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Dear St. Ambrose Catholic School Families:

May the peace of Christ be with you.

I welcome you or I welcome you back to the St. Ambrose Catholic School. I have had the opportunity to meet many of you this summer and I look forward to meeting many more of the students and parents as we begin this new 2010/2011 school year. Coming from Fr. Charles Hall Catholic School which was one of the many consolidated schools, it truly is a blessing for me to be at St. Ambrose. It has been so consoling and encouraging for me as an administrator to feel so very welcomed by Fr. Paul, Mrs. Sanders and the faculty and staff at the St. Ambrose Catholic School. I know that this will be a year of successful and joyful learning for all of us. I pray that the Dear Lord will continue to keep and bless you one and all.

Sincerely,

Daisy H. Jackson

Assistant Principal

St. Ambrose Catholic School

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SCHOOL HOURS:

School begins promptly at 7:45 a.m. Students are dismissed at 2:30 p.m. daily. 11:45 a.m. dismissals are scheduled before some holidays and at the beginning and end of the school year. These dates are listed in the school calendar. In good weather, the students remain at their assigned places on the playground for Morning Prayer. In cases of inclement weather, students are to enter the school gym at 7:30 a.m. and remain there until picked up by the teacher.

POLICY STATEMENT REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY FOR STUDENTS BEFORE AND AFTER SCHEDULED SCHOOL HOURS

In compliance with the Archdiocese of Baltimore, on regular school days, St. Ambrose Catholic School admits students at 7:30 a.m. and dismisses at 2:30 p.m. On regularly scheduled half-days, the school admits students at 7:30 a.m. and dismisses at 11:45 a.m. Teachers are on duty 15 minutes before and after school. The school is not responsible for the supervision of students before or after the times stated above. The school is not liable for any injuries or accidents that may occur. Parents and Guardians are advised, therefore, for the safety of their children, to follow the times as stated above.

If the student is participating in a scheduled, supervised before-or-after school activity, specific arrangements must be made for drop-off and /or pick-up at the designated time. If students are participating in the After School Program, parents/guardians must comply with the rules established by the program for pick-up times. Please note that it is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to pick children up on time. Failure to do so will result in a call to Child Protective services or the police to pick up abandoned children.

INCLEMENT WEATHER

In the event of bad weather, St. Ambrose Catholic School follows the Baltimore County Public Schools decision on closings, late openings, and early dismissals. Additionally, Channel 11 WBAL TV will carry the announcement. The school answering machine will carry the information beginning at 6:00 a.m. A two-hour late opening will cancel an 11:45 a.m. dismissal. A one-hour late opening will not cancel an 11:45 a.m. dismissal. Any early dismissal cancels all after school activities.

ABSENCE AND TARDINESS

In accordance with Maryland Law, parents/guardians are responsible for their child’s attendance and punctuality. Students are expected to be in school everyday on time. Parents must provide a note explaining the child’s absence immediately upon return to school. If a child is consistently absent or tardy, the school has the right to retain the child for the following year. Additionally, the parent/guardian will be reported to protective services for chronic absence. This could result in legal prosecution and fines.

Students who are absent 3 times in one marking period will be required to make up missing work.

Additionally, parents who pick students up for early dismissal, must report to the office, sign the student out, and secure an early dismissal slip. It should be noted that early dismissals and lateness will affect attendance negatively in that minutes missed will eventually calculate into a day absent. Students, who are habitually late, miss valuable instruction that takes place at the beginning of the day.

ST. AMBROSE YOUTH PLACE (THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM)

The After School Program operates daily from 2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. except the first Monday of each month. Students receive one hour of recreation, one hour of academic instruction/homework assistance, and one hour of interest related activities. Students also receive a nutritious snack. Fees for the program are in addition to regular tuition. All rules and regulations of St. Ambrose Catholic School apply during the after school program. Students who do not conform to the rules of the program will not be allowed to participate in the program. Students who are picked up late will be dismissed from the program. The program does not operate if school closes early due to inclement weather.

ASBESTOS MANAGEMENT

The building contains asbestos and has a management plan that has been approved by the state. Site based inspections are conducted monthly by trained building personnel. An Archdiocesan inspection takes place every three years.

EMERGENCY INFORMATION

Every student must have an emergency form on record in the office. At least 3 emergency contacts in addition to parent/guardian must be listed. If information changes during the school year, please notify the office immediately.

ILLNESS, INJURY, AND MEDICATION POLICY

NO NURSE IS AVAILABLE AT ST. AMBROSE CATHOLIC SCHOOL. If a child becomes ill or is injured during the school day, the office will notify the parent or guardian. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to make arrangements to have the child picked up immediately.

Medications may be given only with the written permission from the child’s doctor and only through the front office. Forms are available from the school office. No child may carry medication of any kind on his or her person. All medication must come to the office with a doctor’s note. This includes cough medicine, Tylenol, etc.

CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

STAND is the policy of the Archdiocese of Baltimore for the protection of children entrusted to the care of the Church. It ensures that the environment is safe, and personnel are screened closely. This includes employees and volunteers who have any contact with children. In order to ensure compliance with the Archdiocesan policy, STAND training is offered over the Internet at www.archbalt.org.. Approximately two hours are needed to complete the training. A test is given at the end of the session. Upon successfully completing the course a certificate is issued which must be brought into the school office for the principal’s signature. A volunteer application must be completed, three references provided, and a background check conducted Individuals who complete the process will receive a STAND card that is good for five years at any Catholic school or church in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Only those parents who completed the process are able to visit classrooms, chaperone field trips, or volunteer in any capacity at St. Ambrose Catholic School.

