The Villa Augustina School - Policies

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August 2007

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Our philosophy at Villa Augustina is rooted in the teaching of the Catholic Church, the principles of American democracy and the mission of the Religious of Jesus and Mary. The ultimate goal of the school finds its source in the mission of the foundress of the Religious of Jesus and Mary, Saint Claudine Thevenet: “TO MAKE KNOWN THE LOVE OF JESUS AND MARY.”

The Villa strives to live as a Christian community, composed of students, staff, faculty, administrators and parents whose goal is not only to develop with special care the intellectual faculties, but also to form the ability to judge rightly, to hand on the cultural legacy of previous generations and to foster a sense of values. We recognize that young people have a right to be motivated to appraise moral values with a right conscience, to embrace them with a personal adherence, together with a deeper knowledge of God.

Villa Augustina School attempts particularly to foster concern for social justice. Students are encouraged to care for each other as well as for those outside the school community, and to be of service to those in need. Together we seek new ways to apply Christian values to contemporary problems.

MISSION STATEMENT

Villa Augustina is a community embracing: Christian values, Academic Excellence, Loving Service consistent with the mission of the Religious of Jesus and Mary.

NONDISCRIMINATION

The Villa Augustina School is an integrated community, open to children and faculty of all races and religions.

GENERAL POLICIES

Attendance

Arrival:
Students are expected to enter the school building at 8:15a.m. after the outside bell is rung. During inclement weather, students will remain in Rosary Hall until 8:15a.m. at which time they will go directly to their classrooms.

Tardiness:
It is important for students to arrive at school by 8:15a.m. Students who arrive after 8:15 are considered tardy. Students arriving late must obtain a pass from the administration office. Excessive tardiness creates a problem for the staff, the teacher, the student who is tardy and all the other students in their class.
Excessive tardiness may result in any of the following consequences:

Loss of privileges appropriate to grade level
Detention
Parent-Teacher meeting
Parent-Principal meeting
Denial of acceptance for the following school year

Absences:
The State mandates 180 days of attendance in school per year. (Catholic Schools are granted Good Friday so we have 179 days of attendance.) It is very important for students to attend school every day. Important elements of the educational process gained through classroom activities and discussion are missed when students are absent.

Parents/Guardians must call the office before 8:00 each day a child is absent and the child must return to school with a written note from the parent/guardian. If the child is absent for three consecutive days, a dated note from the doctor will be required.

For the safety of your children, if the office does not receive a phone call from you, the school will make contact with the parent/guardian. If the school is unable to reach the parent/guardian your local police will be contacted to visit your home. Willful absence from school by a student is considered truancy and the truant officer will be notified.

It is the responsibility of the excused student to obtain all missing class work and homework assignments. It is also the responsibility of the excused student to complete this work in a timely fashion.

Excused Absences:

Family Emergency
Sickness
Death
Impassable Roads
Religious Observance
Approved extended absence (at the discretion of the principal.)

Approved extended absences.
Parents are encouraged to schedule family vacations during school vacations. When this is not feasible, the principal’s approval must be sought. If approval is granted, student’s work requirements may be adjusted depending on what is being covered in class. Parents are asked to be sensitive to the child’s loss of invaluable classroom experiences and the additional burden of preparation and curriculum adjustment this places on the teachers.

Unexcused Absences:

Any absence with no phone call and/or no note
Unapproved vacation time taken during school time

Consequences of Unexcused Absences:

Work must be made up but no credit will be received for the day or days of an unexcused absence
Six unexcused absences in a quarter will result in a “failing grade” for the quarter
If unexcused absences are a recurrence they may result in dismissal from the school or denial of registration for the following school year
Teachers will not give out work for students going on unapproved vacations

When school is cancelled due to inclement weather, Villa Augustina follows the Goffstown School System. WMUR-TV (Channel 9) or WZID FM radio (95.7) will broadcast this information. With the sisters no longer in the building there will be no one here to see to your child so please make sure you check for cancellations…do not let your child off at school without checking.

If a student is to be dismissed early on a given day, a written, dated request stating the reason for the dismissal and signed by the parent/guardian must be submitted to the office before 8:45. Early dismissals should be a rare occurrence.

All notes must include a telephone number where a parent/guardian may be reached to verify the note. Before the student can be dismissed, parent/guardians must come to the office to sign the student out. School personnel will get the student from the classroom to the office.

Parents may purchase their children’s uniform clothing from the vendor of their choice provided that the clothing meets the standards listed below. These standards apply to all students from pre-kindergarten through grade eight.

The Villa requires that all clothing fit properly and be worn appropriately. No holes, tears, or form-fitting clothes will be acceptable.

