Maryland Law requires compulsory attendance of all children who are from five years of age through the age of sixteen. A waiver of one year may be given to a kindergarten child who needs time for personal development. The responsibility for compliance with the law belongs to the parents or guardians.
State Law requires that private schools be open a minimum of 180 days. The school is obligated to keep an accurate record of daily attendance for each student. Class time is a valuable component of a child’s education. Every effort should be made to ensure your child’s daily attendance.
Attendance
The following are valid reasons for excused absences from school (if properly documented by the student’s parent or guardian upon the student’s return to school):
Any absence that does not fall into one of the above categories, or is not properly documented by the student’s parent/guardian, is an unexcused absence.
Absences
In the case of absence, the parents or guardian of the student will call the school the morning of the absence and will also provide the school with a written excuse giving the dates and reason for absence. If a student does not present a written excuse upon returning to school, or if the school has reason to suspect the validity of the excuse, the principal will investigate the situation and apply appropriate remedies. Parents may wish to take their student out of school for several days for personal reasons. This is strongly discouraged; however, when such a request is made, the teacher, and principal if necessary, should discuss the student’s progress with her/his parents and advise them of the effect such an absence would have on the pupil’s work. The final decision, however, is the responsibility of the parents. Assignments missed during such absences will be completed after the student returns and in a reasonable time frame determined by consultation with the teacher. Teachers will not provide work in advance to accommodate vacations during the school year. Eighth grade students who wish to “shadow” a high school student for a day must have the absence approved in advance by the principal.
Students who are absent during the school day may not attend after-school or evening activities.
Arrival/Dismissal
No student is allowed on school grounds before 7:35 in the morning. No student may remain more than 15 minutes after dismissal unless s/he is under the direct supervision of a teacher or coach. Exceptions to this are students in Before or After Care. Students who are at school prior to 7:35 or more than 15 minutes after dismissal will be sent to Before or After Care and parents will be charged the drop-in rate. The extended school day, including Before and After Care, runs from 6:30am until 5:30pm. UNLESS WE HAVE A WRITTEN NOTE OR A PHONE CALL BEFORE 2:15, CHILDREN WILL BE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW THEIR REGULAR DISMISSAL ROUTINE. Please remind children to give notes with dismissal changes to their teacher FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. The school office clocks are the official time pieces for attendance.
Releasing Students No child will be released from the school’s supervision without the parent first coming to the office and signing the daily log. Personnel from the school will notify the teacher to send the student to the office to meet the parent or responsible party. If a parent is sending someone to pick up his/her child, the parent must give advance notice to the office by letter or phone and the individual picking up the child will be asked to show a photo ID.
Only those who have been listed on the student’s emergency form may pick up a child without a written request from the parent. A phone call by the parent to the office is sufficient when someone who is listed on the emergency form picks up the child. If a parent knows that someone will pick up the child on a regular basis, s/he may write one note, which will provide that information to the office. This note will be kept for the school year and will give the school authorization to release the child to the person(s) named.
Divorced or separated parents must file a court-certified copy of the custody section of the divorce or separation decree with the school office if the rights of either parent are limited. The school will not be held responsible for failing to honor arrangements that have not been placed on file. In the absence of a court order to the contrary, the rights of both parents to have equal access to their children will be upheld.
Tardiness All students should arrive by 7:50 a.m. Arriving after 8:00 constitutes tardiness. Any student arriving after 8:00 must be signed in by a parent and obtain a slip from the office before being admitted to class. A successful day begins with good organization; therefore, it is important to arrive at school on time. Chronic tardiness is not acceptable and a conference with the principal will be required to correct this situation. Perfect attendance awards are given only to students whose attendance is perfect. This means that students must be present, arrive on time, and remain throughout the entire day every day of the school year.
Doctor/Dental Appointments Doctor and dental appointments are to be scheduled after school hours. Appointments during the school day impact perfect attendance. If it is absolutely necessary to make an appointment during school, a written excuse must be presented to the school office at the opening of the day. It is the responsibility of the student to find out and make up work s/he has missed.
Illness The importance of regular attendance cannot be overemphasized; however, if a child is running a fever, nauseated, or ill at home before school time, please do not send the child to school to expose others to the illness. Parents are asked not to request teachers to keep a child indoors at recess or lunch. Special exceptions may be arranged with the principal. When it is necessary for a student to be absent from school because of illness, a parent is required to call the school office with the nature of the illness or a note from the parent stating the reason for the absence is required when the child returns to school. Should there be the need for an extended absence, please call the school.
Children will be sent home if any of the following conditions exists, so please keep your child home in the morning if s/he exhibits:
For cases of strep infection, ringworm, impetigo, conjunctivitis (pinkeye) and other infectious conditions, a child must be on medication for 24-48 hours prior to returning to school. A doctor’s note is required in order to return. A child’s temperature must be within normal range for at least 24 hours before returning to school. Children must be free from nausea, diarrhea and vomiting for 24 hours before returning to school.
