Dear STSJP Parent/Guardian:
A defining quality of Sts. Joan of Arc & Patrick School is our Code of Conduct – the expectation shared by the school and you as parents that our students will “demonstrate increasing maturity as they develop in three important areas: respect, spirituality, and responsibility.”
To support our students in this growth process, the Middle School team and school administrators have developed a new system to facilitate improved communication amongst the teachers and between teachers and parents. Documentation will follow each homeroom class so each teacher they are with is aware if there are concerns or issues during that day. Consequences for misbehavior, no homework or late homework, tardiness, or other unacceptable behavior will be decided by the homeroom teacher near the end of the day, and the homeroom teacher will contact parents if needed at that time.
The behaviors that lead to students pulling strips will not change from what has been happening so far this school year; however, the behaviors, their consequences, and the cumulative effect of ongoing disregard for school rules are being more clearly defined and shared.
Specifically, consequences for pulling strips are now the following:
· First strip . . . student loses the privilege of purchasing a soda at the end of the week.
· Second strip . . . student calls a parent/guardian and must complete an additional homework assignment, which will be due the next day. This is up to the teacher’s discretion, and may include writing sentences, looking up and copying definitions, comparing and contrasting vices & virtues, etc. The assignment may require a parent/guardian signature. It must be turned in to the homeroom teacher by 8 a.m. the next school day.
· Third strip . . . student calls a parent/guardian and must complete a morning service project from 7:25 to 7:55 a.m. the following school day. This may include cleaning desks, cleaning the chalk board, etc. and will be at the teacher’s discretion.
· Fourth (and successive) strips . . . consequences will be determined by school administrators and may include in-school suspension (ISS), out-of-school suspension (OSS), etc.
MISSION STATEMENT
Modeled by the image of Christ, we shall nurture the spiritual, academic, social, and individual potential of our students to prepare them for the challenges of today and the future.
GOALS: All students will improve their technical writing and mathematical computation skills across the curriculum.
Understanding that this system will include a higher level of involvement on the part of the parent, we wanted to make sure this was communicated to each of you. It is our hope that you will never receive a 2:30 p.m. call from your child’s homeroom teacher, but in the event that you do we hope that you will understand the necessity of such communication and support our efforts to see our young men and women mature as they should in terms of not just academics, but citizenship as well.
Common sense may dictate that extraordinary circumstances result in more immediate or more severe actions than those outlined above. Common sense may also show that more leniency may be appropriate (for instance, if a folder with all the day’s homework is left at home, this may not result in a student pulling four strips for four late assignments.)
Please remember that we are your partners in teaching your children. We welcome communication with you, and encourage you to call, email or meet with us. You are always welcome to contact us to set up at time to meet to discuss specific concerns, or points worth celebrating.
Yours in Christ,