Frequently Asked Questions
Click
on the question below to drop down to the answers
For more information, reference the
St. Mary of Gostyn School Parent/Student Handbook.
Registration/Enrollment
When is registration?
Is there a registration fee?
Are Non-Catholic students welcome at our school?
Do you have a before- and
after-school care program?
Do you have a school bus service?
Curriculum
How does St. Mary School compare to other schools in
the area?
Do you have a pre-kindergarten program?
Do you offer all-day kindergarten?
What are the school's hours?
What is the school's curriculum?
How does St. Mary provide a Catholic
environment?
Is sacramental preparation offered?
Is computer instruction offered?
Is homework assigned every day?
What is your policy on homework due to Illness?
Do students take field trips?
Do you offer mentor programs?
What extracurricular activities does
St. Mary of Gostyn School offer?
Staffing
What is the maximum class size at St. Mary of Gostyn?
Does SMG hire certified highly
qualified teachers?
Does St. Mary of Gostyn have any
teachers from religious orders?
Policy
Is the St. Mary school campus a closed campus?
What is the school uniform?
What is your policy on tardiness?
What is your lunch time policy?
Do you have a milk program?
Do you have a food allergy policy?
What is your policy with student use
of telephones?
What is your policy for school absences?
Can I schedule my student
appointments during the day?
What is your policy on vacations?
What is your policy with medication in school?
What is your policy for parents, volunteers, and visitors?
What happens if illness/accident occurs at school?
Does St Mary of Gostyn have a Crisis Plan?
What to do in case of an Emergency School Closing?
ANSWERS:
When is
registration?
General registration is year round. However,
we find that most parents register the Sunday of Catholic Schools Week, usually
the last Sunday in January for Pre-k and Kindergarten.
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Is there a
registration fee?
There is a $100 non-refundable
registration fee charged to families at the time of registration for Pre-K,
$235 for half-day Kindergarten and $285 for full-day kindergarten through 8th
grade. This fee is applied towards the following year's tuition.
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Are Non-Catholic students welcome at
our school?
Yes, Non-Catholic students are
welcome at our school.
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Do you have a
before- and after-school care program?
Yes, the After-School Care Program strives to provide a safe, supportive and
caring environment for children who are unable to go home after school. The
program is available on all full days of school until 6:00 p.m. either on a
regular basis or as needed for occasional use. Registration forms are available
in the school office or on the website on the forms page.
Location: Parish Center Lower Level,
630/968-6155, ext. 240
Cost: $12.00 per day for the first child in the family, $6.00 per day for each
additional child.
At this time St. Mary’s does not
offer a formal before-school care program.
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Do you have a school bus service?
St. Mary of Gostyn School students
in grades K-8, who live within District 58's boundaries, and who are 1 ½ miles
or more from the school qualify for bus service. Bus service is also provided for
the ½ day Kindergarten students who meet the above criteria. Bus routes are
available in the school office.
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How does St. Mary School compare to
other schools in the area?
At SMG we feel that we offer an
educational experience that is second to none.
Why? St. Mary School is strong in
education and faith. Our students’
scores on standardized testing are consistently higher than the national, local
public school and Diocese averages.
SMG students are well prepared for
high school which is evident by the number of SMG students on the honor rolls
at the local high schools. SMG students
are often placed in honors classes and Spanish II their freshman year.
We have found that parents are best
served by visiting the school campus and speaking directly with our staff,
teachers and parents.
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Do you have a pre-kindergarten
program?
Yes, St. Mary of Gostyn School offers
three- and four-year-old preschool for children to begin their educational
experience. Read more at our Preschool page.
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Do you offer all-day kindergarten?
Yes, we offer both full- and half-day
kindergarten. Half-day kindergarten
class hours are 8:00 am – 11:15 am, full-day kindergarten class hours are 8:00
am – 2:20 pm. Full-day kindergarten
offers the students lunch, recess, social studies, science, computer technology
and additional art, gym and music time in addition to the half-day curriculum. Read more at our Kindergarten page.
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What are the school's hours?
