St. Bernadette School
80 University Blvd East
Silver Spring, MD 20901
Tel: (301) 593-5611
Fax: (301) 593-9042
Attendance
Regular attendance is a requirement of successful completion of a course of study since completion of independent study cannot replace the learning that takes place in the classroom.
Absence
Children should not be sent to school if they are sick. Any student with symptoms of a contagious illness should be kept at home so as not to infect others in the classroom. If your child is ill or an absence is unavoidable, please call the school at (301) 593-5611 (then dial 3 for the attendance office) before 9:00 a.m. If the office does not receive a call, a parent will be contacted. This policy is for the safety of the St. Bernadette School students.
If your child is, or will be, late due to doctor/dentist appointments, please notify the attendance office. You may call before 8:00 a.m. to leave a message in the Attendance Office voice mailbox. Arrangements should be made to pick up assignments and books when a student is absent. These requests should be left with the Attendance Office by 9:00 a.m. Upon returning to school, students are required to make arrangements with the classroom teacher to make up any missed assignments or tests. As a general guideline, the time given to complete any missed assignments and/or tests will be based upon the number of days that a student was absent (e.g., if a student is absent for 3 consecutive school days, s/he will have 3 day following her/his return to school to complete all missed assignments and/or tests).
A written statement giving reasons for the absence or tardiness must be brought to the student's teacher upon the student's return. This statement must be signed by the parent and therefore may not be electronically transmitted. If a student is absent for five or more days, a note from the doctor is required.
Should absence for any reason other than illness seems imperative for the student to be absent from school, parents are requested to consult with the principal and present a written reason of the absence prior to the absence. A statement is required for each child who will be absent. Family vacation/trips during scheduled school days are discouraged.
No assignments will be given in anticipation of a family vacation. Do not make such a request to your child's teacher. In extenuating circumstances, the principal may grant a request for assignment and will provide these assignments directly to the parent/guardian. Upon return, the student is responsible for making up any missing assignments.
If your child is to leave during the school day, send a note stating the time and reason the child should be released. Early release should be requested for medical reasons or for appointments that can not be made after school hours or holidays. A parent/guardian must come to the front office to meet and sign out the child. Early dismissal is included in a student's attendance records. Frequently or repeated early dismissal will be addressed by the principal.
Any instructional time that is missed for a student to receive special education services will not affect a student's attendance record. These services must be part of a child's Catholic School Education Plan and the assistant principal must be informed in writing of these services.
Any missed school day, other than for high school visitations, is considered an absence for the student. Eighth grade high school visits are not recorded as an absence provided a note is sent to the homeroom teacher prior to the visit. Each student is limited to three visits.
Daily Schedule
School Begins at 8:00 a.m.
| 8:00 a.m. | first bell; homeroom period |
| 8:10 a.m. | second bell; morning prayers and announcements; students are tardy |
| 8:15 a.m. | classes begin |
| 11:15 a.m. - 1:10 p.m. | lunch/recess periods |
| 3:00 p.m. | classes end |
| 3:05 p.m. | dismissal |
Arrival
Arrival time begins at 7:50 a.m. All students will go directly to the homeroom classroom upon their arrival to school. The school does not open before 7:50 a.m. and the school cannot be responsible for the well being of any child who arrives before 7:50 a.m. If the child arrives before 7:50 a.m., the parent must assume the responsibility of supervision. Any unsupervised child who arrives before 7:50 a.m. will be sent to the Extended Day Program (EDP) and a fee will be charged.
To ensure safe arrival, the following procedure has been established:
- Follow the directions of the patrols.
- Do not pass any cars on either the right or the left.
- Do not speed.
- Students are to be dropped off either in the main entrance circle or in the lower church parking lot. For the safety of all children, drop off rules must be strictly adhered to. See the Drop-off and Pick-up page for detailed information.
Tardiness
Students arriving after the 8:10 a.m. bell will be considered tardy. Parents must sign in students who arrive after 8:10 a.m. in the school office. All tardy students will need a Late Slip to be admitted to class. Excessive tardiness does affect a student's school performance and is disruptive to the other students in the classroom; therefore parents should make every effort to ensure that their children arrive to school on time. Traffic can often be a problem in the morning. Please take this into account when planning your departure from home. A parent conference with the principal will be required for any student who is tardy five (5) or more days in a quarter.
Students serving daily Mass will not be considered tardy.
Lunch
Each student is expected to bring lunch from home. Any student participating in the lunch milk program must sign up and pre-pay in the beginning of the school year.
Break/Snack/Recess
All students should bring a small, nutritious morning snack from home unless the classroom teacher makes other arrangements.
Grade K - 4 will have a supervised morning recess, which will be outside when weather permits. Students in grades 5 - 8 will have a short morning break. Grades K - 8 will have a supervised recess after lunch, which will be outside when weather permits. If your child needs to remain in the nurse's office during recess, a physician's note is required.
Dismissal
Dismissal begins at 3:05 p.m. on full days and at 12:15 p.m. on half days. All students must follow the dismissal procedure. St. Bernadette School has an organized parking lot procedure. We ask everyone, both parents and students, to comply with is procedure. See the Drop-off and Pick-up page for detailed information.
Any student walking off school premises must have written permission on file in the school office. Any changes in a student's normal dismissal procedure must be accompanied by a note.