Marlene R. Shaw Early Childhood Center

Parent Handbook 2017-2018 School Year

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Table of Contents Mission Statement ................................................................................................. 5 Moss Hall Traditions ............................................................................................. 6

St. Mary’s Moss Hall Prayer ............................................................................. 6 Moss Hall Creed ............................................................................................... 6 Day By Day ...................................................................................................... 6 Alma Mater ....................................................................................................... 6

School Address and Telephone Numbers .......................................................... 7 School Hours .................................................................................................... 7 Faculty Information ........................................................................................... 7

Early Childhood Center 2017-2018 Calendar ...................................................... 8 Arrival & Dismissal Procedures ......................................................................... 10

Morning Arrival ............................................................................................... 10 12 Noon Dismissals ....................................................................................... 12 ECC Carpool Map 12:00 noon dismissal ....................................................... 13 Planned Dismissal During the Day ................................................................. 15

Attendance ........................................................................................................... 15 Absences ....................................................................................................... 15 Make-up Work ................................................................................................ 15 Special Activities ............................................................................................ 15

Behavior Expectations ........................................................................................ 16 Forgotten Work, Materials, or Lunch .............................................................. 17 Bullying Policy ................................................................................................ 17 Playground Rules ........................................................................................... 17 Wheel Toys .................................................................................................... 17 Cafeteria Rules .............................................................................................. 17 Items From Home ........................................................................................... 18 Animals at School .......................................................................................... 18

Birthdays/Seasonal Parties/Special Occasions ............................................... 19 Birthday Books ............................................................................................... 19 Special Class Activities .................................................................................. 20 School Events and Social Media .................................................................... 20

Cafeteria Information .......................................................................................... 20 Early Childhood Lunch Time .......................................................................... 20 Nut Free Environment .................................................................................... 21 Morning Snack ............................................................................................... 21

Campus Security ................................................................................................. 22 Parent/Visitor Sign In ..................................................................................... 22

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Communication Policy ........................................................................................ 24 Daily Communication ..................................................................................... 24 Emails ............................................................................................................. 24 St. Mary’s Blue Folder .................................................................................... 24 Book Bags ...................................................................................................... 25 Parent Participation ........................................................................................ 25 Contacting the Teacher or Head of Early Childhood ...................................... 25 Legal Policy .................................................................................................... 25

Curriculum ........................................................................................................... 26 Dress Code .......................................................................................................... 26

Lost and Found .............................................................................................. 27 Emergency Preparedness & Procedures .......................................................... 27

Responsibilities of the School ........................................................................ 27 Responsibilities of Parents ............................................................................. 28 In Case of an Emergency ............................................................................... 28

Full Day Girls ....................................................................................................... 28 Field Trips/Parent Volunteers ............................................................................ 29 Health Record and Emergency Infomation ....................................................... 29 Medication Administration Policy ...................................................................... 31 Infectious and/or Communicable Disease Policy Summary ........................... 32 Progress Reports ................................................................................................ 34 Parent Conferences ............................................................................................ 35 Pursuits Program ................................................................................................ 35 Schedules ............................................................................................................ 35 School Closings .................................................................................................. 35 Snow and Inclement Weather Day Procedure .................................................. 35

Unscheduled/Emergency Midday Dismissal Procedures ............................... 36 Special Events During the Year ......................................................................... 36

Family Fun Day .............................................................................................. 36 Halloween Bazaar .......................................................................................... 36 Grandparents Day .......................................................................................... 36 Class Days ..................................................................................................... 37 Graduation ..................................................................................................... 37

Teacher Requests ............................................................................................... 37 Toilet Training ...................................................................................................... 38

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Dear Parents, Welcome to St. Mary’s Marlene Shaw Early Childhood Center! We are delighted to have your daughter with us. During her early childhood years, she will have the opportunity to meet new friends and build confidence in all areas of development. She will be surrounded with talented faculty who are dedicated to providing a safe, secure, orderly, and loving environment. St. Mary’s Early Childhood Center (ECC) will be a happy place for her to learn, grow, and thrive. The Early Childhood curriculum is designed to create a stimulating learning environment organized around major concepts and skills. Real and vicarious experiences are provided, and children are encouraged to explore and discover the wonders of their world. Natural curiosity and creativity are fostered through art, music, language arts, mathematics, technology, Spanish language instruction, the social and physical sciences, and creative and dramatic play. These activities promote mental, social, physical, and emotional development. Our goal for your daughter is to give her a happy and successful year of fun-filled activities, new friends, and opportunities to learn and grow. We hope the information in this book will be helpful to you. We request that you read the handbook and sign the form in the back to school electronic packet indicating compliance. This form should be returned with all other forms by August 11. Don’t hesitate to contact the teachers or me if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions. Thank you for your help and support. Sincerely, Dr. Jeanne Wilson Head of Early Childhood

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Mission Statement The mission of St. Mary’s Episcopal School is to provide a superior educational experience for girls, which will encourage and enable each student to reach her individual potential. St. Mary’s is an independent college preparatory school for girls from diverse socioeconomic, ethnic, and religious backgrounds in St. Mary’s Place through grade twelve. St. Mary’s provides a superior education, which encourages each girl to reach her individual potential and succeed in a global environment. Students are nurtured in an inclusive Episcopal community, which fosters spiritual growth, respect for diversity, and service to others. Students grow in a secure environment of trust, which promotes the development of self-discipline, integrity, and honorable behavior.

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Moss Hall Traditions

St. Mary’s Moss Hall Prayer

Father, bless our school today. Be in all we do and say.

Be in every song we sing. Every prayer to Thee we bring. And may we in our lessons see Something teaching us of Thee.

Moss Hall Creed

I believe in God above. I believe in Jesus’ love. I believe His Spirit, too,

Comes to teach me what to do. I believe that I should be

Kind and gentle, Lord, like Thee.

Day By Day

Day by day Dear Lord of Thee three things I pray:

To see Thee more clearly, Love Thee more dearly,

Follow Thee more nearly, Day by day.

Alma Mater

St. Mary’s, St. Mary’s, shine thy guiding light Down every dark pathway and lead us aright,

Let thy truth eternal illumine our way, And grant us thy wisdom to guide us each day.

School Colors: Blue and White

School Motto: “Light and Life” School Mascot: The Turkey

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School Address and Telephone Numbers Marlene R. Shaw

Early Childhood Center 71 North Perkins, 38117

Office: 901-537-1456 Fax: 901-537-3184 Head of Early Childhood Dr. Jeanne Wilson 901-537-1456 Administrative Assistant Jacinta Miller 901-537-1456 School Nurse Judy Bearman 901-537-1457 School Nurse on Friday Lindsay Adams 901-537-1457 Cafeteria (FLIK) Penny Stewart 901-537-1463 PursuitsCare Director Sarah Jenks 901-537-1482 Pursuits Business Manager Kacie O’Kelley 901-537-1415

School Hours

Early Room – (For PK - SK) 7:15 - 7:50 a.m. Morning Classes - St. Mary’s Place 8:00 - 12:00 noon Pre-K & Jr. K 8:00 - 12:00 noon Full Day- SMP, PK, JK, SK 8:00 - 3:00 PursuitsCare Program 3:00 - 6:00

Faculty Information

St. Mary’s Place: Allison Coates Liza Fletcher Tamiko Alexander Martha May Nancy Wilson PK Teachers: Becky Maddux Cynthia Dickson Jean McMahon Rosanne Anderson Lucy Gardner JK Teachers: Sallie Harris Lake Bailey Allison Warren Meredith Jamieson Helene Harris Lizzie Folk SK Teachers: Shelley Herzke Barbara Snyder Teila Walker Art- Molly Logan Bible- Mary Henry Thompson Creative Movement-Jean McMahon Library-Caryn Brannen & Laura Ginsberg Learning Specialist-Teresa Jenkins P.E.- Wendy Gallik and Mickey Pitts Music- Lindsay Hammond Spanish- Kim Robison Science- Meagan Michael

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Early Childhood Center 2017-2018 Calendar

August 11 All SMP, New PK & JK/SK Early Childhood New Parent Orientation-8:00 a.m.

