Middle School 2011-2012Handbook and Planning Calendar

ContaCt InformatIon

ST. CATHERINE’S SCHOOL MAIN OFFICE ................................804.288.2804

MIDDLE SCHOOL OFFICE ..................................................................804.281.7144

Middle School 2011-2012Handbook and Planning Calendar

For Emergencies only:Deborah H. Staley Interim Director of Middle School804.794.2920

To contact school personnel by e-mail: Use the first initial of the person’s first name, followed by their last name, followed by @st.catherines.org. for example, the e-mail address of Deborah Staley is dstaley@st.catherines.org.

I I WELCOME

WelCome

From the Interim Head of School Welcome to the 2011-12 school year. Your daughter will experience multiple learn-ing opportunities and face a variety of challenges this year, all of which will help her develop confidence and poise. the essential partnership that is shared between home and school is sure to promote the success that will empower her for a lifetime.

to ensure a successful school year for you and your daughter, it’s vital that you both understand the policies and procedures of St. Catherine’s School. I encourage you to review this handbook thoroughly with your daughter. a clear understanding of the School’s expectations enables us to work together in order to provide your daughter the very best education possible. Because policies change and evolve, it is essential that you take the time to review this information as some of it differs from last year. In addition to this handbook, all of the division-specific information is accessible online under “Papers for Parents” on the school portal.

If policies and procedures need to be updated during the school year, the School will communicate with you in a timely manner. the electronic version of the hand-book, available on the school portal, will be updated as well.

thank you for your continued dedication to your daughters’ education, as well as your support of St. Catherine’s School. I am excited to take on my new leadership role for this upcoming school year and I look forward to sharing the successes of your daughter with you.

regards,

Sue BaldwinInterim Head of School

I I IWelCome

Middle School Information Welcome ............................................................................................................1

Academic Life .........................................................................................2-5Daily Schedule

Student Life ..........................................................................................6-11rules and Discipline

Student Activities ........................................................................12-14

Calendar ................................................................................................15-16

taBle of ContentS

School-Wide Content About St. Catherine’s ..................................................................IV-IXthe founding of the SchoolVisionmissionCore Valuesthe essence of St. Catherine’sSchool mottoSchool SymbolsPrayers and Songstraditions and Celebrations

Campus & Facilities .........................................................................X-XIBuilding Descriptions and HoursCampus map

General Information ............................................................... XII-XVISchool VisitorsSchool CommunicationsInclement WeatherSafety and Securitytechnology acceptable Use PolicyStudent medical Informationafterschool and Summer activities

Parent Involvement .........................................................................XVIIVolunteer opportunities

AbOuT ST. CATHERINE’S IV

aBoUt St. CatHerIne’S SCHool

The Founding of the SchoolWhile educating girls for college was a daring idea to most people in 1890, it wasn’t to Virginia randolph ellett. She knew that young women could handle the rigor-ous work of higher education—if they received the right preparation. Before long, St. Catherine’s academic reputation grew to the point where it was the principal reason for richmond’s selection as the eighth city worldwide to offer the Bryn mawr entrance exam. With a curriculum described at the time as being “at once classical and revolutionary,” miss Jennie’s school was the first in richmond to send girls to college.

In 1917 the school was incorporated and moved to its present site in the Westhampton area of richmond. It was sold to the episcopal Church in 1920 and renamed for St. Catherine, the patron saint of young women. miss Jennie, who had relinquished her headship some years before, continued to teach and live at the school until her death in 1939. to this day miss Jennie is remembered fondly

as a pioneer in women’s education and as a woman who never ceased educat-ing herself. She is also remembered for the earnestness of her endeavor to educate others and the spirit of joy and fun through which she achieved it. While miss Jennie’s mission of prepar-ing young women for college remains at the heart of St. Catherine’s (100 percent of our graduates continue their education—many to the nation’s most selective colleges and universities), the School has evolved over the last 120 years. In miss Jennie’s day, english, history and french were considered to

be the most important subjects for young women, and the school reflected this in its curriculum.

today, while those departments remain strong and innovative, math and sci-ence courses are emphasized equally. the curriculum also focuses on foreign lan-guages, including instruction in Spanish and Chinese beginning in Kindergarten. In addition, the curriculum includes fine arts, athletics and service learning.

St. Catherine’s has embraced technology and all the ways it enhances education. the Wright library and technology Center give students access to the most current research methods available. In addition, the Wright library contains a superb and growing print collection that provides a necessary foundation for strong research skills. With a fine faculty, excellent facilities, a healthy endowment and highly moti-vated students, St. Catherine’s has a bright future. Just as miss Jennie never could have predicted what heights her School would attain more than 120 years after its founding, we surely cannot imagine what the next century will bring. What we do know is that St. Catherine’s will continue to give its students the best possible preparation for their college years and beyond.

VAbOuT ST. CATHERINE’S

VisionSt. Catherine’s will be sought by talented girls and their families because of its caring, engaged students and faculty who set high academic standards, delight in learning and find joy in service to others.

MissionSt. Catherine’s, a Church School in the episcopal Diocese of Virginia, offers girls in junior kindergarten through twelfth grade a rigorous college preparatory education through a community of teachers and staff committed to fostering the develop-ment of the mind, body and spirit. the ultimate aim of the school is to prepare girls of diverse perspectives for leadership and service in a global community.

Core Valuesto fulfill our mission and pursue our vision, we take these values as core:Pursuing academic excellence — We cultivate intellectual habits in which we take joy in learning through energetic inquiry, analytical and creative thinking, and con-tinual striving to reach new levels.

Developing character — We teach individuals to live with integrity, responsibility, confidence, compassion and respect for themselves and others.

Nurturing spiritual growth — We enable each person to deepen her faith through worship, reflection, humility and the recognition of God in every human being.

Celebrating individuals — We recognize the unique gifts and potential of each person and help each to recognize the strength that comes from differences.

building community — We build up community within and beyond the school through teaching social responsibility, inclusiveness and leadership to prepare each person to serve others and contribute to healing the world.

— Adopted by the Board of Governors May 12, 2006

The Essence of St. Catherine’sSt. Catherine’s is in its second century as a recognized leader in educating girls to reach their full potential and is an active resource to others.

through innovative teaching, rigorous academics and expansive course offerings and opportunities, St. Catherine’s continues its dedication to enhancing excellence in every girl.

our faculty, staff, students, parents and alumnae work together to foster an embracing community where individuality is respected and personal connections are valued.

Whether learning takes place in the classroom or on the field, is expressed through arts or in service to others, St. Catherine’s is empowering girls for a lifetime.

School Motto“What we keep we lose; only what we give remains our own.”

