ASBESTOS MANAGEMENT PLAN

In 1986, Congress passed the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act. That law requires all schools, kindergarten through twelfth grade, to be inspected and identify any building materials containing asbestos. The law further requires the development of a Management Plan, based upon the findings of the inspection.

Asbestos was used extensively in the past in building materials because of its insulating and fire retarding capabilities. Buildings built before the 1970's contain at least some asbestos in pipe insulation and structural fireproofing. We, too, have asbestos materials in our building. The primary concern arises when these materials begin to deteriorate or become damaged.
Our building contains asbestos materials in the boiler room and mechanical areas, not readily accessible to building occupants or students. The Inspection Report and Management Plan outlines in detail the methods used to maintain the materials in a safe manner. We have people properly trained to successfully administer this program.

A copy of the inspection report and the management plan is on file at the Administration Office of the Archdiocese of Chicago and at the Pastoral Center of Holy Cross Parish for your review if you so desire. [Notification as specified by the Archdiocese of Chicago]

ANIMALS

On occasions, such as "Show-N-Tell", the children sometimes ask to bring a pet to school.

In the interest of the safety and security of all persons in the school building and of the animals, a parent may bring an animal judged to be reasonably safe, following the approval of the classroom teacher. The animal, which is secured by the parent of the student outside of the school building, may be viewed through the classroom windows. The animal is not to be brought into the building.

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION

The Holy Cross School Board usually determines the budget for the new school term by the February meeting. Application for re-registration follows. Information and application forms will be sent home. The return of the requested information is appreciated in a timely fashion.

ASSEMBLIES

Assemblies are scheduled periodically for the students for educational enrichment. Assemblies provide an opportunity for children to personally experience public speaking, performing, audience participation, appreciation and social etiquette.
Parents are invited and encouraged to attend any school assembly, function, and/or gathering for prayer and worship, even if their child is not a featured participant. You are welcome to bring other friends, neighbors, relatives, and pre schoolers as you see fit and appropriate. Children accompanied by a parent are to be supervised and kept in the company of the parent and expected not to disturb by crying, talking out and running around.

BIRTHDAYS/SPECIAL OCCASIONS

We all love to celebrate birthdays and other special occasions. However, concerning these days, please contact your child's homeroom teacher in advance of bringing or sending any items to school. Obviously, special deliveries such as flowers, balloons, special lunches, etc., do cause classroom interruptions and must be approved in advance. Understandably, these items can also cause bad feelings when other children are not remembered in kind by their own parent(s).

BULLETINS

The youngest child of a family is designated as the messenger for written information from school to home. Generally, bulletins and notices are sent home on Wednesday of each week. Only one bulletin per family will be sent home. Bulletins may be printed on both sides.
Whenever a request is made for your signature, please respond in a timely fashion.

BUS SERVICE

Holy Cross School is serviced by the Public School of District #109 for those living within the district but outside one mile and a half from school and for those under a mile and a half who must cross a State certified safety hazard. Laidlaw Bus Company transports children within this district. The phone number is: 847 634-0868.
The school is not required to transport students, but does so as a convenience. Riding the bus is a privilege, which may be withdrawn from any student whose conduct warrants such action. It is strongly recommended that if you as a parent feel that a child is not able to assume this responsibility, that you seek other means of transportation.
All inquiries regarding service should be directed first to the bus company, then to the Parish School Board members of the Transportation committee. (See the School Directory). If neither source meets your immediate needs, contact the school Office.
Only registered riders may ride their assigned bus. No non-registered guests are allowed on the bus. Registered riders are not allowed to ride any bus other than their assigned bus. Bus riders are dropped off only at their designated stop. Parent permission letters do not override this policy.
In case of a bus accident Holy Cross abides by the South Lake County EMS system. A copy can be found in the school office for review.

CALENDARS

Yearly calendars are included as a part of the Directory, which is issued to each family at the beginning of the school term. This Directory is for your private use only. It may not be shared with any other person or group to use for any public purpose. Each month, a calendar, which focuses on the events of the forthcoming month, is sent home. Please refer to these calendars for information related to school events. The monthly calendar is the one containing current dates and events.

