Family Handbook
2010-2011
DIOCESAN AND STATE OF
Formal recognition confirms that
EDUCATION COMMISSION APPROVAL
The policies and procedures contained in this handbook have been reviewed and approved by the Education Commission.
HOURS
Office
Hours
School
Year: 7:30AM-3:30 PM
Summer: 8AM-12 Noon
Before
School Outside Supervision Begins: 7:55 AM
Morning
Extended Care: 7-7:55AM
School
Doors Open: 8:05
Classes
Begin: 8:15
Dismissal: 3:05
Afternoon
Extended Care: 3:05-5:30 PM
After
School Outside Supervision Ends: 3:15 PM
Absence from School
If a child will not be attending school call the
school office by 9 AM each
and every day the student will be absent:
School Office Phone:
815 398-5331
School Office Fax:
815 398-5902
Extended Care Phone (direct): 815 986-5863
Extended Care Cell:
815 558-4407
School Office Email:
school@holyfamilyrockford.org
Parish Web Site:
holyfamilyrockford.org
School Web Site Home Page: holyfamilyrockford.org/School
…is a partnership between parents, school and parish staff. This partnership must focus on the spiritual growth of our children in their Catholic faith. In order to enhance this experience, parents and families must actively put their own faith into practice both at home and at Church, including regular Mass attendance, reception of the sacraments, and involvement in church and community events. Demonstrations of commitment to the teachings of the Church through the volunteering of time, talent and treasure to the parish as well as the school help to nurture our children's developing faith as well as our own.
...is an important ministry among the many within our parish. Financial support for the school as well as all of the other ministries is greatly dependent upon our parish stewardship through tithing. With this in mind, we do not stress significant fund raising to support our school programs. Rather, we seek to provide spiritual and social fellowship among both school and parish families. Any revenue gathered through Home and School Association functions is strictly intended to be applied to new and continuing fellowship and faith programs for both the school and parish community.
...is a cooperative effort between both parents and school staff. Both work together to implement the ever-expanding academic and spiritual curriculum. Parents should seek to create a positive learning environment in the home where they model a commitment to academic excellence. At a minimum, they would ensure the timely and accurate completion of their child's assignments either in school or at home. Optimally, parents remain in close contact with the teacher to identify individual strengths and weaknesses in addition to monitoring their child's performance on a continuous basis.
...cannot function at its best without the generosity of school parents and other parish families who unselfishly give of their time and talents. The efforts of our volunteers enhance our school programs abundantly both in and out of the classroom. The benefits that our school children receive from this example of Christian love and service are not only academic but spiritual as well.
Holy Family is a community of Catholic Christian believers called to proclaim the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ according to His plan.
With Christ as our Model and through the grace of the Holy Spirit, our community seeks to:
· Worship God in spirit and in truth through the celebration of the Eucharist and the other sacraments.
· create and nourish Christian community in the parish and in society as a whole.
· serve all our brothers and sisters, especially the poor, the neglected and the needy.
· educate, equip and form our members to be disciples and apostles of Jesus, eager to follow Him and exercise their gifts from God to build up the Church, the body of Christ.
Leading to God the Father
Through His Son Jesus Christ
With the Guidance of The Holy Spirit
Working Together for Academic Excellence
In An Atmosphere of
Worship and Thanksgiving,
The Gospel Message,
Service To Others
and
Building Catholic Community
2010-2011 School Year Primary Goals . . .
·
To maintain the
Catholic atmosphere among the faculty and staff in our school so that the
children may see Catholic Witness in action.
·
To help the child
select, acquire, and develop moral values of the Catholic faith that will give
direction to his/her life.
·
To help parents
value the spiritual benefits of weekly Mass attendance and regular practice of
the sacraments.
·
To help the child
develop a positive self-concept.
·
To help the child
find satisfaction and joy in learning by providing an atmosphere where the
child is free to explore his/her own ideas and the resources of their
environment.
·
To teach skills
of each subject to be used as tools for further learning.
·
To provide a
pattern of successful experiences for the child by meeting his individual needs
through a variety of teaching methods.
·
To maintain a
positive relationship between home and school through communication and
cooperation.
·
To help the child
become a self-directed and self-disciplined person.
·
To help the child
recognize responsibilities in creating a group atmosphere characterized by
kindness, acceptance and courtesy.
·
To help the child
recognize and accept responsibilities to society at all levels.
·
To utilize refine
the use of technology both as a teaching/learning tool and as a communication
tool.
·
To refine the
resource program structure in order to meet the increasing support needs of
students.
STUDENT/FAMILY HANDBOOK
INDEX
Table of Contents
DIOCESAN AND STATE OF ILLINOIS RECOGNITION
THE HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC SCHOOL COMMUNITY…
2010-2011 School Year Primary Goals .