Instituted around 1925, the School motto is attributed to louisa Bacot Brackett, headmistress of the School from 1924 to 1947. She discovered the epithet carved on a tomb inside a small church in england. for more than 85 years, the phrase has inspired St. Catherine’s students to lead lives of leadership and service.

AbOuT ST. CATHERINE’S VI

Symbols of the School The School Seal

the seal is the official symbol of St. Catherine’s School. It features the symbols and virtues of St. Catherine of alexandria, egypt. It is used on official school docu-ments, formal stationery, school rings, publications and promotional items.

the symbols and virtues of St. Catherine are:The book — the open book of the scholar: knowl-edge and purpose

The Ring — the ring of the bride of Christ: loyalty and faith

The Wheel — the spiked wheel on which the emperor tried to kill her: courage and sacrifice

The Palm — the palm of the martyr: determination and victory

The Crown — the crown, the reward of the martyr: hope and fulfillment

The School Logo

the school logo is used in advertising, marketing, day-to-day communications informal stationary, publica-tions and promotional items. the school logo includes a unique quatrefoil. this four-cornered design also represents a cross, recognizing the importance of spirituality. Traditional — four marquis shapes represent a cross and the four quadrants of the school seal.

Symbolic — the five intersecting areas in the center represent the School’s Core Values and the virtues of St. Catherine of alexandria.

united — one symbol to unify the entire School com-munity, regardless of age, gold or white (school colors).

Enduring — lines are never-ending, representing the lifetime connection of all community members.

The Daisy

the daisy is the beloved school flower and continues to be included in time-honored traditions such as the Daisy Chain at graduation and the renowned Daisy Days community event. It also remains a symbol for the lower School’s Code of Conduct.

VI IAbOuT ST. CATHERINE’S

School Prayers, Hymns and Songs Prayer and Benediction

Help us, o God, to remember, through the example of Jesus Christ, that what we keep we lose; only what we give remains our own.

may our lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with the father and the Holy Spirit, be near us to defend us, within us to possess us, around us to preserve us, before us to guide us, behind us to justify us, and above us to bless us. amen.

Jerusalem

and did those feet in ancient timeWalk upon england’s mountains green?and was the holy lamb of Godon england’s pleasant pastures seen?and did the countenance divineShine forth upon our clouded hills?and was Jerusalem builded hereamong these dark Satanic mills?

Bring me my bow of burning gold!Bring me my arrows of desire!Bring me my spear! o clouds, unfold!Bring me my chariot of fire!I will not cease from mental fight,nor shall my sword sleep in my hand, till we have built JerusalemIn every green and pleasant land. – William Blake

Alma Mater

St. Catherine’s, we praise thee;to thee a hymn we sing.let praise and devotionfrom every heart now ring.our loyalty and love for theeforever true will be.through all the yearsthy light will shineand gleam ever bright.St. Catherine’s, all hail thee!We’ll love through all our daysthy spirit undying.to thee, alma mater, praise! – Margaret Page ’51 and Marion Ryland ’51

School Hymn

father in heaven, who lovest all,o help thy children when they call;that they may build from age to age an undefiled heritage.

teach us to rule ourselves alway,Controlled and cleanly night and day;that we may bring, if need arise,no maimed or worthless sacrifice.

teach us to look in all our endson thee for Judge and not our friends;that we, with thee, may walk uncowedBy fear or favor of the crowd.

teach us delight in simple things,and mirth that has no bitter springs;forgiveness free of evil done,and love to all beneath the sun. – Rudyard Kipling

Gold Team Alma Mater

to the Goldsto our teamWe entrust to youall our hopesall our faithlove sincere and trueKeep it e’er in your heartStrive to worthy bethough we winthough we looseloyal Golds to thee

White Team Alma Mater

to all Whites we sing in triumphall our age old praiseto our loving alma materSung throughout our daysthrough our victories, through defeatalways it will be White we love youWhite we’re for youHail all hail to thee.

AbOuT ST. CATHERINE’S VI I I

Traditions and Celebrationsmany different activities and celebrations in the spirit of friendship make St. Catherine’s a special place. Some are traditions, dating back to the early-to-mid 1900s, while others have evolved over time, bonding classmates and the entire community and honoring the School’s history. the following is a snapshot of special traditions with brief descriptions of some of the things students and parents may look forward to experiencing.

Opening Worship Service and Welcome Back Celebration

the academic year begins with the opening chapel service at St. Stephen’s Church during the school day for students, faculty and staff. the service is followed by a brief, all-school celebration on the Green. the senior girls escort the kindergarten girls to the cel-ebration, and the senior captains are introduced and lead all the students in a cheer. the Head of School gives a welcoming address and challenges everyone to make it a great year.

Spirit Fest

the entire School community takes part in this fall fes-tival to celebrate the season and to show support of the School’s athletic teams. a variety of fun activities take place including JV and varsity sports competi-tions. families and alumnae gather on the Green for a relaxing autumn evening of fellowship.

Gold and White

Gold-White games and contests have been a tradition at St. Catherine’s since 1926. every girl (JK-12) and all faculty and staff are members of either the Gold team or the White team. If a mother, sister or other relative has attended St. Catherine’s, the student automati-cally joins that same team. Students who are the first in their families to attend St. Catherine’s are placed on a team by a random drawing. the teams participate in activities throughout the year that encourage team-work, sportsmanship, loyalty and friendly competition between students in all grades. on designated days, girls wear gold or white clothing to show their school pride. In lower School, these activities are often coop-erative in nature. a cup is awarded in may to the team accumulating the most points during the year.

St. Catherine’s Day

for more than 50 years, the senior class and the Upper School faculty select a senior who best repre-sents the ideals associated with the School’s patron saint, Catherine of alexandria. the identity of this

student remains a secret until she presents a speech to the student body at the St. Catherine’s Day worship service in the fall. St. Catherine’s Day class representa-tives from previous years are invited back to campus for this event, followed by a special reception in their honor.

Founder’s Day

a tribute to the School’s founder, Virginia randolph ellett, this celebration in January each year includes a chapel service, a guest speaker and the Gold/White cheer rally. this event takes place during the school day for students, faculty and staff.

Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day

Students invite their grandparents and special friends to spend a few hours with them on campus on a day in april. Guests are treated to student performances and exhibits and enjoy classroom visits.

Daisy Days

St. Catherine’s annual spring carnival, Daisy Days, is organized by the Parents’ association as a fundrais-ing event for the School. the three-day event includes “Girls’ night out,” a shopping event with more than 60 vendors in the Kenny Center on thursday evening, the Garden Shop with plants and flowers from a local nursery and a carnival on Saturday. the carnival is open to the richmond community and includes rides, games, performances, music, food and contests. all students, parents, faculty and staff are invited to par-ticipate and bring a friend. many parent volunteers are needed for the event, both during the week and in the months prior. Please contact a Parents’ association representative to get involved.