Upon notification from parents, children will be excused from active participation in physical education classes. If a student is unable to participate in class for more than 3 days, a doctor’s note is necessary.
Make-up Work Whenever a student is absent, that student is responsible for the work that s/he missed and is required to go to the teacher involved for make-up tests, homework, or class work. Any make-up work is to be done on the student’s time, so that class instruction is not interrupted. The appropriate time frame for make-up work can be determined by allowing one day to make up the work for each day absent.
St. John’s Extended Care Program
Before and Aftercare will begin the first day of school, location to be announced at back to school night. This program is not available if schools close early due to inclement weather, or if all after school and evening activities are cancelled by the public schools.
Before Care – Runs from 6:00am to 7:35am. Cost is $100 per month for the first child and $80 a month for the second child. Drop in is available at a rate of $15 per day.
Breakfast is provided each day as a part of the Before care Program. Please let us know of any food allergies that your child might have.
After Care – Runs from 3:00-5:30pm. Cost is $275 per month for the first child and $250 per month for the second child. Aftercare is also available on early dismissal days. Drop in is available for both at a rate of $15 per day and $25 per day for early dismissal days.
There is a $5 per minute fee for parents who are late in picking up their child(ren) after closing time. This fee is to be paid in cash.
A snack and drink is provided as a part of our Aftercare Program. Please let us know of any food allergies that your child might have.
Bills are sent out at the beginning of each month. If your child is attending both programs, one bill will be sent for both. Those enrolled in the full time program will be charged the full rate whether they use the program for the entire month or not. Aftercare will be closed December 16, 2022, April 6, 2023 and, the last day of school, June 9, 2023.
Frequently Asked Questions
Lunch will be available daily. There are 1 to 2 options with Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich available every day. The monthly menu can be found on our website and will be electronically sent to all families. Cost ($4.00) and payment procedures are made through an account you set up for your student through Payforit.net. In the event of a rare occasion when a student may have been unable to bring lunch, the student may charge their lunch. Students are only allowed to charge lunches in emergency situations. Any charge should be paid the next school day.
Students are to bring one healthful item for daily snack. Milk is available for snack (Pre-K – Grade 3) as well as lunch through the Special milk program. Students not in the milk program are to bring their own drink for lunches. Information about the Special Milk program is contained in your back-to-school packet.
St. John’s Home & School Association is essential to the partnership between the Church, school and families. By supporting educational programs and promoting the spiritual, educational, and emotional welfare of youth, it ensures the success of all. Membership is open to anyone interested in promoting our objectives as described in the by-laws. To encourage participation in the Home & School Association, time devoted to its activities is counted toward service hours.
We believe our mission is accomplished through the five foundations of servant leadership, faith formation of our children, selfless acts of service, focused fundraising, and communion with our staff.
To understand Servant Leadership we first look to the greatest servant of all, Jesus Christ. We will follow the model He gave us when he knelt down to wash his disciples feet and the ultimate sacrifice he showed when He gave His life on Calvary for our Salvation. We will strive to put the needs of our children, family, staff, and community above our own.
We believe that the Faith Formation of our children starts in the home, but is reinforced at Church and School. We aim to help St. John’s become a place where Spiritual growth is nurtured for all of our children. As Christ taught us in Matthew 19:14, “Let the children come to me and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
St. John’s Home & School Association builds community, not just within the school, but parish-wide, by hosting traditional events such as the Fall Festival, Christmas Festival, monthly dinners as well as co-hosting new events such as the annual Daddy/Daughter Dance.
While our goal is to maximize our profits from fundraising we also have to balance the demands on our families. In a normal year we conduct Sunday Bingo and 5 Major Fundraisers, which include the St. John’s 5K, Purse Bag Bingo, the Christmas Bazaar, the Spring Auction, and the Golf Tournament. If it becomes necessary, we will add additional fundraisers to meet our schools needs.
In the Trinity, we have a union of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Three is such a powerful number in Scripture and we believe that we have that here at St. John’s between our Church, School, and Religious Education program. We intend to feed and grow this union for we are told that “where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20).
Supply lists will be published every year and can be ordered through School Tool Box. Account numbers and supply lists will be available in May.
There are some required supplies to be bought from the school, this can be done at the back to school night.
TRANSPORTATION
Bus Students are transported to and from school on County buses and must follow the bus regulations.
WE ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO RIDE THE BUSES IF THERE IS ONE IN YOUR AREA TO AVOID LONG LINES DURING DROP OFF AND PICK UP.
