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The School Day

7:30 a.m. Students supervised in the cafeteria.

8:30 a.m. Students released to go to their lockers.

8:40-8:45 a.m.  Bus arrival

8:45 a.m.  All students in homerooms 

11:45-12:00 Lunch served
Students have 45 minutes for lunch and recess.

3:00 p.m.  Classes end

3:00-3:10 p.m.  Closing prayer and preparation for departure.

3:10 p.m.  Bus departure

 

Morning Arrival

The majority of SFX students are transported by bus. Therefore, in the morning families who drive their child/ren to school are to park on the curb side of the front parking lot and walk their child/ren into the building. Buses use the sidewalk side of the parking lot. When using the parking lot in front of the school building, enter on Fourth Avenue and exit on Second Street North.

Attendance

Attendance is taken before the morning classes. If a child is not attending school that day, the parents are asked to notify the school by 9:00 a.m.  A written excuse is necessary when the child returns to school after being absent. Tardiness also requires a written excuse. All notes are given to the homeroom teacher. Any student coming to school after the lunch count has been taken must check in with the school secretary.

Emergency Closing

In the event of bad weather, listen to WJON, KCLD, or WCCO radio for cancellations. Sometimes the phrase used is, "Central Minnesota Metro Schools". This phrase means that all schools in the three district area, Sartell-St. Stephen, Sauk Rapids and St. Cloud are following the same school announcement.

Medical Appointments

Try to make dental and medical appointments after school hours if at all possible.

Dismissing Students During School Hours

A written note should be sent with your child in the morning and given to the homeroom teacher stating date and time of dismissal.  Parents must come into the school to meet their child.  Parents, if you are designating someone to pick up your child, s/he must have a note signed by you identifying that person.

Bicycles

Bicycles are to be parked in the rack provided. School authorities are not responsible for damage done to a bicycle. A bicycle is not to be ridden on school property during the school day. It is recommended that students lock their bikes

Discrimination Guidelines

St. Francis Xavier School admits and does not discriminate against students of any sex, race, color, national or ethnic origin or the physically challenged. All rights, privileges, programs and activities are made available to all students. It does not discriminate against them in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, athletic programs or any other school administered program.

Progress Reports

Progress Reports and Parent-Teacher Conferences are two of the principle means by which parents can determine their child's achievement in school. They are also an important means of contact between the parent and teacher. Progress reports are issued at the end of each trimester in November, March and May. Parent-Teacher Conferences are held twice a year.

Access to a Child or Records

Unless a court order or court document indicates that a non-custodial parent may not have access to a child or to the child's records, then that parent does have equal access to the child and his/her records.

Insurance

St. Francis Xavier School does not provide compulsory accident insurance for students. We are sure that you realize the value of having some form of insurance for your child. All boys and girls who go out for any school sponsored sport must have insurance provided by their family.

Sports

St. Francis Xavier Parish Athletic Association, PAA, sponsors sports program to fifth and sixth grade students who are member of our school and/or parish.

Illness and Accidents

If your child becomes ill or is injured at school, we will make every effort to notify you immediately.

Lost and Found

Many articles are found during the year and no one claims them. Please mark your child/s articles for identification in so far as this is possible.

Books and Equipment

Each student is responsible for taking good care of school books, equipment and furnishings. Students losing or damaging a book will be expected to pay for its replacement, based on the age and condition of the book.

Dress Code

The attire of students should be guided by modesty and sensible judgment. Clothing, t-shirts or buttons which promote or advertises drugs or alcohol is not acceptable at school. It is considered discourteous to wear hats inside a building. Students are not to wear hats in the school or church.

Please remember that our Minnesota weather changes from day to day. Students will go outside for physical education and/or recess each day. If they have shorts on and its cool, they will still go out if their class goes outside, so please stay current with weather forecasts. On cool mornings, students may baring shorts in their backpack and change into them later in the day if the weather turns warmer.

SFX does allow the wearing of shorts on warm days. However, there will be no wearing of shorts to Mass. Students may bring shorts and change later that day.

School Lunch Program

St. Francis Xavier School is currently participating in the National School Lunch Program, the Federal Special Milk Program, and the Minnesota Kindergarten Milk Program. In accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.

To file a complaint, write USDA, Director, Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 or (800) 795-3272 (voice) or

 (202) 720-6382 (TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

All questions regarding our school lunch program can be directed to Linda Wilfahrt.