Reunion Weekend for Alumnae

alumnae return to campus each april to celebrate their class reunions. Weekend activities include a Head of School reception for all classes, career day speak-ers, alumnae art exhibition and individual class parties.

IXAbOuT ST. CATHERINE’S

Lower School Traditions

Colonial Day — this celebration takes place each fall in conjunction with St. Christopher’s School. third grade girls and boys dress in native american or colonial attire and enjoy a fun-filled celebration that includes role playing, crafts and colonial games.

Kindergarten Harvest Festival — In conjunction with St. Christopher’s, girls and boys gather for a fall har-vest celebration of different cultures.

The Christmas Gift Service for Grades 1-4 — Parents of students in grades 1-4 are invited to join us at St. Stephen’s Church for this traditional lower School Christmas Service. the Christmas story is read from the Bible along with a pageant presented by the fourth grade students. Beautiful music is provided by the choir, strings and students in grades 1 and 2.

JK/K Christmas Service — Parents of junior kindergart-ners and kindergartners are invited to this Christmas service in Bannard Chapel. Junior Kindergarten stu-dents present a nativity Play and Kindergarten students provide beautiful music.

Grade Level Performances — each year grades 1-4 present grade-level musical or dance performances. Grades 1 and 2 each perform a musical production in the lower School assembly room. Grade 3 performs their musical in mcVey theatre for students, parents and the senior class. the grade 4 dance program is performed in mcVey Dance Studio for students, parents and the senior class.

Lower School Play for Seniors — as a farewell tribute to the senior class, grade 3 students present a musical play in mcVey theatre. after the perfor-mance, traditional songs are sung by the lower School students and the seniors and refreshments are provided for all.

Final Assemblies — Parents are invited to attend these traditional closing day ceremonies.

Middle School Traditions

Middle School Plays — each year there are two middle School plays – one with 5th and 6th graders and another with 7th and 8th graders. Students audi-tion for parts and also work on the technical aspects of theatre production.

8th Grade banquet and Show — eighth graders star in a show of student-produced skits to highlight their passage from middle School to the Upper School near the end of the school year. they invite a special guest to a ceremonial banquet given in honor of the 8th graders, and then all family members are invited to the show.

Joint Thanksgiving Service — this worship service is a celebration of thanks for middle School students from St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s. Students share experiences, give thanks through the spoken word and sing songs with peers, teachers and family members.

Final Assembly — Parents are invited to the awards Program featuring 8th graders as they graduate from middle School. this is a mandatory event for students in grades 5-8.

Upper School Traditions

Ring-Candlelight Service — this evening worship service celebrating the transfer of student leadership to the rising senior class is held in the spring when juniors receive their class rings.

Lower School Party for Seniors — as a farewell trib-ute to the senior class, grade 3 students present a musical play in mcVey theatre. after the performance, traditional songs are sung by the lower School stu-dents and the seniors and refreshments are provided for all.

Junior/Senior banquet — the theme is kept secret until the night of the event. During the festivities, the faculty, staff and School leadership are toasted through song by members of the junior class. the School officials then toast the senior class in return.

June Queen and June Scholar — the senior who best represents her class and exemplifies the School motto in her daily contact is selected June Queen. the senior whose scholastic record is judged to be the most out-standing among her classmates is named June Scholar.

baccalaureate/Commencement — Baccalaureate is a joint service with St. Christopher’s held at St. Stephen’s preceding commencement ceremonies for both schools. the service is a celebration to honor the two senior classes. Held on the Green, commencement marks the end of a girl’s school years at St. Catherine’s. the ceremony ends with the traditional Daisy Chain, dur-ing which the newest alumnae officially hand off their leadership to the rising seniors by passing the chain of daisies over to them.

To find out dates and times for these different events, please visit news and calendar on the School website.

CAMPuS & FACILITIES X

accommodate an entire division at the same time. Café 2010 provides a variety of snacks and food options during non-Dining Hall hours. It is open to middle and Upper School students, St. Christopher’s Upper School students, employees, parents and visi-tors during the regular school day (visitors must sign in at the front desk). lower school students are per-mitted after school hours with a parent. Purchases in Café 2010 may be made with cash, credit card or with a SaIntSCard. for more information on activating the SaIntSCard or guidelines for Café 2010, please go online to www.st.catherines.org/cash.

Ellett Hall

Houses Upper School classrooms, faculty offices and a student commons and a senior class lounge.

Jeffrey Hall

Houses the Junior Kindergarten on the first floor and Development offices on the second and third floors.

McCue Hall

Houses the lower School grades K-4, including the lower School art studio and library. In addition, the basement floor houses the Upper School art Studio, with designated spaces for pottery and a photography dark room.

McVey Hall

Home to the theatre Department and ampersand (Joint Upper School theatre Group), the Dance Studio and Joni Dance Program.

Mullen Hall

Currently undergoing renovation and expansion. for updates, progress reports and to get involved, please visit our campaign website at afutureforgirls.com.

Turner Hall-Wright Library-Bannard Chapel

Houses the School library, Upper School classrooms, technology labs, a lecture hall and faculty offices. It is also home to Bannard Chapel, which was renovated and expanded during the summer of 2011.

Washington Hall

Houses fifth and sixth grade classrooms and science labs, middle School administrative offices, the Harrison art Center and the flager Keenan auditorium.

To learn more about the history of the buildings and to experience a virtual tour, please visit st.catherines.org/campusinformation.

CamPUS & faCIlItIeS

St. Catherine’s encompasses 16 acres with build-ings design by prominent new York architect Hubart Upjohn. the School is listed on the Virginia landmarks register and the national register of Historic Places.

the School owns 145 acres in nearby Goochland County, which is currently used for additional athletic facilities.

Anne Whitfield Kenny Sports and Fitness Center

the 72,000-square-foot facility includes an eight-lane competition indoor pool, a three-court gymna-sium, fitness center, health classrooms, offices and a 4,000-square-foot weight facility.

The Arcade

Connects ellett Hall and Bacot Hall and houses College Counseling and student leadership meeting space for the Upper School.

Bacot Hall

first floor contains the School’s main office; offices for the Head of School, the admissions office, the director of Upper School, classrooms and a formal reception room. the second and third floors house seventh and eighth grade classrooms and science labs.

Blair Hall

Houses the business office and apartments for resident faculty and staff.

