Frequently Asked Questions

Most say that what makes our school so special is that Our Lady of Guadalupe School is truly more than a school. It is a caring, warm and welcoming diverse community, full of passionate faculty, staff, and students.

At OLG, we emphasize service, academics, leadership, and faith. If you are looking for a school focused on academic excellence through a STEAM educational approach, as well as nurturing a sprit of service and leadership, then OLG may be a great choice for your family.  By choosing OLG, you will know your children will be loved, nurtured, and will grow emotionally and academically to be more than well prepared for high school and beyond.

You can learn more about what makes OLG a great option for your children's education at our The OLG Difference page.

100% of 2024 graduates enrolled in Catholic schools.  Most of our students go to Holy Names, O'Dea, Seattle Prep, and Kennedy High School.  Many also go into honors classes.

In a snapshop, we offer:

• Common Core Standards (Language Arts and Math)
• Next Generation Science Standards (Science)
• WA State Social Studies Standards (Social Studies)
• Archdiocese of Seattle Religion Standards

More details about our fantastic curriculum can be found on our Academic Excellence page or under the Classes menu.

While we may not hold an official designation for being a STEM school, our academic curriculum across all grades follows an STEAM educational approach. STEAM is an integrative approach that builds student interest in science, technology, engineering, arts and math as it develops a range of important skills. The "A" in STEAM refers to "arts", but not only to visual arts and design but also to language arts, humanities, music, drama, dance and media.

At OLG, our curriculum and instruction is designed so that students use creative processes and multiple methods of inquiry and investigation, from among the five disciplines, in every subject, helping them develop a range of hard and soft skills.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School on Thursday, May 17, 2018 in Seattle. (PHOTO by Stephen Brashear)

Yes. We have specialists for a variety of liberal arts.Our Spanish program extends from PreSchool to 8th Grade.We also have specialists for Art, Music, Library, Technology, Social Emotional Learning and Physical Education for all grades.Band is offered for Grades 5th through 8th. After-school programs offer additional opportunities in Chinese, Chess, Coding, STEM, Performance Arts and so much more.

Yes! OLG CYO (“Catholic Youth Organization”) offers sports’ teams for kids in grades K-8 as well as adults (age 21+), as participation in OLG CYO Athletics is open to both OLG parishioners and school families which strengthens the overall community feel of OLG.

Please visit our Sports at OLG page for more information. Go Bulldogs!

Yes. Our wide range of extra-curricular programs provide additional fun and learning opportunities. Some examples of our extracurricular opportunities are:

* School musicals
* Acting techniques
* Instrumental classes for band
* Choir
* Lego Classes
* Science Fairs
* Musical theater
*Dance

Yes, enrichment opportunities are class by class based.  For instance, we offer Accelerated Algebra or Algebra for 8th graders.

Yes, OLG School is committed to academic excellence for every child. The school has strong and well-established support in place to assist students who may need extra time to fully grasp a concept, as well as those who benefit from one-on-one tutoring. You can find out more about our Student Support Programs on our web site:

• Sound Partners (Beginning Reading Tutoring Program
• Learning Support Specialist (K-5)
• Middle School Math Specialist (6-8)
• After-School Tutoring

For students attending Kindergarten through 2nd Grade: Homework is weekly, in packet form.For students attending 3rd through 8th Grade: Homework varies between 1 to 2 hours a night, excluding required nightly reading and long-term projects.* Middle School can also expect homework on weekends.

* Much of the homework in middle school is technology based.

Yes. Before and After Care is offered on most school days (you may consult the School Calendar for any exceptions), for grades K-8 7:00am until 6:00pm.  Please visit our EDC page for before/after school care information. Please visit our WrapAround Care page for our Early Learning Center students (PreSchool and Pre-K).

No. All are welcome as Catholic education is truly for everyone!

