MESSAGE
TO PARENTS/GUARDIANS
We offer this handbook to all families who have children
enrolled in
PHILOSOPHY
OF
Catholic
Schools have been called to a renewal of purpose by the American Bishops in “To
teach as Jesus Did”, a pastoral message on education.
We
at
The
pastoral message states that a
We
hope to realize the threefold purpose of education by the pursuance of the
following goals.
A.
Message
1.
To provide
students with an orderly learning environment and a sense of seriousness about
academic achievement.
2.
To make more
accessible to students participation in the liturgy and sacraments.
3.
To integrate religious
values with daily life.
B.
Building
Community
1.
To learn to live
community by experiencing it.
2.
To build
community trust, that is built by helping one another, and by seeing the varied
contributions each makes to learning.
3.
To integrate
religious values with daily life.
C.
Service
1.
To extend service
to those suffering disadvantages including the physically and mentally
handicapped.
2.
To learn to be
partners in the total American educational enterprise.
3.
To perform a
service to society by the exemplary portrayal of the Christian values and the
observance of the Christian moral code.
Achieving
these goals is a difficult task and involves great responsibility. Truly, they are ideals, but little is
achieved without ideals to strive for.
Parents are vitally important members of the school community and should
be partners in the development and in the implementations of our program, which
should idealistically make the recipients different – just as Christ dared to
be different.
OBJECTIVES
OF THE PHILOSOPHY
1.
To form Christian
community
A.
By encouraging
the staff to grow in living attitudes, ideals, and values.
B.
By anticipating
that these attitudes will be effective in preparing students to live a well
adjusted life.
2.
To enable the
student to acquire necessary skills to live and work in society.
3.
To develop a
capacity for change
A.
By encouraging
the student to be open to new ideas.
B.
By stressing
tolerance of all races and creeds and of those with any other difference.
4.
To stimulate the
student’s curiosity.
A.
By making
students aware of available reading materials, and by exposing them to outside
school activities and field trips.
B.
By inculcating in
each student the significance of decisions they make.
ACCREDITATION
ADMISSIONS
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
ADMISSIONS
REQUIREMENTS
To be eligible for kindergarten, a
child must have reached the age of five before October 1st of the
current school year. To be eligible for
first grade, a child must reach the age of six before October 1st of
the current year and must have completed kindergarten.
Registration
will be held in early March.
Forms
required at Registration:
· State
issued Birth Certificate
· Baptismal
Certificate
· Non-Refundable
Registration Fee
Forms
required by first day of school:
· Physical
Exam
· Up
to date Immunization Certificate
· Eye
Exam by a licensed Optometrist
Students wishing to enroll or transfer to
When
classes reach the designated limit, the guidelines to be followed for incoming
students are:
1.
Children from families with children already
enrolled.
2.
Children from the parishes now reaching
school age.
3.
Children from outside the parishes that were
previously enrolled elsewhere.
4.
Children from families newly moved into the
parish whose children have attended Catholic schools at their previous
residence. (New parish members will be
accepted after school begins providing there is room in the class.)
5.
Children of non-parishioners from other
Catholic parishes.
6.
Children of non-Catholic faith.
TRANSFER
STUDENTS
1.
Records requested from previous school.
2.
Conference with parents, student(s),
Principal, and teacher before school begins.
3.
Requirements/expectations of students
explained at this conference.
4.
Meeting with parents, student, teacher, and
Principal at the end of four weeks to evaluate student’s progress and
adjustment.
WITHDRAWN
STUDENTS
If a student decides to
withdraw from
FINANCIAL POLICIES
TUITION
There
is a tuition charge for every family attending
There is a NO REFUND POLICY regarding
tuition. Overpaid tuition will not
be held over into the next school year.
Over paid tuition will become a donation to
Tuition
will be payable monthly from August – May.
Tuition will be due the first day of each month. Families may elect to pay their tuition in
full at any time. Payment booklets will
be mailed to families in mid July.
All
families are required to have their tuition paid in full by May 1. Families of eighth grade students must have
their tuition paid in full by 12:00 noon the day prior to graduation. Those who have not met their obligation will
be unable to participate in graduation.
The
school will retain all student records, including Progress Reports until all
accounts are paid in full.
BOOK FEE
A per child book fee will be charged to student’s in grades K – 8. This charge will be set yearly by the School
Board and the Parish Finance Council.
Book Fees will be added to the overall annual tuition cost.
CHECK POLICY
A
valid driver’s license number is required on all checks written to St.
Catherine organizations.
A $25.00 return check fee
will be charged on all return checks written to School or Parish organizations.
*NO EXCEPTIONS*
FINANCIAL AID
Financial aid forms are available for students of
CODE OF
PHILOSOPHY
This Code of Conduct is based on the mission
of
Values, discipline and respect for authority
are primarily learned at home, and it is important that parents expect their
children to follow the school’s Code of Conduct.
