St Ambrose Catholic School

Message to Parents

In enrolling your child in a Catholic School, you agree to certain important responsibilities. These include:

1. To be a partner with the school in the education of your child

2. To understand and support the religious nature of the school

3. To read all communication from the school and request clarification when necessary

4. To know who your child’s teachers are and to observe parent-teacher conference dates and requests for meetings

5. To discuss concerns and problems with the person(s) most directly involved before contacting legal authorities

6. To be as actively involved as you can be in the life of the school and to volunteer assistance when possible

7. To promote your school and to speak well of it to others

8. To meet your financial obligations in a timely manner and to support fundraising efforts of the school when possible

9. To appreciate that Catholic education is a privilege that many persons do not have

So, welcome to St. Ambrose Catholic School. The entire school community pledges its support to you. May Jesus, the model of all teachers, be our encouragement in this important ministry of Catholic education. Surely, He who said, “Suffer the children to come unto me” will bless the efforts in his name.

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ADMISSION POLICY

New students will be admitted on a space available basis with priority given to parishioners of the St. Ambrose Church.

· As members of the school community, all students are expected to participate fully in all aspects of the school program. THIS INCLUDES RELIGION CLASSES, LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS, CLASS PROJECTS, AND RELATED ASSEMBLIES.

· All new students are admitted on probationary status for one year. Any infringement of academic policies, the code of behavior, or tuition policies will result in the dismissal of the student from the school.

· St. Ambrose does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, or national origin in the administration of its educational program, admissions policies, employment practices and other school administered programs.

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Tuition and Fees

Since St. Ambrose Catholic School must contract annually for services, the policies stated annually in the registration packet will be enforced without exception. Tuition is due by the tenth of each month (August – May) payable to the SMART Company. Late fees will be assessed after that time.

St. Ambrose Catholic School reserves the right to suspend a student ten (10) days following the payment due date for a period of up to five (5) school days if financial obligations have not been met by parents/guardians. During the course of this suspension period, it is the responsibility of the parents/guardians to contact the school and arrange payment. Teachers will not provide class work, homework, or other instructional services during this period. The student will also be excluded from extracurricular activities and events. If at the end of the five-day suspension period, financial obligations have not been met, a transfer will be issued for the student. In addition, St. Ambrose Catholic School reserves the right to withhold school records for the student until all financial obligations have been satisfied.

Tuition payments may not be characterized as charitable contributions for income tax purposes. Therefore, we do not issue documentation to substantiate a payment as a charitable contribution.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Tuition assistance is available through the Archdiocese of Baltimore. All applicants must complete the Facts grant and Aid application by December 1^st of the current school year in order to be considered for assistance for the incoming school year. Verification of income and household expenses, proof of custody and marital status are required. Failure to meet all financial obligations in a timely manner will result in the immediate loss of all tuition assistance.

It should be noted that book fees are reduced by $90.00 because of our participation in the Nonpublic Student Textbook Program sponsored by the Maryland State Department of Education.

SMART

Tuition is payable on a ten month basis, August - May, through SMART Tuition Management Services. Enrollment forms are completed at the time of registration. You may have your payment automatically deducted from your checking account. Payment may also be made by check, money order, bank-by phone, or your bank’s on-line payment system. A payment booklet method allows you to pay your tuition the way you normally pay your monthly bills. No tuition is collected in the front office.

(If payment is received in the business office, a $25.00 administrative fee will be attached. Personal checks are not accepted by St. Ambrose Catholic School.)

A family with outstanding financial obligations to the current school may not be accepted at another Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Additionally, if a student transfers without having fulfilled all financial obligations, the school is only required to release health records and grade level to the new school.

Please contact the business office if you have questions or concerns.

REFUNDS

Parents sometimes register for the incoming school year and change their minds prior to the opening of school. In these situations, a refund of fees paid to that date with the exception of the initial registration fee will be issued. No refund will be issued once the school year has begun.

