Absences
Consistent attendance is very important for each student’s academic progress in school. Absence from school should occur only for illness or serious reasons. When it is necessary for a student to be absent from school, please telephone school between 7:45 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. to report the absence, at 610-664-9847, ext. 101. Children must be present at least four hours in school, or they will be marked absent.

On the day the student returns to school, a note is required for the homeroom teacher. In cases of frequent or prolonged absences (five or more consecutive days), a doctor’s certificate is required. If you know in advance that a child will be absent, please send a note prior to the anticipated absence.

Under the discretion of the principal, an excused lateness will be given to any student arriving on a late bus/van or late because of inclement weather.  An excused absence would come under the category of a Confirmation-related absence, family funeral (immediate family) and high school visit (three per student).

Perfect attendance certificates are also given at the Achievement Assembly. For perfect attendance purposes, a student must not have any unexcused absences. An excused absence would come under the category of a Confirmation-related absence, family funeral or high school visit (three per student). Chronic unexcused lateness (10 plus) will prevent a student from receiving this award.

Accident Procedure
If a pupil is injured in an accident, the school nurse or other designated school employee will administer first aid. First aid is interpreted as being the immediate and temporary care given to a pupil who has been injured or has suddenly taken ill.

The principal and/or vice principal will be notified immediately when a serious accident occurs. Parents or guardians will also be notified and informed if the injured child needs transportation by ambulance or other emergency vehicle.

Universal precautions will be taken (gloves worn) when dealing with any accidents involving blood or bodily fluids.

The school nurse, in conjunction with the teacher or staff member present and responsible for the child at the time of the accident, will complete an accident report. The report will be filed in the student’s folder in the principal’s office. A copy of the accident report will be given to the vice principal, who will follow up with a phone call to the family.

Accounts
Tuition accounts and After Care fees must be kept current. Delinquent accounts may prohibit a student from participating in extracurricular activities such as sports, theatre, choral engagements, etc. The Athletic and Music Departments closely coordinate activities with the Business Office to implement this policy.

A student with a delinquent account at year end:

• will be prohibited from participating in closing exercises (Montessori through Grade 8);
• will not receive a final report card; and/or
• may forfeit enrollment status for the upcoming academic year.

AIDS
Waldron Mercy Academy does not discriminate with regard to students infected with HIV. These students will be placed in classroom situations according to procedures operative for all students and are entitled to the same rights, privileges and services. Decisions concerning changes, if any, in the educational program of the student infected with HIV will be made on a case-by-case basis by the principal in consultation with a review committee. These decisions, based on up-to-date scientific evidence, medical advice and legal consultation, will reflect the Christian perspective of respect for the individual.

Conscious of the sensitive nature of the disease, the identity of those students infected with HIV shall be held in confidence. Information will be provided on a need-to-know basis.


Arrival
Formal supervision in the Dixon Gym begins at 7:40 a.m. No student should be in the building before that time. All students report to the Dixon Gym. No students (with the exception of walkers) should enter through the main door unless arriving after 8:15 a.m. School officially begns at 8:05 a.m. Attendance will be taken at 8:15 a.m. A child who is not in his or her classroom at that time will be marked late.

By Car
Parents must drop all students off at the car line doors. All students who arrive by car should go directly to the Dixon Gym. Please refrain from using cell phones during arrival on campus and remember to maintain a safe speed of 10 miles per hour.
By Bus
Students transported by bus enter the building through the designated door and go directly to the Dixon Gym.
Walkers
Students should enter through the front door and proceed to the Dixon Gym.


Communications
All school communication can be found in the WMA Weekly, the school’s weekly e-newsletter for parents. The publication will be e-mailed on Thursdays of each week to the main e-mail address on file in the Main Office.


Contact Lens Policy
(Information provided through Flinn Scientific Safety Seminars available at http://www.flinnsci.com)
Contact lenses are commonly worn by students and in many instances, are the only corrective eyewear they possess. However, there are hazards associated with the wearing of contact lenses in the science lab.

Should a chemical splash to the eye occur, the chemical could be held under the contact lens and against the surface of the cornea, possibly causing permanent eye damage.

The involuntary spasm of the eyelid and the “panicked” nature of the student, if a chemical splash occurs, impairs the quick removal of the contact lens which may result in irreversible damage.

OSHA and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) agree that dusty and/or chemical environments (irritating fumes, etc.) may represent an additional hazard to contact lens wearers.
For years these potential hazards prompted safety specialists to prohibit the wearing of contact lenses in the science lab. Recently the American Chemical Society has reversed its stance on this issue. However, the National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety lists more than 400 chemicals in their Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards that recommend against contact lens use.

