Our Lady of Grace School's Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the school's telephone number?

(818) 344-4126. Please listen to the prompts, which may help you to obtain the information you need more quickly. To speak to the secretary, please press “0” to be connected with the secretary or her voice mail system.

Where is Our Lady of Grace School located?

OLG's address is 17720 Ventura Boulevard, Encino. The school is next to the church located on the southwest corner of the intersection of Ventura Boulevard and White Oak Avenue.

What are the directions to get to OLG School?

If driving on Ventura Boulevard, turn south at the intersection of Ventura Boulevard and White Oak Avenue. Drive south a short distance on White Oak and enter the first driveway past the church on the right (west) side of White Oak.

If driving on the 101 freeway, take the White Oak Avenue off-ramp and travel south. Staying on White Oak, go through the intersection of Ventura Boulevard and White Oak Avenue. Drive a short distance until arriving at the first driveway past the church on the right side of the street. Enter the parking lot by turning right into this driveway and park.

Where will I find the school office?

Enter the church/school parking lot using the first driveway just south of Ventura Boulevard on White Oak Avenue. Facing the church/school buildings from the parking lot, the school building is to the left of the patio area of the church. (There are also directional signs posted near the top corner of the school building to assist in locating the office.) The front doors of the school are located directly across from the church patio. At the school's front doors, press the entrance “buzzer” to the right of the doors. The doors will be automatically unlocked for entrance into the school. The office is located directly inside the school's front doors on the left. All visitors to the school must enter through these front doors and come into the school office to sign-in and receive a visitor pass before they can proceed into the school.

How old does a child have to be to attend OLG?

A pupil entering Pre-Kindergarten must be four years of age on or before June 30 (corrected 11/08) of the current school year.
A pupil entering Kindergarten must be five years of age on or before August 31 of the current school year.
A pupil entering First Grade must be six years of age on or before August 31 of the current school year.

How much is the tuition to attend OLG during the 2008 – 2009 school year?

Monthly payments are as follows:
Pre-Kindergarten: $480 per month (10 payments) or $437 per month (11 payments)
Kindergarten: $430 per month (10 payments) or $391 per month (11 payments)
Grades 1 – 8: $380 per month (10 payments) or $346 per month (11 payments) (Parishioner discount rate)
  $430 per month (10 payments) or $391 per month (11 payments) (Non-parishioner rate)
Alternately, a single payment may be made, and a discount of $100 is then applied to the tuition.
Pre-Kindergarten: $4,700, one-time payment, due in July
Kindergarten: $4,200, one-time payment, due in July
Grades 1 – 8: $3,700, one-time payment, due in July (Parishioner rate)
  $4,200, one-time payment, due in July (Non-parishioner rate)

Are there any other fees?

Yes, as follows:
Application and testing fee: $150, per student; due when submitting application, non-refundable
Student fee: $200, per student, due upon acceptance at time of registration
FACTS Tuition fee: $ 41, per family, due upon acceptance at time of registration
Yard Duty fee: $ 40, per family, due upon acceptance at time of registration
School Improvement fund: $100, per family, suggested contribution due in the spring
A family fundraising commitment of $500 per family is also required. This obligation can be met by participating in several PTO-sponsored fundraisers (such as the magazine drive, spring raffle, “Scrip” purchases, etc.), or by direct donation to the school.

How do we apply to attend Our Lady of Grace School?

Application packets are ready to be picked up in the school office by the third week of each January, or they may be downloaded from this parish website. Applications may also be picked up at our annual Open House, which usually takes place on the last Sunday in January at 10:30 a.m. (This date and time may be subject to change, so please call the school office in January to inquire about the actual scheduled date.) To pick up an application packet from the school, please come to the school office (location and directions noted above) and request an application from the school secretary. Fill out all applicable application paperwork legibly and completely and return it to the school office as soon as possible. The first page of the application packet is an “Application Process Checklist”. Please read this information carefully, as only complete application packets with all required applicable documents attached will be accepted for consideration.

