2015-2016
PARENT-STUDENT
HANDBOOK
4207 FOREST HILL AVENUE • RICHMOND, VIRGINIA23225
TELEPHONE 804•231•1452 • FACSIMILE 804•231•9925
EDITED 8/5/2014
2015-2016parent-STUDENT Handbook
Table of Contents
Mission Statement and Principles ...... 3
Attendance Policies...... 4
Academic Policies...... 5
Community Information...... 7
Medical Policies………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..9
Behavioral Expectations for GSES Students...... 10
Values Contract...... 13
Admissions and Enrollment Process...... 16
Re-Enrollment Process and Policies...... 17
Dismissal and Reinstatement……………………………….………………………………………………………………………...18
Financial Information...... 18
MISSION STATEMENT
Good Shepherd Episcopal School challenges each child to achieve academic excellence within a nurturing, Christian environment that builds character and respect for all God’s creation.
PRINCIPLES
Good Shepherd Episcopal School:
•Challenges students with an academically rigorous, integrated curriculum that enhances core subjects with computer science, foreign language, thearts, physical fitness, and extracurricular activities.
•Welcomes students with a neighborhood feel and a small student/teacher ratio that encourages multi-age interaction and teamwork.
•Provides a Christian community that honors, celebrates, and worships God within the Episcopal tradition in cooperation with the Church of the Good Shepherd’s mission “To Know Christ and Make Him Known.”
•Values a diverse community inclusive of students from different social, economic and cultural backgrounds by instilling respect for, and awareness of, self, others and nature.
•Develops intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and a lifelong love of learning.
•Supports dynamic and talented teachers who shape the curriculum and encourage all students to perform at their best.
•Promotes character development by recognizing and encouraging love, patience, joy, peace, goodness, kindness, gentleness, and self-control.
•Encourages community service and giving to others, particularly through team efforts.
•Seeks to develop student citizens by balancing self-confidence with responsibility and compassion, leadership with cooperation, intellectual challenge with social acceptance and tolerance.
ATTENDANCE POLICIES
Students are expected to be at school and to report to class on time.
School Hours
Students are expected to be in class and ready to begin the school day by 8:20 AM, Tuesday through Friday and by 9:00 AM on Monday. Students arriving after 8:30are to check into the office. They are considered tardy after 8:30. The school day ends at 3:15 each day.
Extended Day Care (EDC) is available from 7:30AM until 8:00AM and from 12:00 noon until 5:30PM. On Mondays only, school begins at 9:00 AM, with “free” EDC available from 8:00-9:00 AM.
PK and JK-4 classes end at 12:00 noon. Any child staying after 12 noon needs to be enrolled in EDC or in extended-day JK.
Lower School (JK/K-5th) and Middle School (6th-8th) classes end at 3:15 PM. Afternoon carpool will line up on the blacktop when the gates open. Physical education classes use the blacktop until that time. Students will be dismissed from the Early Childhood hallway and escorted to cars in the carpool line. Please park and come in only if you have a child in Extended Day Care that needs to be signed out.
Any students not picked up by 3:45 PM will be checked into Extended Day Care until their parents arrive. Fees will apply.
CARLINE
Students are dropped off and picked up in carline each day. Morning carline runs from 8:45-9:00 on Mondays and 8:00-8:20 Tuesdays-Thursdays. Afternoon carline runs 3:15-3:30 each day. Cars enter through the 43rd Street gate, drive around the cones in the parking lot, and exit through the rectory driveway gate. No cars may park in the rectory office driveway by the dumpsterfor any amount of time at any point in the day. Cars should approach carline from Forest Hill Avenue and line up on the right shoulder of 43rd Street. Approaching the 43rd Street gate from Springhill Avenue is not permitted when cars are waiting to enter on 43rd Street.
Absences
Regular school attendance is essential for students to benefit from the educational program at Good Shepherd Episcopal School. Presence and participation in classroom activities improve learning opportunities for the student, increase the efficiency of instruction for the teacher, and reinforce the academic standards of our school.
Parents/guardians are requested to have students arrive on time each day. Absences must be verified with a telephone call or written note from the parents/guardian within two (2) days upon the student’s return to school.
Students and parents are responsible for scheduling make-up work with the teachers. Absences are considered excused with a note from the doctor or parent for a child who is sick, has an appointment that is either academic or medical in nature or has received permission from the head of school to miss school for some event. This permission must be received prior to the event.
Tardiness
All students are expected to be in their classrooms at 8:20 AM. Students arriving before 8:30 may report straight to the classroom. Students who arrive after 8:30 AM must sign in at the school office with a parent and then report to their classrooms.
Early Release
Any student who leaves school before dismissal time must be signed out in the office. Please inform the teacher/office in writing stating the time of the early dismissal. Also, please inform the office in writing if someone other than the parent or designated carpool driver will pick up the student.