A copy of the Transportation handbook is given to the students at the beginning of each school year. The drivers are in control when the children board the buses. Starting 2019 school year, all 3rd graders & younger, will need a parent / guardian at least 13 years old present at the afternoon bus stop to receive a child. All respective persons are to come to the bus door in order for the driver to release the student. Parents are to notify the driver if there will be any changes in the afternoon with the respective person. The driver will contact transportation & the school if there is no respective person at the bus stop, and after the route, the student will be taken back to school. No child is to get off at any stop but his or her own unless the student has a written note signed by the parents stating the bus change and submitted to the school office. Please be advised, you must first have approval from the St. Mary's County Non-Public Transportation office first. If your child needs to ride a different bus or ride home on a bus that s/he does not normally ride on please fill out the Request for Transportation form (click here). This needs to be done 24 hours in advance in order to have your child assigned to the bus.
St. Mary’s County Non-Public Transportation Services, click here to get to their website
301-863-8400 ext. 1124, Fax: 301-866-6797
Car Parents transporting students by car will use the entrance road off Sandy Bottom Road and pull up to the sidewalk in front of the Monsignor Harris Center. Students should exit cars from the passenger side only with the assistance of a staff member. They should not walk around or between vehicles. Do not allow students to stand at the back of a car, even to retrieve an item from the trunk. Only adults should retrieve items from the rear of cars. (Even this is not recommended because it unnecessarily delays the car line.) Please avoid escorting children across traffic lanes, as this forms unsafe habits. All parents, even those with Pre-K and Kindergarten students, are asked to follow your normal routine from the first day of school. If your child will ride the bus, please put him/her on the bus. If you need to park and escort your child into school, please use the spaces on the north side of the church whenever possible. Avoid using parking spaces alongside the shrine and cemetery during school hours. The buses need a wide radius for turning. The laws for obeying flashing lights on buses are the same in the parking lot as they are on the highway. If buses are present, wait until they have off‑loaded and pulled away before moving forward and allowing your child to exit. Parents are asked to model safe practices for the children. Please take the time to move slowly and safely for the protection of everyone.
UNIFORM COMPANY
Closings
Parents will be notified through the School Reach Emergency Notification System. They are also announced on local radio and most area television stations and at the St. Mary’s County Public School web site, http://www.smcps.org/schoolstatus.aspx. Local radio stations include 98 Star FM, 97.7 WMDM and 102.9 WKIK. Local television stations include WRC-TV Channel 4, WTTG-TV Channel 5, WJLA-TV Channel 7, and WUSA-TV Channel 9.
Hazardous weather conditions, such as excessive heat, hurricanes, snow, or ice may require schools to remain closed or to close early. Because we have County bus transportation, we abide by the decisions made by the St. Mary’s County Public Schools. Calls to verify closings should not be made to the rectory, school, or teachers’ homes. In the event of a school closing or unscheduled early dismissal, school will be closed for all after-school and evening activities.
Delayed Openings
As with school closings, these announcements are made through the School Reach Emergency Notification System. Announcements are also made on television, on radio, and at the St. Mary’s County Public School web site, www.smcps.org. If the parochial school system is scheduled for an early dismissal and a delayed opening is announced, the early dismissal will be cancelled. The dismissal time will change to that which is normal for a full day-3:00pm. There is no half day Pre-K on delayed openings.
Early Dismissals
The students have early dismissal at 12:55 for faculty meetings usually once a month as scheduled on the calendar. If an emergency early dismissal should occur, parents will be notified by the media and by phone when possible. Please check school status at www.smcps.org. Once an emergency closure has been decided, parents are encouraged to pick up their children. Buses will make their normal runs.
Closings are announced on local radio and most area television stations and at the St. Mary’s County Public School web site, Local radio stations include 98 Star FM and 102.9 WKIK. Local television stations include WRC-TV Channel 4, WTTG-TV Channel 5, WJLA-TV Channel 7, and WUSA-TV Channel 9. Hazardous weather conditions, such as excessive heat, hurricanes, snow, or ice may require schools to remain closed or to close early. Because we have County bus transportation, we abide by the decisions made by the St. Mary’s County Public Schools. Parents will be notified through the Parent Reach Emergency Notification System. Calls to verify closings should not be made to the rectory, school, or teachers’ homes. In the event of a school closing or unscheduled early dismissal, school will be closed for all after-school and evening activities. As with school closings, these announcements are made through the Parent Reach Emergency Notification System. Announcements are also made on television, on radio, and at the St. Mary’s County Public School web site. If St. John’s School is scheduled for an early dismissal and a delayed opening is announced, the early dismissal will be canceled and the children will be dismissed at the normal time – 3:00pm. The students have early dismissal at 12:55 for faculty meetings usually once a month as scheduled on the calendar. If an emergency early dismissal should occur, parents will be notified by the media and by phone when possible. Please check school status at www.smcps.org/. Once an emergency closure has been decided, parents are encouraged to pick up their children. Buses will make their normal runs.