FOOD POLICY

A. Snacks

Nutritious snacks are served to all Preschool, Junior Kindergarten, and Kindergarten children mid-morning. Children in Grades 1-5 may bring mid-morning snacks - cheese, fresh fruit and vegetables. Canned foods, foods in thermoses, and non-breakable thermal containers or food which must be eaten with a spoon are not appropriate on the playground and, therefore, should not be provided as snacks. Candy and sodas are forbidden as snacks. All Extended Care children are provided an afternoon snack. See below regarding snacks for birthday parties.

B. Lunch

All children (Kindergarten - Grade 5) should bring lunch from home in their own light-weight insulated bags or boxes. Lunches may not be shared. Milk may be purchased through the school for $70.00 per year. Please do not send fast food, carbonated beverages or candy in your child's lunch box. In addition, due to the high sodium and sugar content, Lunchables are not recommended.  Preschool and Junior Kindergarten Extended Care children are served a lunch that meets Commonwealth of Virginia nutrition standards.

If a lunch is forgotten, the child will be given the opportunity to telephone a parent to request that the lunch box - not fast food - be brought to school. In the event that this is not possible, staff will provide the child with a replacement.

C. Special Snacks

In addition to lunch, foods may be brought from home for the following reasons:

• Special diets, with written instructions from a physician.
• Birthday or holiday celebrations and picnics.

On "special" snack days parents are encouraged to provide only nutritious foods and 100% fruit juices or bottled water.  Please refrain from offering candied fruit snacks, cupcakes, doughnuts, and other sugary foods.  Parents should be aware of any food allergies in class when providing special snacks.

D. Perishable Foods

Perishable foods brought from home for special celebrations must be properly packaged and/or refrigerated to prevent contamination.

Leftover foods provided by parents will be discarded or returned (same day) to parents. Foods for each child must be properly labeled and stored separately. Food must not be shared - except at parties or special celebrations when food is provided by parents for this purpose.
 

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DRESS CODE

Policy for all students of Grace Episcopal School

Student clothing must be neat, clean, and free of any brand logos. Shirts must be tucked in.  Torn clothing is unacceptable. Inappropriate language, symbols, and advertising on clothing are forbidden.  Students may not adorn their uniforms or bodies with unusual jewelry or accoutrements.  Parents of students wearing inappropriate clothing may be called to notify them of the violation, or to ask them to bring appropriate clothing, or to ask them to pick up their child from school.

All students must wear rubber soled shoes with socks or tights.  These may be fastened with either velcro or shoe laces, or be well-fitted slip-on's with side elastic panels.  Party shoes, clogs, sandals, ballet-style flats, cowboy boots, "crocs", “mules”, “jellies” and "flip-flops" are hazardous on the playground and stairs. They should not be worn to school, by any student. All students must wear athletic shoes for P.S.  Shoelaces must be tied at all times.

It is advisable for all girls to wear leggings, shorts, or bike pants under their skirts or jumpers for recess and P.E.

School Uniform Policy for students in Junior Kindergarten through Grade 5

Girls must wear navy or khaki walking shorts, long pants, jumpers, skirts, or skorts. Shorts, jumpers, skirts and skorts must be at least mid-thigh in length. Girls must also wear long or short sleeved collared shirts in the style of knit polo, oxford, peter pan, or turtleneck.  All shirts should be white except for the polo and turtleneck styles, which may be either white, bright red, yellow, dark green, navy, light blue, or pink. All shirts, jumpers, skirts, shorts, and skorts must be free of any brand logos except for the Grace Episcopal School crest. The application of the GES crest on shirts, jumpers, skirts, shorts, and skorts is purely optional.

Boys must wear navy or khaki walking shorts or long pants.  Boys must also wear long or short sleeved collared shirts in the style of knit polo, oxford, or turtleneck.  All shirts should be white except for the polo and turtleneck styles, which may be either white, bright red, yellow, dark green, navy, light blue, or pink. All shirts must be free of any brand logos except for the Grace Episcopal School crest. The application of the GES crest on shirts is purely optional.

School Sweater/Sweatshirt Policy for Grades 1-5

All students in Grades 1-5 are required to have one Grace Episcopal School crested red or navy pullover or cardigan sweater. Parents order this sweater, as well as other "crested" items of clothing directly from the Land’s End catalog.  All other "uniform" clothing may be purchased from the store of your choice. Only Grace Episcopal School crested sweaters and crested sweatshirts may be worn in class.  Please put your child's name on their sweaters and sweatshirts before they wear them to school.  There is a cloth label provided by the manufacturer in the inseam if the sweater.  The Grace Episcopal School crest is purely optional on any other piece of uniform clothing.