TEam Sports Practice and Games
Students traveling to practice and games are under the supervision of the person taking them to the game. The coach will be supervising practice and/or games and will not be responsible for unattended children. Practice/games are not Extended Day Care. Parents are responsible for arranging transportation and responsibility for their child. Students who have not been picked up for practice or games will be sent to Extended Day Care, with the corresponding charges applied.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ON SCHOOL GROUNDS
There are some extra-curricular activities held on school grounds, usually after school. Most of these activities, e.g., Coung-Nhuand Music Lessons, are businesses in their own right and Good Shepherd Episcopal Church is the provider of space only. Children remain in EDC until the time of the event and are returned to EDC afterwards with the corresponding charges being applied. The School assumes no responsibility for the cancellation of the event by the outside business. We willtry to bridge the communication gap between business and parents when possible. Any issues should be directed to the outside business unless they concern the building itself.
Emergency CONTACT INFORMATION
The Student Emergency Contact Form is the School’s link to you during the school day. Please inform us if your information changes.
Inclement Weather / Emergencies of Any Nature
All official notices of closing or cancellation of school and EDC will be broadcast on various TV (e.g., NBC 12 and ABC 8), Radio Channels, and at In the event of early closing, every effort will be made to inform you personally either by email or telephone.
The decision to close school may or may not affect Extended Day Care.
ACADEMIC POLICIES
Good Shepherd Episcopal School is proud to be recognized for academic excellence. Parents may expect interim progress reports in the middle of each trimester (6 weeks) and report cards every twelve weeks.
PK, JK, K, 1st grade, 2nd grade, and Enrichment Class Reports follow a developmental model and the grading scale reflects an individual child’s progress. The grading scale in these classes is as follows:
PK/JK (4/5) E– All of the TimeK/1st/2nd/EnrichmentM– Excellent
M – Most of the TimeS – Satisfactory
P– ProgressingN – Not There Yet
R – RarelyNA – Does not apply
In the third grade, students transition to letter grades. Our grading scale for grades three through eight is as follows:
3/4/5A – 92-1006/7/8(A+ 100), (A 94-99), (A- 92-93)
B – 83-91(B+ 90-91), (B 85-89), (B- 83-84)
C – 74-82(C+ 81-82), (C 76-80), (C- 74-75) D – 65-73 (D+ 72-73), (D 67-71), (D- 65-66)
F –64 and below(F 64 and below)
NA – Not ApplicableNA – Not Applicable
Middle School Graduation Requirements
Graduation from eighth grade and promotion to ninth grade requires a D or better in the following core subjects:
•Language Arts
•Math
•Science
•History/Social Studies
Honor rolls
Students receiving either all A’s or all A’s and B’s on their report card during any trimester will receive either A Honor Roll or A/B Honor Roll status. Middle School Students must complete the required community service hours in addition to the grade requirements to receive Honor Roll.
Students receiving either all A’s or all A’s and B’s for the year will receive the appropriate Honor Roll for the school year. Middle School Students must complete the required community service hours in addition to the grade requirements to receive Honor Roll.
Sports Participation Policy
Falling or failing grades in any subjects will affect participation in after-school sports programs.
Parent Conferences
Regular parent conferences are scheduled. Teachers are in frequent contact with parents through notes in planners, required signed papers, email, interim reports and report cards. We encourage parents to keep the school aware of concerns whether they are of a general or specific nature.
In cases of divorce or guardianship, the teacher communicates through the child on a daily/weekly/interim/trimester basis. Parents and guardians must make arrangements to share information outside of school. The school schedules one parent conference time per student and all parents and guardians are encouraged to attend. We feel that a joint conference is in the best interest of all involved.
Student Honor Pledge
“On my honor I have neither given nor received any unauthorized aid on this work.”
Honor Code
The Honor Code is designed to promote honesty, respect, citizenship and integrity within the student community. This code is the underlying principle which guides all behavior atGSES and students are expected to observe and respect it.
In the Middle School, honor offenses are handled by the faculty team with assistance from the Head of School. Parents will be notified of infractions.
Details concerning honor offenses are held in confidence. Discipline is meant to be instructive.
Lower School faculty is responsible for promoting and explaining the Honor Code to their students, and handling any infractions. Developing a strong understanding of the Honor Code is an integral part of their school experience.
Violations
In an academic community, honesty in academic matters is essential to maintaining trust. The GSES faculty and staff help students to understand issues of honesty, particularly those involving the integrity of individual work. Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Copying the school’s software, using illegally copied software in computer rooms, copying an electronic file, or falsely representing oneself in an electronic format (i.e., email);
- Passing information, either general or specific, about a test or quiz to any student who has not yet taken it;
- Looking at a classmate's paper during a test or quiz;
- Copying another student's homework;
- Committing plagiarism, or taking someone’s idea or words (from textbooks, reference/resource material, the internet, etc.) and presenting them as your own.
