Parent Responsibilities

Parents/guardians should be thoroughly informed regarding school regulations in the handbook, particularly in the area of philosophy, discipline and financial obligations. Parents/guardians and their students sign a statement accepting the rules, regulations and policies stated. The administration reserves the right to make amendments when needed. Families will be notified.

Emergency Cards

Each child must have an emergency card on file in the office. It is the parents’ responsibility to keep this information current.

Family Packet/Newsletter

Parents should expect newsletters to be sent home each Wednesday in a plastic envelope. This packet is the primary vehicle for communication and it is the parent’s responsibility to read through the information provided. Parents should train their children in the responsibility of bringing the packet home and returning the packet the following day. Families are to return any paperwork to the office in these packets. Only the parent should open personal envelopes addressed to a parent.

Monthly Calendar

A calendar will be sent home at the end of each month to inform families of events scheduled for the following month. It should be kept for reference during the month.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Communication is important to the success of a child’s education. Questions and concerns regarding a child or a child’s progress should be directed to the teacher. Parents are responsible and urged to confer regularly with their children’s teachers, especially if there has been some notification regarding conduct or academic progress.

All conference appointments are to be made in advance. Compulsory parent-teacher conferences are held during the first trimester of the school year. Appointment times will be arranged through the school office.

Principal/Teacher Appointments

Appointments with teachers can be arranged in writing or by using voice mail. Appointments with the principal may be made by calling her voice mail or the office manager. The principal will confer about classroom difficulties only after the teacher has been consulted.

Telephone

The school telephone number is 284-1640. The school office hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Except in an emergency parents are requested to use the voice mail system when desiring to leave a message directly to the teacher. Children are not called to the telephone unless there is an emergency.

Extended Care telephone number is 284-9070 from 7:15 - 8:00 a.m. and 2:30-6:00 p.m. This phone number should not be used during school hours.

Lines of Communication

Lines of communication are as follows: teacher-child; teacher-parent-child; teacher-parent-child-principal; and when necessary, the pastor.

Conflict Resolution

Parents and teachers must work in close partnership to successfully educate a child. The child will be torn between authorities unless there is a genuine unity of purpose and practice among parents, children and faculty.

Communication is essential to this end. The purpose of the following procedure is to secure, at the lowest possible level, equitable solutions to the problems, which may arise from time to time affecting the welfare of students or teachers. This procedure will be kept as informal and confidential as may be appropriate at all levels of the procedure in order to facilitate reconciliation, communication and the strengthening of the community of faith.

The following steps are designed to provide a forum/mechanism for teachers, parents and students to resolve (or have resolved) disputes arising in or out of the classroom. This procedure is not intended to supplant existing guidelines for addressing conduct meriting disciplinary measures as outlined in this handbook. Rather, they are designed to provide a clear procedure to allow parents, teachers and students to seek appropriate assistance in concluding otherwise intractable disputes.

First Step: The normal procedure to addressing grievances, whether they originate from teachers, parents or students, is to arrange a face to face meeting among the interested parties. In the case of a grievance originating with a parent or teacher, the person raising the grievance should arrange to meet with the teacher/parent at a mutually agreeable time.

It is desirable that the parties attempt to negotiate their differences at the lowest level possible without resorting to advanced assistance and upward channels of communication either within the school or outside of the school. Accordingly, if multiple meetings are required to work out differences, the parties should make further arrangements at the conclusion of each meeting. However, if it is apparent that the dispute cannot be resolved without assistance of third parties, and in order to minimize the possibility of misunderstanding, either the teacher or parent may conclude the meeting by deciding to proceed to step two.

Second Step: If the issue is not resolved as outlined in step one, the parties will be expected to arrange a meeting with the principal at a mutually convenient time. The principal will review the facts of the dispute and, as appropriate: 1) request that the parties attempt further negotiation; 2) refer the dispute to a mutually acceptable mediator; or 3) resolve the dispute without further consideration.

Third Step: If the dispute has been referred to a mediator but the matter remains unresolved, either party may declare an impasse and request that the matter be re-submitted to the principal for resolution. The principal will then come to a just and final resolution of the matter for the good of the disputing parties and the school at large. (St. Perpetua School Board 1/97)