While the majority of our students are Catholic or Christian, this is not a requirement.Students will be taught the Catholic faith in Religion class, will be expected to uphold the Catholic values, and will learn the Catholic traditions but are certainly not required to be Catholic to attend OLG.

You can find out more about why Catholic education is for everyone HERE. 

Yes. OLG students attending Kindergarten through 8th Grade do wear a uniform.

You can find all relevant information about the school's dress code and guidelines on our Uniform Guidelines page.

Volunteer hours (aka Commitment hours) are required for all school families.

While all school families are required to complete a set number of volunteer hours per school year, we strive to make the process as easy and flexible as possible so that completing your family’s required number of volunteer hours is realistic and fully achievable, regardless of your situation.

Please visit our school families' Volunteering page for more information.

For ELC (PreSchool & Pre-K): Regular ELC full day programs run from 8:00am to 3:00pm.For grades Kindergarten through 8th: Regular school days run from 8:30am to 3:00pm.

However, we have 2:15 pm Early Dismissal every Wednesday. On these days, pick up is at 2:15pm, unless your student is involved in the After-School Tutoring program 2:15-3:00 pm.  School staff utilize this time for their weekly staff meeting. There are also some half-days, for all grades, when dismissal is at 12:00pm. Please consult the School Calendar and school communications for details.

For ELC (PreSchool & Pre-K): Students should be dropped off 8:00am-9:00 am. Please park on 34th Ave SW (by Early Learning Center's Main Entrance) to accompany and sign your child into school. Please use the following entrances, based on the student's grade.

For PreSchool:     ELC Main Entrance (under awning/through gate)

For PreK:        South Door (off 34th Ave SW) / Walk your child from 34th Ave SW (or from the church parking lot down the stairs) to the south door

For grades Kindergarten through 8th: Students can arrive or be dropped off from 8:15am to 8:30am.  The tardy bell rings at 8:30 am.  Morning Extended Day Care (EDC) begins at 7:00 AM. More about EDC

Please use the following entrances, based on the student's grade.  (If you have students in multiple grades, you can choose one drop off location as works best for your family):

For Kindergarten and  1st Grade:     Southwest Door (church parking lot) / Enter parking lot from 35th Ave SW.  Kindergarten and 1st grade parents typically park cars in the parking lot adjacent to the church and walk their child to/from the South Door.

For 2nd Grade through 8th Grade:  Main Door (school office on Myrtle Street, up the ramp) / Drop off at the Main Lot Carpool (gym parking lot).  Enter the Gym lot from 35th Ave SW into the driveway between the parish office and gym.  Stop at the sidewalk by the big toy so students go up the playground stairs to cross the street (keeps students away from moving cars).  How to Carpool <video>

If you wish to walk your child to the school entrance, please park on 35th Ave SW, or by Walt Hundley Playfield.  Please be aware of a busy Myrtle St/34th Ave SW intersection and avoid students crossing by themselves.

(If you have students in multiple grades, you can choose one drop off location as works best for your family)

*** Please reserve 34th Ave SW by the School Hall for ELC families with young children!!  **** The playground is closed from 8:00 am-8:30am (except for EDC).

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OLG is a NO IDLING ZONE: When dropping off or picking up your children, please turn off your vehicles whenever possible. No-idling is a simple and cost-effective way to reduce emissions and protect health. Unnecessary idling wastes fuel and pollutes. Running an engine at a low speed also causes more wear and tear on the vehicle.

For ELC (PreSchool & Pre-K): Please contact your child's teacher via BrightWheel.  The door will remain locked for safety, so you may need to coordinate with teacher to find your class if they have transitioned to another location.

For grades Kindergarten through 8th: Once the Tardy Bell rings at 8:30am and the school doors' close, students will need to come in through the main entrance, register their arrival time at school reception and obtain a “late slip”in order to be able to be admitted in their classroom.

Please refer to the  OLG Family Handbook for important details about our attendance policies.  Frequent tardiness is disruptive to the teacher and students in the class and can adversely affect education due to tardiness.

