Our Lady of Fatima Parish Primary School
Rosebud
Enrolment
Our Lady of Fatima Parish Primary School
At Our Lady of Fatima School, Catholic families are given priority for enrolment, but we also welcome people of all faiths, and beliefs. You do not have to be Catholic to enrol at OLOF but we encourage you to participate in the faith life of our school which has the teachings of Jesus Christ at its core.
Families moving into the area looking to enrol students in years 1 – 6 are encouraged to phone and if possible visit the school for a tour. Enrolments are accepted throughout the year where class sizes permit.
ENROLMENT FOR PREPS: MACS OLOF Enrolment Policy
Enrolment forms are available on the website, from the school office, local early learning centres and pre-schools. If your child is turning 5 by April 30th in the year of enrolment then you are eligible to enrol.
Parents are asked to complete the Application for Enrolment form complete with required paperwork in the year prior to starting school.
The aim of the Transition to Prep Program is for us to get to know you and for you to get to know us.
School Tours
You are welcome to tour the school - please indicate a day and time that works well for your family by contacting the office on (03) 5950 0400 or by completing the book a tour link on our website.
Tours are always welcome outside of school hours, so please contact the office at your earliest convenience should you be unable to make one of these times.
We welcome you to take our Virtual Experience on our website through the eyes of our students so you can really feel a sense of the community that we have here at Fatima.
Offers
Letters of offer for Prep 2023 will be emailed in June 2022.
Interviews
Parents and prospective students will meet with the Principal or any member of the Leadership Team for a short getting to know you interview. It is an opportunity for us to get to know one another and for you to ask any questions about your enrolment at Our Lady of Fatima.
I am Ready for School Social Story
All new children starting enrolment at Our lady of Fatima are gifted an OLOF School Social Story which is a book made for them containing pictures of teachers, school environments and routines. This social story is a way for your child to be ready for January in 2023. They are invited to read their social story throughout the summer holiday break. Social stories are given to students starting in all levels at OLOF.
Information Evenings and Invitation to Community
In November we invite all new parents and guardians to attend a Prep Information Session. In 2022 this session is scheduled for Wednesday 9th November from 9am. It is at this session where we can talk about the learning and teaching pathways, curriculum plans, routines of school and the little things like uniforms and lunches!
We invite you to attend different information sessions whilst transition mornings are scheduled and when your child is being Prep for the morning. At these sessions our Year 5’s make and serve morning tea while you have a cuppa. Some of these sessions include, 1. ‘Principal’s welcome and Meet and greet - Fatima parents welcome you’ and the basics of what you need, 2. ‘Starting School: Kids Matter’, 3. ‘Supporting wellbeing’ and 4. A chance to mingle with current parents and ask questions.
Transition Mornings
In November 2022 we will begin our transition sessions. There are three scheduled morning visits in the Prep spaces where your children are warmly welcomed into a developmental learning and play environment, much like their Kinder environments. We set up experiences for them to engage in, we host story time, we get to know them and they start to get to know each other. Whilst your pre-preppy is in their transition session, you are onsite enjoying a cuppa and morning tea provided by your children’s future Year 6 buddies (transition no. 2 and 3).
Transition 1: Wednesday 9th November 9.30am-11.00am (Details to be sent via Skoolbag 2022 Prep group)
Transition 2: Thursday 17th November 9.30am-11.00am
Transition 3: Wednesday 23rd November 9.30am-11.00am
Step Up Day (Orientation to 2023 session)
To complete the transition process we invite you to ‘Going Up Day’ for new students who are not prep age is on Tuesday 6th December from 9.30am-11.00am. All students from P-6 go up to their next learning space and meet their classmates and teachers. They also get to meet their Grade 6 buddies at this time.
Fatima Christmas
A welcome invitation extends to all of our end of year events - our end of year Mass (Friday 16th December) and Christmas celebrations. In 2022 the Christmas Concert will be held on Thursday 15th December from 5:30pm onwards.
Why Choose Our Lady of Fatima?
A well rounded education, delivered in a happy and supportive environment.
A Catholic Education Suitable for Students of All Denominations & Beliefs
Your child does not have to be from a Catholic family to enrol at Our Lady of Fatima. We have a large number of students from non-Catholic backgrounds, and we value the uniqueness and individuality of our students and families and the contribution they make to our school community. Catholic education is relevant to students of all religions and beliefs as it provides a set of principles that support the development of students’ academic, social and emotional lives. These principles play an important role in supporting students’ academic achievement, by focussing on their overall happiness and wellbeing as key determinants of their academic success.
