Student Handbook

PARENT/STUDENT HANDBOOK PreK-8th 

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Mount Merici Academy, a Catholic school, is dedicated to nurturing the whole child – mind, body, and spirit – providing love and guidance so that each student can achieve their personal best. In partnership with families, our mission is to instill Christ-centered values of respect, responsibility and self-discipline, teaching students in the Ursuline Serviam tradition of service to our community and the world. 

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DEAR PARENTS AND STUDENTS 

On behalf of the faculty, staff, and administration of Mount Merici Academy we welcome you to the academic school year. We are pleased that you are a part of the Mount Merici community. We anticipate your involvement and cooperation in making this year successful. The Parent/Student Handbook has been prepared to help answer many questions students and parents usually have concerning the activities, procedures, and rules for the successful daily operation of Mount Merici. We believe following these will help us to have an orderly school conducive to learning. There is no intent to develop a set of expectations which are confining or restrictive. Instead, a common ground of clearly understood policies and procedures will enable us to provide the best possible educational experiences for every student. 

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Absences 

Classroom attendance is an essential part of the student’s education. It is one of the biggest indicators of student success, as students who attend school regularly are naturally exposed to more than those who are routinely absent. Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all Mount Merici Academy students. Daily attendance and dismissal for each student is part of the child’s permanent record. Maine state law requires students be in school for 175 days. If a student’s rate of absenteeism is deemed excessive or creates concern, a meeting with administration will be necessary. 

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While there may be valid reasons for a student to miss school such as: illness, medical appointments that cannot be scheduled outside the school day, and/or personal or family emergency. Any absence is an absence and students will be marked as either present or absent. 

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Because we are concerned about your child’s safety and well-being, we request that parents or guardians notify the school when their child will be absent from school. If we do not hear from the parent or guardian, the school will contact the parent or guardian. 

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While parents may want to take their child out of school for vacations, this is highly discouraged as it disrupts learning, the classroom instructional time cannot be replicated, and for some children the time away from school may be very difficult to make up. Teachers may be able to give students (parents) an idea of the work that will be missed but are not required to give specific homework assignments before the vacation. It is the student’s responsibility to take care of the missing work within a reasonable amount of time upon return to school (generally speaking, a day for a day). 

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Tardiness 

Being on time is a life skill important to each student’s future, and schools share the responsibility to teach the importance of this skill. Tardiness of individual students interrupts instructional time for all students, and it is more difficult for the tardy student to settle in once class has already begun. If a student arrives after 7:45 am, he or she is considered tardy. Students who are tardy must receive a tardy slip. If a student’s rate of tardiness is deemed excessive or creates concern, a meeting with administration will be necessary. 

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Early Dismissal 

The school day ends with general announcements and prayer at 1:55p.m. Students are expected to be in school until that time each day. If a student does need to leave school for an unavoidable reason, we ask parents/guardians to contact the school office. Early dismissal is recorded and becomes part of the student’s permanent attendance record. Students are responsible for any classwork work missed. 

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Arrival of Students 

The school day begins with general announcements and prayer at 7:45 am. Students are expected to be in their classrooms and ready to begin at that time. Classrooms are open to students at 7:20 am. 

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ACCIDENTS/ILLNESS AT SCHOOL 

The school maintains an Emergency Information Form on each student. Students with symptoms of infectious illness should not be in school. In the event of illness or an accident, the student is sent to the office for evaluation. School personnel will follow the direction of the form as provided by the parent/guardian. In any case, children who are dismissed early should be met at the office by their parent/guardian as soon as possible. 

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In the case of the usual bumps, scrapes, and bloody noses which are a part of dealing with children, school personnel will supply ordinary first aid (band-aids, ice packs, etc.). If a child requires prescription medication of any kind during the school day, an Authorization to Dispense Medication Form must be completed by the parent/guardian. All medications will need to be in their original container and provided by the parents/guardians. Medications are kept in a locked medication cabinet in the office and are administered by trained school personnel. 

