Springfield Catholic High School Handbook | Springfield, MO Catholic HS

Attendance Policy

Regular and punctual attendance is required of each student enrolled in the school system. A student who is truant from school or absent from school without a satisfactory excuse can be subject to disciplinary action by the school administrator. A comprehensive system of attendance records will be maintained by the school for each student.

Students who are absent are asked to observe the following regulations:

On the day of the absence, a parent/guardian must telephone an excuse to the school office by 8:00 a.m. otherwise; office personnel will contact the parent to certify that the absence is legitimate.
On the day the student returns to school, he/she must bring a written excuse signed by a parent guardian. The note should include the student's full name, date of absence, reason for the absence and a signature of the parent/guardian. (Any absence not confirmed through the administrative offices is considered truancy and may result in disciplinary action.)
The absent student is responsible for contacting his/her teachers to determine what assignments must be made up. The student has the total responsibility for making up work missed.
A student who becomes ill during the day must report to office personnel so a parent/guardian can be notified. Students are not allowed to leave school without first checking out through the office.
A student must attend a full school day in order to practice or participate in any of the day’s co-curricular activities unless he/she has been excused by the building administration.

Excessive Absences

Students are permitted a maximum of ten (10) absences per class per semester. A SCHS student who accrues eleven absences automatically forfeits his/her credit for that class.

A warning letter will be sent home after the 7th absence from school. Excessive absenteeism may result in dismissal from school.

Absence Policy Exceptions

Approved, school-sponsored, out-of school activities (i.e., field trips, sporting events, etc.) are not counted as absences for purposes of the “Excessive Absence" policy above.
Absences resulting from significant acute or chronic medical conditions may provide the basis for an exception. A physician must verify all such conditions in writing.
The parent/guardian of a student who must miss more than ten sessions of any class due to hospitalization, prolonged illness or other good cause should request an exception to the "Excessive Absence" policy in writing prior to the absence taking place.

Absence Policy Appeal Policy

If loss of credit automatically results due to excessive absence, a student may appeal by contacting the principal in writing. Written documentation and explanation for the exception are the responsibility of the student. Students who have accrued ten absences may appeal:

because excessive absences are for a good reason
to obtain an extension of the number of absences allowed before credit is lost
for other appropriate relief within the contents of this policy.

Anticipated Absence: Family Vacation or Travel

Springfield Catholic Schools discourages absences due to family vacations or parent/guardian travel and strongly urges parents/guardians to give serious consideration to the consequences for the student. When such an absence must occur, the responsibility for completing assignments missed rests solely with the student.

Informing SCHS of a decision to take a child out of school is the parent's/guardian's responsibility. The procedure is as follows:

A note must be sent to the office no closer than one week before the first day of the anticipated absence. This note is initialed and dated by the principal indicating that the school has been informed of this absence. This note is then placed in the student's attendance file.
The student must notify his/her teachers of the coming absence no closer than one week before the first day of the anticipated absence.

Tardies

Punctuality is a habit every individual should strive to develop. Except in emergencies, students must be with assigned teachers at the beginning of each class period.

Students are responsible for knowing and complying with class and school tardy regulations/consequences. Tardies are recorded in the office and by the teacher and posted via parent web. Students who are tardy should report directly to the career center. Students who are more than 30 minutes late are considered absent for the entire period.
Chronic tardiness adversely affects a student's learning and possibly his/her academic grade. Tardies will count toward detention time on a quarterly basis.
- 1st Offense (3 tardies)1 hour of detention from 3:15-4:15 (Tuesdays and Thursdays) and $10.00 fine
- 2nd Offense (6 tardies) 2 hours Saturday school detention from 8:00-10:00 a.m. and $15.00 fine (Not allowed to attend next school dance)
- 3rd Offense (9 tardies)3 hours Saturday school detention from 8:00-11:00 a.m. and $20.00 fine. (Not allowed to attend next school dance)Automatic probationary status and a mandatory conference between administration and parent/guardian regarding student’s future at Springfield Catholic High School

Off Campus Permits

Students are not permitted to leave the school grounds during the school day without the approval of custodial parent(s) or guardian(s) and school officials. In no circumstance is a student permitted to leave school with another student(unless it is a sibling). Normally, parental permission must be in writing except in cases of emergency. Any oral parental permission accepted must later be confirmed in writing. Students must obtain off-campus permits prior to leaving school. These permits are issued following this procedure:

The student presents the written parental excuse to office personnel before 8:00 a.m. on the day of his/her anticipated absence. The student is given a permit, which should be presented to his/her instructor before leaving school.
A student going to a medical/dental appointment should return with written confirmation supplied by the doctor/dentist. (Normally, a student should not miss more than two hours of class for a medical/dental appointment.)