**************************************************************************************************** Code of Behavior and Discipline Policy

Saint Ambrose Catholic School is a Catholic, Christian Community that thrives on mutual love and respect. A firm commitment toward individual responsibility is necessary for all students. It is expected that all students will obey rules and regulations of the school as well as ordinary rules of courtesy and good behavior. It is important that students and parents demonstrate an understanding of respect for the values reflected in the school philosophy.

Student Responsibilities:

· Show respect for administration, teachers, staff, and students

· Obey rules, regulations, and procedures established by the school

· Obey rules, regulations, and procedures established by each teacher

· Be present and on time each day

· Complete all academic work as assigned in a timely manner

· Participate fully at liturgies and all school assemblies

· Practice courtesy and good manners at all times

· Practice nonviolent means of solving problems

· Adhere to the Values Code in all aspects of school life.

· LIVE BY THE KEYS TO SUCCESS: FAITH, RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY, AND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE.

DISCIPLINARY CODE

The four categories of disciplinary action are: Detention, Administrative Warning, Suspension, and Expulsion.

The following behaviors warrant detention:

· Disrespect for administration, faculty, or staff

· Use of profane, obscene, or abusive language

· Disrespect of other students

· Disruptive behavior

· Incomplete homework or class assignments

· Repeated tardiness

· Violations of the uniform code

· Violations of class or school rules of behavior

· Other offenses as determined by the administration or teacher

Disciplinary procedures for detention are as follows:

· Notice sent home to parent must be returned to the teacher the next day signed by the parent.

· Student will remain in a supervised detention area for up to one hour after school on the appointed day. An essay on the reasons for the behavior and an alternative to the behavior must be completed during the detention.

· Extreme cases may be required to serve detention on a Saturday during which a service to the school will be performed.

· Parent/Guardian is responsible for providing transportation for the student immediately following the detention.

The following types of behavior warrant an administrative warning:

· Stealing, cheating, or lying

· Vandalism of school property behavior

· Leaving school without permission

· Verbal assault on a student

· Threatening or intimidating a student in any way.

· Repeated detentions (3 in a marking period)

· Other offenses as determined by the administration

Disciplinary Procedures for administrative warning:

· Parents/Guardians must attend a conference with the school principal.

· Additional detention time (Saturday) will be assigned, as well as other measures as determined by the administration.

· Written notice of the administrative warning is placed in the student’s file.

The following types of behavior will warrant suspension:

· Refusal to serve detention

· Blatant disrespect to staff and or students

· Fighting or acts of violent behavior

· Willful destruction of school property

· Truancy

· Possession of matches or lighter

· Extortion - seeking payment or other profit from another person by intimidation

· Other offenses as determined by the administration

Disciplinary Procedures for Suspension are as follows:

· Parent/Guardian will be notified in writing of the offense and the length of suspension.

· Student must remain in a supervised environment away from the school for the specified time period.

· Parent/Guardian must attend a conference at the school on the day the student returns.

· Written notice of the suspension will be placed in the student’s file.

· Work missed during the suspension period must be made up upon return to school. Teachers will not provide homework, class work, or other instructional services during the suspension period.

The following types of behavior warrant EXPULSION.

· Possession or use of alcohol, tobacco, tobacco products, illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia, or other inappropriate substances on school grounds or at any school function.

· Possession or use of weapons of any type, real or play.

· Physical assault on any staff member

· Robbery

· Arson

· Repeated suspensions (3 in any given grading period)

Disciplinary Procedures for Expulsion are as follows:

· Parent/Guardian immediately notified to remove the child form the school. Procedures according to the guidelines of the Archdioces

are followed.

The administration and authorized staff of the school reserve the right to conduct reasonable searches of students, visitors, and areas under their control( desks, personal belongings, lockers, etc.) in cases of suspected violation of school policies ( e.g., drugs, weapons, alcohol, tobacco, stealing).

ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY

St. Ambrose Catholic School maintains a policy of “Zero Tolerance” for any offense involving the possession, use or threat of use of weapons (real or play); use of profanity; disrespect of staff members; fighting or other acts of violence; truancy; vandalism or attempts to vandalize school or personal property; and possession, use, or attempt to distribute any controlled substance (real or play). The school will immediately effect the punishment prescribed in this handbook in the event of an incident.