 A menu for the following month is sent home with the last Wednesday Newsletter of each month. We encourage a hot meal, however a child not desiring a hot lunch may bring his/her cold lunch.

Information concerning the school lunch program prices, free or reduced price lunches for those who qualify and free kindergarten milk for those who qualify, are distributed in the packets each family receives at Open House in last August. Money sent for school lunches should be sent in a sealed envelope marked for school lunch with the child/s name, grade and amount.

 

For academic year 2007/2008 the price of school lunch will be $2.00. One milk is automatically included in this fee. Milk for those eating cold lunch can be purchased for 65 cents.

Free milk is available for Kindergarten morning snack.

Office Hours

The school office is open on school days from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. We are happy to serve you. If the person you wish to speak with is not available when you call, we will try to return your call as soon as possible. We enjoy seeing parishioners and parents of our students. We encourage you to stop at the office any time.

Homework

We believe that homework is a necessary part of your child's education. It enables the child to learn to work independently, to apply what s/he has learned, and to prepare for the next day's lesson. You can help in the following ways:

 

1.         Help and encourage your child, but do not do his work for him. A child learn best by doing the work himself with guidance, if necessary.

2.         Check to see that the child's homework assignment is completed and of an acceptable quality.

3.         To check your child's progress with his homework, ask to see the corrected papers his teacher has returned to him.  Assignments consist of written work, math problems, projects, reading and studying. Not all homework is in written form.

 

The time necessary for doing homework will vary according to the grade level, the assignment given and the child's rate of work. If your child seems to be spending an excessive amount of time on his/her homework assignment, a conference with the teacher will help to clear up this difficulty.

 

The child should have a daily designated time and a quiet area in which his/her homework will be done.

Books and materials must be carried to and from school in a school bag or a plastic bag.

Federal/State Aid

Title I

Title I benefits the largest number of public and non-public students of any federally funded program. Students who are one or more years below grade level receive supplementary assistance in reading and/or math in the form of teacher aid, time and materials. Each student's needs are assessed each spring and fall through teachers' judgment. SFX students are walked to and from the Sartell Elementary School building where Title I services are provided.

 

Block Grant

Block Grant funds are given to non-public schools who wish to participate in the program. Funds are determined on a per pupil rate.

Textbook Aid

The Minnesota Textbook Aid Law of 1975 (Chapter 396) provides textbook and standardized test materials to all non-public school students wishing to participate, with the per pupil rate based on the previous year's statewide public school average for similar materials. Materials must be for individual student use, secular, neutral and non-ideological.

Health Services

Chapter 396 also provides Health Services. Services of a school nurse are provided by the Sartell School District 748. Students are screened every year for possible vision problems and for hearing difficulties. Health records are kept on all students as required by State Law. Any special health problems of the child should be made known to the school so that adjustments if any, can be made in the classroom seating.

Special Services

The Special Learning and Behavior Problems program deals with students who have a special learning problem. The students are referred by the teacher for special testing to discover the cause of the learning problem. The parents of the student are required to request the testing through the family's physician. Service is provided through the public school. Any child who requires this service is released from St. Francis Xavier School to attend his/her class and then returns to SFX.

Speech Therapy

Any child who is experiencing a speech difficulty is entitled to service through the public school district. This service is given at the public school. Our students attend their regular classes here and released from the speech therapy sessions and then return to our building.

Discipline

It is the responsibility of the Board of Education, administration, teachers and other parish employees to safeguard the health and safety of each student.  Parents and guardians have the legal responsibility for the behavior of their children as determined by law and community practice.  Parents and guardians are expected to exercise the required controls so that the student's behavior will be conducive to the development of self-discipline and will not be disruptive to the parish's education programs.

Discipline and Motivation Plan

 

I.          Philosophy

 

A.        St Francis Xavier Parish's Philosophy of     Discipline and Motivation:

Everyone at St. Francis Xavier is expected to do their very best as all times.  Staff and students will all work together to help every person reach their fullest potential.  Any behavior or action which helps someone grow and mature will be encouraged.  Any behavior or action which interferes with another person's growth will be addressed.

 

The administrator has a key role in motivation and positive self-image and role model.  S/he counsels, helps students set goals and succeed, and helps staff and parents seek solutions to student problems (academic and behavioral).  S/he also supports the staff by assisting with severe or recurrent behavior problems.

 

B.         Discipline as an on-going process:

Everyone connected with the parish must understand that discipline is a process, not a product.  The staff must work together to achieve as much consistency as possible, and must be prepared to revise and adapt the procedures when they are ineffective.