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3-year-old Preschool Students
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4-year-old Preschool Students
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Tuesday & Thursday
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Monday, Wednesday & Friday
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Morning Session:8:05 am - 10:35 am
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Morning Session: 8:05 am - 10:35
am
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Afternoon Session: 11:45 am - 2:15
pm
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Afternoon Session: 11:45 am - 2:15
pm
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Kindergarten
Full-Day Kindergarten: 8:00 am -
2:20 pm
Half-Day Kindergarten: 8:00 am - 11:15 am
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Grades 1 - 8
Monday - Friday
Schedule for Students in grades 1-8 7:55 - 2:25
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What is the
school's curriculum?
Our faith-based curriculum includes
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Religion
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Math
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Reading
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Science
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Social
Studies
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Language
Arts
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Spanish
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Music
and Art
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Computers
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Physical
Education
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How
does St. Mary provide a Catholic environment?
Students take part in the following
throughout the entire school year:
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Morning Prayer Reflections
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Weekly All-School Mass
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Prayer Services
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Service Projects
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Rosary
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Special event honoring those in
need
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Catholic Schools Week Celebration
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Religion subject taught daily in
class
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Is sacramental
preparation offered?
Students at St Mary of Gostyn are
prepared for the sacraments of Reconciliation and Communion (The Eucharist) in
2nd grade and Confirmation in 8th grade.
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Is
computer instruction offered?
St. Mary ofGostynSchool
has a comprehensive and integrated technology curriculum. Students received individualized computer
instruction and the entire class benefits from the use of SmartBoards in each
classroom. Fall of 2011 brings 1:1
Technology to our 8th grade students at SMG School. Each student will be
assigned a Lenovo laptop computer to use the entire school year 24/7. Teachers' notes and students' notes will be
accessed from the hard drive of the computer at home as well as school. At home
students will access the Internet by going through our unique Virtual Personal
Network at St. Mary School. This will enable our students to use the Internet
still under the security of our school filter.
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Is
homework assigned every day?
Homework is a scheduled part of each school day that extends the learning
process beyond the classroom. It is also
an opportunity for special projects or reports. Homework must be completed on time since
unfinished assignments affect grades. Parents should check that assignments are
completed. Homework may be given over
the weekend. The amount of homework will
vary from time to time; however, it should never be excessive. If parents
notice a problem with the amount of time spent regularly on homework, they
should contact the teacher.
Starting in 1st grade,
students are given an assignment notebook to copy down assignments, projects
and upcoming tests.
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What is your
policy on homework due to Illness?
Students have one school day for each day of absence to make up the missed
class work and assignments. Arrangements for missed quizzes or tests are made
with the teacher and must be taken within one week of the student's return to
school.
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Do students take field trips?
Educational field trips are an integral part of the curriculum offered at each
grade level. Examples include 1st
grade trip to the Shedd Aquarium to learn about penguins after studying a
penguin unit in class or a 6th grade field trip to see a play at
Drury Lane Theater.
Parental signed permission slips
issued by the school, transportation fees and admission fees will be required.
See School Forms on the website for a permission form.
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Do you offer
mentor programs?
We have a Buddy Program that matches
the primary students with a "buddy” from the upper class. The class
buddies participate in various activities and events throughout the year.
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What
extracurricular activities does St. Mary of Gostyn School offer?
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Altar Servers
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Environmental Club
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Athletics
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Band
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Choir
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Spring Musical Production
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Geography Club
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Math Club
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Student Council
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Students for Life
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Boy Scouts
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Girl Scouts
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Robotics Club
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What is the maximum class size at
St. Mary of Gostyn?
Our goal is to keep class size of 30
students or less per classroom. Currently there are two classrooms per grade.
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Does SMG hire
certified highly qualified teachers?
The SMG teaching staff consists of
29 teachers - 10 holding Master's Degrees. Credentialed teachers lead our
classrooms through a rigorous blend of core subjects peppered with "specials”
including Spanish, computers, art and music. Our
faculty are lifelong learners through regularly scheduled professional
development sessions.
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Does
St. Mary of Gostyn have any teachers from religious orders?
