About Us > Parent Handbook

St. Jerome School Board

St. Jerome School Board meets monthly to discuss issues of concern by parents, teachers and administration. Parents are welcome to all meetings. Concerns must be placed on the agenda prior to the meeting. Meeting dates are announced on the school calendar.

Home-School Association Officers

The Parents Club is an organization designed to provide assemblies and enrichments activities for our students. The goal is to foster better communication between the school and the home, which will encourage parental involvement in the education of all the children of St. Jerome School.

Parent Advisory to the Principal

The Parent Advisory to the Principal works with collaboration with the principal. The group meets every other month to examine concerns that affect the entire school community. The goal of the advisory board is to take parent concerns and find solutions.

Sports Association

St. Jerome School provides combined competitive and instructional sports programs as an extension of St. Jerome School academic program. Student participants will learn the fundamentals of each sport, and be given the opportunity to develop strong, healthy, and disciplined minds and bodies. Participants will also develop a sense of good sportsmanship, fair play and team spirit.

School Development Team

St. Jerome School Development Team consists of parents, staff, business leaders, educators and parishioners, who work together n the future of St. Jerome School. The team will focus on public relations, grant writing, major fundraising and a creation of an endowment fund. New members are always welcome.

Discipline Board

Discipline of a student is done through the teacher and the principal. There are occasions when a variety of interventions are done and results are not positive.  In those incidences, the student would be brought in front of the Discipline Board with their parents. The board consists of the following: pastor, principal, and three board members selected by the pastor and principal. The decision of the board is final.

Liturgical Life

The Pastoral, To Teach as Jesus Did, states that the fourfold purpose of a Catholic education is to proclaim authentically and fully the message of Jesus, to foster an understanding and building of community in all areas of life, to encourage service to each other for the good of all, and to participate in parish worship celebrations.

Parents and guardians are the primary educators of children. Part of any good teaching is modeling. Therefore, parents and students are expected to participate in Parish life by attendance at Sunday Eucharist Celebrations.

Twice a month is designated Family Sunday. Families are required to attend these Eucharistic celebrations.

Family Mass schedule: Our Family Mass is at 9:30 am. Dates to be determined.

Policy and Procedures

Absence

  1. Parents are required to report any absence by calling the school office at (312) 842-7668. A call must be made for each day of absence. Please call for homework requests by 8:30 am. If parents do not call by 8:30 am, the school office will call the home to assure that your child is absent.
  2. We discourage appointments being made during school hours. If this is unavoidable, a written request from a parent must be submitted to the school office. These should be kept to the minimal and for serious reasons only when other arrangements are not possible. For the safety of your child, a student cannot wait outside the building. A parent must come into the office and sign out the student.
  3. Vacations are discouraged when classes are in session. If the vacation is unavoidable, when the student returns, he/she will be given missed assignments, It is the decision of the faculty not to give assignments in advance. The student will only have one week to make up all assignments that he or she missed during their family vacation. After the week is expired, the student will get a zero for all assignments not completed.

Accident Insurance

An insurance policy is offered to all students on an optional basis. Forms are sent home in the beginning of the school year.

Administration of Medication

According to state law, it is only permissible for school personnel to dispense medication under the following conditions:

  1. Written permission is required from the parent or guardian of the student requesting that the school cooperate with the direction of the current prescription.
  2. All medication must be brought to the school office and given either to Mrs. Senerchia or Mr. Trumblay. Medication must be brought in a pharmacy-labeled container or an original over the counter container.
  3. For your child and the safety of all children, all medication must be brought to the school office. Students are responsible to report to the school office at the proper time to take their medication.
  4. The school will provide no medication.
  5. All forms must be filled out and placed on file at school.

Admission Policy

Non-Discrimination Policy

St. Jerome School is in accordance with the Archdiocese of Chicago. This policy is the following:

  1. Every Catholic child whether his/her parents are Catholic or not, has the right to attend his/her parish school.
  2. Neither race, sex, creed, neither ethnic nor national origin may prevent a child from being admitted.
  3. As a general policy, any child admitted in September shall be allowed to complete the school year.

