Handbook - St Charles Catholic School

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Mission
As a mission of the Parish, St. Charles Catholic School believes in connecting students to what matters: faith, community and academics.

Vision
St. Charles Catholic School is a visible expression of the Church’s mission to “go and teach all nations.” St. Charles Catholic School grounds its students in Gospel values, Scripture, Catholic social teachings, and Catholic traditions as they grow in a personal relationship with God: Father, Son and Spirit. St. Charles School challenges students academically in all areas of the curriculum while recognizing the uniqueness and abilities of each member of the school community. It inspires students to become lifelong learners, responsible decision-makers and active members of the Church and community. Recognizing that parents have the primary responsibility for educating their children spiritually, physically, socially, emotionally, and intellectually, St. Charles Catholic School supports parents in that responsibility.
In the Gospel message, we are taught that Jesus came to teach all people and that God wills all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. St. Charles Catholic School is an institution which, above all, strives to proclaim and live this message. With this in mind, St. Charles Catholic School will admit children, regardless of religious belief, race, color, national and ethnic origin, handicap or financial situation.

Student Learning Expectations (SLEs)
F – Faith
A – Academics
C – Community and
E – Excellence

Hours of Operation
School – 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM
Office – 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM

Extended Care –
Morning – 6:45 AM to 8:15 AM
Afternoon – 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM

Morning drop-off:
We are a single-point of entry campus – the only door that we will permit entry to the building is through the main campus doors that lead to the school office. Please do not try to enter the building from any other entrance. Staff will indicate that you must walk around to the main entrance and will not open other doors. Students may enter the building beginning at 8:15 AM. Unless you are signing your child into Extended Care prior to 8:15, we will not have supervision available until that time. Please do not drop your child off before they are permitted to enter the building.

Car – please park in the west parking lot or across the street in the old Albertsons parking lot. Students can be walked to their classroom through the main entry doors or may cross the street to the main entry with crossing guards at the corner of 37th/Grand. Please do not block traffic to let your student out of the car at the curb. Preschool families – please walk your child into the building and proceed to their classroom to sign your student in for the day.

Bike/Walk – students riding their bike can lock their bike on the rack behind the school. Students may not ride their bike on campus. Please get off and walk bikes to the rack. Students riding their bike or walking to school must come around to the main entrance doors.

Bus – students riding the bus from the North campus to St. Charles South must arrive between 7:40 and 7:45 AM at the North campus. Please park your car and walk your student to the bus. Buses will be parked along the church and fountain. Students will have an assigned bus and seating arrangement. Please review the Bus Code of Conduct with your student(s). The bus will leave the North campus promptly at 7:45 am. Please do not park your car in a way that blocks the bus from leaving. Students arriving via bus at St. Charles South will be supervised walking from the bus to the building.

Extended Care – adults must sign students into extended care. Please ring the bell at the main entrance. A staff member will open the door. Proceed to extended care room to sign your student in for the day.

Afternoon pick-up:

Car – please park in the west parking lot or across the street in the old Albertsons parking lot. Parents may wait on the blacktop out back for their student to assist them in crossing the street with crossing guards or walking down the block. If communicated to the teacher from a parent/guardian, students may leave from the main entrance and cross at 37th/Grand to the parking lot to find their vehicle. Preschool families – please ring the bell to enter the building and proceed to your child’s classroom to sign your student out for the day.

Bike/Walk – if students are riding their bike home (or walking as indicated from parent/guardian to teacher directly), students may leave from the blacktop after exiting the building with their class. Students who are riding their bike must walk the bike off campus.

Bus – students riding the bus from St. Charles South to the north campus afterschool will be dismissed from their classroom at 2:55 pm to load the bus. Students will be supervised walking from the building to the buses. The bus will leave promptly at 3:00 pm. At the north campus, the buses will pull up along the church and fountain. Please park and walk to the bus to pick up your student. Please do not park in a way the blocks the bus from parking or leaving.

