New Student Newsletter
Welcome to Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic School!
Principal's Welcome
Welcome to Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic School! We are thrilled that you and your child will be part of our school family. In a Christ centered atmosphere, Our Lady of Good Counsel School seeks to empower students to commit to Christian service, dedicate their lives to Gospel values, and lead with academic excellence. In partnership with parents, we are teaching our students to become the next generation of Catholic leaders. We hope this newsletter, along with our school website, give you an opportunity to learn more about our vibrant school.
Please join us for our New Parent Meet & Greet where you will be partnered with parents of a current school family who are eager to welcome you and answer any questions you may have. It is our hope that this will ease your transition to a new school community. Please respond using our RSVP option below, even if you are unable to attend. We hope to see you there!
Thank you for your support and prayers for our school. I encourage you to continue to support our work as we advance our mission to provide a transformative education steeped in academics and faith to our deserving students. There is no greater investment for forming our future saints than a Catholic education!
Please carefully review this New Student Newsletter for valuable information, reminders and updates of many important things to come. We thank you for entrusting your children to us and for the sacrifices you make each day to send your child(ren) to Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic School. Welcome to the OLGC school community!
God's Peace,
Mrs. Barbara Riley
Principal
First Day of School & Orientations
Tuesday, August 28, 2018: Kindergarten Orientation - 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM or 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Wednesday, August 29, 2018: Full Day for Grades Kindergarten to 8
Wednesday, August 29, 2018: Pre-K 4 Orientation - 10:00 AM
Thursday, August 30, 2018: Full Day for Grades Kindergarten to 8
Thursday, August 30, 2018: Pre-K 3 Orientation - 10:00 AM
Tuesday, September 4, 2018: Full Day for Grades Pre-K 3 to 8
Our 2018-2019 Tentative School Calendar can be found HERE.
OLGC Uniforms ~ PreK - 8th Grade
OLGC is excited to announce that we have introduced a new uniform program for the 2018-2019 school year. Our entire school, including our Pre-K & Kindergarten students, will be able to purchase new school uniforms featuring our new school logo. Our Pre-K & Kindergarten students will only be required to wear the Gym uniform.
Medical Forms - Students in Grades K to 8 only
The state of Pennsylvania and Our Lady of Good Counsel School require physical and dental exams at specific times (K - 8th grades), along with up-to-date immunizations for enrollment into school.
Documentation of up-to-date immunizations (as required by PA Department of Health) by August 15th for the new school year. Please view the list of required immunizations for attendance in PA schools HERE. Students who fail to meet all immunization requirements risk being excluded from school after 5 days, unless documentation of required immunizations is provided.
Physical exams are required in K/1st or on admission to school, 6th and 11th grades. Physical exams must be completed, signed and dated by the physician no earlier than 1 year prior to the start of the school year in which the exam is due.
Dental exams are required in K/1st or on admission to school, 3rd and 7th grades. Dental exams must be completed, signed and dated by the dentist no earlier than 1 year prior to the start of the school year in which the exam is due.
Health History completed, signed and dated by parent for students entering K (or upon admission to school) and updated as necessary.
The following forms are required at the start of every school year:
Emergency Information Card completed in full, signed and dated by parent at the start of every school year.
Medication Permission Form: If your child should need medication (prescription or over the counter medication) administered during the school day, a Medication Permission Form must be completed, signed and dated by the physician & signed and dated by a parent. The completed form & the medication (in original packaging) must be delivered to the nurse by a parent (or adult). Other than emergency rescue medication (see below), students are not permitted to transport or carry medication at school.
Asthma Action Plan: If your child has asthma, please have the physician complete, sign & date the Asthma Action Plan and return it along with medication in original packaging to the school nurse.
Severe Allergy Action Plan: If your child has been diagnosed with life threatening allergies, please have the physician complete, sign & date the Allergy Action Plan and return it along with rescue medication (in original packaging) to the school nurse.
Seizure Action Plan: If your child is under treatment for a seizure disorder, please have the physician complete, sign & date the Seizure Action Plan and return it along with rescue medication (in original packaging) to the school nurse.
*All forms may be downloaded and printed by clicking on the following link: Nursing Services Forms*
*All Medical Forms must be completed & handed into the School Office before your child(ren) begins school at OLGC. If you have any questions, please call the School Office at 215-357-1300 (Ext. 117).*
*For our Pre-K students, they will only need a copy of up-to-date immunization records.*
Transportation - Students in Grades K to 8 Only
The School Districts that provide OLGC with busing are as follows:
Lower Moreland School District
Please click on any School District above to be redirected to your School District's website.