COMPUTER AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ETHICS

Technology is used to support learning and to enhance instruction. Computer information networks allow the users to interact with networks and other users. Technology at Holy Cross School is to be used in a responsible, efficient, ethical and legal manner. Technology will not be used for illegal, inappropriate or obscene purposes.
By "illegal" it is meant that which violates local, state, and/or federal laws. This includes copyrights or other contracts violating matters as instructional or third party copyright, license agreements and other contracts:

• Intentional disruption of network traffic or crashing the network
• Intentional degrading or disruption of system performance
• Stealing data, equipment, or intellectual property
• Gaining unauthorized access to files of others, or vandalizing the data or files of another user and/or of resources or entities
• Invading the privacy of individuals
• Possessing any data which might be considered
  a violation in paper, disk, or any other form
• "Inappropriate use" is using the technology for purposes other than what was intended.
• "Obscene activities" are those uses which do not include generally accepted social standards of respect for the human person and body.
  
  

The following Internet safety tips are offered as a courtesy. The source is www.smartparent.com.

• Make sure your children know not to share personal information, such
  as name, address, or telephone number with anyone online.
• Keep the computer in the family room or kitchen so you can monitor
  the sites and areas children access.
• Help your child feel comfortable asking you questions about online activities.
• Keep kids out of chat rooms unless they are being monitored. Childrenshould not respond to messages that are obscene or that make them
  uncomfortable.
• Make sure children do not arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they met on the Internet without telling a parent or guardian.
• Get to know your children's online friends.
• Discuss these rules and post them near the computer.

COMPUTERS

To make the computers available to the students who need them and to keep the machines in operation, the following guidelines will be followed:

1. During the school day, priority is given to scheduled classes.
2. During open class periods, students may use available computers with written notification from the classroom teacher responsible for the student at that time, to the Computer Lab teacher or Librarian.
3. Students will log in and out.
4. Students will follow guidelines for ethical use listed in this handbook.
5. The computers are intended for serious work with computers. There is to be no game playing or use other than school related work.
6. Arrangements may be made with the Computer Lab teacher to use computers in the lab after school.
7. In the fall of each school year students and parents of grades 4 through 8 sign an "Internet Use Contract".

CUMULATIVE RECORDS

Parents have a right by state law, to review the cumulative records of their child. (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act - 1974, and Illinois School Student Records Act, 1975) Student records will be made available to parents within fifteen school days from the time a written request is received.

When parents inspect the records, a qualified staff member will be present.
Non-custodial parents have the same rights as custodial parents unless specifically denied by a court order.

Holy Cross School will release student records to another school in which the student has enrolled or intends to enroll. An official request must be made for the records. This is usually provided to the parent for signature at the time of enrolling the student.

DELIVERIES TO SCHOOL

Any items forgotten at home should be delivered to the school office. This should be a rare occurrence. Office personnel will see to it that the delivery is made to the student. Students are not allowed to phone home for items forgotten at home without permission from the office.

On rare occasion, forgotten lunches may be dropped off at the school office. The child, upon discovering he/she has no lunch may go to the school office to check if a lunch has been left for him/her. If a lunch is not available, the children share.

DIRECTORY

The Directory is distributed each year at the beginning of a school term. It contains general information of a changing nature: school staff and assignments, the yearly calendar, tuition and fee payment procedures and policies, as well as officers of organizations, important phone numbers, and a directory of the families registered at Holy Cross School.

The Family Directory is intended for use by currently registered families of Holy Cross School to facilitate school and parish communication needs. It is not to be used for business purposes, personal gain, or purposes unrelated to the above stated intent.

EMAIL

Parents and teachers are encouraged to use email messaging as another means of communicating. Depending on the content of the response on the part of the teacher or staff member, it may be made in the form of an email, phone call, or face-to-face conference.

In the case of phone and written messages, a response can be expected in 24 to 36 hours on regular school days.

8TH GRADE STUDENTS - HIGH SCHOOLS

Choosing a high school needs to be a thoughtful process. It is beneficial if the conversation begins between the student and the parent a few years before graduation, that local high schools are visited, and that as the time to make a decision approaches, the pros and cons of several high school choices are formulated.

