The ABC's of NDE
Absentees: |
In accordance with the State School code, written explanations are required upon a student returning after being absent from school. Teachers are not required to give make-up tests or assignments for absences due to vacations. Students absent from school FOR ANY REASON may NOT participate in school-related activities on that day or the following weekend. For example, a student absent from school on Friday may NOT play in an NDE game that weekend. |
Birthdays: |
Children are welcome to bring small treats (like cupcakes) for their class in celebration of their birthday. This must be coordinated with the classroom teacher. Party invitations may be distributed in the classroom ONLY if ALL classmates are invited. Mixed parties are not permitted for grades 5 thru 8. |
Cell Phones: |
Student cell phones are NOT permitted on the NDE campus. A phone is provided in the office for student use. If a cell phone is used on the campus, it will be confiscated and the student’s parent will be required to retrieve it from the office. |
Closed Campus: |
NDE is a closed campus. Students are not permitted to leave the school premises during the school day unless they are picked up from the school office. Students must remain on the school grounds for their lunch period. All visitors to the school, including parents, must sign in at the office. |
Dismissal: |
Parents should drive into the yard and pick up their students in the student-loading zone. Students may not leave the schoolyard unless accompanied by an adult. |
Emergencies: |
In the event of a major emergency, your children will remain at school and be cared for until you are able to pick them up. Only parents or those you have listed on your emergency card will be allowed to take your child from the school. Do not call the school—phone lines will be needed to call out. You may want to designate someone out of the area as a family contact. |
Field Trips: |
Prior to any field trip, an official Field Trip Notice must be completed, signed, and returned to school. |
Grading Scale: |
A: 93-100 |
Grooming: |
Students are required to be neatly groomed and in complete uniform (except on designated “free dress” days). Hair may not obstruct vision. Boys’ hair needs to be neatly cut at least 2 inches above the shirt collar. Students may not attend school with extreme hair coloring and/or bleaching. Students may not wear jewelry to school except for wristwatches and small appropriate rings or necklaces. Girls with pierced ears may wear stud-backed earrings only. For safety reasons, hanging earrings may not be worn. Students may not wear makeup. This includes blush, eye makeup, lipstick, anything that sparkles, temporary tattoos, etc. Nail polish must be clear. Acrylic nails are not permitted. Students who arrive at school wearing makeup or colored nail polish will be asked to remove it before attending class. |
Gum: |
Chewing gum while on campus is not permitted. Students who chew gum will be charged a $5.00 cleaning fee. |
Health: |
A volunteer is provided to assist the school with any health-related needs. Periodic vision and hearing tests are offered. Any health alerts are coordinated with the administration. |
Library: |
The Parents’ Club Library Chairperson schedules volunteers and provides assistance to the Librarian. Volunteers are assigned one morning or one afternoon a month. |
Lost and Found: |
A lost and found area is provided near the West exit door. The lost and found is emptied of all belongings and they are taken to a local homeless shelter on the last Friday of each month. All personal belongings should have identification. |
Lunches: |
The NDE Parents’ Club Hot Lunch Chairperson schedules volunteers to coordinate and serve lunch every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and Friday. In the event that your child forgets his/her lunch at home, please deliver it to the office AND NOT TO THE CLASSROOM. |
Mass: |
School Masses are celebrated once a month at Cunningham Memorial Chapel. All parents and members of the community are welcome to attend. Each month a particular class prepares the liturgy. |
Medication: |
School personnel are not permitted to give medication of any description, including Tylenol, to students without proper authorization. In order for a student to receive medication, the student is required to contact a parent directly and have the appropriate personnel verify permission. If a child must take any prescribed medication while in school, that medication must be sent to the office and have on its label the child’s name, name of doctor prescribing the child’s medication, frequency, dose, and date. All non-prescription medications should be taken to the school office and state the child’s name, frequency, dose, date. |
NDEmail: |
School news is sent via weekly email directly to your personal or business email address (you specify). sign up at ndemail@nde.org. |
Newsletter: |
A school newsletter is prepared monthly and available via the website and/or NDEmail weekly blast. |
Parents' Club |
All are welcome to join this parent-run organization. There are no dues. Meetings are usually scheduled for the second Wednesday of each month at 8:15 a.m. in the school library. |
Parking Lot: |
Teachers walk their classes out to the schoolyard. You are asked to NEVER LEAVE YOUR CAR UNATTENDED. It is for your child's safety that (s)he comes directly to you in your car at the end of the school day assisted by one of our parent volunteers. Please drive-through to pick up your child(ren). Parking spaces are reserved for use by the “Parent Parking Volunteers.” Please do not park in the street out of courtesy to our neighbors. AT NO TIME should anyone block a neighbor’s driveway. |
Respecting Other People: |
Bullying is not allowed on our campus! A student is being bullied when he/she is exposed repeatedly and over time to negative actions on the part of one or more students. Negative actions can be carried out through physical contact, written comments, words, pictures, verbal abuse, and derogatory comments about physical appearance or gender orientation. Making faces, intimidating or intentionally excluding someone from a group is also considered bullying. Bullying is not allowed anytime or anywhere on the campus including classrooms, hallways, restrooms, playground areas, or any other areas on the campus or in route to and/or from the campus. Bullying and Harassment in any form are not acceptable and will be dealt with according to the California Education Code. We all need to feel safe at school. Students are required to avoid harassment in any form. Harassment is any action which makes others uncomfortable through the use of words or specific actions which cause others to suffer, including mean teasing. Harassment can