School Tee Shirt Policy for students in Preschool, Junior Kindergarten, and Kindergarten

All students in Preschool, Junior Kindergarten, and Kindergarten are given one Grace Episcopal School tee shirt on the first day of school.  These may be worn as part of the school uniform with pants, shorts, jumpers, skirts, or skorts.  They must be worn on all school field trips.

Policy for students in Preschool

Preschool students have the option of following the school uniform, and are encouraged to wear their Grace Episcopal School tee shirt.  All preschoolers must wear shoes with socks or tights as specified above.

Policy on Free Dress Days
On Free Dress Days all students need to wear neat and clean clothing that is free of inappropriate language and symbols.

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WHAT TO BRING TO SCHOOL

A. School Supplies

Most supplies are provided by the school.  You will receive a list of any other required school supplies from your child's teacher.

B. School Bags

All Preschool, Junior Kindergarten, and Kindergarten students are required to have tote bags (not backpacks) for homework and carrying papers. Grace Episcopal School tote bags are provided to these students.

All students in Grades 1-5 must have a backpack. School notices, papers, etc. will be sent home on a periodic basis in folders. Please check the folder, and remove, retain, and read the contents. Please return the folder to your child’s bag for future use.

C. Clothing

Preschool, Junior Kindergarten, and Kindergarten children must have an extra set of clothes at school in case of accidents. Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten clothes must be in a mesh bag. The bag and all clothing must be labeled with the child’s name.

It is often cooler in the classroom and outside than you might imagine.  Thus, all preschool children must have a long-sleeved sweater to be kept at school for days when it is chilly.  All children in Junior Kindergarten through Grade 5 should only wear their crested sweater or sweatshirt in the classroom.

In cold weather, all children need jackets, boots, gloves or mittens, and hats. Please label all clothing and personal items with your child's name.


D. Smocks

Each child in Grades 1 - 5 must bring a smock to be left at the school for art activities. This need not be new. Dad’s old shirt or Mom’s old blouse will be fine. The smock must be labeled with the child’s name.


E. Blankets

Preschool and Junior Kindergarten children in Extended Care must bring a lightweight blanket that is large enough to cover them for naptime. For health and safety reasons, please do not send a pillow, sleeping bag, or a stuffed toy for naptime.  Clean sheets are provided by the school.  Blankets will be sent home once a week for laundering and should be returned to school on Monday.

F. Forbidden items

Rollerblades, skateboards, electronic games and gadgets, playing cards of any kind (i.e., Magic, or trading), makeup, cell phones, pagers, i-pods, CD players, radios, toy guns, knives and other hazardous toys are forbidden at school or on school grounds. These items will be confiscated and parents will be notified immediately. Further action may be warranted. Do not let your child bring these items to school for any reason.
 

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HONOR CODE & DISCIPLINE

A. The Honor Code

At Grace Episcopal School, emphasis is placed not only upon intellectual and physical development, but also upon the development of personal character and integrity. This commitment promotes an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect, an atmosphere vital to the school’s pursuit of intellectual and spiritual growth. Students learn the value of honorable conduct and reap the benefits of living among honorable individuals.

Students at Grace Episcopal School are expected to grow in responsibility as they progress through the grades. Students are expected to respond positively and demonstrate increasing maturity from grade to grade. With the encouragement, care, advice, and support of the faculty and parents, students at Grace can grow in self-awareness, self-confidence, and independence.

We hold all students to high standards of behavior and we encourage all students to pay attention to the feelings of others. We endeavor to create a culture of care, a spirit of trust, and mutual support for all. Lying, cheating, stealing, and physical and verbal aggression will not be tolerated.


B. Discipline System

A positive approach is taken in managing children’s behavior.

When situations arise, staff members try to redirect the child(ren) using positive reinforcement and encouragement to help resolve problems. Physical punishment is not permitted. The following explains both Grace Episcopal School’s philosophy and the standards and procedures for disciplinary action:

The purpose of any disciplinary action is to help a child see how he/she behaved inappropriately and how he/she could better handle such situations in the future. By responding clearly, consistently, and without undue delay, the faculty and administration can help students understand the importance of limits.

Parents’ cooperation in reinforcing proper conduct is critically important. Students must know that their parents respect both school rules and the judgment of school personnel. The values we uphold require parents to be partners in the development of a sense of responsibility and respect for others.

