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Admission and Registration
Mission Statement
St. Clare is
a Catholic, parish-school community, rooted in Gospel values and dedicated to the
spiritual and educational development of the whole child.^
Philosophy
To teach as
Jesus taught is the foundation on which the Catholic identity of St. Clare
School is based.
V
We strive to be a community of faith, love, and respect for
creation, others and self, where our children learn about God by what is taught
and by example.
V
We nurture our children’s relationship with God through
opportunities for liturgy, prayer, celebration, and the expression of Gospel values
through community service.
V
We collaborate with parents, the primary educators of our
children, to ensure that thoroughness of instruction and respect for each child
encourages the spiritual, intellectual, physical, and emotional development of
the child.
V
We challenge our children to use their abilities
to achieve academic excellence, to be life-long learners, and to embrace their
future with hope. ^
ARCHBISHOP
The
Archbishop, as chief pastor of the Archdiocese, has the responsibility not only
for the spiritual formation of the people, but also for every other factor that
contributes to the development of the Catholic community. As authentic teacher in the Archdiocese,
he articulates faith for the people of God and calls them to the imitation of
Christ. As chief administrator of
the Archdiocese, he oversees the good order of the teaching mission. The Archbishop is the enactor of all
Archdiocesan policy and the ultimate decision-maker assisted and represented by
the Department of Catholic Schools.
PASTOR
The
Pastor, by direction of the Archbishop and canon law, is directly responsible
for all parish endeavors. One such
major endeavor is the parish school.
The pastor can render service and leadership to the parish or school by
acting as a religious leader, community builder, and administrator, working
together with the principal, faculty, parents and other parishioners in a joint
effort to advance the education of the children. He is also responsible for the hiring of
the principal and the renewal or non-renewal of the principal’s
employment agreement.
PRINCIPAL
The
position of administrative responsibility carries with it a unique opportunity
for shaping a climate of Catholic/Christian values and an atmosphere for learning
and what will nurture the growth and development of each person. The principal fosters community among
faculty and students. S/he
understands the Catholic school as part of larger communities, both religious
and secular. The principal
collaborates with parish and Archdiocesan personnel in planning and
implementing policies and programs.
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
The
Administrative Assistant is responsible to the principal for the efficient
operation of the school office and for the performance of all secretarial,
clerical, financial, and other assigned duties related to the principal’s
office and the general administration of school business. The administrative assistant also acts
as supervisor to the daycare billing department as well as the hot lunch
program.
FACULTY
The
faculty (and students) of the school form a community whose purpose is to
develop an atmosphere in which the religious faith of each student as well as
his/her intellectual, moral, and physical capacities may be developed and strengthened.
OTHER SUPPORT STAFF
Other
staff is responsible to the principal for the efficient operation of the school
and for the performance of duties according to their job description.
Admission
It is the goal of St.
Clare School
to educate children of Catholic families.
Registration means that the family is willing to comply with the
programs and policies of the school and actively participate in the activities,
which support the school in its programs and philosophy. Catholic schools are a primary means of
Catholic education. The Catholic
school is to assist Catholic families in the formation and education of their
children in the Catholic faith, Gospel values, and traditions.^
Visitation and Admission Policy ^
In
January there is an Open House for all new families desiring enrollment at St. Clare
School. At that time we begin the registration
process. New students will be
assessed for at least two days in the grade they are currently enrolled. There is a $50 non-refundable new
student fee. The teacher conducts
an informal assessment in reading, writing and math; the results indicate if,
given our staffing and class size, we are reasonably sure we can serve this
child. We also observe
socialization and behavior so those students coming to St. Clare will support
the learning and Christian atmosphere.
The benefit for the new student is to see if he/she enjoys what we have
to offer.
Registration is completed when the new student assessment
fee, registration fee, and all other relevant fees are paid. Registration forms
need to be complete and submitted to the office. After the student assessment, the
teacher will meet with the principal and a recommendation will be given
regarding a student’s acceptance into the school. Using the results of the assessment,
past standardized test scores, report cards, and any other pertinent
information, the principal will determine if the school is a good match for the
child(ren), and particularly, if the school has the ability to serve children
with extenuating needs.
Priority
Admission: Students (families) are accepted at St. Clare in the
following manner:
Week
1 of Registration: Returning or current St. Clare students with siblings
currently in the school.
Week
2 of Registration: New St. Clare parish
students/families (registered in the parish) & St. Clare Preschool students
who are from St. Clare parish
Week
3 of Registration: New students/families registered in other parishes,
including St. Clare Preschool students.
Week
4 of Registration: Those other than Catholic students/families
Students are admitted to St. Clare School upon completion of accepted student
screenings. St. Clare School reserves the right to deny admission
into our school based on findings we feel might not benefit the student’s
best interests.
