History

Our Lady of the Wayside School has served the Catholic community of Arlington Heights since the mid 1900′s. Named after a fifth century painting of the Blessed Mother, the church was officially founded in 1952.  By May of 1953, construction began on a parish school. Over a year later the new school was ready for seven lay teachers, four Dominican Sisters and three hundred students to begin the task of learning.

As the number of children grew, so did the needs of the school and the parish for additional buildings. In 1955, a convent was begun to house the increasing number of sisters engaged in teaching. By 1956, one thousand students filled the school building to capacity. In a heady atmosphere of growth, the decision to build a separate, permanent church was made; ground was officially broken n November of 1956. This momentous undertaking allowed for the conversion of the temporary church quarters into seven much-needed classrooms.

By 1965, 1300 students were enrolled in the school. This created the need for additional classroom space. In April of 1968 a separate junior high school building, equipped with a gymnasium to be used by the entire school, was completed.

Today Our Lady of the Wayside School continues to provide a strong preschool through eighth grade Catholic education for its students. Currently, enrollment is around 500 students. There are traditionally two classrooms per grade with approximately 20-25 students in each class.  The teaching staff is composed of professional individuals who are guided by their Catholic faith.  These mentors, along with parents and alumni, sponsor numerous extra-curricular opportunities to foster student growth outside the daily curriculum.

The history of Our Lady of the Wayside School has been and continues to be a positive reflection of the Gospel of Jesus.  An award-winning education, daily prayer, liturgy, works of charity and community outreach are always being enhanced and improved to help make Wayside students authentic and effective disciples of Christ.