Extended Care – adults must sign students out of extended care. Ring the bell and an adult will let you into the building. Proceed to the extended care classroom to sign your student out for the day.

***Please note – students not picked up by 3:10 will be taken to extended care and you will be charged the extended care rate.***

School Mass/Laudes
School Mass begins at 8:30 AM on Wednesdays (and other days as noted in school newsletters) in the gym. All students Kindergarten through 8th grade, are expected to participate at weekly Mass. Families and encouraged and welcome to attend school Masses.
New this year is Laudes – a daily meeting of all students and staff on non-Mass days, in the morning at 8:30 AM in the gym. In Latin, Laudes means Praise or glory (to God). We will give our praises each morning in prayer and eventually add in musical chant. We will also recite the pledge as a school.

Sacraments
The religion curriculum at St. Charles provides Sacramental preparation for those wishing to receive Confession and First Holy Communion in the 2nd grade, and Confirmation in the 5th grade. In addition to this preparation during the school day, dates for possible retreats and activities will be announced. We understand that when students come to us at different grade levels they may not have received their Sacraments. It is the responsibility of parents to inform classroom teachers of the Sacramental needs of students by September 30th, and a form is provided in the packet.

Attendance
Regular attendance is required of all students to support their academic success. The interaction and personal relationships between students and teachers and between students and peers are aspects of education that cannot be made up once they are missed. Therefore, it is important to emphasize regular and on time class attendance. It is the student’s responsibility to make up all missing work due.

Family vacations should coincide with school holidays. Students who leave school for family vacations or other related extended periods of time will have the same number of days missed to make up their work upon return to school. Teachers will not provide homework in advance since experience shows that the work is rarely completed and generally has to be reassigned after the student returns.

Families have the option to provide the teacher a homework note in the event of a family emergency. A parental/guardian note will not be accepted for sporting events, recitals or other extracurricular activities.
Excessive absences (defined as 10% of the attendance period) may result in necessitating a doctor’s note to excuse further absences.

Students in Kindergarten through 8th grade will be considered tardy after 8:30 AM. If tardy, a parent/guardian must come to the office with your student to sign-in. Students are then to go directly to their classroom. Tardy and absence information will be kept by teachers and the office. Excessive tardies will result in a meeting with the principal.

Extended Care
Extended Care is the before and afterschool care program at St. Charles Catholic School. The Extended Care Handbook is included in your back-to-school information packet. It is available for students in preschool through age 12. All students preschool through age 12 have access to before and afterschool care Monday-Friday.

Fees: $6 per hour, billed in half hour increments.

Curriculum
St. Charles Catholic School is in Year 3 of embracing a Catholic Classical Liberal Curriculum, based on the St. Jerome Catholic School model. All Diocesan curriculum standards will continue to be met and are available at dioceseofspokane.org. All St. Charles students are expected to participate in the Religion curriculum as a school subject, and families acknowledge that Religion will be integrated throughout all subjects, as will Catholic Social teachings. Please refer to the appendix for subject specific information.

Student Academic Expectations
Our focus this year is on increasing the rigor and depth of our Catholic classical curriculum. As part of this, we are increasing the expected level of effort students need to put forth during the school day and in their assignments. We are also implementing new standards to create and enhance an environment that is conducive to our Catholic Classical Liberal Arts education. All expectations are specific to grade level and individual student abilities. We ask parents to assist our teachers in guiding students to always put forth their best effort in their work.

Grading
Grading Scale (Grades 4-8):
A = 90-100%
B = 80-89%
C = 70-79%
D = 60-69%
F = 59% and below

Late work – 5th-8th grade – Assignments are due at the beginning of the class period. Students should not be working on homework during class on the day it is due. The responsibility to turn in assignments rests on the student.