All Returning Students Parent Orientation-9:00 a.m.- In Classrooms

14 Classes Begin (for designated half-class) SMP 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. PK/JK/SK 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. 15 Classes Begin (for designated half-class)

SMP 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. PK/JK/SK 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. 16 All 5 and 3 Day PK & SMP, JK & SK attend 1/2 day 17 All SMP/PK/JK/SK students attend regular schedule Full Day classes begin

September 1 Student Individual Pictures 4 Labor Day – School Holiday

11 SMP/PK Coffee – 8:00 a.m. EC Gilmore Lynn Room 14 JK/SK Coffee – 8:00 a.m. EC Gilmore Lynn Room 17 Moss Hall Family Fun Day, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. – MH Playground 20 - 21 Speech and Hearing Screening

22 JK Daddy Doughnut Day - 8:00 a.m. 26 Student Individual Picture Make-up Day 28 Classroom Photos 29 Parent/Teacher Conference (Student Holiday)

October 5-9 Fall Break (Thursday, Friday, Monday) 12 - 13 Early Childhood Eye Screening 26 Halloween Bazaar

November 3 End of 1st Trimester 17 Early Childhood Progress Report Go Online/Home

21 Grandparents' Day for SK and 4th Grade, 9:00 a.m. 22 - 24 Thanksgiving Holiday

December 15 Christmas Holidays Begin

SMP/PK/JK/SK dismiss at 12:00 noon

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January 3 Classes Resume 15 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - School Holiday February 7 PK Nursery Rhyme Day, 9:00a.m. 16 End of Second Trimester 16 Faculty In-service/Student Holiday 19 Presidents' Day/Student Holiday March 2 Early Childhood Progress Reports Online

9 -16 Spring Break 19 Classes Resume 23 Parent/Teacher Conferences (Student Holiday) 30 Good Friday – School Holiday

April 2 Easter Monday – School Holiday May 16 PK Class Day, 9:00a.m. (1/2 Day for all PK students) 18 End of 3rd Trimester 20 Baccalaureate 21 Upper School Graduation

21 SK No School, Regular school day for SMP, PK, JK & 1-4th grade

22 Regular School day for ECC & 1-4th grade 22 JK Tea Party, 9:30a.m. 24 SK Class Day, 8:30a.m. 24 SMP Class Day 11:00a.m 25 Last Day of School – Noon Dismissal Occasionally an event will have to be rescheduled. Be sure to check the St. Mary’s website @ www.stmarysschool.org and the Tuesday email reminder for any changes and for additional activities and events.

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Arrival & Dismissal Procedures

The following arrival and dismissal procedures are designed to provide the safest and most expedient way to handle the extensive traffic that we have at the beginning and at the end of the school day. Teachers assist on the porch at these times in both “fair and foul” weather. Please help speed up the process and ensure that children get in the correct carpool by reading and following these procedures carefully. At the 3:00 p.m. dismissal time, children not picked up within 20 minutes will go to PursuitsCare. Don’t hesitate to call the school office if you have any questions. The left lane is for cars dropping off Early Childhood students only. Stop at the stop sign between ECC & Moss Hall buildings. This allows teachers to take Early Childhood students across the traffic lanes. You must travel completely around the Early Childhood Center to the front of the building, where teachers will assist students from their cars. Carpool traffic will exit to Perkins. The gates on these two traffic lanes will close at 8:00 a.m. There are two different lanes entering from Perkins on the north side of the Early Childhood Center that circle the building. The lane on the right side is for LS and JK-SK siblings, which will unload on the south side between the Early Childhood building and Moss Hall. As you go around the building, stop at the stop sign. This allows teachers to take Early Childhood students across the traffic lanes. After dropping off students, this traffic continues in the same lane East from the canopy through the middle Perkins exit. This lane is for carpools made up of LS, JK, and SK girls. No SMP or PK girls may be dropped off at this carpool lane. Early Childhood students should not arrive at the Walnut Grove entrance. Severe Weather In the event of severe weather (with or without warning sirens) during the unloading or loading of carpools and the dismissal of older students to their cars, we will keep girls in our care, having all students go to the pre-arranged Severe Weather Drill areas. Carpool lines and school dismissal will be paused; especially when lightning is present, until it is safe to resume. Parents and children still in cars are welcome to park and join us inside the building in our safe areas. Morning Arrival Teachers begin duty on the porches at 7:15 a.m. and end at 8:00 a.m. Early Room is open at 7:15. PK, JK, and SK students go to their classroom at 7:50. SMP students go to their classroom at 7:30.

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If there is not a teacher on duty between 7:15 and 7:30 you must park in a visitor’s parking space and walk your daughter into the building. You may not at anytime leave your car in the carpool line and walk her in. Use the time waiting in the line to unbuckle seat belts, help children gather up belongings, and exchange hugs and kisses. Please pull up to wherever a teacher is unloading. If at all possible, have your daughter ready to exit on the side of the car the teachers are unloading. We ask that you do not allow your daughter to stand up in the sunroof or sit in your lap while driving around the carpool line. A sudden stop even at 5 miles an hour could cause her to get hurt. Please, no cell phone usage while moving through the carpool line. It is mandatory to turn off your cell phone, and put your car in park when loading or unloading students from your car. St. Mary’s Place Arrival Our youngest girls may be dropped off at the ECC front porch in the regular carpool line between 7:15 and 8:00. Each morning a member of our faculty will be assigned to greet our St. Mary’s Place girls and take them to the GLR from 7:15 to 7:30 and to their class between 7:30 and 8:00. Parents may also choose to park and walk their daughters into the GLR before 7:30 or to their class after 7:30. If you plan on walking in, please note that our carpool lines are busy and often make parking in front of the ECC difficult. If you arrive between 7:15 and 7:45 or after 8:10 it will be easier. Designated “visitors” parking places will be available at the front of the Shaw Early Childhood Center for your safety and convenience. By 8:30 each morning our SMP classes are well within their morning routines with their teachers. Therefore, if you arrive after 8:30, you will need to stop by the office and Ms. Miller will walk your daughter down to her classroom. As the school year goes into the second semester we begin to give our girls opportunities to become a bit more independent in choices they make in the classroom and through increased use of language. To further their growing independence, once they have transitioned back into school after the Christmas holidays, we will ask that you either use the carpool lines for arrival or walk your daughter into the atrium and we will have someone walk her to her classroom. First Days of School For All Grade Levels The first few mornings of the new school year, all parents may park and walk their daughters into school after carpool lines are finished (8:05). However, by the second week of school, PK, JK, and SK girls should arrive at school by 8:00 and be dropped off through the regular carpool line. For safety reasons, drivers are not allowed to park and walk to the porch to drop off their child

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unless there is a special circumstance, in which case the parent should call Dr. Wilson to make special arrangements.