Brackett House

Houses the School bookstore on the first floor. the bookstore carries general school supplies, including binders, notebooks, pens and pencils, as well as cloth-ing, sports accessories, batteries, gift items, stamps, healthy snacks, sports drinks and water.

Bookstore Hours

back To School Hours: monday, aug. 22-thurs., aug. 25 —

9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.friday, august 26 — 9 a.m-1 p.m.

Regular Hours (starting aug. 29)monday-thursday — 8:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m.friday — 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Dining Hall and Cafe 2010

the newly-renovated Dining Hall includes Café 2010, the Dining Hall serves all three divisions and can

XICAMPuS & FACILITIES

XI I GENERAL SCHOOL INFORMATION

of subjects. Push Page emails may contain school-wide news and events, division information or health alerts. Parents should check their email program to allow (whitelist) emails from stcatherinesva@pushpage.com.

St. C At-A-Glance

Weekly at-a-Glance email messages are sent out every friday during the school year. these mes-sages provide information about upcoming events, fundraisers, Parents’ association updates and other School-related news.

My Notifications (Email and text notifications)

my notifications allows you to receive School announcements via email or tXt enabled devices when they are posted on the School website. You can receive announcements about emergency/weather alerts, health or announcements posted in your child’s class or sport team. my notifications are available once you sign into St. C today on the School’s website. the link to sign up is located in the blue bar on the left.

My Notifications will work by first:• Choosing which channels you wish to receive infor-

mation from (click on any of the Setup links)

• Setup your tXt enabled device (cell phone, smart phone) note: the code will be the text after the letters mSG:

• then, choose email and or text to receive the messages

Social Media

St. Catherine’s utilizes social media such as facebook and twitter as another outlet of communication. Weather updates as well as general news, photos and other happenings around campus will be posted through these channels. this is not a primary form of communication for the School, but it is used to enhance your experience.

facebook.com/StCatherines

twitter.com/StCatherinesrVa

School Publications

• The Quair, the student yearbook, is distributed at the end of each school year.

• Atelier is the Upper School literary arts magazine of student poetry, essays and works of art, pub-lished annually at the end of each school year.

• The Arcadian/Forum is the Upper School newspa-per and editorial magazine. three or more issues are published each year. In addition, an online ver-sion is available at st.catherines.org/arcadianforum.

General SCHool InformatIon

School Visitorsall visitors, guests and parent volunteers are asked to report upon arrival to one of the division offices to sign in. to safeguard the well being of every child and to assure that interruptions of instruction time are kept to a minimum, we ask that all visitors enter the School nearest one of the division offices and identify themselves to the office personnel, who will assist guests in the sign-in procedure.

School CommunicationsSt. Catherine’s utilizes technology as well as traditional medium to communicate with the School community. In order to ensure you receive all official communica-tions, it is vital to keep all contact information up-to-date. this may be done through your user profile by logging on to St. C. today or by updating a division office. all information provided will be distributed to other School offices.

School Website-www.st.catherines.org

the School website is the most accurate, up-to-date resource for calendar information, school delays and closing information, sports schedules and scores, arts events, campus news and happenings, Dining Hall menus and offers features for every member of the St. Catherine’s family. a special page for each divi-sion is updated weekly and contains news, photos, announcements, downloads and links. You may make online donations to the annual fund and see con-struction updates and renovation progress. an online school store offers Saints apparel and alumnae gifts. an alumnae page features news and upcoming events.

Email

every teacher and administrator checks his/her email account regularly. St. Catherine’s email should not be used for solicitations. email to teachers or administra-tors should not be used for time sensitive and urgent communications such as notices to teachers about attendance, early dismissals or late arrivals; changes in carpools or transportation; or requests for home-work. these messages must still go directly to the division office personnel.

Push Pages

the School will use an email communication tool called “Push Page” to send information to parents on a variety

XI I IGENERAL SCHOOL INFORMATION

• The Room is the middle School literary magazine.

• St. Catherine’s NOW is the school magazine for parents and alumnae. It’s published biannually.

Inclement WeatherSchool Closings

If the School closes due to inclement weather or dan-gerous driving conditions, an announcement will be posted on the following locations:• St. Catherine’s website-www.st.catherines.org

• Channel 6 news

• Channel 8 news

• Channel 12 news

• WCVe-fm 88.9

• WrVa radio 1140

the School generally does not close early once the school day has begun. However, parents may call for their children before dismissal time if they have concerns about worsening road conditions. St. Catherine’s and St. Christopher’s work together to address inclement weather closing. It is unusual for the Schools to have different closing times.

If school is in session, student drivers should make every effort to attend; they are, however, expected to use good judgment if conditions are unsafe for travel.

In the event of an extended forced closing caused by force majeure, or an event beyond control (such as fire, flood, act of God, war, government action, act of terrorism, epidemic, pandemic or natural disas-ter) which renders performance impractical, illegal, impossible or inadvisable, the School may continue to operate on a distance-learning basis.

Safety & SecuritySafety of our students is our top priority. members of the School community are urged to report any unusual or suspicious circumstances or strangers to the switchboard, the director of security or a security guard. Building doors are locked after normal school hours. the propping open of any locked door is strictly forbidden. the gym, art building and library may be used after hours with permission and with faculty or staff supervision.

Visitors to St. Catherine’s, including parents, are asked to sign in at the switchboard or a division office and to wear a name tag. While St. Catherine’s makes a considerable effort to control access to its property, it is impossible to insure that there are never any unau-thorized persons present on campus or elsewhere on the property. all students are responsible for taking appropriate precautions and exercising good judgment.

ALERTNOW Emergency Notification Service

St. Catherine’s has the ability to communicate immedi-ately and reliably in the event of a School emergency.

alertnoW notifies parents and staff within min-utes and distinguishes emergency messages with “411” on caller IDs.

the system works on the emergency contacts listed in student profiles on the website that calls the tele-phone numbers for all of the school families at the same time. telephone information in a parent’s profile is linked to the emergency contacts channel of their children. Up to five telephone numbers per student can be called from the database. the home number, cell numbers and business numbers provided on regis-tration forms will be used. for Upper School students, their cell phone numbers may be used, if that number is listed in their profile, so that they can be reached even when they are at St. Christopher’s. the success-ful delivery of information is dependent upon accurate contact information for each family. therefore, it is important to inform the School division of changes. Parents can verify and update emergency contact information for their child by signing-in to the web-site, clicking on my Profile and verifying that their own telephone information is correct. Parents can verify which numbers will be called by clicking on their child’s name in relationships. Click on edit in the emergency Contacts channel to see the sort order. for questions please contact mystcsupport@st.catherines.org.

What you need to know about receiving calls sent through ALERTNOW:• Caller ID will display 411 if the message is an

emergency.