Below is a list of the area Catholic and public high schools along with addresses and phone numbers. Contact the schools of interest for additional information and for Shadow Day appointments. Our recommendation is that Shadow Day visits be scheduled on non-attendance days for Holy Cross, and that the dress code of the school to be visited be followed. In addition, listings of all of the Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese, Open House dates, and contact persons are posted in the 8th grade homerooms and sent home usually by the end of October. Hopefully, this basic information will assist you in the process of selecting a school and fulfilling application requirements. Pay close attention to Parent Orientation Meeting dates and make every effort to attend. Questions relative to course offerings, dates on which to take care of registration and orientation business are answered at these meetings.

Catholic high schools conduct their entrance tests on a Saturday in mid-January. The testing period usually begins at 8:30 A.M. A testing fee is charged. At the time that your child takes the test a form is given to your child, which must be given to the homeroom teacher at Holy Cross, so that the process of forwarding records may begin. After this process has begun, if there is a change as to the high school destination, it is up to you to notify the high school of this change.

The entrance test for District #113 (Deerfield and Highland Park High Schools) is given here at school to all of the graduates in late September or early October. For families living in the Deerfield, Highland Park, or Lincolnshire districts, demographic information is sent to the respective Public High Schools. As a result you can expect to receive a follow-up letter from any of these High Schools. In it will be outlined the enrollment process, a calendar for registration, and required documentation as verification of residency. If your child will be attending a Catholic or private High School, it is up to you to notify your district High School.
Additional tests are administered at the end of the year at Holy Cross for Spanish Language placement and for Mathematics placement at Deerfield High School.

Working copies of the course selection form will be given to the graduates wishing to attend Deerfield, Highland Park, or Stevenson High Schools. Parents and students are asked to complete a selection and return the form to the homeroom teacher within the time frame stipulated. The subject area teachers then make their recommendations on this form. All of the information is then transferred to the official course selection form. It is sent home for review, approval, and signature of parent and student. The form is returned to the homeroom teacher within the time frame stipulated, the parent's carbon copy having been removed. The official course selection completed form is then sent to the high school.

At the time or course selection, please be aware that recommendations requested and made by the teachers are based on the guidelines established by the high school, standardized test scores, as well as our knowledge of your child's performance in the classroom. These recommendations do not have to be followed; the final decision in course selection is for you as the parents to make.

Student records are sent to the school you select. Once the records are sent, and circumstances require that you change your registration to another school, you will need to contact the school to which the records were sent and have them forwarded to your new selection.

You are encouraged to follow the calendar for your respective high school registration and all events related. It is not in the best interest of the graduate to wait until August to try and register into a school and make a planned selection of classes.

Area High Schools

Carmel High School
(Catholic/Co-ed)
One Carmel Parkway
Mundelein, IL 60060-2499
847. 566.3000

Loyola Academy
(Catholic/Co-ed)
1100 N. Laramie Ave.
Wilmette, IL 60091-1089
847. 256.1100

Notre Dame High School
(Catholic/Boys)
7655 West Dempster St.
Niles, IL 60714-2098
847. 965.2900

Regina Dominican High School
(Catholic/Girls)
701 Locust Road
Wilmette, IL 60091-2298
847. 256.7660

Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart
(Catholic/Girls)
760 E. Westleigh Road
Lake Forest, IL 60045-3298
847. 234.4300

Deerfield High School
1959 N. Waukegan Road
Deerfield, IL 60015
224. 632.3000

Highland Park High School
433 Vine Ave
Highland Park, IL 60035
224.765.2000

Adlai E. Stevenson High School
One Stevenson Drive
Lincolnshire, IL 60069
847. 634.4000

FAMILY LIFE PROGRAM

At the beginning of the second semester, the school health professionals meet with the fifth and sixth graders to cover topics related to: Puberty, the female and male reproductive systems, marriage, sexual intercourse, conception, and AIDS. Parents are invited to make arrangements with the Health Office to review the books, handouts, and video materials used. If you do not wish to have your child participate in this program, you need to write and sign a letter expressing your desire to exclude your child from the program. Address the letter to the Health Office. It must be received by the Health Office before the start of the second semester.

