Information to be considered for inclusion in the newsletter must be emailed to dsinopoli@st-hilary.org by 3:00 p.m. on Friday for the following week. Information must be relevant to the St. Hilary School or St. Hilary Parish community, and cannot promote a personal interest or a school other than our own. The school reserves the right to determine what content will be included.

It's hard to believe we are already into September, and it promises to be another busy month at St. Hilary School! MAP Testing begins September 12 in every grade level. MAP Testing will continue through September 30. This is our window for testing, but testing may not occur every day, or for the entire duration of three weeks. MAP Testing at this point in the year gives us a baseline for each student to work from as he or she learns during the remainder of the year. The goal is to see growth, and data from our testing at this time, as well as in January and in the spring, is used to hone in on areas in which students might need help. Also on September 30, we will reach the interim point of the first quarter. First quarter interim reports will also be available on this date. As a reminder, student progress may be checked any time on Digital Academy.

We are beyond excited to bring back our clubs and student activities full-scale this year! We will also soon be rolling out our new Parents' Night Out events, and we look forward to resuming our in-person Fall Fest next month! Planning is in the works for many things, so please keep an eye out for information!

As we return more fully to normal, we also need to reset some boundaries. The onset of the pandemic forced all of us to interact differently and in many cases, lines became blurred between acceptable and unacceptable time frames, forms and tones of contact. Some parents have acquired the cell phone numbers of staff members. If you are one of those parents, we ask that you please reserve calling or texting staff cell phones for extreme cases of emergency. Otherwise, our expectation is that questions or concerns will be addressed via email. Please also remember that our staff are professionals, and should be addressed respectfully, much as you would expect that we address you. Finally, please understand that we are real people like you, with families and lives outside of school, like you. Please understand that while you may choose to email at 10 pm or 3 am or whatever time may be convenient for you, we will respond within normal working hours. This is especially true on weekends, holiday breaks, and the middle of the summer, when we are doing our best to carve out personal or family time, just like you. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation!

Finally, we are grateful for the many positive comments and constructive suggestions you have shared with us. In keeping with our Parents as Partners Code of Conduct, if you have questions or concerns, we ask that you bring them directly to us so we can appropriately address them, rather than airing them on social media or elsewhere in the community. In many cases, the totality of facts we base our decisions on is not known outside of the long hours spent in the administrative offices, and we appreciate your trusting us to use these facts to make the best decisions for our school and your children. Please understand that we always have the best interests of every student in mind, that all decisions are made with the goal of keeping students and staff safe, happy and learning together.

We appreciate your continued cooperation!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Woodman
Principal

Click here for the School Faculty & Staff Directory

Click here for information about our drop-off and pick-up procedures (note exception for Kindergarteners as shown on opening schedule)

Click here for the 2022-2023 School Calendar, revised August 15

Click here for the 2022-2023 Dress Code

Click here for the 2022-2023 School Handbook

Click here for the Parents as Partners Code of Conduct

Click here for the Daily Schedule

Click here for the Diocese of Cleveland Curriculum Guides

NO SCHOOL SEPTEMBER 5

There will be no school on Monday, September 5 in observance of Labor Day.

OHIO CATHOLIC FEDERAL CREDIT UNION STUDENT BANKING SEPTEMBER 8

The Ohio Catholic Federal Credit Union Student Banking Program will return to St. Hilary School on September 8. A representative will be available in the Multi-Purpose Room from 8:00 to 8:20 am.

LIMITED 2021-2022 YEARBOOKS AVAILABLE UNTIL SEPTEMBER 9 OR SOLD OUT

ONLY 1 HARD COVER AND 4 SOFT COVER BOOKS LEFT - FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED!

