AAA Handbook

SCHOOL HOURS

SCHOOL DAY: School begins at 8:00 a.m. and dismisses at 3:10 p.m. Half-day PreSchool children dismiss at 12:30 p.m. The 2-day Stepping Stones Program operates on Monday and Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; the 3-day Stepping Stones program on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to either 11:30 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. The 12:30 p.m. dismissal option, including lunch, is prepaid for the year. Extended Day hours are 7:15 a.m. to 7:50 a.m. and 3:10 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Students in grades 1 to 8 who arrive at school after 8:20 are to report to the Receptionist, where his/her name will be removed from the absentee list. These students will be marked late unless they are arriving by bus.

ABSENCE: To report a child late or absent, parents are to call the absentee line (215-885-1637) any time before school starts at 8:00 a.m. Upon returning to school from an absence, the student is to present a note to the homeroom teacher stating the reason for the absence and signed by a parent or guardian. Permission for an absence due to a family trip is to be presented in writing to the principal two weeks in advance for approval. It is strongly recommended that such trips coincide with student holidays. Upon returning, the student is responsible to make up missed assignments.

EARLY DISMISSAL: If a student needs to leave school early, a note stating the reason is to be sent in advance and will be approved by the principal. Children who leave school early are always to be picked up and signed out at the Receptionist Office. Parents may not pick up students unannounced from the classroom.

LIBRARY: The library is open for use throughout the school day. Students have a scheduled library period during which they may work on research, class assignments, or personal interest projects. Books may be borrowed at any time, in accordance with school policy.

SCHOOL STORE: The school store is open daily from 7:45 a.m. to 8:20 a.m. Students may purchase stationery and other school supplies at that time. Items imprinted with the school name are also available.

COMMUNICATION

PARENT PHONE CALLS: Calls to the administration or teachers concerning school matters are to be made between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Requests for a return call will be answered at the administrator's or teacher's earliest convenience. In-depth discussions of grades or behavior are best not conducted by telephone but rather at an interview arranged outside class hours at a time mutually convenient to parent and teacher. Parents may also contact the staff via e-mail. Administrator and Teachers can be contacted via email through this page on our website.

STUDENT PHONE CALLS: Students are not permitted to make phone calls home during the school day for any reason other than transportation changes and emergencies. Phone calls will not be made for forgotten items. Students who bring cell phones to school may not carry them on their person during the school day. Students must have a permission note on file with the principal and leave the cell phone in the principal's office during the school day.

POWERSCHOOL: PowerSchool is our student information system which provides general information for all families through the Daily Bulletin. It specifically informs parents and students in grades 5 to 8 of academic progress. Parents are strongly encouraged to check PowerSchool routinely for test and homework achievement and comments from the teachers concerning student performance. All parents and students in grades 5 to 8 receive a User ID and Password in the beginning of the year.

WEATHER and OTHER EMERGENCIES: In the event of any type of emergency, School Reach will be activated. During a weather emergency our phones must be free in order to contact bus companies. The school closing emergency number announced after 5:00 a.m. on KYW is "358." This information is also available online at www.kyw1060.com, on KYW's School Closing Line at 215-224-1060, and on AAA's website, www.ancillae.org. To learn whether school is canceled or if there is a two-hour delay, please use one of these sources rather than calling school.

 

ACADEMICS

HONORS: Honors are awarded for scholastic achievement in grades 5 to 8. The criteria for Distinguished Honors is a minimum of eight A’s and no other grade lower than a B in subjects receiving A, B, C, etc. The criteria for Honors require A’s or B’s in those same subjects; one C+ is permitted. At least an "M" in Library and Technology is required. A student must meet the expectations of classroom citizenship to be eligible for the honor roll.

 

GRADING SCALE: Grades 4 to 8 grade scale: A=93-100; B+=89-92; B=85-88; C+=82-84; C=78-81; D+=74-77; D=70-73; F=Below 70.