include grabbing or touching somebody or unwanted comments about how a person looks. It can happen to boys and girls and can be about power: the power to make someone feel bad, to impress, influence, and be nasty, rude, or cool. Cyber-bullying is the use of technology to degrade or humiliate another person or group. Cyber bullying can occur directly, such as when a hateful message is sent to a target, or indirectly, as when a message, web site or photograph is sent to others and results in later bullying behavior toward the target. Our school technology system does not allow for such occurrences; however, Cyber bullying that begins at home often results in bullying behaviors or relational aggressions at school. Any of the above will not be tolerated; consequences can range from detentions, loss of activities, privileges, suspension. Students should immediately report incidents to a teacher, or administrator. Gender/Sexual Harassment is not just teasing and not a game; it is illegal. Students need to think before they act. Is something they are going to say or do embarrassing or hurtful to someone? All students have the right to be treated with respect and have the power to change things if they are not. If someone is doing something to a student that causes her/him to feel badly, feel hurt, embarrassed or uncomfortable, that students needs to tell the person harassing to stop. If he or she doesn’t stop, then students are to tell an adult with whom they feel comfortable. Students can help stop harassment by recognizing it and telling the person who is doing it to stop now! Students need to put power where it belongs: in their own actions. |
Respecting Property: |
Books are the student’s responsibility. They are responsible for the care and maintenance of school textbooks and library materials. Textbooks should be covered. Any damage to school books will result in a fine or the cost of replacing the damaged book(s). Report cards will not be distributed to any student owing a textbook or library fine. Clean Campus: Gum in not allowed on campus. Litter and garbage should be disposed of in the trashcans that are placed in strategic areas around campus. Students and adults work hard to maintain a clean campus and we all need to work together to keep our campus clean. Property Damage: Stealing or disrespecting property of others will result in restitution, in addition to appropriate consequences which can include suspension and/or loss of an activity. |
School Hours: |
Classes begin at 8:00 a.m. Children should be at school least five minutes before the bell rings. All Mondays are minimum days with dismissal at 12:30 p.m.; Tuesday – Friday; dismissal is at 2:45 p.m. All children should be picked up by 3:00 p.m. |
Scrip: |
Scrip is fundraising while you shop®. Our cash scrip program, www.shopwithscrip.com (NDE enrollment code: ED7B13D91L59L) allows NDE’s families and friends to purchase scrip (gift cards & gift certificates) for everyday expenses like food, clothing, and entertainment while earning a percentage (about 5%) of each dollar for NDE. Electronic scrip is also available and we ask that all families participate at www.escrip.com (NDE group number: 126425229). There you can register credit cards and Safeway cards. Different retailers participate in each program, therefore to maximize our revenue, please use both services. Scrip is "no-selling" fundraising. |
Spirituality: |
The Spirituality Chairperson is available to provide needed family support in the event of serious illness, accident, or death. |
Sports: |
Volunteers coordinate the school's extra-curricular sports program with the Catholic School Leagues who schedule all games. Volunteers also coach the teams. Teams are organized depending on interest and parental support. All coaches are required to be "Live Scanned" through the SMCOE. |
Student Conduct: |
The following may be grounds for immediate suspension or expulsion whether at school, on the campus, or at a school-related activity: Smoking or having tobacco products, forgery, possession of drugs, alcohol, or related paraphernalia, selling or possession of controlled substances, stealing a student's or faculty member's personal property, tampering with another student's or faculty member's personal property, failing to return lost property or theft of any school property. Students are no allowed to possess, handle, or transmit any object that can reasonably be considered a weapon, a dangerous instrument or a firework. Physical and verbal altercations between students are met with severe penalties. |
Teacher Consultation: |
Since the teacher's first responsibility is to the students, arrangements for consultations must be made outside of class time. Please call the office or send a note to the teacher to schedule an appointment. |
Uniforms: |
New uniforms may be purchased at: Students may be out of uniform on special days as designated by the school. On those days, students are expected to wear neat, clean clothing, with special attention to age-appropriate attire. Students MUST wear the complete uniform on Mass days-NO EXCEPTIONS. Shoes must be appropriate for school wear and for play. Students may not wear sandals or “flip flops” even on free dress days. The pride that students show in their appearance contributes greatly to their attitude in class. Any article of clothing that is in poor taste or offensive in design will be considered a violation of the dress code. Mini-skirts, tank tops, or overly tight clothes are not considered appropriate. Shorts must be “walk short” length. No short shorts will be allowed. Jeans are only permitted with prior approval. The jeans may not be overly large, tight, or worn-out. T-shirts must be appropriate, especially in their logos or written messages. We reserve the right to send anyone home whose dress is considered inappropriate. The opportunity for free dress will be denied to students who do not observe the uniform/school dress code. |
Vacation: |
Please plan family vacations to coordinate with the school calendar. If it is necessary for a student to be absent from school for a special family event, permission should be obtained from the Principal’s office. Teachers are not required to give make-up tests or assignments for absences due to vacations. |
Visitors: |
School visitors (volunteers, parents, speakers, etc.) must come to the main office. For safety and security reasons, each person is required to sign in at the office when he/she enters the building for any reason. All visitors must sign out at the time of departure. |
Volunteers: |
Volunteer sheets completed by all families are reviewed and the information is forwarded to the Parents’ Club. Some volunteer tasks may be completed at home. We ask every family to contribute 40 hours of service each year. |