St. Mary's School, Anderson, IN at 321 E. 11th St., Anderson, IN 46016 US - Communicaton
| Communicaton |
CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECT REPORTING Anyone who suspects or has knowledge of child abuse or neglect is obligated by law to report such suspicion or knowledge to Child Protective Services. EMERGENCY SCHOOL CLOSING OR DELAY In case of ice/snow, St. Mary’s School will follow any school delay or closing as announced by the Anderson Community Schools. If time allows, the school will attempt to have information broadcast on television channels 6, 8, and 13. The school’s voice mail will be updated by 7:00am with information on delays or closings. · When a “one-hour” or “two-hour” delay is announced, the pre-school will not be in session for that day. · With excessive heat/humidity, St. Mary’s will make their own decision and communicate it to parents/staff. FIRE AND EMERGENCY DRILLS Law requires fire and emergency drills. To provide for student safety, drills are held periodically throughout the year with the teacher leading their class to predetermined locations. Signals for emergency drills include the fire alarm, an air horn and use of the public announcement system. HEALTH, ILLNESS, AND ABSENCE All students are required to provide proof of immunization. Your physician or another school corporation may provide medical documentation. Along with a required tuberculosis test, students must be immunized against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella, and poliomyelitis before entering school. A second measles/mumps/rubella vaccination is also required prior to beginning the sixth grade. Screens for vision, hearing, scoliosis, lice, and dental health will be conducted during the school year. Finally, students entering kindergarten and the 1st Grade are required by the state of Indiana to receive the “3-Series” Hepatitis B vaccine. Students will be excluded from school if it is not completed by the first day of school. St. Mary’s School has communicable disease restrictions in place regarding a student’s attendance during times of illness (see specific guidelines in handbook packet). Please call the school office if your child is absent due to illness or other reasons and this will be counted as an excused absence. A telephone call or a written excuse by parents should be sent to school when the child returns. For prolonged absences, a signed medical excuse should be presented to the office upon your child’s return. Should your child become ill while at school, the office will contact the parent, guardian, or individual listed on the emergency form in order to arrange for the child to be picked up. MEDICATION School personnel administer prescription medicine when there is a medical authorization signed by the child’s doctor and legal custodian on file in the school office. Medication prescribed for an individual child must be kept in the original container bearing the pharmacy label and the child’s name. Non-prescription medication will be dispensed when the school has received written authorization from the parent or guardian. Unused medication will be destroyed or returned to the legal custodian when no longer needed. (Please find a sample medical authorization in the handbook packet.) PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES At least two regularly scheduled parent-teacher conferences are held during each school year. Good communication between parents and teachers is an important part of an enriching educational experience for the student. However, an appointment should be made in advance to confer with teachers at other times. PARENT TEACHER PARTNERSHIP (PTP) Parent Teacher Partnership (PTP) is an active group that provides support for the many functions and endeavors of the school. Many issues affecting our students are discussed at the monthly meetings. All parents, guardians, teachers, and staff members are welcome at these meetings and are encouraged to be active participants. School activities are supported largely by fund raising events and functions planned by PTP. Popular annual events include Fall Festival, Auction, Mardi Gras, and the Golf Tournament/ Outing. Other activities include Market Day, skating parties, and Certificates for Education (CFE’s). PHONE CALLS Messages for the student from home will be relayed through the school office. These will then be delivered to the student’s teacher to give to the student. The office is open from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Voice mail is available if the phone is not answered. Please arrange in advance for rides home from extracurricular activities. Remember that teachers must be notified of changes in rides home. Students are not permitted to use the school telephone unless it is an emergency. St. Mary’s School does not encourage the practice of students having cellular phones at school. If parents feel that their student should have one, it must remain turned off and in the student’s backpack during the school day. Cell phones are only allowed to be turned on and used after school and at the discretion of teachers and administration. PLANNED ABSENCES Please contact the principal before an anticipated absence. Absences are often unavoidable and require the opportunity for the student to make up missed work upon his/her return. An absence due to family vacation may also be difficult to avoid; this is a family decision. Although St. Mary’s School recognizes the many benefits of a family vacation, this type of absence would be considered unexcused. For an unexcused absence due to family vacation, teachers will provide work missed when the child returns to school and must be completed within a week. Although missed assignments will be made available, teachers will not grade or return the assignments if/when submitted by the students. Grades that were given during the absence will not apply to the student’s grade card. Therefore, the grade book will show nothing for missed work, thus having no direct effect on raising or lowering the child’s grade. Examinations missed due to an unexcused absence are administered and do effect the child’s grade. The grade earned by the student for a make-up exam would apply to that grade period. Any absence, excused or unexcused, is recorded on the student’s attendance record. Attendance at school is crucial to each child’s academic progress. Students are encouraged to not miss more than 10 days of school throughout the entire school year. SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM Students eat lunch in the cafeteria located in the basement of the church. Teachers walk with their class to the cafeteria where students have an allotted time to complete their meal. The school lunch program is available to all students. Lunches should be paid for on a weekly basis before the child plans to eat lunch. Lunch money is to be sent to the school office in an envelope with the student’s name, teacher, and grade. Parents should always feel free to join their child during lunch. Soft drinks are not allowed. SINGLE-PARENT HOUSEHOLDS When the child(ren) comes from a single-parent household through divorce, the school requests a copy of the court order to better work with both parents in providing information and improving communication. Conferences with the principal will enhance this request. VISITORS Visitors are welcome at St. Mary’s School but must report to the school office upon arrival. Parents should make arrangements in advance for anyone wishing to visit classrooms. Please park on the church lot when visiting during school hours. The back lot is used as a playground during the school day, and traffic in this area should be avoided. VOLUNTEERS All parents are welcome and encouraged to volunteer throughout the year. Whether this is done on a regular basis or occasionally, volunteers are always appreciated! Parents can talk with their child’s teacher to determine how they can be of assistance during the school year (e.g., school functions, fund raising events, parties, donation of food and supplies). Parents may also become involved with Parent Teacher Partnership (PTP). The annual directory of families, which is provided every fall, will list the names and telephone numbers for the current officers of PTP. This group is always pleased to welcome new friends and participants. Parents will find that volunteering is a wonderful way to meet other families, students, teachers, and staff members. Also, it is a fun way to take an active role in their child’s education. It is diocesan policy to conduct background checks on volunteers who have regular contact with children. A regular volunteer is any person who functions in the name of the Church in a capacity of chaperoning, mentoring, supervising, teaching or training minors three or more times a year.