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St. Thomas More Family Handbook Archdiocese School Policy 312: Non-Discrimination in Schools Schools operated under the auspices of the Catholic Bishop of Chicago, a corporation sole, in the Archdiocese of Chicago, admit students of any race, color, sex, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students in these schools. Schools of the Archdiocese do not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, or national and ethnic origin in administration of educational policies, loan programs, athletic or other school-administered programs. Child Abuse/Neglect – Allegations/Suspicions Parents, faculty, and other school personnel, by law, are mandated reporters of allegations/suspicions of child abuse/neglect and must make reports to the Department of Children and Family Services whenever such circumstances exist. Home and School Association When you pay the $5.00 dues in August all parents become members of this organization. The purpose of the Home and School Association is to promote communication, cooperation and support among parents, teachers and students. Various activities are planned to fulfill these goals such as Open Houses, social events, guest speakers and fundraising activities. In addition, parents can be very helpful to teachers in assisting with field trips and a variety of classroom projects. All parents are welcome to attend meetings. Extended Day Program Students are cared for by a qualified and experienced staff who provide a variety of activities including supervised homework study, arts and crafts, many sports and supervised free play. Children use four large playrooms supervised by four staff persons in an attractive and well-equipped secure area. An afternoon snack is also provided. Registration forms are available at the office. Sweepstakes Every October, the Parish/School holds a major fundraiser called Sweepstakes. Parish and School families buy and sell chances to their friends, neighbors and business associates. All participants have a chance to win many cash prizes beginning with the grand prize of $5,000. Enthusiasm and support from all families is essential. Tuition Policy Monthly tuition rates must be paid by the 15th of each month. If tuition is not paid in full at the end of each quarter, report cards will not be given. A transfer will be issued to any student whose tuition is not paid in full at the end of the third quarter. Book Fee A Book Fee of $100 per child for Preschool to Grade 8 must be paid in full before room assignments will be given. Book fees include the following: book rental, workbooks, art supplies, test fees, audio-visual materials, computer usage, office and classroom supplies, and the yearly Archdiocese fee. Refunds Book fees will not be refunded if the child transfers during the school year. No tuition refund will be given if a student has attended part of month. Mandatory Fundraising We ask that each family do at least $200 worth of fundraising. The profits are calculated as follows:
It is mandatory that each child in school sell at least $25 worth of Sweepstakes tickets. If the tickets are not sold that amount will be added to the family tuition for that year. If you choose to work Bingo or Market Day, you may add $4.00 hourly credit to your fundraising quota for the year. All the money earned from Bingo and Market Day goes directly for school support. We really need everyone’s help with these fundraisers! If families choose not to participate in fundraising, then we ask that you pay the extra $200 in tuition. (At least $100 in fundraising is due by December 1st and $100 is due by April 1st. Home and School Association Fee (per family)
Attendance
No supervision is provided before 7:55 a.m. or after 2:15 p.m. Students must be picked up from school at 2:15 or sent to the Extended Day Program. Students will not be allowed to loiter outside the school for long periods of time waiting to be picked up. This rule is for your child’s own safety. Absence Every absence, regardless of the cause, requires a written excuse stating the reason for absence, and must be signed by the parent or guardian. Please call the school office by 8:30 a.m. if your child is to be absent. Parents will be contacted if a student is absent and the school has not been notified. Children will not be readmitted without a written excuse even though a call has been made. Excused Dismissal When it is necessary for your child to be excused from school for medical or dental appointments, or a family emergency, send a note to the office first, so it can be noted and then forwarded to the teacher. For the safety of the children we ask that you come to the office to meet your child. No one will be permitted to leave the building without his/her parents or an authorized adult. Try to make appointments outside school hours. Tardiness Students must be in homeroom by 8:05 a.m. Those who are late must receive a tardy slip from the office. Chronic tardiness will not be tolerated. Detentions will be issued Emergency Closings In severe weather, the closing of all Catholic Schools will be announced over radio/television stations. If the children are already in school and the building has closed for some emergency, the parent/guardian would always be notified. Telephone Calls Students will not be allowed to use the school telephone to call home for forgotten books, supplies, gym shoes, homework, etc. They will have to suffer the consequences. (Detention notice) Emergency exceptions will be handled on an individual basis. The family should taken care of all necessary after-school arrangements ahead of time. Tuition Policy Monthly tuition rates must be paid by the 15th of each month. Report cards will not be issued at the end of each quarter until the tuition is paid up to date. A transfer will be issued to any student whose tuition is not paid in full by the end of the 3rd quarter. Uniform/Dress Code Policy Girls Uniform
Boys Uniform
Gym Attire Mandatory for all grades on designated gym day. All students must have gym shoes for gym class. Shoelaces must be properly criss-crossed, tightened, and tied. Girls must wear plain navy (no emblems, stripes, etc.) shorts underneath their uniforms. Boys must wear plain white Tee shirts under the uniform shirts. For safety purposes, students are discouraged from wearing rings or earrings on gym day. Gym shoes must be worn by all students on their designated gym day. A simple, reasonably priced gym shoe purchased at one of the discount stores is sufficient. High-priced name brands are not necessary. Optional: Students may wear STM Tee shirts, sweat pants, and shirts to school on gym day if they wish. Only the regulation gym attire purchased at Schoolbelles or Schools Are Us will be allowed. Uniform for Incoming Students Students transferring to St. Thomas More are expected to order uniforms as soon as they are registered. While waiting for uniforms to arrive from Schoolbelles, the girls must wear a solid color skirt and white blouse. Boys must wear solid color dress pants and either a white or light blue shirt. All other items stated in the Dress Code Policy must be observed. Recess Policy Weather permitting, students in grades Pre-Kindergarten to 5 will have outdoor recess for 15 minutes per day. Faculty members will provide supervision. Grades 6-8 do not have outdoor recess. Lunch Policy Lunch is scheduled and supervised for a 20-25 minute period. Three lunchroom assistants provide supervision. Students may bring a lunch or participate in the hot lunch program. Students must obey and respect the adults in charge. Failure to comply will result in appropriate consequences as defined in the discipline section of this handbook. |
