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Attendance
Regular attendance at school is important to the academic development of the child and is required by state law.
- All students attending St. James of the Valley are expected to participate in all curricular and extracurricular programs and activities during the regular school day.
If a child cannot participate in a routine manner:
- The parent or guardian must submit a written note each week to the child’s homeroom teacher. If the duration is a long period of time, weekly notes may not be required at the discretion of the principal.
- A note from the doctor may be required under certain circumstances. The note must state the reason, specific limitations or restrictions and the anticipated duration of the condition.
- It is the parent’s or guardian’s (not the teacher’s or principal’s) responsibility to be certain the child understands his/her limitations and heeds them.
- As a precautionary measure, parents are asked to call the school before 9:00 to report a child’s absence. This will clear the school of worry that an accident may have befallen the child on his/her way to school. If the absence is not reported, parents will be contacted at home or at work to verify the absence.
CALL 821-9054 TO REPORT ABSENCES!!!
This line is available 24 hours a day.
- State law requires that a written excuse stating the reason for the absence, the date(s), and parent’s signature is required when a child returns to the school after an absence. A physician’s note is required after any contagious disease or for some extended absences. After five absences during the year, the school may require a written doctor’s excuse. Students with excessive absences will be reported to the truancy officer for the district.
- All absentee notices are kept on file by the teachers until the end of the year.
- If a child arrives late for school, after 7:55 a.m., he/she must report to the office and present a note from his/her parent. He/she will then receive an admittance slip to present to the teacher.
- Late arrivals, leaving and returning in the middle of the day, or early departures are considered “tardies”. Accumulated tardiness will result in detentions and/or removal.
- Students arriving after 10:30 or who leaves between 10:30 and 12:00 and is not returning to school will be counted 1/2 day absent.
- If a student has missed more than 1/4 of the school days in any one report card period, grades may be withheld for that quarter.
- No child will be dismissed from school during class hours without a prior written request from parents. This request should be presented by the child to the homeroom teacher. Parents should then come to the office to pick up their child. You may not wait for your child outside the classroom.
- No child will be dismissed before the end of the regular school day in order to participate in extracurricular activities such as scouts, sports, etc., unless, for some extraordinary reason, the principal gives permission. 11. If parents of children who normally ride a bus intend to drive their children home at dismissal, the parents must send a note to the teacher stating the child/children will be driven home. If the teacher does not receive a note, the child will be dismissed by his/her normal mode of transportation.
- The school cannot give permission for students to take a vacation during school time. It is the parent’s decision to do so. No assignments will be given in advance for students being taken out of school for family vacations. Work will be made up following the same guidelines for absence and illness. The responsibility lies with the student to get missed assignments, turn them in on time, and arrange to make up tests.
- The office will not fax homework and homework may not be faxed to school.
- It is the policy of the school that all in-class and homework missed due to absence because of illness, medical treatment or appointments, or family emergencies must be completed within a reasonable length of time. The amount of time to complete these assignments is determined by the number of days absent. If absent 1 day, you have one day to make up the work. If absent 2 days, 2 days are given to make up the work, etc. Assignments will be put together for the students who are absent. Books and assignments will be sent home with another student or may be picked up by a parent/guardian between noon and 3:30 PM in the school office. It is not possible for these assignments to be picked up at an earlier time in the school day.
- Parents are asked to please try to make all doctor appointments after school hours, if possible.
- School personnel will keep a record of the number of times a child is absent and/or tardy. Excessive tardiness and/or excessive absenteeism will be brought to the attention of parents with the possibility that the local public school visiting teacher will be notified. Children who leave school before 2:30 are marked as tardy because of an early dismissal.
Withdrawals or Change of Residence
- Should you change your place of residence within the SJOV district, send your new address and telephone number to the office. If the address of your childcare provider changes, inform SJOV, as well as your local school district’s transportation office of this change.
- Withdrawal of a student on a permanent basis is a formal procedure and should be completed by means of a letter to the principal indicating the official date of withdrawal. The new school office should send a written request to St. James of the Valley for your child’s records, or an official withdrawal form may be signed at SJOV at which time the records will be automatically sent. All fees must be paid before records will be sent to another school or district. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to obtain the student’s report card and personal possessions on his/her last day of attendance.
Release of Records to High Schools
Upon request SJOV office will forward records to two high schools once records are complete. Any additional requests will require an addressed, postage-paid envelope.
Health & Safety
Under the direction of our district assigned School Nurse, or a volunteer School Nurse, maintenance of a complete health record will be provided for each child. Any child who is not in compliance with the immunizations that are required by law will not be re-admitted to school. New students are required to submit proof of immunizations no later than the 14th day of school.