 

II.           Staff

 

A.                 The Parish Staff's Role in Discipline

 

Every staff person in the parish is an equal and contributing part of the discipline policy and procedures.  All adults have the right to implement consequence for infractions of rules.  This is true for paraprofessionals, parent volunteers, secretaries, custodians, cooks, teachers and other parish employees.

 

All staff should develop an understanding of the philosophical basis of this plan so that they are able to make appropriate decisions when interacting with students.

 

The classroom teacher is the center of an effective discipline policy.  The teacher will continually emphasize to students and parents the importance of students doing their best and helping others do their best.  The teacher will help students to learn how to evaluate if they are doing their best.  The teacher will put more energy into reinforcing success than into trying to control behavior.  Whoever is directly supervising students is considered the classroom teacher whether that be physical education, music, computer, or anyone else.  Paraprofessionals need to work with the administration and teachers in assisting with classroom discipline.

 

When there is a behavior problem (other than "severe behavior") the staff person will attempt to teach the student how to behave appropriately.  The procedures the staff member uses to accomplish this are at the discretion of that staff person and will be sequential.  If one procedure or set of procedures does not work, that staff member will try something else.  Consistency, follow-up, and true caring are the keys to success.

 

B.                 Staff Responsibilities

 

1.      Praise your students often for appropriate behavior.

2.      Discuss the rules with your students.  Explain what behaviors cause problems and why each rule is important.  Give students an opportunity to ask questions.

3.      Teach and re-teach these appropriate behavior, especially when you see these rules are not being followed.

4.      Be on time to receive your students.

5.      Organize and travel with your students when they are to move as a group.

6.      Step into hallways and restroom areas to monitor behavior whenever possible.

 

C.                 Monitoring and Consequences

 

1.      Anytime an adult sees a student violating a rule, it will be the responsibility of that adult to help the student to identify what s/he did wrong and have him/her do it correctly or refrain from that activity.

2.      If the entire class is involved in an activity and someone or several students behave inappropriately, use the time to teach appropriate behavior.

3.      Staff should make an effort to monitor the building, hallways, restrooms, and playground to praise students behaving properly.

4.      Make corrections in a calm voice and do not argue.

5.      The staff should give consequences that fit the violations and help students understand that the consequence is a direct result of their choices.  For example, a student runs through a crowded hallway.  Staying five minutes after school won't teach him how to move safely through halls, going back and walking will.

 

III.               Administration

 

A.        The administrator's Role in Discipline

 

The role of the administrator in discipline is three-fold.  First, to help monitor, revise, and update the discipline policies and procedures.  Second, to help staff implement classroom management techniques.  Third, to assist staff with handling severe misbehavior such as physically dangerous situations, flagrant disrespect of adult authority, and any chronic and recurring problems.

 

It is not possible for the administrator to accept discipline referrals for minor problems.  If minor problems are referred to the office, students soon learn that being referred to the office is "no big deal".  To maintain potential effectiveness of office referrals, they must be used only for severe or recurrent problems.  The administrator's role needs to be teacher supportive.

 

B.         Administrators plan for discipline when a child is sent to the office for misbehavior

1.            The child is given a hearing (every child is allowed to tell his/her side of the story).

2.            Witnesses are questioned.

3.            A determination is made if a violation occurred.

4.            A consequence is then determined by the administrator.

5.            The parents are notified by phone or letter.

6.            Name, date, grade, teacher, offense, and consequence are recorded and filed.

 

Possible consequences from the administrator:

�        Warning (first time only)

�        Notify parent (call or write)

�        Detention after school

�        In-school suspension (isolation) 15 minutes to 5 days

�        Out-of-school suspension  remainder of day to 5 days.

 

Severe Disruption:

 

If a child becomes belligerent, defiant, or out of control please refrain from physically touching him/her.

 

1.            Send for help- administrator or other staff member.

2.            Try to isolate the child-send all other children out of the area.

 

If the child presents potential of harming themselves or others:

 

1.            Send for help- administrator or other staff member.

2.            Clear the area of other children.

3.            Physically restrain him/her only if absolutely necessary to protect someone, using a safe area for touching (elbow or shoulder).