Order of Admission

Admission of students shall be accepted in accordance with the following guidelines in order of priority as listed.

  1. Students currently enrolled.
  2. Brothers and sisters of currently enrolled students.
  3. Children of parishioners seeking enrollment for the first time or now reaching school age.
  4. Applicants who reside in the school community both Catholic and Non-Catholic.
  5. Transfer of students from other Catholic Schools.
  6. Applicants who reside is outside the parish boundaries as long as space is available.

Age of Admission

A child entering St. Jerome School must be in compliance with the requirements of the State of Illinois regarding age of admission.

3-YEAR-OLD-PRE-KINDERGARTEN: Child must be 3 years old by September 1st.

4-YEAR-OLD-PRE-KINDERGARTEN: Child must be 4 years old by September 1st.

KINDERGARTEN: Child must be 5 years old my September 1st.

Admission of New Students

For admission of any new student, parents must present the following items:

  1. An official copy of the child's birth certificate.
  2. The baptismal record.
  3. A record of compliance with local and State of Illinois health requirements.

Admission of Transfer Students

For admission of transfer students, parents shall present the proper transfer from the school attended. Upon request from the receiving school, all records from the former school, including health records, shall be transferred.

All transfer students will be subject to an evaluation and conference at the end of the first quarter. St. Jerome School reserves the right to recommend alternative placement if the student cannot meet the academic standards and expectations of St. Jerome School.

Registration will not be finalized until previous academic records are furnished by the parent or the transferring school and examined by the Principal for proper placement.

Alcohol

Alcohol is not to be served at school events when children are present.

Attendance

  1. School doors open at 7:50 am for grades Preschool to 8th grade.
  2. School hours are the following:
    • -Preschool for Three Year Olds is : 8:00 - 11:00 am.
    • -Preschool for Four Year Olds is : Optional Full Day : 8:00 - 2:20 pm. Half Day: 11:30 - 2:30 pm.
    • -Kg - 4th grade is : 8:00 - 2:25 pm.
    • -5th - 8th grade is : 8:00 - 2:20 pm.
    -Office Hours are : 7:30 - 2:45 pm.
  3. Students will be marked tardy if they are not in their homeroom by 8:00 am. Students who are tardy must report to the school office first. Students will not be marked tardy if there is an early doctor appointment. A written verification from the medical office is required.
  4. If your child is not picked up by 2:30 pm they will immediately go to After-Care Program and you will be charged $10.00 per day. Payment is required by the next school day. Failure to pay will result in a late fee of an additional $10.00 and it will be attached to your tuition account for the month.

Back to School Night

During the first month of school, there will be an evening in which you will meet the Home-School Association Officers, the Pastor, Principal and teachers. During this evening, you will be given important information regarding the school year. Examples: Crisis Handbook, Parent/Student Handbook and Teacher Expectations. This is a great way to begin the communication between school and home. It usually begins at 6:30 pm and concludes at 8:30 pm.

Books

Books are to be covered and well cared for at all times. Students are responsible for the condition of books and will be assessed a charge for damages which must be paid for before final report cards are given out.

Backpacks

Students may use backpacks to carry their books to and from school. Once they are in school, the students may empty their bag and place it in their locker.

Bullying

Bullying has become a problem in many schools today. Bullying can be defined as verbal and non-verbal behavior that occurs repeatedly over time and causes physical and/or emotional harm to another. Such behavior may include, but not limited to teasing, taunting, threatening, hitting, stealing and destroying personal property.

Change of Address

Please notify the school office immediately if there is a change of address or phone number.

Cheating

Cheating in the academic world is not tolerated. In an event of cheating, the student will receive a zero for the assignment, test or project. If the student continually cheats, a meeting will be set up with parents and a course of action will take place.

Child Abuse

By law, the State of Illinois requires school personnel to inform the Department of Children and Family Services of any allegations/suspicion of child abuse and neglect.

Cell Phones

Students that bring cell phones to school will be taken away from them. The first offense, the phone will be returned to the parents. The second offense, the phone will not be returned.

