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.

Click here for the School Faculty & Staff Directory

Click here for information about our drop-off and pick-up procedures

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

AVAILABLE IN THE SCHOOL OFFICE

• Ohio Catholic Federal Credit Union banking information
• Flyers for Summit County Flag Football Association Spring program (co-ed, ages 3-14)

UPCOMING DECEMBER DRESS DOWN DAYS

There will be several opportunities to dress down and show our Christmas spirit during the month of December:

DECEMBER 6: We will be adopting a family through the St. Vincent de Paul Society. The family are St. Hilary parishioners who have fallen on hard times and we will be providing Christmas gifts and dinner for them. Students who bring at least one dollar to donate may dress down in red or white shirts and any casual pants - no pajamas.

DECEMBER 19: School-wide Christmas pajama day!

DECEMBER 20: School-wide ugly Christmas sweater or Christmas spirit dress down day!

JANUARY HOT LUNCH ORDERING ENDS DECEMBER 10

Hot Lunch ordering for January will be open December 1-10. AS A REMINDER, HOT LUNCH ORDERING IS ALWAYS OPEN THE 1st THROUGH THE 10th OF EACH MONTH FOR THE FOLLOWING MONTH.

• 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.

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

TO ORDER:

Orders for lunches will be placed on Digital Academy.
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.***

***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.).

BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK YEAR-END SUPPORT

Blessings in a Backpack helps to feed hungry children who attend Akron Public Schools. Please consider donating to Blessings in a Backpack this holiday season. A generous donor will match all donations up to $15,000 through December 15. Checks should be made payable to Blessings in a Backpack and mailed to Debbie Pianalto, 3454 Aegean Drive, Akron, OH 44333.

ANGEL SCHOLARSHIP: TURN YOUR TAXES INTO TUITION

As you think about year-end giving, consider supporting St. Hilary School through the Angel Scholarship Fund. Turn your taxes into tuition without an extra penny from your pocket - when you make a contribution and designate St. Hilary School, you will receive a tax credit in the amount of your contribution toward your 2022 tax liability! See below for details.

BE THE MATCH FOR MRS. KOVARIK

Mrs. Kovarik's oncology and transplant teams have begun the process of finding a match for donated bone marrow for her. If you (or someone you know) would like to help, you can join the Be The Match Bone Marrow Donor Registry. Donors between the ages of 18-40 who meet the health guidelines and are willing to help any patient in need are always sought. The process is simple, and you could end up helping Mrs. Kovarik or another patient with a blood cancer.

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.

NEXT SCHOOL MASS THIS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8

Our next school Mass will be THIS THURSIDAY, December 8 at 9:30 am (Feast of the Immaculate Conception), planned by Grade 4. The 2022-2023 Liturgy Schedule can be found here. Masses are also posted on the school Google calendar. Upcoming Masses include December 16 planned by Grade 2, January 6 planned by Grade 8, January 13 (Feast of St. Hilary) planned by Grade 7, January 20 (Right to Life) planned by Grade 6, and January 27 planned by Grade 3. There is no school Mass on December 9, and no school on December 23 and 30.

Space is limited, but parents may attend school Masses.

LITURGY TAKEOVER MASS JANUARY 29

Students in grades 3 and 4 will "takeover" ministry at the 11:00 am Mass on Sunday, January 29

ST. HILARY PARISH ADVENT EVENTS

St. Hilary Parish hosts many events to help your family observe the season of Advent and prepare for the coming of Christ to Earth. Please click the flyer below for a complete schedule.

ST. HILARY SCHOOL TRAVELING FAMILY PRAYER BOXES

Each homeroom classroom has a new traveling family prayer box that will be making its way to homes throughout the school year. Included in the box is a statue (Our Lady of Miracles, Holy Family, Sacred Heart of Jesus, or St. Joseph), four Rosaries, a guide to praying the Rosary, and an overview guide with additional information and prayers. Click below for a portion of the overview guide. Students will be bringing these boxes home to share with their families for one week, after which the boxes need to be returned to the homeroom teacher for the next family to enjoy. There is no need to sign up - teachers will simply send the boxes home with a different student each week. It is suggested that the statue be placed in a prominent area of the home, that maybe a small prayer corner be set up for the week, and that time be set aside during the week to pray the Rosary as a family. We hope you enjoy having the traveling prayer box in your home as a support of your family's Domestic Church through time spent together in prayer.

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.

SECOND SEMESTER CHESS CLUB REGISTRATION NOW OPEN & EXPECTED TO FILL FAST!
Chess Club is now registering for the second semester session! Open to students in Grades K-8, Chess Club will meet on Mondays February 13 and 27, March 6, 13, 20, and 27, and April 3. Go to https://www.learningmeansfun.com/signup and enter code SCO2.13.23 to register. Register by February 5 for the early bird price of $129.50. This club was very popular in the first semester and expected to fill quickly. Don't delay - once capacity is reached, registration will close. Please click the flyer below for complete information about this club.