Supervision

The SCHS office is normally open from 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. each school day. Classes begin at 8:00 a.m. and dismissed at 3:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday. There is a 2:00 p.m. dismissal on the first Friday of each month. (See the school calendar for additional early dismissal days). Students arriving before 7:45 a.m. or staying after 3:30 p.m. must be receiving instructional help from a teacher, studying/working quietly in the media center or participating in extra-curricular activities. Students arriving earlier or staying later should remain outside the building or, during inclement weather are seated in the cafeteria or in the main corridor. The school is not responsible for students who arrive before 7:45 a.m. or stay after 3:30 p.m., unless they are being supervised by a teacher/coach.

Student Dress Code

Springfield Catholic High School believes very strongly in the strict enforcement of a student dress code for the important reason:

• A uniform appearance gives students a feeling of equality, provides a visible sense of school unity and identity, and contributes to the professional atmosphere that should exist in a school.

It is the student’s and parents’ responsibility to insure proper attire before arrival at school. If in doubt about acceptability, do not wear it.

All students are to be completely dressed and in dress code upon entering the building in the morning, and continue to remain in dress code until 3:00 p.m. (A.M. weight training and first block physical education students are the only exceptions.) The school administration reserves the right to deem clothing inappropriate or immodest at its discretion.

General Points Applicable to All Students

Students are to be neatly dressed/well groomed when arriving, attending, and leaving Springfield Catholic.
Extremes in personal appearance are not permitted.
Decisions on the acceptability of student appearance will be made by the administration.
All clothing is to be modest, of proper fit, neat, clean, and worn as designed at all times.
Pants with frayed cuffs or split seams are not acceptable.
If an item of clothing is not mentioned herein as being allowed, it should not be worn.
Only ears may be pierced, with modest earrings.
Visible tattoos and jewelry in body piercings are not permitted.
No colored or printed t-shirts may be worn under uniform shirts.
Nail polish may not be black.
Hats may not be worn in the building.
Accessories (scarves, bandannas, cummerbunds, etc.) are not permitted.
Ink marks on hands and arms are unprofessional and indicate immature behavior. Students writing on themselves or others is inappropriate
Wallet chains and such paraphernalia will not be permitted.
Duffle bags and back packs are to be placed in lockers or locker room upon arrival. Students are not to carry duffle bags or back packs to class.
Tank tops, tube tops, see-through tops, and tops which show bare midriffs are not to be worn to any school function. This includes class trips, field trips, dress up days, dress down days, etc.
Baggy or sagging pants are not permitted.

Pants: Solid-colored navy, black, khaki (in the tan family) pants, capris, or shorts may be worn. No ‘low rise’, ‘hip- hugger”, jeans, or sweatpants may be worn. No pants or shorts of any kind can have cargo pockets. Shorts must be knee length. Waistlines of pants or shorts must be worn at the waist. PANTS MAY BE PURCHASED FROM ANY SOURCE.

Shirts: Solid-Colored Springfield Catholic long and short-sleeved polos may be worn. Shirts are limited to short or long sleeve polo shirts and crew neck sweatshirts. All shirts must bear the Springfield Catholic logo or sports/activity insignia. SCHS shirts DO NOT have to be tucked in, however, any undershirt MUST be tucked in. Long-Sleeved shirts MAY NOT be worn under short-sleeved polos. All shirts must be purchased from the school vendor.

Skirts: Solid-colored navy, black, khaki (in the tan family) skirts and skorts may be worn, but must be knee length. SKIRTS/SKORTS MAY BE PURCHASED FROM ANY SOURCE.

Warm-Ups: NO Warm-ups will be worn in the classroom.

Coats: No Coats will be worn in the classroom. No hooded sweatshirts, including Springfield Catholic hooded sweatshirts, may be worn. Springfield Catholic organizational pullovers, without hoods, may be worn.

Jacket: Solid-colored fleece jackets with the SCHS logo purchased from the school vendor may be worn.

Footwear: Must be worn at all times.

Hair: Hair must be neat and well groomed. Facial hair is prohibited. No hairstyle can cause undue attention.

Dress Down Days: Students will be provided with a variety of opportunities to dress down. Attire for dress down days must be neat, clean, and modest.

Adherence to the dress code is a condition of attendance at SCHS. It is assumed that students and their parents are aware of its provision, so excuses for nonconformity will not be considered except in the most extraordinary circumstances. Violation of the dress code or the spirit thereof subjects a student to disciplinary action. Students must conform to the dress code to attend class.

Penalties for Dress Code Violations

Students not in compliance with the dress code will be assigned one hour of detention to be served after school (Tuesdays/Thursdays)3:15-4:15 and fined $10.00 per offense. If the student does not stay for detention after school the designated day the detention time will double and must be served within the next two days following the offense. Any fine must be paid before 8:00 a.m. the next school day or it will double and the student will not be permitted to return to class until the fine has been paid. Students will not be permitted to attend class unless they are wearing appropriate clothing. That may involve a phone call to parents to deliver appropriate clothing, or, with parental and administrative approval, a student may be permitted to drive home to change. Any class work missed while taking action to comply with the dress code is unexcused and cannot be made up.

It is possible to receive multiple fines and multiple hours of detention simultaneously if in violation of two or more appearance code rules.

Electronic Information Resources Guidelines

Computer and electronic information services including the Internet are available to students at our school. Springfield Catholic High School strongly believes in the educational value of such electronic services and recognizes the potential of such to support our curriculum and student learning. Our goal in providing these services is to promote educational excellence by facilitating resource sharing, innovation, and communication. Springfield Catholic High School will make every effort to protect students and teachers from any misuses or abuses as a result of their experiences with an information service. All users must be continuously on guard to avoid inappropriate and illegal interaction with the information service. While electronic information resources offer tremendous opportunities of educational value, they also offer persons with illegal or unethical purposes avenues for reaching students teachers, and parents.

The use of the information system is a privilege, not a right, and inappropriate use will result in a cancellation of those privileges. The administration will decide what appropriate use is. The administration of Springfield Catholic High School may deny, revoke, or suspend specific user accounts at any time it deems necessary. Inappropriate use includes, but is not limited to these violations:

using the network to send or receive email during the school day for non-academic use
using the network to play games
using the network for commercial activities for profit or product advertisement
using copyrighted material in reports without permission
using the system for illegal purposes
degrading or disrupting equipment or system performance
using the network to access a file that contains pornography or racist content
using the network to send/receive inflammatory messages
vandalizing the system and/or damaging the software components
using the network to improperly access, misappropriate, or misuse the files, data, or information of others
using the network to send/receive a message that is inconsistent with the school’s code of conduct
using the network to send/receive messages that are sexist and contain obscenities
using the network to provide addresses or other personal information that others may use inappropriately
using the network for sending and receiving a large number of personal messages
using the network for chat rooms and instant messaging

All users should be aware that the inappropriate use of electronic information resources could be a violation of local, state, and federal laws. Violations can lead to disciplinary action or prosecution.

When signed by you and your guardian/parent, it becomes a legally binding contract. We must have your signature and that of your guardian/parent before we can provide you with an access account. If any user violates these provisions, access to the computer/electronic information services may be denied and you will be subject to disciplinary action.

SAFETY

Emergency Drills

Earthquake, fire and tornado drills are held throughout the school year. Notices are posted in every classroom and throughout the building which give directions on the proper procedures to follow in case of emergency.

Vehicles/Parking Lot

All drivers must drive safely and exercise special caution when on SCHS property and entry roads. Further, drivers are expected to park their vehicles in an orderly manner. Students may park in any space in the east parking lot except those designated for handicapped or reserved areas. Students are NOT permitted to park in areas outside of the marked parking spaces. Upon arrival, students must come into school promptly, and may not linger in the parking lot. After entering the building, students may not return to their cars without permission from office personnel. Students who violate these provisions may have their campus driving privileges revoked.

Bus Safety

SCHS maintains a bus for student-activity use. The bus is scheduled through the athletic director. Bus rules are as follows:

a) The bus driver is in charge of the bus and is assisted by coaches/advisors and/or chaperones.
b) No “horse play” is allowed.
c) No glass containers/bottles may be brought on the bus.
d) Students use the front door to enter and exit the bus.
e) The emergency exit, located in the back of the bus, is only used in emergencies.
f) Students may not stand up or walk around in the bus while the bus is in motion.
g) Nothing is ever thrown from the bus.
h) Hands, heads, feet, etc. must remain inside the bus (not hanging out the windows.) Any student who rides the bus to a school activity must return from that activity on the bus, unless direct parental contact is made with the advisor/coach on the bus.
i) Voices, radios, tape players, etc. are to be kept at a reasonable volume.
j) Students must clean the bus upon return. A trash container will be provided for this purpose.
k) Students close the windows before exiting the bus.

