Frequently Asked Questions

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Mrs. Whelan's Back-to-School letter will be available in early August. 

What time does school start?

• School begins at 7:50 a.m.
• Students are expected to be dropped off between 7:30-7:50 a.m.; students who arrive after 7:50 a.m.  are considered late and will receive a tardy notation on their transcript. 

What are the morning and afternoon pick up times?

• Morning Drop Off – 7:30 – 7:50 a.m.
• Pick up is at 3:00 p.m. Early dismissal pick-up is at 12:30 p.m.
• Parents may drop between 7:00-7:30 a.m. for an additional fee (see daycare information on TADS)

​What do I do if my child is sick or is going to be absent?

• Please call the main school number, 301-774-9112, before 8:00 a.m. and when prompted, leave a voice mail message in the attendance mailbox. If your child has an illness please indicate that in your message. It is important to keep track of communicable illnesses such as flu and strep.

​How can parents get information on carpools?

• The school directory will be available on-line in August. Addresses will be listed, and parents can look up who lives near them.

Who has to wear the uniform? How many uniforms are suggested? What is required?

• Students in grades K-8 are required to be in full school uniform from the first day of school.  Uniform guidelines are available under the Back-to-School tab as well as in the school calendar and handbook distributed to families on Sneak-a-Peek day, August 23, 2019. 
•  How many uniform pieces to purchase depends how often you want to do laundry. Elementary students will need to wear regular uniforms 3 days/week, and their PE uniforms two days/week. Middle school students will need to wear regular uniforms four days/week, and their PE uniforms once per week. 

​Where do we purchase uniforms?

• Flynn & O’Hara, (301) 838-8958, www.flynnohara.com
• Gorman’s Garments and Gear, (301) 774-4322, www.gormansgg.com

Will there be a used uniform sale?

• Gently used uniform items will be sold on Sneak-a-Peek day, August, 23, 2019. 

​Which days are uniforms not worn?
Approved “Tag Days” occur from time to time – usually as part of a school-wide fundraiser or spirit event. These will sometimes have themes (e.g., pink for Breast Cancer Awareness), and some require a donation of $1.00. Information regarding upcoming Tag Days will be available on the school calendar and in the Newsletter that is posted every Thursday on the website

How often do most parents volunteer?

• Families are required to perform a minimum of 15 hours of service per family per year. Many families contribute significantly more hours. A list of possible service opportunities is available on the school website (Parent tab). If you have any questions, please email the Home & School Volunteer Coordinator,  vcoordinator@stpetersolney.org   
• Volunteers for the lunch distribution and recess supervision program are needed! We will work with many different scheduling scenarios (weekly, bi-monthly, etc.) Contact the Lunch/Recess Coordinator, Andrea Scanlon and sign up at stpetersolneylunchrecess@gmail.com. 
• In order to participate in activities involving children (including serving lunch and supervising recess), parents much first complete the Archdiocese of Washington Child Protection Policy requirements which consist of an online background screening and attendance at a Protecting God’s Children workshop. The workshop is held at various locations and times throughout the Archdiocese of Washington. Saint Peter’s will host a workshop on Thursday, September 19, 2019, at 6:00 p.m. Parents wishing to attend must pre-register at www.virtusonline.org.
• Note: younger siblings cannot accompany parents who volunteer during the school day for school programs or in the classrooms. 

How are my service hours tracked?

• School service and volunteer hours are self-reported in a database linked to the school website. Each adult who volunteers for a school service activity must record their hours in the database. All service hours will be reviewed for accuracy by the Home & School Volunteer Coordinator.  When registering your hours, please keep in mind the following guidelines: 
  • List the activity and number of hours worked not the time span. (Examples: Set up for Bingo – 2 hours; baking brownies for Faculty Luncheon – .5 hour; working during Clean-up Day – 4 hours).
  • Donations (such as baked goods, paper products, etc.) do not count towards service hours. If necessary, submit receipts for reimbursement.
  • Some activities such (i.e. Field Day, Drama) have a limit of 5 hours that can count toward fulfilling the School Service Requirement.
  • Parish activities/functions (i.e., Athletics, Bazaar, Lector, Scouts) do not count towards fulfilling the required service hours for the Day School.

When do students receive their homeroom assignments?

• Students will receive their homeroom assignments early in August. You may check this information by logging into the school communication portal and going to “Homeroom.”

How do I view my child’s grades and progress online?

• Grades and assignments will be posted on the parent communication portal. 

When can I visit the school?

