A Preschool Through 8Th Grade Catholic Learning Communitytraining Catholic Leaders Since 1949

St. Thomas Aquinas

Parish School

A Preschool through 8th Grade Catholic Learning CommunityTraining Catholic Leaders Since 1949

Student and FamilyHandbook

The soul of education is the education of the soul ~ Fr. Mac

915 Alton Road

East Lansing, Michigan 48823

(517) 332-0813 • Fax (517) 332-9490

Last Update: August 30th, 2017

Our Mission Statement

“The soul of education is the education of the soul” – Fr. Mac

Our Philosophy Statement

We believe that each child is a special gift from God, an individual to love, nurture, and guide to his or her greatest potential.

We believe the purpose of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School is to assist parents with the spiritual, intellectual, emotional, physical, and cultural development

of the child within the guidelines of Catholic teachings and moral values.

We believe the school's academic program exists to provide each student with a quality education in order to develop the foundations for studentsto become life-long Christian learners.

Our Vision

St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School is committed to providing a quality Catholic education for all of our students, doing so in a faith-filled environment that reflects a passion for Christian values and an abiding love for the Catholic faith.

We pursue excellence in academics, the arts, and athletics in order to help students learn how to use their talents for the greater good and for the greater glory of God. We aim to assist our students in each of these areas:

Spiritual Growth

We will cooperate with the Holy Spirit in forming our students as fully as possible into the youngsters God created them to be. We will strive to become a Catholic learning community rooted in an ongoing relationship with Christ. Through our teaching and modeling we will assist students as they learn to distinguish right from wrong and to discern God's will. We will lead students to Jesus Christ in the sacraments and we will immerse them into a life of prayer.

Intellectual Growth

We will challenge our students to reach their fullest potential as unique learners. We will encourage our students to develop a profound appreciation for learning that will shape them into exceptional Christian members of society. We will share with them the keen insight that St. Thomas Aquinas himself had: what we find to be authentic and true in the world cannot lead us away from God, because God is all truth by definition.

Emotional and Social Growth

We will help our students develop wholesome attitudes about themselves and their relationships with others by instilling in them a sense of Christian gratitude that can last their entire lives.

We will facilitate the development of our students into well-rounded Christian believers whose social interactions will be characterized by respectful manners, responsible behavior, courtesy toward all, and a capacity for understanding and responding to the needs of others.

Physical Growth

Our program of physical education and extra-curricular activities will cultivate in students a respect for their physical well being while teaching them good hygiene, physical fitness, teamwork, and a Christian commitment to exhibiting good sportsmanship at all times.

Cultural Growth

We will lead the students at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School toward an aesthetic appreciation of God’s creation, helping them to share in the delight that comes from creating or interacting with art in all its forms.C

School Office Information

The school office is officially open for parents at 7:30 a.m. and closes at 3:30 p.m. each afternoon. The school office staffis here to assist parents and to welcome visitors. Whenever possible, the office will be open additional times to provide support to parents, students, parishioners, and members of the community.

Tuition

Parents and parishioners are entitled to know the true cost of educating a child at STA. Because tuition accounts for the largest portion of our school budget, but does represent the true cost to educate a student, parents and parishioners are also entitled to know that the school and the parish work with due diligence to hold down costs, to capture savings, and to develop revenue streams to support the parish school.

Each year the school will include in the enrollment packets and in the annual reports the budgetary parameters within which the tuition rate has been set for that year. The Director of Parish Operations and members of the Finance Council will review available data from other non-public schools in the area as part of the final tuition-setting process.

The school Accountant will work cooperatively with private school aid service (PSAS)to establish user-friendly options for families to apply for tuition assistance. Typically the deadline to apply is March. Additionally, it is within the pastor’s discretion to allow additional financial support to those still experiencing need.

***Please note that while we will do everything we can to assist with tuition please note that the school may withhold student records in the event of nonpayment of tuition.***

School Calendar

The school calendar will be available by May 15th and is linked on our school website. Please note that the school calendar dates are subject to change. Please look to the school website for the most up to date information.

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

Please Note: For the safety of your child(ren), students shall not be dropped off before 7:40a.m. or picked up after 3:15 p.m.

7:50 a.m. Students enter building

8:00 a.m. School Day Begins

3:00 p.m. Dismissal

Parents arriving at school to drop off and pick up their students on time help ensure the safety of all children, since supervision is not provided beyond the normal arrival and dismissal times.