• Missed assignments MUST be turned in within 3 school days of the due date.
• Late graded assignments will be reduced by 10% and after 3 days the assignment will be reduced to zero.
• Late work will NOT be accepted the last week of each quarter unless the student is sick during that week.
• Extensions for late work may be granted at the discretion of the classroom teacher.
• A student who is absent will have the same number of days to make up class assignments for full credit. That is, a one-day absence equals one day to make up the assignment. The teacher has the option to extend this policy under special circumstances. Any special extension must be set in place by the teacher and recorded in writing. These guidelines also apply to quizzes and tests.

Parents of students in grades 4th-8th can check grades in FACTS anytime. We highly encourage parents and students to check their grades. This is a great tool to keep informed if your students has missing work.
Report cards – Report cards are issued quarterly to assess each child’s academic and behavioral accomplishments during that quarter.

Conferences – Please check the school calendar for conference dates. The following two requirements apply to all schools in the Diocese:

1. There must be a minimum of two opportunities for formal, individual parent-teacher conferences a year for each student.
2. Parents are required to sign and return report card envelopes and conduct referrals.

Uniform Policy and Dress Code
Uniforms are an honored tradition at St. Charles Catholic School. The uniform equalizes the socio-economic differences between students and families and voids the competition of the material world. We teach our students to see each other’s inner gifts and self-worth, looking beyond outward appearances. We feel that it is not only the school’s responsibility to determine the student dress code, but also the student and parent’s responsibility to adhere to a dress code that is conducive to a proper learning environment and presents a positive image in the community. Ultimately modesty should prevail, not the latest fashion trends. We appreciate your attention to, concern with, and responsibility the way your child dresses for learning.

The following standards have been set as the St. Charles Catholic School Uniform Dress Code. This code is to be followed and worn by all students in Kindergarten through 8th grade, on all school days unless a “free dress” day has been scheduled. Uniforms are not required for preschool students. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AS THE DRESS CODE HAS CHANGED.

Girls Grades K-8 Uniform Code:

• Plain black or khaki skirt/skort or jumper of a modest length (no shorter than 3 inches above the knee). School plaid is also acceptable when ordered from SchoolBelles (link available on our website).
• Shorts are to be worn under skirts – no longer than the skirt, or a skort can be worn.
• Solid white or black tights or leggings. Leggings much reach the ankle. Must wear tights or leggings with skirts from October 31st to Spring Break.
• Plain black or khaki twill slacks or cords. Modest boot cut or straight leg. Jean style, outside pockets, cargo pants, joggers, rivets or decorations are not permitted.
• Plain black or khaki twill shorts of a modest length (no shorter than 3 inches above the knee) may be worn before October 31st and after Spring Break.
• Plain white or black polo shirt, plain white turtleneck, or white or black blouse with Peter Pan collar. Shirts and blouses must be tucked in at all times, and students should be able to raise their arms without the shirt coming untucked. No logos, distinguishable labels or decorative distinctions, other than school polos ordered from Apparel Now (link available on our school website).
• Uniform sweatshirt may be worn over uniform shirts (collar must show).
• Belts must be black or brown.
• Plain white or black socks must be worn at all times.
• Sandals must have a closed toe, heel strap, and socks.
• Tennis shoes are recommended for all day school wear.

Boys Grades K-8 Uniform Code:

• Plain black or khaki twill slacks or cords. Modest boot cut or straight leg. Jean style, outside pockets, joggers, cargo pants, rivets or decorations are not permitted.
• Plain black or khaki twill shorts of a modest length (no shorter than 3 inches above the knee) may be worn before October 31st and after Spring Break.
• Plain white or black polo shirt, white turtleneck, or plain white or black button down/collared dress shirt. Shirts must be tucked in at all times, and students should be able to raise their arms without the shirt coming untucked. No logos, distinguishable labels or decorative distinctions, other than school polos ordered from Apparel Now (link available on our school website).
• Uniform sweatshirt may be worn over uniform shirts (collar must show).
• Belts must be black or brown.
• Plain white or black socks must be worn at all times.
• Sandals must have a closed toe, heel strap, and socks.
• Tennis shoes are recommended for all day school wear.