SICKNESS: GUIDELINES FOR ATTENDING SCHOOL
ACADEMIC/CONDUCT REQUIREMENTS FOR EXTRA- AND
CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
ACTIVITIES/MINISTRIES AVAILABLE THROUGH PARISH, SCHOOL
AND THE PAROCHIAL LEAGUE
ATHLETICS: PHILOSOPHY AND METHODS OF OPERATION
BORROWING PARISH EQUIPMENT AND RESOURCES
BUILDING USE BY OTHER PARISH MINISTRIES
CANCELLATIONS, WEATHER RELATED
CLASS/TEACHER ASSIGNMENT FOR STUDENTS
Communicate with the Teacher First
Discipline Assistant, Junior High
Online Demerit Record
School Reach Automated Telephone
Messaging
COMMUNICATION PROCESS FOR PROBLEMS/CONCERNS
DELIVERY OF BALLOONS, FLOWERS, AND OTHER GIFT ITEMS
DISCIPLINE, DIOCESAN POLICY ON STUDENT
GANGS AND GANG-RELATED ACTIVITIES
HEALTH EXAMINATIONS (diocesan policy 5150)
Range of Homework Expectations by
Grade Level:
NON-CATHOLIC STUDENTS, ENROLLMENT OF
PARENT COOPERATION AND INVOLVEMENT
PARISH STRUCTURE, HOLY FAMILY
CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
PARTIES, INVITATION TO PRIVATE
RECORDS, CUSTODIAL/NON-CUSTODIAL PARENT RIGHTS TO STUDENT
RECOGNITION, ROCKFORD DIOCESE AND ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF
EDUCATION
RECOGNITION, STUDENT (Spiritual, Achievement, Character,
Etc.)
ROOM USAGE, BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL
STUDY HALL/ACTIVITY PERIOD, JUNIOR HIGH
SUPERVISION OF CHILDREN, PARENTAL
TUITION AND FEES FOR 2010-2011, K-8
Dress/Uniform Requirements for
Special Functions
VISITATION, CLASSROOM AND SCHOOL
Appendix B: Chastity Education & Personal Safety
Curriculum
Appendix C: Grades 1-5 Discipline System
Appendix D: JUNIOR HIGH DISCIPLINE RULES AND REGULATIONS
Appendix E: ROOM PARENT GUIDELINES
STUDENT AUTHORIZATION FOR COMPUTER USE AND INTERNET
ACCESS
Appendix H: DEFINING AN ACT OF DISHONESTY OR CHEATING
Appendix I: HELPING WITH HOMEWORK--A CHECKLIST
Appendix L : Tuition Assistance Program
Appendix O: Internet Resources
Appendix P: Healthful Food and Beverage Options for
School Functions
Appendix Q: DIOCESE OF ROCKFORD STUDENT WELLNESS POLICY
Appendix R: DIOCESE OF ROCKFORD BULLYING POLICY
School attendance records are maintained daily. If your child will not attend school, for whatever reason, you must call the school (398-5331) on that morning before 9:00 A.M. A WRITTEN EXCUSE IS REQUIRED AFTER ANY ABSENCE AND SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE HOMEROOM TEACHER. The note should explain the absence and include the date or dates involved. Such written excuse is required even though the matter has been communicated on the telephone or in person.
Absences because of travel, vacation, etc., are strongly discouraged. Teachers are not expected to tutor a student for such absences. MISSED WORK WILL NOT BE GIVEN IN ADVANCE OF THE ABSENCE. Lower grades result due to absences and tardiness.
In the case of student absence, students are allowed an equal number of days to submit makeup work as they were absent for an excused reason. (Illness, family emergencies, etc., are examples of excused absences.)
If a child is absent from school the student does not participate in after school activities.
All children go outside during the noon recess. If a parent wishes a child to stay indoors because of recent illness, a doctor's note stating the need to remain inside is necessary. Direct supervision of students staying in for recess is not provided.
Colds: A child with a "heavy" cold and a hacking cough belongs home in bed, even though she/he may have no fever. If your child complains of sore throat and has no other symptoms, she/he may go to school. If white spots can be seen in the back of the throat or if fever is present, keep your child home until a doctor approves return to school.
Fever: A fever is a warning that all is not right with the body. No child with fever over 100 degrees should be sent to school. Children with fevers of 100 or more will not be allowed to remain in school. A child who had a fever should not return to school until the fever has been absent for 24 hours.
Vomiting: If vomiting occurs, keep your child home until she/he can keep food down.
Diarrhea: A child with diarrhea should be kept at home.
Rash: A rash may be the first sign of one of childhood's many illnesses, such as measles or chicken pox. A rash, or "spots", may cover the entire body or may appear in only one area. Do not send a child with a rash to school until your doctor has said that it is safe to do so.