Throughout the year, the district appointed School Nurse will conduct screening programs such as vision (grades K, 1, 3, 5, 7); hearing (K, 1, 3, 5); and scoliosis (grades 6, 7, 8). These tests are not substitutes for meeting the child’s basic health and immunization requirements, which remain the parent’s responsibility. Rather, these tests are aimed at raising the health standards of all our students. If the parent does not wish for their child to be screened for any or all of the screenings, they must notify the school nurse in writing.
When a child does become ill or has an accident at school, the child is sent to the office health room. If the illness or accident warrants it, the child’s parents are notified. No child will leave the school without specific parental permission, however, parents must transport or make arrangements for transporting a child who is sick or injured.
Because of unexpected illness and accidents, emergency phone numbers and emergency medical authorization must be on record at school. This is done by completing and returning the emergency forms sent home at the beginning of each school year. These forms are important as they provide for the student if he/she would require emergency care and/or emergency hospitalization. On returning to school after an illness caused by a communicable disease, a child must present a release card from the doctor.
If your child is not feeling well in the morning, please do not send him or her to school especially during flu season.
Your child must be symptom free (including vomiting, fever, and diarrhea) for 24 hours before returning to school. This also means that if your child is sent home from school with symptoms, they need to wait 24 hours from the time of exclusion before returning to school. Sections 3313.67, 3313.37 of the Ohio Revised Code set forth mandated immunizations required for preschool through grade twelve.
The State of Ohio requires the parent/guardian provide this information no later than the fourteenth day of school attendance.
- DPT (3-5 doses depending on age)
- Polio (3-4 doses depending on age)
- MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) (2 doses)
- Hepatitis B (3 doses)
- Varicella (chicken pox) (1 dose depending on age)
St. James School has a Nit-Free Head Lice Policy.
- Random head inspections will take place within the first 8 weeks after start of school in the fall.
- The inspector will report any findings of live louse or nits to school personnel. With each case of lice found on different dates, a letter of notification will be sent home with all students so that continued inspections will take place at home.
- If any lice are found, all siblings will be checked, along with the entire grade(s) affected.
- Any students found to have lice are to be immediately removed from the classroom. Personal items (backpacks, spare clothes, etc.) are to be sealed in a plastic bag, and parents are to be notified of the need to leave school.
- All children found to have an active case of lice are to have head inspections prior to returning to the classroom. The child may return to the classroom once he/she is NIT_FREE. To have proof of treatment shown by bringing in the box or receipt of purchase of an appropriate Lice Remedy.
- Once a child returns to school, lice checks will continue on a weekly and biweekly basis for a minimum period of 2 months following the initial case of lice.
- Each time there is a reoccurrence of lice, the process of inspections are to be repeated.
- Lice checks can be done at the request of the teacher and/or any school staff reporting “scalp scratching”. The times and days of rechecking are at the discretion of the nurse (or qualified health care volunteer) available.
Medication
Most medication can and should be given at home. Stock medication is not kept in the school health clinic for routine use. The providing of medical care to students is the responsibility of the parents and will not be assumed by the school. Whenever it is absolutely necessary that medication be given to the student during the school day, the following will apply:*
- Medication must be in original containers and have an affixed label including the student’s name, name of medication, dosage, route of administration, and time of administration.**
- Written request MUST be obtained from the physician and the parent or guardian before any medication may be administered by school personnel. The request must include instructions as to the name of the medication, dosage, time and duration of the medication, and the possible side effects.
- It is advised that the medication and the signed permission forms be brought to the school by the parent or guardian. NO MEDICATION WILL BE GIVEN TO A STUDENT ATTENDING SJOV WITHOUT THE PARENT’S WRITTEN PERMISSION.
- Request forms for the administration of medication are available in the Health Room.
- Medications will not be stored over the summer. Parents will need to notify the office in regards to the transfer of medication from school to home.
- Students may not carry and administer medication with the exception of an inhaler or an EpiPen. In the case of an inhaler or an EpiPen, the school must have proper documentation from a physician on file.
* Adopted from the Ohio Revised Code #3313.713.
** This includes prescriptions as well as non-prescription medication such as aspirin, ointments, eye drops, etc.
Fire & Tornado
Drills will be held at regular intervals, as required by law. These are an important safety precaution. It is essential that when the first signal is given everyone follow directions promptly. Directions will be given in each room at the beginning of the year and posted in a visible place. We ask that all adults who are in the building at the time of a drill follow the safety rules.
Shelter in Place
If the school is ordered to shelter-in-place by authorities, parents will NOT be permitted to pick up their child for any reason until the “all clear” is given.
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