Communicable Diseases

When a child has been absent because of a communicable disease, a doctor's note must be presented to the teacher and the office before the child can return back to school. The following diseases require exclusion from school:

If there is exposure to a communicable disease in the classroom, an official letter of notification will go home with his or her class.

Computer Lab

The schools computer lab is intended for educational purposes and not for personal use. Therefore, personalization of the lab's computers by students is prohibited. Students are not allowed to download and/or install services onto the computers including but not limited to screen savers and instant messages. Violation of this policy could result in temporary or permanent use of the lab. Students will be assigned to a computer station at the beginning of the year. The computer teacher and homeroom teacher work together to assure appropriate use of the lab.

Custody Issues

This school aides by the provision of the Buckley Amendment with respect to the rights of the non-custodial parent. In the absence of a court order to the contrary, school will provide the non-custodial parent access to the academic records and to other school related information. If there is a court order specifying that there is to be no information given, it is the responsibility of the custodial parent to give us an official copy of the court order. A letter from the attorney DOES NOT work.

Drug Use

If a child is using drugs the following will happen:

Early Dismissal

Before an individual student can be dismissed early from school, there must be a written request made in writing by the parent or guardian to the teacher. Permission is obtained by the Principal. Parents must come to the office and sign their child out of school. No student is allowed to leave school without permission. Once a student arrives at school, they are not allowed to leave the school campus.

Electrical Equipment

Students should not be bringing headphones, cell phones, radios or walkmans to school. The school cannot be responsible of such devices. If the student brings one to school, it will be sent to the office and the parent will pick it up. Cell phones will be given back to the parent the first offense. The second offense, the cell phone will not be returned.

Emergency Sheets

An emergency sheet is kept on each family in the school office each year. Each family must fill out this sheet during the first week of school. This provides the staff with direct contact with parents, guardians and/or medical services. Please keep this as accurate as possible. If there are any changes, please call the school office. Please be accurate when completing this form.

Emergency Crisis Plan

St. Jerome School has a Crisis Plan. Each teacher has a copy of this plan and is in service prior to student's arrival. If parents want further information regarding this plan, they are to set up an appointment to meet with the principal.

Emergency School Closing

As a general rule, St. Jerome School will be open unless Chicago Public School or Archdiocesan Schools are closed due to bad weather. In such cases, the emergency call system will go into effect. Room Mothers will be notified to call parents. The call will be made to the oldest and only child of the family. Please DO NOT CALL THE RECTORY OR THE SCHOOL because the lines need to be open to place calls. The closing will be announced both on radio and television. Closing of a school is decided by 5:30 am. The principal begins the phone tree of parents and teaching staff.

Expulsion

Expulsion is the termination of the pupil's privilege to attend the school and requires transfer of the pupil to another school. Except in appropriate cases, expulsion will be imposed only after a suspension has taken place. Expulsion is ordinarily invoked when a drastic action is required to prevent disruption of the school environment.

Extended Day Care

The Aftercare Program goes from Monday to Friday from 2:30 - 6:00 pm. The Extended Day Care room is in the Preschool. A snack is provided.

Field Trips

Field Trips of an educational or recreational nature will be planned with the students. Written permission of parents is required for field trips. The fees will vary according to the occasion. Chaperones are a necessary part of these experiences and we know we can rely on your cooperation as we have in the past. The office will approve trips prior to letter going home to parents. No small children will be allowed to attend field trips. Students will only be allowed to bring only $10.00 for spending money for each field trip. St. Jerome School has a Field Trip Emergency Plan and it is the following:

Fighting

At the discretion of the principal, the child will be suspended for 2-3 days depending on the severity of the fight. The second fight will be an automatic 5 day suspension. The third fight will result with expulsion of the student from St. Jerome School.

Fundraising

Fundraising is an integral part of the viability of St. Jerome School. Different organizations hold a variety of fundraisers. Please support their cause and because it eventually helps all the students of St. Jerome School. At St. Jerome School, we ask that all parents work three bingos during the year including the school and summer months. Transfers will not be given until all fundraising obligations have been met. If a check is returned for NSF, a $30.00 fee will be attached and writing future checks will not be accepted.