• Please join us for our school Masses (see dates on the school calendar). During Mass and other religious events (May Procession, Living Rosary, Stations of the Cross, etc.) students will stay with their classes. However, we welcome parents’ attendance.  
• Open houses are held weekly beginning after the Thanksgiving holiday. Parents of current and prospective students are welcome to visit. 
• We always need volunteers for lunch distribution and recess supervision, Monday-Friday.
• All volunteers and visitors to the school must report to the school office to sign in and receive a visitor pass. We are required to keep a record of all visitors in the building for the safety of our students and, in the event of an emergency, for the safety of our visitors.  Neither students nor visitors are permitted to enter the building through any side or back door.  Students have been instructed, for safety reasons, not to open doors for anyone.  Anyone without a visitor pass will be asked to report to the office.

What should my child bring to school?

• If your child is NEW to the school, the Immunization Record and Health Inventory must be completed and returned to the Health Room before the first day of school, August 27, 2019.  A copy can be downloaded from the school website (Admissions tab). Students cannot be admitted to class if this information is not complete and on file.  If you have any questions, please call Teri Towson, Health Room Technician, ext. 309. 
• If your child is entering Kindergarten or 1st grade, they must have two doses of Varicella vaccine. 
• If your child is entering 7th grade or 8th grade they must have a single dose of Tdap vaccine and a single dose of Meningococcal vaccine. 
• School supply lists are posted on the website. Please make sure to use the list for your child’s grade. Bring the supplies with you on the first day of school.  We are now offering the option to purchase complete class supply kits through SchoolToolBox.com
• Students should bring a snack (every day) and a lunch (except for days with a 12:30 dismissal).

Does the school serve lunch & milk? How do I order?

• Lunch and milk service will begin on Tuesday, September 3. Prior to that day, please send snack and lunch (including a beverage) to school on all full days. Saint Peter’s partners with several local restaurants to provide daily optional lunch items. Lunch orders must be submitted through the website, www.boonli.com, by 8:00 a.m. The full menu can be viewed on the website. Milk is also available. It must be ordered for the year on the www.boonli.com website by Friday, August 30.  All lunch and milk orders are paid for with a credit card on the lunch order site.

​How can I communicate with the teachers and the school administration?

• Saint Peter’s School uses a variety of means in order to facilitate communication between home and school. Some of the most frequently used are listed below.  For details and additional information, please review the School Handbook which is included in the school calendar and available on line. 
  • Parent/Teacher Conferences –Once a year, when 1st Quarter Report Cards are distributed, parents attend a 10–minute conference with their child’s homeroom teacher in order to receive the report card and talk briefly about their child’s academic progress. Parents schedule their own appointments through an online scheduling portal. Additional parent/teacher conferences are encouraged and may be scheduled during the year, as necessary.  Please send a note, an email message, or call the teacher to make an appointment. 
  • Written Communication – Most regular written communication between school and home takes place via our school website. The Panther Newsletter is published every Thursday and a copy is emailed to each household. Grades can be viewed at any time by accessing the student’s record on the parent portal (link on school website). For liability reasons, we require notification in writing of changes to your child’s schedule (i.e. absence due to illness or family emergency; change in dismissal plans, early release, etc.). Please check the website regularly for current school information. 
  • Home & School Association – The Home and School Association is the parent service organization created to encourage communication and cooperation between parents, administrators and teachers by building community and facilitating and tracking service to the school. All families are encouraged to attend the Home and School Association meetings and to participate in the activities it sponsors. For questions about the Home & School Association please contact the president of the 2019-2020 Home & School Executive Board, Andy Loudermilk, charlesaloudermilk@gmail.com. 
  • Phone System – Our phone system permits parents to leave messages for teachers in telephone voice mail – prompts within the phone system will guide you to a teacher’s voice mail box.  Please allow up to 48 hours for a teacher to return a phone call.  If a teacher calls during the school day, please be aware that their time will be limited and the conversation may need to be continued at another mutually agreeable time. If you are trying to reach a teacher at the end of the day, please note that there is no guarantee that a voicemail left for a teacher will be received in time for dismissal. 
  • E-mail – Every member of the school faculty and staff has a unique, private e-mail address.  These addresses are available on the school website and are also published in the School Directory following the pattern: firstname.lastname@stpetersolney.org.  Each teacher will announce at Back–to–School Night their preferred means of communication (phone or e-mail). 
  • School Handbook – the handbook is part of the school calendar. The handbook is revised annually and contains detailed information about our policies and procedures. The handbook and calendar will be distributed on Sneak-a-Peek day (one per family). Additional copies of the calendar/handbook are available in the school office for $10 each. 
  • School Directory – Every family’s name, address, home phone, and family e-mail are listed, by permission only, in the Directory.  This information is to be used for school/social contacts only. It may not be used to solicit donations or for business or other mass mailings. One directory is issued per family. Additional copies can be purchased in the school office for $10 each. 
  • School Website - http://www.stpetersschoololney.org. Primary means of communication between home and school. Be sure you have activated your portal account in order to access private information and to be able to receive emails from the school.