Additional Uniform Information for Grades 4-8:

• Fleece zip-up vests are to be worn by 4th-8th grade students on Mass days (Wednesdays) and special events as set by the principal and teaching staff. ***Note – our vests are currently only available in Men’s adult sizes. This requirement is temporarily waived.***
• PE Uniforms – Students in grades 6-8 have the option of changing into a solid-colored t-shirt for PE.
• Make-Up – Allowed for Grades 6-8 female students only. Make-up must be natural in appearance. If a student’s make-up is deemed unacceptable, she will be asked to wash her face.

Additional Uniform Information for All Students:

• All clothing should be neat and clean in appearance, and students should maintain personal cleanliness.
• Hair and Headwear: As a matter of courtesy, hats, hoods, and bandanas are to be removed inside all school buildings. Hair must be neat, clean, of natural human hair color, neatly groomed and must not be distracting. If a student’s hairstyle is deemed unacceptable, he/she will have until the following Monday to remedy the situation.

Free Dress Policies:
Occasionally the school will give students a free dress day. These days are announced in the weekly newsletter along with any specific dress guidelines such as a theme or colors for the day. If your student does not choose to participate in the free dress option, they must wear their uniforms.

• Pants, jeans and shorts must follow uniform dress code regarding length and fit
• T-shirt, sweaters or sweatshirts are permitted. Logos, writing, pictures, etc., must be appropriate.
• No sweatpants, leggings, jeggings, or yoga pants
• Shorts may be worn before Oct. 31 and after Spring Break
• No tank tops, spaghetti straps, crop tops, spandex or boxers
• Socks must be worn at all times

School-Wide Discipline
Basic classroom discipline is the responsibility of the teacher and the students. The teacher holds both the authority and the responsibility to implement the philosophy, goals, objectives and policies of St. Charles School. Should an individual fail to exercise self-discipline, it may become necessary to apply appropriate measures to promote the values of the school and to safeguard the rights of others. Corrections, remedial behaviors or services, temporary removal from the classroom with voluntary return to class when student is able to follow rules, and conferences with parents and/or Principal may be included among the measures taken. Parents will be involved in cooperative remedial action whenever this seems necessary and appropriate. The following is a description of disciplinary procedure:

1. Disciplinary action first involves the teacher and the student. Each teacher is expected to establish and consistently follow through with prescribed consequences. Parents are notified if the behavior continues.
2. Repeated or serious offenses are brought to the Administration’s attention. A conference is held with the teacher, student and Administration.
3. If unacceptable behavior persists, a conference is held with the parents, student, teacher and Principal.
4. The Principal’s major responsibility concerning student discipline is to administer the overall procedures and policies of the school.

Disciplinary Measures for Serious Offenses
The Diocesan Regulations concerning suspension and expulsion will be our guidelines for serious disciplinary infractions. Diocesan Regulation #5114.1 states the following: The following are serious offenses which will subject a student to disciplinary action with possible suspension or expulsion:

• Serious and willful destruction of school property.
• Repeated and open disrespect.
• Repeated disobedience of school rules after sufficient warning to student and parents.
• Moral infractions injurious to the students.
• Serious and and/or repeated stealing.
• Use or distribution of tobacco in any form on the school premises.
• STATE LAW PROHIBITS SMOKING OR VAPING ON SCHOOL GROUNDS AND AT SCHOOL EVENTS (INCLUDING SPORTS) BY ANYONE!
• Sale of, possession of, use of, or being under the influence of alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs, inhalants, marijuana, narcotics of any kind, or hallucinatory drugs.
• Possession or unauthorized use of dangerous weapons or explosives.
• Possession or distribution of pornographic materials.
• Improper or abusive language.
• Any activity defined as criminal under the laws of the State of Washington and and/or its subdivisions.
The following steps will be taken and must be in place in cases of serious misbehavior when suspension or expulsion is being considered:
• Documented teacher conference with the child about the problem.
• Documented conference with the student, parents and teacher (Principal if necessary).
• If the problem persists, a documented conference with parent, teacher, student and Principal will be held to define a solution in writing. The student will be placed on one month’s probation. The Pastor will be notified.
• If disciplinary action is required during that month or thereafter, the student is suspended for three days and is required to make up all his or her assignments.
• Readmission after suspension requires a parent, teacher, and Principal conference before the student may return to the classroom.
• Any additional serious infraction during the school year shall result in either automatic suspension or expulsion.
• In the case of expulsion, all parties involved may request a hearing from the Pastor. Such requests shall be submitted in writing within 10 days of the expulsion decision.

