ST. CLARE CATHOLIC SCHOOL
125 East Springfield
St. Clair, MO 63077
Office: 636-629-0413
Fax: 636-629-1440
www.stclarecatholic.com
Father Kunz, Pastor
Ms. Mary Hoffman, Principal
Catholic Schools
Where Every Child is a Gift
PAGE OF CONTENTS
MISSION sTATEMENT 3
SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY 3
WITNESS STATEMENT 3
General INformation 4
ADMISSIONS 5
IMMUNIZATIONS 5
TUITION 6
CHURCH ATTENDANCE 6
BEFORE/AFTER CARE 7
ATTENDANCE 7
VACATIONS DURING SCHOOL TIME 8
PARENT VISITS 8
PHONE CALLS 9
CELL PHONES 9
ELECTRONICAL DEVICES 9
NEWSLETTERS 9
COMPUTER LAB 9
CANCELLATION OF SCHOOL 9
DISCIPLINE 10
Faculty MEETINGS 12
PARENT/TEACHER CONTACTS 12
PROGRESS REPORTS/REPORT CARDS 12
GRADING SCALE 12
HONOR ROLL 13
HOMEWORK 13
LUNCHES 13
MEDICATION 14
LICE CHECKS 15
VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT POLICY 15
CHILD ABUSE 15
Search and seizure 15
FIELDTRIPS 16
SPORTS PROGRAM 17
BAND 17
SCHOOL BOARD 17
HOME AND SCHOOL 18
VOLUNTEERS 18
DRESS CODE 18
MISSION STATEMENT
It is our mission to teach the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ within the experience of a Catholic, Christian faith community. As a small school, we create a unique family where teachers, staff, and students work, play, and pray together. Our mission is carried out in a Catholic atmosphere that promotes the spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and physical development of each child on a daily basis.
SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY
St. Clare Catholic School and Parish School of Religion are dedicated to recognizing the unique God-given gifts of each individual. We at St. Clare work to create a Catholic atmosphere that promotes well-rounded students.
The ultimate aim of St. Clare is to provide educational programs that strive to teach the message of faith and to spread that message to a Christian community by means of worship and service to others. In doing this, we help the students to grow in personal holiness and in their relationship with God.
Our purpose is to provide all students with a Catholic education. This education not only includes academic learning but also includes social learning where they build loving, respectful relationships with others while participating in school and community projects together as a Christian family.
We recognize that parents are the primary educators of their children. Together with the parents, St. Clare shares and accepts the responsibility of providing a solid Catholic education through instruction, discipline, and example that will enable the students to succeed in the future.
It is our endeavor to provide quality Catholic education that prepares students for life and helps them become Christ-like examples to society.
WITNESS STATEMENT
For Those Whose Children Attend Catholic Education Programs
One of the supreme gifts of marriage is bringing forth new life. God entrusts children to parents who have a primary right and duty to educate their children in the practice of their faith. Parents carry out this responsibility by creating a home full of love, forgiveness, respect, and fidelity. The family is the community in which, from childhood, one honors God and learns moral values.
In the rite of the sacrament of Baptism, parents receive the call from God to evangelize their children, as here summarized:
You have asked to have your child baptized. In doing so you are accepting the responsibility of training him (her) in the practice of faith. It will be your duty to bring him (her) up to keep God’s commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and our neighbor…You will be the first teachers of your child in the ways of the faith. May you be also the best of teachers, bearing witness to the faith by what you say and do, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
It is no wonder, then, that the Church understands the home to be the domestic church. It is in the intimate environment of the family that parents are, by word and example, the first heralds of the faith with respect to their children. This environment is enhanced and deepened through the parish Eucharist community that is the heart of the spiritual life for Christian families.
Catholic schools and parish religious education programs are in partnership with the family in proclaiming and witnessing to the person and life of Jesus Christ. They assist parents in fulfilling their responsibility as the primary religious educators of their children.
Aware, then, of the dignity of this holy parental call and with a reverent awe for that responsibility as the primary religious educators of their children, parents will:
Regularly participate in the Sunday Eucharist [if not Catholic, regularly participate in worship and prayer] with my family.
Commit to speak more with my children about God and to include prayer in our daily home life.
Participate in and cooperate with School or Parish School of Religion programs that enable me as a parent to take an active role in the religious education of my children, including sacramental preparation for Catholic children.
Support the moral and social teaching of the Catholic Church to ensure consistency between home and school.
Teach my children by word and example to have love and concern for the needs of others.
Meet my financial responsibilities in supporting the Catholic School or Parish School of Religion.
GENERAL INFORMATION
St. Clare Catholic is an elementary school serving students from preschool through eighth grade. The school day runs from 7:50 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Students may enter the classrooms at the 7:40 a.m. bell. If they arrive before this time, they must go to the cafeteria for supervision. All visitors to the school are asked to please check in at the principal’s office.
2
ADMISSIONS
Families wishing to enroll their children in St. Clare Catholic School must complete an application for enrollment and the appropriate records must be presented before admission. The family is expected to practice their faith by attending Sunday Mass and by supporting the parish and school with weekly Sunday contributions. Members of other faiths are encouraged to attend weekly services at their church.