FIELD TRIPS

To correlate with the educational programs, field trips are planned periodically. Such trips are used to introduce or climax a unit of study or to expose the children to different dimensions of the lesson not possible in the classroom setting. Since field trips are learning situations, they are counted as a school day and attendance is required. Prior to scheduled trips, a permit slip is sent home with the student for the parent's signature. If the students are to bring extra spending money, the permission slip will say so. It will also address the dress code, day, place, location and time of the field trip, and mealtime provisions. Field trips generally take place within the time frame of the school day. The permit slip will inform the parents if the time is extended beyond the normal dismissal time.
The signed permission slip must be returned before a student leaves on the trip. Verbal permission will not be accepted. Trips are well chaperoned and safety precautions are taken. The principal and/or teacher will exclude a student whose conduct indicates that his/her presence would constitute a high risk. Parents will be notified accordingly.

On rare occasions and for field trips in the immediate vicinity, parents may be asked to drive a group of students. A form verifying Auto Insurance must be completed and filed in the school office prior to such events/activities.
The school does not facilitate the distribution of invitations for privately sponsored trips and events. When the school is sponsoring a trip/event off of the parish property, the school requires written consent of the parent for participation, the name of the teacher(s) responsible for the field trip is always included, the name of the school appears on the form, along with information related to the trip or event. If it is not school sponsored, you as the parent need to phone or visit the sponsoring person/agency and be satisfied with questions related to adult supervision, safety, age and gender composition of those invited.

GOVERNMENT TEXT BOOKS

Hard-covered textbooks are on loan to the students either as the property of the State of Illinois or Holy Cross School. The books are stamped with the required identification. These books are expected to be covered and cared for by the student assigned their use for the school year. A fee will be charged for damaged or lost books. These books remain the property of the school.

HALF DAYS/IN SERVICE DAYS

Incorporated into the school calendar are days, as specified by the Office of Catholic Schools, during which the staff participates in training and instruction consistent with their profession. It is important that you note these days as marked on the yearly and monthly calendars and by way of other reminders.
If a child is left behind, or until he/she is picked up, we might be required to place him/her in the "Clubs" program, if space is available. An attempt will be made to reach you or your designee. A fee will be charged. The fee charged will be the responsibility of the parent.

HOMEROOM PLACEMENT PRACTICE

Correct homeroom placement is the goal of the collaborative decision by grade level teachers, departmental teachers and the Principal. This allows each individual child and the group to have the best available opportunity and environment in which to receive their formal Catholic elementary education.
The best possible attempts are made to provide a gender balance, a range of overall abilities and personalities, uniform class size, and sensitivity to the number and nature of children receiving special services.
While the school is open to receiving written reasons (all written requests must be received by the Principal by May 1st of the given year.) for which an exception could be made, parents are asked to honor the placement decisions made by the school and not make requests for a particular homeroom teacher. Verbal request are never honored. Written requests after May 1st will not be honored.

INVITATIONS AND PRIVATE NOTICES FOR NON-SCHOOL SPONSORED FUNCTIONS AND OCCASIONS

The school does not distribute invitations to private parties. Please be sensitive when having your child give out invitations to classmates. Make sure everyone is invited, otherwise do not use the school setting to distribute the invitations. Hold parties with a selected guest list on weekends to avoid school time conversations, which tend to foster division and hurt feelings.
Any notice intended by a parent to be sent home with the students for a class, grade level, unit or the entire school must be given to the Principal no later than the Monday prior to the following Wednesday's bulletin for approval.
The school does not distribute or collect information, permission slips or money for any other agencies, organizations, or individuals, other than the school/parish and then only following approval.

MATHEMATICS PLACEMENT - GRADES 7-8

A three tiered placement system is guided by the average percentage arrived at from the student's grades for the first three quarters, the Terra Nova test, and the placement test administered at the beginning of May. Placement will be noted on the 4th quarter report card or sent home over the summer.

Toward the end of the first quarter of the term, the teachers of mathematics will review the placement and make adjustment when and if necessary.

MEDIA CENTER (LMC)

The LMC is used as a lending library, for research, story time and to teach library skills. Books may be borrowed from the library for a period of one week and may be renewed once. Parents are encouraged to share interest in the books brought home.
Please help your child take care of the books; remind the children to have clean hands and to turn the pages from the upper right-hand corner. Should a book become lost or damaged accidentally, notify the library. Financial reimbursement is the responsibility of the family.
To allow time to collect over-due books and to do an inventory, the library closes on Friday of the third full week of May.

