2007-2008
St. Catherine
of
413
(502)
549-3680
INTRODUCTION
School experience is one of the most important events in the life of the student. The principal, the Pre-K director and teachers need to help to make this a profitable experience for all of our students. The students will be taught to respect those in authority, other students and themselves. In turn, the principal and the teachers will treat all students with the utmost respect and work with each individual student to help them develop their total capabilities.
ST. CATHERINE of
St. Catherine of
MESSAGE TO PARENTS
We offer this handbook to all families who have children in the St. Catherine of Alexandria Academy Pre-Kindergarten program. In this handbook, you will find our school policies clarified. Please read this booklet and keep it as an available reference. Our handbook and all school policies follow the Archdiocese of Louisville handbook for Pre-Kindergarten programs.
The principal retains the right to amend the handbook for just cause. Parents and students will be notified of such change.
ST. CATHERINE 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
St. Catherine of
We help 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
2. To make more accessible to students participation in the liturgy and
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
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 education enterprise.
3. To perform a service to society by the exemplary portrayal of the Christian values and the observances of the Christian moral code.
Achieving these goals is a difficult task and involves real 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.
ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES
NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY
St. Catherine of
ATTENDANCE
Policy:
Regulations: School will consist of 175 days for Pre-Kindergarten.
The school day starts at
Upon arrival, students should be taken to their classroom by their parent or bus monitor and are not to be just dropped off at school. All students must be signed in and signed out per state regulations.
Walkers my not remain on school premises. Car rides must be checked out of the room by a parent or guardian. Bus students are to be with the teacher until their bus arrives. Students are expected to follow school rules concerning late bus dismissal. Pre-K late car riders and bus rides will be in the hallway at the top of the front stairs.
RELEASING STUDENTS FROM SCHOOL
Policy: Parents are urged to leave their children in school all day to receive the maximum benefit form instruction and classroom participation.
Regulation: A student will not be released from school into the custody of any person other than the students’ parent and/or guardian and those persons listed on the Student’s Dismissal Form. Each parent will fill out a form listing the person(s) who has permission to pick up their child(ren). When possible, doctor and dentist appointments should be scheduled outside school hours. If for any reason other than illness, a child must leave school, a note from the parent should be sent to the office that morning, stating the time of dismissal and the reason.
Students are signed out through the sign out sheet in the classroom.
ILLNESS
Policy: Students showing symptoms of illness or students who are seriously injured during school hours will be released to their parent/guardian.
Regulations: If a student is injured or becomes ill at school, he/she will be sent to the office. Students who are ill will be sent home by the office personnel. The parents should notify the teacher and the office of special health or medical conditions which may affect the child throughout the day.
Home and business numbers or the number of a person who is to care for your child in case of illness or accident, must be kept updated at the office. Medical release forms will be kept on file for each student. All students who are sent home must be signed out by the parent or another adult listed on the Emergency Form.
TRANSPORTATION
Policy: The homeroom teacher will maintain a file on the usual method of transportations used by each student. Pre-K students may be transported by the Nelson County Buses or parents will be responsible for their child(ren)’s transportation.
Regulations: Parents will update the student information sheet at registration. Whenever students vary their transportation method for dismissal, parents should send a note to the teacher that day.
HEALTH
Policy: The school will strive to provide and maintain a physical environment that is conducive to the health and safety of students.
Regulations:
Pre-K students have a physical exam and an up-to-date immunization
certificate. Medical records must
be completed prior to the student’s admission to
The school will comply with current laws and regulations pertinent to health, sanitation and safety. The school will work in cooperation with all school personnel in planning, promoting and implementing a school health services program that meets the regulation adopted by the State Board of Education.
All students in the Saint Catherine of
HEAD LICE
Policy: Students shall not be permitted to attend school if lice are present in its contagious stage.
Regulations: Early signs of head lice can include itching of the head, matted, foul-smelling hair, swollen lymph nodes and/or raise on the trunk. Head lice leaves oval, grayish nits that cannot be shaken loose. It spreads through shared clothing, hats, combs and brushes, as well as through casual contact. Special shampoo can be purchased through the pharmacy to treat infected heads. A fine tooth comb dipped in vinegar removes nits from the hair. Parents will be notified from the office if head lice become a persistent problem in a specified classroom. When head lice continues to be a problem, the school will examine students’ hair in that grade level to locate possible source(s) of lice.
MEDICAITON
Policy: Should a child need special medication to function well during the school day, prescription or non-prescription, written permission of the parent is required. Medication must be signed in daily or it will not be administered.
Regulations: Medication and a note must be brought to the teacher when students arrive at school. Medicine must be in its original bottle with instructions and student’s name listed on the bottle. Medicine must be kept in a locked cabinet or refrigerator. Students may not keep medicine with them.