An Effective Small Community School Learning Environment
Our Lady of Fatima provides a holistic education as a foundation for the full development of each student – intellectually, spiritually, socially, emotionally and physically. The school environment is welcoming, inclusive, and focused on respect for self and others. We offer a favourable teaching and learning environment through the provision of a genuine, safe and caring experience for students and families. Students are encouraged to value diversity, develop a sense of social justice and become valued, contributing members of society.
A Teaching Program Focused on Engagement
Our teaching program is designed to engage students to drive their learning based on their own needs and preferences. A big part of this is listening to our students, understanding their needs, and helping them to make the right choices about their learning and social development. Through our teaching program, students learn a set of strategies that they will use to create positive outcomes in the classroom and wider community, while building strong relationships with teachers and school leaders.
Focused Teaching Through Smaller Class Sizes
As a small Catholic school, we aim to maintain smaller class sizes to promote the highest possible level of individual student and teacher engagement. Smaller class sizes play a big role in allowing our teaching staff to understand the needs of each student and work with them in such a way as to meet the needs of each individual student.
A Dedicated Facility for Intervention & Extension Programs
Our Lady of Fatima has a centralised learning space called ‘The Hub’ where students from all year levels can participate in a range of intervention and extension programs for literacy and maths. The Hub provides a unique learning facility that meets the individual needs of students who need more help to meet their year level standard as well as those with a need to keep learning beyond their year level standard, while promoting a calm and focussed class environment.
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Intervention programs allow students to ‘catch-up’ to their current year level standard in maths and literacy; while
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Extension programs allow students who are high achievers in maths and literacy to progress beyond their year level as dictated by their own learning abilities.
Designed to cater the individual learning and behavioural needs of students, ‘The Hub’ also offers a space that allows students to ‘take a break’ from the class environment and regulate their emotions and behaviour before returning to class.
A Modern Campus in Private and Quiet Location
Nestled into the hills behind Rosebud, in a quiet street off the main road, our school campus offers modern learning spaces, extensive play areas and sporting fields and a sense of privacy and security. The school location provides a central location for families in our catchment areas from Tootgarook, Capel Sound, Rosebud, Dromana and Safety Beach and up to St Andrews, Fingal, Boneo and Cape Schanck.
Modern Learning Spaces Support a Wide Range of Individual Student Needs
Our learning spaces are designed to cater a wide range of learning needs, from students who like to be physically active, or those who like to learn in a social environment, to those who prefer a quiet space with minimal disruptions. The flexibility of our learning spaces means that the classroom is a calmer environment with less disruption – all of which makes for better learning.
A Vibrant, Welcoming & Supportive Community
Catholic schools are more than places of learning. They are genuine communities where positive relationships are actively developed and strengthened by the shared beliefs and common goals associated with educating children. Our Lady of Fatima promotes a community of belonging and ‘being known’. Our students thrive in a community where they know they are listened to, and where staff go the extra mile to get to understand each student and their family at the individual level.
"I love my school because I have lots of friends to play footy with. Our school has lots of activities. Our school has great teachers."
Hudson, Student
OUR PARENTS SAY
"…we get to strengthen connections with new families and keep them connected…"
"…their commitment to and support for students’ learning, all students, including through remote learning…."
"…we have fantastic, genuine care, couldn’t be happier…"
Fee Structure
By enrolling at OLOF School parents agree to pay School Fees comprised of:
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Family Fee
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Student Levy
State and Commonwealth Government grants do not cover the whole cost of running Catholic schools. Each year we rely on a local contribution from parents to help cover educational costs for each student.
Family fees assist in meeting the day-to-day costs of operating the school and generally the school spends significantly more in these areas than we collect in fees.
The Student Levy covers all costs associated with the Compulsory Curriculum. Careful budgeting takes place when setting the Student Levy and each child is accounted for, therefore if your child is unable to attend a particular event during the year it is not possible to have any amounts refunded. The Student Levy includes the cost of classroom materials for students on a daily basis, (including books, pencils, stationary, paper etc) it is also used to resource curriculum areas such as RE, Numeracy, Literacy, Art and Craft, Science, Japanese, PE, Library and to subsidise excursions.
Uniform
The children at Our Lady of Fatima are very proud of their school.
