St. Philip School

You are always welcome at St. Philip School.

Parent / guardian or visitors to St. Philip School must report directly to the school office. Teachers, children and classes are not to be interrupted for any reason during school hours without permission from the office.

 

Absences:

1. Please call the school office by 8:00 AM on the morning of the day(s) your child is absent and state the child's name, homeroom and reason for absence.
2. Send a note of explanation with your child when he / she returns to school.
3. If a child requires a early dismissal, the parent / guardian must make the request in writing stating clearly the reason for the for the dismissal.

 

Tardiness:

Parents will be contacted for excessive tardiness (greater than 5 days).

Students will make up time after school.

 

Vacation Policy

Students will make up the school work missed while out of class when they return. Teachers will not give assignments ahead of time.

 

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Athletic Event Policy (Athletic Event Policy (See Athletic Association Policy Manual for more information)

No Coach or Player is to:

• Refuse to abide by official's decision or use profane language or gestures.
• Exhibit objectionable behavior, e.g. throwing equipment or any other forceful action.
• Verbally abuse an official for any real or imagined unjust decision or judgment, or verbally abuse a player, opposing coach, or spectator.
• Physically touch, push, strike or threaten to strike an official, coach, or spectator.
• Physically attack any player.

Penalties for these offenses range from a suspension to an expulsion of offending player or coach.

Parents and Fans

• Any parent or fan whose behavior is deemed objectionable (i.e. offenses similar in nature to those listed above for players and coached) by any game official, pastor, school principal or appointed person in authority at that event, should be asked to leave the premises.
• The pastor / principal of the school(s) involved should then make a further determination as to whether or not the individual(s) should be banned from additional games.

 

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Code of Conduct

As a community of believers and disciples of Jesus Christ in a Catholic School setting, we hold Gospel values and disciplines in high regard and ask that the parents and students who belong to the St. Philip School faith community cooperate with the administration and faculty in this regard. All parents must sign the " Memorandum of Understanding" and return it to school.

Student Expectations:

• Speak to teachers, volunteers, and all helpers at school in a respectful manner. A highly aggressive and negative manner (sassing or talking back) will not be tolerated.
• Respectful language is expected at all times when addressing both adults and students. Use of abusive and vulgar language and action / gestures will not be tolerated.
• Respectful actions are expected. Aggressive physical contact and intimidation will not be tolerated.
• Respect for all school property is expected. Abuse of property will not be tolerated.
• Chewing gum is never permitted.
• No bullying

 

The student who violates the discipline code, will expect the following consequences:
1. Behavior detention
2. Three behavior detentions over a nine-week period will result in a one day suspension from school. All assignments must be completed.
3. A second suspension during a school year will result in dismissal from school with reinstatement requiring the parents or legal guardians obtain approval of such from the Pastor, principal and Homeroom teacher in advance of returning.

4.Any student under disciplinary suspension may not participate in any extra-curricular activity including any athletic event.

 

Expulsion Rational and Procedure

 

An expulsion is a severe punishment and will only be applied in very serious circumstances. Every attempt will be made during earlier offenses, if any, to provide guidance and counseling to the students and parents under the direction of the principal and pastor.

 

An expulsion may be necessary for persistent and willful disregard of school rules and regulations. The following examples are illustrative but not exhaustive:

• chronic undesirable conduct detrimental to the physical and/or moral well-being of self or other students
• continued malicious disobedience or disrespect for school authority
• continued refusal by parents and/or students to comply with school policies.

 

An expulsion may also be necessary for a single serious incident or event or situation involving disregard for or a clear violation of a school rule or regulation. The following examples are illustrative but not exhaustive:

• selling or using drugs or alcohol
• violation of the Weapons Policy
• physical abuse of other students or staff
• arson
• theft
• refusal to adhere to the Technology Policy

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Daily Schedule:

 

1. The school bell rings at 7:55. The tardy bell will ring at 8:00 AM.
2. No child is to report to school before 7:45 AM each day. If it is necessary to come earlier, the parent / guardian must send a note to the office stating reason for exception.
3. Bus riders are dismissed at 2:25 PM.
4. Walkers and carpool students will be dismissed at 2:30 PM.
5.Vehicles are not permitted to come up the driveway.
6. The Steuben Street parking lot will be used for drop off and pick up for all pre-school - 3's and 4's. Please walk your child to the Pre- school entrance. The children will be escorted to the Steuben Street parking lot after school. 7. Buses have priority to drop off and pick up the children on West Crafton Avenue at the bottom of the drive.

8. Cars may drop children at bottom of driveway by entering West Crafton Avenue at Crennell Avenue and exiting via American Legion Way onto Crennell. Do not pull onto West Crafton Avenue from parking lots. Exit parking lots ont Crennell or American Legion Way. (Safety Policy)

 

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Dress Code:

Conformance with the dress code is the parent's responsibility. Please be sure that your child (children) is (are) in compliance daily with the dress code provided below.