When
students violate this code, the parents shall support the administrators and
faculty in their efforts to produce proper behavior. By enrollment at
All students are expected to cooperate with
the spirit and policies of the school that are designed to foster mature
development and personal responsibility. This requires courtesy in all personal
relationships, promptness in fulfilling obligations, concern for the
environment and many other factors that the students’ sense of appropriateness
will indicate to them.
Respect and consideration for the rights of
others are basic. Self-control, good habits, and responsible freedom result in
Christ-like behavior and educational success. Teachers and staff have the
authority to preserve conditions that are essential to learning. All faculty
and staff have the right and the obligation to correct any student misbehavior.
Along with the administration and staff,
parents and students are expected to take an active role in helping to create a
positive learning environment. Parents are asked to be positive when discussing
school experiences with their children. It is important that the policies of
this handbook are followed when a concern or disagreement arises.
Students’ responsibilities for achieving a
positive environment at school or at school-related activities include:
·
Being respectful of others and self
·
Being honest regarding all aspects of
interpersonal relationships and school work.
·
Obeying school rules
·
Being responsible for one’s actions
·
Practicing self-control
·
Being prepared for each class with
appropriate materials and assignments
If a student chooses to misbehave, he/she
must accept the consequences.
INFRACTIONS OF THE CODE OF CONDUCT AND THEIR
CONSEQUENCES
The following infractions are examples of minor
infractions and will be handled by teacher discretion. Teacher
discretion may include warnings, extra assignments, loss of recess, or phone
calls to parents.
o Hallway misbehavior
(talking, running, touching)
o Name calling
o Disrespectful/inappropriate
behavior in church
o Violations of
classroom or grade level rules (Based on displayed classroom rules)
o Disruption of class
o Non-preparation for
class
o Talking without
permission
o Bathroom, playground,
cafeteria or bus duty misbehavior
o Chewing gum or eating
food without permission
The following infractions are examples of major
infractions. The consequences for major infractions follow the
list below.
o Theft
o Fighting or
threatening to inflict physical harm
o Harassment
o Sexual harassment or
sexual misconduct
o Lying to or about an
administrator, faculty or staff member
o Forgery or falsifying
any signature
o Cheating
o Repeated infractions
The following are possible consequences for major
infractions:
o
Student, parent, teacher, principal
conference
o
Detention
o
In-school suspension
o
Out-of-school suspension. Out-of-school
suspension will be assigned for an indefinite period of time for the following
infractions:
· Carrying a deadly weapon or its
facsimile onto school grounds
· Physical aggression toward staff
or students
· Selling, using or possession of
illegal goods on school property
· Active participation in a gang
· Conviction of an illegal act
committed in or out of school
· Any action that would be
detrimental to the reputation of the school, whether the action took place on
or off school property. Dismissal will
result after one to three suspensions, whether in school, out-of-school, or a combination
of both. Dismissal may also result from repeated major infractions or a
belligerent attitude and refusal to make efforts to improve.
In cases of theft or vandalism, property will
be paid for or replaced.
In cases of cheating, involving students in
grades 4-8, a grade of zero will be given to all involved. In primary grades,
students caught cheating will complete the assignment during the recess period.
*Any or all of these
steps may be omitted at the discretion of the Administrator.*
SCHOOL-WIDE BEHAVIOR POLICY
Each classroom/grade level will have its own
behavior plan to follow in order to enforce DAILY minor
infractions. Classroom behavior records
for minor infractions shall not be carried over from day to day. These plans may include the use of check marks,
colors, stars, etc. The following is an
example to use:
*Warning !
**Second Warning
***5-10 minute loss
of recess
****Loss of recess
*****All of the
above and a phone call to parents (conference if needed).
PLAYGROUND RULES
The playground is an extended physical
education area and must be respected as such.
The
students will be involved in organized play. PE equipment is reserved for PE classes.
The students will be allowed to play outside for at least fifteen minutes a
day, weather permitting. Consideration will be given to the younger students.
A monitor will be on the playground at
all times when the students are there, and will be in a position to observe all
children.
GENERAL RULES
· Children must obey the monitor
· No one may leave the playground
without the monitor’s permission
· Areas near windows and property
lines are off limits
· Students are not allowed to throw
objects that may hurt others
· No wrestling or rough playing –
the game of football is not allowed!
SWINGS
· One student on a swing at a time
· Students will swing and not twirl
· Students will not push each other
SLIDING
BOARD
· One student on the slide at a
time
· Students should come down the
slide facing forward and sitting
· Students should enter the slide
using the steps
CLIMBING
EQUIPMENT
· The students will not be
permitted to congregate or sit on or under the equipment.
Playground
balls should be kept away from stationary equipment.