The science faculty at Waldron Mercy Academy highly recommends that students not wear contact lenses on lab days. Students who wear contact lenses will be given permission forms.


Crisis Plan
The safety of your children is our main priority. In the event of a crisis or emergency, parents play a very special role. If communication is operational, every effort will be made to contact each parent. To that end, parents will be notified by e-mail, which was provided by them as an emergency contact. If there is an emergency at WMA which causes the evacuation of the building:

Evacuation of School Building (not the campus)
Students would go directly to the gymnasium at:
Merion Mercy Academy
511 Montgomery Avenue
Merion Station, PA
610-664-6655
Parents would use the Meetinghouse Lane entrance which leads to the gym, rather than the Montgomery Avenue exit, since that would probably be blocked. Faculty and staff will be with the children at all times. Parents should go directly to this location and follow instructions for orderly dismissal of their children.

Campus Evacuation
Students would be taken by public school buses to:
Welsh Valley Middle School
1320 Hagysford Road
Penn Valley, PA
610-664-3112
This school, a designated safe place for the students, was chosen because it can accommodate our entire student and faculty/staff population. From Waldron Mercy Academy, head west on Montgomery Avenue towards Ardmore. At the fourth light, turn right on Old Gulph Road. Continue straight through the first light. At the first stop sign, bear slightly to the right (the street sign reads Right Turn Keep Moving). This street becomes Hagysford Road.
Continue on Hagysford Road through the next traffic light at Conshohocken State Road. After a short distance you will see St. Justin Martyr Roman Catholic Church on the left. Turn left onto the first street, Tower Lane. The school is on the right. The total distance is 2.03 miles.


Discipline
Students who attend Waldron Mercy Academy experience an atmosphere in which they are led to growing respect for themselves, for others and for the environment. The goal of discipline is to assist the students in making responsible choices, and to maintain a positive teaching and learning atmosphere. Teachers establish rules for the classroom based on the school code of conduct and school-wide rules. These rules are posted in the classroom. No corporal punishment is allowed at any time under any circumstances.

Discipline — Code of Conduct
The students at Waldron Mercy Academy are taught in a spirit of Mercy, based on the foundation of openness, trust, hospitality and outreach. Students are expected to practice and promote this spirit on a daily basis. Discipline at WMA is intended to provide positive guidance, redirect and set clear behavior limits. It shall assist the child in the development of self-control, self-respect and consideration for the rights and properties of others.

One of the goals of WMA is to develop a cooperative and supportive relationship between school and home. Positive changes in the student’s attitude and behavior can only occur when school rules and expectations are reinforced at home. It is, therefore, essential the student know that both home and school are working together to help him or her develop self-discipline.

Discipline — School-Wide Rules
Teachers clearly communicate and enforce these expectations to the students. By communicating and enforcing these guidelines, Waldron Mercy ensures that its disciplinary practices and procedures are consistent, reasonable and fair.

These rules apply to behavior in school, on school buses, at dances, during school-sponsored field trips, as well as athletic and school activities on weekends and/or evenings.

Students are expected to:

• Be on time for school and classes every day. Students who arrive after 8:15 a.m. need to sign in at the front desk and provide a written note for lateness to their homeroom teachers.
  
• Be supervised at all times and travel throughout the building in two’s or in a group. No student is allowed in any area of the school campus without the permission and knowledge of the teacher or other staff member in charge.
  
• Be prepared for each class with completed homework and all materials required by the teacher.
  
• Observe classroom rules and follow the direction of any faculty or staff member in class, in the hallways and on school grounds.
  
• Leave valuables at home. WMA is not responsible for broken, lost or stolen items.
  
• Keep cell phones in the “off” position between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 3:05 p.m.
  
• Be in complete uniform each day.
  
• Follow the tenets of the Responsible Use Policy concerning computers and the Internet.
  
• Maintain appropriate behavior at all times. Students may not fight, bully, harass, threaten, touch another person inappropriately or otherwise endanger the safety of others in school.
  
• Use appropriate language. Profanity, abusive and hurtful language, and racial or ethnic comments are not acceptable.
  
• Display good manners and sportsmanship in all activities.
  
• Maintain appropriate behavior in the Cafeteria. Voices should be kept at a conversational level. Each student is responsible for making sure the eating area is clean before leaving the table. No food or drink should leave the Cafeteria.
  
• Students are forbidden to bring weapons (toy, real or simulated) anywhere on our school premises and from smoking, using and/or selling drugs, and alcohol. Immediate disciplinary action will be taken for an offense of this nature.
  
• Respect property, textbooks and others’ belongings.
  

Disciplinary Procedure
When there are behavior problems with a student, the following general guidelines will be followed:

• The classroom teacher meets with the student to resolve the problem.
  