For girls: Navy blue or khaki jumpers, skirts and skorts (pleated or plain) length must fall within an inch and a half of the knee.

Shirts: Light blue, white, or navy blue dress shirt (with buttoned-down, peter pan, or plain collar), polo shirts, and turlenecks . A collar must always be visible. No mock turtlenecks, crewnecks, or hooded tops (including sweatshirts)
* Junior High students may also wear hunter green

Sweaters: Navy blue or white V-neck, crewneck, or cardigan sweaters, no hoods. Dress code shirt collar must be visible.
* Junior High students may also wear hunter green

Footwear: Properly fitting shoes or sneakers. No boots, clogs or sandals. Footwear must have a closed toe and full back (no back strap). Heel height is limited to an inch and a half. Stockings or socks must be worn at all times.

Gym days: If your child is participating in gym class on their assigned day, students must wear a Villa gym shirt, navy blue sweatpants ( no wind or snap pants) or Villa gym shorts in warm weather. On cold gym days, your child may only wear their crewneck Villa sweatshirt.

Dress down days: Using the standards listed in the above dress code policy, students may wear casual shirts, shorts, or pants on dress down days. These clothing items may not display any inappropriate saying or pictures.

Dress up days: Using the standards listed in the above dress code policy, students may wear their “Sunday best” provided clothing is age appropriate.

Students who fail to abide by the Dress Code will be sent to the Principal who will call the parents to bring Dress Code Clothing. Numerous violations will result in appropriate disciplinary action and continued violations may result in dismissal from school.

Parents are asked to park in the Normand Road parking lot for drop offs and pickups. We ask parents to respect the spots reserved for visitors and teacher’s in the faculty parking area. Parking in front of the main door or in a fire lane is prohibited at all times.

EVERYONE IS EXPECTED TO OBEY FIRE LANE AND NO PARKING ZONES!

Morning Care: 7:00 to 8:00a.m.
Parents/Guardians are to park in the Normand Road parking lot and walk their children to Rosary Hall entering the left side door nearest the playground.

Morning Supervision on Playground: 8:00 to 8:15a.m.
Parents/Guardians are to park in the Normand Road parking lot. Children may walk alone or be accompanied to the school playground where they will remain until the 8:15 bell. In case of inclement weather, children are to enter Rosary Hall by the door nearest the playground and remain there until 8:15 and then go immediately to their classrooms. Parents are asked not to enter either the Main Building or Rosary Hall with their children. This disrupts the morning routine and teachers are busy with the children and have no time to meet with parents. Teachers will be more than happy to meet with you at a more appropriate time that is mutually agreed upon.

Departure: After parking in the Normand Road parking lot, Parents are asked to meet their children at the designated pick up area. Please allow students to line up with their teacher before taking them from the pick up area. Students will be released into the care of authorized adults, not siblings.

PreK morning session only students will be dismissed at 11:00 a.m.
PreK to Grade 5 will be dismissed at 2:30 p.m.
Grades 6,7,8 will be dismissed at 2:40 p.m.
At each of these dismissal times, teachers will wait with their students for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, any students not picked up will be checked into the Aftercare Program. and you will be charged for that service.

Parents are held to the same standard as students with regard to respect for teachers and administrators. Enrollment of your child in the Villa Augustina School implies a partnership between the school and the parents/child. If the partnership breaks down, parents can be required to withdraw their child from school.

Sexual harassment is defined as:
Deliberate, unwelcome and/or unsolicited verbal comments, gestures or physical
contact of a sexual nature.

All members of the school community including staff, teachers, parents, and students are permitted to file a complaint to the school principal. The complaint needs to be filed in writing and should include the date, time, place, behavior, names and witnesses.

A five-member committee comprised of three Board members and two Faculty/Staff members will review the complaint and determine the proper course of action.

All reported complaints will remain confidential until a thorough investigation has been made and a decision reached.

All individuals who file a complaint are entitled to legal redress through the court system via Title IX, Title VII, and state law if applicable.

Fire drills are required by law as a safety precaution. Students are expected to know and demonstrate the following safe evacuation procedures.

A complete physical examination is required within one year prior to the first day that a student attends the Villa Augustina School. Students who do not have a physical on file in their school records before school begins will be conditionally enrolled and documentation of a physical will be required for the child to remain in school.

School personnel will not make non-prescribed medication available to students. This medication must be purchased by the parent/guardian and sent to school in its original container with a signed permission form.

Prescription medications can be given in school when it is necessary to achieve a medical regime (e.g. when it is not advisable for the child to wait until arrival home to take a second dose of medication.) In this case, the prescription must be sent to school in the original pharmacy container accompanied by a form signed by the parent/guardian and the prescribing physician. Pharmacies can provide a second labeled container for division of medications for school dosage. Required forms are in the Health Office and the School Office.

