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What is the typical class size?
Classes usually range from 14-18 in Multiage Kindergarten, 16-18 in Multiage 1, 16-18 in Multiage 2, 18-20 in Multiage 3-5. The half day preschool programs for 3 and 4 year olds have a class size of 13 - 16 students with one teacher and an assistant. The 2 year old program range is 10 – 12 students with 1 teacher and 1 assistant.
What measures are in place for security?
All students must be signed in and out by family members or authorized adults. Students wear uniforms for quick identification. The front desk adult volunteer and the church office monitor all visitors entering the building. Staff and volunteers wear identification badges.
Classrooms are equipped with viewing windows. All classrooms outside doors are locked and the school wing and campus can be secured should a lockdown be necessary. The playground is also fenced and properly supervised at all times children are present.
What about snacks and lunch?
Parents are asked to send a healthy lunch daily for full time students. Students eat lunch in the classroom and there is a microwave and refrigerator available. Parents will be asked to provide some snack items for field trips and for our preschool programs.
How will I know what is happening each week?
A white board in the entry way will be updated daily with current information. Flyers, classroom and school newsletters and the family handbook will provide you with other necessary information. Information will be placed in your child’s mail folder. Some information will also be available on the website.
What technology is available?
Computers are available for student use in our full day program. We are connected to the internet and have a wide variety of learning programs to support our curriculum. Our web address is www.holymotheroflakewood.org.
What about naps/rest periods?
Some students will utilize a “power down” time to nap. You may be asked to provide or purchase a mat, small pillow and small blanket or cover (all labeled with your student’s name) to allow your child to relax. Quiet rest time is built in as needed.
Can you assist me in finding others to car pool with or to pick up my child occasionally?
We will be happy to assist you. We publish a family directory, so that you may easily contact other parents and mail invitations or exchange necessary information.
Are there days when uniforms are not required?
Students are to wear uniform colors and approved clothing items everyday unless notified otherwise. On days when the class has physical education, tennis shoes are required. Since students are climbing on equipment at recess and running, we ask that dress shoes, beach shoes or open toed shoes not be worn. A shirt with the school logo is required on field trip days. Valentine’s Day, Patriot Day, summer school days, extended care only days and a few days during the year may be declared as uniform optional days.
What do I do when my child will be absent?
You are asked to let the school know by phone between 7:30 am and 8:30 am the morning that your child will be absent. You may let us know at any time if an absence is preplanned. Upon returning you are required to fill out and turn in a Reason For Absence Form. Please remember that attendance is key to the advancement of student learning and it is important that your student attend class each day.
Will I still be charged for days my student does not attend?
Yes, your contract is for the entire school year, not for a number of days.
What hours and days do you operate?
We hold school approximately 177 days for 6 and one-quarter hours per day; 8:15 am to 2:30 pm for fulltime classes. We are closed for Easter vacation, and two weeks during Christmas time. There are a few three day weekends and school is closed for parent/teacher conferences in the Fall and Spring.
Am I required to volunteer a specific amount of my time?
Our school thrives, grows and builds community based on parental commitment to share their blessings of time and talent. Each family is required to give a minimum of 10 hours in conjunction with the PTA; and, 4 hours in support of the Auction. The Family Handbook will list a variety of ways a family can serve the school. A procedure for tracking the hours will also be included in the handbook.
How will inappropriate behavior be handled?
Children act in ways that attempt to get their needs met. When a child displays inappropriate behavior, we see this as a learning opportunity for the child. A more appropriate behavior will be taught, practiced and reinforced. We will make every effort to insure your child understands the rationale for the correct behavior. All serious inappropriate behaviors will have consequences and parents will be notified when it is necessary to follow up at home or your child’s behavior is causing harm to him, herself or others.
How can I help my child at home?
Depending on the age of the child, homework may be assigned. All parents, especially of our younger children, are encouraged to read daily with and to their child and to make vocabulary development a priority. Children can also work on math facts and practice expressing themselves orally and in writing. Children are expected to become successful problem solvers and creative thinkers. If your child is experiencing difficulty with behavior, role playing at home also helps to give the child better options for dealing with situations.
How often will the teacher contact me or meet with us about our child’s progress?
Parent conferences occur twice a year. Progress report cards are handed out between conferences and at the end of the year. You may request a time to talk with your child’s teacher as often as you feel the need. Teachers will contact you, if an academic or behavioral issue needs immediate attention. The beginning and end of the school day, when you pick up your child, are often busy times for staff with little opportunity for quality conversation to occur. Unless you have prearranged this time with the staff member, we ask that you limit your sharing or questions for the teacher to only the most immediate need to know items at these times of the day. Staff members strongly encourage you to schedule a time when you can focus totally on the needs of your child. Often this can be done with only a few hours notice.
What are the qualifications of staff members?
The majority of our teachers hold BA degrees in education, early childhood or related areas and are state certified. Several staff members have master’s degrees.
What if the school needs to cancel classes or close early due to weather or an emergency situation?
It is critical that you keep the office up to date with current phone numbers and the names of relatives or other adults who could pick up your child from school should we need to close early. Each child needs to have an emergency kit with food and water and a change of clothes at school. We will contact you by phone, at home or at work to pick up your child. If we are unable to reach you, we will call the designated emergency numbers. A staff member will remain with your child until someone comes to get them. You may want to make arrangements with another parent of a student here at school to act as an alternate pickup person for you. Should we be unable to open due to weather conditions, we will try to call you at home prior to the opening of school, if possible. During the time public schools are in session we will follow the same emergency closure schedule as the Clover Park School District. We are located across from the high school and about a half mile from an elementary school, so we feel their decision will be based on valid safety information. Local television stations and their web sites also carry current information starting at 5:00 am.
