Our after school care program is run by the school, and supervised by school employees. This provides stability and consistency in rules and expectations.
Parents who plan to regularly use the after school care program are asked to have their regular schedule on file. Parents who use the program occasionally should notify the school by phone or note on days when a child will be staying in the after school care program.
For the safety of the students it is especially important that we have notice of students who are planning to come to the after school care program after other scheduled activities, such as choir or newspaper, so that the supervisor knows to expect them. Students who are staying after 3 p.m. for school-related projects or activities must be supervised by a faculty member until they are picked up by a parent or guardian. If a student is not picked up by the designated end time for the activity he/she will be signed in to the after school care program by the faculty member with whom he/she has been staying for continued supervision.
Bicycles are to be parked in the racks at all times and are to be locked. The school will not be responsible for any damage done to the bicycles.
School Calendar will be listed in the Student Phone Directory. An online version can be accessed by clicking on the link: Calendar
The OLP Cafeteria serves a hot lunch for purchase every day. Beverages and desserts are also available. Students have the option of bringing a sack lunch from home.
Please do not bring in fast food, birthday treats, etc., during the lunch period. If you wish to purchase lunch and/or dessert for your child's class, you may arrange it through the cafeteria. Any other treats will be distributed at the discretion of the teacher.
Archdiocesan Policy 5202.6: Instructional Use of Copyrighted Materials
All Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of St. Louis should adhere to the current copyright laws governing printed material, videotape, computer software, music, multi-media presentations, and Internet web sites and resources.
No unauthorized copies of copyrighted materials in any form should be made or used on equipment owned by or borrowed or leased from a school. No school staff, students, or others should sue any form of unauthorized copies of copyright materials for any purpose with the school’s instructional program. “Fair use” of copyrighted materials is allowed for specific instructional purposes within the limits of the “fair use” limitations.
Our Lady of the Pillar Handbook on Crisis Response Procedure is on file in the school office. It is available for anyone who would like to review it.
Fire drills are held regularly to acquaint children with the proper procedures.
Tornado drills are also held so that children will know how to protect themselves. During the tornado season, the drills are held regularly.
A school should not distribute information to parents or students in any form about programs, products, or services which are available from sources other than the school, parish, or other Catholic agency, or with whom the school has a formal contact. This includes programs which are offered by individual parents or parishioners, but are not formally sanctioned by the parish or school.
Faculty meetings will be held periodically throughout the school year. Regularly scheduled meetings appear on the yearly and monthly school calendars.
School Personnel are required to report to the Missouri Division of Family Services if they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child known to them in their professional capacity may be abused or neglected.
Archdiocesan Policy 4401.3: Physical Examination of Students
Students should have a complete physical examination upon entrance to Kindergarten, third grade, and sixth grade. All new entrants at any grade level should have a physical examination if they have not had a physical in the past 12 months.
Archdiocesan Policy 4401.4: Administration of Medication
Ideally, all medication should be given at home. However, some students are able to attend school because of the effectiveness of medication in the treatment of chronic illnesses or disabilities. If a student requires prescribed medication during the school day, the following must be in place:
The direct order/consent of a licensed physician, licensed physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner, signed and properly filed with the school. (Physician Consent, Appendix IV) (The current prescription label on the container may serve as a physician’s order and physician’s orders may be faxed or mailed to the school.)
Written consent of the parent/guardian for school personnel to administer the medication (Parental Consent, Appendix IV)
The medication in the original container;
Proper training of personnel on medication administration.
All medication sent to the school must be secured in a locked cabinet under the supervision of the administration. Students may not carry medication on their person, with the exception of metered-dose inhalers when properly registered with the school. A trained staff member must be assigned to administer medication. Proper documentation must be kept on every dose given.
Archdiocesan Policy 4401.6: Students with Significant Medical Conditions
A student enrolled in a Catholic school who has a significant or potentially life threatening medical condition may require special consideration. Schools should take steps to obtain the information necessary to understand the condition, its manifestations in the school setting, and any specific adjustments or plans for an emergency response which may be necessary in order to provide the student with a healthy and safe environment.
Our Lady of the Pillar Procedures:
Although our school has health facilities, we do not employ a full time nurse. The school secretary or other staff members handle daily minor injuries that might occur. The faculty and staff have been trained in CPR and First Aid. All parents are asked to fill an Emergency Information Card and return to the school office on or before the first day of school so that we might proceed according to your wishes should we be unable to reach either parent in serious emergencies. PLEASE INCLUDE CELL PHONE NUMBERS.
A registered nurse volunteers to take care of our health records and forms which are sent to the state.
Senate Bill 522 states that the grace period for immunizations has been eliminated. All children in non-compliance will be prevented from enrolling in or attending school.
