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):

1. Illness of the student (after three days of illness, student must provide medical documentation that indicates the student is able to return to school);
2. Death in the student’s immediate family;
3. Necessity for a student to attend a judicial proceeding;
4. Lawful suspension or exclusion from school by chief administrative officer.
5. Temporary closing of facilities or suspension of classes due to severe weather, official activities, holidays, malfunctioning equipment, unsafe or unsanitary conditions, or other conditions requiring closing or suspension of classes;
6. Other absence(s) approved in advance by the principal upon the written request of a parent or guardian. Failure to provide advance notice may result in an unexcused absence.

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:

• Diarrhea or vomiting
• Severe or unusual cough
• Yellowish, watery or red eyes
• Difficult of rapid breathing
• Abnormal body temperature or fever, below 97 degrees or above 100 degrees
• Once parents of ill students are contacted by the school office or nurse, immediate pick up is necessary.

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

• Allergy Action Plan
• Inhaler Authorization
• Medication Authorization form
• EpiPen Authorization form
• Immunization Acknowledgement form (Grades K-8)
• Immunization Acknowledgement Form (Pre-K only)

• Volunteer Application
• Virtus Child Protection Instructions

• Car Arrival and Pickup Procedures
• Parent Handbook
• Transportation Handbook
• Volunteer Handbook

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.

Our mission is to strengthen our children, families, and community through Faith, Hope, and Love thus fulfilling the ultimate goal of bringing souls closer to Jesus Christ!

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.

Servant Leadership

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.

Faith Formation

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.”

Selfless Acts of Service

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.

Focused Fundraising

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.

Communion with Staff

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.

• Bibles:  New students, grades 5-6-7-8 or any student in those grades without one
• Magnetic White Boards: grades K-1-2
• Gray Zipper Bag: grades K-1-2
• Assignment Book: grades 3-4-5-6-7-8
• Travel Folder: grades K-1-2-3-4-5)

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 3^rd 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

• Land’s End is our uniform company. Please visit Land’s End to place your order. You may also visit any Sears store for any non-logo items like shoes, socks and tights. Please utilize our scrip program and purchase scrip for Land’s End for your purchases. There are a lot more items listed on the Land’s End website. These are optional items that you may purchase, such as sweaters, sweatshirts, fleece jackets, vests, rain jackets, winter coats and shoes. If a student gets cold during the day, they may put on a sweatshirt, sweater or fleece, but it must be from Land’s End with the logo on it.

• All Students are expected to be in full Land’s End uniform when the school year begins.  Uniforms must be neat and clean and fit correctly.  White shirts are worn with plaid.  Maroon shirts are worn with khaki.  School polo shirts must be tucked in neatly at all times.  Repairs must be made immediately to any rips, tears, or falling hems.  All uniform items are to be labeled with student’s name.

• Grey T-shirt (short or long sleeved) and maroon sweatshirt, with maroon mesh shorts or maroon sweat pants. All items are to have the SJS logo on them.
• Shoes – solid black or white low cut tennis shoes.  Velcro preferred, no lights or character shoes.
• Socks – solid black socks may be worn with black shoes. Solid white socks with white shoes. All socks must cover the ankle and have no visible logos.

• Maroon polo shirt (short or long sleeved with logo) along with Land’s End pleated khaki pants or shorts (August-October and April-June). St. John’s maroon sweatshirt (optional, must be worn over polo shirt).
• Shorts and pants will be worn with a solid black or brown leather belt.
• Shoes – solid black or brown leather or suede shoes, or solid black or white low cut tennis shoes. No visible logos.
• Socks – solid black socks may be worn with black shoes. Solid white socks with white shoes. All socks cover the ankle and have no visible logos.

• Grey T-shirt (short or long sleeved) with or without maroon sweatshirt with maroon mesh shorts or maroon sweat pants. All items are to have the SJS logo on them.
• Shoes -PE Shoes can be any color. They cannot be heelys, character shoes or light up shoes. This is for PE ONLY.
• Socks – solid black socks may be worn with black shoes. Solid white socks with white shoes. All socks must cover the ankle and have no visible logos.
• All students must be in P.E. uniform to participate in gym class.

• White polo shirt (short or long sleeved, logo optional) with maroon plaid Jumper (logo mandatory) or maroon polo shirt (logo mandatory) with Land’s End pleated khaki shorts or pants. St. John’s maroon sweatshirt (optional, must be worn over polo shirt).
• Shorts and pants will be worn with a solid black or brown leather belt.
• Shoes – solid black or white low cut tennis shoes, or the shoes listed on Land’s End SJS website with a strap on them.
• Socks – solid black socks may be worn with black shoes. Solid white socks with white shoes. All socks must cover the ankle and have no visible logos.  They may also wear black, white or maroon knee socks or tights.
• Sweatpants or leggings may not be worn under the girls’ skirts/jumpers while in class. Jumpers must be no shorter than 1-inch above the knee.