Bullying/Harassment
Bullying and harassment is a violation for any student, parent, teacher, administrator or other school personnel of the Diocese of Spokane and will be handled according to policy.

Electronic Devices/Cell Phones
Students are discouraged from bringing any electronic device to school. Teachers may confiscate any or all items which cause a disruption to the educational environment and/or process. Electronic devices will not be used or turned on at any time during the school day, which is defined as when a student enters the building, to 3:00 PM Monday through Friday, unless there is a specific situation agreed upon between school administration, classroom teachers and the family. The school is not responsible for lost phones or other electronic devices. Students should keep phones in their backpacks and they should be turned off during school hours.

***With the addition of bus transportation this school year, the bus ride will fall under this policy and is considered during “school hours.” ***

It is against school policy and Washington law to record to transmit a private conversation without the express consent of every person involved in the conversation. Using any electronic device, including but not limited to cell phones, tablets, and watches, to record or eavesdrop on private conversations is prohibited without the express consent of every person involved in the conversation.

Safety/Emergencies
In the event of an emergency, the Principal or the designated representative will assume the leadership of the disaster procedures for St. Charles Catholic School. At all times, the primary concern is for the welfare and safety of the students. Transportation or release of students during an emergency will be directed only after their safety and welfare is determined. Classes will not be dismissed and students will remain under the supervision of school authorities. When the situation permits a safe departure of the students, the students will be released only to parents or persons authorized to pick up the child as indicated in emergency contact last.

Please keep information on school records current as to present home address, telephone numbers, emergency contact people, and persons authorized to take custody of the student. Allow the school to determine safe departure of students and not burden communication lines with inquiries pertained to such.

In the event that the school is required to evacuate to an offsite location, students and staff will walk to Jefferson Elementary School on 37th. Parents will be notified during an emergency via IRIS (Immediate Response Information System) as soon as possible. You will receive a text, phone call and email.

Illness/Medications
If your student is sick with a communicable disease (i.e. pink eye, strep throat, influenza, norovirus, etc.) we ask that you please keep your student home until fever free, not throwing up, on antibiotics, etc., for at least 24 hours. The common cold is not typically a reason to miss school, unless your child is not able to focus as they normally would. A fever is defined by the school as 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

By law, both public and private schools cannot administer medication to students without a medication form completed by a medical care provider. Medication forms are available in the office. Designated school personnel must administer all medication in the school office. All medications must be brought to the school office by apparent or guardian in its original pharmacist or manufacture labeled container. Medication of any kind (cough drops, Tylenol, eye drops, creams, etc.) cannot be sent to school with children and/or be self-administered. All medications are to be administered in the school office by designated personnel.

Inclement Weather/School Closures
The decision to close school is based on weather, road conditions and student safety. Often, we will follow Spokane Public Schools lead on closing; however, there may be exceptions to the rule depending on the weather or extraneous situations. The school principal will work with the bus transportation company to determine whether roads are safe enough for the buses.
Parents will be notified of a school closure via IRIS Alert. Local TV stations will have school closures on the crawl found on the lower section of the screen. If St. Charles Catholic School is not on the crawl, assume school is open. Any closure will also be posted on our school Facebook Page.