Four doses of DPT and OTPV for students entering Kindergarten. The last dose of DPT and OTPV must have been received on or after the fourth birthday unless the child has received 6 doses or before the seventh birthday.
Two doses of measles vaccine and one dose of Rubella vaccine received at age twelve months or older. Exemptions must be signed by a physician and filed with the school.
Effective July 30, 1999, three doses of hepatitis B (HB) vaccine are required for all students entering Grades K-8.
Varicella vaccine or proof of disease (chicken pox) will be required for Kindergarten students beginning in the 2005-2006 school year.
Students attend Mass on the following occasions:
One assigned day per week.
Special Feasts.
A lost and found box is located in the school office. All articles found on the premises will be placed there to be claimed. All clothing should be marked with the students name. Students are expected to check for their lost items in the office. At the end of each month, any unclaimed articles will be given to the needy.
Any boy or girl in grade five and above is eligible to become a server. Altar persons serve at scheduled times. If they are unable to serve, they are responsible for getting a substitute.
A complete list of altar servers' names and telephone numbers will be given to the students in the beginning of the school year. Serving appointments are made and distributed regularly.
May Crowning ceremonies will take place during the month of May. The entire student body participates in this devotion to Mary.
The entire student body also participates in crowning the Blessed Virgin at the outdoor shrine.
Morning Star School in Singhpur, India, a Marianist elementary school, is the ordinary recipient of the mission money collected at school.
In accord with our philosophy, it is felt that children can learn to share with others--an aspect of Christian service--by means of these various collections
The Mothers' Club is an organization of the women of the parish dedicated to supporting all the functions of the parish especially the parish school. Everyone is welcome to attend the meetings. For more information on the Mothers' Club and their activities, you can link to their page.
The responsibilities of homeroom parents are:
Homeroom parents and the Mothers' Club arrange Halloween and Valentine's parties.
Whenever a student has a birthday, the child may bring a pre-packaged birthday treat to share with classmates. This must not interfere with the Lunch program in the cafeteria. Treats will be distributed at the teacher's discretion. If you wish, you may purchase lunch and/or dessert through the cafeteria to celebrate a birthday.
Students will be supervised from 7:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
There is no supervision before 7:00 a.m., and after 3:15 p.m. students who have not been picked up will be signed into the after school care program for supervision
If you know that you will not be able to pick up your child by 3:15 p.m., please contact the school office by phone to let us know.
For safety reasons, children may not be on the school grounds and/or in the building without supervision before and after school hours.
Students will not be allowed to leave school at any time with another parent, student or carpool unless that student's parent has sent a note to the school office notifying the office of the change in pick up.
Students who have their parents' permission to ride their bike, walk home or wait for their ride at Chaminade with a sibling next to the Parish Life Center, MUST have a permission note on file in the school office. (7th and 8th grade: This includes walking to Chaminade for mixer tickets. Students are not to leave our campus without written permission.)
There is no bus service at Our Lady of the Pillar School. Some children are transported to and from school by means of car pools, and others walk. If your child walks, rides a bus or a bike, you must have a note of permission on file in the school office.
A parent from each family must serve as a volunteer in at least one of the Mothers' Club functions in the course of the year. At the end of the school year a parent from each family will be given the opportunity to sign up for the many volunteer opportunities offered by the Mothers' Club throughout the year. A volunteer form for the 2005-2006 school year can be picked up from the school office and then returned to the Mothers' Club.
Any parent volunteering for any activity at Our Lady of the Pillar, i.e., sports teams, Learning Center, room moms, field trips, cafeteria, etc., must be in compliance with the Archdiocese of St. Louis' Safe Environment Program (SEP). The purpose of this program is to provide a safe environment for our children. Please know that your participation in the activities of our children is greatly appreciated. Without your support and that of other volunteers many of the programs at Pillar would not be possible. The Safe Environment Program is also a plus for our community and compliance is necessary to ensure the safety of our children.
The three requirements of the SEP program that must be met are:
Attend a "Protecting God's Children" seminar sponsored by the Archdiocese. Please go to the Archdiocese website (www.archstl.org) for a listing of seminar dates and locations.
Complete a Missouri background check. Forms are available in both the school and rectory offices. If you have a copy of your Social Security Card, your background check will automatically be updated without any action required on your part. If you do not have a copy of your Social Security Care, you will need to update your background check every even year.
Read the "Code of Ethical Conduct for Clergy, Employees, and Volunteers Working with Minors: and sign the signature page. Form is available on the Archdiocesan website You need only print out page 14, sign it and return it to the school office. If you do not have Internet access, copies are available in both the school and the rectory offices.
These three requirements must be met before you will be able to participate in any activities with children. If you have any questions concerning this information, please call Mrs. Judy Talleur (993-3353).
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