From the Pastor
My Dear Friends in the Lord Jesus,
Father Tijo George
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to Our Lady of Fatima School. I am greatly impressed by the commitment of the school and the staff for the provision of an excellent all-around education for our students with a vision – ‘Where Faith, Learning, and Service have no limits”. Our mission is to provide a conducive environment for the student community that fosters the integral formation of the whole child towards the pursuit of excellence. Our Lady of Fatima School strives to transform every child through academic excellence with integral co-curricular activities upholding the value system of harmony with nature, respect for humanity, and responsibility to the society by building confidence, skills, and competence to transform them as enlightened citizens who care for the nation. Our Catholic faith permeates every class and subject throughout the school day. We do all we can to impart, through words and actions, the values and beliefs of our faith.
The biggest question parents ask is, “Why should I send my children to Catholic school?” Certainly, many of our public schools do an outstanding job educating children in the basics. But only our Catholic schools can provide that added, and more eternal, learning about God, about the faithful call to service and ministry, and the development of the faith-life of our students and our families. I believe that only in our Catholic Schools can we help our students put the world in a proper context by relating everything to God.
We at Fatima are not just a school but truly a family! Our parents are deeply involved in the life of our school community. I invite you to consider the incredible benefits of a Catholic School education to your children and family. It is an investment in your children and sets the foundation for their future studies & careers and, more importantly, builds the foundation of a life-long Faith.
Please join me in thanking Our Loving God for the many graces He always bestows upon our school family. May we continue to seek the powerful intercession of our Patron, the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Father Tijo George
Admissions
Our Lady of Fatima Parish School serves the local community because of the parish. Our school does not discriminate and will do all it can to meet each student’s needs within reason. The pastor has the final decision making authority as to admissions.
Students will be admitted to Our Lady of Fatima Parish School in the following order of preference:
- Catholic students whose parents are registered, active, contributing members of the parish, regularly participate in weekend and special Liturgies at Our Lady of Fatima Church, and presently have other children enrolled will be given first preference in Catholic kindergarten admission applicants.
- Secondly, consideration will be given to Catholic families who are registered and contributing members of Our Lady of Fatima parish based on their number of years of membership.
- The third preference for admission will be given to Catholic families registered and contributing members of Our Lady of Fatima Parish for at least one year and are now registered at the parish.
- Fourth, siblings of currently enrolled non-Catholic students will be considered.
- Fifth, Catholic families from another Catholic parish will be considered.
- Sixth, preference for admission to the school will be given to non-Catholic applicants.
- If the number of parishioner students for admission to a particular class exceeds the maximum allowed by the WV Department of Education, applicants will be ranked on the longevity of parish membership indicated in parish records.
- If there are two classrooms in one grade level, the school cannot accept parent requests. The school will arrange classes to accommodate the best possible learning environment for all students.
Our Lady of Fatima Parish School serves the local community because of the parish. Our school does not discriminate and will do all it can to meet each student’s needs within reason. The pastor has the final decision making authority as to admissions.
Testimonials
As an alumnus, I now see the true value of a Fatima education. Without a doubt the best elementary and middle school in the area.
This has been the best year of my teaching career! I have spent many years teaching in public schools, and although I’ve had some great experiences, none compare to my time at Our Lady of Fatima.
When I walk through the doors of Fatima, I feel like I’m at home. Fatima is a family that cares deeply for both students and staff. Our students come through the door in the morning with smiles on their faces, and they leave our school with the same happiness. Students at Fatima are excited to learn. They have many opportunities to engage in hands-on activities that present skills in fun ways. I love our science enrichment class. Mrs. Cheung does a fantastic job communicating with teachers throughout the week. This helps her connect her lessons with what the teacher does in the classroom. Our students have a blast doing science projects and working with technology as they discover new information.
As a parent, I have a deep appreciation for small class sizes. They allow teachers to see student needs more clearly. Smaller class sizes also provide more opportunities for students to work with teachers in more individualized settings. My three children have made so much progress this year and have developed a deeper love for learning. I have also found so much peace knowing my children spend their day in a wholesome environment. Fatima teaches students how to be respectful, encourages good manners, and, most importantly, allows them to grow deeper in their faith.
Fatima has changed my life. I love sharing my experience with others because it’s positively impacted me and my family. The students at Fatima have helped my passion for teaching grow. I’m so blessed to be a part of such an outstanding school.
I really want to share with you how very pleased we have been with OLOF – It surpasses our previous school experience by far, quite honestly. As parents we appreciate the consistent communication and the teachers professionalism in communication and organization. Our child really likes it and it has been a good transition for her! It is family here and everything I always I expected a Catholic school should be!Our Thanks to the staff for preserving and nurturing this wonderful environment!
I have taught at Our Lady of Fatima Parish School for 4 decades. Also, I sent my son to school here. He is now a neurologist at Vanderbilt and received his fantastic start at Fatima. Besides learning fantastic study skills, the students learn manners, compassion, and their importance as individuals. Many of our students are valedictorians and salutatorians at local high schools and National Merit Scholars. Teachers, students, and parents feel like family, and students are encouraged to excel. Our school is “simply the best.”