If your child will not be taking the bus, we offer parent car pick-up & drop-off options as well.
CARES Program
CARES Before & After School Program
Morning Session & Afternoon Session
Registration
There is a $50.00 registration fee per family per year for our CARES Program. Families who sign up will also need to download & print a CARES Parent Handbook detailing in full Our Lady of Good Counsel School's CARES Program as well as additional forms to be read & signed. To register for our CARES Program, please visit our school website, school.olgc.org.
Contact
Please contact our CARES Director, Mrs. Maryann Rockenbach, at Cares@olgc.org for any questions or more information about our CARES Program.
Tuition
Our tuition is structured around a 10 month payment plan that runs from July to April. Monthly payments are due on or before the 15th of the month. If tuition is not paid on time or becomes delinquent, late fees will be applied. A Tuition Payment Booklet will be mailed to your home in June. This book contains envelopes that will outline the payment plan & allows you to send your tuition payment back into school.
We are also offering two other options for tuition payment that will provide discounts to families.
1. The first option is to pay your entire year's tuition in full by June 1, 2018. If payment is received by this date, a 2% discount will be applied.
2. The second option is to pay your entire year's tuition semi-annually. Half of the tuition is due on or before July 1, 2018 & then again on or before December 1, 2018. This option earns you a 1% discount. If this plan is chosen & payment is not made by July 1st, there will be no discount.
3. Monthly Payment Option. Pay in ten monthly installments from July - April.
Scrip Tuition Savings Program
What is Scrip?
Scrip is a term meaning “Substitute Money” that can be used to provide tuition credits that are used to reduce the cost of your child's tuition. Scrip is simply another name for “gift cards.” If you have ever used a gift card, then you’ve used Scrip!
When you purchase Scrip, you’re purchasing negotiable prepaid gift cards that are used just like cash. You can use Scrip to purchase everyday expenses like food, clothing and other essentials which will save money on your tuition.
Scrip Purchases Saves Money on Tuition
The Parish purchases gift cards (Scrip) from retailers at a discount. School families buy the gift cards at face value and receive a portion of the discount. Each gift card earns you a commission that will be credited towards your tuition at the end of each month.
No additional costs are incurred when you participate in the program and you pay face value for the gift cards.
Example: A family who purchases $250.00 a week in groceries can save $520.00 a year in tuition when they purchase Scrip. That’s almost 2 whole tuition payments! You will receive a receipt with each purchase showing the percentage and amount of the commission. At the end of the month, the credits are applied directly to your tuition account. Plus, other family members can also purchase Scrip for your family. They can purchase from the Trinity Center as well as from a parish outside of OLGC. The other parish will send a quarterly check to our school on behalf of your family.
Purchasing Scrip - In Person OR Online
There are a few ways to purchase Scrip:
1. Visit the Scrip Office located in the Trinity Center and sign up to purchase gift cards. Some of the gift cards are available at the time of purchase and some can be ordered for pick up at a later date.
2. Sign up with our online ShopWithScrip Program that provides a convenient shop at home process to purchase gift cards, ecards and to reload previously purchased gift cards. More information can be found here: Online Scrip Information
Click to view the Store List for our Scrip Program: Store List for Scrip
Our Scrip Office is located in the OLGC Parish Trinity Center. The more Scrip you purchase the more your savings add up! Please refer to our new Online Scrip Program Information to learn about how you can get your Scrip instantly online.
School Supply Lists & Letters From The Teacher
For those parents whose children will be entering our Pre-K & Kindergarten classes, you will also receive letters from your teacher in the coming weeks with important classroom information.
Summer Office Hours
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
We will be involved in many new & exciting school improvement projects this summer. In order to ensure that someone is available to answer your questions, please contact the School Office prior to coming in person. Please email our School Office Manager, Martha Matysik, at mmatysik@olgc.org or call 215-357-1300 Ext. 117 for any additional questions you may have.
Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic School
Mission Statement
"Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic School, under the guidance of Mary, seeks to empower students to commit to Christian service, dedicate their lives to Gospel values, and lead with academic excellence."
Email: marketing@olgc.org
Website: school.olgc.org
Location: 611 Knowles Avenue, Southampton, PA, USA
Phone: 215-357-1300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/olgc.org/