• Contact is made with the parent(s) by the teacher.
  
• The principal or vice principal meets with the student. If appropriate, the counselor is also consulted.
  
• A conference is scheduled with the parent(s), principal or vice principal, teacher, and student (and counselor, if appropriate).
  
• If parents have a concern regarding student matters, they should first contact the teacher involved.
  
• If further resolution is required, parents should contact Joan Silva, at 610-664-9847, ext. 122, to schedule an appointment with the principal and/or appropriate administrator.

Students who refuse to follow policies or deliberately disregard the rules will be subject to disciplinary action. The action may include a conference, corrective assignment, behavior modification, and/or removal of privileges (including participation in extracurricular activities). If these procedures are not successful, the student may be suspended or expelled, based on the decision of the principal.

Dismissal
Dismissal begins with prayer at 2:50 p.m. ( 11:50 a.m. on early dismissal days) followed by instructions for car, walker, Mercy After Care, sport, and bus lines.

Car
Parents are not permitted to pick up their children in the Dixon Gym or the Front Lobby. Please pull in the front driveway and form two lines. Do not leave your car for any reason. Display a card in the front windshield with the names and grades of all the children you are transporting. Follow the directions of the teachers in the car line. Teachers will escort your children to the car. Children who are not picked up by 3:20 p.m. will go to After Care and be charged accordingly. Please refrain from using cell phones during dismissal on campus and remember to maintain a safe speed of 10 miles per hour.

Bus
Students will be dismissed from the Dixon Gym as their buses arrive. A teacher will walk them to the buses. If a bus does not arrive at school by 3:40 p.m. , parents will be notified.

Walkers
Only children who live within a one-mile radius of the school will be permitted to walk home. Permission notes must be on file in the Main Office for students to walk home. A teacher will cross the children at the traffic light at Merion Road and Montgomery Avenue .


Early Dismissal
A note stating the reason and time for the early dismissal is required when a student must be dismissed early from school. Students who leave early will be sent to the Front Lobby. Early dismissal means leaving the school before 2:30 p.m. No students will be allowed to wait in the Front Lobby between 2:30 and 3:30 . p.m. If there is an emergency change in dismissal, parents must call the Front Desk before 2:30 p.m.


Weather-Related Closings
If it is necessary to close school because of bad weather, there will be a notice on the school’s Web site and voicemail.

Please listen to the major television networks (ABC, CBS and NBC) and radio stations including KYW Newsradio (1060 AM) for the school’s snow number 362. No telephone chain call will be made.

If it becomes necessary to close school during a school day, your child must have a prearranged plan. All extracurricular activities, sports and Mercy After Care will be canceled.

Homework Policy
Please refer to the current homework policy, which can be found on the WMA Web site, at www.waldronmercy.org, under “Students.” All grades have a Web site.



Medications
Medications will not be given in school without specific written orders from a physician and written consent from the parent or guardian. Completion of a medication form is required. The school nurse keeps the medications in a locked medicine cabinet. The school nurse administers the medication.


Peanut Policy
The Cafeteria has peanut-free tables for children with peanut allergies. In certain classrooms, teachers limit peanut-containing foods, based on individual student needs.


Responsible Use Policy - 2007 to 2008
Waldron Mercy Academy provides a computer network and Internet access for its students for the purposes of communication, informational retrieval, research and collaboration. Use of the school’s network is a privilege and not a right. Students are expected to use this privilege responsibly and in accordance with the school’s values and mission. Students are responsible for good behavior on school computers just as they are in a classroom or a school hallway.

The following list, while not comprehensive, details activities that are not permitted.

• Only authorized users can access the school’s network.
  
• Students may not use others’ passwords, or trespass in others’ folders, work or files.
  
• Students may not waste limited network resources such as disk space or printing capacity.
  
• Transferring copyrighted material without express permission of the owner is a violation of federal law.
  
• Students may not plagiarize works they find on the Internet or violate copyright laws.
  
• Illegal downloading of copyrighted software and downloading and sharing of music/video files are prohibited.
  
• Student use of the Internet will be directed by the teacher and limited to school-related assignments.
  
• For reasons of personal safety, students may never post personal contact information about themselves or other people.
  
• Students may not access material that is profane or obscene or that advocates illegal acts, violence or discrimination towards others.
  
• Students may not harass or annoy any other Internet users or knowingly or recklessly post false or unkind information about a person or organization.
  
• Students may not post or upload pictures of themselves or others of an inappropriate nature to the Internet.
  
• Students are not to access game sites unless authorized by a teacher.
  
