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School Hours

The school day is from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for the ELC (Pre-K 3, Pre-K 4, and Kindergarten) and from 8 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. for Grades 1 – 8. On half-day sessions, the school day is from 8 to 11:30 a.m. for the ELC and 8 to 11:50 a.m. for Grades 1 – 8.

Arrival

The school doors open at 7:40 a.m. for students to report to their classrooms. If students arrive before 7:40 a.m., they must go to Before-School Care until 7:40 a.m., and a fee will be charged.

For Pre-K 3, Pre-K 4, and Kindergarten, parents must walk their children into the building, and parents may walk them to their classrooms before 8 a.m. The ELC Office Coordinator will escort any students arriving after 8 a.m.

For Grades 1 through 8, parents may not walk their children to their classrooms but must leave them at the hallway door or drop them off at a designated zone.

Students are not permitted to walk in the parking lots without being accompanied by a parent.

Dismissal

Dismissal lasts for 20 minutes following the end of the school day. That is until 3:10 p.m. on a full day and 12:10 p.m. on a half day.

Parents are to pick up their children from the designated dismissal locations described below. No child will be dismissed without a teacher’s approval.

 Students not picked up by the end of dismissal will be sent to After-School Care, for which there will be a charge.

Returning to School After Dismissal

After the 2:50 p.m. dismissal, students may only return to the school building when accompanied by school personnel.

Tardiness

A student not in his homeroom at 8 a.m. is tardy. If a student is tardy, he must report to his respective school building office to sign in and receive a tardy slip to present to his homeroom teacher.

Once a student is tardy five times in a trimester, a conference between a parent and a school administrator is required.

Medical Appointments

If a student requires a medical appointment during the school day, parents must sign out their child from his respective school office and, if the child returns during the same school day, the parent must sign the child in through the school office.

If students are out of school for an appointment lasting more than three and a half hours, they will be considered absent for half a day.

A doctor’s note is required to verify the appointment.

Students are responsible for the work they miss due to time out of the classroom.

Absence

When students are absent from school, parents should notify the school office. If parents call before 9am, they may request that homework assignments be arranged for their child. These assignments may be picked up at the school office between 3 and 3:30 p.m.

Students must be fever-, vomit-, and diarrhea-free for 24 hours without medication before returning to school.

Upon return to school, the student should provide his teacher with a note from a parent indicating the reason for the absence.

Students are responsible for the work they miss due to time out of the classroom.

Absent students have one day for each absence day to make up missed assignments. Arrangements for missed classroom quizzes and tests must be made with individual teachers and taken within one week of the student’s return to school.

When students are brought to school after 10:30 a.m., they are given an AM absence, and when they are picked up before 1:30 p.m., they are given a PM absence.

Absences are monitored by school administration. If absences become excessive, school administration will be in contact with the family and a conference may be required.

After-School Events and Absence

To participate in any school event scheduled during after-school hours, a student must be legally in attendance at school, except when excused by proper school authorities.

Field Trips

In consultation with school administration, individual teachers reserve the right to restrict or deny student participation in any field trip.

A permission slip signed by the parent is required before a child may attend a field trip. Verbal permission will not be accepted.

Students must ride the bus provided by the school to and from the field trip with their class.

Parents may decline their child’s participation in a field trip by stating so on the permission form. Students who do not attend the field trip are to remain at home and will be marked absent from school for the day.

Inclement Weather

Should inclement weather require the school to delay opening or closing for the day, parents will be notified via Bright Arrow at the numbers listed in the student’s files. An announcement will also be made on the school’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram social media pages.

Half-day ELC students will not report to school in the mornings when there is an inclement weather delay.

Should inclement weather require the school to close early, parents will be notified as above and should pick up their children promptly. After-School Care will remain open for only 90 minutes after an early dismissal.

Before Care is not open on days when there is a weather delay.

A student may be retained if he has not adequately mastered the grade-level subject matter and would profit from being retained at the same grade level for another year. Parents will be notified by January 31 or as soon as conditions warrant if their child is in danger of being retained.

Students who miss 20 or more days in any school year may also be considered for retention.

When evaluating a student’s progress, the teacher will consider the social, emotional, and academic progress along with the student's physical development.

The school administration will receive recommendations for retention. The student’s parents, teachers, and the school administration will also meet.

A decision regarding the promotion or retention of students is the sole discretion of the school administration.

General Policy

No fundraising or fundraising events may occur on this campus without the express permission of the Parish office. In this regard, without permission, no one has the authority to use the name of the parish, school, or school organization in solicitation, fundraising events, or publicity.