Employment

Students at SCHS must give priority to academic endeavors and extra-curricular activities. High school students have a whole lifetime for gainful employment, but only four years to academically prepare themselves for post-secondary studies and to participate in extracurricular activities, i.e., clubs and sports. In general, student employment is discouraged during the school year, especially on school nights. Students should never work more than 20 hours per week during the school year. Student employment is not a legitimate excuse for missing homework assignments, absence from class or detention.

Field Trips

Field trips are to be of educational value and directly related to the curriculum. Field trips are privileges afforded students by administration and teachers. Students do not have a right to a field trip and can be denied participation if they fail to meet academic and/or behavioral requirements. Students must also have written permission of a parent/guardian in order to participate in a trip. The only overnight field trip will be for MSHSAA approved activities. Permission forms are provided by the school.

Fund-Raising

All activities for raising money for class or school projects must have the advanced approval of the sponsor and administration. All money must be deposited in the school account for the particular class or organization.

Hall Permits

Students need a pass, signed by a teacher/staff member, to leave the room during regular class time. Students are normally not to be in the hallways during instructional periods. Class is not the time to use the restroom, go to lockers, handle office business, use the telephone, etc. Blatant disregard for this policy will result in disciplinary referral.

Lockers

Academic and athletic lockers are available for students' use. Lockers are to be locked at all times for the protection of students' belongings.

Locks for student lockers ARE MANDATORY. Any locker without a lock with be given a demerit.

Students should never store cash or expensive items in their lockers. The school assumes no liability for anything damaged, lost or stolen from lockers. These lockers are the property of the school and may be searched at anytime by school personnel with the permission of school administration. The Springfield Police Department may also search lockers upon administration request or when a valid search warrant is presented.

Lost and Found

A box is kept in the maintenance room for items which have been found. Students who misplace belongings are urged to check this box. At the end of each quarter, unclaimed items are given away.

Lunch and Cafeteria Program

Catholic High participates in the federal school lunch program. A nutritious lunch is available each regular school day. Lunches and milk prices are adjusted annually. A la Carte items from the cafeteria meals are usually available for purchase by students. Prices vary with the particular food item. Students may bring sack lunches and buy milk or juice. No outside lunches from restaurants or fast food establishments may be brought into the school.

Students proceed immediately to the cafeteria when dismissed from class for lunch even if they do not plan to eat. Seniors are permitted to eat their lunch in the alcove outside the cafeteria (this is a privilege, not a right). All other students must eat in the cafeteria, seated at tables. Students may only leave the cafeteria during lunch with the permission of the cafeteria supervisor. Lunch time is not "open" at SCHS. Therefore, students may not leave the building/campus to purchase lunch or to sit in their cars.

Lunch menus are published monthly and posted near the cafeteria door. Parents who wish to participate in the federal free and reduced lunch program may apply at registration or at any time in the school office, in accord with eligibility guidelines. The cafeteria manager determines the eligibility status of applications. The principal serves as the hearing officer if parents wish to contest the ruling. All federal free and reduced lunch program application information remains confidential.

Visitors

Visitors are to be directed to the office, where they will check in and receive a visitor’s pass. Visitors will check out when leaving. No student is to be called on by visitors without the approval of the administration. Students are instructed to inform their friends who do not attend Springfield Catholic that school hours are not visiting hours. If a visitor refuses to leave promptly when asked, the Springfield Police Department will be contacted.

Marriage and Pregnancy

Married students may enroll in Springfield Catholic High School with permission of administration. Situations involving pregnancy, paternity or civil marriage is decided by administration in accord with church teachings and diocesan and local policy.

If a student enrolled in Springfield Catholic Schools becomes pregnant, the student or parents will be required to inform the principal. If necessary, a plan will be developed to help the pregnant student continue her academic studies. The student and the father (if a student of Springfield Catholic High School) will be permitted to complete their education. The principal and faculty will work in a compassionate way with the student(s). Appropriate counseling shall be obtained for their psychological, physical and spiritual well being in accord with the Church’s teachings.

A pregnancy may affect the completion date for graduation requirements. Students are given a reasonable time period to make up incomplete course work, due to pregnancy or postpartum. Such situations are determined on a case-by-case basis, by the principal in consultation with the faculty.

Springfield Catholic High School believes in the unborn's right to life and supports the parent-students in any way possible. Blatant violations of the church's teaching, which result in an abortion, are dealt with on a case-by-case basis. All policies of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, the Missouri Catholic Conference and Springfield Catholic School System will apply.