School Hours

7:15 a.m. – 7:45 a.m. Daily

Before school care, fees charged for service

8:00 a.m.

First bell/Morning Meeting and Prayer

8:05 a.m.

Dismissal to classrooms for organization and start of day

8:00 a.m. – 2:40 p.m. Daily

GRADES K-8 in session

8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

Pre-kindergarten 4/5 in session

12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

Pre-kindergarten 4/5 in session

8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday

Preschool 3/4 in session

2:40 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.

Extended School Services, fees charged for service

The doors open at 7:15 a.m. Families of students arriving before 7:50 will be charged for morning care. Rates are in the office. All Students go directly to the auditorium to be supervised until they are dismissed to their classroom. At 2:50, students not picked up go to Extended School Services in the library for supervision. Rates are in the office.

Absence and Tardy Grades K through 8

• Student arrives after 8:15 a.m. and before 11:40 a.m.-Tardy
• Student arrives after 11:40 a.m.-½ day absent
• Student leaves prior to 11:40 a.m.-Whole day absent
• Student leaves after 11:40 a.m.-½ day absent

Regular and timely attendance in class is vital to the students’ academic success and conversely, repeated or long term absences and/or habitual tardiness may lead to academic difficulties. There is no substitute for classroom interaction and direct instruction.

All students arriving after the class begins must report to the office and receive an admit slip. Students should have a written excuse from their parent/guardian, which they will present to the office for admittance. Written excuses are also necessary when returning from an absence.

Students in grades K through 8, who arrive after 8:15 a.m. and before 11:40 a.m. are considered tardy. The tardy is excused in the case of medical/dental appointments, or delays caused by bridge raisings or acts of God. All other reasons are unexcused.

The principal will contact the parent/guardian if a child is repeatedly tardy. If tardiness continues, the child will be required to make-up the accumulated missed time after school.

Students in Pre-3 and Pre-4 are considered tardy if they arrive after the stated class session time.

Children should remain at home when they are contagious or have a fever. A child should not return to school until at least 24 hours after his/her temperature has returned to normal and at least 24 hours after any vomiting has stopped, and symptoms are gone. If a child is not well enough to go outside for the recess periods, he/she is not well enough to be in school. The child should remain at home until he/she can participate in the regular school day schedule. The school is very appreciative of those parents/guardians who report to the school any contagious diseases or a case of lice. If a child had lice, all nits must be gone before the child will be readmitted to school.

When a child is ill and unable to come to school, a parent should call the office by 9:00 a.m. to report the reason for absence. If homework is requested, notification is needed before 9:00 a.m. and may be picked up in the school office after 1:00 p.m. or 11:00 a.m. on early dismissal day. Students are responsible for schoolwork missed due to absence or early dismissal.

Parents/guardians need to plan vacations according to the school calendar holidays. Student withdrawal from school for trips and vacations is strongly discouraged. Teachers are not required to provide assignments for student absent due to non-medical reasons.

Students who are absent for medical reasons more than 5 consecutive days must have a release signed by a physician before returning to class.

A student who misses more than 10 days per trimester may receive an automatic one-level drop in their report card grade.

Exceptions to the above policy, especially in cases of long-term illness, injury, or family crisis, may be made with the permission of the Principal, after consultation with the classroom teacher.

Students returning after an absence must have a written excuse. Excuses must have the child’s first and last name, be dated, mention the day(s) of absence and state the reason for absence.

Dismissal

Students may leave the school grounds only when accompanied by a staff member, designated chaperon (in case of field trips) or a parent/guardian or their designee, during the school day. No child will be released at any time to any other person unless verified in writing by the parent/guardian and the child knows and recognizes the person.

Classes in K – 8 end at 2:35 p.m. with prayer. The dismissal bell rings at 2:40 p.m.; their teacher will escort students to the carpool or bus area. Students will go home, unless they are staying for an after school activity or E.S.S. under designated adult supervision. Grays Harbor Transit riders and walkers will be dismissed from the playground area.

Students still on the school premises without supervision, at 2:50 p.m. will go to E.S.S. (our after school daycare) until they are picked up. Parents will be billed accordingly. E.S.S. services end at 5:15 p.m. and the school building is closed and locked by 5:30 p.m.

Early Dismissal

Parents are asked to make, as much as possible, medical and dental appointments outside of school time. If an early dismissal or late arrival is planned, a written note must be sent to the teacher before the dismissal. We make every effort to deliver messages during the school day; however, due to the constantly changing demands on any given school day, we cannot guarantee that messages for children about after school arrangements and/or early dismissals will be delivered. Please make every effort to complete after school arrangements before the child arrives at school.

A child who leaves early is to report to the school office when dismissed by their teacher. Parents/guardians who pick-up a child before dismissal time should report to the office to pick-up the student. The student must be signed out by the parent/guardian.

Illness/Injury at School

A child who is taken ill or in injured during the school day will be evaluated by the principal or other designated person to determine whether the parent/guardian should be contacted. In case of serious injury, every effort will be made to contact the parent. If the parent/guardian or person designated on the emergency card cannot be reached for instructions, the injured child will be taken to the closest treatment facility. Parents/guardians are responsible to keep their family emergency card updated.

Emergency Closures – Snowy/Inclement Weather

In the event of bad weather/roads, the school may decide, for the safety of all, to change the schedule. These changes are announced on radio/TV beginning at about 6:30 a.m. When announcements are made on the radio/TV, St. Mary School will be specifically named. The radio/TV stations that will announce our schedule changes are:

• KBKW (1450 AM)
• KJET (105.7)
• KSWW (Sunny 102.1)
• KDUX (104.7 FM)
• KIXX (95.3 FM)
• KXRO (1320 AM)
• KOMO, KING, and KIRO TV

Different stations make their announcements at different times so parents/guardians need to listen carefully. Please do not call the school office or staff at home as they are likely listening to the radio! Many of the staff drive from considerable distances. We will not bring staff in early to watch children whose parents/guardians bring them earlier than the scheduled opening.

Parents/guardians are asked to make their own decision about attendance based on their own local conditions. Only you can decide what is best for you. Children will not be marked tardy on snowy mornings.

Likewise, in the case of early closure, parents/guardians should listen to local radio stations for information about picking-up children.