If a student needs to take medication during school hours, a responsible adult must bring the medication in to the School Nurse. Also, all medications must be picked up at the end of the school year. This includes all daily scheduled medications, emergency medications such as EpiPens, inhalers, and over the counter medications such as Tylenol.

Since food allergies can be life threatening, The Villa Augustina School will work with the students, parents, and physicians to minimize the risks and provide a safe environment for allergic students. The responsibility for reducing the risk of accidental exposure rests, not only with the school, but also with the students, parents, and physicians.

Below is a list of responsibilities we expect of the school, family, student, and physician:
It will be the parent’s responsibility to: 1.) notify the school of the child’s allergy, 2.) provide labeled emergency medication with a Physician’s Order Form signed by the physician, 3.) educate their child in self-management of his/her food allergy,4.) train another adult of their choosing (other than the teacher) to go on field trips with their child to administer an Epipen (emergency medication) as required (School Health Resource Manuel, N.H. State department of education , Chapter 3, p.400). Ensure that all faculty members who teach the student be aware of the student’s allergy, the symptoms associated with it, and the appropriate follow-up care.

A food allergy free table (for example, a peanut free table) will be available in the lunchroom. The table will be washed separately.

A food allergy free area will be provided in the classroom for the food allergic student to eat his/her snack.
School faculty will be alert for any bullying issues with students who have food allergies and these issues will be treated seriously.

The student with the food allergy will be allowed to wash his/her hands prior to snack or lunch. The student should not be allowed to trade food with other students, and needs to notify an adult immediately if the student thinks that he/she ate a food to which they are allergic.

Students with food allergies may be included in all school activities that are not an obvious threat to the student’s well-being.

All emergency medication will be kept in the Nurse’s Office with the Physician’s Order Form unless otherwise directed by the parent and Physician (N.H. House Bill 92) The teacher who has a student with an allergy will leave information in their Substitute Folder concerning any necessary precautions
The child with the food allergy may have a volunteer student “buddy” who will alert an adult if a reaction occurs, ensuring faster treatment.

Peer education – a food allergy video will be shown to the grade which has a potentially life threatening food allergy; a discussion group will follow the video.

Because of the world in which we live, it has become necessary to conduct other drills besides fire drills. Teachers have been trained to respond to various life threatening situations and your children are being taught how to respond to the following:

In order to ensure optimal educational outcomes, placement of students for the following school year is determined by the administration in conjunction with grade level teachers. All classes are heterogeneously grouped with emphasis placed on the educational, social and emotional needs of the students.

All relevant information is considered so that these placement decisions can ensure maximum learning possibilities for our students.

Parents may conference with the principal concerning the placement of their child. However, this does not mean that the parents’ request will be granted.

Eligibility for the Honor Roll is determined by the following criteria for grades 6-7-8.

Report cards are issued quarterly and should be returned to the student’s homeroom within 3 days.
Progress reports are issued a month before report cards to inform parents of the student’s progress or behavioral or academic problems. These reports must be signed and returned to the issuing teacher within 3 days.
Parents are encouraged to make arrangements with any teacher they wish to conference with concerning either the progress reports or the report cards. Junior High will schedule formal Parent/Teacher conferences twice a year; after the first and third quarter report cards.

Homework is an extremely good tool to help the student and teacher know if a lesson was understood. It is also important for parents/guardians to keep them abreast of what their child is learning.

Homework assignments take many forms including regular practice and reinforcement of previously taught skills, independent assignments that enrich the school curriculum, reading to prepare for subsequent class discussion, the review and study of notes, and student writing. Assignments must be completed neatly and handed in on time. Homework is assigned nightly with the following suggested time allotments:

Grades 1 and 2 15 to 20 min.
Grades 3-4-5 30 to 50 min.
Grades 6-7-8 60 to 90 min.

At the beginning of each year, homeroom teachers issue lockers to students in grades 1 to 8. All students are responsible for keeping the assigned lockers clean both inside and out. No stickers or other decorative items are allowed on lockers. Students are cautioned not to keep money or other valuables in their lockers. The principal reserves the right to search school lockers.

Articles found in and around school will be placed at Rosary Hall in the lunch room area. Students and parents/guardians should check periodically for missing items. Items not claimed are cleaned and given to the needy or are discarded.

Direct communication between parents and teachers is encouraged. If during the year, there are questions or concerns about a child, his/her teacher, or any school policy, parents are urged to use the following procedures:

The office telephone is for school business only. However, in the case of an emergency permission may be granted. Cell phones are to be turned off and stored during school hours.