• All students must exit the building under the supervision of a teacher or administrator at the end of the school day. Students remaining after school for extra-curricular activities must be supervised.
• On the rare occasion when pick-up will be unavoidably delayed for more than 10 minutes beyond dismissal, a parent must alert the school office. Please call 332-0813.
• Students that arrive at school prior to 7:40 a.m. or are or not picked up by 3:15 p.m. will be taken to the before/after care program and parents will be billed at the daily rate of the program cost. Before and After care is provided as a service to parents and eliminates the danger of unsupervised students being on school grounds during non-school hours.

KEY SAFETY TIPS

Common sense and courtesy will go a long way toward making our parking lot a safe place.

Please drive each and every day as if a child’s life depends on it. (Sweet Mother of Mercy, hear our prayer.)

Please cross safelyONLY at the crosswalks and ask your children to follow that same guideline.

Always ask children to exit your car on the passenger side and only on the passenger side of your vehicle.

Traffic Procedures

The safest way to drop-off and pick-up your children is to remain in your car and follow the traffic line. Never endanger your child(ren) by allowing them to walk unsupervised after dropping them off or picking them up in the parking lot; instead, please use the procedures listed below.

Front Lot – All Students

• Parents dropping-off or picking-up students should enter the parking lot from Alton Roadvia the north entrance.
• Parents must remain in their cars.

• Students MUST exit cars on the right side of the vehicle only.
• Anyone needing to remove items from the trunk or rear of vehicle should use the parking lot.
• Parents opting to walk their child(ren) to and from the school building must park in a designated parking space and escort their child(ren) via the crosswalk.

Back Lot – Grades 5-8 ONLY

• All parents using the back lot MUST remain in their cars and use the traffic line.
• Parents dropping off or picking up students in the back lot should enter and exit from HitchingPost Road. Please respect the cones that serve to separate the streams of traffic from the front lot and the back lot.

• No unsupervised pedestrian traffic is allowed in the back lot during pick-up and drop-off times.

Bicycles

Students may ride bicycles to schoolwith parental permission as long as they are operated in a safe manner and according to school rules. All bicycles must be locked while the student is at school. Bicycles are to be stored in a designated area at the school. Bicycle riding during school hours and at recess is prohibited.

Bus Service

The East Lansing Public Schools provide bus transportation to students residing in the East Lansing School District and who meet the district's criteria for school transportation. Parents who wish to use this service must register by calling 333-7414. East Lansing buses operate only on days when East Lansing Public Schools are in session. The bus stops on Alton Road and students must be prompt in reporting to the bus stop immediately after the end of our school day.

Uniform Dress Code

At St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School, students learn to dress modestly and with a sense of personal dignity. Our uniform dress code is based on plain, sensible attire that is appropriate for both school and church.

Along with building institutional loyalty, the wearing of a uniform continues the lengthy tradition in American Catholic schools of intentionally blurring the line between families of considerable means and families in dire economic straits. (Many of our families also report that having a uniform dress code also reduces the number of early morning minutes spent agonizing about what to wear.)

Our green and white color scheme and our tartan plaid link us to the legendary Monsignor Jerome V. MacEachin, affectionately known as “Fr. Mac,” for it was during his time as pastor that the school opened in 1949 and it was he who chose the school colors and penned the lyrics to our school song.

In all cases where a question arises about the appropriateness of a student's attire, the principal or assistant principal will act as a final arbiter. Violations of the dress code will subject students to disciplinary action.

We work cooperatively with two uniform suppliers:

Our local business partner is Educational Outfitters at 3320 West Saginaw Street on the west side of Lansing (above the Rosary Book and Gift Shoppe). They are open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Families placing nternet orders at can use the Access Code MI0878. Sign up to receive exclusive sales offers by e-mail by contacting the owner at The number for ordering apparel with the school logo (optional) at Educational Outfitters is 9910447K.

Our national business partner is FlynnO’Hara with customer service online at

Our preferred school # with FlynnO’Hara MI016. Items may be ordered online. Families may also pay the shipping charges and have items mailed directly to their homes.