Records at
Entrance ^
Students entering school for the first time are required to bring a baptismal record, and a record of state required
immunizations. Students entering each grade in 07-08 must have five doses of
DTP, four doses of Polio, verification of history of chicken pox or two doses
of Varicella vaccine; two doses of MMR and three doses of Hepatitis B. Students with incomplete immunization
records on the first day of school will not be allowed to attend until all
immunizations are brought up to date.
Non-Discrimination
Policy ^
The Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Portland, as stated in Policy
3020, shall admit students of any race, color, or racial or ethnic origin to
all the rights privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made
available to students at this school.
The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, racial or
ethnic origin, in the administration of its education policies, admission
policies, scholarship or loan programs, and athletic and other school
administered programs.
Learning Specialist Program ^ The
Learning Specialist Program serves the entire school community, and is designed
to help each student feel and be successful at school. Programs administered
through this department include the DIBELS Assessment Program, reading
intervention groups for grades 1-3, on-going teacher education and support,
parent education programs, and the new parent education library.
The
credentialed learning specialist is also responsible for individual educational
testing for students grades K-8. The decision to assess an individual student
follows a protocol available from the learning specialist and posted on the LSP
website; that process begins with a recommendation from the student’s
teacher. Therefore, parents who feel their child should be assessed should
initially contact his or her classroom teacher. Students with testing on file
documenting a specific disability qualify for an Individual Learning Plan
(ILP), and are eligible for a program of classroom accommodations determined by
the learning specialist in consultation with teachers, parents and the
principal.
We
make every effort to help our students through classroom accommodations and
learning interventions, along with outside tutoring and counseling. We must ask that parents respect our
professional judgment in this area, and support our recommendations; this
cooperation ensures that students can productively remain at St. Clare School. We also ask that parents share any and
all educational testing to help us meet our students’ needs. Confidential testing material is treated
with extreme sensitivity and care. Occasionally, even with intervention, a
student presents needs beyond the resources we have; we will make every effort
to work with a family towards mutually agreeable placement for those students.
Transfer Student Process and
Requirements ^
Upon completion of the
registration process and formal acceptance into the school, parents are
required to sign a release of information form to transfer students’
records from the previous school.
Withdrawal Process ^
The school requires a two-week written notification as to
the withdrawal of a student. All
fees are non-refundable at the time of withdrawal.
ASBESTOS
NOTIFICATION
To
Parents, Teachers, Building Occupants
As
part of our school’s asbestos abatement and management plan, we are
required to annually update building users on the status of the asbestos
containing materials contained within our school building. To quickly summarize where we stand at
the present time, our building’s annual inspection was completed last
June and all asbestos containing materials were found to be in excellent condition
and to pose no increased threat to the health and safety of the users of our
school building. The remaining text
of this letter was provided by the Archdiocese and is designed to meet the
federal requirements for notification of building users:
Uncontrolled
asbestos contamination in buildings can be a significant environmental and
public health problem. Both, the
public and private sectors, have been dealing with the asbestos issue for many
years. In 1986, Congress enacted
the asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) primarily to require school
districts to identify asbestos-containing materials (ACM) in their school
buildings and take appropriate actions to control the release of asbestos
fibers. In 1987, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a regulatory program, which
enforces the AHERA.
In
compliance with the AHERA regulation, we had our school facilities inspected by
an EPA accredited building inspector.
During the inspection, samples were taken of building materials
suspected of containing asbestos.
The results of the inspection and laboratory analysis of the samples
have confirmed the presence of ACM in portions of the school facilities. It is important to note that these
materials are in a form and condition that does not pose an imminent health
threat to students, faculty or employees.
With
confirmation of the presence of ACM, an EPA accredited management planner
developed an Asbestos Management Plan for our schools. The Management Plan includes the inspection
and physical assessment reports, the training program for our custodial and
maintenance personnel, the plans and procedures to be followed to minimize
disturbance of the asbestos-containing materials, and a program for regular
surveillance of the ACM. Every
three years, a re-inspection by an accredited inspector must be conducted on
all friable and non-friable known or assumed asbestos containing building
materials (ACBM) to determine whether the condition of the ACBM has changed and
to make recommendations on managing or removing the ACBM.
During
the 2006-2007 school year, we conducted a periodic surveillance inspection
every 6 months to check the condition of the remaining asbestos and to
determine if any action is needed.
During 2006, no asbestos-containing building materials (ACBM) were
required to be removed, encapsulated, or encased in any school buildings (no
asbestos containing building materials were a threat to health or safety).
For
further details on the locations of the remaining ACBM or on the asbestos
activities, you are welcome to review a copy of the Asbestos Management Plan in
our school administrative office during regular office hours. Mr. Michael D. Ragghianti,
Environmental/Property Management Coordinator of the Archdiocese of Portland,
is our designated asbestos program coordinator, and all inquiries regarding the
plan should be directed to him at 233-8360.
Sincerely,
Sister
Maureen Oliver, SNJM
Principal
^