News From the Administrator

January 27, 2012

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Registration packets are now available for the 2012-2013 school year.  The packet includes a registration form, the GWCRS tuition policy and contract and a FACTS Financial Aid Application for your child. Please complete these forms and return both copies of the registration form, the signed tuition contract with the registration fee to your child’s school by Friday, February 17th. A signed tuition contract must be returned with your registration form to be accepted.

Please remember that our in-house registration period is for our currently enrolled students. After this in-house period, no spaces are guaranteed for our current students; that is why it is very important to register during this designated time.

After February 17th, any available spaces will be filled according to the following:

1) Siblings of students currently registered in the Greater Woonsocket

   Catholic Regional School System

2) Children of Greater Woonsocket Catholic Regional faculty and staff;

3) Catholic families registered in our fourteen member parishes;

4) Children of other Catholic school faculty and staff;

5) Children of alumni;

6) Other Catholic families; and

7) Other applicants.  

As voted upon by the GWCRSS School Board at its January 11th Board Meeting, parents may send in registration forms for siblings during the in-house period. Sibling registrations will be considered for acceptance after February 17th, and filled as space is available on a first come-first served basis and accepted as per the GWCRS lottery policy noted above.

The registration fee remains at $100 for the first child, $90 for the second, $80 for the third, with a family maximum of $270, and is non-refundable. The fee includes students in grades Pre-K - 8th.

The G.W.C.R.S. School Board is working to keep tuition increases as low as they can during these difficult times, as well as being just to our staff. Thus, the tuition increase voted by the board for the 2012-2013 school year is $10.00 per month, for a ten month payment plan.

The Greater Woonsocket Catholic Regional School Board voted to set K-8 tuition for the 2012-2013 school year at $4800.00. In keeping with our mission and to help families with multiple children, the board also voted to continue the 5% discount for the second child and a 10% discount for the third and subsequent children.

For our Pre-K programs a child must be 3 or 4 years old by Sept. 1, 2012.                                                                 

For Kindergarten, a child must be 5 years old by September 1, 2012.

Our Pre-K tuition for the 2012-2013 school year is as follows:

$22 – half days 

$30 – full days

*Please note that the exact cost for Pre-K is determined by which of the following options is chosen.

The options for Pre-K are as follows:

Three year olds: Tuesday & Thursday – Half day

Four year olds:

Monday through Friday – Full or Half Day

Monday, Wednesday, Friday – Full or Half Day

Tuesday and Thursday – Full or Half Day

Also, our full day Pre-K 4 year old students will have the option of our Extended Day Program. If you are interested in our Extended Day Program, please contact the Regional Office for information.

Automated Payment Systems (APS), the company contracted to provide tuition billing services for the Greater Woonsocket Catholic Regional School System for families with children in grades K-8, will continue to offer the option of paying tuition in ten, eleven or twelve monthly installments.

The Greater Woonsocket Catholic Regional School System has a commitment to be fiscally responsible to you, our parents. Thus, the System will review our staffing and classroom needs every year and base those needs on our enrollment in each school. This will enable us to use your tuition dollars effectively,

The Diocesan guidelines state that those applying for tuition assistance of any kind from their Parish, GWCRS Scholarships or Frances Warde must complete and submit the FACTS Grant and Aid Application. (Only Rhode Island residents are eligible for Frances Warde grants through the Diocese).Due to this fact, all families will receive a copy of the FACTS form. Please note one FACTS form per family.  The application may also be completed on line at: www.factstuitionaid.com. Applicants who apply online will not need to send a copy of their application, only the supporting documentation. If you are interested in applying for Tuition Assistance: Please mail the completed form along with the $25.00 fee to FACTS Grant and Aid Assessment, no later than Friday, February 17, 2012.

I cannot stress how important it is to complete the F.A.C.T.S. form before the February 17th deadline. Although you can complete a F.A.C.T.S. form later, the Diocese of Providence first round of financial aid is given to those who have a completed and verified form in by that date. If you received aid last year, it is vitally important to complete this form every year to be considered for aid.

During the 2011-2012 school year, the Greater Woonsocket Catholic Regional School System’s parents received the following assistance:

$   38,150   - Frances Warde Fund

$   89,800   - Parish Subsidy

$   33,750   - GWCRS Tuition Assistance/Scholarships

$ 161,700

A total of $161,700 in aid was given to GWCRS families. Please do not let the tuition increase stop you from re-registering. Through the use of the FACTS completed application, there are parish subsidies, G.W.C.R.S. needs based scholarships and diocesan awards that you might qualify for. Please contact our Regional Office for any concerns or questions.

We have an excellent school system and as parents you are an integral part of our Catholic school family.  Your support, encouragement and affirmation are vital to our success, and I thank you for your support.  Please spread the word to your neighbors, family and friends about our system.  You are our best form of advertising!

Our Open House for the 2012-2013 school year will be held on Sunday, January 29th at each of our schools: Msgr. Gadoury Catholic Regional School and Good Shepherd Catholic Regional School from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. A lottery will be used once again in accordance with the System’s Admission Policy as stated in the Parent-Student Handbook.  Please encourage your friends and family with school-age children to visit our schools, meet our faculty and learn more about our special gift of Catholic education.

As we look forward to our 40th school year, thank you again, for being a part of our Catholic Regional community and for your continued support of Catholic education and the GWCRS System!

I know that all parents that choose a Catholic education for their children have to make sacrifices in order to pay tuition.  We thank you for choosing the G.W.C.R.S.S. for your children.

God Bless You,

Paula A. Hurteau

Administrator