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CHILDCARE 

Childcare is available daily for Nursery–grade 8 students from 6:20 am–7:20 a.m, Nursery and Pre-K students, from 11:00 am-5:30 pm, and for K-8 students from 1:55 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Information about this program is available at the school office or from our Childcare Director. 

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BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS 

Mount Merici believes in the formative value of behavioral expectations. We profess responsibility to motivate children to recognize values of courtesy, respect, concern, justice and honesty. Children are expected to be responsible for the choices they make concerning their behavior. Parents are expected to work with the school regarding their child’s behavioral development. 

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BEHAVIORAL MANAGEMENT FOR PARENTS AND STUDENTS 

A. Responsibilities of the Parents 

• To prepare their child to be at school on time and in a proper state of health and cleanliness.

• To encourage proper attitudes toward learning and respect for school authority.

• To cooperate with school personnel in efforts to improve student attitudes and behaviors.

• To assume responsibility for willful misbehavior or damage to school property by the child.

• To communicate with the teacher any concerns. If needed, after parent communication with the teacher, the lead
  teacher, and the Head of School may be involved. B. Responsibilities of the Student

• To comply with the school’s behavioral expectations.

• To pursue the required course of study.

• To respect and respond to the authority of the teacher and other school personnel.

• To arrive on time for school.

• To be alert and responsible to directions.

• To be courteous to fellow students and faculty members.

• To respect the rights and property of others.
   

GENERAL SCHOOL RULES
Students shall be expected to:

1. Respect each member of the school community, treating each one with kindness and courtesy.

2. Respect the property of the school and of others at all times.

3. Be on time for school and all classes.

4. Observe the policies stated here and those recommendations made during the school year.

 

BOOKS
Textbooks are loaned to students. It is the responsibility of the child to keep all books in good condition. Textbooks should be covered at all times. Students may be held responsible for lost or damaged materials.

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CELL PHONE/ELECTRONIC DEVICE USAGE 

All students who have a cell phone or electronic device must turn them off upon entering school. Devices are not to be used during the day and may not be turned on until students leave the building unless given specific permission from a faculty member or staff person. This includes smart phones, IPads, IPods, Tablets, etc. Any unauthorized use will result in the cell phone or electronic device being turned into the office and will only be returned when a parent picks it up. 

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CLASSROOM VISITS 

Parents are welcome to visit the school, not only at stated times for parent/teacher conferences, but throughout the school year. To arrange a visit to an individual classroom to observe the learning taking place, a parent should decide with the classroom teacher on a mutually acceptable time. When a time has been arranged, the parent reports to the office prior to their classroom visit. Parents and all visitors to the school need to sign in at the office and pick up a visitor’s pass. 

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CLEANLINESS 

All students are expected to come to school in clean clothing (Nursery and PreK) and clean, complete uniforms (K-8). Also, to have proper hygiene. 

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CURRICULUM 

Religion, Language Arts (Reading, English, Spelling), Math, Social Studies, Science, Music, Art, Technolog, and Physical Education are offered at all levels, French is offered in grades K - 8. The program is structured so that each child belongs to a grade level. From there the student may be placed in smaller learning groups. Please refer to details in the Curriculum Overview Packet. 

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GRADING 

• A+ 99-100

• A 94 - 98

• A- 90–93 

• B+ 88–89

• B 84 – 87

• B- 80–83 

• C+ 78–79

• C 74 - 77

• C- 70–73 

• D+68-69

• D 65-67

• F <65 

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Children are also evaluated on behavior and effort which are essential to the development of each child. 

 

DAILY SCHEDULE 

• 6:20 a.m. School will be available for before care. Students are supervised until dismissal to classrooms to get ready for the start of class.

• 7:20 a.m- School doors open. Students are encouraged to be at school by 7:35 a.m. to promote a smooth transition into the academic day. 

• 7:40 a.m.– First bell rings. Students in grades Nursery- Grade 8 are expected to be in classrooms.

• 7:45 a.m. – 7:50 a.m. – Home Room period. Attendance is taken, announcements are made. The school community joins together for Morning Prayer.

• 10:50 – 12:00 noon – Lunch and recess periods are scheduled for each grade level during this time.