Specific Policies

An organization should draft a proposal and submit it to the Principal. The Principal will then meet with the Pastor to discuss the proposal and respond to the proper parties. Upon approval, the events will be put on the parish calendar.

Depositing of Monies

As with any fundraising, monies must be deposited with our Parish Manager immediately. No money from fundraising may be removed to pay related bills or expenses. All money will be deposited; outstanding bills and expenses will be paid by Parish check.

Competing Fundraisers

Competing fundraisers are to be avoided; our Parish Office Manager will try to see that overlapping or competing fundraisers do not occur.

School Clubs

Campus school clubs should ensure their dues cover their cost of operations for the year.

Peddling and Solicitation for Personal Profit Peddling merchandise or solicitations for personal or individual profit is prohibited on school grounds.

General Peddling and Solicitation

Likewise, one may not use the parish as a site for personal business operations. Peddling and/or soliciting on parish grounds, except as noted in the items above, are prohibited for any reason.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering at Holy Cross School! All adults who spend more than 5 hours with students in the course of the year are required to:

• have a background check through Hyden and Associates,
• participate in For the Sake of God's Children Training through the Diocese of Wilmington, and 
• sign a Volunteer Covenant.

NEW PROCEDURE!
To authorize a background check, please contact Mrs. Teresa Arndt in the Elementary Office. She will give you an "entry code" upon the receipt of $45 payment. The applicant will use the "entry code" to submit the clearance form that goes directly to Hyden & Associates for investigation. Once the investigation is completed a copy of the report will be sent to the Coordinator of Safe Environments and to the applicant for their records. Once you receive report of clearance, it is good for five years.

All volunteers are required to view a thirty-minute video on the For the Sake of God's Children policies of the Diocese of Wilmington. The video is available by clicking this link. After viewing the video, click the link at the bottom of the page, complete the brief form so that your record can be updated, and click submit.

The For the Sake of God's Children Volunteer Covenant outlines acceptable and prohibited behaviors. After downloading the Volunteer Convenant  and  Acceptable Use of Technology Agreement  please print, sign, and turn it in to the Elementary Office.

Mrs. Teresa Arndt in the Elementary Office coordinates our compliance with Diocesan For the Sake of God's Children policies. If you have any questions about them or volunteering at Holy Cross School, please contact her at elementary@holycrossdover.org.

Illnesses

Students must be fever-, vomit-, and diarrhea-free for 24 hours without medication before returning to school.

A fever is defined as a temperature of 100.0 degrees or higher.

Students displaying symptoms of any communicable disease should be kept home and not be sent to school.

Parents of students displaying symptoms of a communicable illness are strongly encouraged to contact the school nurse to explain the nature of their child’s absence.

Medication

Medication may not be administered in the school by anyone other than the school nurse or those certified by the Delaware Department of Education. Children are not permitted to bring prescription or non-prescription medication for self-administration.

Medications prescribed by a doctor must be sent to the school in the original container indicating the child’s name, pharmacy name, prescribing doctor’s name, medication name, dosage, and administration time. A signed permission form from the parent is required.

Non-prescription medications must be sent to the school in the original container indicating the child’s name, dosage, and administration time. A signed permission form from the parent is required.

Allergies

When a child suffers from a food allergy, bee sting allergy, asthma, diabetes, or any other medical condition, the parent must ensure that the school is aware of the child’s condition. For children with life-threatening illnesses, parents must provide the school with an emergency care plan signed by the child’s physician and properly labeled emergency medications and supplies, all of which are kept in the nurse’s office.

Parents of students with food allergies are responsible for providing all food for their children. Snacks will be kept in a separate snack box provided by the parents.

According to their developmental level, students should be aware of and proactive in the care and management of their food allergies and reactions. They should not trade food with others nor eat anything with unknown ingredients or known to contain any allergen. Students must notify an adult immediately if they have eaten something believed to contain the food to which they are allergic.

Head Lice

Parents are to notify the school nurse if their child has head lice so a letter may be sent home to his classmates. Parents will not be informed of other children with lice in school, as this is a privacy concern.

Students with lice may return to school after being treated with the proper shampoo. If parents do not follow through with the proper treatment, their child will not be permitted to return to school until the treatment is completed.

General Expectations

Students are expected to act in a manner that will reflect favorably on themselves and their school. They are expected to show consideration and respect for their fellow students and teachers, thus creating a harmonious atmosphere within the school. Students must recognize their responsibilities and obligations and discharge them per school regulations. Children who fail to comply with school policies and regulations should expect to accept the consequences of their actions.

The conduct code applies in school, at school-sponsored events, and within the school/parish community. “School/parish community” shall mean in the school, on school grounds, in school vehicles, or at any activity sponsored, supervised, or sanctioned by the school or parish.