Carpool Map 7:15a.m. Arrival and 3:00pm Dismissal 12 Noon Dismissals Special Note: St. Mary’s Place St. Mary’s Place Girls may be dismissed from their room between 11:30 and 2:45 or met in the Atrium at 2:50. You may also choose to have your daughter leave from the front porch as part of our regular carpool routine. 12 Noon Carpool Line for SMP, PK, and JK Half-Day Students Enter the North driveway, go to the back of the Early Childhood, make a U turn at the cones then drive back to the front of the Early Childhood to pick up your daughter or carpool and exit the middle driveway. (To buckle up the children, pull to the side of the Early Childhood building and leave a space for departing traffic.) For safety reasons, drivers are not allowed to park and walk to the porch to pick up their child unless there is a special circumstance, in which case the parent should call Dr. Wilson to make special arrangements.

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ECC Carpool Map 12:00 noon dismissal When there is a noon dismissal for all students at the Moss Hall campus, we will use the following 3:00 p.m. dismissal procedure. 3:00 Afternoon Dismissal Special Note: St. Mary’s Place St. Mary’s Place Girls may be dismissed from their room between 2:30 and 2:45 or met in the Atrium at 2:50. You may also choose to have your daughter leave from the front porch as part of our regular carpool routine. 3:00pm Carpool Lines The North drive gate opens at 2:30. Enter the Early Childhood campus by the same method as arrival. EC & LS combined carpools will be in the right lane. Early Childhood singles (non-carpool students) and Early Childhood carpools only will be in the left lane. Move around the Early Childhood to the front of the building for pick up and exit at Perkins North Exit (No left turn). A traffic guard will be available at the middle driveway to help you exit onto Perkins. After 3:20 children will go to Pursuits.

St. Mary’s Episcopal School Early Childhood Center

Carpool Map 12:00 dismissal only

Perkins Road Carpools enter here for 12:00 dismissal

Moss Hall

Hyde Building Grades

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Davis Building Grades

1-2 Shaw Early Childhood

Center (ECC)

ECC Porch

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The Early Childhood porch is generally for single pickup and the Moss Hall drive is for group carpools (2 or more children). Carpools of Early Childhood students may be picked up at the Early Childhood porch. 1. Assigned Drive--Please be sure to use the drive assigned to your carpool.

This is where your child or carpool will be waiting for you. Remember to tell anyone else who picks up your child, which drive to use.

2. Carpool Cards--St. Mary’s carpool cards will be issued at the beginning of the year according to the information submitted on the beginning of school carpool form. If new carpools are formed during the school year, new cards will be issued to those families. Please contact one of the administrative assistants if you need additional cards. This card should be mounted near the bottom of the windshield on the passenger side for the Perkins Drive between the EC and Moss Hall buildings and on the driver side for 3:00 p.m. EC carpools. Please leave this identification in place until your child is in your vehicle. You must send a note to school that identifies the person who will pick up your child. If we have not received a note or if the driver does not have an official St. Mary’s carpool card, your daughter will not be allowed to leave until we have confirmation from you, her parent.

3. Carpool Change Procedures a. Best and Safest Procedure – Send a note or email to your child’s teacher

in the morning regarding any carpool changes. Please put your daughter’s first and last name, date, grade and class on each note and the time your child will leave the school. The note should be sent in your child’s folder to her teachers in the morning.

b. Second Best – If there is a change during the day, you must call the office (537-1456) thirty minutes before dismissal. This will give us time to notify your child’s teacher and the carpool callers of the changes.

c. Emergencies – If there is an emergency and it is after 3:00, the carpool driver must park and sign the child (children) out with their respective division administrative assistant. Children may not leave the porch without being dismissed by a teacher.

d. PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO INFORM THE CARPOOL DRIVER OF ANY CHANGE.

e. ALL carpool drivers must have an official St. Mary’s carpool sign displayed. f. Should any of the above procedures not be in place, your daughter

will not be allowed to leave until we have confirmation from you, her parent.

4. If a child is not picked up within 20 minutes of dismissal time, she will be taken to PursuitsCare and a $20 charge will applicable.

5. Walkers-Special arrangements must be made with the Head of Early Childhood for the children who walk or ride a bicycle to or from school.

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6. If you are walking to and from school with your dog, you must hold him/her in your arms when approaching the Early Childhood porch.

7. Drivers are not allowed to park and walk to the porch to pick up their child unless they have a daughter in St. Mary’s Place or there is a special circumstance.

8. The speed limit around the Early Childhood building is 5 MPH. Planned Dismissal During the Day Any child who needs to leave during the day for any reason must have a note. This note needs to be given to her teacher the first thing in the morning and can be placed in her blue folder. Any parent picking up a child during the school day must check in at the front desk. The administrative assistant will call for the child to come to the front. This is less disturbing to the class and gives the administrative assistant the information that they need should a question arise as to the whereabouts of a child. This also ensures your child’s safety. Please do not go to the classroom.

Attendance

Regular attendance is essential for systematic academic progress and establishes responsible and positive attitudes toward learning as well as feelings of security. Young children thrive on consistency. Therefore, if at all possible, parents should plan appointments and family trips around the school calendar.

Absences Please call Ms. Miller before 9:00 a.m. if your child will not be able to attend school because of illness or family emergency. If you know in advance of a planned absence, please notify your teachers and Dr. Wilson prior to the absence date. We are required by state law to check the attendance of each child daily and doing so provides important carpool information.

Make-up Work Because your child’s teacher can best explain classroom assignments, make-up work will not be sent home before or during any absence. In the case of a lengthy illness (5+ days), your daughter’s teacher will contact you, as she deems necessary with essential make-up work. Special Activities Siblings in grades 1-4 are permitted to attend their younger sister’s birthday snack if these activities occur during Lower School morning break or recess; Hilary Robinson, Head of Lower School, should be notified prior to any such event.

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Behavior Expectations Grounded in the Bridge to Caring, the Early Childhood Center is a fun, happy, and nurturing place where girls develop socially and emotionally, as well as academically. There are behavioral expectations in place to foster appropriate academic and character development. These expectations help the girls learn to show respect for themselves and others around them and to develop their gifts in the classrooms, enabling them to reach their unique individual potential. Children function best with consistency in an orderly, safe environment in which expectations are clear and gently, but firmly, upheld. With the Golden Rule as the basis of all that we teach, we have 2 overriding expectations for our girls: (1) we keep our hands and feet to ourselves, and (2) we do what we are asked to do, the first time we are asked. We expect the girls to know that name calling, spitting, biting, hitting, using intimidating words, or hurting another child is not acceptable. In the event that a child has consistent difficulty in following these age appropriate expectations, appropriate steps will be taken to help her learn to make better choices. The 1-2-3 Magic plans are used throughout Early Childhood. (1-2-3 Magic by Thomas W. Phelan & Sarah Jane Schonour). With this plan, our girls are “counted,” with 1 being the first warning, followed by 2, then 3 if the behavior continues. At the count of 3, the child is asked to take a few minutes of “time out” to reflect on her behavior. If a child has more than usual difficulty complying with appropriate expectations, a note will be written to her parents with an explanation of action steps taken. If your child receives a conduct note, use this as an opportunity to discuss the behavior with her. Parents can help by teaching their child to accept the consequences of her behavior. Learning to accept and profit from a reprimand is one of life's most important lessons. Should behaviors continue, a conference will be called with the division head. Repeated offenses may result in asking the parent to pick up their daughter immediately from school. Please remember that young children are in the process of learning how to handle their feelings and their behavior. It is essential to have ongoing communication between parents and teachers to resolve any behavioral or any other issues that may occur. We encourage parents to call, email or ask for a conference with their daughter’s teachers and/or Dr. Wilson so we can work together to resolve inappropriate behaviors.

