PARENTAL COOPERATION AND BEHAVIOR - CSO Appendix 1 - 3.

All members of the school community, including parents and family members, are expected to comply with all school rules and policies while on campus and in communications with the school, be respectful, cooperate with the school with respect to all decisions affecting the student, and avoid behavior which disrupts the orderly administration of the school. A community member’s failure to meet these expectations jeopardizes school administration, requires the school to expend limited resources to address inappropriate and unnecessary behavior, and detracts from the school’s core mission and, as a result, may jeopardize a student’s continued participation in the school community. At the school’s sole discretion, the failure of a student’s parents or other family members to comply with these expectations, separate and apart from the student’s conduct, may result in suspension or expulsion of the student. 

In keeping with the Christian nature of the school, the very highest standards of conduct and courtesy are expected at all times, not only of the students, but also of the parents. Parents are expected to treat all school employees and volunteers with courtesy and respect, to support the authority of the school employees and volunteers and to cooperate in good faith with the implementation and enforcement of all policies and procedures set forth in this Handbook. Please refer to the parental Covenant of Conduct and Ethics at the end of the Handbook. Failure by a parent to meet these standards may result in the parent being required by the principal to withdraw their child(ren) from the school. 

COVENANT OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT FOR PARENTS

As a parent, I am the person primarily responsible for the education and formation of my children. By choosing to send my child to St. Rita Catholic School, I am entering into a cooperative relationship with the administration and teachers of the school.

As a parent I: 

• Will continue to play an integral role in the education and formation of my child. 

• Remember that as a parent, I am the first and foremost role model for my children and they will learn from my interactions with the school. 

• Acknowledge that parochial schools are a significant expression of the teaching mission of the Catholic Church and function within its structure. 

• Will become more knowledgeable about the mission of Catholic education as expressed in this school and as stated in this Handbook. 

• Recognize that Catholic school educators have the responsibility for the overall well-being of all students as the foundation of his/her decisions and actions. 

• Acknowledge that our teachers and administrators are professionals dedicated to the education of our children based upon the ideals of the Catholic Church, the vision of our individual parish, and sound educational principles. 

I accept the following parental Covenant when dealing with the school, its staff, volunteers, other school families and our children. 

• I will treat the school, staff, teachers, volunteers and parents with the same respect with which I expect to be treated. 

• I recognize that teachers see children in a school setting, and therefore may witness different behaviors than parents do at home. 

• I accept that reasonable people can respectfully disagree. 

• Therefore, I will listen to the teacher and give great weight to their appraisal of student behavior and performance before rushing to judgment. 

• I promise to approach school staff and teachers politely and respectfully if I have questions about my children’s rewards and selections or consequences given for misbehavior. 

• I recognize when I am present at extracurricular activities I am responsible for the good name and reputation of St. Rita Catholic School. 

• If, after a conference with a teacher, I continue to disagree with that teacher’s decision, I understand that I will take that disagreement to the school administration or principal, or Dean for a resolution rather than continue the discussion with the teacher. 

• I will be mindful of the power and immediacy of email to any school employee, volunteer or parent and will reconsider the content of my messages before hitting the “send” key. 

• I will read the school Handbook in its entirety with my children and discuss it before signing. 

VIOLATION OF THIS COVENANT IN SPIRIT, INTENT OR LETTER OF PHILOSOPHY AND RULES WILL BE JUST CAUSE FOR ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION INCLUDING STUDENT WITHDRAWAL AND/OR EXPULSION. THE ENROLLMENT OF A STUDENT AT ST RITA SCHOOL IS CONSIDERED TO BE AN AGREEMENT ON THE PART OF A STUDENT AND HIS/HER PARENT/GUARDIANS THAT THEY WILL COMPLY WITH ALL THE SCHOOL PROCEDURES, RULES AND REGULATIONS SET FORTH IN THIS HANDBOOK. BY BECOMING FAMILIAR WITH OUR PROCEDURES, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO COOPERATE WITH THE SCHOOL IN OUR ENDEAVOR TO EDUCATE YOUR CHILDREN.