Anyone who chooses not to complete the application will not be allowed to volunteer in any capacity. This includes supervising field trips as well as visiting classrooms during the school day.

Our school is committed to providing the best possible and most appropriate learning experiences for all children. Occasionally, there are factors in a student’s appearance or behavior that lead to suspicions of child abuse or neglect. Maryland law requires that all educators, other school employees, and volunteers report suspected abuse or neglect to the proper authorities. This is to ensure that all children are protected from harm and families in danger may be helped. Therefore, all suspected abuse will be reported to the Department of Social Services, Protective Services Division and the local police department.

It is considered neglect to leave a child after hours with no one to contact. These occurrences will be reported to Social Services for investigation.

FIRE DRILLS

The school conducts fire drills in accordance with the regulations of the Baltimore City Fire Department. Silence must be maintained during these practices.

TELEPHONES

Students in grades 5-8 who carry a cell phone must have the cell phone permission slip and agreement signed by a parent. All cell phones must be turned in to the homeroom teacher at the beginning of school daily. Phones will be placed in a plastic bag marked with the student’s name. All bags will be place in a container which is then placed in a locked cabinet until the end of the school day when they will be returned to the student. No student may have a phone on his or her person during the school day. Students may not send or receive phone calls or text messages during the school day. Parents should call the school office and leave a message with the school secretary. Please try to make all arrangements for pick up or after school activities in advance. Students will not be allowed to use the phone for forgotten homework, books, lunch money basketball uniforms, etc. Failure to adhere to the policy will result in the loss of the privilege.

SCHOOL VISITS AND TEACHER CONFERENCES

Parents/Guardians who have completed STAND, the Archdiocesan program for the protection of youth and children, are welcome to visit their child’s classroom. It is imperative that you check in with the office before going to the classroom and secure a visitor’s badge. However, parents may not in any way disrupt the classroom routine. Teachers may not conference with parents during instructional time. All conferences must be scheduled in advance during non-teaching times.

Parents must discuss their concerns with the teacher or staff member before involving the principal. The principal will become involved only after a parent/teacher conference has been held.

It must be noted that all parties must respect one another at all times. Disrespect of a teacher or staff member by a parent or other family member may result in the dismissal of the child in question from St. Ambrose Catholic School. An atmosphere of cooperation and open communication must exist so the best interest of the child may be served.

DISMISSAL PROCEDURES

School is dismissed at 2:30 p.m. Teachers will escort all students from the building and remain with them for 15 minutes following dismissal. Students who are not enrolled in the After School Program and are not picked upon time will be sent to the office and a $20.00 late pick-up fee will be assessed. This fee must be paid upon picking up the student.

Parents are to wait outside for students. Please do not come into the building to wait in the hallway or go to classrooms to pick up students. This interrupts the orderly flow of traffic and disrupts closing procedures. Do not double- park on Park Heights Avenue. The police department will issue tickets for this traffic violation.

Early Departures

The school discourages early departures and requests that families arrange medical and dental appointments, etc. either after school hours, on Saturdays or during vacation periods. Check the calendar for days when school is not in session. In case of an emergency, the student must submit a note to the office, signed by the parent(s)/legal guardian(s), on the day of dismissal. The note should include the reason for the request and the time the student must leave school. The parent/guardian must sign the student out in the office. The student is counted absent from classes missed and must make up the work at the discretion of the teacher. Early departure for a day preceding a holiday must be requested a day in advance.

HIGH SCHOOL VISITS

The eighth grade home room teacher will arrange one high school visit for the entire class during the month of October. Parents are encouraged to plan two additional shadow day experiences to high schools of interest. Students absent from school because of shadow day visits must obtain a slip from the visited high school which must be returned to the St. Ambrose school office. These students are then given credit for a shadow day which counts as being present in school for that day.

MAKE UP WORK

With the exception of the October shadow day during which the entire class is visiting high schools, work missed must be made up. Students are responsible for getting any missed work from the teachers and turning it in by the assigned date.

PARKING LOT PROCEDURES

The parking lot is designated for faculty and staff parking only. Parents are requested to drop students off in front of the building or at the entrance of the parking lot. Cars pose a danger to the constant foot traffic by students as the parking lot doubles as their playground and serves as their entry to the building.

RESTRICTED AREAS

When school is in session, students may not be outside the school building unless they are involved in a class or recess and are accompanied by a faculty member. The faculty room is a restricted area for students. Empty classrooms are restricted areas. Corridors are to be generally clear of traffic except for movement at the change of classes. Students must be supervised at all times.

IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS

A child may not enter school unless he/she has submitted an official immunization record or other appropriate documentation of immunization status. The immunization record must have the month, day , and year of each vaccination, be signed by a physician or

health department official, and approved by the school. A parent must show a medical contraindication, signed by a doctor, for his/her child to be excused.

PARENT VOLUNTEERS

In order to ensure the safety of all children, all volunteers are screened for their fitness to work with minors. This includes attending STAND Training, providing three written references, and having a background check. Individuals who complete the process will receive a STAND card that is good for five years at any Catholic school or church in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Anyone who chooses not to complete the application will not be allowed to volunteer in any capacity. This includes supervising field trips as well as visiting classrooms during the school day.