• alertnoW will leave a message on any answering machine or voicemail.

• If the alertnoW message stops playing, press any key 1-9 and the message will replay from the beginning.

ALERTNOW is used only for emergencies. St. Catherine’s will not use this system for daily notices, special announcements or snow closings. that information can be found on the School website.

Fire and Safety Regulations

1. St. Catherine’s is a non-smoking campus. It is abso-lutely forbidden for any person, adult or student, to smoke in any building on campus. It is also for-bidden for any student to have in her possession cigarettes, matches, lighters or candles.

2. tampering with fire boxes, smoke detectors, or fire extinguishers is prohibited.

XIV GENERAL SCHOOL INFORMATION

3. Get acquainted with locations of the fire box and exit nearest your room.

4. teachers have plans which include alternative escape routes from each room.

5. the campus has doors which are kept closed dur-ing an emergency. Halls and stairways must be kept unobstructed at all times.

6. electrical extension cords must be used sparingly and placed where they are not a hazard. Surge pro-tectors are encouraged.

Fire Alarms

each building on campus has its own fire alarm (a com-bination of horns and strobe lights) which is triggered by smoke detectors, pull stations and heat detectors. the system has its own auto dialer that notifies the fire department and the St. Catherine’s security staff of all alarms.

Fire, Severe Weather/Tornado and Lock-down Drills

the School will periodically conduct fire, severe weather/tornado and lockdown drills. everyone should remember the serious purpose of these drills. a comprehensive response plan has been dissemi-nated to faculty and staff members. each teacher will instruct their students pursuant to the plan for their area.

Technology Acceptable Use Policyall users of technology must adhere to St. Catherine’s acceptable Use Policy. While there are divisional dif-ferences that can be found in each division’s hand-book, there are some common tenets for the entire community.1) no member of our community may cyber bully

another. this includes, but is not limited to, email-ing, posting on social networks, texting and/or call-ing on a phone.

2) no member of our community may send what is considered to be a “sexting” message, be it on a phone, computer or other device.

3) Students are expected to follow guidelines set forth by social networks, email providers, etc. including acceptable ages for usage as laid out by these organizations.

4) misuse of St. Catherine’s technology will result in disciplinary consequences, and if deemed appro-priate, the student may appear before the Honor Council.

Student Medical InformationHealth Clinic Hours and Locations

LOWER SCHOOLMonday-Friday, 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. McCue Hall

MIDDLE SCHOOL AND uPPER SCHOOLMonday-Friday, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. bacot Hall basement

a registered nurse is on duty during Health Clinic hours. Students should be aware of both locations, as they may have to report to a specific clinic depending on staffing patterns.

Health Records/Health Insurance

Prior to attending School, each student must have completed health forms on file with the school nurse. no student will be able to participate in any preseason sport or preseason leadership activity, begin classes or join any other school activity until all of these forms are properly completed. You may access required health forms on the School portal under “Health news” or “Papers for Parents.”

every student at St. Catherine’s must have health insurance. the name of the insurance carrier and the enrollment number and the name of the policy holder must be listed on the emergency Information form. a copy of your insurance and prescription card (front and back) must be enclosed with your health forms. If your insurance company requires specific providers, please enclose a list of providers in the richmond area.

When To Keep Your Daughter at Home

Students should not be sent to School ill or injured to be diagnosed by the nurse. It is not within the scope of practice for the school nurse to make a medical diagnosis.

St. Catherine’s has established the following crite-ria for keeping your daughter at home or requesting evaluation by your healthcare provider:• any contagious illness, such as meningitis, per-

tussis, chicken pox, etc. Parents should notify the School immediately if their daughter has a conta-gious disease. other parents will then be informed if necessary. Confidentiality and privacy will be pro-tected for each individual as much as possible.

• fever of 100 degrees or higher within the previous 24 hours. Your daughter must be fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medica-tions before returning to School.

• Vomiting or diarrhea within the previous 24 hours.

• Inflamed, irritated eyes or drainage from eyes must be evaluated by a healthcare provider to determine

XVGENERAL SCHOOL INFORMATION

if the condition is contagious. If it is contagious, appropriate treatment must be started before your daughter attends class and after school activities.

• Undiagnosed rashes or skin eruptions.

Head Lice: Please notify the school nurse if your daughter has a case of head lice. once your child has been treated with a product specifically made to kill lice, and the hair has been mechanically combed with a nit comb to remove lie and nits (eggs), your child may return to school. Upon return to school, the student should report to the Health Clinic to be assessed by the school nurse before returning to class. to prevent re-infection, your child should be retreated in seven days.

St. Catherine’s follows the national association of School nurses position state on lice in the school com-munity: the management of lice should not disrupt the education process. Children found with head lice will be referred to parents for treatment. Data does not support school exclusion for nits. Please refer to the St. Catherine’s website for helpful information about lice.

Head Injury: Concussions and symptoms of head injury need time to heal. Students with concussion symptoms, such as headache, dizziness, nausea, poor attention span, poor coordination, and/or unusual behavior, should stay home while symptoms persist. activities (academic and physical) should be restricted for several days after the injury, until the student is at a minimum headache free.

Medication Policies

Lower School: Students are not allowed to have med-ication with them. the exceptions are that students may carry inhalers, epi-Pens or other emergency med-ications with them if a “Permission for medication” form signed by the parent and the physician is on file with the clinic. all medication (over-the-counter and prescription) should be administered by School personnel. any prescription medication brought from home must be in the original container and accompa-nied by a “Permission for medication” form signed by the parent and healthcare provider.

the student is responsible for going to the clinic at the appropriate time to receive prescription medi-cation. Staff and faculty will work with the family to develop an age appropriate reminder system in order to make sure the student reports to the clinic for administration of medication.

Please note: the School has over-the-counter (otC) medications available for student use for

pain/discomfort, fever, cough, congestion, skin rashes, cuts/abrasions, etc. Parents may elect to have the school nurse give otC medication to their daughter when appropriate by indicating such on the Health form.

Middle School and upper School: Students are not allowed to carry medication with them. the only exceptions are as follows. (1) a student may carry an inhaler to treat asthma or reactive airway disease, (2) a student may carry with them in a “fanny pack” an epi-Pen for allergic reactions, or (3) a student may use an insulin pump. In order for a child to receive permission to carry any medication or medical device, a properly completed permission form must be on file with the clinic.