Yes, three of our teachers are from
the holy order. Two of St. Mary of
Gostyn’s kindergarten teachers, Sr. Michael Gurgon and Sr. Lorraine Blocki are
from the Felician order. Sr. Mary
Catherine Evans, the Vice-Principal, is from the Dominican order.
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Is the St. Mary school campus a
closed campus?
Yes, once the students arrive at
school they are to remain the entire school day unless they have a pre-arranged
reason to leave. Students are not allowed to leave campus for lunch or to have
visitors at lunchtime.
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What is the
school uniform?
The uniform for boys in all grades
is navy pants and a white polo shirt.
Girls in Kindergarten have the option to wear a navy skort, girls in
grades 1-5 have the option to wear a plaid jumper and girls in grades 6-8 have
the option to wear a plaid split skirt.
There is a warm weather policy in the months of September and May. All students in grades 1-8 are required to
wear a gym uniform to gym class. The
school uniform is described in detail in the Parent Handbook. Students are expected to be dressed according
to the uniform policy every day except on designated out-of-uniform days.
The HSA organizes a uniform exchange
at the beginning of the school year.
These items are good-condition, used uniforms donated by school parents
and are free to SMG families.
New uniforms can be purchased
through Schoolbelles. Use school number S2110 when viewing the uniforms
online.
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What is your policy on tardiness?
Pupils in grades 1-8 who are not in their homeroom seats when the bell rings at
7:55 a.m. are marked tardy. In
kindergarten, students are tardy after 8:00 a.m. Doctor's appointments and late bus arrivals
are excused. Any other tardy should have
a written excuse and be presented to the office. Students receive a demerit for an unexcused
tardy which can result in an academic detention.
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What is your lunch time policy?
Parents are asked to send healthy food for their children's lunches and not
bring in food from carry-out restaurants. On Hot Lunch days, students have the option of
pre-ordering the special of the day or bringing their own lunch from home. Teacher permission is required before a parent
brings treats, lunch, or movies for a class. Courtesy toward other students and cooperation
with lunch monitors is expected of all students.
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Do you have a milk program?
Yes, the school offers the Government Milk Program to students in Kindergarten
– 8th grade. First semester fees are given in the August Parent
packet. Second semester fees are quoted later and collected in January.
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Do you have a food allergy policy?
St. Mary's recognizes that life-threatening food allergies are an important
condition affecting many children. The
school asks for the cooperation and understanding of all members of the
community to enact safety precautions to prevent serious reactions to those at
risk. Following are the steps to be taken:
1. Preschool, Kindergarten, first and second grade classes will be peanut/nut
free.
2. In grades 3-8, parents will alert the homeroom teacher and office staff of
children with peanut/nut allergies and plan appropriately.
3. All students, especially those in Grades 1-8, can wear an EpiPen to
self-administer or for the adult to do so.
4. All parents should notify the homeroom teacher, after-school staff, etc. at
beginning of the school year of food allergies so we are prepared to handle a
reaction.
5. The homeroom teacher (Preschool-Grade 8) and office staff (Grades 1-8)
should be given emergency medication by the parents to hold.
6. We will strongly encourage children not to share food.
7. Preschool parents provide all-class snacks on a rotating basis using an
approved food list. Kindergarten students bring their own daily snack; birthday
treats for the whole class are from an approved list. Grades 1-8 do not have
food as part of birthday celebrations, rather books or nonfood treats can be
brought in following classroom teacher's directions.
8. Appropriate strategies for
managing food allergies during field trips will be handled on an individual
basis.
9. When school begins, school staff, after-school care staff, and lunch
monitors will be trained how to administer an EpiPen. Every homeroom has
displayed an orange folder containing a list of students with food allergies
and what to do in an emergency. Parents and primary care providers and/or
allergists are asked to fill out the Food Allergy Action Plan. These are
available in the office and online in School Forms. A copy will be kept in the
office and in the student's homeroom.
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What
is your policy with student use of telephones?
All students may use the office telephone for emergency calls or school-related
business calls. Parent telephone messages will be relayed to the student. Students are allowed to bring cell phones
which must remain in the OFF position during the day and kept in the locker. Cell phones may not be used for picture taking
or game playing while on school grounds. Those who violate these rules may forfeit the
privilege of bringing cell phones to school.