What happens after we return the application packet with all requested documents?

An appointment will be made by the school secretary to have your child/children tested. The test will be administered by the applicable grade teacher. A meeting will also be scheduled for you to meet with the principal. That meeting is your opportunity to ask the principal any questions you may have about curriculum or the school. After the testing with the teacher and meeting with the principal have been completed, a decision will be made as to acceptance. A letter from the principal informing parents of acceptance status will be sent to your home shortly after your meeting.

What is the testing like?

For Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten, the test is a “one-on-one” developmental exam with the teacher and prospective student in the classroom. The test will be administered verbally, with the teacher asking simple questions and the child answering them. Parents wait outside the classroom while the child is tested. The test will take approximately twenty minutes to one half hour to complete.
For grades 1 through 7, a written test will be administered by the applicable grade teacher. More than one student may be tested at the same time. The prospective students are given one and one half hour to complete the test. The test will include math, science, language arts, and reading comprehension questions.

Is there a waiting list for applying?

There is no waiting list before the application process begins in January. Waiting lists are only begun once a classroom has reached the capacity number of students. (That number varies, depending on the grade.)

How many students are currently enrolled in the school?

The enrollment varies from year to year, but remains fairly constant at between approximately 280 to 300 students.

What is the number of students in each grade?

Pre-Kindergarten: 18 students, maximum
Kindergarten – Grade 8: 30 students, average
(Enrollment in each grade may not reach these numbers.)

How many classrooms are there for each grade?

There is one classroom per grade.

Do we have to be Catholic to apply to OLG?

No. There is no requirement that your family be Catholic in order to attend school at Our Lady of Grace.

How can we get the parishioner discount tuition rate?

Become registered members of Our Lady of Grace parish by contacting the church office at (818) 342-4686. Ask how to become a registered member of OLG parish, and they will inform you of the steps to be taken. To obtain the parishioner discount tuition rate you must be registered at this parish for at least six months and regularly attend Mass. Mass attendance is reviewed twice a year and your attendance should be at least fifty percent during a six month period. Your church attendance record is determined by church envelope counts received from the church office.

What are the hours the students are in school?

7:50 a.m. – 2:45 p.m. (2:00 p.m. dismissal for Pre-Kindergarten), Monday through Thursday
7:50 a.m. – 12:35 p.m. (12:00 noon dismissal for Pre-Kindergarten), each Friday

Is there before and after-school Day Care available?

Yes. OLG offers morning and afternoon extended Day Care, for an additional monthly fee. Families needing extended Day Care must register separately for this program, and there is a $10 registration fee. Day Care fees vary, depending on your usage. You may contact the school office if you need further Day Care rate information. Please be advised, by state regulation, before and after-school Day Care is only available to children turning 5 years old on or before December 1 of the year they enter our Pre-Kindergarten program.

What are the hours of Day Care operation?

The hours of Day Care operation are from 7:00 a.m. to 7:50 a.m. (start of school) in the morning; and in the afternoons from dismissal until 6:00 p.m. Day Care is available every school day (with some exceptions).

Is there tuition assistance available?

A small amount of scholarship money is reserved for the needs of struggling Catholic families active in our parish who meet the following criteria:

• Arrange a formal appointment with the principal to discuss your situation
• Submit a financial assistance application and financial records to FACTS Tuition Mgmt. Co.
• Attend Mass each Sunday
• Donate to OLG parish each Sunday by means of the numbered church envelope system
• Fulfill the required hours of volunteer service to the school
• Pay monthly tuition bills on time

For answers to other questions you may have, you can also refer to the wealth of information contained in the Parent/Student Handbook found elsewhere in the “school” section of this parish website.

Our school secretary will also be happy to answer any of your questions. You may contact her by calling the telephone number noted at the top of this FAQ page. Thank you!