OHIO CATHOLIC FEDERAL CREDIT UNION STUDENT BANKING

Ohio Catholic Federal Credit Union will be available for student banking from 8:00 to 8:20 am in the Multi-Purpose Room on the following dates: December 14, January 18, February 22, March 22, April 19, and May 17.

STAGE STARS NOW UNDERWAY

Stage Stars is now underway. The club is at capacity and registration is closed. Stage Stars will meet on Mondays December 5, 12, 19, January 9, 23, 30, and February 6 from 3:20 to 4:20 pm. Pick up at the Spiritual Center door adjacent to the parking lot.

ART CLUB UNDERWAY

For students in grades 6-8 who have registered, Art Club will meet from 3:15 to 4:30 pm in the Art Room on the following dates: November 29, December 13, January 24, February 28, March 28, April 25, and May 23. Students should be picked up at 4:30 pm at the Latchkey/Art Room door.

NEW FIRE FOR GRADES 6-8

New Fire, our youth ministry program for students in grades 6-8, will meet twice a month during the school year! Students who would like to participate should meet Mr. Schechter in the main hall at 3:15 pm to walk to the meeting location. Students should be picked up at Yahner Field promptly at 4:30 pm.

Meetings will be held on the following dates: 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 as weather permits, 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.

WORLD LANGUAGE CLUBS BEGIN DECEMBER 14

Students in eligible grade levels have received information about our Chinese, French and Spanish clubs. For those who are registered, meetings will be in the Chinese, French and Spanish rooms from 3:00 to 4:00 pm on the following dates: December 14, January 18, February 15, March 15, and April 19.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS FREE THROW COMPETITION DECEMBER 27 & 30

ATTENTION ALL HOOPSTERS! Come join the Knights of Columbus at their Annual Free-Throw Competition! Both events will be held in Horning Hall: Tuesday, December 27th from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm; and Friday, December 30th from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Girls and boys ages 9 to 14, show your skills and advance to the District Competition and represent our St. Hilary Sabers! Each participant will receive a certificate of participation. Winners will be announced on the morning announcements after Christmas Break and NEW THIS YEAR, each winner of the six age groups, both boys and girls, will receive a Knights of Columbus basketball!

KINDERGARTEN KALEIDOSCOPE REGISTRATION UNDERWAY

Thinking about kindergarten for the 2023-2024 school year? Please join us for Kindergarten Kaleidoscope, Thursday, January 12, 2023 from 9:00 to 11:00 am. Tour the school and attend a parent information session while your child participates in activities with our kindergarten teachers in our kindergarten classrooms! Space is limited! Please call 330-867-8720, ext. 343 by December 29 to reserve a space for your child or to learn more. To fully benefit from this event, children should be 5 by September 30, 2023.

SANTA SHOP COMING! VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

We are excited to bring back the Student Council Santa Shop again this year! The shop will be open to students in all grades, K-8. Classrooms will shop December 13-16. Prices will range from $1.00 to $15.00, with a pre-payment option available this year, similar to the Scholastic Book Fair. More details will be provided closer to the event. Volunteers are needed to help make the Santa Shop successful and fun for all the students - we are looking for Student Council parents to set up and work the Santa Shop. Please contact Ashley Chicatelli as soon as possible at ashleyantiques@gmail.com with the days you are available and which shift you prefer (morning or afternoon).

CHRISTMAS LIGHTING DISPLAY TO RAISE FUNDS FOR ST. JUDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

Looking for a fun family outing to celebrate Christmas? You can visit the Rambacher Christmas lighting display - ranked #1 in NE Ohio - after dark beginning November 23 and help support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at the same time. Donations will be accepted in person or by scanning the code on the flyer below. Please refer to the flyer for additional details.

POLICY ON SPORTS PRACTICES WHEN SCHOOL IS CLOSED

When school is closed due to inclement weather or another unforeseen reason, regularly scheduled sports practices are also canceled. Optional open gym may be held later in the day if weather conditions improve, and coaches will communicate as necessary.

2023-2024 SCHOOL CALENDAR

We understand that many of you are trying to plan work dates and vacations around next year's school calendar, and we are receiving many inquiries. Please know that while we would love to be able to get the calendar out earlier, we must wait for mandatory dates issued by the Diocese of Cleveland for each school year, and we will not have those dates until late January. Once we receive the dates, we can begin building our calendar, but we must then submit it and await approval from the Diocese before we can publish it. This usually does not occur until early March. Tentatively, our 2023-2024 calendar should look fairly similar to our current school calendar, with a tentative start date of August 28. Thank you for understanding the constraints we work within as we create our school calendar each year.

DONATE UNWANTED CANDY, CHILDREN'S BOOKS

Please place unwanted Halloween candy in the marked box in the main school hallway (or near the Parish office). Candy will be given to individuals on the Giving Tree this Christmas. Donations of new or gently used books for children and teens (no adult books, please) are also needed for Giving Tree families and can be placed in the marked box in the main school hallway. Thank you!