In order to encourage the development of personal discipline, it is the student's responsibility upon his/her return to school to obtain and carry out any work missed because of absence. Teachers will assist in a reasonable way. MISSED WORK WILL NOT BE GIVEN IN ADVANCE OF AN ABSENCE.
EXCUSED ABSENCE FOR PART OF A SCHOOL
DAY
For the protection of your child:
NO STUDENT WILL BE DISMISSED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT PROPER WRITTEN APPROVAL OF THE PARENTS OR GUARDIANS. THIS MUST BE VALIDATED BY THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE IN ADVANCE.
Students leaving school early are to be picked up from the school office.
Doctor or dental appointments that cannot be made outside of school time require a note in advance. Students should give all notes to the first hour teacher or to the office before going to class.
When returning to school, students report to the office before proceeding to class. A return to class admit will be issued to the student.
EXCESSIVE ABSENCES/TARDINESS WILL RESULT IN A STUDENT NOT BEING REENROLLED FOR THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL YEAR.
In order to be present at and actively participate in school/parish-sponsored activities such as athletics, student council, yearbook, etc., students must maintain passing grades in all subjects and, for junior high, not have more than 15 demerits on their discipline record.
A student on "warning" MAY be present at AND participate in activities.
An "ineligible" student may NOT be present at NOR participate in his/her team's/club's, etc., activities.
Students not participating in school/parish-sponsored activities must also not have more than 15 demerits on their discipline record. These students will serve a detention as long as they have 16 or more demerits.
ACTIVITIES/MINISTRIES AVAILABLE THROUGH PARISH, SCHOOL AND THE PAROCHIAL LEAGUE (activities are offered based on student interest)
Academic Bowl
Altar Servers (Boys & Girls, 5th-8th grades)
Band (4th-8th grades)
Basketball (girls and boys, grades 5-8)**
Cheerleading (girls, fall-winter)**
Chess Club, grades 1-8
Choir, Parish Junior (girls and boys grades 3-8)
Computer Club
Football (Jr. Titan at Boylan, 7th & 8th grades)**
Scouts (Brownies, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts)
Soccer (5th-8th grades, coed, fall)**
Student Council**
Student Newspaper**
Volleyball (5th - 8th grades, coed, spring)**
Yearbook**
** SUBJECT TO ACADEMIC/DISCIPLINE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
WHEREAS: It has always been the teaching of the Catholic Church that every Catholic child shall have an equal right to be educated in a Catholic school; and
WHEREAS: It has been the expressed policy of the Ordinary of the Diocese of Rockford that every qualified child should be entitled to admission to a Catholic school without regard to race; and
WHEREAS: Federal agencies have requested a codification and promulgation of a racially nondiscriminatory policy.
Therefore, be it RESOLVED:
All Catholic schools within the boundaries of the Rockford Area Catholic Board of Education shall admit students of any race, color, gender, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. Schools will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national and ethnic origin in administration of their educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
As classroom space permits, students will be admitted to school according to the following priority listing:
1. Currently enrolled children
2. Siblings of currently enrolled children
3. Children of active, participating registered Holy Family parishioners
4. Children of non-active, nonparticipating registered Holy Family parishioners
5. Children of parishioners of Rockford Catholic churches without schools
6. Children of Rockford Catholic school parishes with school waiting lists
7. Children from the Rockford Area who are not Catholic (refer to Non-Catholic students, Enrollment of)
Current
Children must be capable,
emotionally and intellectually, of meeting
A child entering kindergarten must be 5 years old by Sept. 1.
A child entering first grade must be 6 years old by Sept. 1.
To ensure a child's positive
adjustment to our school and to determine if
An asbestos management plan, available in the school office for review, exists for our school buildings.
The Athletic Department sponsored by Holy Family Parish is to reflect the Catholic faith and the values of the parish and of the Roman Catholic Church. These faith values will be reflected in decisions we make, in the approaches that we take with the children in our program and in everything about our Athletic Program including all areas of our parish life.
Although the Athletic Program is open to all children of Holy Family Parish, including those in our religious education program, history shows the majority of participants are from our parish grade school. Our Athletic Program is regarded as an extension of our grade school and religious education program -- that is, the values and philosophy conveyed by the coaches and staff must be seen as a continuation of what our children are taught about Catholic Christian values in our school and religious education program.
The Athletic Program of Holy Family Parish exists in its own right. It is not the "feeder program" or a preparatory program for any other school system in our area.
All children play. Each sport shall have a defined minimum player participation time, such as number of quarters, number of innings, etc.
All children who go out for a team will find a place on the team. No one should be denied a place except for serious health reasons.
