Covenant School Of Bridgeport Announces Class Of 2026 Early Decision Acceptances

News release from Covenant School of Bridgeport:

BRIDGEPORT, CT — Covenant School of Bridgeport, the tuition-free middle school for underserved boys, announced today that four members of its first class of eighth grade graduates have been accepted Early Decision to Fairfield Preparatory School, Notre Dame Academy and St. Joseph’s High school.

The announcement comes as Covenant School of Bridgeport, located at 140 Edison Avenue, Fairfield, prepares to welcome prospective students currently enrolled in grades four and five for its Open House on Wednesday, January 21 at 6 p.m.

Kevin Altieri, VP for Enrollment Management at Fairfield College Preparatory School says, that “Fairfield Prep is proud to support Covenant School of Bridgeport in its mission to serve young men in the community. Since the school’s founding in 2023, many Prep students have volunteered as tutors, athletic assistants, and role models.” Altieri added, “We were honored to extend Early Decision offers to two graduates of Covenant School’s inaugural class, recognizing their outstanding character and academic achievements.”

Covenant School’s model is rooted in the 55-year-old tradition of the NativityMiguel schools that were created to “provide quality, faith-based education for low-income families.” Covenant School of Bridgeport provides high quality, comprehensive educations to boys from underserved communities, offering them a safe, rigorous academic setting and advancing their intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual growth. A unique aspect of Covenant School’s model is the 12-year commitment it makes to each student and his family. The school’s Graduate Support Program accompanies students and alumni from enrollment through the start of their careers as they develop their gifts and grow as men.

Covenant School was launched in August 2023 with 24 boys in the fifth and sixth grade. Over the succeeding two years, the school added new fifth grade classes to reach its intended design as a middle school with boys in grades five to eight. During these growth years, Covenant School built partnership relationships with Sacred Heart University, Fairfield Prep and Greens Farms Academy who send college and high school students to CSB in the afternoons to tutor students. Consequently, student academic growth is such that they are attractive candidates for the premiere schools in the region. Tutors also gain from their experiences, as Sarah Dowling, a junior SHU biology major says, that "tutoring at CSB has truly been the highlight of my college career. Getting to see, firsthand, the impact that I am able to make on the students is inspiring. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each student and watching them grow throughout their years at CSB."

Additional Covenant School of Bridgeport partners include: Fairfield University, Notre Dame Academy, Kolbe Cathedral, Bridgeport Youth Lacrosse, SailAway, Filling In the Blanks, First Serve, Bridgeport-Port Jefferson Ferry, among others.

The guiding vision of the Covenant School is to create an education model that addresses the
cycle of poverty that plagues students’ communities and replaces it with a cycle of hope, determination, and success. In order to challenge the Bridgeport’s widening achievement gap and graduation statistics for underserved males, Covenant School of Bridgeport asks what more can be done to change the face of urban education then instills the confidence in their students to find "the more" within themselves.

CSB adheres to the nine mission effective standards of all NativityMiguel schools, of which there are over 70 schools in the US and Canada that follow the model. The program includes an extended-day, Saturday field trips, and a mandatory four-week summer school. The school day includes time for study hall, sports three days per week, and club activities one day per week. The small class sizes and ongoing tutoring increase student engagement and academic performance.

Covenant School is a tuition-free middle school for low-income boys from Bridgeport. Covenant School prepares its students for college preparatory high schools through its extended-day, -week and –year program. Upon graduation from middle school, Covenant School continues its commitment to each graduate through high school with guidance, tutoring and financial support. The expectation is that each student will matriculate into a four-year college, thus breaking the cycle of urban poverty through education.

— Flyers from Covenant School of Bridgeport