It is understood that Our Lady of Fatima Parish School exists to support the parents/guardians in their role as the primary educator of their children in the Catholic faith and to educate those parish children whose families are committed to the Catholic faith and a Catholic education. It is also understood that much of a child’s faith formation and moral foundation comes from their experiences at home. All parents and legal guardians are expected to respect and support the Church’s teachings and moral authority as administered through the pastoral leader of their Catholic parish.
All parents and guardians must also be aware of their obligation to model Christ and the Church’s teachings, and that their own conduct can impact whether a student is admitted or remains enrolled, at the discretion of Our Lady of Fatima Parish School. Our Lady of Fatima Parish School reserves the right to dismiss any student, or to deny reenrollment to any student who, in the sole judgment of the principal, is not making satisfactory progress, has engaged in conduct which is detrimental to the school, or whose parent/guardian has engaged in conduct which is detrimental to the school.
Our Lady of Fatima Parish School admits qualified students of any race, sex, sexual orientation, color, national and ethnic origin, and disability and makes no distinction among such students in the administration of its educational policies and scholarships. Students possessing physical or emotional disabilities will not be denied admission solely by reason of the disability (see NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATORY POLICY).
Prior to entry, attendance, or transfer to a Level 1 or 1b Catholic pre-school through high school in the Archdiocese of Seattle, students must present proof of having had the immunizations as required by Washington State law (see Immunizations). The completion of application forms, the approval of a tuition contract, a determination of available space, and a finding that the school has the ability to meet the needs of the individual student are also required.
Final admission of students is dependent upon the results of an interview with the principal and review of current school records and/or academic assessments as applicable. Final acceptance will be submitted in writing to all new families admitted for the following school year.
A child must be 5 years of age for kindergarten, 4 years old for pre-kindergarten, and 3 years old for preschool by August 31st immediately preceding the school year for which the student seeks to enroll. There are no exceptions made to this requirement.
A copy of a Baptismal certificate (required if Roman Catholic, both for students baptized at Our Lady of Fatima Parish and elsewhere, and requested if non-Catholic), birth certificate, and immunization form MUST be submitted by all new students before they are allowed to attend.
All new students are accepted on a probationary basis. Students must meet and maintain academic standards and expectations.
As openings occur for each grade level, students will be admitted and/or placed in a waitpool. A waitpool will be established when a class reaches:
- 16 in Preschool
- 20 in Pre-Kindergarten
- 28-30 in Kindergarten-2nd Grades
- 30 in 3rd-8th Grades
ACTIVE PARISH FAMILY CRITERIA
An active Our Lady of Fatima Parish family is one in which at least one parent or guardian is baptized Catholic, children in the family are baptized Catholic, and the family actively participates in the life of the parish. Active participation involves a sustained commitment on the part of the family to the larger family that is Our Lady of Fatima Parish and includes being registered as parish members, being active participants in the Eucharistic celebrations of the parish, having a sacrificial giving card on file each year, and participating in the Annual Catholic Appeal each year. To be considered active parish members, the family must have been active and participating members of the parish for at least six months prior to school application and must meet the following criteria:
- At least one parent/guardian is baptized Catholic. One parent/guardian must have a baptismal certificate on file either at the OLF parish office or at the school office.
- Student(s) are baptized Catholic and baptismal certificate(s) are on file in the school office (for those baptized at OLF or elsewhere).
- Family has completed a registration card at the Our Lady of Fatima Parish office.
- Family files a Sacrificial Giving Card each year reflecting a minimum yearly contribution of $30 per week to support Our Lady of Fatima Parish.
- Family files an Annual Catholic Appeal pledge card each year and fulfills the pledge to support the Archdiocese of Seattle.
- Family regularly attends weekly Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Parish.
- Family is involved in Our Lady of Fatima Parish life.