The number of games and number of practices per season should be carefully monitored so that our grade school children also have significant time to be with their families. Practice times should also be monitored closely so that our young grade school children are home on school nights at an appropriate hour to get adequate rest for the next day of school.
Values of Christian sportsmanship should be reflected at all times within our program.
Practices/games will not be held on Sunday mornings or on Saturday evenings after 5 P.M. Sunday afternoon and Sunday evening practices/games will be permitted by the pastor's special exception.
The athletic program is coordinated by the athletic director under the administration of the school principal.
Parents are ultimately responsible for registering children for athletic activities according to published registration/signup deadline dates.
Athletic participation is a privilege, not a right. Athletic program administrators have a duty to hold athletes to personal, academic, and disciplinary standards. Since the athlete represents our parish, every effort will be taken to ensure that student athletes are worthy representatives; those who fail to meet academic or disciplinary expectations will not be allowed to play sports, at least until the prescribed penalty or academic improvement has taken place.
An athletic handbook, available from the school office, contains Rockford Area Parochial league and parish policies and procedures.
Students will be admitted into the school building at 8:05 A.M. each school day. Students should not be on the playground earlier than 7:55 A.M. Any student on the parish grounds before 7:55 A.M. will be sent to the Extended Care Program and his or her parents will be charged for the service. Students will be admitted to the building at 7:55 A.M. on rainy days, when the outside temperature is 20 degrees or below, or when the wind chill factor is zero degrees or below.
Class attendance is taken at 8:15 A.M. A student not seated in class after the 8:15 A.M. bell rings shall be considered tardy. If there is a reason for your child's tardiness, PLEASE SEND A NOTE WITH HIM/HER. If a student does not have a note for tardiness with him/her on the day they are tardy, they are expected to bring a note the next day explaining the tardiness. A tardy is recorded on school attendance records whenever a child is not in class for any period of time up to a half-day absence. Junior high students receive a demerit for first period tardiness.
CLASSES ARE DISMISSED AT 3:05 P.M. Students on school grounds at 3:20 will be sent to Extended Care where the appropriate charges will accrue.
In order to maintain safe and open hallways for emergency exit before, during and after school, strollers are not allowed in school or gym during the school day and during school functions at night and on weekends.
Parents should instruct their children how to properly wear backpacks so as to avoid possible back injury.
Wheeled book carts/backpacks are not allowed as they become a potential trip hazard in the hallways. Wheels may be used once outside the building. (Most wheeled backpacks do not fit into lockers.)
Students must use the bike racks provided and use a lock and chain on the bicycle. Bicycles must be walked on and off the grounds during school hours. Bicycles are not allowed in the school building.
The school's texts issued to students must be COVERED and kept in GOOD CONDITION. The student's name and the subject should be on the outside of each book cover. Any damage, careless use, or loss of texts will result in the assessment of a fine or replacement fee. It is the student's/family's responsibility to make sure that books issued to a student that might have questionable damage/markings be duly noted by the teacher at the time of issue at the beginning of the year.
Hardcover textbooks are depreciated over 6 years. A student returning a book judged to be in a condition not to be reissued after the first year will be fined the new replacement cost. Replacement costs will be prorated by 1/6 of cost each succeeding year of use. Minimum book fine is $5.00/book. (Textbooks are now priced in the $65-$95 range).
Textbooks are not loaned out during summer months.
In order to preserve their condition, parish equipment, tables, chairs, and school equipment are not available to parish families for their personal use.
Many resources, such as computer software, have restricted uses that do not allow for sharing (copying) outside the school's physical plant. Please do not ask our staff members to violate these legal copyright agreements.
Our elementary school program is one of many parish ministries that use the school building classrooms. For the same reason we do not allow classroom interruptions during the regular school day, interruptions (including going into a classroom) to our parish's Religious Education classes and the Rainbows program sessions (usually held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons and evenings) are not allowed.
Although well intentioned, our school does not participate in classroom programs tied to a business that would result in financial gain for the business through the use of that business's program with our students. At times business practice might be inconsistent with the teachings of the church; we cannot offer equal opportunities for all businesses desiring school participation.
A monthly calendar of school/parish activities is posted on the school website at:
www.holyfamilyrockford.org/School .
Note that all calendars are subject to adjustment. End of year emergency make up days (for school closing due to weather, etc.) may be used for each day school is closed during the year. Staff and school families should plan as if the emergency days are regularly scheduled school days.
When school is cancelled due to weather conditions all
activities—athletic practices and games, meetings, field trips, etc.—are
cancelled. No exceptions are made as the reason school is closed is for safety
concerns. The media announcement would
be similar to “
In order to provide the best possible education in the best possible learning environment, which can be compromised by ringing cell phones, the following applies:
Cell phones may be brought to school and to school activities under the following conditions: