ACCREDITATION:

St. John School is accredited by the State of Indiana which means that at present, it is in compliance with the same standards as that of public schools.

St. John School follows the Curriculum Guidelines established by the Diocese of Evansville and the Department of Education, State of Indiana. All textbooks and supplementary materials are current and have been recommended by Diocesan Textbook Committees.

MID-TERM REPORTS:
(Formerly known as Progress Reports) These reports are sent home with those students who are experiencing difficulties midway through each nine week quarter. Mid-Term Reports must be signed and returned to the teacher within one week of being issued.

PROGRESS REPORTS:
(Formerly known as Report Cards) The school year is divided into two semesters, each having two nine-week quarters. Progress Reports are issued each quarter and must be signed and returned within two weeks of being issued.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES
Conferences are scheduled at the end of the first quarter grading period.
Parents must meet with their child's homeroom teacher.
First quarter Progress Reports (report cards) are given out at this time. Teachers may recommend and parents may request individual conferences for students at any time during the school year.

GRADING SYSTEM:

Grading System - Grades K-3

Students in grades K-3 are assessed according to the Indiana Academic Standards for their respective grade levels. Indiana Academic Standards clarify what your child should know, understand, and be able to do in each subject, at each grade level. Progress reports will be given each quarter that will provide detailed information about your child's strengths and weaknesses relative to the Standards and can help determine how to work with your child to meet these standards. For more information regarding the Indiana Academic Standards, please visit:

http://www.indianastandards.org.

Grades on the quarterly Progress Report will be reported using the following scale:

The Grading Scale for Grades 4-8 is as follows:

Through their homework, students learn to work independently, to arrange their time, use good study skills, and develop self-discipline as they accept responsibility for completing assigned work. The purpose of homework is to reinforce the lessons taught.

Daily homework assigned will be due at the beginning of the next class session. If a child has been ill and misses a homework assignment, the work will be made up.

Parents/legal guardians are responsible for obtaining information regarding homework, tests, field trips, etc., when a student is absent. This information may be obtained after, NOT BEFORE, dismissal for all grades. Parents of absent students may have work sent home with siblings or carpools. Assignments can also picked up between 2:30-3:30 p.m., when teachers are no longer involved in duties pertaining to large groups of students. The work will be sent to after school care after 3:30 p.m. Appropriate time will be given to students to make up homework when the student has been ill.

In grades 6-8 - Any assignment/project that is turned in late will result in a deficiency being issued and a grade reduction of 20%. If the student does not turn in the late assignment/project the next school day, the grade for that assignment/project will be recorded as a zero.

Assignment of in-class work, or homework, or the grades assigned to such work, shall not be contingent on a student's participation or attendance at any extra-curricular activity. Reasonable exceptions to this policy include a teacher's request that students attend a seminar, lecture, etc., or view a television program which, in the teacher's opinion, is relevant to the classroom.

TESTING:

For the 2007-2008 school year, ISTEP (Indiana Statewide Testing of Educational Progress) will be administered to grades 3rd through 8th. The tests will be administered in the fall of the school year, with parent reports being sent home as soon as they are returned to the school.

High School Placement Tests for Memorial and Mater Dei are given in January to help place students in classes for their freshman year.

STUDENT RECORDS:

It is important that records be kept during the school career of each student. These records are used to ensure one's just and legal privilege of obtaining an education, and they must be maintained in a manner that protects the individual's rights and privacy.

The responsibility for development, maintenance, and security of student records falls to the combined efforts of students, parents, and designated school employees. The Office of Education of the Diocese of Evansville in compliance with the "Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1987" (Federal P.L. 93-380) has established a policy regarding student records for the Catholic schools of the Evansville Diocese.

Parents may request to view student records on file in the school office.

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Kindergarten will be scheduled for two gym classes (one-half hour) per week. Grades K-8 will have two sessions per week. Grades 4-8 will change clothes. Students in grades K-8 will need to have a separate pair of non-marking sole shoes which will be used for indoor P.E. classes specifically. Grades K-8 will use the new wooden arena floor at least once a week. The P.E. pair of shoes shall remain in the student's locker all year. Shoestrings for P.E. shoes must be BLUE (royal, navy or powder blue).

The designated P.E. shoes do not have to be brand new. We ask that they be non-marking soles, clean, rock-free and suitable for laces showing from the outside. "All shoes must have visible laces (no zippers on shoes, velcro, or non-tie shoes will be permitted). Once you bring your designated P.E. shoes to school, do not wear them outside again. (Leave them in your locker.)
This policy worked very well last year. The designated laces enabled the P.E. teacher to make a quick visual check to make sure the proper shoes have been worn. (Similar to proper uniform for grades 4-8.)

How to determine non-marking soles - try scuffing the floor on tile or linoleum at the store (shoe reps instruction). If the shoe does not leave marks, it should be all right. Some shoes have black soles - some of these are still non-marking. Test all shoes first!

This policy will be in place by September and will allow for time to get the proper shoes - new shoes are not necessary but must be clean and non-marking. School designated laces are required. Students who do not have proper P.E. shoes will have their grades lowered due to non-participation. We want to maintain our Arena floor and ask everyone to follow the above guidelines.

Physical Education Uniform

Grade 4-8 BOYS and GIRLS must have their last names on these items:

• White, blue, ash gray or gold gym shorts (no writing on shorts).
  
• White athletic socks
  
• White, blue, ash gray or gold T-shirt (no writing on shirts)
  
• Non-marking gym shoes

*St. John T-shirts and gym shorts (with St. John name on them) have been approved for gym wear. Order forms are available in the school office.

If your child is unable to take physical education, he/she must have a doctor's excuse on file in the school office

LIBRARY:

A school library is a valuable teaching tool providing resource material, and the library introduces the students to a wide range of literature. The following library policy will be in effect for 2007-2008.

Computer Security: Any student attempting to access information on the computers, other than that authorized under his/her name, is subject to indefinite exclusion from the lab, suspension from school, or possible expulsion. A written policy concerning the use of the INTERNET will be provided to and must be signed by each student and his/her parent/guardian.

Students are not to bring any software or copied disks to school. Classes will be provided with disks to use at school, and disks will remain with the computer teacher until graduation or transfer.

Students changing desktop, etc., or entering an application without permission or instruction, will be subject to disciplinary action.

The above rules are to be observed in the lab and in all classrooms.

PTSA:

The PTSA is the cooperative group of parents, teachers, and students who work together to ensure quality education for the children attending St. John School. PTSA organizes volunteers to provide services to support the school staff in the day-to-day operation of the school.

The PTSA also organizes fundraisers, with the School Board's approval, to support a variety of needs (i.e., the library, computer lab, and the Facilities Expansion Project). All fundraisers will include incentives geared solely to rewarding the school or classroom as a whole, encouraging students to work together toward a school or group goal. This policy applies to any and all fundraisers that include any part of the St. John student body.

St. John PTSA meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Parents, teachers, and students are encouraged to attend the meetings.

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