EMERGENCIES
Policy:
Regulations: The students will participate in these drills:
FIRE: The signal to evacuate the building will be the continuous sounding of the emergency bell. Students should keep their hands to their side and file out in silence to the appointed area. Attendance will be taken to ascertain that all students have left the building.
TORNADO: Students are required to go to inside wall of classroom and get in to position. Students will sit on the floor, heads covered with hands, until the staff person gives the all-clear signal.
EARTHQUAKE: We at
NON-CUSTODIAN PARENT
Policy: According to federal regulations, non-custodial parents have the right to receive information regarding their children and to see the children’s records. This is prohibited ONLY if specified in the divorce and custody decrees.
Regulations: In order to protect you and your child(ren), divorces or separated parents are required to furnish the school with a copy of the custody section of the divorce decree. This should be notarized. This will enable the school to act in accordance with this decree.
COMMUNICATIONS
Policy: Parents and students will be kept informed of school events through newsletter, monthly calendars, letters and announcements from the office.
VISITORS
Policy: All visitors and all parents must check in at the office when coming into the building during the school day. Visitors will not be permitted to loiter on the school premises or in the school building.
Regulations: Parents are welcomed and encouraged to visit our school and take an active role in their child’s educational process.
SNACK/LUNCH PROGRAM
Policy: The school cafeteria operates under the guidelines of the National School Lunch Program.
Students must be at
school no later than
RESOURCE PEOPLE
Policy: Parents and local people are invited to visit the classrooms during our units of study.
BUSINESS
PROCEDURES
ASSESSMENTS
Policy: The Pre-Kindergarten is a self-supporting account and the tuition and fees should cover all expenses associated with this program.
PRE-REGISTRATION
Policy: Pre-registration is held each year during March for incoming Pre-K, Kindergarten and first grade students.
DRESS CODE
For reasons of safety, sandals will not be permitted in the Pre-K program.
PARENT TEACHER STUDENT CONFERENCE
Policy: Since education is a cooperative effort, parents and teacher conferences afford an opportunity for mutual exchange of insight regarding the attitudes, abilities and skills of each student. The P-T-S conferences are the primary means of reporting a student’s progress.
Regulations: There will be two scheduled conferences to discuss your child’s progress. All students and parents are expected to attend the conferences. According to archdiocesan directives, this does count as a student attendance day and the student will be marked absent if he/she is not present at the PTS conference.
INFORMAL CONFERENCES
Policy: Communication between parents and teachers and principal is welcomed and encouraged.
Regulations: For effective communication between parents and teacher, a note to the teacher should be the first step; a phone call should be the second step; and a conference should be the third step. Parents may send the teacher a note requesting a “phone” conference during the school day, or they may call the secretary and leave a message for the teacher. Teachers should not be contacted at home, unless specifically requested by a teacher to do so. Conferences will be scheduled to coincide with the teacher’s planning period or for a convenient after school time. Conferences will usually not be scheduled in the morning prior to the start of the school day. Parents are asked to comply with this procedure. This will enable teachers to effectively plan their time.
The Principal is available for conferences after
“NOTES” TO PARENTS
Policy: Teachers will utilize these notes to send memos and special reports to parents.
Regulations: These notes may discuss concerns with students’ progress, their conduct, etc. If the parent signature is required, the note should be signed and returned the following day.
DESTRUCTION OF SCHOOL PROPERTY
Policy: Recompense for willful or careless destruction of school property or that of another student must be made by the offender.
Regulation: The punishment and/or fine for the defacement or destruction of school property will be determined by the extent of the damage of seriousness of the act. Parents will be notified.
STUDENT
ASSISTANCE
STUDENT HEALTH
Policy: School personnel trained in first aid will be available at all times during the school to administer to students’ health needs.
Regulations: The secretary is certified by the American Red Cross in first aid and CPR. Also certified is the teacher and the teacher assistant. The teacher will be the primary person dealing with the students’ health concerns. If the student is too ill to remain at school, the parents will be notified and plans should be made to pick up the student. A record is maintained for the students who receive “health” assistance. All medications will be stored in a secure place.
HEALTH SCREENINGS
Policy: The school has a program of continuous health supervision for all students.
Regulations: A hearing screening will be conducted annually. Height and weight measurements will be taken each year.
LOST AND FOUND
Policy: A “Lost and Found” department is maintained so that students may claim lost/misplaced articles.
Regulations: The articles in the lost & found are maintained for a reasonable period of time before they are donated to a charitable organization. Parents should feel free to investigate if their child loses or misplaces something. To minimize the number of losses, names should be labeled on all articles of clothing and on all other possessions.