PARENTS' NIGHTS OUT CONTINUE!

We are excited to offer something new this year - Parents' Nights Out! By popular request for a forum to foster community in each grade level, these evening events will feature an opportunity to socialize with other parents from your child(ren)'s grade level over adult beverages and snacks, as well as discussion about a topic or topics of interest. We will begin with the grade levels that have had the least opportunity to get to know each other, due to COVID or just being new to the school, and work our way up. All events will be held from 7:00 to 8:00 pm in the Spiritual Center Gathering Area, and RSVPs will be required. Please save the date(s) for your child(ren)'s grade level(s) and watch for details!

December 7 - Grade 4

January 18 - Grade 5

February 15 - Grade 6

March 1 - Grade 8

March 14 - Grade 7

SABER CUP - DATE CHANGE!

Save The Date! 1st Annual Saber Cup! (DATE CHANGED TO MARCH 2023)

A Moms & Pops Basketball Tournament will take place on Friday, March 10 & Saturday, March 11, 2023 in Horning Hall. All current 1st-8th grade Dads are invited to play in this fun filled weekend basketball tournament that will bring together the St. Hilary school community to raise money for St. Hilary Athletic Association. There will also be a Friday night Moms' Game and a Saturday night Alumni Game. Click below for details.

If you are interested in sponsorship or helping with this fundraising event, please reach out to Luke Taylor lukejtaylor@tradermanwines.com

2022-2023 YEARBOOK ORDERING NOW OPEN

Ordering is now open for our 2022-2023 school yearbook! This beautiful full-color book is available in a soft cover format for $30 or a hard cover format for $35. All ordering must be done directly through Lifetouch at ybpay.lifetouch.com. The order code is 3685723. The deadline to order is June 2, 2023. Please keep a record of your order - the school has no access to or record of orders.

ACME RECEIPTS BENEFIT OUR SCHOOL

We are collecting Acme receipts again this year! Please save your Acme receipts from August 1, 2022 through December 24, 2022. We are only accepting receipts from 2022. Any others are not eligible. Send them to school to Attn: Tara Reuscher; c/o Alex Reuscher Room 209. Or if you prefer, take a picture of your receipts (be sure to include the bottom portion of the receipt that includes the cash back amount) and email to tarareuscher@gmail.com.

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!

SCHEDULING EVENTS & REQUESTING EVENT SET-UPS

• To schedule an event anywhere on our campus, you must first contact Joan Heegan in the Parish office. Joan handles all facility scheduling. She can be reached at jheegan@sthilarychurch.org, or 330-867-1055, ext. 200.
• After your event is scheduled, you must request a set-up for your event.
• New set-up forms have been printed and can be found in the Parish and School offices. Please destroy any old set-up forms.
• Please fill out the proper form and submit it to Joan at the Parish office. (In some cases, Joan will offer to complete the form for you when you schedule your event.)
• After Joan has checked to confirm that your event is in the system, she will turn your form over to Pedro Avalos for set-up.
• If you have any questions about this, please contact Joan directly.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS ABOUT PLAYGROUND SAFETY

Dear Parents,

Football season is well underway, colder weather is upon us, and it is time for a few reminders to help keep all students safe at recess and when using the playground outside of school hours. Mr. Conner has been making his way to classrooms and groups of students on the playground to discuss these reminders with them. Your cooperation in reinforcing these safety rules at home will help us to maintain consistency in playground expectations.

First, we know excitement is in the air as football season is in high gear. However, tackle football is not permitted during recess or on our playground afterschool.

Second, with winter weather around the corner, students are reminded that picking up snow and throwing snow are not permitted at any time anywhere on our campus.

Finally, to recap our reminder in August and per our school handbook, 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.

We appreciate your support in these matters to help ensure student safety and prevent confusion as students toggle between play during school hours and play outside of school hours.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Woodman
Principal

Mr. Conner
Director of Social Emotional Wellness

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.

LATCHKEY REGISTRATION AVAILABLE IN DIGITAL ACADEMY

St. Hilary School Latchkey (before- and after-school care) registration is available in Digital Academy. 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@sthilarychurch.org until September 30, or Trey Baker, Business Manager, at jbaker@sthilarychurch.org beginning October 1.

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

Digital Academy will be 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 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.

DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP REMINDERS

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!

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, ILLNESS/ABSENCE AND MEDICATION

COVID-19 POLICIES

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. Please click here for CDC guidance for individuals exposed to COVID-19.

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.

MEDICAL CONDITIONS / MEDICATION AT SCHOOL

If your child has a medical condition or will need medication, an Epi-pen, etc. stored or administered in the clinic this school year, please be sure to complete the necessary forms (see below). NEW FORMS FOR MEDICATION, WHETHER PRESCRIPTION OR OVER-THE-COUNTER, ARE REQUIRED EVERY SCHOOL YEAR... SO EVEN IF YOU FILLED OUT FORMS FOR LAST SCHOOL YEAR, WE MUST HAVE NEW FORMS FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR.

• 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