Little Flower School is fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges. The curriculum and standards for evaluation at Little Flower School are in accordance with Archdiocesan regulations and guidelines.

ADMISSIONS

Little Flower School does give preference in admissions to siblings of students previously enrolled in the school; secondly, to Catholic students registered at one of our three designated parishes, Holy Face, Immaculate Heart of Mary, and St. George; thirdly, to Catholic students living outside of designated parish boundaries; fourthly, to non-Catholic students.

Registration for new students begins in March.  Registration does not guarantee acceptance.  All students must meet the following requirements for admission.

·    A child must be four years of age by September 1^st of the current year for the pre-kindergarten program.

·    A child must be five years of age by September 1^st of the current year for the kindergarten program.

·    Effective the 2007-2008 school year a child must be six years of age by September 1st of the current year to enter first grade.

·    A birth certificate and up-to-date record of immunization must be presented for all children.  A baptismal certificate must be presented if Catholic.

·    For Catholic families, a signed letter of endorsement by the pastor of their parish is required before students can be accepted at in-parish rates.

·    The most recent report card, standardized testing results and school records must be presented for all students transferring into LFS from other schools (or who were home schooled).  Students may be required to take a placement exam.  The results of the testing assist the administration in determining whether a child will benefit from our educational program. 

·    Additionally, the results of the testing will help to ensure proper placement.  If there is a question of retention, this must be made prior to grade placement.

·    Requests for student placement will be taken into consideration.  The principal will use all available information to determine the best available placement for each child.

·    All students must participate in religion class, school liturgy and prayer; however, only Catholic students may receive the sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation.

·    All new students accepted to Little Flower School are placed on a probationary status for their first year of enrollment.

·    The school reserves the right to refuse continued enrollment to students demonstrating repeated violations of school rules.  Lack of involvement, support and/or lack of cooperation of the parents in dealing with school matters may also result in the refusal of continued enrollment.

TRANSPORTATION

You are strongly encouraged to use the bus service provided by the county. The St. Mary's County Bus Regulation pamphlet will be given to each student at the beginning of the school year. It is recommended that you begin using the bus the first week of school when everyone will be giving very special attention to the new students, especially the younger ones. Be assured: they will get to their classes with supervision of bus monitors and eighth grade students for the first week or two. If you have questions regarding St. Mary's County Bus Service, you may contact Nettie Harold at 301-866-5328.
 

CARS/BUSES ARRIVAL PROCEDURE

Due to safety reasons, students will not be permitted to enter the building prior to 7:40AM. Cars enter at the Little Flower School sign and wait along the grass. Cars will begin to off-load at 7:40 AM at the direction of the monitors. The children will enter the building through the front door. Please pull up so that four cars can off-load at the same time. Cars then proceed around the safety cone and exit at the same Little Flower sign. Parents must make a right turn out of parking lot. (See diagram). If you need to drop items off or you have other business, wait in line and then pull into a parking space as directed by our traffic monitors.

All buses enter at the Holy Face Church sign and begin off loading students at 7:40 AM. The buses then park on the blacktop between the rectory and field to make the transfer of students. The buses then exit at the Holy Face sign. CARS SHOULD NEVER USE THIS ENTRANCE IN THE MORNING BETWEEN 7:30 AND 8:00 AM.

 CARS/BUSES DISMISSAL PROCEDURE

Due to congestion in our lobby, parents are not allowed to wait in the lobby to pick up their children. Parents are asked to wait in their vehicle.

Cars enter at the Little Flower School sign and wait along the grass behind the STOP sign. Please pull up so that 4 or 5 cars can load at the same time. Children who carpool will wait for their ride in the "safety zone" in front of the school building. . Cars exit at the Little Flower School sign by making a right hand turn. (See diagram). If necessary, turn around by the Holy Face bell tower or in Callaway. Please do not turn around on private property.

After dismissal, teachers are not responsible for children.. Students who are not picked up by 3:00 p.m. (12:45 p.m. on early dismissal days) will be sent to the After School Room. Parents must report to the Office to sign their child out as well as pick up their bill ($10.00 every 10 minutes). Parents habitually leaving their child after 3:00 p.m. will be required to enroll in our After Care Program in order to have their child continue to attend LFS.

PARENTS REQUESTING EARLY DISMISSAL

In order to have your child dismissed before 2:45, a written request must be presented to the teacher no later than the morning of the required early dismissal. Due to bus and car traffic at dismissal, no students will be dismissed after 2:45 PM. Parents must enter the school and sign the student out at the receptionist's desk. Students will be released only to parents or to persons authorized by their parents before 2:45 PM; otherwise, you will be detained in the school lobby until all buses have picked up their passengers. Names of authorized persons must be on file in the office. It is the responsibility of the parents to notify the school of any changes in authorized persons.