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Forgotten Work, Materials, or Lunch Children learn responsibility by being responsible. If your child forgets her lunch, she can use her FLIK debit card. FLIK will notify you when you need to add money to the debit card. Forgotten materials or lunches may be left with Ms. Miller, the administrative assistant, at the Early Childhood front desk. After afternoon dismissal, children may not return to the classroom to retrieve forgotten materials. Bullying Policy We do not accept bullying behavior at St. Mary’s. Bullying is defined as any behavior that diminishes another person, including, but not limited to teasing, intimidation, frightening, hurting, or excluding. We, as a school, address these behaviors in our Character Education program and special emphasis is placed on preventing and recognizing bullying. Playground Rules Buildings and playgrounds are for St. Mary’s Episcopal School use only. 1. Children are expected to welcome other children in games. 2. No hitting or hitting back is ever permitted. This includes throwing anything at

another person. 3. No “social” clubs are allowed, nor do children have the right to "stake out"

areas for exclusive play. 4. Children are to stay within the playground area, away from the fence, unless

they are with a teacher. 5. Children are to walk to and from the playground. 6. No climbing up the slide. 7. No standing, sitting, or moving backwards on the monkey bars. 8. No playing on the play equipment while wearing a helmet. 9. No climbing on the fence is permitted. 10. Teachers and parents must not lift students onto play equipment that is too

high for them. When she can use the equipment independently, she will be much safer.

Wheel Toys Children must have a note from parents regarding whether or not the child should wear a helmet while riding wheel toys. If a parent requires a helmet, they must furnish it and it must be labeled with the child’s name. Cafeteria Rules While enjoying a nutritious lunch, children also have the opportunity to visit with friends in a clean and pleasant environment. It is also a time for children to practice good manners and develop the social graces appropriate to their age.

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Listed below are the expectations for each girl:

1. Always use good manners and appropriate language. Don’t forget “please" and "thank you” when asking for assistance from our cafeteria staff and cafeteria help.

2. Talk quietly with those near you. No playing games. 3. No talking while the lights are out (approximately 5 min). 4. Make each girl feel welcome at your table by not saving places. 5. Eat your own lunch. Do not trade lunches with other children or give food to

one another. 6. Remain in your seat until the teacher on duty or your homeroom teacher

dismisses you. While waiting for dismissal, gather up your trash. 7. Do not leave trash or food on the floor or tables. 8. Stack your trays neatly and dispose of trash carefully. 9. Recycle your water bottles.

Items From Home Please do not allow your child to bring food, candy, gum, toys, umbrellas, money, stickers, sticker books, jewelry (either real or costume), or watches to school unless they are for a special activity that has been approved by the teacher. Animals at School St. Mary’s Pet Policy

• All classrooms, school buildings, and campus grounds, with the exception of the carpool lines, are pet free.

• Certified service animals will be accepted on campus on a case-by-case basis. While St. Mary’s understands that animals can be certified through online resources, St. Mary’s requires certification from a veterinarian of our choosing who understands the unique needs of a school environment. All certifications must be cleared through the office of the Assistant Head of School.

• Any animal showing aggressive behavior at any time will be banned from campus.

• Our carpool lines are especially populated with dogs. Please remember that many children are afraid of dogs, and not all faculty members feel comfortable around dogs. Please keep dogs tethered while in a car so they are unable to leave the car, hang out of windows, or reach the hands or arms of a teacher who may be helping children as they enter or exit cars.

• If you walk your dog and your child to school, please note that you must walk your child to the nearest teacher at the carpool station. Please

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remember that not all children like dogs. Please do not linger with your pet or engage your pet in any way with the children. If problems arise around this situation, the school reserves the right to revoke this privilege.

Birthdays/Seasonal Parties/Special Occasions Birthday Snacks We love celebrating birthdays at St. Mary’s! Parents and siblings are welcome to join the class and bring a special snack for the “birthday girl” and her classmates on this special day. Please be sure the snack is nut free. Do not send “goodie bags” or “favors” for birthday celebrations. Your daughter’s teacher should know your plans at least two days before so that she can help coordinate treats in the event that two girls share the same birthday. Birthday Pencils St. Mary’s Birthday Pencils are given in chapel every Wednesday for girls celebrating their birthdays during the week (Sunday to Saturday). Individual Birthday Parties and Invitations St. Mary’s does not ask that a family invite every girl in their daughter’s class to her birthday party. We know that birthday parties are as individual as our girls! We understand that it is not always possible or desirable to invite every child in your daughter’s class to her birthday celebration. If you decide to have a small party, please remind her of the importance of not discussing her party plans and guest list at school where she could be overheard and feelings could be hurt. At St. Mary’s, we stress kindness and consideration toward others. We also ask that invitations are mailed if a family decides to have a small party; if a party includes all the girls in the class, invitations may be distributed at school. Balloons and Flowers Please do not arrange to have balloon-a-grams, treat bags, or other similar surprises sent to the school on birthdays or at any time. Birthday Books You may want to celebrate your child’s birthday by contributing a book to the library. A special bookplate is placed in the book in her honor and a photo of her with her special book is exhibited in the front hall. The librarian will be happy to assist you with this program. Teachers’ Birthdays The celebration of a teacher’s birthday should be limited to personal cards and letters. In an effort to keep things simple among faculty and staff, we ask that there

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are no parties, gifts, or special arrangements for teachers, administration, and staff birthdays. Special Class Activities On holidays and other special occasions, some parents will be needed to help in the classroom with activities and refreshments. A sign-up sheet will be available in each classroom at the beginning of school for you to volunteer. One of the room parents will contact parent volunteers. Younger brothers and sisters are not invited for these activities so you can devote your entire attention to the needs of this class and your daughter. On Halloween, please do not send or allow your child to wear her “trick-or-treat” costume to class. School Events and Social Media St. Mary’s respects the privacy of its students and families. As a community of caring, we ask that you show the same consideration when using images captured at school events in social media outlets.

Cafeteria Information Early Childhood Lunch Time

SMP - 12:00 Noon PK - 12:20p.m. - 12:50p.m. JK & SK - 12:40 - 1:10p.m.