• Maroon polo shirt (short or long sleeved, logo mandatory) with solid khaki skirt, Land’s End pleated khaki shorts or pants. St. John’s maroon sweatshirt (optional, must be worn over polo shirt).
• Shorts and pants will be worn with a solid black or brown leather belt.
• White polo shirt (short or long sleeved, logo mandatory) with maroon plaid skirt.
• Shoes – solid black or white low cut tennis shoes, or the shoes listed on Land’s End SJS website.
• Socks – solid black socks may be worn with black shoes. Solid white socks with white shoes. All socks must cover the ankle and have no visible logos. They may also wear black, white or maroon knee socks or tights.
• Sweatpants or leggings may not be worn under the girls’ skirts/jumpers while in class. Skirts must be no shorter than 1-inch above the knee.

• Grey T-shirt (short or long sleeved, logo mandatory) with or without maroon sweatshirt, with maroon shorts or sweatpants (logo mandatory on all items).
• Shoes -PE Shoes can be any color. They cannot be heelys, character shoes or light up shoes. This is for PE ONLY.
• Socks – solid black socks may be worn with black shoes. Solid white socks with white shoes. All socks must cover the ankle and have no visible logos.
• All students must be in P.E. uniform to participate in gym class.

• Shoes, socks and belts may not have any visible logos on them. If students want to wear an undershirt under the polo, the undershirt can only be white in color. Sweatshirts must be worn with a SJS polo shirt under it.
• Shoes can be easily found on the Land’s End website or Amazon.com. They must be solid in color. Students must wear solid brown, black or white leather or suede shoes (no more than 1 inch heel); or white or black low-cut tennis shoes.  Shoelaces, Velcro, elastic closures or buckles are required (no zipper shoes are allowed).  Shoes may not have any additional colors in trim or logos, and no lights or decorations.  Backless shoes and wheeled shoes are not permitted.  Sperry shoes are permitted as long as they are a solid color in brown, mahogany or sahara with no other colors or patterns on them.
• Socks – Students must wear plain white athletic socks that covers the ankle.  Socks may not have trim or decorations.   Black, white, gray or burgundy tights or knee socks may be worn with skirts and jumpers.

• Both girls and boys must keep hair neat, clean, away from the eyes and not extreme in style. Boys’ hair must be styled in such a way as to blend in length. Length must be above the eyebrows and may not reach the collar. Hair must be trimmed no longer than mid-ear length on the sides. If appointments are necessary for haircuts, please schedule them on a regular basis and avoid taking a teacher’s professional time to ensure compliance.
• Hair color must be natural shades.
• Girls’ hair accessories should be maroon plaid or solid colors (black, white, burgundy or khaki).

• Students may wear wristwatches and a simple chain necklace with cross or locket.
• Girls may wear one earring in each ear on the earlobe. Stud earrings or small hoops in gold or silver (no colors) are acceptable.
• Dangling earrings, rings and bracelets may not be worn.
• Earrings may not be worn during PE.
• Boys are not permitted to wear earrings at any time.

• Make-up is not to be worn at school. Nails must be kept short and neat. Only clear nail polish is allowed.  Acrylic of fake nails are not permitted.

• A student in violation of the uniform or non-uniform regulations may be required to remain in the office until he/she has the necessary clothing to dress appropriately.  Students who have been issued 3 notices of uniform violation will forfeit the privilege of participating in the next non-uniform day.

• On designated “tag” days, students may be given permission by the principal to wear clothing other than their uniforms to school.
• Policies for jewelry and make-up remain the same on non-uniform days.
• Clothing must be modest and appropriate.  T-shirts must be neat and in good taste and not display inappropriate symbols or sayings.
• Tank tops, halter-tops or crop tops are not permitted.
• Tops must be long enough to tuck in easily and cover the shoulders.
• Cleavage must not be visible at any time.
• Jeans, slacks or Capri’s must be neat and fit properly and may not hug the skin or be tight or have rips or holes in them.
• Leggings, skinny jeans, pajama bottoms or any pant that hugs the skin are not allowed.
• Dresses and skirts must be approximately knee length and may not be tight.
• Shorts may be worn as long as they are Bermuda style walking shorts.  They cannot be tight and the hem must come to the knees.
• All pants, shorts or skirts cannot ride low on the hips, they must fit properly on the students waist.
• Underwear must be covered by clothing at all times.
• Open-toed shoes or shoes without a back are not allowed.  Socks must be worn with shoes.  Please follow the uniform policy for socks.
• Students may not wear shorts or capris when we are in Winter uniform code.
• This policy is for all grades, Pre-K through grade 8.

• If a student’s birthday falls on a school day, the student does not have to wear his or her uniform.
• If the birthday falls on a weekend or holiday, the student has the option of choosing Friday, Monday, the day before or after the birthday for a non-uniform day.
• Students with summer birthdays may choose to wear non-uniform on their half birthday.
• Party invitations are welcome as long as they are distributed to the entire class.  If you are only inviting a select few students, they will not be allowed to be distributed to the students.  Please mail them.

• The school has cabinets with used uniforms that have been donated.  Please call the school office at 301-373-2142 for more information.  There is a used uniform sale/exchange in July every year.

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.