The primary agents for disciplinary actions are the faculty members, as they know the students best and are most likely to have first-hand exposure to the conduct prompting disciplinary actions. Teachers are responsible for the determination of facts and for the selection and implementation of responses. Dialogue with the parents is always encouraged. It is through talking about and/or discussing the misconduct with the teacher and the parent that we hope a student learns from wrongdoing and is able to go forward in growth and to help others from making a similar mistake.

Minor disciplinary problems will be handled by the teacher in charge. However, if the student’s behavior does not improve, intensifies, or risks harming others, an Accident/Incident Report may be written by the staff and a written referral may be made to the Head of School. Where appropriate, parents will receive copies of the Accident/Incident Report, requiring a parental signature. This process provides information to the parent and will give families a basis for further discussions with the child. A parent conference may be requested by the teacher or Head of School, and classroom observation may also be recommended.

The development of a continuing pattern of misbehavior can become a serious concern. In this case, a referral for further evaluation may be necessary. A history of serious disciplinary difficulties can constitute grounds for probation, suspension, or dismissal from the school.

On occasion, a child may not be a good fit for the school. In this case, efforts will be made to determine a more appropriate educational setting. Grace Episcopal School reserves the right, however, not to renew contracts for serious disciplinary problems.

If at any point a child’s behavior is deemed to be a danger to others or grossly unacceptable, immediate action may be required. A parent could be asked to remove the child immediately, or a student could be placed on probation, suspended, or be expelled from the school. The School Board would be advised of such action. The specific amount of time or recommendation for permanent removal would be determined by the Head of School, in conjunction with the appropriate advisory groups, including the faculty and the School Board.

Upon the recommendation of faculty, the Admissions Committee, and Head of School, a contract for the following year may be withheld. Although extremely difficult for all concerned, withholding a contract sometimes is a necessary means of helping a student learn that standards of behavior are real and meaningful, and are in the best interest of a student, and/or of the school as a whole.

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ACADEMIC POLICIES

A. Curriculum

The complete curriculum and faculty profiles of Grace Episcopal School are available on this web site. Printed copies are also available at no charge from the school office.


B. Individual Accommodations

Teachers at Grace Episcopal School routinely make appropriate accommodations for their students. These include:

The academic program at Grace Episcopal School operates as a group process for all children with such individual accommodations as may be both appropriate and feasible. Specifically:

The teaching staff at Grace Episcopal School has primary responsibility for managing classroom activities so that optimal learning occurs for each child in the group. Specifically:

The staff of Grace Episcopal School welcomes collaboration from concerned professionals outside of the institution. All reports, recommendations, and suggestions are treated professionally and studied carefully to determine how such information might be used to better the educational opportunities available within the group process.

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GENERAL POLICIES

A. Birthdays and “Unbirthdays”

Please notify your child’s teacher if your child wishes to celebrate his or her birthday at school. Summer birthdays may also be celebrated as “unbirthdays” during the school year. Please refer to "Special Snacks" for food guidelines.  Be sure to provide cups and napkins, and include enough food for the entire class, including the teacher(s). Teachers must be notified two days in advance for planning purposes. 

Please note that invitations to off-site birthday parties may only be distributed at school if every member of the class is invited.

B. Carpools

If you are participating in a carpool, please give the office a signed statement listing the people who will be transporting your child. This information must be kept current. Please note that insurance agents recommend a minimum of $300,000 liability insurance if you are transporting children. If you transport children other than your own, you may want to talk to your insurance agent about the viability of your also carrying an umbrella policy which might give you coverage of at least $1,000,000. All children under the age of eight (8) must be properly restrained in a child safety seat or booster seat. New safety advisory information recommends that children under 12 not be in the front seats of cars equipped with air bags. There must be a seatbelt for each child in the car and it must be used.


C. Custody of Children

If only one parent has custody of the child, please file a copy of the court records with the school office. Be sure to discuss the matter with your child’s teacher, the Extended Care teacher, if appropriate, and the Head of School. On a need to know basis, this information may be shared with the other staff and the Chaplain.


D. Opportunities for Parent Communications and Feedback

Effective and constructive communication between the parents, faculty, administration and School Board is a top priority for Grace Episcopal School. Parents may communicate, as necessary, with the staff through scheduled teacher conferences, written communications, voice mail, and the annual parent survey. In addition, the Parents Association and the School Board provide numerous forums throughout the year for parent communication and participation. Grace Episcopal School values parent feedback and support. Parents are encouraged to volunteer and actively participate in all school functions.

