Enrolment Information

Introduction

Thank you for considering Clairvaux Catholic School for your child’s primary education.

We welcome enquiries about enrolment at Clairvaux at any time. Below are answers to some commonly asked questions about how and when to enrol your child, and a brief explanation of our enrolment process.

We look forward to hearing from you and helping you if we can with this very important decision in your child’s life.

Please call the school office on 52437102 to book a tour.

Common Enrolment Questions / Clairvaux Catholic School Enrolment Procedures

What age should your child start school?

Children start school in Australia at 5 years of age (they must have turned 5 by the 30th of April in their first year of school).

Making an Enrolment Enquiry:

We welcome enquiries at any time. Enquiries do not mean you have made any commitment to our school.

An information pack is available from the school (most of that information can be found on this webpage) and an Enrolment Application Form (also available on this webpage). This can be mailed to you upon request.

Who can apply to Clairvaux? Is the school ‘zoned’?

The Catholic schools in Geelong are zoned. The Clairvaux zone includes the Parish of St Bernard, which encompasses Belmont, Highton and Wandana Heights. We can accept Applications for Enrolment from outside the zone but cannot guarantee a place for these children. We follow the criteria of the Catholic Education Office of Melbourne (CEOM) which is:

1. Firstly Catholics within St Bernard’s Parish, and siblings of current families.

2. Then Catholics who live outside the Parish boundaries.

3. Other applicants.

Every year the number of applicants differ and therefore our need to refer to the above criteria varies from year to year. If you belong to another Catholic Parish we ask that, as a courtesy, you speak to your local Parish Priest and the school Principal there before enrolling at Clairvaux Catholic School.

When should you apply for enrolment at Clairvaux?

We take enrolment applications in the year before your child is due to start school. Applications for the 2020 school year open on 23 April and close on

1 June 2019.

When are the Open Days?

Parents are invited to view the school during our official Open Day on Tuesday 6 May. We are running two sessions on this day at 9.30am and 12.00pm. Our Principal, Bas, will address the parents and then you are invited to join in a tour of the school. Your child is welcome to attend with you on this day. You do not need to book to attend these sessions.

You can also attend a school tour on Friday May 24 at 9.30am or 12.00pm. Please call the school office on 52437102 to book for this school tour.

How to Apply to Enrol:

The Enrolment Application Form for 2020 is available from this website. We recommend you complete and return this form within the enrolment period. By completing an Application Form you are letting us know that you wish your child to attend Clairvaux Catholic School.

With your application we also require copies of :

· Baptism Certificate

· Immunisation Certificate (for Preps),

· Birth Certificate

If there is any delay in obtaining these certificates, please send the Enrolment Application Form and advise us that the certificates will be following.

After we receive your Application Form:

Applications are taken up until 1 June. These are then reviewed and Letters of Offer are issued.

Letters of Offer:

Letters of Offer are issued on 14 June 2019. This letter includes an offer of place, details relating to the school fees, the Fee Agreement Form and a Direct Debit Form. To accept this place at Clairvaux families are asked to sign and return their Letter of Offer to the Principal. The Fee Agreement Form must be returned at this stage also stating what method you have chosen to pay the annual School Fees. A $100.00 non-refundable Enrolment Administration Fee is required to secure your place at Clairvaux and this is payable with the acceptance of a place.

If we are unable to offer places to all applicants some families may receive a letter advising that they have been placed on a waiting list. Further offers are sent out as places become available.

Orientation:

Prep Children

In Term Four, a number of orientation days are planned for the incoming Prep children. This helps them to become familiar with Clairvaux and to meet and get used to doing activities with their classmates. An information session for parents is run on the first orientation day followed by an invitation to join us for morning tea and meet other new and current parents.

An Information Night for the incoming Prep families is held early in the new school year and is an opportunity for parents to ask questions and gather important information about their child's first year at school.

Letters are sent out to families letting them know the dates and times for these orientation days.

New Children from Other Year Levels

We encourage new students from years other than Prep join us for an orientation session in fourth term to meet their classmates and become familiar with the school. On this day in December the whole school moves to their new classes for the next year. New students are assigned a buddy who will be in their class when they commence at Clairvaux and will look after them during their transition to their new school.

When do I get my child’s uniform?

We are fortunate at Clairvaux to have our own Uniform Shop which is situated in the school foyer. The Uniform Shop is run by parent volunteers and is open every week on Monday afternoons 3.15-4.00pm and Friday mornings 8.30-9.00am. For our new enrolments the Uniform Shop opens for a week during November and appointments are made for uniform fittings. Details of how to make these appointments are supplied after the acceptances have been processed.

Does Clairvaux have before and after school care?

Their Care operate a before and after school care program on the premises at Clairvaux. This operates from 6.30am-8.30am and 3.30pm-6.30pm from Monday to Friday. Enquiries can be made directly to www.theircare.com.au