Handbook

This handbook has been designed to acquaint you with the philosophy, curriculum, and procedures of the school. It is believed that you can contribute much to the success of the school's program if you understand the goals of the school. The education and training of our children depends upon a cooperative relationship between the school and the home.

**This is the online version of the student handbook and represents only a segment of the information published in the booklety. The handbook is distributed to all students at the start of each school year. Additional copies are available in the school office upon request.

Table of Contents

MISSION STATEMENT
SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION
FACULTY
AUXILIARY EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
CURRICULUM
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
ADMISSION
ACCEPTANCE
ATTENDANCE/ABSENCE
TARDINESS
DAILY TIME SCHEDULE
TRUANCY
TRANSPORTATION/PARKING
USE OF SCHOOL PROPERTY - AFTER HOURS
TUITION/FEES
DRESS CODE
LUNCH
SACRAMENTAL PROGRAMS
HOME AND SCHOOL ASSOCIATION
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM

The School Administration, in conjunction with the School Board of Education of Saint Joseph School, reserves the right to amend this handbook. Parents and students will be notified of any necessary changes.

We believe. . .

• that our students are unique individuals with their own strengths, weaknesses, and limitless possibilities.
• that we must help our students become aware of the power of God working constantly in their lives.
• that we must be positive role models in a world of changing values and lifestyles.
• that each student needs to have a strong sense of self worth.
• that students should be heard, cared for, and supported in an atmosphere where they can grow and define their own visions of the future and their roles in it.
• that the school must provide continued assistance and support to parents as they join in the process of educating their children. In turn, the school asks for continued assistance and support from parents during the educational process.

MISSION STATEMENT
'St. Joseph School in Mechanicsburg is committed to offering a quality Catholic, faith-based education to the children in the Diocese of Harrisburg. Our school program is designed to help our children develop spiritually, intellectually, and physically so that they meet the challenges in their lives, applying Gospel values in our ever-changing society.'

SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION

The purpose of this organization is to provide education in accord with Catholic principles to the students of Saint Joseph School; to maintain Saint Joseph School in proper physical condition; and to establish policies for Saint Joseph School under the authority of the Pastor of Saint Joseph Parish, in conjunction with the pastors of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton and Blessed Katharine Drexel parishes and the Bishop of Harrisburg.

FACULTY

The faculty is composed of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius and qualified lay teachers who are dedicated to the task of providing Catholic education in accordance with Diocesan and State Regulations. View the faculty listing.

AUXILIARY EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

Saint Joseph School shares in special services provided by the State of Pennsylvania for all nonpublic schools under Act 89. These services include counseling, speech and language therapy, remedial reading and mathematics, educational evaluation and psychological testing.

CURRICULUM

The required curriculum subjects are: religion, integrated language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, music, health, computer, library skills, art, handwriting, and physical education in accordance with the regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Diocese of Harrisburg.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

All students enrolled in Saint Joseph School will participate in every aspect of the school's religious education program with the exception of the final phases of the sacramental preparation curriculum. These requirements include attendance at the regularly scheduled classes in religion, fulfillment of course requirements, and attendance at religious functions offered as part of the school program.

ADMISSION

ACCEPTANCE

Children of Saint Joseph, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, and Saint Katharine Drexel parishioners are given preference over non-parishioners in the order of acceptance. Parishioners are those who have registered with one of the designated parishes and financially support its welfare.

Class size is limited to twenty-five (25) in each kindergarten session and thirty (30) in grades 1-8.

ATTENDANCE/ABSENCE

DAILY TIME SCHEDULE

Grades 1 through 8
8:15 a.m. School begins
2:45 p.m. Dismissal

Kindergarten
8:15 - 11:00 a.m. Morning Session
8:15 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. - All day Kindergarten

TRANSPORTATION/PARKING

Bus transportation is provided by the school district where the student resides. Neighborhood students sometimes walk or ride bicycles to school.

USE OF SCHOOL PROPERTY - AFTER HOURS

Due regard for the safety of our students requires that unsupervised students may not remain on school property after they have been dismissed for the day. Any unsupervised student on school property after dismissal will be placed in the After-School program for that day. Parents will be billed at the full-day rate for the After-School program, regardless of the time spent by the student in the program.

It is understandable that emergencies will arise which prevent the timely pick-up of students. A note or call to the school office will allow the school to provide appropriate supervision for students.

TUITION/FEES

The Pastors of each parish, with the School Board, determine the tuition fee for each school year based on a realistic assessment of the cost of education. Tuition schedules are distributed each year so that each family may select the payment plan that best suits their needs.

A registration fee is required in order to register or re-register a child in order to reserve a space in his/her respective class. This registration fee is non-refundable.

In the event of delinquent tuition accounts, the Board policy states that no student will be permitted admission to Saint Joseph School for a new school year until such time as the parent or guardian has fully paid any outstanding tuition balance. Furthermore, requests for academic records made by any person or institution will be denied until outstanding tuition payments are fully satisfied.

This policy is mandatory and may not be modified except by the pastors of the supporting parishes.

Monies are allocated by the State of Pennsylvania through Acts 195 and 90 for the purchase of secular textbooks.

STUDENTS WITH HIV/AIDS OR RELATED DISEASES

Students who are HIV positive, or have AIDS or other related diseases, who wish to attend a diocesan elementary or secondary school will not be denied admission to or discriminated against solely due to their medical condition.

However, the school does reserve the right to dismiss a student or curtail a student's activities (curricular, co/extra curricular) if it is determined that the student presents a substantial risk to himself/herself or others.These considerations will be made on a case-by- case basis by the school principal and in consultation with the student's attending physician. If, for reasons of health or safety, a student can no longer continue to attend classes, arrangements for alternative instruction will be determined by the school principal and the parents/guardians.

Parents/guardians are expected to inform the principal in the case of a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS or related diseases, so that accomodations may be made to provide for the protection of the child as well as other individuals in the school.

Instruction on HIV/AIDS shall be included as part of the school curriculum for all students on an age-appropriate basis.

This school follows the Universal Precautions to Prevent the Spread of Infectious Disease to reduce the risk for employees, volunteers, and students.

LUNCH

Students bring their own lunch to school daily. Lunch bags and boxes should be clearly marked with the student's name and grade.

Hot lunch is served once per week, on Thursdays, throughout the school year. Dates and menus for hot lunches are provided on the SJS website at www.sjsmch.org as well as on the monthly calendars which are distributed to students at school.

SACRAMENTAL PROGRAMS

Saint Joseph School provides religious education in preparation for the sacraments of the Catholic Church as a part of the religion curriculum. However, administration of the sacraments is the obligation and responsibility of the individual parishes. Students are therefore required to receive the sacraments in their respective parishes.

EXTENDED DAY PROGRAM

Saint Joseph School offers an extended day program for students in Grades K-6. The program runs from dismissal to 5:30 p.m. each day. Students are supervised by qualified personnel and are provided with a snack, play time, and homework time. For further information on the Extended Day Program, please contact the school office.