• If, for reasons of illness, a student is not to go out for recess, a written note is to be sent to the office. In inclement weather recess is held indoors, but every effort is made to go outside every day. Please provide your child with appropriate outerwear for the season. Inclement weather is described as steady rain or temperatures below 10 degrees Fahrenheit real feel according to the weather for Waterville, ME.

• 11:00 – Dismissal for Nursery and Pre-Kindergarten students who are leaving for the day. Extended Day starts for Nursery and PK students who are not being dismissed.

• 1:55 p.m. – Afternoon Prayer, announcements, and bus students are dismissed..

• 1:55 p.m. – Riders are dismissed. Parents are asked to line their cars behind the bus and proceed to the dismissal door. Parents who wish to meet athier child at the main entrance are asked to park their cars in the main parking lot. Students are accompanied by a staff member and supervised until 2:00 p.m. Remaining students not picked up by 2:00 pm are signed into the After-School Care Program. 

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EMERGENCY INFORMATION FORM 

Emergency Information Forms are to be completed by parents/guardians, updated as needed by the parents/guardians and are maintained in the school office. The Emergency Form requests information concerning procedures to be followed should your child become injured or ill at school. It also asks that parents/guardians list the names of those persons to whom the school may release the child, in their absence. In addition, it asks parents to list the name and phone number of the child’s medical and dental provider, as well as any allergies or medical concerns your child may have that we should be aware of. 

***Should this information change during the course of the school year, please notify the school immediately*** 

 

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
FIRE DRILLS – Escape routes are posted in all areas of the school. 

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The student must:

1. Leave the building through the nearest fire exit.

2. Keep absolute silence.

3. Walk quickly, but do not run, in single file.

4. Stand in single file facing the building and keep silent until all clear signal is given. 

 

OTHER EVACUATION EVENTS 

The student must follow emergency procedures as instructed by school personnel.
BOMB THREATS are a police matter and police authorities have the right to decide the course of action to be taken. 

 

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES 

Mount Merici offers After-School Activities for students whenever possible . Permission slips must be completed and signed by the parent in order for the student to participate. Other extra curricular programs may also be available for student participation. 

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FIELD TRIPS 

Field trips, with the main objective to extend or implement the curriculum, are allowed. Staff vehicles or buses are used for transportation. The fee charged to the student is based on the cost of the bus and destination charges. If, for any reason, the student is not able to participate in the trip at the last minute, the fee is not refundable. Field trips are a privilege; a student may be denied the right to participate if academic or behavioral requirements are not met. In order for a student to participate, a field trip permission slip must be completed and signed by the parent. Only the official field trip permission slip is accepted. Permission by telephone is not acceptable. Each individual field trip may have different expectations involved. 

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FINANCIAL POLICIES

 

Tuition 

Please refer to our Tuition Policy which was included in your registration paperwork or information provided on our website. 

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Deposit 

A non-refundable deposit of $500 is required at the time of registration. 

 

Payments 

1. Payments are to be made through FACTS. 

 

Conditions 

1. If any unpaid balance remains due to the school, re-registration cannot be accepted.

2. If for any reason, tuition payments fall 3 months in arrears, the student may not be permitted to attend school until the account is brought up to date. The Mount Merici Academy Board of Trustees will review past accounts on a monthly basis. 

3. The school reserves the right to expect full payment in advance from any family with past due history. 4. A $25.00 charge is assessed for any returned payment or insufficient funds.

4. A $25.00 late fee will also be assessed for any balance past 30 days.

5. The parent/guardian assumes the responsibility to pay any costs incurred as a result of collecting past-due tuition or fees. 

 

Refunds 

Refunds of tuition paid, exclusive of the $500 non-refundable deposit, will be made in certain situations.

1. Students who withdraw prior to the beginning of school will be charged 1 month’s tuition and any remaining balance will be refunded.

2. Students who withdraw after the beginning of the school year will be charged the amount of tuition for any trimester for the school year used in part or in full.