LOST AND FOUND

Articles, which bare no identification and are left unclaimed at the end of each month, are sent to charity. If you are in the school building, it is a good idea to stop at the Lost and Found. The school is not responsible for any items that are lost or stolen.

LOCKER AND SEARCH POLICY

Lockers and other school property are assigned to students at the beginning of each school year and are to be used for school purposes only.
Lockers are school property made available for student use. As lockers are school property, students have no expectancy of privacy therein, including their contents. The school administration reserves the right to open and search any locker or other private items on school property.
When a student's locker is to be opened for investigation, normally there will be two staff members present. The occupant will be present unless it is an emergency situation or is unavailable.

A written record signed by all observers shall be made of any items removed.
All students are expected to occupy the locker to which they are assigned. Students are not permitted to either change lockers or share locker space with another student unless they have received prior administrative approval.
Students are responsible for their assigned locker and are expected to report locker damage to the school office immediately.

Students will be responsible for any damage caused to their locker. The only decorations or locker apparatus that may be used are magnetic. No adhesive of any kind may be used on the locker. Defacing or placing objectionable materials on the locker is not permitted. Students defacing or damaging lockers are responsible for repairs.

The school is not liable for losses incurred from lockers.

NON-CUSTODIAL PARENT

The school abides by the provisions of the Buckley Amendment with respect to the rights of non-custodial parents. In the absence of a court order to the contrary, the school will provide the non-custodial parent with access to the academic records and to other school-related information regarding the child. If there is a court order specifying that no information is to be given, it is the responsibility of the custodial parent to provide the school with an official current copy of the court order.
It is the responsibility of the non-custodial parent to notify the office, in writing, at the beginning of each school term if he or she wishes bulletins to be sent weekly and/or receive a copy of the report card.

OFFICE HOURS

The school office is normally open from 7:45 AM to 3:15 PM each school day. For safety reasons and to teach the students responsibility, students will not be allowed to re-enter the building for forgotten items after 2:55 PM.
In June, after the last day of class, the office will be open from 9:00 AM to noon for the remainder of the month. The office is closed during July and opens again in August, from 9:00 AM to noon, until the opening day of the new term.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES

Conferences provide an opportunity to discuss the needs of each child, to develop a better understanding of the child, and also of the school program. A teacher schedules formal conferences for each parent at the end of the first quarter of the school term and optionally, by teacher or parent during the third quarter as requested. Students of grades 5 - 8 attend these conferences with their parent(s).
Come prepared and use the fifteen minutes allotted productively. Share with the teacher your child's interests and activities beyond the school day. Let the teacher know if there is anything at home that might influence your child's performance or behavior at school, which classmates your child sees regularly, and anything else relative to your child's well-being and success in the school setting. Hear the teacher speak of your child's interaction in class and at play, academic success stories and needs. Conclude with ways in which the school and home can continue to work together for the good of this child.
Additional conferences may be arranged by writing a note to the teacher or by calling the school office. It is important that conferences be arranged by way of an appointment and that the reason for the conference be stated (see Report Cards section). The teachers, Principal and parents need to prepare and be unencumbered in the interest of maximizing a positive outcome of the meeting.
It is a good idea to contact the school when changes in the life of your child take place. Changes often affect the ability to concentrate, relate and learn. It helps us to know things such as: Changes in the family; births, marriage, separation or divorce, death of a family member, friend or pet; medical changes such as: Allergies, dental work, surgery, medication adjustments, glasses; moving or remodeling plan, or anything that makes you take notice of a sustained emotional change in your child.

SCHOOL EVENTS AND PUBLICITY PICTURES

Parents who choose not to have their child photographed during school events are asked to provide written notification on an annual basis to the School Office (a form is provided in the May packet for your convenience). Please direct the child to make a conscious effort to be out of the range of the camera.

SCHOOL EMERGENCY CLOSINGS AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT

When the decision has been made that the school will be closed for an emergency, usually weather related, parents would be notified by the "Telephone Tree" system. Tune to any of the major broadcasting stations or channels and our web page for verification. Please do not call the school office or Pastoral Center. Unless the above process is repeated for a second day, the school will reopen.

