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During the school year field trips are incorporated into our school program. They are part of our educative process. Students may be expected to prepare beforehand, and follow-up activities may also be required.

Buses are usually used for these trips and parents must give written permission. Proper supervision is provided with the help of parents who accompany teachers and students on these trips. Field trip costs are kept to a minimum. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO REFUND FIELD TRIP MONEY SINCE THE COST IS BASED ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN THE CLASS.

Since field trips are considered to be a part of the school day, ALL STUDENTS are expected to participate. Attendance is expected as if it were a regular school day. Younger siblings are not allowed on field trips.

If a student misbehaves on a field trip, it is Archdiocesan policy to require that the parent of that child go on the next field trip as a chaperone or the child may not go on the field trip. Uniforms will be worn unless otherwise stated on the permission form.

In the event the original field trip permission form is misplaced, you will find a substitute form in the back of this book, which must be duplicated word for word and returned before the announced trip.

We follow the Archdiocesan Guidelines regarding our Human Sexuality Program. Parents/Guardians and students in Grades 6, 7, 8 are expected to attend an orientation meeting held at the beginning of the school year and to attend the follow-up meeting(s) specific for each grade level. A copy of the Human Sexuality Guidelines is available in our School Library. A copy of the guidelines will also be distributed at the first orientation meeting in the fall.

A diploma will be granted to all students fulfilling the criteria for graduation as set by the Archdiocese of Washington. Those students not fulfilling these requirements will be issued a Certificate of Attendance.

In order for the faculty and administration to write the best possible recommendation for your child, parents must follow these guidelines:

1. Provide all the necessary information.

2. Provide a stamped, addressed envelope.

3. Provide a summary / list of your child's extracurricular activities.

4. Allow a minimum of two weeks for the recommendation to be completed.

5. A follow-up thank you by the student regardless of whether or not the scholarship was awarded is most appropriate.

It is the school's policy that written homework will be checked on the day it is due according to each teacher's policy. We follow Archdiocesan policy regarding the amount of homework assigned. For Grades 1-5 written homework is not assigned over the weekends or holidays unless it is an assignment that is being made up. However, ongoing assignments such as flash cards, vocabulary words and assigned reading can be given for weekend homework. In recognition of the need to adequately prepare our students for high school, homework may need to be assigned over the weekends for Grades 6, 7 and 8. Teachers will always be aware of the importance of families spending quality time together on the weekends and will adjust the homework accordingly. It is the school's policy that all assigned written work during a given school week is completed by the end of that week. Failure to complete this work will result in a zero (0) for that assignment(s).

A Homework Skills Program is offered after school for those students who wish to do it then or who may be having difficulty getting it done.

Long-range projects may be a part of homework. It is important that students are instructed by the teachers and helped by the parents on how to spread the work out so it is not done at the last minute. Quality of work is the goal of these projects. This is achieved by developing the student's higher levels of thinking so they are able to go beyond facts and comprehension to comparison, synthesis, and evaluation in their projects and into creative ways of presenting these projects. Grading them is done on quality rather than on quantity.

Generally, the parents should see all test results. However, students who receive a D or F on a test are expected to have them corrected and then signed by their parents and returned to the teacher as verification that parents are aware of this grade. Teachers will contact the parents if these test papers do not come back signed and corrected in two days. The teacher in class will review tests so corrections can be made. Grades are not dropped because test papers are not signed.

The staff will limit the number of major tests scheduled for a single day to three. When a student misses tests because of an excused absence, the teachers are aware of the stress of making up tests and will schedule make-up tests accordingly, no more than three tests in one day.

After review by the principal, Progress Reports are mailed four times a year to either affirm student's progress or to alert parents of potential problems. In the latter case it is potential because there is time before the report card grade is given for the student to change. Progress Reports will be sent by any teacher who believes that a student is likely to receive a U in the remark section of the report card, to get a D or F on his/her next report card, or to drop two or more full grades from the last report card. Parents who receive the latter are asked to call the school to make arrangements to discuss these concerns with the teacher.

Our school follows the Archdiocesan policy regarding the promotion and the retention of a student.

Basic Skills subjects: Reading, Mathematics, Language Arts
Academic subjects: Social Studies, Science, Spelling/Vocabulary, Religion

According to Archdiocesan policy, students who fail either two Basic or a Basic and an Academic subject may be required to repeat the grade. If it is better for all concerned that the student not repeat the grade, then this student will be Socially Promoted.

Students who are Socially Promoted or fail one Basic or Academic subject will be required to go to Summer School or be tutored. Evidence of Summer School/Tutoring must be received by the school administration before the student begins the next school year.

After review by the principal, Report Cards are given quarterly to the parents. Student evaluation conferences between teachers and parents are held as follows:

• November - Parent/teacher meetings, by appointment, are at the discretion of the parent and/or teachers involved.

• February - Parent/teacher meetings, by appointment, while at the discretion of the parent and/or teachers involved, are also set up to discuss possible need to attend summer school or the need to re-enter a grade.

Other conferences may be held at the convenience of teachers and parents. Teachers may be contacted by a note or telephone call to the office. The Principal, Secretary, or Receptionist will take your number and have the teacher call when their schedule permits. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should teachers be detained in the hall during, before, or after school hours without an appointment arranged through the office, nor should teachers ever be called at their homes. Report Cards will be given to the parents whose tuition and Church contributions are made for the respective quarters.

It is our philosophy that school is an enriching experience when children have a healthy self-image. We further believe that this healthy self-image comes first and foremost from home. However, it is the school's responsibility to continue to affirm this image by helping the child achieve to his or her best ability and by helping them build good, solid relationships, especially with their peers. While competition outside oneself serves a good purpose for the most part, we believe at this sensitive time of development emphasis should be placed on competition within oneself. Throughout the course of the year, teachers take opportunities both formally and informally to affirm this healthy self-image or to assist the child in building one.

At our annual CYO Awards Program and our school awards program, we recognize also the whole range of performances that make up the total child.

Diagnostic tests or achievement tests that accompany textbooks are given in connection with each level or unit.
Learning Styles Inventory Test is administered to 4th grade students.
A Religion Inventory Test is administered in Grades 5 and 8.
Standard Achievement Tests are administered in the spring to Grades 3, 5, 6, & 7.
Students entering our Kindergarten are administered the Early Prevention of School Failure Test. New students to St. John the Evangelist School, Grades 4 to 8, are administered a standardized reading and math test. Grades 1, 2 & 3 are evaluated by the teacher whose room the child visits for a day. Formal conference with the parents is also held for these students. Furthermore, students new to Grades 2 to 8 when admitted, are admitted on the condition that they maintain the academic and discipline standards of this school.

Textbooks are evaluated on a regular basis. The evaluation follows the Archdiocesan policy and is usually done by a committee of teachers and interested parents. Textbooks or library books that are lost or mutilated must be repaired or reimbursement made. There will be NO REFUND for lost textbooks found after a new one has been given to and paid for by the student. Tutors may rent additional textbooks to assist the student they are tutoring.

Library books are evaluated before purchase. Should any parental concern arise about any book, the procedure approved by the Archdiocesan Library Association will be used.

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