XIII. COMMUNICATIONS

General Guidelines

Parents/guardians have the primary responsibility for the education of their children. Specifically this includes establishing a home environment, which teaches the moral values, religious habits, social skills, self-discipline, and commitment to learning, upon which successful Catholic schooling is based.

Parents/guardians have a special role in the education of their children at St. Mary School. Their support and involvement are essential to our program. The primary expectation of parents is that they actively support the school, which teaches and reinforces Christian values.

Parents/guardians can do this by:

• Being informed about the academic and religious concepts their children are learning.
• Worshipping with their children on Sundays.
• Joining with their children at school liturgies, when possible.
• Communication with their children about life, faith and God.

Parents/guardians are encouraged to confer with the school staff in regard to their child(ren)’s progress in school.

It is considerate and appropriate that an appointment be made with the person(s) concerned. All parents/guardians are welcomed to contact the Principal and/or teacher whenever necessary. If the Principal or teacher cannot be reached immediately, leave a message and you will be contacted as soon as possible. Parents/guardians are asked to respect the personal privacy of the school staff by not contacting them at their homes unless that staff member specifically makes this an option.

A difficulty that involves a child should first be discussed with the teacher. Communication should occur promptly before a problem gets out of hand. If, after discussing a problem with the teacher(s) the problem seems unresolved, parents/guardians are encouraged to call the Principal. The Principal will gladly arrange a conference to include the teacher, parent/guardian and Principal to discuss the concern and seek a satisfactory solution

Should a parent/guardian still feel the problem has not been resolved an appointment may be made with the Pastor. If further resolution is sought, the parent/guardian may then opt to proceed with the grievance/due process procedures. The mission of the school is always to reach mutual reconciliation in the best interest of the child.

Grievance Procedure

If a hearing is requested on a decision, parents/guardians must notify the Pastor, Principal and the School Commission by certified mail within 5 school days of receipt of the decision, whether received in writing or verbally. If an expulsion is involved, a student may not attend school during the appeal.

1. A hearing will be arranged within 5 school days of the receipt of the request.
2. The Pastor or his delegate, the Principal, and the School Commission of at least a quorum are present at the hearing along with the parents/guardians of the student.
3. The Pastor or his delegate, within three school days following the hearing, states the findings and evaluation of the action.
4. The decision of the Pastor is final.

Student – Parent/Guardian – Teacher Conference

This is a time for students to share their progress and goals with their parents/guardians and teachers. Conferences are held several times during the year and scheduled on the school calendar. Parents/guardians will be scheduled through the school office for these times. Parents/guardians may also request conferences at other times by calling the teacher/Principal at school and making an appointment.

School Calendars

The school publishes a yearly, monthly, and weekly calendar. All calendar information is contained in the school web site and paper copies are sent home in the family envelope. Additional copies are often available in the school office. Because of the nature of the school day, dates on the calendar may be changed as needed. Please call the school office if you have any questions.

Family Newsletter (Family Envelope)

This is an important means to keep parents/guardians informed and is a weekly envelope sent home with notes from the Principal, Notes from the secretary, and other announcements/messages. Parents/guardians may also use this to send communications to the school. It is appreciated if family envelopes are signed and returned by Friday of the week they are issued.

Web Site

St. Mary School maintains a web site at www.saintmaryschool.org , on which information about school events is frequently updated. In addition, many of the teachers have individual pages on which they post homework and other valuable classroom information. Be sure to visit the web site often.

Other Communications

Materials other than staff-initiated communications may not be distributed or sent home with students without prior authorization of the Principal. School authorization to distribute does not necessarily imply endorsement of that material.

Organizations that wish to use the family envelope for notices or other communications must have materials in the office, in writing, no later than 11:00 a.m. Monday.