Gangs and Gang Related Activity

This school is a gang free school. Being part of any gang organization doesn't foster the educational process. Activities prohibited are not limited to, the following:

Violation of this policy will result in schools discretion, in discipline up to and including expulsion from school.

Grade Equivalencies

The following grading system is used at St. Jerome School. Please contact your child's teacher for further information if needed.

Health

These are the requirements from the State of Illinois:

Immunizations must be updated in their physical examination. In addition, dental exams are required in Kg-2nd and 6th grade. Records not in by the first day of school, they will be excluded from school until all physical and dental records are in the school office.

Illness

If the child has a sore throat, earache, nasal discharge, skin rash, eye infection, persistent cough or temperature over 99.6 degrees, the child should be at home. If a child becomes ill during the school day, parents will be called at work or at home. Parents are responsible to pick up the child. The child will not be dismissed from school to walk alone.

Inclement Weather

During inclement weather, children will not be allowed in the school until 7:30 am. Doors will only open early if the temperature is below 32 degrees. Children who wear boots to school must bring another pair of shoes to wear in school. They must also be kept in a plastic bag for storage. They should also have some type of cloth to clean off their boots before placing them in a bag. NO SHOE BOOT OR CONSTRUCTION TYPE BOOT may be worn during the school day.

Interviews and Visits

Teachers are always happy to meet with all parents. Best results are obtained when teachers and families work together. Conferences will not occur during class time. They must be arranged before class starts or at the end of a school day. Please call the office to set up an appointment. No one will be permitted to visit the classrooms without knowledge and permission of the teacher or the principal.

Lunch Program

Hot Lunch is available to all school children in kindergarten through 8th grade and is paid on a monthly basis. Students may purchase the entire lunch including milk or milk only. Lunch order forms and payment are due by the date printed on the order form. Lunch payments that are not received on the due date will be subject to a $5.00 late fee. We will not accept payments that are five days late. Lunch fees can be paid by check or cash. Any checks that are returned will be given additional $30.00 fee because of NSF and will result in losing the possibility of writing checks to the school. Lunch must be purchased for the entire month only. If your child forgets their lunch, the school will provide them with a lunch, but you will have to remit payment the next school day. It is the policy of St. Jerome School NOT to refund lunch for days a student misses because of vacation, field trips of sick days. Refunds will only be given if the school is closed two or more days because of weather. The refund will be paid by the lunch program coordinator. You may not deduct the fee from the next month's lunch payment. Lunch order forms that are not accompanied by the correct fee will be returned and considered unpaid until the proper amount is paid. Each student is provided a monthly lunch card. These cards are laminated for durability and are to be used for the entire school year. Lunch cards that are willfully destroyed by the student will be charged a replacement fee of $3.00.  Each family will receive one standardized lunch menu that will be used for the entire school year. We will not be sending monthly menus home with the students. If you need additional copies or lose the menu you can find the menu on this website. Finally, school policy does not permit outside lunches to the school. Examples: McDonald's, Subway, Taco Bell, etc. Please direct all questions to Paulene Dengler, Lunch Program Coordinator at (773) 268-3859.

Free and Reduced Lunches

St. Jerome School participates in the State of Illinois Free and Reduced Price Lunch Program. It is available to all students in grades K-8th. Qualifications for this program are based on income and family size. Income requirements as well as applications for this program are available in the school office and can be applied for at anytime during the school year. The identity of the children that participate in the program is kept strictly confidential. We encourage our school families to take advantage of this worthwhile program. Please direct any questions regarding this program to Mrs. Paulene Dengler.

Lost and Found

Articles turned into the office will be kept for one month. At the end of the month, they will be discarded. Parents are encouraged to place their child's name in their school clothing.

Lunch Recess

These are the following times for lunch and recess for our students:

Money

All monies sent to the office should be placed in an envelope with the students name, grade, amount and purpose. Large amounts of money should be sent by check or money order.