RESTROOM RULES
The students will go in silence as a class to
the restroom. They will use the facilities, wash their hands and leave.
Teachers will limit the restroom to five students at a time.
BUS DUTY
Morning Bus Duty
Students will be seated in the cafeteria at designated
tables and will remain seated until the bell rings. Students may talk quietly to those at their
table. Students may not talk to students
at other tables. No toys are to be
brought for play during this time.
Afternoon Bus Duty
The afternoon dismissal bell rings at 3:05 pm
for car riders and walkers. Car riders
and walkers in the elementary building will be escorted to the entry hall of
the middle school building. Car riders
and walkers from the middle school building will be sent to the entry hall. Students are expected to sit quietly until
their ride arrives. Any student not
picked up by 3:15pm will be escorted to the entry hall of the elementary
building to wait for their ride.
The students who ride the buses will wait
quietly in the entry hall in the elementary building for their buses.
BUS CONDUCT
The Nelson County School System provides
transportation. A student may be denied this privilege for serious misconduct.
All riders are expected to conduct themselves properly at all times. After notifying
the student’s parents or legal guardians, offenders will be suspended from
riding the bus when it is deemed necessary. Students are taught guidelines for
bus safety, and evacuation drills are conducted four times each school year.
Students
will:
· Board and leave the bus in an
orderly manner
· Avoid loud talking and boisterous
conduct
· Keep arms and hands inside the
bus
· Remain seated until the bus stops
· Obey the bus driver
· Obey any other rules determined
by the Nelson County Board of Education including the following:
STATE REGULATIONS WILL NOT ALLOW BALLOONS,
ANIMALS,
JARS, FLOWERS OR OTHER SUCH ITEMS TO BE
TRANSPORTED ON
All
CAFETERIA
A federally supported lunch program is
offered to students who wish to purchase it. Milk and juice is also offered for
sale. Lunches are available at a free or reduced rate for those who qualify.
Application forms are available during the first week of school. Students must
adhere to proper behavior during the lunch period and obey the monitor on duty.
A computerized payment system has been
implemented in the cafeteria. Each student is given a personal identification
number (PIN). Money is put into the account and the following options are
available for use:
Cash on Account –
Unlimited meals and snack items can be purchased.
Prepaid meals only –
Meals purchased only
Cash on the line –
Students pay as meals or snack items are purchased.
The
privacy of the student is protected with this system.
Students are permitted to bring lunch
from home; however their drink must consist of milk, water, or 100% juice. Soft drinks, etc. will not be allowed to be
brought from home. Meals from commercial
providers or “Fast Food” restaurants are not to be permitted in the cafeteria
during meal periods at any time.
No food or beverage may be sold or
served to students in the cafeteria in competition with the National School
Lunch/Breakfast Program until one-half hour after the end of the last lunch
period. This includes bake sales and
birthday celebrations.
CAFETERIA RULES
· Students are to show the
cafeteria workers respect at all times.
· The students must WALK at all
times; no skipping or running is allowed.
· The students must talk quietly to
the people at their table. They are not allowed to yell or talk to the students
sitting at another table.
· The students cannot play with
their food, sell their food or share their food.
· No more than eight people are
allowed at a table.
· The students should never touch
another student’s food.
· All students must SIT at the
table with both feet on the floor.
· Before they leave the cafeteria,
the students must clean their trays, table and the floor around their table.
· Candy and soft drinks are not
permitted as part of the lunch program.
· No FAST
FOOD is permitted.
The
cafeteria is designated as the place to eat lunch. It must never be confused
with the playground area.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
A student arriving after 8:15am but before 10:00am
will be marked tardy. A student arriving
after 10:00am is charged with a half-day absence. A student arriving after 1:00pm is charged
with a full day absence. A student
leaving between 10:00am and 2:00pm is charged with a half-day absence. A student leaving after 2:00pm will be
considered early dismissal.
ABSENCES
Students can never make up
the day he/she missed, even though he/she may go over assignments that were
presented. The discussions that take
place in the classroom are often more valuable than the written material,
therefore, medical or dental appointments should not be made during school time
except in extreme circumstances. In the
event that it is absolutely necessary to make an appointment during the school
day, written permission must be presented to the teacher at the opening of the
school day. The teacher will forward the
permission slip to the office. It is up
to the student to make up the work missed.
Parents are urged to send
their children to school regularly.
Absences from school cause hardships on both teacher and student. According to school policy, the only excused
reasons for a student’s absence are the student being ill or a death in the
family. All work missed shall be made up as soon as possible.
Parents shall call the school in case of absence. Any
student absent MUST bring a note signed by the parent or guardian. After four
consecutive absences a student must have a signed doctor’s excuse explaining
the absence.
12 or more absences could
endanger promotion to the next grade level.
TARDINESS