School Overview

The idea of a gratuitous school supported by private donors, companies, and foundations is actually over 325 years old. John Baptist de La Salle, a sainted French priest (1651-1719), saw the deplorable educational opportunities available to the children of the artisan class and began a transformative educational movement that would eventually spread to all seven continents of the world.

Realizing there was a dirth of qualified teachers, De La Salle invited his first teachers into his home to provide them with the necessary skills to teach and administer these schools. Not realizing it at the time, De La Salle would eventually form this group of men into the Brothers of the Christian Schools, an international religious order of men dedicated to the mission of education. The hallmark of a Lasallian education is to recognize that each student is unique and has something significant to contribute to society. It is the teachers’ mission to help the student discover and cultivate his or her gifts and to make them stewards of these gifts.

Fast forward 300 years to the early 1990s, the Brothers saw the need to recapture the founding spirit of De La Salle and his first Brothers. The success of their existing schools in the USA was due, in large part, to educating the immigrants and underserved who entered the country in the mid to late 1800s. This tradition has continued for generations. These men and women would find their rightful and significant place in society. The Brothers, responding to the call of the Institute and of the Catholic Church, adapted to the needs of time and place by establishing the Miguel Schools. The mission of the Christian Brothers invites us to have our eyes open before the inequalities created by our society and to be creative in our response to new needs. Our mission must not be reduced to mere assistance, but rather to go to the roots of poverty in order to find structural solutions and to educate for justice.

THE SAN MIGUEL SCHOOL of Camden opened its doors in September of 1997, the third of the Lasallian Association of Miguel Schools (LAMS), in the former Mount Carmel School located in South Camden. The schools mission is to provide “a human and Christian” education to the boys whose families desire a faith-based education, but cannot afford the traditional tuition-driven parochial schools. We strive to prepare our boys for high school and beyond. The ultimate goal is to help our young men find their rightful and significant place in society.

With an extended school day and lengthened school year, extra time is available to bring our students up to the appropriate grade level. Besides the curricular offerings, much emphasis is placed on co-curricular activities that build up the mind, body, and spirit.

THE SAN MIGUEL SCHOOL offers a comprehensive Counseling Program. The School Counselor in cooperation with the Social Worker and Child Study Team provide a holistic approach to a child’s academic and behavioral well being. Within the auspices of the Counseling Center is a Graduate Support Program to assist our eighth graders find the high school that best meets their needs. We also provide support and advocacy throughout high school. The program also coordinates regular gatherings of the graduates, providing a continued sense of stability in their constantly changing lives.

THE SAN MIGUEL SCHOOL continues to network within the community to identify and connect with students who are struggling in their current school and have economic need. The enrollment will be limited to no more than 45 students as this allows for the small class sizes and individualized assistance that are hallmarks of a San Miguel education.

Lastly, THE SAN MIGUEL SCHOOL continues to seek new partnerships and strengthen old ones to provide the financial resources for its growth and success. The contributions of time and resources of many people has built THE SAN MIGUEL SCHOOL and helped it grow into the wonderful educational opportunity it is today.

School Overview

San Miguel Affiliates.