2021-2022 yearbooks for students who ordered them last year have been sent home. Yearbooks for last year’s eighth graders will be available for pick-up in the pick-up bins by calling 330-867-8720. If the graduate has a sibling in the school, the yearbook was sent home with the sibling. If you have a record of ordering a yearbook (online payment receipt) and do not receive one, or if you believe the order you receive is incorrect, please do not contact the school, but contact Lifetouch directly via www.lifetouch.com. If you did not order a yearbook but wish you had, a limited number of hard cover ($30) and soft cover ($25) books will be available for purchase through September 9 or until sold out. Cash or checks payable to St. Hilary Parents’ Association will be accepted. We cannot accept credit cards. We cannot hold books without payment. To purchase a yearbook please send a check in an envelope with your child’s name and room number marked on it so the book(s) can be sent via backpack. Please do not come to the school office to purchase a yearbook.

OCTOBER HOT LUNCH ORDERING ENDS SEPTEMBER 10
MILK ORDERING AVAILABLE

Hot Lunch ordering for October will be open through September 10.

• NO LATE ORDERS CAN BE ACCEPTED.

• Payment must be made online as the final step in the ordering process before your order will be submitted. IMPORTANT!!! YOU WILL NEED TO RE-ENTER YOUR CREDIT CARD / ACH INFORMATION WHEN CHECKING OUT FOR YOUR OCTOBER LUNCH ORDER. THIS WILL BE A ONE-TIME EVENT NOT REQUIRED EACH MONTH AND NOT REQUIRED AGAIN TO PAY LATCHKEY OR OTHER FEES.

• Milk orders will also be placed online. Milk ordering for first semester is being offered again for those who missed it in August. Milk orders can be placed through the Hot Lunch ordering system as a part of the Hot Lunch order, even if milk is the only item being purchased. Milk ordering for the second semester will be open in December. Please watch for information about free milk for qualifying families later this month. PLEASE NOTE THAT ONLY STUDENTS WHO HAVE ORDERED AND PAID FOR MILK THROUGH THIS SYSTEM WILL APPEAR ON THE CLASSROOM LISTS TO RECEIVE MILK AT LUNCHTIME. ALL OTHERS WILL NEED TO BRING A DRINK FROM HOME.

• Please contact Hot Lunch Coordinator Becky Vieltorf at bvieltorf@st-hilary.org with questions.

TO ORDER:

Orders for lunches and/or milk will be placed on Digital Academy
(no longer on the school website) beginning this school year.
To place your order, login to Digital Academy.

On the right side of the screen, you will see “Cafeteria Calendar” and an ORDER button to click.

If you have trouble, please contact Hot Lunch Coordinator Becky Vieltorf at bvieltorf@st-hilary.org.

***Please see special notes below before ordering.***

***SPECIAL NOTE FOR GRADE 5: Students in grade 5 will have a provided lunch for their Saber Luncheon on October 6 and should not order lunch on that day.

***SPECIAL NOTE FOR GRADE 7: Students in grade 7 will be away from school at the Damascus Retreat Center October 12 and 13 and should not order lunches on those days.

***SPECIAL NOTE FOR GRADE 8: Students in grade 8 will travel to Pittsburgh for a field trip on October 13 and should not order lunch on that day.

***FOR THOSE NEW TO OUR HOT LUNCH PROGRAM, please note that all lunches include sides, so if you order extras you will be ordering extras of the main meal item (i.e., extra slice of pizza, extra order of nachos, etc.).

You may remember our efforts to help build our sister school, St. Hilary School of the Congo. A special collection will be held at St. Hilary Parish the weekend of September 10 and 11 to provide additional support for this school. Please click below for details about the Project Hope Collection.

ROOM PARENT MEETING SEPTEMBER 12

There will be a meeting for all Room Parents on September 12 at 10:00 a.m. in the Spiritual Center Lower Level. Room Parents for each classroom will be notified soon.

DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP REMINDERS -
A REPEAT FROM LAST WEEK WITH A FEW NEW SUGGESTIONS ADDED IN BOLD!

Dear Parents,

Thank you for helping us get off to a great start with the new school year! With a few days under our belts, we want to clarify some important things about morning drop-off and afternoon dismissal.