 ARRIVAL/ DISMISSAL MAP

 

STUDENT CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINE

LFS has an obligation to maintain a safe and orderly learning environment.  Students are expected to acknowledge responsibility for their actions and accept the consequences.  Parents are expected to support the policies of LFS.  The principal is the final recourse in all discipline matters and may waive any disciplinary rule at her discretion.  Our goal at Little Flower is to nurture the child to develop self-discipline and Christian values and to assist the parents in the moral and ethical development of their child. Maintaining a safe environment, a sense of order and standards of acceptable behavior is essential to attaining this goal. The Code of Conduct should help our children understand what behaviors are expected of them.  To ensure that all parties are aware of the policy and regulations, students and parents are required to sign an acknowledgement of the discipline policy and the Student Code of Conduct.  

Written records will be maintained of all significant disciplinary action taken with the student for the duration of his/her enrollment in the school. Parents will be informed in writing of all major disciplinary actions taken with their child.   These are not part of the permanent record.

Students who demonstrate a pattern of repeated violations of school rules and/or an unwillingness to change behavior will not be invited to enroll for the following year.  Lack of involvement and/or lack of cooperation by the parents in dealing with school matters may also result in the non-renewal of the student’s re-registration.

STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT

As students of Little Flower School, we acknowledge that our Catholic school education is an opportunity to grow in love and knowledge of our God, our world and ourselves. Whether on the school grounds, on the buses, at games or on field trips, Little Flower students represent their school and their families and are expected to set a good example for all.

To do this we will…

1. Demonstrate Christian values in speech and actions.

2. Follow the directions of our priests, principal, teachers, school staff, bus drivers and parent volunteers who help us learn.

3. Treat everyone with respect and courtesy.

4. Take care of our learning materials, our school and our church property.

5. Take responsibility for our own actions and practice self-control.

The goal of our Code of Conduct is to unify our school with regard to expected behaviors involving shared space.  Some areas affected would be…

• School Buses
• Playground
• Lunch room
• Bathrooms
• Hallways
• Field trips
• Basketball games
• School sponsored activities
• Liturgies

DISCIPLINE PROCEDURES

Minor infractions will result in a written warning, exclusion from certain privileges, additional assignments and/or phone call to parents.  Such infractions include, but are not limited to…

• Chewing gum
• Not in compliance with dress code
• Behavior which interferes with instruction
• Tardiness in the morning or at change of classes
• Other minor violations of school rules as determined by principal

Major infractions will result in detention/suspension. Parents will be notified promptly. Students exhibiting these types of behavior will be ineligible for basketball, cheerleading, field trips and/or other school sponsored activities for a minimum of two weeks.  Such infractions include, but are not limited to…

• Repetition of minor infractions 
• Disrespect for administration, faculty or staff
• Use of obscene, profane or abusive gestures or language, either spoken or written
• Disrespect toward other students
• Disruptive behavior
• Any action which endangers the health or safety of others
• Stealing, cheating, lying or plagiarism
• Leaving school grounds without permission
• Refusal to obey school rules or regulations
• Threatening or intimidating another student with physical harm
• Sexual harassment
• Fighting and other acts of violent behavior
• Willful destruction of personal, school or church property - Restitution will be required.
• Truancy
• Possession of anything that can be construed as a weapon, whether on the school bus, inside or outside of the school
• Possession of matches, lighter or other dangerous substances whether on the school bus inside or outside of the school.
• Any action or conduct whether on the school bus, inside or outside of the school which is a detriment to the good name of Little Flower School
• Serious violations of school rules as determined by the principal

The severity of the major infraction and the student's history of infractions will determine whether the student receives a detention or suspension. The principal is the final recourse in all discipline matters and may waive any disciplinary rule at her discretion.

Plagiarism can be defined as presenting someone else's ideas or work as your own. Plagiarism of any type is unacceptable in any educational community. In addition, it is morally wrong to present someone else's work as your own. In this time of easy access to information, children must be taught that using the ideas, writings and works of another is only acceptable when it does not violate copyright laws and proper credit is given to the original source.

PLAGIARISM OF ANY TYPE, INCLUDING COPYING OF ANOTHER STUDENT'S HOMEWORK OR THE AIDING IN PLAGIARISM, WILL NOT BE TOLERATED AT LITTLE FLOWER SCHOOL.

Detentions are served for one hour outside the normal school day, usually after school.  The parents are required to arrange for transportation and to pick up their child on time. Parents arriving late to pick up their child from detention will be charged $10.00 for every ten minutes. Parents will be notified at least one day before a detention is to be served. Failure to report to a detention will result in suspension. Repeated detentions will also warrant suspension.