SMP – 12:00p.m. In their room Call the cafeteria manager website address: http://www.stmarysschool.org/student-life/flik-dining Parents are welcome to occasionally have lunch with their daughters during their lunchtime. Please remember that you will need to sign in at the Early Childhood front desk. Lunch may be brought from home or purchased from FLIK Dining, our on-campus caterer. If you bring a lunch for your child, please do not bring soft drinks or candy. Please sit with your daughter at the guest table. During lunch, the quiet period allows the girls a short, uninterrupted eating time. We ask that you also respect this quiet time. Please remember that lunch times is a wonderful opportunity for your daughter to interact with her friends. Therefore, we ask that you limit your coming to the occasional visit. FLIK offers plans to cover each semester or the full year. A declining balance plan is also available. Every child is assigned a PIN to use in the cafeteria. Please seehttp://www.stmarysschool.org/student-life/flik-dining on the St. Mary’s website

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for more information on menus and payment methods. Please set up a free account with www.MySchoolBucks.com. From the website, you can see what your daughter is purchasing and load money to her account. Talk with your daughter to help her understand what, if anything, is acceptable to purchase. We encourage all families to keep a minimum balance of $10 on your daughter’s declining balance account at all times so that she can eat in the cafeteria if she has forgotten her lunch or maybe wants to add something to her lunch. You can set your account to generate a notification if your balance falls below a dollar amount you set. Negative Cafeteria Balances: If your daughter uses the declining balance plan to purchase her lunches and her balance falls below zero, she will be allowed to purchase the offered lunch two times. At that time, she will be given a note to take home asking to reload her account. If her account is not reloaded by the third day, she will be given only a sunflower butter sandwich and a glass of water. Nut Free Environment Due to the number of our students with life threatening food allergies to nuts

and peanuts, we strive for a nut free environment here on the North

Campus. Students with this allergy cannot have foods that contain nuts or

peanuts, nut or peanut oils, or have been processed in a facility that also

processes nut or peanut products.

What parents need to do:

� Read the labels of all snacks, treats, lunches you send to school

� Do not send in foods that list peanuts/tree nuts in the ingredient list

� Do not send peanut butter sandwiches in the lunchbox

� Put a note in the lunch box if sending in a soybutter or sunbutter

sandwich

� Check with the classroom teacher if you are unsure of a food

If a child has peanut or other nut-based butter in her lunch, we will provide

another sandwich and send a reminder note to parents.

Morning Snack All children in the Early Childhood Division enjoy a morning snack provided by FLIK. Snack menus (and lunch menus) will be posted monthly on the St. Mary’s

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website. If your child is allergic to milk or other foods, please give us a written note from your child’s physician for our files.

Campus Security Parent/Visitor Sign In

For school security, all visitors, including parents, are required to use the Early Childhood front entrance and must obtain a nametag. A security guard is on duty throughout the day. For the safety of your child, we have instructed all faculty and staff to question any person without a nametag. Please do not go to the playground, cafeteria, or other areas without obtaining a nametag from the EC or LS office. Visits to classrooms (including special subjects) are reserved for parents and guardians and should be arranged in advance with the child’s teacher. Other relatives and friends are welcome to visit at chapel, at lunch, or when the child celebrates her birthday at school. We are constantly looking for ways to make our campus as secure as possible and ask that you help us by being aware of strangers in the area, and with “piggyback”access to the buildings. When arriving, if you see someone that you do not know, you might inquire if their daughter goes to St. Mary’s or what grade they are in so you have some idea of who they may be. Direct them to the office to sign in and get a nametag. Also be aware when leaving the building, allow the administrative assistant or someone in the office to inquire what the person at the door wants before opening the door. We want you to be safe as well as everyone in our building.

Chapel and Character Education

St. Mary’s Episcopal identity statement can be found at http://www.stmarysschool.org/aboutstmarys/episcopal-tradition/index.aspx In the ECC we seek out many opportunities to teach our girls to love and respect others and themselves. We encourage acts of kindness for people we know, and people we do not know. Services especially geared to Early Childhood-aged children are on Wednesday at 8:15 in the Gilmore Lynn Room in the Shaw Early Childhood Center. Parents or other relatives and guests are always welcome. Birthday pencils are given to girls whose birthdays fall within the week (Sunday through Saturday). Occasionally Chapel will fall on another day of the week; please be sure to check your school

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calendar. Please check in at the Early Childhood front desk before attending Chapel. Character Education The Character Education program is an integral part of the Early Childhood curriculum and is designed to promote spiritual and moral growth in our students. The goals of the program are to: 1. Sustain, nurture, and promote moral development 2. Provide reference points for cultural and ethical choice 3. Teach children to use universal virtues as their anchor 4. Teach children to use universal virtues for decision-making We call this program the “Bridge to Caring.” The Bridge is held up with two pillars: respect and responsibility. Using these values as the pillars to the bridge, faculty and staff focus on the following eight virtues as monthly themes. Character Education Monthly Themes

•September Respect Showing consideration for myself and others •October Responsibility Doing what you have to do, when you have to do it, whether you want to or not •November Thankfulness Being grateful for the things that we have, the kindness shown, and the world around us

•December Kindness Responding to the needs of others without expecting something in return •January Kindness Thinking before acting and speaking •February Self-Control Being strong enough to do what is right •March Courage Being truthful and fair to myself and others •April Honesty Working and playing well with others • May Cooperation Reviewing and honoring the year

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Service Learning Part of the Character Education program involves charity and service learning. We are involved in various types of service throughout the year: service to our school, service to each other, and service to outside agencies. One of our favorite projects in Early Childhood is Heifer International, Inc. Heifer International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending hunger and poverty and caring for the earth through gifts of livestock and education. Every spring the ECC supports Heifer’s work by raising money through lemonade stands, a wishing well and doing chores around the home. Over the years, the girls have bought hundreds of chicks, goats, ducks, bees, sheep and other animals for families in the United States and throughout the world.

Communication Policy St. Mary’s seeks to support each student and her parents in matters related to school through regular and appropriate communication that informs while following legal guidelines. Because St. Mary’s values the partnership with parents, all communications generated by the school will be distributed to all parents and legal guardians within legal guidelines. Daily Communication We will publish weekly reminders through our Early Childhood website. In addition, you will receive a class newsletter each Friday with information about special projects, curriculum topics, upcoming events, and special subjects. Smileboxes, Twitter messages, and/or Podcasts may also be used. The Early Childhood News page found on the website links to the school calendar and cafeteria menus. Emails Email is also an acceptable method of communication between you and your daughter’s teachers. Please remember that our teachers’ first responsibility during the day is to your child. Emails will be answered as quickly as possible. Be sure that you have our e-mail address in your address book so our emails will not go to your junk/spam folder. Please inform your child’s teacher if you are unable to access these bulletins. St. Mary’s Blue Folder Your daughter’s blue St. Mary’s folder is another safe and convenient method of getting notes and schoolwork to and from school. Make sure you check it daily and return it each morning. Forms for permission to field trips or other events will also

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be in emails or on the website for you to download, sign, and return in your daughter’s book bag. Book Bags All new students will receive a St. Mary’s book bag and returning students may use the one they had last year or replace it by purchasing a new one through the Parents Association. Backpacks are not acceptable. Key chains on book bags are not allowed in the ECC. Parent Participation Open communication between the home and the school is beneficial to your child’s educational experiences. We will keep you informed of events at school. Please keep us informed of changes and events at home, i.e. moving, death in the family (including pets), or overnight guests. If either or both parents will be out of town, please inform the teachers and include the arrangements made for the student. Contacting the Teacher or Head of Early Childhood Please call the Head of Early Childhood and/or teachers at home only in case of emergency. For non-emergency calls, Jacinta Miller, EC Administrative Assistant, will set up an appointment or have the teacher or Head of Early Childhood return your call during a free period. Legal Policy St. Mary’s seeks to support each student and her parents in matters related to school through regular and appropriate communication that informs while following legal guidelines. Because St. Mary’s values the partnership with parents, all communications generated by the School will be distributed to all parents and legal guardians within legal guidelines. All divorced families will need to file Tennessee’s Permanent Parenting Plan (or other state Parenting Plan) with St. Mary’s. In all matters, legal directives regarding custody issues, visitation, and communication will be followed. Compliance with Federal, State and Diocesan Regulations St. Mary’s Episcopal School complies with Federal, State and Diocesan regulations concerning reporting suspected cases of child abuse or sexual harassment. The school also complies with court ordered child custody decisions, environmental safety regulations, and asbestos abatement and OSHA regulation. Employment background checks and fingerprinting are required for all school personnel.

