ST. AGNES SCHOOL FROM A TO Z This is an unofficial list to help answer questions that new families frequently ask. Any word that appears in bold within a paragraph is cross- referenced and defined separately. All Saints’ Day: Every year the school celebrates All Saints’ Day with Mass or a prayer service. Traditionally, the First Grade children dress up as saints. Announcements: School announcements, including morning prayers and the Pledge of Allegiance, begin each morning at 8:00 a.m. Children should be in their classrooms by 8:00 a.m., ready to start the day. Parents must walk tardy children into school and sign them in the book located outside the office before the child may proceed to the classroom. If a student is not properly signed in they will be marked absent for the day. Latecomers must stand quietly in the hallway during announcements. Attendance line: Call the attendance line (x333) to notify the school when a child will be absent. Please leave a message prior to 8:00 am. If the school does not receive a message, you will receive a phone call inquiring about your child’s absence. Auction: This is the school’s primary fundraiser and is run by the PTO. The Auction – which includes dinner, entertainment, and both a silent auction and a live auction – raises funds for PTO-sponsored activities throughout the year. The PTO has also used auction proceeds to invest in special projects for the school, including the playground, technology and continuing education for teachers. Plans are well underway and additional information will be sent home throughout the school year. This is a great volunteer opportunity and a fun way to make new friends. The goal is 100% participation from school families and each class. Backpacks: Each child should have a backpack large enough and sturdy enough for a lunch box, a folder and heavy books in the upper grades. Wheeled backpacks are NOT permitted. Backpack Mail: Each child will be given a special folder with the St. Agnes School logo on the front. That folder is a parent’s essential communication device, in which all “backpack mail” is delivered. All kinds of announcements are sent home via backpack mail, including important messages from teachers, the principal, the PTO and other parents. Please check the folder each day, and make sure to return it in the backpack each morning. Parents may send messages to school in the folder, as well as missives to other parents through the folder, via “backpack mail.” The commonly accepted means of sending notes to other parents is to address them as follows: “To Mr./Mrs. Smith, through the kindness of Jane Smith in Mrs. Brown’s class.” Birthday Party Invitations may not be sent through backpack mail. School Year 2016-2017 Page 1 ST. AGNES SCHOOL FROM A TO Z Back-to-School Night: This is a must-attend event for parents! Back-to-School Night is held in the school gym and includes a welcome from our pastor, principal and the PTO. Representatives from many of the PTO volunteer opportunities will also be there to share information prior to the formal presentations. Most importantly, all parents then visit their children’s classrooms and hear the teachers discuss the daily schedule, curriculum, homework and classroom policies. Birthdays: If the teacher gives advance permission, children may bring in birthday treats for the class to share. In order to be in compliance with the Diocesan Wellness Policy, St. Agnes School encourages parents to keep health and nutrition in mind when sending birthday treats. Suggestions include mini-cupcakes or muffins, mini candy bars without nuts or mini-donuts. Please check the Handbook for further guidelines. Birthday celebrations should be held in the classroom rather than the lunchroom. Unless their birthday falls on a Mass Day, students may dress out of uniform (in appropriate clothing) rather than wear the uniform on their birthdays. Birthday Book Club: Students may donate a book to add to the library’s collection with his/her name and birthday inscribed in the book. The donor can be the first person to check it out from the library. Please contact the school library (x106) for more information. Birthday Party Invitations: It is school policy that birthday party invitations or other personal party invitations should not be distributed in school (via backpack mail or hand-delivered). There is too much potential for hurt feelings. Please send all invitations through the U.S. mail or via email. Blue Ribbon School: St. Agnes School has been selected by the Department of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School. This prestigious award recognizes schools that have achieved and attained high levels of performance, placing in the top 10% on state or national assessments. Box Tops for Education: Coordinated by the PTO, the “Box Tops For Education” program raises money for school projects. Various grocery products (including fruit roll- ups, soup, tissues, “Gogurt”, pancakes, etc.) include small square logos that may be cut out and collected for the school. Throughout the school year, notices go home via backpack mail and email reminding parents of the program and deadlines for submitting Box Tops to the school. Bullying: St. Agnes School has a strong policy against bullying. Please refer to the Handbook for a detailed discussion of the behaviors and consequences covered by the school policy. Please report any bullying behavior immediately to the teacher. Cars, Carpools, Drop-Off and Pick-Up Systems: They work! The system is efficient, and designed for the children’s maximum safety. Morning: The gate is open from 7:30 a.m. until 7:55 a.m. One continuously School Year 2016-2017 Page 2 ST. AGNES SCHOOL FROM A TO Z moving line of cars enters the back parking lot in front of the school (opposite side from Randolph Street). Cars must be inside the gate before children get out. Adults direct carpool and safety patrols assist with opening doors and walking the Kindergarten and Pre-K students to teachers waiting on the sidewalk. (Parents may walk their younger students into school for the first week, but after that, they are to be dropped off in carpool.) Please prepare children in advance to leave the car quickly, with all of their things (including backpacks) in hand; however, please keep children in their seat belts until safety patrols open the car door. If arriving after carpool is over (i.e., the gate is closed), park in the parking lot, walk child(ren) into school, and sign them in. The student sign-in book is located outside the school. Afternoon: The gate opens at approximately 3:00 p.m. The parking lot fills with lines of cars (like a car ferry) that line up first at the back of the lot, then in successive rows toward the sidewalk. All children must stay behind the curb until the release bell, and parents should stay near their cars, motors turned off, until the release bell. Parents of Pre-K, Kindergarteners and First Graders may retrieve children from the curb once the gate is closed and the release bell has rung. Parents of older children are asked to stay near their cars and have the children come to them. The carpool lines will not be permitted to begin exiting the parking lot until everyone – parents and children – are in cars and the car doors are closed. This entire process takes only about 20-25 minutes. Any student that is not picked- up in carpool will be sent directly to Extended Day. Inclement Weather: If the weather is severe, children will remain inside or under the porch roof and be released by grade to the cars. Pre-K: Morning drop-off is the same as the rest of school. Afternoon pick-up is handled differently and information is sent home in a hand-out at the beginning of the year. Catholic Schools Week: All Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Arlington celebrate Catholic Schools Week with a series of events and activities. The week focuses on commitment to Catholic education. There are special workshops and entertainment throughout the week, along with other activities that focus on the unique spirit of St. Agnes School. During Catholic Schools Week, parents volunteer as workshop leaders, coordinators and helpers. The week also includes Special Persons Day, which is described further below. Announcements, details and volunteer opportunities are sent home via email and backpack mail a few weeks prior to Catholic Schools Week. Christmas Prayer: All students in grades Pre-K through Eighth grade participate in this special evening to celebrate the season. Typically, students are to wear their Sunday best. Additional details will be provided in advance of the program. Coffees: To kick off the school year, all parents are invited for coffee in the gym on the first day of school following drop-off. Individual coffees for grades Pre-K through School Year 2016-2017 Page 3 ST. AGNES SCHOOL FROM A TO Z Kindergarten are held in the library in October; please check the school calendar for specific dates. This is a good opportunity to meet the principal, ask questions, and say hello to new and old friends. Communications: Most communications from the school and PTO are sent via email or posted on the school website. Parents are encouraged to correspond with the school staff, teachers, PTO and other parents via email and regularly check the school website. The school directory includes contact information, including email addresses, for families, faculty and staff. The PTO also has a separate PTO Email system. Please update both the school and the PTO with any email changes.