Please discuss with your healthcare provider if your child is mature enough to carry and utilize an inhaler or epi-Pen without adult supervision. at the beginning of the school year, each student will be expected to demonstrate competence with any medical device. all middle School and Upper School students who are prescribed rescue medications (i.e. epi-Pens or inhal-ers) are expected to have them in their possession at all times.

all medication, whether over-the-counter or pre-scription, must be administered by School personnel; any medication brought from home must be in the original container and accompanied by a permission form signed by the parent and healthcare provider. Parents are responsible for communicating with school staff and developing a plan for administering medication that must be given during the school day. the student is responsible for going to the clinic at the appropriate time to receive prescription medication.

there will be no sharing of medications (prescrip-tion or over-the counter). Providing medication to someone other than to whom it is prescribed is illegal and will result in disciplinary action.

Visiting the Clinic During School Hours

When a middle or Upper School student needs to go to the clinic, she must:• notify the teacher whose class will be missed.

• middle School students sign out in the division office before reporting to the clinic and sign back in before returning to class. Upper School students go directly to the clinic to sign in.

• Due to coverage needs in different parts of the campus the nurse may be in various locations throughout the day. therefore, students should verify which clinic location to report to.

• Sign in at the clinic and sign out when leaving.

XVI GENERAL SCHOOL INFORMATION

If necessary, students are assessed by the nurse in the clinic or at their location on the school cam-pus. every effort will be made to keep each student safely in class; the School has over-the-counter medi-cations available for student use such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, decongestants, hydrocortisone cream, cough drops and antacids. If a student needs to go home, parents will be notified and directed to the appropriate location for student pick up. Upper School students who have parental permission may drive themselves home.

Shared Parenting: When the school nurse deems it necessary to contact a student’s parents, the first par-ent reached will be updated on the student’s health. It is the responsibility of the notified parent to com-municate pertinent information to the other parent(s).

Illness and Afterschool Activities

any student missing an academic class because of illness will be restricted from participation in after-school activities (e.g., athletics, dance, drama) for the remainder of that day. exceptions to this policy must be made by the director of the appropriate division or the school nurse.

Crutches

If a student comes to school on crutches, she must first report to the nurse with a doctor’s note explaining the reason/injury, accompanied by the treatment that is in process and what protocol needs to be followed at School. any student on crutches will be expected to attend all classes. even if she cannot participate fully, it is important to be present to learn the skills being taught and to not fall behind in lessons.

Afterschool & Summer ActivitiesSafe Harbor

Monday-Thursday, 5-7 p.m. Students in Grades 7 & 8 and Upper School students who stay after school to participate in athletics,

dramatics or other planned school activities should work in the Upper School library. for more details see the School website.

Extended Day

a joint extended Day program for lower and middle School (JK-Grade 7) students of St. Catherine’s and St. Christopher’s is available on the campus of St. Christopher’s School. Generally, hours are noon-6 p.m. except on holidays, conference days and professional days when children may arrive as early as 7:45 a.m. a child care program also operates during the summer months in conjunction with St. Catherine’s Brilliant Summer Program or St. Christopher’s Summer experience. the facility is closed only on major holidays and during a refurbishment period in august. for further information, contact Carol logue at 282-3185, ext. 382 or loguec@stcva.org.

St. Catherine’s Brilliant Summer Program

brilliant Choices — Known as Cat’s Cap, Brilliant Choices is a co-ed summer day camp for children 3 1/2 years through rising 10th grade. Cat’s CaP pro-vides two three-week sessions of activities for girls and boys in the greater richmond area. Classes foster creative expression through exploration and participa-tion in the visual and performing arts. the program is complemented with courses in physical education, outdoor adventures, science, creative writing, foreign languages and more.

brilliant Minds — academic offerings include a com-prehensive program designed to meet a number of needs: enrichment, acceleration, review and strength-ening of basic skills. these classes will be available to St. Catherine’s students as well as students from throughout the richmond area. Some classes may carry academic credit for St. Catherine’s students.

brilliant Moves — a variety of sports camps, featur-ing basketball, field hockey, volleyball and preseason conditioning, offer talented coaches and impressive facilities.

XVI IPARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

Parental InVolVement

Volunteer OpportunitiesThe Parents’ Association

Parents’ association (Pa) promotes a close com-munity, cooperation and communication among the administration, faculty, staff, parents (or guardians) and students at St. Catherine’s School. the Pa pro-vides volunteer support for student activities, fund-raising projects and the welcoming of new families. It offers parent education programs and opportunities for social interaction, some of which are coordinated with the St. Christopher’s community.

all parents or guardians of students enrolled at St. Catherine’s are members of the Pa as well as the Head of School and appointed representatives. there are no dues or membership fees. the Pa Board consists of a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, two representatives from each school division and chairs and specified members of standing committees. It meets several times a year and parents are encour-aged to attend. Board members are nominated by the nominating committee and elected by the Board at large each Spring. the president of the Pa serves on the St. Catherine’s Board of Governors.

to get involved with the Parents’ association, sign to St. C. today and click on Parents’ association but-ton under for Parents. there you will find a Volunteer Survey form, which allows you to sign up for different events, as well as Pa contact information.

Lower School Room Parents and Grade Representatives

there is a room parent for each section of a grade in the lower School. this parent is the communication link between the classroom teacher and the class’s parent body. the room parent serves as a liaison between the School and the class’s parents, report-ing on class activities. room parents attend meetings with the director of lower School and the Pa division coordinator, assist the classroom teacher by organiz-ing parent volunteers for special class events and field trips, welcome new parents, set up telephone trees, remind parents of upcoming events and organize teacher appreciation Week.

each grade, beginning with kindergarten, has two grade representatives, one from St. Catherine’s and one from St. Christopher’s. Grade representatives work with committees of volunteers to offer at least

two social and/or community service events over the course of the year for their grade level. lower School grade representatives from St. Catherine’s schedule their own coordinated meetings with grade represen-tatives from St. Christopher’s.

Middle School and Upper School Grade Representatives

each grade in middle School and Upper School has two grade representatives who serve as liaisons between the School and the grade’s parents, report-ing on class activities. Grade representatives attend several meetings a year with the division director, the Pa division coordinator, other Pa representatives and interested parents or guests; welcome new parents; set up telephone trees; remind parents of upcom-ing events; organize teacher appreciation Week and work with other volunteers on grade-level social and/or community service events throughout the year. events may involve parents only, students only or both parents/students, and some are coordinated with the same grade level at St. Christopher’s.

Parent Education Committee

the Pa’s School-wide Parent education Committee offers educational opportunities to parents through-out the School, with programs and events focused on a single division and others appropriate for all parents. Some programs and events each year are coordinated with St. Christopher’s. Parent volunteers are needed to work on specific events as well as assist in accumu-lating resource materials for parents.

Arts Committee

Parents whose children are involved in music, dance and other arts activities through the School are encour-aged to volunteer to work with the Pa’s school-wide arts Committee and to provide volunteer support for grade specific activities.