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Curriculum Learning happens when children have the opportunity to explore ideas in a nurturing environment where they are encouraged to interact with their teachers, peers and materials. Through meaningful experiences, our girls learn new skills and concepts that support inquiry-based learning. Ours is an emergent curriculum that is led by the interests of the students. Integrated into daily lessons and projects, our girls learn to: • build upon her natural sense of wonder • investigate the world around her • explore new concepts and ideas • engage in meaningful play • learn to cooperate in a group • practice communicating effectively with others • develop a sense of autonomy A great emphasis is placed on the development of all areas of literacy; written language, spoken language, and listening. Focusing on beginning writing and reading readiness skills, we also introduce our girls to a wealth of literature and give them opportunities to engage in the creative process of telling their own stories. Our math program is a developmental program that encourages an interest in mathematic concepts. Basic concepts are introduced and taught through interactive experiences that emphasize the use of mathematics everyday. This “hands on” approach to math has proven to be both effective and enjoyable. Technology is integrated into and supports every aspect of our program in a meaningful and appropriate way. Our program is enhanced by special subject areas that include Spanish, Physical Education, Creative Movement, Music, Art, Science and Library.

Dress Code School clothes should be comfortable and designed for active wear. Our EC girls are active participants everyday in their classrooms. While we try to make sure that glue, paint, markers, etc. stays on writing surfaces and not on your daughter’s clothes, accidents happen! We ask that you dress your daughter in play clothes for her school day so that she is comfortable participating in all activities. Please label your daughter’s clothes; no initials, please. ECC Division Dress Code For safety, tennis shoes with non-scuff soles and socks are required daily. All tennis shoes must be appropriate for active play. Shoes must have laces, Velcro closures, or another secure closure; no backless or open-toed tennis shoes are allowed. On P.E. days, tennis shoes should have white soles; on other days black

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soles are acceptable. Toms, Merrills, Uggs, Crocs, Keens, Topsiders, or boots are not acceptable. If your daughter does not come to school in tennis shoes, you will be asked to bring her a pair. 1. Children play outside daily and should be appropriately dressed for any weather, hot or cold. 2. Shorts should be an appropriate length. 3. T-shirts with the St. Mary’s logo or other appropriate logos are appropriate. 4. Blue jeans, jean shorts, or blue jean overalls are not permitted except on a designated Blue Jean Day. Denim dresses; jumpers and skirts are always permitted. 5. On P.E. day, children should wear pants, skorts, or shorts under a dress or skirt. 6. For safety reasons, no jewelry should be worn to school. Only small stud pierced earrings are allowed. The school will not be responsible for loss of jewelry worn to school. 7. Hats are to be worn outside only, except on special occasions. 8. Raincoats with hoods are perfect for rainy days. No Umbrellas! If boots are worn, a pair of tennis shoes must be sent so that your daughter can change out of her boots. The school greatly appreciates parental support in its effort to maintain a consistent code of dress. Lost and Found Please label all of your child’s belongings. We will be happy to try to keep your child and her possessions together. This is possible only if all personal belongings, especially sweaters, coats, mittens, etc., and lunch boxes are clearly labeled with her name. No initials, please! All leftover lost and found items are donated to a charitable organization at the end of school.

Emergency Preparedness & Procedures

Responsibilities of the School 1. Establish contact with all emergency response teams and crisis response teams as needed to respond quickly to the situation. 2. Contact parents whose children are directly involved in the emergency. We will use the Call-EM All automatic system for emergency only. 3. Establish a Parent Information Center where information can be obtained and checkout will be organized.

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Responsibilities of Parents 1. Parents are required to complete and update the Student Data and Emergency Information on-line. Indicate on the on-line form those individuals to whom your child may be released to go home following an evacuation. 2. Notify the school immediately when there is any change in your Emergency Form information. 3. Inform your children as to who is authorized to pick them up in case of an emergency. 4. Teach and remind your children to listen to instructions and cooperate with school officials and to stay calm. Assure them that they will not be left alone. Adults will be there until you or a designated adult can come. 5. Review these guidelines with all family members and authorized “emergency adults.” In Case of an Emergency 1. DO NOT CALL THE SCHOOL - Leave the phone lines open. School lines will be needed for emergency use. 2. PICK UP CHILDREN - Children will be evacuated to the appropriate soccer field on each campus. As soon as possible, pick up your children and any other child you have agreed to be responsible for on the Student Data and Emergency Form. 3. PARK ON THE STREET - Leave the driveways and parking lots open for emergency vehicles. Designated members of the staff will bring your child to the appropriate car/parent/emergency adult for pick up. Checkout stations will be located on the soccer field on the north side of the Early Childhood Center. (PK-4), in front of the Blaisdell Building (5-8) and in the Upper School parking lot behind the gymnasium. 4. SIGN OUT CHILDREN - Your child will be released only to a parent or authorized emergency adult.

Full Day Girls St. Mary’s Place, PK, and JK Full Day girls will be given the opportunity to make new friends and to create, explore, and enjoy a variety of activities in a relaxed environment. Full Day children have lunch, playtime, and a curriculum that supports and extends the morning units of study. Full Day as a "drop in program" is NOT an option. Full Day hours will be 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Please send the following items to school with your daughter:

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• a set of extra clothes in case of an accident. Please put these clothes in a zip-lock bag with your daughter’s name on it. (No Initials) Please refer to pg. 37 for our toilet training policy.

JK - a Happi Nappi is provided. St. Mary’s Place and PK - rest mats are provided by St. Mary’s. SK girls should bring a Happi Nappi or large towel for rest time. PK & JK - Please limit the number of items your daughter brings to school in her book bag. For full day, she may bring one small stuffed animal or doll and one small blanket. For lunch, please see information under cafeteria heading.

Field Trips/Parent Volunteers Field trips will be scheduled when they are appropriate to our curriculum. If you are driving or assisting with a trip please do not bring siblings. This is a special time for you and your child. Your undivided attention is needed to make the trip or activity safe and productive for all children. Also, field trip drivers should not bring or stop to get special treats for the girls riding in their cars. Each driver is responsible for the Child Passenger Restraint Law located on the Tennessee Department of Safety website. http://www.tennessee.gov/safety The school requires proof of insurance and driver’s license for all drivers of field trips.