3. Refunds will not be considered until the parent has notified the school in writing of the transfer/withdrawal. 

 

We understand the economic obligations of the school and agree to fulfill our share of the responsibility through the prompt payment of tuition charged according the policies of the school as set forth in this Tuition Policy and on the Registration Form. 

  

Tuition Assistance Program 

Tuition assistance is available for students in grades Nursery – 8 who qualify. Application for tuition assistance must be made in April. Please refer to our website for further information or with our Finance Office. 

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HOMEROOM PARENT 

Each classroom teacher will assign a homeroom parent who will assist them in planning special events throughout the year. 

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HOMEWORK 

Teachers assign homework with great care and for the purpose of fostering habits of independent study. When work is assigned, students are expected to assume this responsibility. Please see our Homework Policy for more details. 

 

HOT LUNCH PROGRAM 

Mount Merici offers our own freshly made nutritious meals daily. All meals are prepared with care by our own food services team. The menu is provided in the Mount Merici Newsletter and sent home monthly. For those who bring a cold lunch, milk and juice is available to purchase in the lunchroom. Lunch and milk must be ordered before 8:30 a.m. daily are billed monthly. Mount Merici does not provide refrigeration or warming of lunches brought from home. 

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LUNCH MONEY 

Hot lunches are billed monthly and payments are made through FACTS. 

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IMMUNIZATIONS
Maine State Law requires that all school children entering the following grades should have: 

PreK: (4) DTaP, (3) Polio, (1) MMR, and (1) Varicella (Chickenpox) vaccine. K-8th: (5) DTaP, (4) Polio, (2) MMR, and (1) Varicella (Chickenpox) vaccine. 7th and 8th: (1) MCV4 and (1) Tdap. 

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A record signed by a physician, nurse, or other person who gave the vaccine must be presented at the time of initial registration unless the child is exempt. The record must show the date and type of vaccine given. The school must have an up-to-date immunization form or an exemption form on file for each student. 

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INCLEMENT WEATHER, LOCAL EMERGENCIES AND CLOSING OF SCHOOL 

1. PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT ROAD OR WEATHER CONDITIONS.

2. Please do not call the school. To make life easier for Mount Merici families we will make the decision and announce closures as early as possible. This may or may not be the same decision as Waterville public schools. Announcements are made via radio, TV, email and on the Mount Merici Facebook page. We will send a school-wide email, text, and voice message with the announcement by 6:00am. Please keep your information up to date in the office.

3. You may come for your child at any time of the school day if the weather is bad.

4. We will dismiss early if weather necessitates.

5. We will comply with your instructions concerning early dismissals. 

 

MAKE-UP WORK 

Students are required to make up work that is missed because of absence from school. Please see homework Policy for more details. 

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NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY 

Mount Merici does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, or sex in the administration of educational policies, admission or hiring policies, or in any school administered program. 

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PARENT CONFERENCES, PROGRESS REPORTS, AND REPORT CARDS 

Two formal parent/guardian conferences are scheduled during each year. Teachers will meet with or call parents/guardians as needed at other times to discuss their child’s progress. These conferences allow the school to work with the parent/guardians to encourage the growth and development of the child. 

 

REPORT CARDS 

Students in grades K-8 receive trimester report cards. Pre-K and Nursery students receive a minimum of 2 progress reports/year. Report Card Acknowledgment Forms are signed by the parent or guardian and returned to the school within one week. 

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PROMOTIONAL POLICY 

The underlying principle in the decision to promote a student from one grade to another is the determination of that placement which is best for each individual student. Many factors are considered in this determination. To have a student retained in a grade is ultimately the parents’ decision after consultation, discussion, and evaluation of the student’s progress with the parents, teacher, and Head of School. 

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PUPIL TRANSPORTATION 

The Waterville Public School system provides transportation for students in K-8 who reside in Waterville. The distances, requirements, routing, and schedules are determined by Waterville Public Schools and not by Mount Merici. Busing request forms need to be completed each year and are available at the office. 