Upper School Community Service Representatives

the Upper School community service representative helps develop and organize community service oppor-tunities offered by grade representatives to parents and students, particularly those coordinated with St. Christopher’s. When there are ways in which parents can help with community service opportunities offered to the students by faculty (e.g., transportation, pick-ing up needed supplies, etc.), the community service representative coordinates those efforts as well.

1 WELCOME

WelCome

From the Interim Director of the Middle School Welcome to the 2011-2012 school year! We are looking forward to an exciting year of adventure, growth and discovery in middle School. We continue to enjoy our recently renovated state-of-the-art classrooms, labs, rehearsal halls and col-laborative spaces in Washington and Bacot Halls. they are an important asset to our program as we continue to provide adolescent girls with a strong educational foundation in core curriculum, while also equipping them with 21st century skills to compete in the technologically advanced, multicultural world that is their future. the possibilities for success are unlimited!

the information included in the middle School Handbook will serve as a guide for students and parents as we strive to build community and celebrate individuals. our rules are designed to ensure the safety of each girl, guide personal conduct and behavior, and explain process and procedures for developing responsibility and integrity. the clubs and activities listed in the handbook offer our girls a wide opportunity of experiences in which to grow and practice their leadership skills throughout the year.

We encourage parents and their daughters to review the handbook and use it as a helpful resource throughout the year. Partnership between home and school is essential as we work together to make the middle School years rewarding and meaningful for our students. through our combined efforts we will empower girls for a lifetime.

Warm regards,

Debbie StaleyInterim Director of middle School

2ACADEMIC LIFE

aCaDemIC lIfeMiddle School Philosophy

the middle School is a small, cohesive community designed to nurture and challenge girls during early adolescence. the school values academic excellence and encourages students to ask questions, to seek creative solutions, and to take risks as a part of learn-ing. to facilitate this process, the curriculum stresses critical thinking, openness to a variety of perspectives, a balance between creative and skill-related activities, and offers multiple opportunities for success. the middle School places equal emphasis on the moral development of each student by also providing oppor-tunities to develop personal integrity, leadership skills, and a sense of self as a world citizen with a desire to serve the community. through the curriculum and the spiritual life of the school, each girl is encouraged to recognize her own uniqueness and respect differences in others. teacher support is critical both in academics and in areas of social, cultural, and emotional develop-ment. Because of the great diversity in developmental rates and student needs, the middle School seeks to provide a stable and reassuring environment and to foster joy in learning for each constantly changing adolescent.

Middle School Objectives

1. a student will master basic skills and knowledge as determined by each department and be able to apply them to her daily life.

2. a student will practice critical thinking and apply a variety of intellectual approaches in all of her courses.

3. a student will demonstrate mastery of skills and knowledge through a variety of assessment tools.

4. a student will transfer knowledge between disciplines.

5. a student will be able to produce written work which is composed of coherent paragraphs with topic sentences and supporting information.

6. a student will be able to speak confidently and cor-rectly, both formally and informally.

7. a student will take responsibility for her learning, actions and possessions.

8. a student will consider the feelings of others and demonstrate respect for individual and cultural differences.

9. a student will be exposed to and work on manage-ment techniques in order to be able to organize her life, both personally and academically.

10. a student will provide service to the school and community.

Curriculum

St. Catherine’s administration and faculty, informed by the school’s mission and professional standards, are solely responsible for the setting of curriculum. each division works with departments to decide what material is important and developmentally appropri-ate by subject and by age. all students are expected to complete the school’s curriculum at each level.

Honor System

the students, faculty, and parents of St. Catherine’s form a community whose life is grounded in trust. this trust is assumed to be the basis of all relation-ships, both academic and personal. Specifically, it is expected that no person at St. Catherine’s will resort to lying, stealing, or cheating. each student is always held accountable for her own actions. this code of honorable behavior is called the Honor System. an honor education group, composed of students from each grade level, leads discussions of honor and helps the student body clarify issues of concern.

academic work must be signed with the pledge, “I have neither given nor received help on this work.” each faculty member has the responsibility of mak-ing clear to the class what is acceptable and what is dishonorable.

the Honor System is administered by an Honor Committee composed of faculty members, including the director of the middle School, the assistant direc-tor, and the head of the Honor Committee. When a question of honor arises, the faculty member involved will discuss it with the student. If deemed necessary, the student and her parents are asked to meet with the Honor Committee. middle School is a time for students to deepen their understanding of honor. the Honor Committee will develop a plan to help the stu-dent learn from the experience and avoid the same problem in the future. repeated violations will result in more serious consequences.

3 ACADEMIC LIFE

Daily Schedule MONDAY

Homeroom 8:00 – 8:20

1st Period 8:25 – 9:05

2nd Period 9:10 – 9:50

BREAK 9:50 – 10:00

3rd Period 10:05 – 10:45

4th Period 10:50 – 11:30

11:30 – 11:55

12:00 – 12:25

TUESDAY

Chapel 8:00 – 8:20

1st Period 8:25 – 9:05

2nd Period 9:10 – 9:50

BREAK 9:50 – 10:00

3rd Period 10:05 – 10:45

4th Period 10:50 – 11:30

11:30 – 11:55

12:00 – 12:25

WEDNESDAY

Assembly 8:00 – 8:15 mS auditorium

1st Period 8:20 – 9:40

PA 9:45 – 10:15

3rd Period 10:20 – 11:40

Lunch 11:45 – 12:25

Break 1:50 – 2:00

THURSDAY

Chapel 8:00 - 8:20 Bannard Chapel

2nd Period 8:25 – 9:45

BREAK 9:45 – 9:55

4th Period 10:00 – 11:25

Lunch 11:30 – 12:05

ActivityPeriod

12:05 – 12:35

FR IDAY

1st Period 8:00 – 8:40

2nd Period 8:45 – 9:25

3rd Period 9:30 – 10:10

4th Period 10:15 – 10:55

PA/ArtsEnrichment

11:00 – 11:55

Lunch 11:55 – 12:25

4ACADEMIC LIFE

a student who is absent is responsible for com-pleting within three days all the work she has missed. Projects are due the day the student returns to school. a long absence caused by illness will be dealt with on an individual basis. Students should consult the St. Catherine’s website for homework assignments missed due to absence. If a student is absent from school or becomes ill during the day and leaves school, she is not allowed to return to school in the afternoon or evening for extra-curricular events (i.e. sports, theatre, concerts, rehearsals, etc.)

a student who is absent for as much as a quarter of the total number of school days in a given year may not receive credit for that year’s work.