E. School Projects

Periodically, Kindergarten through Grade 5 students are required to submit projects related to the curriculum for grading and/or exhibition. Students must comply with class rules for projects and exhibits. While encouragement and guidance from parents is welcome, all projects must be done by the student. If you have questions about your role as a parent, please talk to your child’s teachers.

F. Homework Assignments

It is essential to teach students to be responsible for taking homework assignments home and bring completed work back to school.

If a prolonged excused absence is anticipated, parents may call the school and ask for homework assignments, as well as the necessary books and workbooks. Please allow time for the message to be delivered to the teacher by the administrative staff, and for the teacher to prepare the materials to be picked up. The homework assignments may be picked up in the administrative office between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. unless other arrangements have been made in advance. Occasionally, extenuating circumstances will necessitate an excused absence from school.  Work can be provided with one (1) week advanced notice.  The work must be made up within the same number of days missed along with the student's current work. Taking vacations during the school year are not excused absences.  Please refer to "Unexcused Absences" for the the complete policy.

Loss of work during unexcused absences could be reflected on the student's permanent record with respect to attendance and grades.  Failure to produce assigned work in the allotted time could result in an adverse effect on grades.

G. Standardized testing, school transcripts, reports, and forms

Standardized tests are administered every spring to students Grades 2 and 4. The results of these tests will be mailed to parents during the summer.

School transcripts, reports, testing, and forms normally kept in the Grace Episcopal School files for each student will be sent directly to other schools, camps, etc. at the request of the parent. Parents must submit written releases to the administrative staff when requesting this. All teacher recommendations or assessments are confidential and cannot be released directly to the parents.  Please give the office several days for the staff to prepare and forward these requests.

H. Supplemental Testing and Screening

In order to provide the best school services possible, the staff periodically consults with specialists or requests that parents arrange for supplemental testing and/or screening for their child. During the course of such consultations and tests/screening, children may be observed in the classroom by specialists and may be the subject of confidential conversations. All test results must be provided to Grace Episcopal School.  Failure to disclose supplemental testing and/or screening may result in cancellation of the enrollment contract.  No special accommodations will be given without proper documentation in the student's file.

I. Progress Reports and Conferences

Report Cards for Grades 1-5 are issued four times a year. Preschool, Junior Kindergarten, and Kindergarten reports are issued in January and June. Scheduled conferences are held with parents in November and are offered to parents in the spring.  Please check your calendar for the exact dates. Please note that teachers may schedule days which are not on the school calendar. Extended Care is not available on conference days.

A parent-teacher conference is a time for you to get to know your child's teacher and to learn about the overall progress of your child.  It is also a wonderful opportunity to talk about your child's interests and challenges, as well as helping to build strong, supportive connections between home and school.  Please do not bring your children with you to your parent-teacher conference.

You may request additional conferences with your child’s teacher during the year. If concerns should arise, early communication with the proper person about your concerns is always encouraged. Please approach the teacher first. You may request a conference with the Head of School, if necessary. Team conferences can be arranged.

J. School Psychologist

Please contact the school office if you wish to schedule a 30-minute appointment with our school psychologist.  Please be on time for your appointment.  If you arrive late, your visit will be shortened.  If you are more than 10 minutes late, your visit may be cancelled.  A charge of a $50 "no-show" fee for missed counseling sessions will be billed.

K. Accident insurance

The school carries limited accident insurance on our enrolled children.

L. Supervision of Children

All children must be accompanied by a supervising adult at all after hours functions, including all Parents Association events.

M. Visitors

Students who have applied to Grace Episcopal School may arrange school visits through the Director of Admissions. All other visitors - adults and non-Grace students - are not permitted on campus during the school day without prior permission from either the Head of School or a teacher. All visitors must sign in and wear a nametag.

All parents are required to sign in when coming into the school for volunteer activities and classroom visits.  Please wear a visitors badge at all times when in the building.  All visitors must sign out when leaving.
 

N. Notices and Flyers

All letter, emails, flyers, notices and advertisements must be approved by the Head of School before distribution or posting in the school.  Send your request via email to office@graceschoolalex.org.  Please allow 24 hours advance notice for approval.

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HEALTH POLICY

A. Attendance

The Commonwealth of Virginia requires Kindergarten and Elementary School children to be in school every day unless they are ill. (Medical appointments are an exception.) Regular attendance is equally important for Preschool and Junior Kindergarten children.