Non-Catholic students are welcome. They are required to attend daily religion classes and participate in Masses and other religious celebrations with their class.
All transferring students will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Students transferring from other schools must present their last report card and immunization records. A Baptismal Certificate is required if the child was baptized in a different parish. A release of records must be signed requesting records from the previous school. Home-schooled students will be tested for placement at the appropriate level. Transferring students will have a six month probation period.
Students entering Pre-Kindergarten must be three (3) years of age by July 31st of that year. Students entering Kindergarten must be five (5) years of age by July 31st of that school year. Students entering first grade must be six (6) years of age by July 31st of that school year.
Enrollment preference will go to parishioners first. Then it will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Students currently enrolled and their siblings will have automatic enrollment for the following year.
IMMUNIZATIONS
It is unlawful for any child to attend school unless properly immunized by October 5th of current school year as required under the rules and regulations of the Department of Health and can provide satisfactory evidence of such immunization. Otherwise the parent or guardian must sign and place on file a statement of medical or religious exemption with the school administrator.
TUITION FOR KINDERGARTEN–EIGHTH GRADE
Catholic Families Non-Catholic Families 1 child $3182 1 child $3697
2 children $3660 2 children $4218
3 children + $3710 3 children + $4321
Book Fee: $100 per student due the first day of school
School Activity Fee: $100.00 per family due the first day of school
The $100.00 activity fee will be credited to your tuition if you meet the auction requirement:
· $50.00 will be credited to your tuition if you send in two family donations
· $50.00 will be credited to your tuition if you work the auction
PRE-KINDERGARTEN TUITION
The cost of tuition for the full week program is $2784 ($16 per day for 174 days).
Weekly payments of $80 will be due at the beginning of each week until the tuition is paid in full. The part-time program is also set at $16 per day and payment must also be made at the beginning of each week. There is an activity fee of $20 per child. There will be no refunds for days the student is absent. In the event that an account becomes two weeks delinquent, that student will not be able to attend the program until the account is current. At this time the student may lose his/her spot.
A $100 non-refundable registration fee is due upon enrollment for all pre-kindergarten families to hold their position in the program. This deposit will be used as five days of tuition and the activity fee for the classroom once school starts.
School Activity Fee: $100.00 per family due the first day of school
The $100.00 activity fee will be credited to your tuition if you meet the auction requirement:
· $50.00 will be credited to your tuition if you send in two family donations
· $50.00 will be credited to your tuition if you work the auction
*All tuition, lunch, Before/Aftercare, and band money must be paid in full before report cards and permanent records are released.
CHURCH ATTENDANCE
The students are expected to attend Mass on certain days of the week. Mass begins at 8:00 a.m. and is considered to be an important part of the school day. As the first educators of their children, parents are encouraged to help in the preparation of their children for the sacraments. One way to do this is to attend Mass regularly as a family.
BEFORE/AFTER SCHOOL CARE
Before-school care is offered from 6:30 – 7:40 every morning. This is set up to ensure the safety and well being of students whose parents may have early work schedules. These students must be dropped off at the cafeteria in order for us to provide proper supervision. The fee for Before/Aftercare is $.50 per 15 minutes per child.
All students who do not ride the bus, walk, or get picked up immediately after dismissal will be sent to the cafeteria. Students are not allowed to wait outside until 3:00 p.m. If the students are not picked up by 3:00 p.m., they will be logged into Aftercare. Aftercare is offered daily from 2:30 – 6:00 p.m. If a child is not picked up by 6:00 p.m., the parents will be assessed an after hours fee in the amount of $5.00 for every 15 minute increment. The parent is responsible for this fee. This fee is payable directly to the Aftercare coordinator and should be paid separately from your normal fees payment. Aftercare is also available on days of early dismissal. Aftercare will not be available on snow days. Activities during Aftercare include snacks, play, and completion of homework. Aftercare is a self-supporting program. For this reason we must ask that everyone pay their accounts in a timely manner. Anyone whose account becomes two weeks delinquent will not be allowed to use the program until the account is paid in full.
The behavior policy for the Aftercare program is the same as the one in place for the school.
Students in Before/Aftercare must stay in uniform. If students are involved in extracurricular activities they may change when parents sign them out.
ATTENDANCE
To assure continuous intellectual growth, regular attendance is necessary. If your child is sick and running a fever, you must keep him/her at home. Your child/children must be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school. If a child becomes sick at school, the parents will be contacted to pick up the child. If the parent cannot be reached, the persons listed on the emergency form will be contacted in the order specified.
A written excuse explaining the reason for absences and tardiness is required. A signed note from the physician is required for students who are frequently absent. A parent must contact the school ahead of time if the student is to be dismissed for a doctor or dental appointment. If it is possible, please schedule these appointments for after school.
No student is ever allowed to leave the school grounds during the day without written permission from the parent. The name of the person to whom the child is being released should be written in the note if different from the parent. Adults picking up students need to report to the office to sign the student out. A picture ID may be required.
When a child is absent or excused from school, it is the responsibility of the child to get the missed assignments. The students are given one day for each day of absence to make up the work. If possible, work will be sent home with a brother or sister.
Any absence of ten (10) consecutive days or more may require a parent and principal conference before the student returns to school. The promotion of a child may be in question if there are repeated absences.