Non-Catholic In Our School

The non-Catholic applicant should understand, accept and will be willing to support actively the philosophy and goals of the school. They should realize that non-Catholic students will attend liturgies, programs of service, religion classes, as these areas are integral parts of our school. The staff needs to be sensitive to the ability of the non-Catholic student to understand and be respectful of his or her religious convictions. All students will be respectful of each other's religious beliefs and practices.

Office

The school office is a place of business. Parents are to conduct themselves in a professional manner. If a parent wants to set up an appointment to meet with the administration or teacher, they are to call the school office.

Parent/Guardian Communication Envelopes

Communication between the school and the home is vital to a child's education. The "Parent/Guardian Communication Envelopes" is used to convey important information to the home. It is done in two ways: Thursday Folder or E-mail. The Thursday Folder is for families who do not have an e-mail address. These folders are sent home on Thursday and we ask the parents to read, sign the parent sheet and return the folder to school the next day. The second way is through our e-mail blast on Thursday. This is done by 2:00 P.M. on Thursday. Please check your e-mail regularly. It is important that you let the school know about any e-mail changes.

Safety

At all times parents should encourage their children to follow the following safety rules:

Scheduling Conferences

Conferences play an important role in creating a partnership between the school and the home. If a parent seeks to meet with a teacher or an administrator, a conference should be scheduled in advance. It is a misconception to assume that such a conference can occur without being arranged well in advance.

Tardiness

School doors open at 7:50 am. Students arriving after 8:00 am will sign the tardy form. When a student is tardy three times a quarter, the parents will work an extra bingo on Saturday. If the parent does not work the extra bingo, a $100.00 fee will be added to their tuition account.

Telephone Calls

The school telephones are installed for official school use only. Children will not be allowed to use the phone for left assignments, forgotten gym outfits, lunches, permission slips, etc.

Telephone Numbers

It is the responsibility of parents to inform the school office of a change in the telephone numbers where a parent can be contacted in case of emergency.

Telephone Messages

Parents and Guardians are encouraged to call both teachers and the school office with questions and concerns. All calls directed to the teacher will be placed in their mailbox and they will return your call at their earliest convenience.

Traffic

In the morning, yellow horses are placed on Princeton Ave. Cars can only drive south to north. Drive up to the door and do a kiss and ride. The Principal or some other adult will be there to assist you in case of an emergency. During the pickup, Princeton Ave is blocked on one side. Cars can only drive south to north. Cars can line up and as parents pick up their children and other cars can take their place. The Principal or some other adult is usually out there to assist if necessary.

Transfer Records

If a student transfer and financial obligations are not met, an unofficial record will be sent to the new school. Official transcripts will be sent after all obligations are met.

Tuition

Tuition is due on the 5th of every month. Parents are able to choose two tuition plans. Any return checks or late will be additional fees applied to the tuition account. If you become behind in tuition, your child will not be able to go on field trips, no progress reports or report cards and transfer papers will not be completed until all financial obligations are met.

Tuition Refund Policy

Registration, fees and tuition are not refundable.

Uniforms

All students are expected to be in proper uniform at all times. Preschool children do not wear the school uniform. Uniforms are available at:
Schoolbelles
6223 W. 79th Street
Burbank, Illinois 60459
(708) 598-8008

The Uniform Code is as follows:

Girls:  Kg-8th (Monday and Tuesday- Thursday and Friday)

Boys:  Kg-8th (Monday and Tuesday- Thursday and Friday)

Please note: Shoes must be tied at all times. Hair length of boys should not touch the collar of the shirt. Hair styles of boys and girls should be clean ad cut. Corn rolls are not allowed.

Gym Uniform (Wednesday only)

Failure to follow the uniform code will result in an automatic detention.

Visitors

Parents are welcome in the school as observers providing advance notice and approval by the principal. Anyone entering the school building must sign in and be given a visitors pass.

Water Bottles

Students will be able to have water bottles in school when the temperature outside is 80 degrees or above.