B. Is your child too ill to come to school?

If your child acts listless, drowsy or headachy, has a flushed face, lack of appetite, or shows any behavior that is noticeably out of the ordinary, you may consider keeping your child at home. Please be considerate of others and help us prevent the spread of infections throughout the school. If in doubt as to whether your child should come to school, please call your pediatrician.

YOUR CHILD SHOULD STAY HOME IF HE OR SHE HAS:

• A cold that is less than two days old;
• A sore throat or earache;
• Swollen glands;
• A runny nose, especially with green mucous;

YOUR CHILD MUST STAY HOME IF HE OR SHE HAS:

• A fever of 100 degrees or higher;
• An unexplained skin eruption or rash;
• Pink eye (conjunctivitis);
• Vomiting or diarrhea;
• Head lice or pin worms
 

C. A child who has had a fever should be free of fever for 24 hours before returning to school.

D. A child who has vomited should remain home for 24 hours before returning to school.

E. A child with strep throat or certain forms of pink eye must be on antibiotics for 24 hours before returning to
school.

F. The school must have a written explanation from the parent for the child’s absence. After two days, a doctor’s excuse must be provided or the absence will be deemed “unexcused.”

G. Medication procedure

Over-the-Counter Medication

If your child is to be given non-prescription medication (including cough drops) by our staff for a short period of time (no longer than 10 days), we must have a signed Parental "Consent for Medication" Form. This form is available in the office or from the Extended Care staff.

Prescription Medication

If your child is to be given prescription medication for any length of time, or non-prescription medication for longer than 10 days, we must have:

1. Written authorization from the prescribing physician (a copy of the prescription with
signature will suffice); and

2. A signed Parental "Consent for Medication" Form.

All medication must be in the original container from the pharmacist and be current. The prescription label, with the student’s name, dates, name of medication, dosage, times to be given, and physician’s name, must be on the container.

Children may not have over-the-counter or prescription medications in their possession at any time. All medication must be given to the staff and will only be administered by the staff. In special circumstances, such as severe asthma requiring an inhaler, a child may carry the inhaler on their person or in their backpacks only if the child's physician has specifically authorized self-administration. A copy of this authorization must be given to the school.

H. Recess and P.E. policy

School and State regulations require children who are well enough to be in school to go outdoors for recess and Physical Education in fair weather.

I. Sunscreen and insect repellent policy

If parents want sunscreen and/or insect repellent to be applied to their child, they must first fill out a written authorization.

J. Pick-up of sick child

If the staff feels your child is not well, you will be contacted at home or at work and asked to take your child from the school. State regulations require that you come to the school promptly, and within one hour.  You must have on file an Emergency Information Form listing the names of two responsible adults who are available to pick up your child when he/she is ill if you are unavailable.  An Emergency Contact needs to live/work close to the school and be able to pick up your child within an hour.  Please keep this information up date.
 

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PARENTAL FORMS CHECK LIST

We are required to keep various information forms in your child’s file. These may seem repetitious to you, but keep in mind that these are valid forms, required for the protection of your child.

We appreciate your cooperation in completing these forms, and your help in keeping information on them current. It would be unfortunate if there were an emergency involving your child and we could not locate you.

A. Emergency Information Form

This form may be sent home at intervals throughout the school year. It must be kept up to date at all times with names of at least two other adults who may pick up your child within an hour. Please notify the office immediately of any changes. This information is critically important if we need to reach you in a hurry. The Commonwealth of Virginia requires this form.

B. Re-Enrollment Contract

A new re-enrollment contract, issued in January, is required each year (along with the 09/10 re-enrollment fee of $75.00). This is your commitment for the entire school year. Read it carefully. It is a legally binding document and becomes enforceable for the coming year on June 1st.

C. Field Trips

A blanket permission statement is to be signed on the back of each Emergency Information Form and is valid for all field trips during the year. Permission slips are generally sent home for specific activities. By returning these slips, you let us know you are aware of the trip.

D. Medical Form

A Virginia State Medical form with up-to-date immunization information must be on file before a child can begin classes at the start of each school year. This form must be completed and signed by your child’s doctor and by you. Please check to be sure the physician notes the dates of each immunization.

E. Photography Release

The school enjoys taking photographs of our children during various activities and programs. This includes video taping programs to be broadcast, for example, on Comcast's Alexandria Educational Channel.  Photos may be displayed and used for publicity purposes, including the Grace Episcopal School web page. The blanket permission statement on the back of the Emergency Information Form must be signed by the parent. If you do not wish to have your child photographed, please note this on the form.