CLASS SIZE
Policy: Every effort will be made to stay within the established limits for student enrollment.
Regulation: St.
Catherine of
FIELD TRIPS
Policy: Field trips are designed to broaden the students’ knowledge and awareness of the happenings in their community. They are considered a privilege for the students, it is not a right.
Regulation: Field trips and classroom visits by community resource people are planned to correlate with thematic units of students. For most field trips, parent chaperones are necessary and a welcomed part of these unique learning adventures. No siblings or children other than Pre-K students are permitted to attend these field trips. All field trips are transported via school bus, unless otherwise stated by the principal and all students and teachers must ride the bus in order to participate the field trip. Parents may ride the bus if there is room. Any adult going on the class will be considered a chaperone and will assume chaperone duties. The adult will also have to attend an orientation in order to participate in their child’s field trip. Approval for any field trip must be given by the principal. All students must have returned their signed permission forms in order to participate in the field trip; phone permission is never acceptable. Cost for field trips will be kept to a minimum. Below is a copy of the “field trip permit” form. If a student loses the original slip, this form should be copied; only exact copies of this permit will be accepted.
FIELD TRIP PERMIT
The undersigned parent and/or guardian of ________________(student’s name) do hereby request that the above named student be transported to ___________________(event) by school bus on _____________(date). I hereby release and save harmless St. Catherine Tri-Parish School and any and all personnel of St. Catherine Tri-Parish from any and all liability for any and all injuries, loss and other claims arising out of or resulting from this trip.
Signature of Parents/Guardians :______________________________________(Parent)
______________________________________(Parent)
Both parents need to sign if possible.
STUDENT
PROGRESS
EVALUATION
Policy:
Recognizing the uniqueness of every student, St. Catherine of
COMMITMENT
FORM
At the start of every school year, each family is given a
copy of the following form. This
signed form shows a parent’s true sacrifice and commitment to St. Catherine of
ST. CATHERINE
CHURCH
SCHOOL
TUITION AGREEEMENT/COMMITMENT FORM
This agreement set forth the method of payment and commitments for Pre-K for the budget year beginning July 1. Please read carefully and complete and return the YELLOW SHEET.
TUITION
GUIDELINES
Tuition is paid in the months of August thru May – no payments will be due for the months of June and July. You will receive a coupon book at the beginning of the school year.
TUITION
POLICY
It shall be the policy of St. Catherine of
Tuition will be tracked and recorded through the school office. Parents should not drop tuition payments in the church collection. This will prolong the posting of your tuition payment. Tuition payments can be dropped in the mail drop box in the front door of the school building, sent into school with your child or mailed to:
St. Catherine of
Attention: Tuition
413
A $25.00 return check fee will be charged for all check returned to the school. This includes checks for tuition, lunch, scrip purchases or any other school related functions. Like other businesses, returned checks can become a problem. Therefore, if two or more checks are returned from the same individual, the school reserves the right to require that individual to make payments in the form of cash or money order.
**Any amount paid for
tuition in excess of the amount due for the year, will become a donation to
- All parents are expected to attend Sunday worship with their children each week.
- All
parents are asked to support the
- All parents are asked to supported all fundraising projects, including working their scheduled time at the Fall Fundraiser and donating any items required for the fundraiser.
- All parents are asked to support the Parish Summer Picnic by working their scheduled time and donating any items required for this fundraiser.
CHILDREN’S
PRAYER
Jesus, I kneel down to say
Thank You for another day
For hands to feel and eyes to see
An all Your loving gifts to me
Teach me in Your words to talk
Help me in Your ways to walk
Guide and bless me from above
Jesus, it is You I love!
Amen.
Date:____________________
Dear Parent(s):
This is a copy of a School Board policy implemented in May
1992. It is addressed to all St.
Catherine of
To Establish As Policy:
In the formation and education of our students we stress the importance of learning and practicing the Christian, Catholic morals and values traditionally embodied in the Catholic Church.
One of the most important values we stress is respect for self and others. This should be evident in the caring classroom and playground environment established by the teacher and the students. Students must show respect for self and others in spoken and written language and in all interaction with fellow students and all persons. Inappropriate language, gestures and behavior will not be tolerated. For students who fail to follow this policy:
1. We notify parents of first incident immediately. The incident will be documented in writing and mailed to the parents. Parent(s) then sign the document. The signed document will be returned to the school.
2.
Continuing incidents will be tracked and parents will be
notified. Documented patterns of
behavior that disrupt the Pre-K program itself could result in the student being
removed from Saint Catherine of
3.
Students who are removed from Saint Catherine of