MORNING DROP-OFF

• Students may not be dropped off before 8 am unless they are attending our fee-based Latchkey program. Otherwise, supervision is not available. Students who continue to be dropped off before 8 am will be sent to Latchkey and parents will be charged accordingly.

AFTERNOON DISMISSAL

• We are still fine-tuning our afternoon dismissal. Here are a few reminders:

• Dismissal times:

2:55 pm - Kindergarteners and siblings

3:00 pm - Last names A-M

3:05 pm - Last names N-Z

• Our dismissal plan only works if parents follow the rules. Please adhere to your designated time frame. No child will be left unattended, so there is no need to be first in line and cause a back-up if your last name falls in the second half of the alphabet.

• Please do not leave car lengths of space in the line, also causing a back-up.

• If you do not want to wait in the pick-up line, you can enter from Blue Ribbon Drive, park in the back lot, and meet your child(ren) in the Red Box (red square painted on asphalt).

• Per the Fairlawn Police Department, our dismissal traffic cannot back up onto West Market Street. If you are unable to enter the line and enter our driveway, you must go around the block and enter the line only when you are able to enter the driveway.

• Those turning right into the driveway, please be courteous to those turning left into the driveway. If the entire driveway is filled to West Market Street with those turning right, those who need to turn left have no opportunity to do so even when they have the turn arrow.

• Cutting through the Citizens Bank parking lot to enter the pick-up line is not only prohibited, it is rude to your fellow parents and will not be tolerated.

• Students are being trained to walk to the front of the line and enter cars at the furthest point forward in order to keep traffic moving. You may see your child(ren) on the sidewalk, but we ask that you keep pulling forward to keep the traffic flowing. Your cooperation with this and with instructions of our staff members on duty who are working to keep your children safe is greatly appreciated.

• Please remember that there is Adoration in the Church on Wednesdays, so there will likely be additional traffic and people walking through the parking lot on those days.

• You can also help us help you! Remind your child(ren) how they are being picked up each day. Students should come straight out of the school building (not stopping to talk to friends and teachers along the way) and walk to their pick-up area. Students should be paying attention and listening to the staff members on duty. Students should not have their cell phones out (unless given permission by a staff member) per our student handbook guidelines. Additionally, students should not be eating while waiting on the sidewalk.

We appreciate your help and support! We know the pick-up line can be more efficient, and following these guidelines can help everyone have a safer and less stressful experience at the end of the school day! Thank you!

CYO Fall Sports Pictures - Wednesday September 14th and Thursday, September 15th

Individual and team pictures for fall sports, grades 1 to 8 for the yearbook are scheduled! Only athletes and coaches need to attend. Please be in uniform and arrive 5 minutes before your scheduled time. Specific dates, times, and locations are listed in the schedule below.

We ask that all pictures be ordered online. Pre-order pictures by going to mylifetouch.com and entering the code: EVTQDHR94. Pre-orders can be placed online now and up to 48 hours after the pictures are taken. Orders may also be placed after proofs are received back from Lifetouch (4 to 6 weeks). Orders placed after proof are received will incur shipping charges as photos will be shipped to the athlete’s home.

If you have any questions, please email Jennifer Conner at Jenny110980@aol.com.

HOT LUNCH HELP NEEDED

Our Hot Lunch program is in need of parent and grandparent volunteers to fill open spots to ensure we can offer Hot Lunch every day. There are still a few spots open, especially on Tuesdays, as well as a few other various days. The shift is approximately 10:50 am to 1:10 pm. This is a great way to meet new friends and the kids love seeing you in the kitchen! If you can help, please email Hot Lunch Coordinator Becky Vieltorf at bvieltorf@st-hilary.org with your availability.

PLAYGROUND MONITORS NEEDED

Looking for a fun way to be involved at school, see your child during the school day, get some fresh air, and make some extra money? Consider being a playground monitor! Help is needed for the 2022-2023 school year in order to ensure that our students are properly supervised during recess. Monitors work just a couple of hours each day, so this is the perfect part-time job for those with limited time! If you are interested in learning more, please contact Cassie Samaan at csamaan@st-hilary.org.

SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS NEEDED

We are always in need of individuals to serve as substitute teachers. A summary of requirements would include the following: a bachelor's degree in any subject, Virtus training, a background check including fingerprinting, and a substitute teaching certificate. If you meet (or are able to complete) these requirements and are interested in being added to our pool of substitute teachers, please email a current resume to Miss Malick at smalick@st-hilary.org as soon as possible.

CLASSROOM VOLUNTEER SIGN-UPS

Teachers / room parents will share information about classroom volunteer sign-ups shortly.

PARENTS' ASSOCIATION SEEKING VOLUNTEERS FOR 2022-2023

Part of what makes our school so great is the amazing efforts of our parent helpers. Click here to volunteer! Please contact Parents' Association Secretary Lindsey Yoder at TLM456@aol.com with questions.

SCHOOL MASS THIS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9

Our next school Mass will be THIS FRIDAY, September 9 at 9:30 am. The school Mass will be planned by Grade 8. The 2022-2023 Liturgy Schedule can be found here. Masses are also posted on the school Google calendar. Upcoming Masses include September 16 planned by Grade 7, September 23 planned by Grade 6, and September 30 planned by Grade 5.

Space is limited, but parents may attend school Masses.

FAITH AND FOOD TRUCKS FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 11

LITURGY TAKEOVER MASS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11

Please join us as our seventh and eighth graders "take over" ministry at the 5:30 pm Mass on Sunday, September 11! Our students will be fully participating in all aspects of this Mass. This Mass will also be part of our parish Faith & Food Trucks Festival that evening! Please click the flyer below for complete details. We hope to see you there!

USE FORMED TO ENHANCE FAITH FORMATION

Make faith a priority and enhance your children's faith formation by using FORMED. Click below for complete instructions on how you can access this valuable tool for your family.

CHESS CLUB NOW REGISTERING

We are excited to bring back our clubs this school year, and the first club we have to announce is our Chess Club! This club is open to students in grades K-8 and will meet from 3:10 to 4:10 pm in the Spanish Room on the following Mondays: October 3, 10,17, and 24, and November 7, 21 and 28. Chess Club will be offered again in the second semester for those who are not able to participate in the fall or who would like to continue in the club. Please click the flyer below for complete details and registration information.

NEW FIRE KICKING OFF SCHOOL YEAR

New Fire, our youth ministry program for students in grades 6-8, will kick off September 22! Students who would like to participate should meet Mr. Schechter in the main hall at 3:15 pm to walk to Yahner Field for activities. A slime relay will be part of the agenda for the event, so students may get a little messy! Students should be picked up at Yahner Field promptly at 4:45 pm.

Additional meetings will be held on the following dates: October 6 and 20, November 3 and 17, December 1 and 15, January 12 and 26, February 9 and 23, March 9, April 20, and May 4 and 18. The group will continue to meet on Yahner Field, but when weather is inclement / wintry, meetings will be held in the Spiritual Center and students should be picked up at the Spiritual Center doors adjacent to the parking lot.

LATCHKEY REGISTRATION NOW AVAILABLE IN DIGITAL ACADEMY

St. Hilary School Latchkey (before- and after-school care) registration is now available. The option to register will appear on your dashboard when you log in. If you do not plan to use Latchkey and want to remove the form from your dashboard, you can click the form and then click the “No Latchkey” option. Please keep in mind that if your needs may change in the future, you may want to keep the form visible just in case.

You can also access the form directly here.

Only credit card and ACH payments can be accepted - no checks or cash.

If you have questions about the Latchkey program, please email latchkey@st-hilary.org. If you have questions about Latchkey billing or payments, please contact Lou Camerato, Business Manager, at lcamerato@st-hilary.org.