For ELC (PreSchool & Pre-K): Please contact your child's teacher via BrightWheel as soon as possible.For grades Kindergarten through 8th:  To report your student being absent or tardy, please contact your student's teacher ASAP.  Parents email your homeroom teacher and office by 8:45 am.  You can also phone the school office at 206-935-0651.  If there is no contact from the parents, the school will call for verification.

For ELC (PreSchool & Pre-K): Please contact your child's teacher via BrightWheel as soon as possible.For grades Kindergarten through 8th:  We discourage students from missing school. We recommend scheduling appointments so that students do not miss school. The school calendar is published months in advance of the school year.  Please plan appointments during school breaks if possible.  If your student must leave early, please email your student’s teacher and the office with as much notice and detail as possible.

Upon parent/guardian arrival to the school, please make sure to check in at the school's office to sign out your children. The office staff will contact the classroom teacher and have him/her sent down to the office. This will give your child and teacher time to gather his/her backpack and homework. Please allow enough time for this process.

Please refer to the  OLG Family Handbook for important details about our attendance policies.

For ELC (PreSchool & Pre-K): Please contact your child's teacher via BrightWheel as soon as possible.For grades Kindergarten through 8th:  Please email your student’s teacher and the front office at info@guadalupe-school.org with as much notice and detail as possible.  You can also call the front office 206-935-0651 and we will do our best to forward the message as appropriate.

For ELC (PreSchool & Pre-K): Students pick up is at 3:00pm sharp, if enrolled in our full day program. If enrolled in our half day program, dismissal is at 12:00pm. Please park on 34th Ave SW (Early Learning Center's Main Entrance) to sign out your child from school.  Please use the following entrances, based on the student's grade.

For PreSchool:     ELC Main Entrance (under awning/through gate)

For PreK:        South Door (off 34th Ave SW) / Park on 34th Ave SW (or from the church parking lot down the stairs) to the south door

For grades Kindergarten through 8th: Regular end of day pick up is at 3:00pm (or 2:15pm on Wednesdays).  Please note that children will be released when eye contact is made by the teacher.

Kindergarten and 1st Grade students should be picked up at the Southwest Door (church parking lot)

For 2nd Grade through 8th Grade, pick up is in the Main Lot Carpool (gym parking lot).  Enter the Gym lot from 35th Ave SW into the driveway between the parish office and gym and form two lines of cars.  Use the gravel parking lot to swing the left line around the outside of the lot - anything we can do to alleviate OLG cars backing up on 35th.  Use your blinker to exit to the middle lane (drive slowly).  Watch the "How to Carpool" video.

The playground is closed from 3-3:10 pm (and 2:15-2:25 pm on Wednesdays).

For later pick up times, please see our Extended Day Care program which runs from 3:00pm to 6:00pm.

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OLG is a NO IDLING ZONE: When dropping off or picking up your children, please turn off your vehicles whenever possible. No-idling is a simple and cost-effective way to reduce emissions and protect health. Unnecessary idling wastes fuel and pollutes. Running an engine at a low speed also causes more wear and tear on the vehicle.

Children should NOT be released without a parent/guardian.

If you intend for your older child to walk home on their own, please inform your homeroom teacher and the office.  Please provide any pertinent details such as if it will only be certain days of the week.

For ELC (PreSchool & Pre-K): Please see our WrapAround Care page for information on after school care (3:00pm to 6:00pm)  and how to sign up to use this service.For grades Kindergarten through 8th: Teachers will escort students who haven’t been picked-up to Extended Day Care.  EDC is based in the School Hall off 34th Ave SW.

No, please meet your K-8 child at the designated pick up area outside the building. All K-8 students leaving before set dismissal time must be checked out through the school office.