 

Girls uniforms include:

 

Grades 1 - 3: St. Philip Plaid Jumpers

Grades 4 - 8: St. Philip Plaid Skirts or Skorts

Skirts / skorts are to be worn to the knee.

Slacks: Navy only. Belts must be worn at all times for pants with belt loops.

Blouses: White only blouses with a Peter Pan collar or Oxford-cloth Button Down; White Turtlenecks; or White

 

Polo Shirts or knit shirts with collars.

Sweaters: Navy only Vests, Plain Cardigans, V-Neck, or Crew-neck. Forest Green St. Philip Sweatshirts may be worn with white uniform shirt.

Walking Shorts (to the knee): Navy only. Shorts may be worn from May 1 to September 30, or as directed.

Dark Dress Shoes*; White or Navy Socks (no monograms), Only crew socks or knee socks or hoses must be worn at all times. Socks must show above the shoe tops.

No tight clothing.

Only girls in the eighth grade are permitted to wear make-up. There is to be no excessive make-up.

No excessive earrings or nail colors or nails.

 

 

Boys uniforms include:

 

Trousers: Navy only. Belts must be worn at all times for Pants with belt loops.

Dress Shirts: White only Collared Broadcloth or Oxford-cloth Button Down; White turtlenecks; or White Polo

 

Shirts or knit shirts with collars.

Walking Shorts (to the knee): Navy only. Shorts may be worn from May 1 to September 30, or as directed.

Sweaters: Navy only Vests, Plain Cardigan, V-Neck, or Crew-neck. Forest Green St. Philip Sweatshirts may be worn with white uniform shirt.

Dark Dress Shoes*; White or Navy socks (no monograms) must be worn at all times. Only crew socks may be worn. Sock must show above shoe tops.

 

No excessive haircuts - long hair, tails, or shaved heads.

Boys are not permitted to wear earrings.

 

* Dress Shoes: Hard Soles, Loafers, Oxford Style or Saddle Shoes-non scuff (Some shoes make black marks)
No Boots are to worn during school.
No Clogs (They are dangerous for School)

Heels should not be higher than 2 inches.

All Students:

1. Full uniform must be worn on all school days unless a jean day or dress-up day is authorized. If children do not conform, parents / guardians will be asked to bring the uniforms to school.
2. Boys and girls (when wearing slacks) must wear twill slacks. (No stretch, cotton knit, painter, etc. pants are permitted.)
3. Shirts and blouses must be tucked in at all times.
4. Children may not wear coats in school. If cold, students must wear sweaters or sweatshirts as described above.
5. Dress shoes must be worn at all times. Tennis shoes of any kind are not considered to be dress shoes and are permitted only on the child's gym day.
6. No excessive jewelry. Students will be asked to remove any jewelry that is considered excessive.

 

Headsets, radios, and electronic games are not permitted in the school at any time. They will be confiscated and returned at the end of the year. We realize that cell phones are for your peace of mind and the safety of your child. However, they may not be used during the school hours or on the bus. Call the school office to leave a message, if necessary.

 

Gym Uniforms:

 

Gym classes for Kindergarten ­ Grade 8 are taught by a YMCA instructor and will be held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, depending on your child's schedule. Grades 8 boys will have gym on Friday.

 

1. Grades 1 - 5: Students must wear the St. Philip gym uniform which includes green cotton SPS shorts and a white St. Philip tee-shirt, socks and gym shoes. Students may wear the forest green St. Philip sweat suits to school on gym days in colder weather (September - April 30). Gym uniforms may be worn under the school uniform on gym days. Gym shoes may be worn all day on Gym day.

2. Grades 6 - 8: Students must wear the SPS tee-shirt and green athletic knee length shorts, white socks and gym shoes. Gym shoes may be worn all day on Gym day.

3.Forgetting gym clothes as an excuse not to take gym class will result in reduced gym grades. If gym clothes are forgotten, children will not be permitted to call parents to bring them.

4. Order forms for gym clothes will be distributed at the beginning of the school year.

 

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Home Study

Home study is necessary and is to be encouraged. Time and space must be set aside for homework. Suggested daily time allowances for homework are as follows:

Primary Levels (1-3): 30 minutes
Intermediate Levels (4 & 5): 45 minutes
Middle School (6, 7 & 8) 1 to 1-1/2 hours

Daily home study is important because it:
1. Fosters habits of independent work-study.
2. Reinforces learning that has taken place in school.
3. Brings home and study together.
4. Relates school learning to out-of-school interests.
5. Does not always include written assignments.

Academic Deficiency

Any student who has been notified of academic deficiency will not be permitted to participate in any extra-curricular activities including athletic events until an improvement has been identified and noted by the teacher or Principal.