ARRIVAL AND PICK-UP TIME REMINDER

Please remember that students may not be dropped off earlier than 8:00 am unless they are using our fee-based Latchkey before-school care program. Please also remember that students not picked up by 3:15 pm will be taken to our fee-based Latchkey after-school care program. These policies do not apply to bus riders.

DIGITAL ACADEMY WEEKLY SATURDAY EMAILS

As the school year gets underway, Digital Academy will soon begin sending weekly emails on Saturdays to each parent with information about their child. Please be sure to open these emails and access the information they contain.

SCHOOL HANDBOOK HIGHLIGHTS

The complete family handbook for 2022-2023 is available here on the school website.

Please take note of the following policies/procedures:

• We will revert to our original 24-hour-symptom-free policy for students returning to school following an illness. This means that a full 24 hours must elapse from the last symptom, not 24 hours from when the symptoms began, before a student may return to school.

• Our absence policy has been updated to reflect greater detail about how absences will be addressed. Please note that parents of students absent 20 or more days per semester will be required to have a conference with administration. Please refer to page 3 of the school handbook for details.

• Families using the playground outside of school hours are expected to follow the same rules in effect during the school day. Children must be actively supervised by an adult who is present on the playground - not waiting in a car - at all times. We ask that you be respectful of our equipment and the rules we follow at school during the day. Running up the slide is not permitted, and older students are not permitted on the bridge. Your cooperation in following these rules will help us to maintain consistency in playground expectations.

• School rules also apply to the Latchkey program, as this program is an extension of the school day. Please refer to page 18 of the handbook.

PARENTS AS PARTNERS CODE OF CONDUCT

We have implemented a new Parents as Partners Code of Conduct that will guide all actions and interactions in our school community. You can read the Parents as Partners Code of Conduct here. All parents will be expected to abide by this code. The code has been established to foster the partnership between parents and the school, as well as among parents themselves, and is grounded in respectful actions and interactions that align with our school mission. Please note that behavior that undermines our mission will not be tolerated and violations of the code may cause a family to be removed from the school. We trust that all of you will be true partners with us and with each other so that none of you will find yourselves in that situation.

COMING SOON TO A SCHOOL NEAR YOU!

We are excited to offer something new this year - Parents' Nights Out! These evening events will feature an opportunity to socialize with other parents from your child's grade level over adult beverages and snacks, as well as discussion about a topic or topics of interest. Please watch for more information as planning takes shape!

SCHOOL COMMUNICATION

Mass emails containing school news will be sent on Monday mornings when school is in session. Information to be included in these emails must be emailed to dsinopoli@st-hilary.org by 3:00 p.m. on Friday for the following Monday.

DROPPING OFF AND PICKING UP ITEMS

The drop-off and pick-up bins are located on the Moorfield Road side of the building to allow 24/7 access. If a lunch or other forgotten item needs to be dropped off to a student in a time-sensitive manner, please call the school office at 330-867-8720 or ring the bell at the Moorfield entrance door, let the secretaries know what you are dropping off and for whom, and leave the item – clearly labeled with the student’s name and room number or teacher – in the drop-off bin. A staff member will retrieve the item and get it to the student. Items you may need to pick up can be left for you in the pick-up bin.

NEW ANGEL SCHOLARSHIP OFFERS WIN-WIN-WIN OPPORTUNITY!

The new Angel Scholarship established by the Catholic Community Foundation offers a win-win-win opportunity for taxpayers, scholarship recipients, and our school! Click here and see the infographic at the end of this section to learn how you can turn your taxes into tuition!

ARRIVAL, DISMISSAL, LATCHKEY, AND BUSING

PLEASE SHARE ALL OF THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WITH CAREGIVERS!

Please note: We are a cell phone-free campus during drop-off and pick-up. For the safety of the children, please refrain from using your phone during this time.

ARRIVAL

• Students not attending morning Latchkey should arrive no earlier than 8:00 a.m. Families using Latchkey pay for this service. Supervision for all other students is not available until 8:00 am.