Academic Termination:
The Villa Augustina curriculum offers students a strong basic foundation in catechetics, language arts, literature, math, social studies, science, technology, Spanish, physical education, music and art. The Villa is committed to helping all students achieve their academic potential, but it does not have a Special Education department or an established progra.m. to service students with special learning needs or behavioral disabilities.

To ensure adequate progress on the part of each student, the following procedures apply to academic problems regarding failing grades and difficulties with completion of regular assignments:

Social/Emotional Issues Termination:
The Villa adheres to the principle that every child has the right to be educated in an atmosphere of mutual respect and discipline. It is the responsibility of the principal and faculty to maintain a learning atmosphere in the school and a safe environment on school property.

Misbehaviors and a lack of cooperation, which hamper the learning process, will be handled according to the Discipline Policy. When a student’s behavior has not improved sufficiently despite disciplinary sanctions, parents will be asked to withdraw the student. In such situations a withdrawal indicates that the school does not offer the help that meets the student’s needs. The student will be transferred by the date set by the principal.

The textbooks used at the Villa are strictly on loan. Students are expected to be considerate and responsible in returning books in good condition. The family must pay for books which are lost or damaged. All textbooks must be covered at all times.

At school assemblies, students represent their school community. Whether or not there are guests present, students are expected to behave courteously at all times. Unacceptable conduct includes whistling, boisterous behavior, and talking during programs. Behavior at school liturgies should be respectful and reverent.

Villa Augustina School encourages extracurricular activities for all students. At the present time, the following programs are offered: basketball, soccer, cross country, track, cheerleading, volleyball, Brownies, Junior Girl Scouts, choir, band, Student Council and various academic clubs such as math and poetry.

Maintaining an acceptable level of academic achievement is required for the student to participate in the Villa’s extracurricular activities. Involvement in athletic and academic programs require that students exercise both responsibility and accountability. With the cooperation of the student, extracurricular supervisors, and parents, the student will be challenged to become the best he/she can be in an extracurricular activity while maintaining satisfactory academic progress.

Villa Augustina School periodically sponsors dances for students in Grades 6-7-8. Students from other local schools are permitted to attend, but they will follow the Villa’s policies regarding appropriate behavior.

At the conclusion of a Villa dance, parents/guardians should enter Rosary Hall to meet their children or charges and inform the chaperones as to whom they are taking home.

All field trips should be related to curricular activities and are, therefore mandatory. Students participating in field trips must have a signed permission slip returned to the teacher prior to the day of the trip. Students without permission slips will not be allowed to participate. Students attending school field trips will travel to and from the trip destination using transportation provided by the school. As representatives of the Villa, students who attend field trips are expected, at all times, to behave in a manner which is courteous and respectful of those around them. Clothing must be in compliance with the dress code. Parents/guardians should make all the arrangements for medications with the school nurse prior to the day of the trip.

As a general rule, only currently enrolled Villa students are eligible to participate in school sponsored class trips.

Any specific regulations and/or agreements regarding these trips will be formulated by the principal.

Villa Augustina students who use bus transportation to and from school must conform to the regulations of the bus company. Any discipline problems occurring while riding the bus will be handled by the principal.

The Villa Augustina School adheres to the principle that children learn best in an atmosphere of respect and discipline. In order to maintain that balance, assertive discipline is used. When a problem arises, the goal is to modify student behavior to an acceptable level.

Expectations for classroom behavior are established by individual teachers while keeping the following principle in mind:

The classroom teacher will handle most misbehavior. However, the following will be reported to the principal:

In disciplining a student for these offenses, the principal may use one or more of the following:

In-School Suspension: When a student is suspended he/she will not attend classes or be permitted to participate in any athletic or extracurricular activity. However, a suspended student is expected to meet with his/her teachers to find out what has been covered in classes. The student is responsible for all assigned class work during the suspension period.

Out-Of-School Suspension: Since we believe that the best atmosphere for our students to learn and to modify behavior is within a positive and affirming school environment, out of school suspension and expulsion will rarely occur, and only when it seems that this is the best approach for the individual child and the good of the larger Villa community. If the students are found using, or in possession of controlled substances, alcohol, or weapons, there will be an immediate suspension from school, with notification to parents of cause. A careful and thorough investigation by the principal will take place to determine the best course of action in each case.

Students will be assigned to detention when they fail to adhere to the discipline policy of the school. Detention takes place on a designated afternoon from 3:00 to 4:00. The teacher assigning the detention will give the student a reading or writing assignment. Homework may not be completed during this time period.

Students should come to school dressed adequately for daily outside activities. Students are expected to use all equipment safely so as not to endanger themselves or other students by improper conduct on the playground. The following guidelines are used for playground supervision: