Family Handbook 2000-2001
ABOUT OUR SCHOOL
MISSION STATEMENT
Our Lady of the Lakes School is a Roman Catholic school that primarily serves the practicing Catholic families of Our Lady of the Lakes Church and the neighboring parishes that do not have schools. Admission is open to students of all faiths, cultures, and races.
PHILOSOPHY
Our Lady of the Lakes strives to develop a Catholic spirit in students by working to unlock their God-given potentials: the spiritual, the emotional, the intellectual, the physical, the aesthetic, and the social. Utilizing this whole child philosophy, the school is committed to developing an appreciation for and respect for South Florida’s multicultural community and to providing its students with the tools to lead happy, productive lives in the information age.
THE FAMILY
Catholic education is based on the mutuality of respect and dedication between the home, the church, and the school. Collectively they work to encourage children to strive for excellence in all endeavors, and to model their lives according to the Word of God. The family bears witness to the faith through their public practice of it and supports the school with their time and talent. Families are expected to cooperate with the Home and School Association in its Family Participation Program. Family members are encouraged to attend school liturgies which promote our unity in Christ Jesus.
METHODS
The school will meet its mission statement by being Christ-centered in its approach, by taking student-focused positions on all issues, by being professional in its performance and expectations, by exhibiting proactive rather than reactive institutional behavior, by working towards a fully interdisciplinary curriculum, by fostering critical thinking skills and collaborative learning, by celebrating the joyful nature of the teaching act, and by continually striving for excellence. The pastor, principal, administrative officers, and faculty will manage the school in a collaborative, team-like fashion.
SECURITY
To ensure a safe learning environment for our students, Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic School has a closed campus policy. The school gates will remain closed during school hours. All visitors must sign in and out at the school’s office and wear a visitor’s badge while on the premises. We count on your full cooperation in following Our Lady of the Lakes security procedures as it will ensure a safe environment for all students, faculty, and staff.
ADMISSIONS
ADMISSIONS POLICY
In January of every year, parents of prospective students may apply for admission to Our Lady of the Lakes School. Siblings of students who already attend OLL need to be tested and formally accepted to OLL. An Open House will be held in January to discuss the admissions process, etc. All parents must attend, even though they may already have children at OLL. Parents must present official certificates of sacraments received, the completed application, two letters of recommendation from the previous school, three letters of personal recommendation, copies of the most recent standardized test results, and the report card that indicates promotion to the next grade. Students will then be scheduled for the entrance examination, which tests both aptitude and achievement. The school’s curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of students exhibiting average to above average demonstrated ability. The non-refundable application and testing fees, payable at the time of application, defrays the cost of the testing instruments, proctors, and processing. Students applying for kindergarten in the fall must be five years of age on or before September 1 of that year; those applying for first grade must be six years of age before September 1 of that year.
IMMUNIZATION / MEDICAL CARE
Parents must supply the school office with a record of immunizations on the original Department of Health Form 680 as well as a list of any allergies or other medical conditions. If students don’t have proper immunization, they will not be admitted to class. The school is not permitted to administer medication of any kind without prior WRITTEN request from the parent or guardian. Prescription medications must be given to the school in the ORIGINAL pharmacy bottle with the child’s and doctor’s names as well as the dosage clearly written on the bottle. An authorization for medications form must be on file in the school office before any medication will be given to a child. Over-the-counter medications can only be administered with written permission of the child’s parents as well as explicit written dosage requirements. All medications will be kept in a locked cabinet in the school and cannot be carried around the premises by the child. This includes aspirin, ibuprofen, cough drops, etc.
CHANGES OF ADDRESS
Please notify the office immediately of any change of address or telephone number.
REREGISTRATION POLICY
All students in good standing are invited to reregister annually. Academic and/or behavioral progress reports, as well as report cards, will influence readmission eligibility. All financial obligations must be met in order to be eligible to reregister for the upcoming school year.
Back To TopACADEMICS
ACADEMIC PROGRESS REPORT
Academic Progress Reports will be issued by teachers mid-way through the four marking periods. These reports are "trendicators" that should be read by parents, signed, and returned to the issuing teacher. Appropriate steps should be taken to modify/enhance home study habits.
ACADEMIC/BEHAVIORAL CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATION IN SPORTS PROGRAM/EXTRA-CURRICULAR SCHOOL SPONSORED ACTIVITIES
Students must maintain a "C" average in all subjects in order to participate in school athletic programs and extra-curricular school sponsored activities including school sponsored field trips. Students must also have a conduct grade of O, G, or S in order to participate. Students may not have a grade of "I" or "U" in conduct and effort in order to participate.
A student who is trying out for a team or who wishes to participate in a club, must meet eligibility requirements (both academic and behavioral) at the time of the tryout practice or first club meeting. All students who are involved in an extra-curricular activity will have his/her behavioral and academic progress monitored bi-weekly. The monitoring process is as follows: A list of all students who participate in extra-curricular activities will be circulated among the teachers. A student’s cumulative progress will be noted on the list. (The cummulative average is the student’s average from the beginning of the quarter up to the date in which the lists are circulated.) If a student fails to meet eligibility at the time the lists are circulated, the student will not be allowed to participate in any extra-curricular activities for two weeks. This means a student may not attend sports practices, sports games, club meetings, or club outings during the complete two- week period. He/she should use the two-week period to improve his/her behavior and/or grades. After two weeks, new eligibility sheets will be circulated among the faculty so as to continue monitoring student progress. All students must then meet the eligibility requirements.
ACADEMIC PROBATION
A student will be placed on academic probation if he/she earns a grade of "D" or "F", "I" or "U" on a report card in any subject. Academic probation lasts nine weeks, during which time a student may not participate in extra-curricular activities or sports (including club meetings, outings, sport games and practices). A student on academic probation may not try out for any sport until the probation period is over. If a student is on academic probation at the time in which sport teams are selected, a special tryout will not be given for the student to try out at a later date following the probation period.
GRADE 8 GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
In order to participate in the eighth grade graduation, students must maintain at least a D in all core curriculum classes, which include Religion, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. Summer school will not be offered to eighth graders at Our Lady of the Lakes School.
SUMMER SCHOOL
Summer school is mandatory for anyone with a final grade of "D" in any core subject which includes Religion, Language Arts, Math, Social Studies and Science. Summer school is highly recommended for students with a final grade of "C". If a letter is sent out requiring as student to attend, and she/he does not attend, that student will be placed on academic probation for the first quarter of the following school year. All students on academic probation may not participate in any extra-curricular school sponsored activities. Summer school will not be available for eighth graders.
DRESS CODE
UNIFORM CODE 2000-2001
This is the official uniform code. All students are expected to comply with this code.
Grades PK4-8 (girls and boys) ALL wear the black Nike tennis shoes with white socks that come up to the ankles. NO short tennis socks may be worn. These shoes will be worn every day, including days that the students have Physical Education. Unless there is a medical reason that a student cannot wear the uniform code shoes, there are no exceptions to this policy. If there is a medical reason that a student cannot wear the designated school shoes, a doctor’s note must be on file at the main office.
PRE-K 4
BOYS
White polo shirts (long or short-sleeved) with embroidered school logo
Navy blue walking shorts or elastic waist shorts
Navy blue "super pants" or elastic waist pants
GIRLS
White polo shirts (long or short-sleeved) with embroidered school logo
Plaid culotte
Navy blue pants with pleats
GRADES K-5
BOYS
White polo shirts (long or short-sleeved) with embroidered school logo
Navy blue shorts or navy blue pants
Belt with pants and shorts
Plain navy blue sweater, sweatshirt and navy blue sweatpants during the cold days in the winter months
GIRLS
White polo shirts (long or short-sleeved) with embroidered school logo
Plaid jumper
PLAID CULOTTE (OPTION FOR GRADE 5 ONLY)
Long navy blue pants
Belt with pants
Plain navy blue sweater, sweatshirt and navy blue sweatpants during the cold days in the winter months
GRADES 6-8
BOYS
White and blue striped oxford shirt (long or short-sleeved) with embroidered school logo
White oxford shirt (long or short-sleeved) with embroidered school logo
Long navy blue pants
Belt with pants
Rugby shirts
Plain navy blue sweater, sweatshirt and navy blue sweatpants during the cold days in the winter months
GIRLS
White and blue striped oxford shirt (long or short-sleeved) with embroidered school logo
White oxford short (long or short-sleeved) with embroidered school logo
Plaid culotte
Long navy blue pants
Belt with pants
Rugby shirts
Plain navy blue sweater, sweatshirt and navy blue sweatpants during the cold days in the winter months
DRESS CODE
Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic School uses a dress code to enhance the students’ pride of place. The details of this code are included in this handbook. Skirts must be worn no shorter than 1 ½" above the knee. Make-up is not permitted and only simple jewelry may be worn (chain with religious insignia, if desired, a watch.) Girls may wear simple earrings. Thick silver earrings are not part of the school uniform. Boys may NOT wear earrings to school. The required shoes this year are black leather Nike sneakers. However, children with documented orthopedic problems may wear may wear brown or black enclosed leather shoes which have rubber heels not more than one inch in thickness. Both boys and girls should wear simple hairstyles: no bangs in the eyes, artificial colors, etc. For dress code violations, parents will be called to bring the appropriate uniform. If the parent cannot bring the appropriate uniform to school, the student will wear a used uniform provided by the school. The second time a student borrows a uniform from the school, a fee of $5.00 will be assessed.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION UNIFORM
ALL STUDENTS GRADES PK4-8 WILL WEAR GRAY T-SHIRTS WITH THE SCHOOL LOGO AND NAVY BLUE SHORTS. PHYSICAL EDUCATION UNIFORMS SHOULD NOT BE WORN TO SCHOOL ON DAYS THAT STUDENTS HAVE SCHOOL MASS AS PER THE SCHOOL CALENDAR AND THE WEEKLY NEWS. THE PHYSICAL EDUCATION UNIFORMS SHOULD BE WORN UNDER THE FORMAL SCHOOL UNIFORM ON DAYS THAT THEY HAVE MASS. ON COLD DAYS, STUDENTS MAY WEAR PLAIN NAVY SWEAT PANTS AND SWEATSHIRTS (WITH OR WITHOUT THE SCHOOL LOGO) LIKE THOSE SOLD AT SUNSHINE UNIFORMS.
DISCIPLINE
INFRACTIONS OF MAJOR SCHOOL RULES
The Our Lady of the Lakes student body takes great pride in the honor of its conduct. All students are expected to maintain a sense of personal integrity and respect for others. The school reserves the right to deny on-going services and/or re-registration to those students who exhibit excesses in disruptive behaviors.
Behaviors that hinder the learning process will be carefully monitored, especially the following: disregard for classroom rules, disruptive behavior at school assemblies bringing inappropriate items to school (beepers, etc.). Items such as these will be confiscated and not returned to students. Parents must make a personal appearance in order to retrieve them.
Students at Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic School must learn to treasure honesty and must model this virtue in their work and in their dealings with teachers and classmates. Students who are found to be cheating will receive a zero on that assignment. A second offense will warrant a specific probation.
Violence in word and/or deed is unacceptable at Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic School. Profanity will not be tolerated. Students must be working continuously to build a sense of personal altruism, realizing that they have a responsibility to be involved in their school and surrounding community. Serious infractions will require an administrative referral. These infractions include, but are not limited to stealing, violence, disrespect to teachers, destruction of school property, vandalism and skipping class. Levels of student probation and suspension will be at the discretion of the administration.
AUTOMATIC SCHOOL SUSPENSION
Any student or students who fight on school grounds will automatically be suspended from school and be put on behavioral probation.
If it has been deemed necessary to suspend a student from school, that student will receive a grade of zero for all quizzes, tests, assignments, classwork or homework given during the suspension period. No homework or assignments will be sent home.
GUM CHEWING POLICY
Gum chewing is not permitted on school property.
DISCIPLINARY PROCESS
Every school, regardless of its student population or academic status, must have a process in place for dealing with disciplinary issues. At Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic School, we believe in helping the child develop a sense of self-discipline. This is achieved through close cooperation between the home and the school. Listed below are the incremental steps taken when a discipline issue arises.
Step 1: The teacher will use in-class consequences, progress reports and parent contact
to handle routine discipline problems. If a chronic or extreme discipline
problem arises, Step 2 will be taken.
Step 2: The teacher will refer the student to the vice principal, who will then consult
with the teacher regarding the student’s behavior pattern. A parent conference
will be required, and the student will be placed on probation for a period of time
to be determined by the vice principal. Parents will be asked to work on
strategies for improving the student’s behavior. If academic or psychological
testing is recommended, resources will be provided. It is expected that the
parent will immediately follow up on this recommendation. If probation is
violated, Step 3 will take effect. Principal and pastor will receive copies of
signed request.
Behavioral Probation
A student will be placed on behavioral probation at the discretion of the school administration. The following are some reasons why a student may be placed on behavioral probation:
A student on behavioral probation may not participate in any extra-curricular activities and may not attend school field trips (both in-school and out-of-school).
Step 3: The student will be referred to the principal and the pastor. A conference will
be held with the student, the student’s parents and the administrative team. A
written contract will be signed by the student and the parents detailing specific
behaviors and academic requirements to be achieved as well as the
consequences of violating the contract.
Step 4: If the contract in Step 3 is violated, the parents will be asked to withdraw the
student from the school voluntarily.
Step 5: If the parents refuse to withdraw the student from the school voluntarily, then
the student will be expelled.
ATTENDANCE
ARRIVAL/TARDINESS
The school day begins with community prayer and opening exercises PROMPTLY at 7:45 A.M. Faculty members arrive at 7:30 A.M. Students who are not in their classrooms by 7:45 A.M. will be marked tardy.
ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL
The parent or guardian of an absent student must notify the school by phone (305-362-5315) on the morning of the absence before 9:00 a.m. To facilitate this you may use the voice mail box (ext.650) of the school secretary. When a student returns, a note from the parent or guardian must be presented to the school office. This note must include:
- The date
- Full name of the student
- Reason of absence
- Date of absence
- Parent’s signature
The discussions and learning experiences that take place in the classroom are valuable. A child can never really make up a day he/she missed even though he/she may go over the work that was presented. As such, parents should not permit unnecessary absences. Students in grades four through eight are expected to take responsibility of making up missed class work, homework, and tests in all subject areas. Parents who wish to pick up absent student books and homework must call the main office to make this request NO LATER THAN 9:30 A.M. Parents should request work for all subject areas.
EXCESSIVE ABSENCES
A student who is absent from school more than 18 days in a year will not be promoted to the next grade unless the principal grants an exception, and determines a way in which the student may receive additional instruction.
EXCUSED ABSENCES
The principal has the right to refuse an excused absence in cases where the parents’ reason for keeping the child out of school does not seem valid.
DISMISSAL
Children are dismissed at 2:50 P.M., and they should be picked up by 3:20 P.M. They may not be dismissed before 2:50 P.M. unless arrangements have been made with the office on the day prior to the dismissal. Students who are not picked up by 3:20 P.M. MUST report to the After School Program. Children who walk home from school must provide the school office with written parental permission to do so. This permission notice will be kept on file in the school office. Any time a child is being picked up from school by someone other than the authorized people noted on the emergency card, a written letter must be sent to the office. If you carpool with other parents, the names of the parents who are authorized to pick up your child should be on file.
EARLY DISMISSAL
Children will be dismissed at 1:00 P.M. on the first Friday of every month. This will permit the teachers to attend faculty meetings. The After School Program will be available on early dismissal days. Students not picked up by 1:30 P.M. MUST report to the After School Program.
At no point in time should a younger sibling be taken out of school due to the fact that an older sibling is leaving early. Missing class puts any child at a disadvantage.
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
The After School Program, which is located in Room 216, begins at dismissal, 2:50 p.m. (1:00 p.m. on early dismissal days) and closes at 6:00 p.m. School policy requires that children who are not picked up at dismissal be escorted to the After School Program and must personally check in with the Assistant Director. Parents must present identification and personally sign out each student at the end of the day. A fee schedule for After School care is available in the school office.
SCHOOL PROCEDURES
APPOINTMENTS
Appointments must be made to see the principal, her designate, or the faculty. Please anticipate your needs by twenty-four hours. Since the principal works solely through the teachers, issues that relate to the classroom should be taken first to them. Should either or both parties want the intervention of the principal, an appointment would need to be made.
STUDENT APPOINTMENTS
Please try to schedule all appointments AFTER the school day. A child’s early departure from school causes a break in the smooth flow of the educational process for him/her. Should you need to take your child from school before 2:50 P.M. dismissal time, please send this request in writing to the school office NO LATER THAN the morning before the desired early dismissal. Students need to be signed out of school at the main office.
COUNSELING SERVICES
The school counselor will advise teachers, parents, and students on a variety of topics. These issues include, but are not limited to, emotional difficulties, available community resources, and psychological testing alternatives. Students are encouraged to make an appointment if they need to discuss a particular concern.
VOICE MAIL
A voice mail system has been installed in the school. Parents may leave messages for teachers by dialing the appropriate extensions. Teachers will then return phone calls. Please note: Teachers do not retrieve messages over the weekend.
TELEPHONE USE
Students must come to school prepared for that day’s activities (lunch, homework, proper uniform, etc.) Unless it is a true emergency, they will not be allowed to use the telephone.
DELIVERY OF STUDENT LUNCHES AND OTHER ITEMS
Students are expected to arrive at school with everything they need for that day’s activities. If a student is not buying his/her lunch from the school cafeteria, he/she is expected to have lunch with him/her when he/she comes to school. Fast foods will not be accepted in the school office or be delivered to the classrooms.
