Mount St. Charles Academy is optimistically settling into the 2025-2026 academic year, with new transfers, programs, and policies refreshing the halls and expectations of mounties 6-12/pgs. Although Mount has been established for over a century, the academy has proven that an old dog can learn new tricks.

Joining the NEPSAC league in the 2024-2025 year, adapting to new Rhode Island educational legislation (2025-S 0771A, 2025-H 5598A), and welcoming plenty of new staff members and 189 transfer students 6th-post grad. Although the ciriculum , policies, and athletics changed, one thing that will never change is Mount's core values being instilled to every member of our family.

This past week I sat down with one of Mount's very own Catherine Breault (Mrs. Breault) to gain insight about our evolving community within the walls of MSCA. Mrs. Breault is a 08’ Mount alumni, who has worn many hats all with a big red M on them! She has been the Team Elite Dance Coach since 2013, started teaching here at mount in 2017 with this school year being her 8th education in the english department. Mrs. Breault was the SLA class moderator for 5 academic years, moderated: charisms keepers (2019-2020), SADD (students against destructive decisions) (2019-2020), the class of ‘24, has been the moderator for Mount’s Mock trial team for the last 3 years. She also actively serves as the newest co- director of the Fine Arts Department as well as an instructional coach, which is a new position for professional development amongst the teaching staff that collaborates with other educators for best practices and styles in the classroom. Mrs. Breault also monitors detention and is a teacher counselor.. When deciding on who to interview for the first edition of the 2025-2026 Hilltopper, Mrs. Breault was an obvious choice; she is not only a Mount alum who teaches Mounties, she also exemplifies the Mount way and is a proud compassionate member of our family that lives out the principles of charisms that the institution prides itself on modeling after. So when inquiring about MSC and the new environment regarding (2024-2025) and (2025-2026) academic years I knew she would have a valuble outlook from many different lenses, that would be ideal to attest to Mount St. Charles as a whole.

Rogers: What is your favourite part about teaching at mount ?

Breault: “Mount family” the support system within the faculty “very family oriented” and I also see it within the student body.

Rogers: What are your thoughts on the updated uniform policy- considering in the past students have not necessarily followed it?

breualt: The last few weeks i have definitely noticed students have been complying.. students are arriving to class already in uniform. The switch to having only curtain color pants makes it easier to assess if they are in uniform… I have definitely seen compliance.

Rogers: With Mount going prep in the 2024-2025 year do you feel the learning has been disrupted. If so, how have you been trying to keep your classroom in order and on track?

Breault: I think we have a lot of new students enrolled during the 2024-25 school year. Last year was a lot about what it was to be a mountain and defining our expectations. It was a little more level with enrollment- this year so going over systems and routines are not taking as long to teach.

Rogers: How do you feel the atmosphere of the school has changed since prep and the new policies have been inforced:

Breault: I feel like mount have had to develop clear policies- to teach our new students what it means to be a mountie. I have definitely seen the students this year embracing the new polices. Since the prep league, I feel students are more exposed to what they probably were prior to the switch- in one of my classes I have 5 countries represented. Also I feel the shift to prep has brought a new found spirit to mount- I have seen way more students attending games than before the shift.

Rogers: Have you noticed differences in how discipline or classroom management is approached now?

Breault: I think I've had to be very clear and set clear expectations/ procedures

Rogers: Last year I had you for english and in my class I was one of 28 kids.. Classes were not like that in (2023-2024).

Breault: To put 24 boys with 4 girls in one classroom was… the class had a lot of personalities. It was about catering to those personalities to make sure we were all on the same page.

Rogers: Do you feel like it was “difficult” to teach that large of a class with 24 of them being boys and about half of them being on the same team?

Breault: I like to describe it as passionate and exciting and at times I think students are more focused on the social aspect of school, but I remind them that they are student-athletes. Being a student comes first. I definitley had to get creative to make sure all students were understanding the curriculum and setting themselves up for success.

Rogers: What changes in the community/ student population have you noticed during your time teaching here?

Breault: I think we are getting back to teaching the charism- and providing the students the opportunity to connect with one another.. I've definitely noticed that students like to work collaboratively post covid.

Rogers: How do you personally adjust to new rules or expectations while still staying true to your teaching style?

Breault: I lead with grace, and realize the importance of talking to the student privetly first when issues arise.

Rogers: What advice would you give new teachers, and teachers who are navigating the changes here for adapting to mount st charles?

brealt : to reach out to your fellow faculty members we are all here to support each other, remember you are an effective teacher, and we all deserve to thrive.

Rogers : Do you feel students today face different pressures than when you were here as a student?

Breault: 100%- I don't know if I could survive highschool today with everything this generation experiences. The pressure students put on themselves with college acceptances and being well roudned- I applaud them it's not easy.

Mrs. Breault acknowledged some of the challenges that come with changing the classroom enviormnet and disciplinary changes within the school but attested to the strong foundation of the additions and implements at Mount. While the walls have have a fresh coat of paint, the core values and mountie spirit remain as strong as ever.

School News