As an alumnus of Our Lady of Fatima, I always knew Fatima would be the choice of school for where my husband and I would send our six children. The school has been consistent in excellence during the 35 years since I was an 8th-grade student to the present day. High standards but reachable expectations are envisioned for each student. It is an awesome feeling to watch your child, “bloom where they are planted.” One of my children is special needs. The Title 1 teacher worked alongside my daughter’s teachers to propel her forward in her education, making sure she wasn’t left behind. The preschool teachers can collaborate with Birth to Three services and monitor development or delays. Cabell County provides speech therapy and English as second language teachers to work with students who may struggle with articulating their needs. Every educational need of my children, who varied on all different academic levels, was met by the faculty and staff at Our Lady of Fatima School. During my time as a student at Fatima, the school adopted the motto, A.I.D.G. (Ad Infinitum Dei Gloriam), which means For the Infinite Glory of God. Today, Our Lady of Fatima continues to teach and guide its students with that knowledge. They are God’s children and respect all creeds while embracing the differences in their fellow classmates.
Some of my favorite memories from the 2011- 2012 school year involve taking the 8th grade class to Washington DC. After a year of planning and fundraising, 12 eighth graders travelled to Washington DC to stay for 3 days and 2 nights.
Throughout the trip I remained impressed by the attitude of our students and proud of their behavior. Despite the fact that we were surrounded by groups of students from other schools who rushed past monuments and memorials without pausing their conversations or glancing up from their cell phones, our students remained thoughtful, respectful and well-behaved. Even on the last day, when exhaustion was setting in, they managed to take the time to read and learn from the exhibits we visited.
I was most impressed with the respect they showed at the Holocaust Museum, where I witnessed two groups of our students really interacting with an exhibit on Nazi Propaganda- slowing down to read, making comments, asking questions, and figuring out the answers. Out of respect for the people to which this museum is dedicated, our students slowed and paid attention, and they learned more than the typical 14-year-old as a result.
I am proud to be part of a school where respect and good behavior have a place of high importance, and it was lovely to see the eighth graders putting these skills into practice in the outside world, in spite of what their peers around them may have been doing.
Great school with an awesome academic program, and caring involved teachers. The staff is attentive to both student and parent needs. The school also participates in state and community athletic programs. The weekly mass for the kids is wonderful with the students filling the roles from reading to altar-serving. The school is also attentive to the needs of special needs children, helping them to fit in perform with the rest of their peers. It is a Catholic School, but please do not let that discourage you at all; Our Lady of Fatima Parish School does not teach or condone religious prejudice. Students of many faiths may be found at OLOF, studying and learning together.
DIOCESAN TUITION ASSISTANCE PROCESS IS OPEN
Applying for TAP through FACTS is easy and affordable. You are encouraged to apply if your child is already enrolled or has been accepted by one of the Catholic schools in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston for the 2022-2023 school year.
The Diocesan Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) is striving to keep Catholic school education affordable for Catholic families who desire it for their children but who may need some financial assistance to make that dream a reality. Thanks to the ongoing and genuine commitment of The Most Reverend William Lori to the Catholic schools in our Diocese, funds have, once again, been allocated for distribution to Catholic families in need of financial assistance.
Note 1: No assistance will be available from the Diocese or from any school unless:
- an application is completed in full (ALL questions answered) and submitted
- all required documentation is provided, AND
- the family portion ($17.50) of the application fee is paid by the deadline.
Note 2: Only one application per family should be submitted per school year. If you made an error or had a life event change, please do NOT submit a second application. Contact your principal and your application can be updated by FACTS.
Foundation for the Tri-State Community: The Rachel Lavalley Fund
In memory of Rachel Lavalley who died very suddenly at age seven of a vicious unusual viral infection in January 1996, the Lavalley family shares Rachel’s special qualities by starting and funding what they call “The Rachel Fund” at the Foundation for the Tri-State Community. The Lavalleys sponsor two $500 scholarships, book donations to the library, and a special $100 award to a child “who has made a difference in others’ lives” at Our Lady of Fatima School in Huntington, WV.
Diocese of Wheeling Charleston Tuition Assistance (TAPS) Informatio
The Diocesan Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) is striving to keep Catholic school education affordable for Catholic families who desire it for their children but may need some financial assistance to make that dream a reality.
Applying for TAP through FACTS is easy and affordable. You are encouraged to apply if your child is already enrolled or has been accepted by one of the Catholic schools in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston for the upcoming school year.
| Who is eligible? | Any Catholic student accepted for the upcoming school year in any Diocesan Catholic school (PK thru grade 12) is eligible. Determinations are based upon a family’s degree of need relative to all other applicants. |
| How do I apply? | Contact your local Catholic school for a paper application or you may to https://factsmgt.com/ |
| Cost? | The application fee is $35. The Diocese will pay $17.50 and families pay the other $17.50. |
| Grants: | Diocesan grants for families who have completed their applications and show financial need will receive up to 50% of the child’s tuition. |
| Deadlines: | Phase I: In order to receive notification in May, applications (including all required documentation and payment of the fee) should be received by FACTS by April 30th of each year from families with children currently enrolled or already accepted for the upcoming school year in any Diocesan Catholic school.
Phase II: In order to receive notification in September, all applications for the upcoming school year (including all required documentation and payment of the fee) MUST be RECEIVED by FACTS no later than August 31st. This is a firm deadline. |
Notice: No assistance will be available from the Diocese or from any school unless:
- an application is completed in full (ALL questions answered) and submitted,
- all required documentation is provided, AND
- the family portion ($17.50) of the application fee is paid by the deadline.
Questions? If you have questions, please contact the school office 304.523.2861
Parish assistance is considered ONLY after Diocesan tuition assistance process is completed. Parish assistance is considered on a case by case basis.