St. Mary's School, Niles, Michigan

W E L C O M E
T O
S A I N T M ARY'S S C H OO L



"Education in the faith by parents...is being given when the members
of a family help each other to grow in faith through the witness of their
Christian lives, a witness that is often without words but which perseveres
throughout a day-to-day life lived in accordance with the Gospel." -John
Paul II



Dear Parents,

On behalf of our dedicated faculty and staff, we welcome you and your
child/ren to St. Mary's School. In choosing St. Mary's School, you have
demonstrated a commitment to the values and philosophy of a Catholic
education. We thank you for this dedication and for entrusting your
children to our care each day. Together, we will work to be living
examples of the Gospel message for our students, faith community, and
beyond.

This Family Handbook reflects the policies of St. Mary's School for
the school year. It has been prepared to help acquaint you with our
school. We hope it proves useful to new families as well as to those
families who have been with us for several years. This handbook replaces
all other handbooks and contains new information.

Please read this document carefully and sign the attached agreement.
This agreement states that you intend to abide by the policies of St.
Mary's School during the school year.

The faculty and staff of our school look forward to working with you
to promote academic excellence and spiritual formation in the context of
the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Together let us pray that God, who has begun this good work in us, may
carry it through to completion.


Your servant in Christ,


Sharon R. Gregorski
Principal


ST. MARY'S SCHOOL



MISSION STATEMENT

The Mission of St. Mary's School in union with the parents is to gather as
a faith-filled community to form students through the Gospel of Jesus
Christ according to Catholic tradition and to provide an excellent
education.


VISION STATEMENT

"In the spirit of Blessed John Paul's call for a New Evangelization,
Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Kalamazoo desire to respond to this
transformative invitation to holiness with a firm and renewed zeal. As a
multi-culturally diverse institution, we joyfully embrace the universal
vocation to holiness. We are a community centered in the Eucharistic
Christ and an educational system of the highest standards, rooted in our
Catholic faith. Our goal is to equip students with an excellent education
and a solid faith formation so each student may know the faith confidently,
live the faith in a community where families and teachers work together to
advocate for each other's salvation and Sainthood, and share the faith with
relevance and loving courage throughout their lives."


CORE VALUES

. We reflect the morals and values of our Catholic faith through the
doctrines of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. We teach,
model, and integrate Gospel values into daily life and service to
others. We are rooted in the Christian life to embody the spirit
of Christ in the world.
. We will achieve academic excellence by providing researched-based
competency in the core curriculum, involvement in enrichment
activities, and a safe, nurturing environment. All of this will
give each child the opportunity to reach his or her full potential.
. We believe well-educated, well-rounded students are the result of
the active involvement of parents, teachers, and the entire parish
community. Parish life, school life, and home life are integrated
in faith to ensure life-long growth.
. We will be accepting in educating, to the best of our abilities and
in an environment of the respect and care, children from all races,
faiths, academic abilities, physical abilities and socio-economic
levels.
. We give witness to our vision through worship, prayer, setting a
Christian example, collaboration, and unity through diversity.
. St. Mary's School is a mission of St. Mary of the Immaculate
Conception Parish.

SAINT MARY'S SCHOOL


PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT



We believe each child will be provided a challenging academic Catholic
education based in Catholic doctrine, academic knowledge, and life
experience.

We believe children are instilled with responsibility, self-sufficiency,
and teamwork with respect for self and others.

We believe service to Church and community is recognized as the duty of
all, grounded deeply in a relationship with God.

We believe the growth and development of the whole child is accomplished in
a nurturing Catholic environment and is sustained by an active partnership
of devoted families, dedicated staff, and supportive parishes.

We believe there is a need to balance the scope of core curricular
offerings with specials classes such as art, physical education, computers,
music, language and project-based activities.

We believe in maintaining financial sustainability by being fiscally
responsible with our budget.

We believe the curriculum offered prepares children for the future and
inspires a life of service to others.























All contents of this handbook are informational not contractual.



NOTICE OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT


It is most important that parents and school work together to educate the
children in our school. Please read the Handbook as soon as you can. Talk
about the rules with your child(ren), so they understand that you support
the school's rules. Please sign and return the bottom portion to school.
Thank You!





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Parent Agreement


We have read the Handbook and agree to follow the policies and procedures
described.


Family Name:______________________

Date:____________________





ABSENCE

When a student is unable to attend school, parents should call 269-683-9191
or fax 269-683-8118 between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., giving the student's
name, the teacher's name, and the specific reason for the absence. In case
of communicable diseases, a doctor's release may be required by the Health
Department in order for the student to be readmitted to class.

Absences authorized as "excused" are those caused by illness or family
emergency. Extensions of vacation periods for family convenience or trips
scheduled on regular school days are not considered legitimate reasons for
absence from school.

When students are absent due to illness, every attempt will be made by the
staff to assist the student in making up the work. However, if a student
is absent for an unauthorized reason, the school assumes no responsibility
for any assistance in making up the work.

When a child needs to leave school during the day for any reason, a note
from the parent or guardian should be given to the teacher on or before
that day. NO ONE IS PERMITTED TO LEAVE THE PREMISES DURING SCHOOL HOURS
WITHOUT PERMISSION AND MUST BE IN THE COMPANY OF AN AUTHORIZED ADULT.

If your child is ill before coming to school, parents are asked to keep
him/her home. This will prevent spreading illness to other children, as
well as avoiding unnecessary trips to the school on the part of the
parents. When a child has experienced a fever, he/she cannot return to
school for 24 hours.

Emergency names and telephone numbers, kept on file in the secretary's
office, are extremely important, and all families are expected to update
this information as necessary.


ADMISSIONS

New Kindergarten students must be 5 years old on or before October 1st of
the year in which they are enrolling. New First graders must be 6 years
old on or before October 1st of the school year. Testing will be required
for Kindergarten admissions. Further, St. Mary's School reserves the right
to an observational period for school readiness. Children who demonstrate
a lack of maturity for the all-day Kindergarten program may have
adjustments made to their schedule. A physical examination and proof of
required immunizations or waiver must be provided when a student enters
school for the first time. Age must be verified by a birth certificate.
Catholic students must provide a copy of a Baptismal certificate unless the
child has been baptized at St. Mary's Parish. Parents of students who are
transferring from other schools must have the transcripts of their academic
records sent to St. Mary's School to ensure admission to the proper grade.


AFTER SCHOOL CLUB

St. Mary's After School Club is a fully licensed day care program that is
available to St. Mary's School students on regularly scheduled school days
until 5:30 p.m. If you are interested, please call the school office for
more information. See attached Fee Schedule in the appendix.

ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL

To drop off or pick up a student, please use the entrance next to the
dumpster on State Street. Please follow the directional arrows to the
exits. No parking, drop off or pick up is allowed on Lincoln, State or Elm
Street. If you wish to park and escort your child to the gym, please use
the parking lot entrance at State and Clay Street. The parking area behind
the Church and Rectory is designated for parent parking. The parking area
behind the gym is designated for staff and visitors only. Students should
arrive after 7:15 a.m. and enter the school at the north gym door.
Students should go to their classroom meeting area in the gym. Students may
visit quietly or read a book as they wait for opening prayer at 7:40 a.m.
When morning prayer has concluded, students will be dismissed to their
classroom. All studen