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Medication Policy

Whenever possible, medicine is to be given at home, and parents are to request the physician to adjust the schedule for administration so that it can be given before and after school hours.

If medicine must be administered at school, the following guidelines apply:

1. The medication must be delivered to the school by a responsible adult along with a physician's written request for distribution by school personnel.
2. Medication brought to school must be in a container labeled by a pharmacists or doctor. The label must include the student's name, the name of the physician, date of prescription, dosage, and frequency of administration.
3. Parents must sign an Indemnity Agreement which has been prepared by the Diocesan Legal Office and distributed through the school office.

Specific forms are available in the office to complete the above information.

 

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School Bus Policy (Diocese Policy)

The student transportation policies and procedures of the local educational agencies responsible for bussing students are applicable to students bused to and from St. Philip School, as they are the laws and regulations for parochial schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The local school district's or intermediate unit's transportation director is responsible for adopting and enforcing rules for the safe and efficient transportation of all students. The principal will support the actions of the transportation director.

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School Closings

The guidelines provided below should be utilized in the event of school closings, early dismissals, or delays.

After a heavy snow or other extreme weather conditions listen for the announcement on school closing on the following radio and TV stations:

KDKA Radio (1020 AM)
KDKA TV
WTAE Radio (1250 AM)
WTAE TV

St. Philip School will follow the Pittsburgh Public School District instructions for delay or closing in extreme weather.

Please note: St. Philip School will not be announced on radio or TV.

If your school district is closed because of weather conditions and St. Philip School is open, there will be no transportation. Use your own judgment about sending your child / children to school.

EMERGENCY Notice: Information about school closings and delays can be found on Sister Geri's webpage by clicking on the NEWS FLASH icon.

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Service Hours

All Students - grades K - 8 are to be service-minded. Service hours are required for all students in grades 6 - 8. Each student is required to perform 5 hours of service per report period. Service projects can be performed both in and out of the school. Students are given validation forms that must be signed by the adult that oversees the service project. While this requirement is a part of a student's religion grade, it also teaches the children the importance of giving time to the needy.

 

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Technology Policy

 

All families must sign the computer policy and return to the school office by the end of September.

 

St. Philip School Technology Policy - 2004

 

New technologies make available exciting new learning opportunities for St. Philip Elementary School students. They also raise new issues about appropriate student behavior. All students, staff members, and parents are expected to: respect others, respect themselves, respect time, and respect property in using technology.

 

St. Philip School strongly believes in the educational value of computers, video discs, Internet access, and other forms of technology and recognizes their potential to support our curriculum and advance student learning in our school. Our goal in using technology is to promote educational excellence by facilitating resource sharing, innovation, and communication. It is also our goal to view technology in its proper role as tool to enhance teaching and learning and not as a replacement for traditional teacher/student interaction.

 

St. Philip School will make every effort to protect students and teachers from any misuses or abuses of these educational resources. All users must be continuously on guard to avoid inappropriate use of technology. Please read this document carefully. When signed by a guardian/parent, it becomes a legally binding contract. We must have your signature before we can provide your child with technology and Internet access. Listed below are the provisions of this contract.

 

Acceptable Use - The student will employ technology in the learning experience :

• Working under supervision of teacher
• Meeting specific educational objectives
• Utilizing proper techniques as demonstrated by teacher
• Reporting immediately destruction or modification of hardware and software
• Reporting improper access to inappropriate sites (pornography, obscenity, hate)

 

 

Unacceptable Use of the Internet - The student may not :

• Access, view, or discuss inappropriate Internet sites (pornography, obscenity, hate) or any sites that do not pertain to the educational objectives outlined by the teacher
• Destroy, deface, or modify hardware, software, or the network or knowingly allow other students to do so
• Enter chat rooms, purchase or sell items, or send out offensive, harassing, or obscene messages through the school computers
• Enter or disclose personal information on the Internet
• Engage in illegal activities on the Internet
• Divulge personal passwords or use the password of another student
• Plagiarize any material found on the Internet

Consequences: Any student who engages in any of the above listed unacceptable uses of the Internet or technology materials will have all of his or her computer privileges revoked for the semester in which the offense occurs and will not be permitted to use St. Philip technological resources for assignments. Should a second offense occur, the student will be lose computer and Internet privileges for the entire year.

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Weapons Policy (Diocese Policy)

Any person carrying a weapon onto school property, including, but not limited to, a school building, outdoor areas, outdoor facilities, vehicle used to transport students, or school related activities poses a clear and present danger to other students and staff. For the purpose of this policy, a weapon is defined to be a gun, knife or any other article which could be used to cause injury. Such person in possession of a weapon violates state criminal statutes and school regulations and shall be subject to the following discipline and penalty:

1. Parents will be immediately notified.
2. Local police will be called.
3. The student will be expelled.

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