Suspension is a serious matter. Suspensions may be from one to five days in length. In school and out of school suspensions may be implemented. Students are responsible for work missed, but the teacher is under no obligation to assist the suspended student with assignments or make-up work. Parents will be notified immediately after the infraction has occurred, and a conference will be held with all parties involved. Students and parents must meet with the principal and develop a plan to ensure that a similar infraction will not occur.  A suspension paper will be signed by the parent(s) or guardian, the student and the principal and is placed on file. Repeated suspensions could result in expulsion at the discretion of the principal and the administrator.

Expulsion is an extremely serious matter. Parents will be notified, and a conference will be held immediately. Expulsion will be used when, in the opinion of the principal and the administrator, the good of the school community outweighs the need of the individual student to continue at Little Flower.  Such infractions include, but are not limited to…

• Use or possession of narcotics, alcohol, tobacco or other potentially harmful substances on school grounds.
• Use or possession of any type of weapon(s)
• Physical assault on any member of the administration, faculty or staff
• Robbery
• Arson
• Repetition of major offenses with no sign of improvement
• Extreme violations of school rules as determined by the principal and/or administrator

CARE OF SCHOOL PROPERTY

Students are expected to take proper care of all school texts and materials. Textbooks are to be covered at all times with the student’s name and grade on the cover.  Book covers are provided by the school.  Students should not accumulate papers in their books as it ruins the spine of the books.  Students will be assessed a fee for any damage to rental books as well as for books that are misplaced. Students should also responsibly care for school furniture, equipment and property. The student and his/her family will pay for any willful destruction of property.

ARTICLES PROHIBITED IN SCHOOL

The school has all essential sports equipment.  Therefore, students are not to bring sports equipment of any kind to school.  Students are not permitted to bring cell phones, pagers, radios, Walkman/CD players, tape recorders, electronic games, skateboards or toys to school without prior permission from the principal. These items, or anything that could be construed as a weapon, may be confiscated by school staff and placed in a secure location until the last day of school.  The school cannot be responsible for loss or damage done to any of the above items.

Homework

Homework is assigned to aid in the reinforcement of skills taught in the classroom as well as acquaints the parents with the skills being learned at school. It is the responsibility of the parents to supervise the homework and guide the student to select a quiet, well-equipped place for study. As the child becomes older, the responsibility should begin to shift to the child. Yet, even with older children, some parental supervision is appropriate. 

The amount of homework varies from grade to grade. Homework assignment guidelines are one-half hour for grades one and two; one hour for grades three, four, and five; and one and a half-hours for grades six, seven, and eight. If your child consistently spends more or less than the suggested time for homework, please contact your child's teacher directly. 

In some curriculum areas there will be projects and reports to be done on a long-term basis. These may require the use of the Public Library over the weekend. Also, if homework for the week or projects/reports for the quarter have not been completed, students will be expected to complete the assignments) over the weekend or during holidays. At all grade levels, homework is included in determining the subject area grade on the report card. Incomplete or missed assignments will negatively affect grades.

Home/ School Association (HSA) 

The purpose of the Little Flower Home/School Association (HSA) is to promote and facilitate increased communication between the faculty and parents and provide financial, physical and educational assistance for the school. The membership of the HSA consists of all parents/guardians of students enrolled in LFS, the school Principal, all clergy and religious from the parishes that LFS serves, and all faculty members. The HSA has a President, Vice-President and Secretary. These officers make up the Executive board.

Advisory Board

The Advisory Board provides advice and assistance to the school administrative team, pastor and principal, in the development of policy at the school. The Advisory Board is comprised of the school administrator, co-sponsoring pastors, principal, assistant principal, appointed officers, HSA president, parish representatives, out of parish representative, and a non-parent representative. The Board fulfills its purpose and exercises its functions in accord with the mission and goals of the parishes and with the goals, policies and regulations of the Archdiocese of Washington.

MEDICATION

By law, only trained individuals are allowed to administer medication of any kind. This limits the type of medical attention we can give your child. Only medications that are of an urgent nature will be dispensed at the school. All other medication is to be administered at home. If your child needs an antibiotic or cough syrup, the doctors are now able to prescribe time-released medicine that can be given twice a day. This eliminates mid-day doses. 

There will be no medication administered to students without written permission by a physician. Students are not permitted to carry medication of any kind into the classroom or around the school. All medication must be brought to the Nurse by a parent or guardian in the original prescription container with the child's name and written instructions on how the medication should be administered.

VISITORS

All visitors and volunteers to the school must report to the receptionist's desk. They should sign in the book near the office and pick up an ID badge. No one entering the school is to go directly to any classroom. In this way, interruptions can be avoided and better protection can be provided. 