Health Record and Emergency Infomation Each child must have on file in the Health Center an up-to-date St. Mary’s health form. If your child has had any inoculations this past year, she will need a new immunization record. All new students and rising senior kindergarten students must provide the school with an updated immunization record. You must obtain the Tennessee Immunization record from your child’s physician and give the school the original form; you should keep a copy for your family records. Please be sure to keep the school informed if there is a telephone, address, or e-mail change. It is also wise to let the teacher know when you will be out of town and what special arrangements will be made for your child if they become ill during school.

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Health Information/Health Services

Health You must keep your child home if they have any of the symptoms list below. If your child is experiencing any of these symptoms while at school, you will be called and asked to pick her up as soon as possible. 1. Fever of 100 degrees or more 2. Unexplained rash 3. Vomiting and/or diarrhea 4. Unexplained inflammation of the eyes or eyelids 5. Sore throat not related to allergies 6. Lice or lice nits 7. Injury that may need a doctor’s assessment Returning to School—Your daughter may return to school:

• 24 hours after being fever free without the aid of acetaminophen and ibuprofen

• 24 hours after last vomiting or episode of diarrhea and when she is back on regular food

• 24 hours after starting antibiotics for pink eye, strep throat, or other bacterial infection

• 24 hours after regaining strength and normal activity • 24 hours after hospitalization, including a visit to the emergency room • With a doctor’s note after treatment of severe bacterial infection, such as

MRSA. The above reasons are general and other extenuating circumstances may be evident after talking with a parent. Remember also, if your daughter is not well enough to be at school she is not well enough to attend after school activities, sports practices/games, birthday parties, sleepovers, or activities that put her into contact with other children. Health Record and the Emergency Information At the beginning of each school year parents must log into their child’s Magnus Health site to update and sign their child’s health record. The site can be accessed from the St. Mary’s website Parent’s Page using your MyBackPack login. All new students and senior kindergarten students must provide the school with an updated TN Immunization record. You may obtain the Tennessee Immunization Record from your child's physician.

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Please be sure to keep the school informed of all health conditions, medications, and if there is a telephone or address change. It is also wise to inform the school about when you will be out of town and others, such as grandparents or babysitters, will have responsibility for your daughter(s).

Medication Administration Policy POLICY: To support the student who must receive medications during school hours to promote optimal wellness. Whenever possible, medications, both prescription and non-prescription, should be dispensed at home. PROTOCOL: The school nurse, or those who have been trained by the school nurse, may assist the student in the self-administration of both prescription and non-prescription medication(s). PROCEDURE: The following steps must be taken for a medication to be dispensed at school.

1. No student may have prescription or non-prescription medication(s) on their person, in their purse or book bag, or in their locker. The only exceptions are: (1) Asthmatics may keep inhalers on their person for self-administration as needed, per doctor’s orders; (2) those with severe allergic reactions to food, insects or other agents may keep an antihistamine (such as Benadryl) and an EpiPen on their person, per doctor’s orders; and (3) diabetics may use an insulin pump which is attached to their person, per doctor’s orders.

2. The parent must supply and deliver to the Health Center all medications

taken at school. Medications may not be sent to school in the student’s book bag.

3. Non-Prescription Medication:

• The medication should be brought to school in its original container. • The dosage information must be legible. • The container must be labeled with the student’s name and grade. • The Non-Prescription Medication Authorization form must be

completed and accompany the medication. 4. Prescription Medication:

• The medication must be brought to school in its original container. • Prescription label must be intact with:

Student’s name Name of medication

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Medication dosage Route of medication Time(s) to receive medication Any alerts or warning labels must be legible

• The Prescription Medication Authorization form must be completed and accompany the medication.

5. Medication Authorization forms are available in each division office, the Health Center and on the St. Mary’s website.

6. Medications will be kept locked, in the St. Mary’s Health Center for students

on the Moss Hall campus, or in the MS office and in the US office, respectively, for that division’s students.

7. A record of medication administration will be kept in the respective

division’s Health Center or on the student’s Magnus Health site and will include: student’s name, medication, dosage, date, and time of administration.

8. At the end of the school year, the parent must pick-up the medication(s)

from the respective Health Center or division office.

The nurse, or in her absence a member of the Moss Hall staff, will distribute all medications according to these procedures. All medications will be kept in a locked cabinet and a record will be kept for each child any time a medication is dispensed. Teachers will be supplied with first aid supplies such as Band-Aids for the classroom. Teachers may not administer any medication in the classroom except EpiPen or assist with metered-dose inhalers.

Infectious and/or Communicable Disease Policy Summary

The unique interaction of students, teachers, administrators, and other personnel within a school community imposes upon all a responsibility to protect the school community against the introduction and spread of infectious and/or communicable diseases and from any disruptive effect upon the school community, which may be endangered by fear or a threat of the spread of diseases. Education is the primary line of defense, and St. Mary’s is firmly committed to an ongoing program designed to inform students, parents, teachers, administrators, and other personnel about such diseases and their risks and about the attendant responsibilities of the members of the school community. St. Mary’s has adopted an Infectious and/or Communicable Disease Policy (ICDP), which includes procedures, in order to minimize the opportunity for the

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introduction and spread of infectious and/or communicable diseases into or through the school community and to enable St. Mary’s to deal fairly and effectively with persons in the school community who may pose a threat to the well being of the school community by virtue of their having contracted, or having been exposed to, infectious and/or communicable diseases or by virtue of a belief that the possibility of such threats exist. The ICDP and its procedures apply to all students attending St. Mary’s and to all teachers, administrators, and other personnel employed by the school, including all persons serving the school in a volunteer capacity. For purposes of the policy, an infectious and/or communicable disease includes any medical condition wherein the physical contact by, or exposure of, persons having such condition to persons not having such condition renders the latter reasonably susceptible, under competent and current medical opinion, or developing or contracting such condition, or of transmitting it to others. Infected persons are defined under the policy to include both those persons who have been diagnosed as having an infectious and/or communicable disease, as well as those who are “asymptomatic carriers,” i.e., those who have been infected by an infectious and/or communicable disease and who are capable of transmitting it but who have not developed any of the symptoms of the disease. In order to determine if any student, employee, or volunteer is an infected person, the school may require such person to submit to medical examination by a licensed medical doctor chosen and paid by such person but approved by the school. The parent, employee, or volunteer will release the doctor to furnish St. Mary’s with a report of such examination, stating whether or not such person has an infectious and/or communicable disease. It is the duty of each student and her parent(s) or legal guardian(s) and of each school employee or volunteer, to immediately report to the head of school the existence of any infectious and/or communicable disease affecting such person that may reasonably call for special measures to be taken to protect the health of other persons in the school community. Upon receipt by the head of credible information that a student, school employee, or volunteer is suffering from an infectious and/or communicable disease, the head will, based upon information and/or medical opinions communicated to or obtained by the head, make an initial determination as to whether or not reasonable cause exists to exclude or limit such person, temporarily or permanently, from further participation in school activities that would bring such person into contact with other students, school employees, or volunteers. Each determination will be made on a case-by-case basis, and the affected student, employee, or volunteer will promptly be notified of the determination and the action to be taken based upon

