
Everest Academy is known for its educational method of Integral Formation®.  

Focusing on the whole person: Academic, Spiritual, Character, and Service.

2. Why is an assessment required for admission to the school?
Everest Academy is an Independent Catholic school with a rigorous curriculum. The assessment provides information as to areas of strengths and weaknesses, providing faculty the information needed to work best with incoming students.

3. How many children attend Everest Academy?  
For the 2021-2022 school year we have 190 students enrolled. 

Our goal at Everest Academy is to continue to grow and graduate Catholic leaders who will make a difference in the world! 

4. What are the school’s normal hours?  What care is available before and after normal school hours?
Class begins at 8:00 a.m. for all grades.  Half Day PreK 3 is currently dismissed at 11:30.  All other classes are dismissed at 3:00 p.m., with the exception of Wednesdays when there is an early dismissal at 2:00 p.m.  Before-school care is available on school days beginning at 7:00 am and after-school care is available until 5:00 pm.  More Extended Care information is available upon request from the business office.

5. Is hot lunch available?  How is lunch coordinated for the school?
We offer hot lunch every day for the students. The vendors we use are Buona Beef, Blueberry Hill, Jimmy Johns and Mama D’s. Each month, parents are given the chance to sign up for a selection of hot lunches for the child(ren). 

6. Do you offer recess daily?
Yes! Children really focus better after some exercise and fresh air, they have daily recess and go outside as long as the temperature is at least 20 degrees. 

7. Do you offer extracurricular activities?  Team sports?
Yes.  We have boys and girls basketball, cross country and volleyball.
We are a part of the South Suburban Catholic Conference.  

8. Are you affiliated with a  Parish? What about  First Communion and Confirmation?
Everest is an independent Catholic school under the Archdiocese of Chicago and is not affiliated with a specific parish however many of our families attend St. James and Our Lady of the Woods. The students will be prepared for their sacraments at Everest however the actual sacramental ceremony will be at their parish.

9. Is Everest Academy part of the Archdiocese?  What is the Legion of Christ?
Everest Academy is recognized by and part of the Archdiocese of Chicago.  The Legion of Christ is a religious congregation founded in 1941.  The Legion currently has more than 800 priests and 2,500 seminarians in over 20 countries.  The Legion’s mission is to extend the Kingdom of Christ in society and to work in close collaboration with the bishops and pastors of each diocese.

10. When is Mass offered at the school?
All School Mass is held weekly, on Friday mornings at 8:15am.  All families are welcome at Mass. Fr. Michael also offers a homeroom mass each day for a specific grade and allows him the opportunity to homily towards their age group.

11. What if I’m not Catholic?
Everest is a Catholic school that also attracts families who value our well-rounded, approach to education .  While you do not have to be Catholic to attend Everest, every student is required to participate in Catholic Formation classes, school activities and weekly Mass.

12. How is technology incorporated into the curriculum?
Everest utilizes portable laptops, iPads and Chromebooks that are used by all classes on a regular basis, integrating technology into the subject matter.  In addition, interactive teaching using Smart Projectors and  whiteboards are an asset to our teachers.  

13. What safety precautions are in place to protect children?
Quarterly fire, tornado and lock-down drills are conducted to prepare students for emergency situations.  In addition, the local police and fire department annual (at minimum) visits ensure safety measures are adequately applied.  All the doors to the school are locked after the students enter at 8:00 am and any visitor or parent must ring the doorbell, enter the reception area and sign in with a name badge to be worn at all times during the visit.   Children’s safety is the highest priority.

14. What are the fundraising expectations and methods?
Approximately 70% of the school’s operating costs are covered by tuition and we rely heavily on the generosity of parents, friends and benefactors to supplement our income.   Several major fundraising events are held each year:  an Annual Fund Drive, the Gala, Shamrock Shuffle 5k Family fun run, and the Golf Outing.  All members of the Everest community are asked to support the school in any way possible, including matching contributions from employers.  Details of our tuition and fundraising structure are available through our Admissions and Business offices.   As an independent school, Everest does not receive income from local parishes, and the generous participation in all of our fundraising events is vital to the success and growth of our school.  

15. What opportunities are there for parents to be involved in the school?
Everest welcomes and relies upon parental involvement.  There are many volunteer opportunities, from room parent, to helping serve hot lunch, supporting Family Fun night activities, serving on specific committees, coaching sport teams and much more.   We encourage all parents to volunteer their time, talent and expertise whenever possible.  All volunteers are required to complete a training and background check process through the Archdiocese. 

16. Why is the family interviewed before admission?
In order for the school personnel to learn more about the unique qualities of your child, we schedule a meeting with the parents and administration.  This interview allows us to get to know one another and provides information that helps us better serve your child.  The school personnel are in a partnership with you in educating your child(ren), therefore it is important that we openly communicate.  This meeting also allows parents to ask any questions they may have.