 

If the administrator is unavailable:

 

1.            Call for another staff member.

2.            Call the parish offices for either the business administrator or pastor.

 

IV.              The Parent's Role in Discipline

 

The major role of parents in discipline is to continually show interest in the support for their child.  The child's knowledge that parents are actively interested and supportive of the school and faith formation programs almost always reduces discipline problems.  Parents may wish to share with the teachers any helpful information about their children.  Such information can help teachers deal more effectively with the special needs of each child.  If there are severe or recurring discipline problems, parents may be asked to work with the staff to teach the child an alternative set of behaviors.

 

V.                 Students

 

A.                 Guidelines for students

 

In the classroom, students will follow the teacher's classroom rules.  Since every teacher teaches slightly differently, each teacher will communicate precisely how students are expected to behave in each activity.  Consequences for misbehavior in the classroom are at the discretion of the teacher.  When students are trying their best, this effort will be acknowledged by the teacher.

 

In the halls, restroom, cafeteria, on the playground, waiting for buses-students will behave in a way that respects the physical safety and the emotional security of themselves and others.  Students will be expected to treat everyone with respect.  They will be expected to be orderly in the halls, be kind to others and use the playground equipment appropriately.

 

Severe Misbehavior- Physically dangerous behavior and open disrespect and misbehavior will result in the student being sent immediately to the office, parents being notified, and perhaps other consequences being used.  Everyone must recognize that disrespect for others and dangerous behavior is unacceptable.

 

Student Goals:

 

1.      The students will try their hardest and do their best.

2.      The student will help others and themselves learn.

3.      The students are expected to manage themselves.

4.      The students are expected to treat others with kindness and respect.

5.      The students are expected to take care of property.

 

B.                 Rules for Students:

 

Respect yourself, others, and property.

Stay where an adult supervisor is present.

Keep the restrooms neat and tidy.

Do not leave the school/parish grounds.

Use and indoor voice.

Please leave directly after school, unless under the supervision of a teacher, coach or administrator.

Leave items which could disrupt class at home.

Keep hands and feet to yourself.

When in the cafeteria, follow the cafeteria rules.

When on the playground, follow the playground rules.

 

General Rules and Expectations:

 

The objective of these and all other rules is to provide guidelines for proper behavior and to define what is expected of students attending St. Francis Xavier School or faith formation programs.  It is our goal to instill in each student the need for respect and responsibility.

1.      Students are expected to use terms such as "please," "thank you," "excuse me," etc. whenever appropriate to both students and adults.

 

2.      Proper respect is to be exhibited for all person, their rights and their property.  The use of writing of abusive, profane, or obscene language is not permitted.

 

Rules of Conduct 

Disciplinary action will be taken for any behavior which disrupts good order or violates the rights of other.  The following acts are unacceptable behavior subject to disciplinary action.

 

A.        Truancy and Unauthorized Absences

 

Students shall be in attendance each day that school is in session.  The authority to decide whether an absence is excused or unexcused rests with the principal.  Students returning to school following an absence will be expected to complete all missed assignments within a reasonable period of time.

 

Truancy, the absenting of one's self from school or class without the knowledge and approval of the school or parent, is not condoned.  Any truancy is considered an unexcused absence and will be cause for disciplinary action.  In addition, if a student develops a pattern of excessive tardiness to school or class, disciplinary action will be taken.  Any departure from the building by a student without prior approval shall be considered an unauthorized departure from the building and shall be subject to disciplinary action.

 

B.         Damage to School/Parish or Personal Property

 

Vandalism is the willful damage to or destruction of school/parish property or property of others.

 

Theft is the act of intentionally and without claim of rights taking, using, transferring, concealing or retaining possessions of removable property of another without consent and with intent to deprive the owner permanently of the property, or the finding lost property and not making reasonable effort to find the owner.

 

C.        Aggravated Assault

 

Aggravated Assault is committing an assault upon the person of another with a dangerous weapon or an assault which afflicts great bodily harm upon the person of another.

 

D.        Verbal Assault

 

Verbal Assault is abusive, threatening, profane, or obscene language, oral or written, toward a staff member or another student.  This includes conduct which degrades people because of their race, religion, ethnic background, physical or mental handicaps.

 

E.         Threats or Disruptions

 

Dangerous Threats are threats to normal school operations or school activities, including but not limited to the reporting of a dangerous or hazardous situation that does not exist.

 

School Disruptions are any disturbances or interruptions of the school or school-sponsored activities.

 

F.         Dangerous, Harmful, and Nuisance Substance and Articles

 

Drugs and Alcohol:  Students are prohibited from using, possessing, distributing, or being under the influence of illegal drugs, alcohol or narcotics.