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
In all cases pertaining to inclement weather or civil disturbances, Our Lady of the Lakes will follow the directives of the Dade County Public Schools. In the school’s opinion, this can be best determined by watching the news broadcasts of WPLG (Channel 10 / Miami) or listening to 610 AM radio. In cases that relate to the Our Lady of the Lakes campus exclusively, the principal will initiate a telephone chain. This would chiefly involve local flooding, power or water outages.
CALENDAR AND TUITION SCHEDULES
The school calendar and tuition schedules are sent under separate cover. The school suggests that you post the calendar on your refrigerator or family bulletin board. Monthly updates should be expected and will supersede the information in the original draft of the calendar. Please read and familiarize yourself with The Weekly News. It is distributed every week and will contain the updated calendar as well as pertinent information per grade level.
HOMEWORK
Homework is an extension or drill of the day’s or week’s lessons. Homework is worth 1/3 of each student’s grade in every subject area. Students should note all homework assignments in their agenda’s provided to them at the beginning of the school year by the school or any other assignment pad. Parents should monitor the completion of homework, but they should not actually do the homework for the children.
FIELD TRIPS
Each homeroom teacher will have the opportunity to take his/her homeroom on one field trip outside of school per year. Teachers may also schedule, upon approval of the school administration, two in-school field trips. Grade 8 students will visit several high schools with the eighth grade teachers and guidance counselor. High school visits are not considered field trips although parental consent forms must be signed and submitted by the deadline noted on the form. Teachers will submit proposals for field trips which will be reviewed and must be approved by the principal. Students MUST have a permission slip on file for each specified field trip. Field trip forms MUST be submitted by students by the given deadline or they will not be permitted to attend the field trip. Participation in field trips is a privilege that is earned. Therefore, students may be denied the right to participate based on their disciplinary portfolio. Please note: Teachers will take the responsibility for planning all field trips. Proper school uniform is required for school field trips.
RAFFLE TICKETS
Each family is required to support the school’s fundraising efforts and sell $50.00 worth of raffle tickets.
PRIVATE TUTORING
Tutoring will be provided at the school. Any interested parties should contact the main office.
TEXTBOOKS
At the beginning of the year, students will be issued textbooks that are in good condition. The students should not write in the textbooks and must return these textbooks in good condition at the end of the year. It is recommended that textbooks be covered with clear contact paper to help preserve their use throughout the school year. Students will be charged accordingly for any textbook that is not returned in good condition. Families will be held financially responsible for all lost or destroyed textbooks.
ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY FOR COMPUTERS AND THE INTERNET
The use of computers at Our Lady of the Lakes is an essential part of our curriculum. The following guidelines have been developed for the students and staff to help them make appropriate decisions where technology is concerned.
Internet Use: The Internet is provided at OLL for educational research and communication only. It is provided to students who act in a responsible and considerate manner. Access entails responsibility and is a privilege, not a right. It can be denied at any time. Users are expected to conduct online activities legally and ethically. OLL has taken precautions to restrict access to controversial information; however, these precautions are not guaranteed and it is impossible to control all information on the Internet. Teachers will guide students toward appropriate materials in school; outside of school, families assume responsibility for this guidance as they do with telephones, television, movies, radio, and other potentially offensive media. The School believes that from a research and communication standpoint, the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages.
Acceptable and Unacceptable Uses:
Appropriate or acceptable uses of the network include:
Inappropriate or unacceptable uses of network resources may include but are not limited to, uses that violate the law, rules of network etiquette, or hamper the integrity or security of any network connected to the Internet. Specifically, these may be, but are not limited to, the following:
Violations may result in a loss of access as well as other disciplinary action determined by administration, including suspension.
ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICY
The Archdiocesan schools will not tolerate, condone, or allow harassment. Corrective action, up to and including immediate suspension or expulsion as is appropriate will be taken. Furthermore, any student who makes death threats to another student or faculty or staff personnel at the school will also be given disciplinary action up to and including immediate suspension or expulsion from the school.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE POLICY
The use or possession of illegal drugs or illegal mood altering substances, alcoholic beverages, drug-related paraphernalia, or the abuse of prescription or over the counter drugs by any student on school property or while attending or participating in any school sponsored activity or at anytime the student is wearing a school uniform is forbidden. Transgression of this rule will result in disciplinary action, which may include dismissal from school, even for a first offense.
Any student selling drugs on school property or at school functions will be immediately expelled.
WEAPONS POLICY
Weapons are not permitted anywhere on school grounds. Students who bring weapons on school grounds, who are in possession of weapons, or who threaten others with weapons or items used as weapons will be expelled from the school.