For ELC (PreSchool & Pre-K): Please contact your child's teacher via BrightWheel as soon as possible.For grades Kindergarten through 8th: If you are planning to have someone else other than the legal guardians of the student, to pick him/her up,  you are required to inform your child's homeroom teacher and office staff with first and last name and relationship.

Student absences for family vacations, travel, or other reasons are highly discouraged.  The school calendar is published months in advance of the school year.  Please plan vacations and trips during school breaks.  Students are responsible for all work assigned during their absence.  For more about absences, vacations, please see our policy starting on page 45 of the OLG Family Handbook.  Please inform your child's homeroom teacher and the office as far in advance as possible.

For ELC (PreSchool & Pre-K):

BrightWheel is the platform used for signing in and out as well as daily communication. If you are a new school family, an invitation to the app is sent in August.For ALL School Families:

Email is the primary way OLG communicates with families. Our school office staff is also available via phone 206-935-0651 during school hours.a) During the school year, starting in August, OLG sends an all-school newsletter every week on Thursdays via email. The weekly newsletter is also posted on our school's home page each week. Please be sure to read thoroughly for important information regarding school happenings and important announcements.

b) You may receive emails from your student’s teacher, your PO Classroom Rep, or the school office. We do our best to keep email communications limited and essential.

c) If you are not receiving our emails, please let us know.Online School Calendar: Here you will find event details and updates. Make sure you subscribe to keep up with any changes.Family Communications Envelope (FCE):  Occasionally hard copies of information will be sent home with the youngest child each month.  Remove contents and return the FCE envelope to school ASAP.

Yes. OLG students in Kindergarten through 8th Grade wear a uniform.

For a hub of relevant information including where to obtain uniform pieces, P.E., non-uniform days and spirit wear,access our Uniform Guidelines page.  Please see our uniform policy starting on page 46 of the OLG Family Handbook.

Yes. Students are welcome to bring their own lunch or families can order lunch online in advance through our Hot School Lunch Program. 

Milk is included in our ELC (PreSchool/PreK) program. Milk is available to purchase each school year for grades K-8.

The school relies on the cooperation of parents/guardians to safely and effectively administer medication to our students as required.

Parents/guardians are responsible for:

• Supplying all medications (the school does not supply medications for students)
•  Transporting medication to and from school and refills
• If your child needs prescription or non-prescription medication during the school day, an Authorization to Administer Medication form must be completed with doctor's and parent signatures.
• Any medication that must be taken at school, prescription or over-the-counter, must be kept in its original container and locked in the school's medicine cabinet.
• Students are not allowed to carry medication with them at any time at school, in lunch boxes, or in the classroom.Please note that the Authorization to Administer Medication form requires to include the doctor's and parent's signatures.All of these requirements are WA state laws.

Students who are not feeling well are sent to the school main office for an overall check.

If we determine the student is too ill to remain in class, parents or guardians will be notified. For this reason, it is critical that current emergency information and numbers are kept up to date.PLEASE do not send your child to school if he/she is already sick before school begins.

While we stress the importance of students being responsible and prepared for their day, sometimes the need arises when items need to be brought in during the school day.

Rather than disrupt the classroom with a delivery, parents should leave these items at the school office. We will arrange delivery of the item(s) at the most appropriate time.

We highly discourage any electronics (iPads, game boys, iPods) or toys being brought to school. Any items brought to school must remain in their backpacks while on school grounds.

The school will not be held responsible for lost items.

Any electronics used inappropriately will be confiscated and will be released to a parent/guardian only.

Similar to electronics, cell phones must be turned off and left in backpacks while at school.

Walkie-talkies are used on the playground for office communication.

Cell phones used inappropriately will be confiscated and released to parent/guardian only.

Some teachers may collect phones at the beginning of each day and return at dismissal.

All lost items found are placed in the Lost and Found area located right passed the school reception.

Students need to check for items they may have lost.

**Mark your child's clothing/belongings with student's name**

Items that are not claimed/labeled will be donated to charity or recycled several times throughout the year.