• Our tardy bell rings and homeroom period begins at 8:25 a.m. Students arriving after 8:25 am will be marked tardy.

• Students will report directly to classrooms upon arrival.

• Please help your child prepare for the school day in a stress-free manner by ensuring that he or she arrives at school by 8:25 a.m. each day.
  

Traffic Safety Logistics for Morning Arrival:

On Both Sides:

• When pulling forward, please make sure you are looking forward and that the path in front of and around your vehicle is clear before moving the vehicle.
  

• Please pull up to the sign at the end of the drop-off area. This allows more cars to stop between the two signs. Three to four cars can fit in the drop-off zone. All cars that fit within the zone between the signs may unload at the same time to help keep the lines moving.

• Please make sure students are ready to exit the car when they arrive. Seatbelts need to be unfastened, backpacks need to be loaded and zipped, masks and winter gear need to be ready, and last minute discussions about the day need to be handled before the point where students need to exit so as not to hold up the line.

• Please do not put your car in park and get out of the car in the drop off lines. If your child needs assistance getting out of a car seat or unbuckling, please park in the lot, help your child get out, and walk him or her to the building.
  

• Please be sure your child is completely clear of your car before pulling away. Water bottles are often dropped and may roll under cars. Please instruct your child not to reach under the car or run back to the car for a forgotten item. Adults on duty will assist.
  

• Please remember that students should never get out of the driver's side of the car and cross in front of the car during morning drop-off. There have been tragic accidents resulting from this practice and we want to make sure all of our children are safe. If your child is unable to get out of the passenger side in the car line, please park and walk him or her to the building.

On The Moorfield Road Side:

• Please do not pull around stopped cars when they are dropping off students. Occasionally, a driver may need to exit from the non-curb side, and passing creates a dangerous situation.

On The Parking Lot Side:

• Please do not pull up to areas other than the designated car line to drop off. If you do not want to wait in the line, you may park in the lot and walk your child to the building.

• Please do not pull beyond the sign at the end of the drop-off area or stop on the cross walk to drop off. Please keep the crosswalk clear for pedestrians.

DISMISSAL

• We will follow a staggered dismissal schedule:

• 2:55 pm - Kindergarten students and their siblings

• 3:00 pm - Non-Kindergarten Last names A-M
• 3:05 pm - Non-Kindergarten Last names N-Z

• Students will not be released until their designated time, so it is important that you make every effort to arrive as close to that time as possible, rather than lining up far in advance. We also ask for your cooperation in picking up your child on time, or calling the office in advance if you will be a few minutes late.

• If you prefer not to go through the car line, you may park in the far back parking lot and stand in the red “box” painted on the parking lot where you can safely reunite with your child.

• All kindergarteners and siblings will be walked to the red "box" by school staff rather than being picked up at the car line.

• Students should go directly to their car or bus – no loitering.

LATCHKEY

• Morning Latchkey will be available beginning at 6:50 a.m. Students being dropped off for morning Latchkey will be dropped off at the Art Room Door.

• Afternoon Latchkey will be available until 6:00 p.m. Students being picked up from evening Latchkey will be picked up at the Art Room Door.

BUSING

Four districts provide bus transportation for our students who reside in those districts: Copley-Fairlawn, Highland, Revere, and Woodridge. We anticipate that these districts will provide transportation for St. Hilary School students barring driver shortages. In that case, there is the potential that bus transportation for St. Hilary School students who ride the affected district’s bus may be lost. We encourage all families to have an alternate transportation plan in place. For more information, you may contact the transportation departments listed below:

Copley-Fairlawn: 330-664-4820
Highland: 330-239-1901, ext. 1235
Revere: 330-523-3118 or 3119
Woodridge: 330-928-6312

Please also visit our Bus Transportation page on the school website.