Citizenship Code: E=Exceeds expectations; M=Meets expectations; I=Improvement needed; U=Unsatisfactory

Progress in grades 1 to 3 is assessed on a continuum from "reinforcement needed" to "applies skills independently."

 

HOMEWORK: Homework assignments are given regularly and are designed to coordinate with and reinforce the learning experiences of the school day. It is recommended that students review and study each day’s work to insure that they have understood the material that has been presented. All written work is to be done neatly, completely and handed in on time. Homework is checked and may be assigned a grade.

COMMUNICATING ACADEMIC STATUS: Parent-teacher conferences for all students in Stepping Stones through grade 8 are scheduled during the first and second trimesters presenting the opportunity to discuss the student’s goals and performance. Parents of students in grades 5 to 8 should routinely review the progress and grades of their child online through the use of PowerSchool. The information provided gives students the opportunity to improve their work, if needed. Any child in grades 4 to 8 who is failing to meet academic expectations or any child in grades 1 to 3 who receives an unsatisfactory report, will be subject to intensified supervision. If careful monitoring and evaluation of the student’s progress or lack of progress warrant it, the student may be asked to consider such alternatives as attending summer classes, repeating the grade, or seeking a more appropriate school placement. This will be determined after an academic review with the administration, teachers, and parents.

 

SAFETY AND SECURITY

The safety of our students is a priority. Students are not permitted to bring dangerous objects such as matches, penknives, etc. to school. Any language or behavior that can potentially endanger another person will result in immediate contact with parents, and appropriate action will be taken. Students are not permitted to leave school property without permission while attending after-school activities.

 

Security measures are implemented to safeguard the students and staff. All doors are locked at all times. It is imperative that all parents, volunteers, and visitors enter the school through the main entrance of the McCoy Center and sign in with the receptionist before gaining access to any other part of the campus. During the school day, teachers and classrooms are not to be interrupted for any reason including student deliveries. Delivery of messages and forgotten items to students in the classrooms is handled by staff only.

 

 

 


TRANSPORTATION

PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION: Cars are to follow the entrance and exit signs on the Church Road side of the property during the opening and closing of school and follow this procedure:

• Cars with grade 1 to 8 students ONLY should drop off at the Bus Stop Entrance in a.m. and pick up in the Child Safe Zone in p.m.

• Cars with SS, PS, K and grade 1 to 8 students should drop off in Child Safe Zone in a.m. and pick up at Sacred Heart Center in p.m.

• Cars with SS, PS, K students ONLY should drop off and pick up at Sacred Heart Center ramp in both the a.m. and p.m.

For the safety of our students and in order to keep traffic moving efficiently, children must be picked up on school property. No one may park on Royal Avenue, Church Road or neighboring streets at any time or use Mulford or Gribbel Roads to access the major thoroughfares. Please arrive for your child as close to dismissal time as possible.

 

BUS TRANSPORTATION: Bus service for children attending non-public schools is provided under PA Act #372. Parents are asked to familiarize themselves with the transportation policies of their school district. Anyone using bus transportation should be at the stop five minutes before the arrival of the bus. Under no circumstance may a student ride a bus other than the one assigned by the school district.

 

BUS CONDUCT: Children are expected to obey the safety rules on all buses. Warning notices and/or discipline points may be given for uncooperative or irresponsible behavior as the safety of our students to and from school is a priority. A student who demonstrates a repeated lack of concern for bus regulations will be deprived of bus service for one or more days.

 

PARKING: During school hours parking is limited to the spaces provided on the school property. Parking along any of the driveways on the school grounds or in the child-safe zone is not permitted. For major events parking, please refer to the school calendar; families and guests may not park on any streets bordering the Academy.

 

TRANSPORTATION CHANGES: Parents must notify the school of any changes to students' regular transportation dismissal methods by 2:15 p.m. in order to reach the child before dismissal begins.