Students who observe a person violating the Honor Code may do one of the following:
•Acknowledge to the person that the behavior has been witnessed and ask her to report herself to the appropriate teacher; and/or
•Report the behavior either to a faculty member or a school administrator.
Each teacher will set his/her own guidelines about collaboration for each specific assignment. If there is ever doubt as to what is appropriate, the student should always consult the teacher.
COMMUNITY INFORMATION
Parking
Parking is limited for all visitors to GSES. As a courtesy to our neighbors, both residential and commercial, we ask that you park on 43rd Street between Forest Hill and Springhill during the day. To accommodate carpool line, please do not park on 43rd Street after 3:00 PM. In the interest of safety for all of our children, parking on the blacktop during carpool should only be used for the purpose of signing out younger children from Extended Day Care.
Extended Day Care (EDC)
Before-school care is offered from 7:30 AM to 8:00 AM each day and until 9:00 AM on Monday. Extended day care operates on a daily basis until 5:30 PM and is available for all GSES students. This program is not an academic program except for the ability to do homework with a monitor.
Chapel
Worshipping together as a community is an integral part of Good Shepherd Episcopal School. School chapel is held each Wednesday at 8:30 AM. Students are expected to wear the school uniform on chapel days. The Rector of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church plans the weekly chapel service. Parents and family members are welcome to attend chapel.
Once a month at chapel, students are recognized for the Fruit of the Spirit awards. Parents and families are encouraged to attend.
Parent/Teacher Organization (PTO)
All parents and teachers belong to the Parent/Teacher Organization (PTO). The PTO has regularly scheduled meetings throughout the year.
Grandparents’ AND SPECIAL FRIENDS Day
On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we invite all parents and grandparents to visit our school and classrooms. Students may also invite neighbors or other significant adults to attend.
Sports Teams
Academic performance may affect participation in team sports. Please see Academic Policies. Also, a student who is absent from school during the day maynot participate in games scheduled on that day.
Lunches
Students may bring a packed lunch each day. Lunches are also available to purchaseMonday through Fridayin advance. Hot lunches may be ordered online through the link under “Nutrition Programs” at gses.org.
We ask that students not bring carbonated sodas or drinks in glass bottles. Sharing of food is discouraged because of food allergies.
Snacks
Nutritious mid-morning snacks provided by the parent are a part of the daily schedule in all classes PK through 8. Suggestions for nutritious snacks are fruits, vegetables, crackers and cheese.
Birthdays and Other Holidays
Special class parties are held for major holidays. Students are welcome to celebrate birthdays at school with treatsfor everyone in the class provided by the birthday student’s parents. Please plan a birthday celebration with your child’s teacher, remembering to inquire if there are students who have food allergies or dietary requirements.
Parties Outside of School
Parties outside of school are a given. In order to distribute invitations at school everyone (all boys and girls in the classroom) must receive an invitation. All party invitations must be given to the classroom teacher for distribution to the students.
When planning a party outside of school where all students from the class are not included,please encourage students to not discuss the party at school.
Lost Clothing andItems
Please label all of your child’s clothing, book bags, lunch boxes, sweaters and coats with a permanent marker. Lost and found items for all students are kept in the school entrance foyer. Unclaimed items will be donated to charity.
For questions, please visit the office.
Telephone Messages for Teachers and Students
If you have an emergency and must contact your child, please contact the school office. Otherwise, please leave a message for teachers in the office. Teachers will make every effort to return your call at the end of the day.
The school telephone is not for student use except in an emergency. The school phone may not be used during the day to set up after school plans or change carpool plans. Changes in plans for the day must be received in the office from a parent by phone or in writing.
Cell Phone and Electronic Devices Policy
The use of cellphones and paging devices during school hours is strictly prohibited. Cell phones may be kept in lockers or backpacks and will be turned off during the school day, unless given permission from the teacher via the administration. The use of personal laptops at school is prohibited unless approved by the Head of School. The use of personal electronic devices such as portable gaming systemsis also prohibited.
Library
Good Shepherd is proud of our library containing over 7,000 books and other resource materials. All students and parents may check out books from the library.
Gifts are a major source of new library materials. Gift books from home libraries are evaluated on the basis of suitability and need, and appropriate titles are processed for the library. Monetary gifts are placed in the Patricia Jolly Siddall Memorial Library Fund, in memory of Justin Siddall, class of 1991. Funds are used as requested by the donor.
Each student is encouraged to give a gift book to the library on his or her birthday. Each birthday book is recognized with a special bookplate and may be selected by the student.
Library Responsibilities: Students with more than one overdue book may not check out other books until the overdue books are returned. Students with lost or damaged books may not check out books until the replacement cost has been paid. Notices of replacement cost will be sent home. Final report cards will not be issued to students or record transfers made to other schools until all library books are returned or the replacement cost has been paid.