• Students may not use the Internet to check, send, or receive e-mail from their personal e-mail accounts unless specifically directed to do so by a teacher.
  
• Students may not access Instant Messenger, chat rooms, or Web logs (blogs) unless specifically directed to do so by a teacher.
  
• Students may not access or post anything to social networking/online diaries sites such as MySpace.com, Xanga.com, Friendster.com, LiveJournal.com, Facebook.com, etc., or their own Web pages while using school computers.
  
• Students may not use the name “ Waldron Mercy Academy ” or any variation of it in their own social networking/online diary sites or on their own Web pages.
  
• Students may not post pictures taken at school or that portray school or any of Waldron Mercy Academy ’s students, faculty and staff on any social networking/online diary sites or on their own Web pages.
  
• Students and their parents will be held financially responsible for deliberate damage to any of the school’s computers and technology materials. Seventh and eighth grade students who do not return the Language Arts I-text CD, or return it damaged, will be billed for the cost of replacing it.
  
• Sixth, seventh and eighth grades may use flash drives for school-related projects.
  
• Students may not deliberately attempt to disrupt or destroy computer systems or data by spreading computer viruses.

Network storage areas are treated like school lockers. Network and/or school administrators may review files and communications to maintain system integrity and ensure that users are using the system responsibly. Users should not expect that files stored on Waldron Mercy Academy ’s servers will be private.

When using the school’s Computer Lab, classroom and library computers, or laptops, students and parents acknowledge and agree to follow the above policy.

Violations of these rules will result in any or all of the following:

• Loss of computer privileges for a defined period of time;
  
• Loss of Internet access for a defined period of time; and/or
  
• Disciplinary or legal action by the school or other involved parties.

Waldron Mercy Academy reserves the right to amend this policy at any time.

Science Lab Safety
Students must adhere to the following procedures when working in the Science Lab:

• Equipment or chemicals may not be removed from the classroom by students without the teacher’s permission.
  
• Classroom science activities should not be tried at home by students without asking the teacher first for permission.
  
• Experiments may not be performed by the students when the teacher is not in the classroom.
  
• Safety goggles must be worn by the students at all times during experiments.
  
• When in the Science Lab, students must direct their attention to the lab activity and behave appropriately.
  
• Students must notify the teacher immediately of accidents.
  
• Students need to read and follow directions carefully. They also should listen to the teacher for additional verbal instructions before beginning the activity.
  
• If the teacher asks for a student's attention during the activity, he or she is to immediately stop what he or she is doing and pay special attention.
  
• Students must report any unsafe situations or incidents to the teacher, such as chemical spills or chemical splashes.
  
• Students are to never work alone. When reading labels or measuring something, lab partners should double check readings.
  
• Students need to know the proper name and proper use of all science equipment used in the activity. They are never to use a piece of equipment for anything other than for which it is designed.
  

Telephones
Students must request a pass from the homeroom teacher to make a telephone call during the day. Students need to give the pass to the person at the front desk before they make the phone call. Students may have cell phones, but they must be turned off during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 3:05 p.m.

Textbooks
Textbook forms must be on file in the Main Office for every Waldron Mercy Academy student.


Transportation
Public school districts are required to provide transportation for non-public school students under Act 372. Not all districts provide transportation for younger children or early dismissals. Please check with your school district for this information.

Children may not take a bus other than their own as most school districts do not allow unauthorized students to ride their buses, even with parental note. An exception to this must have the express written permission of the principal.

Both parents need to inform the school secretary, in writing, if their child is taking a different form of transportation home from school.

If the primary mode of transportation changes during the year, parents must also contact the school secretary.

Uniforms
Please refer to the current uniform policy , which can be found on the WMA Web site, at www.waldronmercy.org, under “Parents.”


Violence
All threats of violence will be taken seriously. Teachers and staff members will report any student threats promptly to the principal.

A student who makes a threat will be suspended from school and required to receive counseling.

If a teacher or staff member threatens a student, parent or another employee and the threat is verified, the employee will be dismissed.

Visitors
Whenever parents, relatives, friends or vendors visit during the school day, they need to register by signing the visitor book which is in the reception area in the front hall and state the purpose of their visits. They will then be given visitors’ passes to wear prominently while in the school building. When they leave the building, they should sign out and note their departure time. Parents should not visit their children during the school day except for an emergency, volunteer opportunity or with teacher approval.

Although staff parking may be available because staff members start at various times, please park in spaces designated for visitors only.


Right to Amend
Waldron Mercy Academy reserves the right to amend school policies and procedures.  Parents will be notified of changes in policies and procedures.



Signature Page

Please click on the link above. Signed form due to Lorraine Cox, Main Office, by Friday, September 28, 2007.


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