DISCIPLINE CODE

BEHAVIOR: Children are expected to act in a manner which demonstrates a respect and concern for their teachers, classmates, and all whom they meet. Each student should respect the rights of others and make a sincere effort to follow the directives of the school. Each trimester, a Student R.I.C.E. Award is given to two students from each homeroom in grades 4 to 8 who demonstrate the values of R.I.C.E. The recipients are selected by the homeroom teacher (who has conferred with subject area teachers). A student must meet behavioral expectations in order to be considered for this award.

DISCIPLINE POINTS: Students in grades 5 to 8 will receive one to three points for failure to observe school regulations. The following are examples (not a complete list) of misconduct which may warrant discipline points: annoying others, boisterous conduct, bullying, cheating, chewing gum, continual disregard for the truth, copying assignments, failure to return library books, fighting or physical abuse of another, inappropriate language, intentional disregard for community property, lateness for class, leaving school property without permission, littering, mischief, rudeness, reckless behavior. Points may be given at the teacher’s discretion should the student’s behavior appear to infringe on another’s well being. Points may also be issued any time the student is involved in misconduct, whether on school grounds, or while representing Ancillae-Assumpta at any school event or school-related activity. Point notices are handed directly to the student who is then responsible to inform his/her parents and return the point to the teacher with their parent's signature. Behavioral difficulties of students in PreSchool to grade 4 will be handled on an individual basis and parents will be contacted directly. In the event that a child is extremely disruptive, it may be necessary for a parent to take the child home. Should a student accumulate a second set of five points within one report period, it will be necessary for the child and both parents to meet with the administration to determine the student’s future status.

DETENTION: A student who receives five points in one trimester for behavioral difficulties, failing to return a library book, or not wearing the full and proper uniform for school or gym class will have a letter mailed home arranging a detention. Detention is held on a Monday or a Wednesday from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Parents are responsible for picking up their children when detention is over. Detention always takes precedence over attendance at co-curricular activities or practice.

INTENSIFIED SUPERVISION: Students who are in academic or disciplinary difficulty will be subject to intensified teacher and administrative supervision, curtailed co-curricular activities and/or other corrective measures as necessary. The school decides the need for intensified supervision. After six weeks, each child’s case will be reviewed to determine whether s/he may regain full school privileges or continue with intensified supervision for an additional period of time.

SUSPENSION/EXPULSION: Suspension means that a student will be excluded from school and any co-curricular activities for a period of one to three school days as determined by the administration. Students who receive two suspensions in the same school year may be expelled (permanently excluded from the Academy) after attending a review of their school records with parents and administration. Tuition and fees will not be refunded if a student is expelled.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE: We do not expect the use of alcohol, drugs, or tobacco to be concerns at an elementary school level. Such actions would result in immediate consultation with parents, suspension, and possible expulsion.

UNIFORMS: Parental cooperation is expected in seeing that the children wear the complete, required uniform, as described in this calendar, both to school and in gym class. If there is a legitimate reason why a student is not wearing the regulation attire to school or in gym class, parents should communicate this in writing to the homeroom or physical education teachers respectively. These teachers will issue notices for missing or incorrect parts of the uniform which may result in a detention. During cold weather, jackets, sweaters and slacks that are not regulation may not be worn in the classroom.  Click Here for more uniform information.

RESPECT FOR SCHOOL PROPERTY: Students are expected to be considerate in their use of all school property. Any student who damages or defaces books, furniture, equipment, or the school building will be disciplined and held financially responsible to repair or replace the item.

PUBLICITY

During the school year photographs are taken of activities, events, and programs that occur in the classrooms, around the school and during field trips. When appropriate, photographs, writings, art, or voice recordings, with or without a student's name, may be selected to represent the school in internal and external publications, both printed and electronic, for the purpose of advertising and promoting the Academy. Parents are asked to sign a publicity release form at the beginning of the school year.