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SCHOOL BUS REGULATIONS 

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RECORDS 

On the school buses we expect the students to:

1. Behave courteously.

2. Take care of bus property.

3. Obey the bus driver and monitor. 

4. Remain seated while on the bus.

5. Two written reports by a bus driver regarding misbehavior of a student are sufficient grounds for barring him/her from bus transportation. A student will be warned after the first offense. 

 

Permanent records which remain at the school contain information which has been drawn from the child’s progress reports, report cards, scores from the achievement tests given annually, and health records. Parents may have access to their child’s records and may be provided copies of materials included in the folder with Head of School’s permission. 

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With respect to the rights of the non-custodial parent, the school will grant access to the non-custodial parent to the academic records of the child and to other school related information regarding the child unless there is a court order to the contrary. If there is a court order specifying that no information be given, it is the responsibility of the custodial parent to provide the school with an official copy of the court order. 

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SCHOOL ADMISSIONS 

All new students to Mount Merici are required to have both a birth certificate and records of immunization to complete registration. 

Nursery School – Child must be three years old before entering.
Pre-Kindergarten – Children must be 4 years old on or before October 15 of the entering year. Kindergarten – Children must be 5 years old on or before October 15 of the entering year. 

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Admission to other grades is based on available space, placement testing, and a review of prior academic records by our Head of School. An interview may be required. 

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SCHOOL CALENDAR 

A copy of the school calendar is provided to parents on the first day of the school year.. The length of the school year will be determined according to the current provision of the School Code of the State of Maine.

SPIRITUAL EDUCATION 

Worshipping together as a community of believers is an important part of the prayer life of the school. Each day begins with a prayer. Other prayer services will be scheduled for special feasts or seasons of the school year. Certain feast days are observed in a special way at Mount Merici because these days are important to developing a Christ-centered community of learners. Special activities may be planned for the whole school or on a classroom level. Eucharistic liturgies are scheduled periodically during the school year. These liturgies are celebrations for the whole school community. Students are guided in preparing for these liturgies. Parents are invited to attend. 

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The school’s religious education program is supportive of parish and family life. In each homeroom, the students are given opportunities to develop a Serviam spirit through such activities as offerings for the missions, visiting the elderly, praying for the sick and the shut-ins. Students of all faiths are required to participate in the Mount Merici Academy religious education programs but are not required to become Catholic. 

Preparation for reception of the sacraments is received in the parishes requiring preparation at the parish level. 

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SUPPLIES 

Mount Merici Assignment Notebooks, Serviam Shield Emblems, and used uniforms are available for purchase. Prior to the beginning of the school year, each teacher writes to his/her students welcoming them into his/her class. A supply list that includes necessary materials for the class is included. 

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TELEPHONE
Children may use the telephone with permission only in the case of an emergency. Students will not be allowed to call 

home for a forgotten article. After school plans should be settled before coming to school. Cell phone and electronic devices are covered above. 

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TESTING PROGRAM 

NWEA Achievement Tests are administered in Grades 3-8 in the fall, winter, and spring of each school year. During the year, each teacher is responsible for administering the tests which correspond to the subject, materials, and levels of learning to which the child has been exposed. Testing of any sort is a tool for evaluation. It is to be seen in relation to the child’s total output and productivity. 

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UNIFORMS 

All students in K-8 are required to wear uniforms daily unless a uniform holiday has been declared by the Head of School. The official school uniform for all students is supplied by Flynn & O’Hara. Students are expected to be in complete, neat and clean uniforms every day unless a uniform holiday is scheduled. A uniform negligence form will be sent home when a student is missing part of his/her uniform. Parents are asked to sign the policy when registering. If, for a serious reason the student must be out of uniform for a day, a note to the homeroom teacher will excuse him/her. All pieces of the uniform as well as other belongings should be labeled with the student’s full name. Labeled items will be returned to the owner.

 

Note on Accessories: Jewelry, make-up and hair adornments must be understated and appropriate. Hairstyles should not be distracting. Expensive jewelry should not be worn to school. In physical education class or sports activities, jewelry is not permitted. Body or facial piercing and body art are not allowed. Please refer to the Uniform and Dress Code Policy for details.