School Policies

To Parents:

  • Please stay up to date with the St. Cecilia news by reading the weekly eNewsletter each week.

Below are important highlights from the School Handbook that both parents and students should be aware of. Specific class policies (late work, grading, etc) may differ from teacher to teacher will be discussed at Back to School Night.

Cell Phones & Digital Devices

Students are not allowed to use cell phones once they are on school campus. Cell phones brought to school must be TURNED OFF and kept in the student’s backpack until they are off campus.

If the parent needs to contact his/her child during the school day, the parent should call the school office and leave a message. The school is not responsible for damaged or lost cell phones or other digital devices.

Bullying

Bullying is mean or hurtful behavior that keeps happening, causing harm and/or distress to the victim. Bullying has 3 defining characteristics:

  1. Deliberate: intentional harm-doing

  2. Repeated: bullying targets the victim more than once

  3. Power Imbalance: bully conveys more verbal/physical/social/psychological power than the victim

Bullying occurs in many different forms with varying levels of severity. It may include:

    • Physical bullying: pushing, hitting, poking, kicking, tripping

    • Verbal bullying: yelling, taunting, name-calling, insulting, threatening to harm

    • Relational/Social/Friendship bullying: intentional exclusion, leaving someone out on purpose or trying to get others to not play or spend time with someone, spreading rumors or untruths about someone

    • Cyberbullying: using a cell phone or social media to threaten, humiliate, insult, or isolate another person

Any student who engages or participates in bullying will be subject to disciplinary measures. Please alert a teacher and/or school administrator if you feel you are a victim of bullying or know of someone who is. All information and disciplinary actions are kept confidential.

Internet Usage

From the School Handbook:

Students in all grades sign a contract for acceptable use of the Internet while at school. Students are also expected to responsibly use the Internet outside of school time.

St. Cecilia School’s mission and philosophy statements, the Schoolwide Learning Expectations, and the Code of Christian Conduct state that our school’s purpose is to help parents develop children who are active Christians and who show respect and compassion for others. Moreover, students should behave, both on and off campus, in a manner that is consistent with Christian principles. Actions contrary to Christian values and the Gospel message will not be tolerated. Messages/displays that pertain to sexual activity, profane jokes/messages, racist pictures/comments, and vulgar language are not acceptable.

Disciplinary action will be taken for irresponsible use of the Internet. The St. Cecilia School administration recommends that parents neither allow nor encourage students to have social media accounts.

Care of Books, Desks, and Laptops

Each child is responsible for his/her set of textbooks, desks, and laptops. All hardback textbooks should be covered with a cloth book cover. If a student writes in a book (that is not meant to be written in) or defaces it in any way, he/she must pay for its replacement. If a student marks or damages a desk, he/she will be required to pay for its repair or replacement. Any student whose careless use of a laptop results in laptop damage will be required to pay for its repair or replacement.

Medication

Children taking medication during school must bring it to the school office. Forms indicating how often the medication must be taken and the proper dosage are available in the office and must be signed by the doctor. It is the student’s responsibility to come to the office for his/her medication. If a parent does not feel that the child is old enough or responsible enough to do this, then the child should remain at home as long as he/she needs medication. School personnel do not administer medication.

Detention Grades 7-8

In the Junior High Department, detention is one method that may be used for poor conduct choices or inappropriate behavior. Parents are notified by telephone for each detention. If the student cannot serve on the appointed day, a phone call or a note from the parent validating the reason is required, so that the detention may be rescheduled.

The student stays after school for thirty minutes for the first detention received and fifteen minutes for each detention received thereafter on the same day. If a student does not show up to the assigned detention, the detention time is doubled and will be served the next scheduled detention day.

School-wide Grading Code (Grades 3-8)

    • A = 96 - 100 C = 74 - 80

    • A- = 93 - 95 C- = 70 - 73

    • B+ = 91 - 92 D+ = 67 - 69

    • B = 87 - 90 D = 63 - 66

    • B- = 84 - 86 D- = 60 - 62

    • C+ = 81 - 83 F = 59 - below

Technology, Art, Music, and P.E.:

    • P = Participates

    • NP = Does not participate

Earning Honors

Each academic trimester, First Honors & Second Honors Awards are given to students who earn commendable marks for academic excellence.

These are determined by a points system.

    • A, A- = 3 points

    • B+, B, B- =1 point

All other grades receive zero points.

The 6 subjects considered when calculating a student's total points for the trimester are: Religion, Math, Science, Social Studies, Literature, and English. The following subjects do not count toward a student's point total: Spelling/Vocab, Technology, PE, and Art.

Since there are 6 subjects considered, the highest amount of points a student can earn per trimester is 18.

    • 12-18 points = First Honors

    • 6-11 points = Second Honors

Disqualification for any honors occurs when any academic subject is evaluated with a D+, D, D-, or F, or when any conduct grade is evaluated as a 3 or 4. Students will receive a note card-sized certificate with their report card indicating if they have earned first or second honors. These are for students to keep.

Other Awards

Citizenship Awards will be awarded to students who completed 12 or more hours of school-based service in an academic trimester. These hours must be logged on the Service Sheet provided by the teacher and must by signed each time by the faculty member for whom they completed service. Service hours can be earned by assisting a teacher in his or her classroom after school, helping staff set up for an assembly or other school event, helping in the Rectory, altar serving, student council participation, etc. Students who earn 15 or more hours of school-based service in an academic trimester will receive a free dress pass in addition to the Citizenship award.

The CJSF Award will be awarded at the end of each trimester to all qualifying students. CJSF stands for California Junior Scholastic Federation. In order to receive this award, students must have earned a minimum of 12 total academic points for the trimester AND completed a minimum of 12 service hours. If a student earns CJSF for 2 trimesters in 7th grade AND 2 trimesters in 8th grade, the student will receive a gold seal on their diploma at graduation.

Free Dress Policy

Please refer to handbook for regulation uniform requirements. On free dress days, students may be out of uniform all clothes and accessories must meet the following guidelines. Walking shorts may be worn. Closed toe shoes and socks are required.

Students may NOT wear:

      • Tennis shoes that convert to roller skates

      • Clothes which advertise liquor or are insulting, vulgar, or suggestive

      • Mini skirts

      • Short shorts

      • Short cropped tops

      • Halters

      • Tank tops

      • Flip Flops/Sandals

      • Open back shoes

      • Make-up

      • Nail polish or acrylic nails

      • Hoop earrings or dangling earrings

      • Pants that are ill fitting, sagging, or torn

A student who violates our free dress policy will be sent to the office to call his or her parents to bring their school uniform.

For more information on School policies please refer to Parent/Student Handbook.