COVID-19 POLICIES

PLEASE NOTE: THE INFORMATION BELOW REFLECTS WHAT WAS ISSUED LATE LAST WEEK BY THE CDC AND ODH. WE EXPECT SCPH TO ADOPT THIS GUIDANCE THIS WEEK AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT THIS IS WHAT WE WILL BE FOLLOWING AS WE BEGIN THE 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR.

CURRENT GUIDANCE:
On August 11, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance on how people can protect themselves and others from COVID-19, what actions to take if exposed to COVID-19, and what actions to take if you have symptoms or test positive with the virus.

As a result, on August 12, ODH also updated its guidance for Ohio K-12 schools and recommended the CDC’s general guidance to best protect Ohio’s students in the school setting.

• First, because contact tracing and case investigation has shifted to focus on high-risk environments, such as long-term care facilities and healthcare settings, ODH is no longer recommending the Mask to Stay, Test to Play quarantine alternative for schools.
• Instead, ODH recommends schools follow general isolation procedures from the CDC for confirmed cases. If students or staff feel sick or suspect they might have COVID-19, they should stay home and take a rapid test. If positive, students and staff should stay home from school for at least 5 days and longer if necessary until fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and symptoms are improving. Additionally, after isolation ends, students and staff should continue to take precautions as they resume normal activities by wearing a mask for 5 days (or after two negative tests 48 hours apart).

In addition, it is recommended that schools continue to work closely with their local health departments to monitor community spread and make decisions about the best measures to protect students and staff based on what is happening in their communities.

REPORTING:

Like all schools, St. Hilary School is no longer required to contact trace or report positive individual cases to SCPH, but we are still required to seek guidance in the case of cluster cases. Parents still need to state that a student has tested positive for COVID-19 if applicable as the reason for an absence when reporting the student absent on the attendance line. If you have a COVID-19 situation in your household, please contact school administration or nurses to help determine next steps for your child.

Jennifer Woodman, Principal - jwoodman@st-hilary.org

Darcy Alexander, Assistant Principal - dalexander@st-hilary.org
Julie Bauman, School Nurse - jbauman@st-hilary.org

Abby Laughlin, School Nurse - alaughlin@st-hilary.org

MASKING:

Masking is optional at this time and we will follow the updated guidance issued August 11-12 by the CDC and ODH, and expected to be adopted by SCPH. However, students may be asked to wear masks in the school clinic at the discretion of the school nurses, if there is an outbreak within the school, or in other limited situations as warranted.

All four school districts that provide busing for St. Hilary School students have communicated to us that students are no longer required to wear masks on their buses, but may do so if they choose. In some cases, drivers may continue to wear masks. Please note that in relation to school field trips involving buses, while students will not be required to wear masks on the buses, we will respect the mask policy of the field trip location during our time there.

All students, staff, and parents are expected to respect the masking decisions an individual or family chooses.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

We continue to be mindful of social distancing where appropriate, proper hand washing, sanitizing of highly touched areas, and symptom monitoring at home. Students are encouraged to bring water bottles to school. These may be refilled at our bottle filler stations.

SCHOOL RESPONSE SUBJECT TO CHANGE:

The CDC has stated that COVID-19 community levels and public health prevention strategies can be increased when communities are experiencing more severe conditions and decreased when things are more stable. Our school response will continue to follow the guidance we are given as conditions change and if more restrictive measures are warranted. For more information and resources to monitor community spread, read more about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Community Levels here.

REPORTING AN ABSENCE, TARDY OR EARLY PICK-UP

If your child will be absent, tardy or picked up early for any reason, please contact the school office. We have two options:

1. Call our school attendance line at 330-867-8720, ext. 350 and leave a message 24/7, or
2. Email attendance@st-hilary.org. Although not necessary, you may also notify your child's teacher and Latchkey as a courtesy. Please do not email other school staff regarding absences, as our dedicated attendance email inbox is checked each morning, but other emails may not be immediately received.