Bus service is not provided when District #109 announces an emergency closing for the district schools.

In case of a tornado warning while classes are in session, all children will be kept in school until the all-clear signal has been given. Parents are discouraged from making attempts to pick up their child before the all-clear signal is given. If parents do come before that signal, they must sign their child out. Parents are not allowed to take any children other than their own.

The purpose of this procedure is to avoid unnecessary anxiety and loss of time in the eventuality of a major catastrophe.

To assist the staff, an extensive safety and crisis management plan has been developed by the school, with consultation from the Deerfield Police and Fire Department, and Highland Park Hospital. The program provides information and guidelines for the staff for emergency situations, which affect the well-being and safety of the school community. The endangering situations may have their source in external events, weather conditions, or be human initiated; it may be an internal condition created by physical environment, a medical need or a group action.

A copy of the plan is available for examination in the School Office.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Each child is expected to have available the school supplies listed on the supply list distributed at the time of application for registration. Please check periodically if a fresh supply of an item might be needed, especially those marked on the supply list as "continuous supply".

SEARCH AND SEIZURE

The school reserves the right to inspect all school property.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Sexual harassment by one employee of another, by an employee of a student, by a student of any employee, or by one student of another is unacceptable conduct.
Employees or students who engage in any type of sexual harassment will be subject to appropriate discipline, including suspension and/or dismissal.
Retaliation in any form against an employee or student who exercises his or her right to make a complaint under this policy is strictly prohibited, and will itself be cause for appropriate disciplinary action.
Any employee or student who knowingly makes false charges against an employee or a student in an attempt to demean, harass, abuse, or embarrass that individual shall be subject to the sanctions for misconduct set forth.
Procedure:
The school will determine the facts regarding all allegations of sexual harassment in as prompt and confidential a manner as possible and will take appropriate corrective action when warranted

SPECIAL SERVICES

The program's aim is to assist those children who are exhibiting difficulties with academic success, yet are not so severely impaired as to need intensive learning disabilities therapy. The program's design includes children with moderate or mild difficulties in learning. It is set up to develop the child's main information channels as well as aid the child in storing or retrieving previously learned skills, concepts or values. It pulls from common educational practices those strategies which assist the student in building up compensatory behaviors to reinforce strengths and help strengthen or cope with weaknesses.
The resource teacher is the administrator of the program. In this capacity she is in dialog with the teachers regarding progress, specific needs and the testing of students. The resource teacher is also the liaison between Holy Cross School, the school districts and families represented. She is responsible for all pre-testing and evaluation for working with students needing short-term and long-term remediation.

STUDENT COUNCIL

In order to teach leadership skills, social responsibility, and to encourage pride in their school, students participate in school government through the Student Council. The officers of the Student Council are elected by student in grades 5-7, according to the guidelines and procedures of the organization. The Principal and council moderators approve all officers.

TELEPHONE AND ELECTRONICS USE

Students may take care of emergency calls in the school office with the permission of school personnel. Each teacher is issued a "Phone Usage" card. The student requesting phone use is given the card, it is signed by the Office staff after use. Teachers and students are not called to the telephone except in cases of emergency.
An attempt will be made to deliver messages left on a school day before 1:00 pm.**
Arrangements and matters, which could be settled at home, should be. The academic atmosphere for an entire classroom may not be interrupted each time a message is requested.
No electronic devices, such as cell phones, electronic games, walkman type CD players and beepers are allowed to be visible or used during normal school hours. These items will be taken to the office if they are seen and will remain there for parent pick-up.
**Please do not expect messages to be sent to classrooms at the last minute. Plan ahead.

TESTING PROGRAMS

Standardized tests are administered to students of grades three through seven in the spring of the year. The results are made available to the school and the parents usually by May. Teachers use this information to verify their own daily classroom experiences and to assist them in meeting the needs of the students in the educational programs.
All students going to the high school take the entrance test administered for entrance into Deerfield High School. By having all students take the test, the entrance test results are available regardless of the high school the student ultimately selects. This test is usually given at the end of October. Students who will be applying for any of the Catholic high schools in the area, take that school's entrance exam in mid-January. The results of these tests are sent to the parents by the school administering the test.