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such determination. Any such determination and action will be subject to subsequent review and modification by the head of school, as the head deems appropriate in the circumstances. Any student or employee who is notified that he or she is to be excluded from or have limited in participation in school activities, has the right, provided that he/she gives notice to the head within ten (10) days after receipt of the head’s notices, to have the determination reviewed by an evaluation team under the procedures detailed in the ICDP. Pending the review by, and receipt of recommendation from the evaluation team, and a determination of the action to be taken based upon such recommendations, the head’s action excluding or limiting such person’s activities remain in force. The head’s determination to exclude or limit a volunteer’s participation is not subject to review or evaluation. Each evaluation will be made on a case-by-case basis by an evaluation team composed of doctors and other representatives selected by the affected person and by the school as specified in the ICDP. The team will make recommendations to the head as to whether or not, or to what extent the infected person will be permitted to attend class or to participate in school activities with students, school employees, or volunteers. The action which the head may take may include (but might not be limited to) excluding or limiting the activities or presence of such person at the school, suspending or terminating the enrollment of a student, suspending or terminating employment of a school employee, or reassigning the duties of an employee. The ICDP contains specific provisions and protections. Except as necessary or required, and as provided in the ICDP, the identity of, or information pertaining to any infected person obtained by the school, its head, or by an evaluation team and any action taken by the head will remain confidential and not be disclosed publicly. The ICDP provides certain other procedures and rights in connection with the implementation of the policy. A copy of the complete policy statement may be obtained from the school’s Business Office upon request.

Progress Reports The academic year is divided into three marking periods. In Early Childhood, the grading system is based on a child’s ability to demonstrate that she has made appropriate progress in academic, social, and emotional areas. Your child’s teachers will discuss this system with you so that you can analyze your daughter’s progress realistically.

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Be assured that our teachers will keep you posted if a sudden change in performance is noted, and parents should feel free to check on progress during the report period should a concern arise. The school calendar lists the dates when Progress Reports are sent home and/or are published on the website.

Parent Conferences Two conferences are scheduled each year -- one in the Fall and one in the Spring. These dates are listed on the school calendar. Please do not request appointments for a different day unless there is an emergency. To ensure good communication, separated and divorced parents are expected to attend the same conference. In addition, the teachers and the Head of Early Childhood are always eager to confer with you about your daughter’s progress or about any aspect of our program that concerns you. To arrange for an uninterrupted time, please call Ms. Miller, ECC Administrative Assistant, for an appointment or send a note in the book bag to the child’s teacher.

Pursuits Program The St. Mary’s Pursuits Program offers after-school care and nonacademic activities for St. Mary’s students. In the Early Childhood and Lower School, PursuitsCare is available for all students until 6:00 p.m. each school day. This program provides students with a safe and structured environment after school. After a snack and break time, older students are given an opportunity to complete homework assignments while younger students work with crafts, watch videos, or play group or individual games. The PursuitsCare staff is aware of the rules set forth in this handbook. They respect and follow these rules in the after-school program. Registration forms are available in the Fall Pursuits brochure. For more information, please contact Sarah Jenks, Director of the Pursuits Program, at 537-1482.

Schedules Teachers will give parents a copy of their daughter’s daily schedule at the beginning of the school year.

School Closings

Snow and Inclement Weather Day Procedure St. Mary's will make an independent decision regarding any school closures, late starts, or early dismissals. Announcements about school closures and emergency early dismissals will be communicated on the home page of the St.

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Mary’s website, through broadcast email, and, when possible, through automated telephone messaging. In the event of an unscheduled early dismissal, pick-up procedures will be communicated to parents this way, as well. In order to maintain an orderly dismissal, please do not come to the school until the school has communicated best pick up procedures.

Unscheduled/Emergency Midday Dismissal Procedures Parents, please keep one copy of this information in each of your cars in case of an emergency dismissal. When it is necessary to dismiss school before the scheduled time, there may be disorder and delay because many children are not picked up by the regular carpool driver. To avoid confusion and for the safety of your daughter, we have developed the following procedure for an emergency dismissal. It may take us longer to dismiss your child, but an orderly and safe dismissal is worth the delay. Please follow these procedures for a midday, unscheduled or emergency dismissal. 1. Please do not park and come in to get your child/carpool. Children will be brought to parent or carpool driver. 2. Come in your regular dismissal driveway. Teachers will be on the front porches with a clipboard and will ask you to write down your name and either the number of your carpool or the names of the children you are picking up. It will save a great deal of time if you have this written down already.

Special Events During the Year Family Fun Day Family Fun day is a fall tradition sponsored by The Parents Association. It is an afternoon of games, goodies, and fun times with friends. Halloween Bazaar The Halloween Bazaar is a tradition that dates back to 1959. The Bazaar is an Upper School Student Council fundraiser, which is fun for everyone. It starts after school and is held in the Barth Gym. Grandparents Day Grandparents Day is held each year the Tuesday morning before Thanksgiving. The Senior Kindergarten and Fourth grade classes perform a special musical program in the Hyde Gym followed by a reception and visit to each girl’s classroom.

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Class Days At the end of the school year, each grade level celebrates their year with a special event. SMP, PK and SK girls celebrate with class day programs. JK girls entertain their mothers with an end of school tea party. Class Days for first through fourth graders are held in the Hyde Gym. Graduation All Senior Kindergarten girls are flower girls at Graduation. Flower girls are selected through a drawing in early December. A senior may request a relative and also have a Sr. Kindergarten girl as her flower girl. Because of the difference in enrollment in the two grade levels, some seniors may have two flower girls. Parents of Sr. Kindergarten girls are invited to attend a meeting in January to discuss the plans for graduation and meet their daughter’s senior. Information regarding the date and time will be given when finalized. There will be three planned activities during the second semester in which the seniors and their flower girls will have an opportunity to get to know each other. The first is around the 100th day of school when the Senior Kindergartners will sing during the Upper School Chapel. A reception will follow chapel, giving the girls an opportunity to meet their senior. Two other dates will be arranged for the seniors to spend some time with their flower girls during the Sr. Kindergarten day. Information will be given later when activity plans are finalized. There will be two rehearsals for graduation. See the calendar for dates of practices. Senior Kindergarten students do not attend class on the day of Graduation, May 21.

Teacher Requests Teacher Requests-Class Composition Children are assigned to classes based on careful thought as to what makes the best class combination for all children. With this as our primary goal and due to the limited number of sections for each class, we cannot honor parent requests for certain teachers. The option to request a teacher is given only to parents of children who repeat a grade.

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Toilet Training

Students entering PK - SK must be toilet trained before the start of school. This includes independent use of the toilet, able to remove and replace clothing for bathroom use, and hand washing after toileting, all with the minimum of assistance. If the student is unable to achieve the above goal on a regular basis, the parents will be required to keep the student home until toilet training has been achieved. Pre – K girls may NOT wear pull-ups, even at naptime. In contrast to a day care setting, we require that our Pre-Kindergarten girls be fully potty trained to the extent that they can take care of their own toileting needs with a minimum of assistance. We understand that a child may occasionally have a potty accident. Your classroom teacher will ask that you provide an extra set of clothes (including shoes and socks for our PK girls) for your daughter in case this should happen. However, if your daughter has more than one accident in a day, 3 accidents in a week, or should she need a more thorough cleaning than her teachers can provide, you will be called and asked to come get her.