School Policies
School Policies Overview
At Holy Family School, our policies are designed to support the safety, well-being, and academic success of every student. They provide clear expectations for students, families, and staff while reflecting our Catholic values and commitment to a positive learning environment.
On this page, you will find guidance on:
- Attendance and Daily Procedures – Expectations for regular, punctual attendance, tardiness, and absences.
- Health and Safety – Hand hygiene, illness prevention, and protocols for communicable diseases.
- Family and Custodial Guidelines – Custody considerations and responsibilities of parents/guardians.
- Technology and Acceptable Use – Safe, responsible use of computers, the internet, and school technology.
- Faith Life and Sacramental Participation – Participation in Mass, liturgies, and preparation for sacraments.
- Student Conduct and School Authority – Rules for personal belongings, lockers, and maintaining a safe, respectful environment.
These policies help ensure a consistent, nurturing, and faith-filled school experience for all students. We encourage families to review them carefully and reach out to the school office with any questions.
Attendance and Daily Procedures
Regular and punctual attendance is essential to a student’s academic success. Parents are encouraged to schedule vacations and medical appointments outside of school hours whenever possible.
Parents must notify the school office by 8:50 a.m. each day a student is absent. Upon returning to school, students must provide a signed written note explaining the absence. If a student is absent for more than five consecutive days, a physician’s note is required for each additional day of absence.
Absences may be excused for reasons including personal illness, illness in the family, death in the family, or quarantine for a contagious disease. Students missing more than twelve days in a school year may be considered in academic jeopardy. In such cases, a meeting with parents, teachers, and the principal may be required to determine next steps.
Students are responsible for making up missed work. Teachers will not provide assignments in advance or during absences, whether excused or unexcused. Assignments are available through Gradelink and may be completed upon return to school.
Students arriving after 10:15 a.m. are considered half-day absent. Students leaving before 10:15 a.m. are considered absent for the full day. Leaving before 1:00 p.m. or missing two or more hours during the school day results in a half-day absence.
The school day begins at 8:30 a.m. Students arriving after the 8:25 a.m. bell are considered tardy and must report to the office for a tardy slip. Excessive tardiness may result in disciplinary action. Truancy, including excessive absences or tardiness, is not tolerated and may be reported to juvenile authorities if it continues.
Students may not leave the school building during the day without being signed out by a parent or legal guardian.
Dress Code and Grooming Policy
DownloadVIOLATIONS WILL BE TREATED AS AN INFRACTION OF THE GROOMING AND DRESS CODE
Dress Code Violation Notices will be issued to students for non-compliance with dress code policies. An accumulation of three (3) violation notices will result in detention or other disciplinary action.
Download the Dress Code Policy
This policy is provided as a guide to ensure uniformity. We reserve the right to determine the appropriateness/acceptability of any and all student attire.
Health and Student Safety Policies
Hand Hygiene Protocol
Holy Family School promotes healthy habits to prevent the spread of illness. Students and staff are expected to practice proper hand hygiene throughout the school day.
Hands must be washed with soap and warm water for at least twenty seconds after restroom use, when visibly soiled, after contact with bodily fluids, after athletic activities, before and after food preparation, and after handling animals or chemicals.
Hand sanitizer may be used when hands are not visibly dirty, including after coughing or sneezing, before and after eating, after recess, and when handwashing facilities are not readily available.
Handwashing signage, soap, towels or air dryers, and hand sanitizer dispensers are provided throughout the school. Instruction on proper hand hygiene is provided at least once each school year.
AIDS Policy
Students diagnosed with AIDS, ARC, or HIV may attend Holy Family School provided their health allows participation in regular school activities, they pose no risk to others, and they can control bodily secretions. Ongoing medical documentation may be required.
Parents or guardians are required to inform school administration if a child has been diagnosed with AIDS or HIV-related illnesses. Confidentiality will be maintained, and only essential personnel will be informed to ensure proper care.
Participation in certain activities may be limited based on the student’s condition. If exclusion from school becomes necessary, alternative catechetical instruction will be provided.
Family and Custodial Policy
Holy Family School recognizes that family custodial situations may change. Parents are responsible for providing the school with current, legal documentation related to custody or visitation arrangements.
The school will follow court orders as written and cannot mediate custody disputes. A complete copy of the Custody Policy is available online or through the school office.
Technology and Acceptable Use Policies
Computer and Technology Policy
Holy Family School provides students with access to technology to support academic learning. This includes classroom devices, a computer lab, and internet access.
Technology use is intended to supplement classroom instruction. Parents are required to sign an Acceptable Use Policy at the beginning of each school year.
Acceptable Use Policy
Technology and internet access are provided to enhance educational opportunities. While safeguards are in place, families are advised that some online content may be inappropriate.
Parents and guardians are responsible for setting expectations for their child’s technology use. Internet access requires parental permission for students under eighteen.
Holy Family School reserves the right to monitor usage to ensure appropriate and responsible behavior.
Faith Life and Sacramental Policies
Mass and Liturgical Participation
Participation in the Eucharist is central to life at Holy Family School. Students regularly attend school Masses and liturgical celebrations, including Holy Days of Obligation.
Parents are encouraged to attend school Masses and are expected to ensure weekend Mass attendance as part of parish membership. Sacramental opportunities such as Reconciliation, Stations of the Cross, the Rosary, and May Crowning are offered throughout the year.
Servers and lectors are selected from students in Grades 6 through 8.
Sacramental Policies
Holy Family Parish recognizes parents as the primary educators of their children in faith formation. Sacramental preparation is a parish-based process involving families, catechists, and pastoral staff.
Preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist is emphasized in second grade and includes mandatory parent meetings. First Communion is typically celebrated in April. Parish participation is required for sacramental preparation.
Student Conduct and School Authority
Search and Seizure Policy
To ensure the safety of all students, school officials may search a student’s backpack or personal belongings when there is reasonable suspicion that prohibited items are present.
School lockers remain the property of Holy Family School and may be searched at any time.