• Whether calling or emailing, please state your child's name, grade, and the reason for the absence, tardy or early pick-up, including specific symptoms if due to an illness. Absences must be reported to the school office by 10:00 am on the day of the absence. We are required by law to follow up with families who do not do so.

• If a student needs to be picked up for an appointment or is ill and being picked up to go home, please pull up to the Moorfield Road door, call the school office at 330-867-8720, and your child will be signed out with your permission and released to your car under staff supervision.

• Students who are ill may not return to school until they are symptom free for a full 24 hours without fever reducing medication. There is no perfect attendance award or other incentive to come to school when ill.

• Please contact teachers directly regarding requests for homework; however, please understand that requests may not be able to be filled until the next day if the teacher does not see your request until late in the day. Thank you for understanding that our teachers' first priority during the day is teaching.

• Please refer to the school handbook and our table detailing the procedure for handling excessive absences.

MEDICATION AT SCHOOL

DID YOU COMPLETE YOUR BACK-TO-SCHOOL FORMS?

Back-to-school forms were due August 22. PLEASE CAREFULLY FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW TO PROPERLY COMPLETE YOUR FORMS. PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND ENSURE THAT YOU ENTER INFORMATION COMPLETELY AND ACCURATELY.

INSTRUCTIONS

• Click here to access the 2022-2023 back-to-school forms.

• LOGIN with the DIGITAL ACADEMY ACCOUNT that was sent to you via a "Welcome email" in May (or resent to you in August if you requested this). If you cannot find the welcome e-mail, please contact the school. If you cannot remember your password, please click “Forgot Password” on the Login Page.

• On the page that shows your children’s names, check all of your children who are attending St. Hilary School in 2022-2023 and press CONTINUE. If you do not see a child listed, please contact the school.

• Press CONTINUE on each page to move between pages. You will not be able to move to a new page until all required information is filled out on the current page. If a field is required and you do not know or have the information, please type N/A or Unknown.

• Some pages require a signature. Please sign by typing your name and selecting today’s date.

• Please go all the way to the end and press SUBMIT. You will receive an e-mail confirmation. If you do not receive an e-mail confirmation, please make sure that you clicked “Submit” on the final page.

• You can save and come back to finish the forms at any time. Simply click Save & Close. Go to https://sth.digitalacademy.org and there will be a reminder to finish the form in the upper left corner of your home page in the section titled “Needs Attention”. Click the link to continue working on your form.

• If you have any questions, please contact the school office. If you cannot access the forms or for technical support, contact the Digital Academy by e-mailing support@digitalacademy.org or calling 833-222-3359 during normal business hours.

Here are some additional tips that may be helpful.

1. To complete your forms, please be sure to follow the step-by-step instructions above.
2. Once you have completed your forms, if you have concerns about what you submitted and would like to view or print your forms, you can do so by logging into Digital Academy, clicking Documents, then Forms, then the print icon to view or print what has been completed and submitted.
3. The system will not allow you to move forward without completing all required forms, including the emergency contact form, so it is not possible to miss completing a required form.
4. Several medical forms are available in addition to the required set of forms. These may or may not apply to your child, and may or may not be necessary for you to complete. All students have a physical exam form on file from the date of initial enrollment so it is not necessary to complete this again for enrolled students. Immunizations are also on file from the date of initial enrollment and need to be updated only if there has been a change. Students who have medical conditions or need medication administered at school will need to have the appropriate forms completed and submitted to the school nurses. In the event that you missed these forms or forgot to complete them if applicable, they are attached here for your convenience.
5. We are continuing to work with Digital Academy to make the medical forms available to you throughout the school year in the event a child's medical status should change.

Thank you for your continued patience as we transition to this new system.

• Allergy Action Plan.pdf
• Asthma School Medication Plan.pdf
• Diabetes Health Care Plan.pdf
• Immunization Report.pdf
• Physical Exam Form.pdf
• Required Immunizations.pdf
• Seizure Action Plan.pdf
• Request for Administration of Medication Form.pdf