Here are the items that constitute our school uniform:

Points of emphasis within the uniform dress code:

• All shirts, fleece, and half-zip pullovers must have St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School logo embroidered on the left.
• Students may wear plain white t-shirts under uniform shirts. Mock or ruffled turtlenecks are not part of the uniform dress code. Any long sleeve t-shirt cannot be visible from under a uniform shirt.
• The Chino short and pant are plain. Cargo style, extra buttons, extra pockets, extrazippers, or extra stitching chinos are not part of the uniform dress code.
• Any uniform shirt or blouse may be matched with any uniform pant, short, skort, skirt, sweater or fleece.
• STA logoed fleeces and sweaters may be worn at any time as part of the uniform dress code.
• STA Sweatshirts and STA athletic jerseys may beworn on designated days ONLY.
• Students may choose to wear shorts only during the first or fourth quarters (when the weather is warmest).
• Girls who choose to wear skorts, skirts, or jumpers during the second and third quarters (when the weather is coldest) must also wear knee socks (navy, green, white or black), tights (navy, green, white, or black), or leggings (navy or black).
• The young women at Lansing Catholic High School are asked to wear skirts where the hem touches the break at the back of the knee. At St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School we ask parents to help find a skirt length that is modest, practical, and age-appropriate.
• If your child violates the uniform code, your child will be asked to chose an appropriate used uniform from the uniform closet.

School Shoes Preschool – 8th Grade

In the interest of a safe and respectful environment, we will follow these guidelines for how to wear appropriate footwear at school:

• Shoes must be a complete solid color of either black, brown, or navy (including the soles and laces).
• Sneakers must be worn during Physical Education class.
• In order to help our maintenance staff to keep the school hallways and the gymnasium floor in top condition, all shoes must have NON-MARRING soles.
• No shoes worn at school may have flashing lights, nor may they emit noises.
• No open toes or open heels; no clogs or crocs.
• Students should never wear heels higher than one inch.
• Students who wear sensible, warm boots to school in winter weather should bring a pair of school shoes to change into once they reach school.
• Knee high boots, cowboy boots, outdoor boots, Ugg boots, Timberland boots—may not be wornduring the school day. They may be worn to and from school only.

Hygiene and Grooming

All students should come to school clean and well groomed. Any grooming preference that interfereswith our learning environment will be dealt with on an individual basis. (For example, a student’s hair length should not interfere with his or her ability to see presentations in the classroom.) Here are the guidelines we ask our students to follow:

• Hair shall be groomed so that both eyes are always visible.

• Students in preschool through 6th grade should not wear make-up at school.
• Girls in grades 7 and 8 are allowed minimal makeup only.
• Boys must be clean shaven and hair length must not fall below the shoulders.
• Students who choose to wear appropriate jewelry may be asked to remove it in physical education class or when it becomes a distraction or a safety hazard.
• Tattoos, body piercings, graphics, and outdoor clothing worn indoors is not permitted.

Dress Up-Days

On certain days during the school year, students will be asked to dress up in their "Sunday Best” outfits. For girls this means dresses or skirts that is no more than 2 inches above the knee or dress pants. Girls may NEVER wear tank tops, spaghetti strap, straplessdresses, or off the shoulder dresses. Any appropriate dress shoeswith heels less than 1 inch may be worn. For boys this means dress slacks, dress shirts, and dress shoes. Ties and sport coats for boys are encouraged but optional.

Food Bank/Casual Dress Days

One Monday per month STA students are asked to donate food to St. John Food Pantry as an act of corporal mercy in the Catholic tradition. As a gesture of gratitude for their donations, the school permits participating students to dress casually for that day. Students not wishing to participate should wear their uniforms as usual. Please know that even on casual dress days dress should still adhere to the modest values and guidelines of the Catholic Church.

Items that may never be worn on casual dress days:

• Jeans with holes and rips
• Overly snug skinny jeans
• Yoga pants
• Leggins
• T-shirts with inappropriate language or images

School Lunches and Nutrition

Children are more likely to succeed if they come to school having had a healthy breakfast. That meal in the morning is vitally important for helping children to stay alert and on task.

St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School works cooperatively with the Food Services Department at Lansing Catholic High School to provide a nutritious hot lunch program to our families. Students may order lunches in advance by the month, by the week, or even by the day. Students may also purchase milk separately using the same system.

If a lunch is left behind in the car or forgotten on the kitchen table, parents may drop off those lunches at the main office and we will make sure they get into the hands of the hungry children. We have a few simple guidelines for families who pack lunches for their children:

• Please choose a beverage other than soda pop caffeinated/power drink;
• Please do not bring fast food into the cafeteria as a last minute lunch (although you are welcome to sign your child out and have a quick lunch together off-site); and
• Please limit birthday or special event celebrations to the classrooms.

At our school good table manners are very important. We ask students to say grace before they eat. We ask students to take conversational turns. We ask students to clean up their own small messes (we will help clean up any large messes that result from an unfortunate accident).