TELEPHONES

The school office phone must be available for business transactions and emergencies. The secretary or principal will deliver emergency messages from home to the student or make the proper calls if a student becomes ill. If a student forgets something at home, it is his/her responsibility to face the consequences. Students using the phone without permission with receive disciplinary action. 

FIRE AND EMERGENCY DRILLS

Regular fire and emergency drills are held throughout the year. Any person in the school during the drill must participate along with the students and teachers. Students are instructed to maintain proper conduct during the drills, which is silence, proper lines and any other instructions given by the teacher. Inappropriate behavior may result in disciplinary action. All regulations during the drill are in accordance with regulations set forth by the St. Mary's County Fire and Police Departments and the Archdiocese of Washington. 

FIELD TRIPS

Field trips, though an extension of our academic program, are considered a privilege not a right. A permission slip will be sent home in advance of a field trip to be signed by the parent/guardian NO OTHER FORM FOR PERMISSION TO ATTEND THE TRIP WILL BE ACCEPTED. Permission slip form may not be altered in any way. Students who have not returned a signed permission slip and fee for the trip will not be permitted to attend the trip. Any money for the trip should be sent in an envelope clearly marked with the student's name, class and purpose for the money. Any student not participating in the activity will remain in school to be supervised by a classroom teacher. 

Students are required to go to and from field trips with their class. The number of chaperones is determined by the nature of the field trip. In order to give full attention to the students, chaperones may not bring younger children on field trips. Please follow early dismissal procedures if you plan to take your child out of school before the end of the day. 

Field trips may be canceled at the last minute should Homeland Security raise the level of alert to "Code Orange." Little Flower School will follow the field trip guidelines of the Catholic Schools Office and the St Mary's County Public Schools with regard to Homeland Security.

EMERGENCY INFORMATION 

Emergencies sometimes occur during the school day. Parents will be called by telephone if a child becomes ill or meets with an accident. It is with the safety of your child in mind that we require parents/guardians to provide a current address, home and work phone numbers. Parents must complete the LFS authorization form. Only authorized emergency contacts listed on the form will be permitted to pick up your child. 

Notification of change of address, telephone number, or other emergency information is required in writing to the school office. This information should be sent in immediately upon a change. We must be able to contact the correct people in an emergency. It is the parents' responsibility to provide current information. If the person designated on the emergency form cannot be contacted and the injury is considered serious, the student will be taken to the hospital or dentist at the discretion of school personnel.

NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

According to the Gospel message, we should love and respect all people. It is our policy, therefore, to operate in accord with nondiscriminatory guidelines. Accordingly, no student, faculty member, applicant or employee shall be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability and/or sex, in administrative policy and practice, in scholarship programs or in education and/or athletic activities.
 

SOME LEGAL ISSUES

Custody:

Little Flower School requires that all divorced parents furnish the Principal with a notarized copy of the custody section of the divorce decree. This information will enable the school to determine when, if ever, a child can be released to a non-custodial parent. The burden of notifying the school, in writing, is the responsibility of the parent/ guardian.

Little Flower School abides by the provisions of the Buckley Amendment with respect to the rights of non­custodial parents. In the absence of a court order to the contrary, a school will provide the non-custodial parent with access to the academic records and to other school-related information regarding the child. If there is a court order specifying that there is to be no information given, it is the responsibility of the custodial parents to provide the school with an official copy of the court order.

Records:

Any parent who wishes to view their child's official record must make the request to the Principal in writing. 

Parents of students transferring to other schools must notify Little Flower School in writing and must sign an official release form before records are forwarded to the receiving school. 

Search and Seizure: (New Jersey vs. T.L.O. 105 S.CT 733(1985))

The Supreme Court has ruled that a school official need only have a reasonable cause to search student's belongings. Little Flower School reserves the right for school officials to search a student's belongings.

Child Abuse and Neglect

Any suspected child abuse or neglect will be reported to the Child Protection Services of St. Mary's County in compliance with the regulations of the Archdiocese of Washington. Maryland law specifically provides that any person participating in good faith in making of a report of suspected child abuse shall be immune form liability, civil or criminal, which might be incurred with respect to the making of such a report.

On-Going Investigations Little Flower School reserves the right to withhold services from any student who is the subject of an on-going investigation by police or other authorities. 

Amendment of Handbook Principal retains the right to amend the Handbook at any time at her discretion.

Fingerprinting All volunteers with significant contact with children are required to be fingerprinted and complete a criminal background check with the Archdiocese of Washington. Volunteer must also attend a Virtus training on protecting all of God's children. Parents who wish to chaperone field trips or volunteer in the school must call 301-853-4513 for an appointment to be fingerprinted. Please visit www.virtus.org for information on training sessions available in our area.