What supplies will my child need for school?
You will receive a basic list prior to the start of school. You may be asked to have your child bring a special item for an art project or special event. You may also be asked to provide snacks or other food items from time to time.
What other fees or costs will there be beyond the registration fee, tuition, extended care fees (optional) and the cost of required supplies and uniforms?
There may be a transportation or entry fee required for some field trips. There are several optional fees; for individual and class pictures and for special projects. The Annual Auction carries a per student fee of $100 which can be paid as cash or satisfied with 6 hours of work on the Auction.
Do you offer Enrichment Classes and what are the fees?
From time to time we offer a variety of optional Enrichment Classes after school. The cost of each class is determined by the cost of the materials needed and the length of the class. Flyers with detailed information will be posted prior to the start of each class.
Do I have to be an/a Episcopalian/Christian to attend?
Families of all faiths are welcome to attend. You are encouraged to attend St. Mary’s services on Sundays and any parish activities that you and your family are interested in. The Principal and the Rector are available to answer questions for you. Your child is invited to attend Vacation Bible School, Sunday School and take part in the Christmas Pageant as well as other youth activities.
Will my child be tested?
Children will be tested to determine a base line for their classroom placement and for developing their individual program. We do both formal and informal assessment on an ongoing basis to track your child’s individual progress. We also compare them to developmental norms and a continuum of skills for example, we administer the SAT (Stanford Achievement Test). We do not do state testing, but we do use a wide variety of commercial and teacher developed assessment tools to determine the progress made by students. We build our program around the determined needs of our currently enrolled students, rather than asking students to fit into a predetermined program.
Why Multiage?
Grouping this way allows us the greatest flexibility to place children where they are performing and to allow continuous progress in their skill development without restricting them by using artificial grade level barriers or age levels. Students may be moved from one class to another during the school year depending on their needs and their rate of progress academically and behaviorally.
What if my child is injured or gets sick at school?
If your child is running a temperature, is vomiting or has diarrhea, they will need to be picked up as soon as possible. We do have a health care room and nap area where they can be isolated for short periods of time. You will need to have a backup plan in place if you are unable to leave work or work some distance from school. Parents are required to keep their student home if they are vomiting, have diarrhea, or have a mucus nasal discharge that is not clear. Students must be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school. We are unable to give any medication (including over the counter products) without doctor’s written orders.
We are able to handle most minor injuries here at school. In the event of a serious problem, we will call 911 and make every attempt to contact you. A staff member will ride in the aid vehicle, if it is determined there is need to transport your child to an emergency room where you will be expected to meet us.
While we can assist students who have bathroom accidents, students need to be able to self wipe and clean their private areas.
Is financial aid available?
A limited amount of financial aid is currently available. Contact the school office for information on the application process.
What payment options are available?
Tuition can be paid monthly, a half year at a time or in a single lump payment. We will work with you to determine what works best for you. As the school is tuition funded, it is imperative that payments are made on time in order for us to meet our contractual obligations to staff and our payment of operating expenses. We are unable to allow accounts to become past due. If an account becomes 30 days past due, the child will be withdrawn if satisfactory payment cannot be arranged. The school uses an electronic transfer system for tuition payment. Transfers can be established for once or twice a month over a period of time agreed upon by the school and parents. Tuition for the current school year is expected to be paid in full with the May payment so that each year’s tuition is paid prior to the beginning of a new school year. Detailed information and arrangements for establishing a transfer contract can be made through the school office.
Do you enroll children with special needs?
We feel all children have special needs. We serve a diverse population. We make every attempt to accommodate the special needs of all individuals. Should we be unable to provide adequate service for a child, we will make other program recommendations for families. If we find we cannot adequately meet a child’s needs after a child has enrolled, we will work to assist families in finding another program that can meet those needs.
What age does my child have to be to enroll in a program?
State law requires a child to be 5 years old by midnight August 31 of the year he or she enters kindergarten. All public schools must follow this requirement and most private school choose to follow the same requirement. Since many of our students transfer to public schools, we have chosen to make the August 31st date the standard entry age for all our programs.
Is transportation available?
Due to the cost of operations, and insurance, this is not a possibility now or in the immediate future. Parents are encouraged to car pool. We are located on the bus line with a stop in front of the school.
What steps are made to assist my child’s transition to their next school?
We currently serve students from six local school districts including military families who are deployed all over the world.
Students develop portfolios of work to take to their next school to indicate their skill levels and competencies. We constantly monitor trends in education internationally to stay informed about new programs. We have been very successful to date in preparing students for their next educational experience.
What curriculum do you use?
Our curriculum is developed using a wide variety of resources. It is dynamic and constantly revised based on new research, state requirements, national content standards, developmental criteria and the needs of our current students. We have recently adopted Washington State’s New Early Learning and Development Benchmarks for our youngest students. To obtain a complete copy of the document parents can visit the following web sites:
Office of the Governor
http://www.governor.wa.gov/earlylearning/
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
http://www.k12.wa.us/Publications
Do you have specialists for some areas?
We currently have specialists for music, physical education, American Sign Language and religious instruction.