TRAFFIC SAFETY

Traffic safety is a vital issue that is too often taken for granted. Students should be instructed frequently to cross only at corners, to look in both directions, and to be especially cautious in winter's predawn hours or when conditions are hazardous.

Parents who drive their children to school are reminded that the safety of all of our children should be of primary concern when approaching the parish area. Please observe the 5 MPH speed limit on the school grounds at all times. Cars are not to be driven across the playground during school hours or at dismissal. When dropping off or picking up your children, do not drive past the barricades. Please do not use the Pastoral Center parking area as a drop off or pick-up area.

Please review the following traffic patterns for morning drop-off and PM pick up of students at Holy Cross Elementary School. (See the back page)

Until 7:30 am area "C" will be open for Connie's Club drop offs and early bird band and choir practices. Please enter this lot through area "A", but only until 7:30 am. After 7:30 am autos should enter Elder Lane for normal drop off and proceed to driveway No. 2, just past the school. Drivers should be ready to drop their riders after they turn the corner and begin to proceed out driveway No. 3 to Rosemary Terrace.

Drivers should not exit their vehicle for any reason.

A drop off area will be marked on the intersection of driveways 2 and 3. Patrol members will be available to open doors and assist cars in quickly allowing students to leave cars. Students will proceed around the back of the school building into area "B" - playground space. Please exit driveway 3 onto Rosemary Terrace. Keep in mind if you go north to Westgate you must turn right at Westgate from 7:00 - 9:00 am. Also as you exit be careful to allow walking students entering from Rosemary Terrace to be given space along the walking corridor on the north side of the alley.
Driveway 3 will only be open from 7:30 am until 8:30 am. each school day morning. Area "C" will be closed to all traffic except busses during this same time frame. However, area "A" will be our entrance to the parking lot area "C" to park for afternoon pick up. Afternoon pick up drivers should exit on to Waukegan Rd. and not return through Area "A".
Bicycle safety rules are to be followed. Bicycle riders enter and exit school by way of Elder Lane or Rosemary Terrace, not the main parking lot. Bicycles must be locked in the racks provided. The school is not responsible for damage or theft.
Your respect of the teachers and students who make up the safety patrol teams is appreciated and expected.
The east parking lot is used for staff parking and brief visits to conduct business in the school office. Parents who are chaperoning field trips, or who are on the premises for an extended period of time are asked to park in the Pastoral Center parking lot or along the south side of the main lot (always facing Waukegan Rd). For the safety and convenience of all, please follow the directives of all posted signs.
Parking is not permitted in the bus lanes on Elder Lane.

TUITION AND FEES

Payment amounts, policies and time-lines will be found in the Directory published each year and made available to each family. This information will also be made available following approval of the budget for the subsequent term at the February School Board meeting. Quarterly due date reminders also appear on the monthly calendars,

Student will not be allowed in class if payment is not received within fourteen (14) days from the due date. A $10.00 late charge will be assessed.

All tuition and fees must be paid before final progress reports will be awarded and room placements assigned. This includes the return of all library books or recompense for lost books.

VISITORS

Holy Cross School welcomes adult visitors and interested members of the community to view and study the instructional programs offered. As a courtesy, all visitors are requested to make advance arrangements with the school office for school visits. So that the learning process is not interrupted for extended periods, visiting time will not exceed fifteen minutes per classroom. For the safety and protection of all of the students, all visitors are required to report to the office, sign in and wear a Visitor's Pass before entering the main part of the building during the school day.
Visitors with small children in strollers will leave the vehicle at the main student entrance near the Lost and Found area. These vehicles pose a safety concern in the hallways and classrooms.
Preschool children, toddlers, and infants are expected to be under the direct care of parent visitors at all times.

WEB SITE

School event information can be found on our Web Site.

WITHDRAWALS

When a student transfers to another school, the school office should be notified at least two weeks in advance. It is necessary to know the name and address of the receiving school, as well as the new address of the family. You will receive a copy of the transfer to be taken to the receiving school when you register. All permanent records will be forwarded directly to the receiving school. All financial accounts must be completed before records will be forwarded.