The same will occur if a mid-day dismissal must occur. If it becomes necessary to dismiss the students early during the day, the school will notify parents or emergency contacts at home or work. However, every effort will be made to keep students at school.
It should be noted that the decision to send a child to school during extreme weather conditions is the parent/guardian’s. If you, as the parent, do not feel conditions are such as you are able or feel that it is not safe to transport your child, do not send them to school. Students will be excused for the days in question following the acceptable absence notice policy. In addition, school will not open if we believe that it is not safe for students and staff.

Lunch Program
We will be offering a vendor provided lunch program on Thursdays beginning in late October. All ordering will take place through FACTS. Once the deadline has passed for ordering each month, late orders cannot be accepted as we have to give our vendors accurate counts early.

Athletics
A sports program is offered by St. Charles Catholic School for both boys and girls in grades 1st-8th. Each student participating in the program shall present to the school proper forms which are available in the school office. Prior to practicing, the following must be submitted:

1. Registration Form
2. Physical Exam
3. Concussion Form

The Principal of St. Charles is responsible for ensuring that the athletic program is consistent with the philosophy and goals of St. Charles Catholic School and the Diocese of Spokane.

Philosophy – St. Charles Catholic School believes that all forms of student activities should contribute to the balanced and integrated development of the total person. We believe that a competitive sports program which emphasizes improving skills and the pursuit of excellence is essential to enjoyable competition. Furthermore, it has been studied and verified that these sports activities do, in fact, accomplish the objectives outlined below and contribute to the overall development of the student athlete. It has also been indicated that students involved in sports tend to excel in school and avoid activities that lead to the detriment of their healthy development. The ultimate objective is to create an athletic program, in which we will provide a spiritual atmosphere that encourage total development in our student athletes:

1. Increased sense of accomplishment and self-esteem;
2. Self-confidence and self-control through association with teammates and opponents in a competitive environment, promoting positive discipline and following school regulations;
3. Sportsmanship that reflects the moral code of our school community;
4. Development in physical skills, conditioning, and the formation of good overall health;
5. Leadership skills;
6. Social development that, through behavior, demonstrates respect for teammates, coaches, parents, officials, fans, property and St. Charles Catholic School; and
7. Teaching the fundamentals of each sport, team concepts and rules of the game.
All sporting activities will take place in a spiritual atmosphere of Christian growth and development.
Each student participating in league play is expected to maintain a minimum of a 75% average and may not have earned a failing grade (F) in any subject at midterm or quarter.

Loss of Eligibility:
• The student is required to attend games and practices but may not participate in an athletic game;
• The student may continue to participate in practice;
• The student may be reinstated to participate in games or matches after he/she has improved their grade to a 70% average in the course failed or an overall average of 75% or higher. If the grade has not improved, the suspension from games and matches will continue until the student has achieve the minimum passing grade in the course. Grades may be reviewed one week after the first week’s suspension.
• End of the quarter does not reinstate a student who has lost their eligibility.
In the event of academic probation:
• Teacher will provide a written note to the Athletic Director/Principal who will in turn inform the coach that the student has been placed on academic probation.
• The student’s teacher will provide written verification to the coach and principal that the student has been reinstated to participate in games or matches.
• A student may appeal a suspension to the principal.

Athletic Regulations are available on the Diocesan website (dioceseofspokane.org). See Athletic Handbook: Policies and Regulations for Diocese Schools.

School and Personal Property
Carelessness on the part of any student which results in damage will be the responsibility of that student or his/her parents. All textbooks are to be treated with care. The total cost of replacement will be charged for any book that is lost or abused.
All desks and other storage are the property of the school and subject to search at the discretion of the administration. St. Charles Catholic School reserves the right, with reasonable suspicion, to examine a student’s personal possessions and will seize items pertaining to infractions of school policies.

St. Charles Catholic School is not responsible for personal items brought to school.

Money
Students should be discouraged from bringing large sums of money to school. Teachers will not accept responsibility for caring for money belonging to students.

Parties
Invitations to parties should be mailed from home or phone contacts made outside of school time. Invitations for all students in a class (boys and girls) may be handed out at school. Presents for individual students by other students are not permitted.