Our Student Dress Code is designed to:
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Foster a sense of community and belonging while encouraging students to develop pride
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in their appearance;
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Promote the feeling of equality amongst students while ensuring that they are dressed
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safely and appropriately for school activities;
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Provide a cost effective means of clothing your children during the school year; and
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Enhance the profile and identity of the school and its students within the wider
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community.
The dress code is applicable to all students and must be adhered to while travelling to and
from school, while students are in school, and while students are participating in school
activities outside of school hours.
All students are expected to wear the full school uniform at all times. We have both a
summer and winter uniform, as well as a sports uniform. The school also has a well-stocked
second hand uniform shop that sells all pieces for $3.00 each.
All school uniform items are available through our preferred supplier: Beleza School Uniforms, Shop 5, 855 Nepean Highway, Rosebud.
Early Years & Kindergarten to Prep Transition
At Our Lady of Fatima we believe that a well structured and smooth transition to Prep is the foundation to provide a positive start to school life for each child and parent/carer. Our Prep Transition program seeks to support parent and child and begins in October with the Prep Information Evening followed by 4 transition mornings in the month of November. Our pre-preppies are invited to the learning spaces each week and engage with our leaders and teachers and with each other. We call this process ‘getting to know us, getting to know you’. Our Prep teachers and Hub staff visit Kinders throughout this time so that relationships start to form and communication with preschools assists in the best transition possible. The Pre- Preps meet with their buddies in Year 5 (Year 6 next year) who will support them throughout their Prep journey. The program:
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is designed to assist your child in becoming familiar with the OLOF Primary School environment
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provides reassurance to the child (and the parent) that our learning environment is safe and friendly
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allows your child to make new friends
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enables you to meet the caring and dedicated teachers who will provide the quality education your child deserves
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gives you the opportunity to learn about the special programs we have developed to enable every child to succeed
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provides us with the opportunity to discuss your child's special needs
OUR STUDENTS SAY
"…Our Principal and teachers encourage us to do our best…it makes me want to do my best..."
"When I arrive everyone is enthusiastic…everyone is welcoming…"
"I feel safe… I feel respected…"
Year 1-6 Transition
School transition is a process of movement or change that takes place from one school year to the next. This change could include changes in the physical surroundings, friendships, relationships, expectations and routines.
We believe that by providing support and clear processes for all students as they move through their educational journey, that they can be ready and confident to move into their next learning space. For some students, family and teachers, transition may present a number of challenges. At OLOF we design transition programs on a needs basis and schedule a series of transition days in Term 4 that allow all students in Prep - Year 5 the opportunity to engage in activities with their future peer groups. These transition sessions enable us to group students in different ways and in their future learning spaces so we can help them become familiar with each other and with the change process. In December, everyone is ready to attend the ‘Going up day’ where they meet their teachers and classmates for the following year. We aim to encourage smooth and effective transition for all students by:
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Providing supported students with a clear social story about their move to another level
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Utilising Hub staff to support teachers as they plan, monitor and assess student progress and continue to develop educational plans
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Consider personal, social and learning transition needs of supported students
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display flexibility in timelines to accommodate all students
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provide additional transition mornings for all new students to Fatima enrolling from other schools
Year 6 - Secondary School Transition
We believe that moving from primary to secondary school can be an exciting and challenging time for young people and their parents. Our Lady of Fatima Primary School works closely with all neighbouring Secondary Colleges (both state and independent) to ensure all students have a smooth transition into secondary school. Year 6 students are provided with a large range of experiences that support them in the transition to secondary college and a comprehensive transition program is provided on an individual basis to students.
We aim to:
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ensure that there is continuity of care and educational provision from Primary to secondary schooling.
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engage staff, students, parents and community members in the transition process.
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maintain visitations from secondary coordinators and year 7 student leaders..
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encourage students to develop autonomy, problem solving strategies, adaptability, flexibility and skills to equip them for the future.
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Help Year 6’s co-create a graduation program, culminating at the end of the year in a Graduation Night and Big Day Out celebrating and acknowledging their primary school years.
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ensure that formal transition programs take place in term four for all year 6 students involving Orientation and Education Skills testing days with local colleges.
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ensure that students with Additional learning needs will have access to a PSG meeting with Secondary school staff to discuss Individual Learning Plan and appropriate steps forward.
At Our Lady of Fatima Parish Primary School, every day is an open day. To book a tour of the school or to request further information, please fill in the form below:
Book a Tour
Our Lady of Fatima Parish Primary School