Any behavior contrary to Catholic teachings or embarrassing to Holy Cross School is unacceptable.

Students are expected to show a Christian attitude toward one another. Therefore, fighting, abusive and foul language, roughness, excessive taunting, teasing of a student, or any similar action, cannot be tolerated. Students not displaying acceptable or appropriate behavior will face disciplinary action.

Personal Responsibility

Students are responsible for their personal belongings, which should be labeled with the student’s name. Lockers, desks, or cubbies assigned to the student are his responsibility and should be kept orderly.

Holy Cross School provides locks for the lockers in the Junior High Building and recommends that they be used to secure the students’ lockers when they are not in use. Lockers may only be accessed at times indicated by school personnel.

Backpacks are not to be carried during the school day but should be stored either in the locker or on the hook assigned to the students.

Holy Cross School reserves the right to inspect lockers, desks, cubbies, backpacks, and other items at any time.

Lost and Found

Any items found in the school buildings or on the grounds should be taken to the Nurse’s Office in the Early Learning Center to be placed in Lost and Found. Items not claimed at the end of the year will be donated to charity.

Textbooks

Textbooks loaned to a student must be covered appropriately.

Writing in loaned textbooks is not permitted.

Students must pay a fine for damaged textbooks or the replacement cost of a lost textbook, including shipping.

School Property

Parents must pay the full amount necessary for repairs, labor, or replacement of items damaged or destroyed by their child. These items include, but are not limited to, furniture, equipment, structures, or any other property belonging to Holy Cross.

Cell Phones

Students are not permitted to use or access cell phones during school hours.

If a student brings a cell phone to school, they must have the device turned off and placed in a designated area as determined by their homeroom teacher. Devices are to remain off until parent pick-up.

Emergency Drills

Students are to follow all instructions given by school personnel during emergency drills.

Expectations

The school intends to provide an educational environment free from improper threats, intimidation, hostility, offensive, and inappropriate behavior. Such improper conduct may take the form of unwanted verbal or physical conduct, verbal or written derogatory or discriminatory statements, and behavior otherwise not conducive to the educational and religious mission of the school. Unacceptable behavior includes but is not limited to fighting, bomb scares or triggering other false alarms, use or possession of drugs or alcohol, smoking, intimidation, harassment or threats of any kind, and the use or possession of weapons. These categories do not cover every possible situation. School personnel determine what appropriate or inappropriate behavior is.

Conduct by students or anyone acting on their behalf that is incompatible with the educational and religious mission of the school is grounds for disciplinary action. Such actions could result in immediate expulsion of the student and reporting the incident to the appropriate legal authorities.

In addition, if a student makes threats of violence or harassment, in any form, including oral, written, or electronic, against any member of the school community, the student may be required to have psychological or psychiatric clearance before returning to school.

Bullying

Acts of harassment, hazing, intimidation, and bullying (including cyberbullying and the like) are unacceptable behaviors and are prohibited at Holy Cross School. School personnel cannot monitor the activities of students at all times and eliminate all incidents of bullying between students, especially when students are not under their direct supervision. However, to the extent such conduct affects the school's educational environment and the student's rights and welfare and is within the control of the school in its normal operations, the school intends to prevent bullying. School administration will take action to investigate, respond, discipline, and remediate those acts of bullying. If incidents occur, parents or students should report and know that the inappropriate behavior will be dealt with promptly and effectively. There will be no retaliation against an innocent victim, reporter, or witness.

“School setting” shall mean in the school, on school grounds, in school vehicles, or at any activity sponsored, supervised, or sanctioned by the school.

This policy also applies to off-campus behavior that somehow discredits or scandalizes the school and/or substantially disrupts the learning environment.

Bullying involves actions or words directed at another person to inflict physical or emotional harm, discomfort, or damage to a person’s reputation. It is intimidating or threatening and affects the learning and school environments. If the bully threatens harm, a student should inform school personnel immediately.

Harassment

Harassment, including sexual harassment, is prohibited at Holy Cross School. Sexual harassment refers to any unwelcome sexual attention, sexual advances, and requests for sexual favors or other verbal, visual or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment is unacceptable conduct and will not be tolerated. Any student or parent determined to have violated this policy will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action up to and including expulsion of the student.

Drugs and Alcohol

Neither drugs nor alcohol nor persons under their influence are permitted on Holy Cross School’s campus. Parents will be called immediately for any student found possessing, using, or distributing drugs or alcohol. Students who fail to comply with this policy will be subject to disciplinary action, which may include suspension or expulsion.

School personnel can use four categories of disciplinary action when a student violates Holy Cross School's policies.