International students who are not permanent residents of the United States will be admitted in accordance with the requirements of the United States Department of State and/or the United States Department of Homeland Security. Any foreign student who is not a permanent resident of the United States who desires to enroll in Our Lady of Fatima Parish School must have complete legal documentation required by the United States government in order to do so.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DIFFERENCES
Students with special needs shall be given the same consideration as all applicants. However, prior to admitting a student with diagnosed learning differences, Our Lady of Fatima Parish School shall make a determination as to whether it can provide an appropriate education for that child in light of the school’s resources and staff/support capacity. Each child will be considered on an individual basis. Our Lady of Fatima Parish School will consider:
- the severity and degree of the disability;
- the level of support needed from special services and any special equipment or related services the student may require;
- the school’s resources, such as available support personnel, class size, and accessibility of school facilities;
- the accommodations, if any are necessary, and the school’s ability to provide those accommodations;
- the child’s Student Support Plan (SSP) if one exists, and/or the school’s ability to meet a current IEP/IFSP or behavioral plan; and
- Any other considerations that may apply to the particular situation.
Parents/guardians and/or the public school district in which the student resides shall be responsible for any additional special education services that a student may require.
Our Lady of Fatima Parish School will accept any child for whom an appropriate program can be designed and implemented. Each child is to be considered for admission based upon his/her emotional, academic, and physical needs; the school’s ability to support the student in adhering to all health/medical requirements; and the resources available to the school in meeting those needs. Our Lady of Fatima Parish School continued enrollment based on these factors.
There is a limit to what schools have the capacity to do. However, Our Lady of Fatima Parish School will not discriminate against otherwise qualified individuals on the basis of disability if, with reasonable accommodations, school staff can assist a student in meeting the requirements of the school program.
Our Lady of Fatima Parish School honors the following procedures in trying to serve students with special needs:
- Phase 1: Identification – Identification of the specific area of concern(s), documentation of concern, consultation with the student’s family.
- Phase 2: Assessment – Comprehensive assessment through the local public school or through private, professional consultants.
- Phase 3: Planning and Placement – Determining the most appropriate and affirming long-term educational plan for the student. A modified plan would be created to match the needs of each individual student with on-going communication and assessment.
**For the complete procedural plans for serving students with special needs, please contact the school office.
Students who are enrolled for the current year may be re-registered for the next school year through the following process:
- Parents/Guardians must return an intent to return form, typically distributed in December, stating their desire to re-enroll. If this form is not returned electronically by the designated date, the student may be removed from the class list for the next school year.
- After review of the family’s current tuition contract compliance a contract for the next school year will be offered provided that all current contract obligations have been met. This review will include current tuition payments, fundraising obligation, current active parish status (including but not limited to financial responsibility, participation in parish life, and current service hours recorded) and health/medical compliance. The registration fee is non-refundable and due with the tuition contract.
- Non-compliance could result in a change of tuition contract status.
In the event students are withdrawn from school, parents/guardians are asked to follow this procedure:
- Notify Our Lady of Fatima Parish School of the withdrawal via an email to the school office with a copy sent to the principal.
- All financial obligations must be met before a student’s education records will be released.
- Student’s records will be sent at the request of the student’s new school
WITHDRAWAL REGARDING FINANCIAL MATTERS
Our Lady of Fatima Parish School enters into contracts with faculty and staff and incurs financial obligations for the entire school year. In order for Our Lady of Fatima Parish School to meet these financial obligations, when a student is enrolled, the parent/guardian assumes the obligation to pay the tuition/fees in full.
In order to receive a full refund of tuition paid, the parent/guardian must advise the principal and registrar by May 15th, if the student will be withdrawing. The registration and student fees are non-refundable under any circumstances.
- If a student is withdrawn by the first day of school, 90% of the tuition is refundable.
- If a student is withdrawn between the first day of school and the end of the first trimester, 50% of the tuition is refundable.
- If a student is withdrawn after the end of the first trimester, 100% of the tuition is owed.
Extenuating circumstances regarding the withdrawal of a student will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
The school reserves the right, if any tuition payment is past due, to remove the student(s) from the school. The school has the further right to refuse re-enrollment for the following school year until financial commitments have been met. No transcripts of grades or school records of any child enrolled in the school shall be provided without prior payment of tuition due to the school.