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What is your
policy for school absences?
Parents are asked to call the school
(630/968-6155) to report their child's absence between 7:30-8:15 a.m. (The
school will follow up if a call is not received.) When calling, parents should
1. Explain reason the child is staying home. If you don't know the child's
illness, then you need to call back after the doctor visit. 2. The student should be kept home if he/she
has a fever of 100 or higher. 3. Expect
a call from the school to take your child home if he/she has a fever of 100 or
higher. 4. Send your child back to
school when he/she is fever-free for 24 hrs.
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Can
I schedule my student appointments during the day?
Doctor/Dentist appointments should be scheduled outside of school hours. If a student needs to leave the building
during the school day, he/she needs a note with the date, time, reason, and
parent's signature. The
parent/guardian/designated adult must pick up the student at the school office.
Students are not allowed to leave the
building alone.
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What is your policy on vacations?
Vacations should coincide with the School Calendar. Extended vacations are
strongly discouraged because there is no such thing as make-up work; teachers
can only attempt to offset the loss of instructional time. With the increase of
teacher-pupil interaction, discussion groups, computer-assisted instruction,
etc., a loss of a day may be detrimental to a student's progress. Teachers
should be notified before the vacation and are not required to give work that
will be done while the student is out. The student is responsible to find out
and complete all the assignments, projects, quizzes, and tests assigned or
missed. Makeup work should be completed outside of regular school hours.
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What is your policy with medication
in school?
All medication is self-administered by the student under the supervision of the
school personnel. Medication is limited to those required during school hours
which are necessary to maintain the student in school and to those needed in
the event of an emergency. A student must have a Physician Request Form and a
Parental Authorization Form on file. These can be downloaded in School Forms.
The prescription medication must be brought in a pharmaceutical container
clearly marked with the student's name, the name of the medication, and
instructions. The over the counter medication must be brought with the
manufacturer's original label and the child's name affixed. All medication is
kept in the school office. (Exception: Students who must carry and
self-administer medication.) The classroom teacher should be told if a student
is on medication and of the side effects. A note must be sent to school each day
that over-the-counter cough drops, etc., are to be used.
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What is your policy for parents, volunteers,
and visitors?
Parents, volunteers, and visitors are welcome at St. Mary's. In order to
maintain a safe environment for our students and staff, all doors to the school
are locked so visitors must enter through the front doors which are monitored
by the office staff. All visitors are
required to sign in and out in at the school office and to wear a badge while
in the building. Parents are asked to
handle all matters in the office or arrange for an appointment to see a teacher
through a note, telephone message, or email message. They should not come into
the classroom to see their child or the teacher or to bring in items.
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What happens if
illness/accident occurs at school?
In case of illness or an accident, the school will use the following
procedures: 1. Contact the parents, 2. Call the emergency contacts on the
student card, 3. Notify the family doctor if the situation warrants, 4. Take
necessary emergency steps to ensure the well being of the student. It is essential that correct information is
provided on the emergency cards in the school office. This includes correct
cell and work numbers of parents, names and phone numbers of emergency contacts
and doctors.
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Does St Mary of Gostyn have a Crisis
Plan?
St. Mary's has a Crisis Plan in place in case of a lockdown or any other
emergency situation. When we implement the Plan and circumstances permit,
parents will be notified through the Notification System. Teachers and staff
are trained on the policy and school-wide fire drills and lockdown drills are
conducted throughout the year.
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How do I find
out if there is an Emergency School Closing?
If weather or circumstances dictate that we not open the school or that we
close before the regularly scheduled time, we will contact parents using our
Emergency Notification System. This system may also be used to alert families
of other school-related situations. At the beginning of the year, parents are
asked to submit a day and a night number where the message can be left. If you
receive a message from the System and want to hear it again, call
1-877-698-3261, select 1, and give the phone number you were called at. Radio
and TV stations will also be notified. Sign up at www.emergencyclosings.com to
receive email notification. Please do not phone the school or rectory for
information as this makes the phone lines inaccessible for emergency use.
Families should have plans in place in the event that no one is home when the
student arrives. When school is closed, all after-school events are cancelled.
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