School and home share the responsibility of communicating with each other for the well-being of the students. The written word and the spoken word are important means to keep the channels open and information flowing. Each family will receive a Student Directory and a Family Handbook. Timely information regarding school and grade-level activities will be posted on the school’s web page. A link to OLV’s “Thursday Folder,” which contains weekly announcements, will be posted on the school’s web page. The Thursday Folder will be available as an electronic version only. An e-mail reminder with the “Thursday Folder” link will also be transmitted to all families who have provided OLV with an e-mail address. Teachers will send home a classroom folder every Thursday, which will contain graded papers and class-specific newsletters to keep parents informed about special grade-level/classroom events and what the children are studying. Families of students in grades PK through 4 will receive monthly class newsletters. It is the parent’s responsibility to review the information that is sent home.
The principal publishes regular News Releases via Constant Contact, which are inclusive of all important school-wide announcements and upcoming events. Weekly communications are posted on the school’s web page at the beginning of each week.
Other means of communication include Twitter, the annual calendar, school directory, Edline reports (for grades 2 through 8), including interim reports, report cards, principal’s letters and information sessions, teacher webpages, conference days, the OLV Home and School Association meetings, and Advisory Council meetings and minutes.
Edline
Edline is an online program (for grades 2 through 8) that allows OLV teachers to post grades and allow parents to access their student’s grades quickly and easily. Grade reports will be sent to the Edline accounts of parents via the web address parents have furnished to OLV.
All families are required to have an e-mail address in order to access grades on Edline. (“Hard copy” interim reports will no longer be available.)
Edline training for parents will be scheduled at the beginning of the school year.
Telephone Calls
The telephones in the school are to be used for school business only. Students must have teacher/administration permission to use the school phones. Cell phones are not permitted to be used by students while at school for any reason. This means that students may not have a cell phone in their backpacks or lockers at any time during the school day.
In an emergency, the office will make a call for a student. Forgetting books, PE clothes, or making arrangements for after school activities are student responsibilities that must be handled before coming to school and will not be considered emergencies.
Generally, teachers are unavailable to answer telephone messages during the school day. A parent may leave a message in the office for a teacher, and this will be placed in the teacher’s mailbox. Every effort will be made to return a parent’s call within 24 hours. Teachers do not have voice mail but do have e-mail.
Emergency Messages During School Hours
In an emergency, a message may be given to a child through the office. Students will not be called from the classroom to receive telephone calls. Please discuss after-school arrangements with your child before coming to school in order to keep the number of phone messages delivered to classrooms to a minimum.
Appointments and/or Conferences
Appointments to meet with teachers or administrators may be made by telephone, e-mail, or written communication. If a parent is concerned about a student’s academic, social or behavioral progress, contact with the teacher (or teachers) involved must be made before contacting the administration. Concerns cannot be addressed until communication is established. Parents are encouraged to communicate regularly with the faculty and the staff regarding the welfare of their child. Conferences may have two faculty members present.
E-mail
A list of teachers’ e-mail addresses will be available in the school directory and on the web page. As a general rule, the e-mail address for a teacher is the first initial of his/her first name and his/her last name.olvpatriots.org. For example, Ms. Jane Smiths' e-mail address is jsmith@olvpatriots.org. Staff members are not permitted to answer e-mails that come directly from students; therefore, only parents/guardians should e-mail teachers at school or home.
Thursday Folder
There will be a link to the “Thursday Folder” on OLV’s website. An e-mail reminder with the “Thursday Folder” link will also be transmitted to all families who have provided OLV with an e-mail address.
All information contained in the Thursday folder must be approved by the principal. Information must be submitted by Monday, 12:00 noon, for consideration. Items of a personal nature will not be approved.
Graded papers and class-specific information will be transmitted by teachers in a weekly classroom folder each Thursday.
Directory and Handbook
Each family receives one copy of the school directory and one copy of the school handbook. This handbook is a contract between the home and school. The school reserves the right (with notification) to amend the handbook at any time.
The school directory is published for the convenience of the OLV school community and is not to be used for promotional purposes. Extra directories may be purchased from the front office when available.
Use of School Name, Logo, and Motto
No one may use the school name, logo, or motto on any type of social media or in any other way, e.g., putting the name on t-shirts, for example, without the express written permission of the principal.
Calendar
The school calendar is included in the “July mailing” to all families. All current events will be contained in the weekly “News Release,” published by the principal. Grade-specific announcements and events will be distributed by respective teacher(s).
Website
School-related information, contact information, and forms can be found on the official school website: http://www.olvcatholicsch.org. Please refer to the website for the most up-to-date information. Student photos may be used on the OLV website; however, student names will not be used.
Change of Address and Transfers
The office should be informed immediately of a change of address and/or telephone number(s).
The school must have current contact resources for parents or guardians at all times.