Travel During the School Year

While St. Catherine’s recognizes the benefits of travel, it discourages students’ missing valuable class time during the school year. missed class sessions can never be adequately made up. Parents are asked not to request additional days away from school.

Parents Away

When parents go out of town during the school week, they should notify their daughter’s adviser or the middle School office and give the school appropriate information (name, phone number, address) regard-ing the person/s responsible for their daughter during parents’ absence.

Tardiness

Students check in with their homeroom teachers beginning at 7:50 a.m. after 7:55 a.m. a student is considered tardy. If a student arrives at school after 7:55 a.m., she must first sign-in in the mS office before going to her homeroom or classroom. If there are unusual circumstances to explain the tardiness, the student should bring a note from her parents, or parents should call the MS office (281-7144) no later than 8:30 a.m. The school reserves the right to determine if the tardy is excused or unexcused. The consequence for three unexcused tardies at any point in the quarter is an afternoon detention. An additional three tardies during the same quarter will result in an early morning detention beginning at 7:15 a.m.

the middle School building is unlocked by 7:30 a.m. fifth, sixth and seventh grade students who arrive early at school should wait outside at the miller statue until the bell rings at 7:45 a.m. before going to their homerooms. eighth graders have the privilege of going directly to their homerooms when they arrive.

Absence and Early Departures

Illness: Parents must call or email the middle School office by 8:30 a.m. each day their daughter is absent because of illness (281-7144 or lwilson@st.catherines.org). the school will contact the home if the student does not arrive and no word has been received.

Planned Absences: Class attendance is a priority at St. Catherine’s. though homework can be made up, notes copied and tests taken later, the student can never recapture the lost instruction. Completing old work while keeping up with new content is difficult for most students. the school requests, therefore, that parents not make plans that interfere with class time.

When students miss class, they must assume responsibility for making up their work promptly and must also be considerate of those who are affected by their absence.

to notify the school of a planned absence or a medical/orthodontist appointment, parents should send a note of explanation as far in advance as possi-ble, but no later than 8:30 a.m. the day of the absence or appointment. During check-in, the student turns in the note to the middle School office. If parents wish to email the school regarding absences or appoint-ments, emails must be sent to the middle School office (lwilson@st.catherines.org) no later than 9 a.m. late notification makes it difficult for the school to do its job of knowing a student’s whereabouts at all times and informing teachers if the student will be leaving their class early on a given day. this may result in the student not being able to finish quiz, test or class work which she started because her teacher was not aware of the early dismissal.

Parents must pick up their daughters in the mS office in Washington Hall for early dismissals. Students cannot ride bikes or walk to appointments, or meet parents outside. for safety reasons, it is necessary that parents come in to the middle School office to pick up their daughter. Please make sure the student is aware of the early dismissal time, so that she can meet you in the MS office at the appointed time.

medical appointments should be made after school hours when possible. If they must be made during the academic day as a planned absence, the school requests that they be made from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

If a student misses a test, quiz or assignment deadline because of absence, the student must see the teacher on the first day back at school to make arrangements for completion of missed work. no teacher will accept work that is overdue past one week, except in the case of extended absence due to prolonged illness or family crisis. In this case arrange-ments should be made between the student and teacher regarding completion of work.

5 ACADEMIC LIFE

Extra Help

extra Help gives the student an opportunity to ask specific questions or obtain further instruction from a teacher. extra Help is usually held 2-3 days per week. a student may ask to see a teacher, or a teacher may post a student’s name no later than 8:30 a.m. of the day she is to attend the session. If the student fails to go to extra Help when she is posted, the teacher will determine the consequence for that action. extra Help is a good time to clarify questions or get needed support. extra Help time is also used by teachers for program rehearsals.

Activities Period

an activities period one day a week will give girls the opportunity to participate in one of the many clubs or activities in the middle School.

Homework

Homework is not optional. It provides essential prac-tice, reinforcement and instruction. Students are expected to study a couple of hours each night. If homework is not done, the classroom teacher decides the best way to handle the situation.

Weekend Reading

middle School weekends provide a change in routine from nightly homework. Instead of having course assignments, students may have a 30-minute mathe-matics assignment and are asked to read an approved book of their choice for one and one-half hours. they may be asked to make a written response to their reading in a journal. a middle School reading list is provided at the end of the fourth grade year to help students with their selection of appropriate books.

Signing Test Papers

all teachers send test papers home to be signed until parents receive the first mid-Quarter I grades in october. this helps inform parents about the stu-dent’s progress. after the first nine weeks grades, any parent who would like to continue signing papers should request it of the teacher. a middle School goal is that students ultimately take responsibility for keep-ing parents informed about their academic progress, rather than relying on signed test papers to transmit this information.

Conferences

the middle School plans a conference day each year in the fall, to be followed by student-led conferences in the spring to discuss the overall progress of the student. Parents may, of course, request a conference

with individual teachers or with a group of teach-ers any time they have any concerns. they may call their daughter’s adviser or the Director of the middle School to set up a meeting.

Grading Scale

St. Catherine’s reports grades as the following letters: Excellent98-100 a+95-97 a 92-94 a-

Good89-91 B+86-88 B 83-85 B-

Satisfactory80-82 C+77-79 C74-76 C-

Needs Improvement71-73 D+68-70 D65-67 D-

Failing64 & below f

a year-end grade average of D+, D, or D- requires summer work in order to continue in mathematics, english or a foreign language. a student with a year-end average of D- in latin must repeat the subject in Upper School in order to complete middle School requirements.

Students cannot advance to the next grade level with 3 or more D’s. Students not in french, Chinese or Spanish cannot advance to the next grade level with 2 or more D’s.

report cards are available online shortly after the end of each quarter. Parents will receive push pages (email) notifying them that grades are ready. they can then log on to the St. Catherine’s website and view the grades on the academic Portal.

Honors

at the end of the quarter, Honors are awarded to stu-dents who have a B+ average and no grade below a B. High Honors are awarded to students with an average above a- and no grade below an a-. final honors and High Honors are awarded at final assembly based on the same averages.

Examinations

eighth grade students have end of the year exami-nations in english, french, Spanish, latin, and mathematics. Students in seventh grade have mastery tests near the end of the year in english grammar, mathematics, and foreign language. Sixth grade stu-dents have mastery tests in english and mathematics.

6STuDENT LIFE

StUDent lIfeSummer Work

teachers may recommend or require that students do work with a tutor during the summer to be pre-pared for the next year. teachers will give the students books to take home and a list of topics to be studied. It is the parents’ responsibility to contact a tutor for their daughter. Parents must return the summer work form to the assigning teacher, filled out and signed by the tutor, on the first day of school so the teacher will know what has been accomplished. Required summer work must be completed in order for the student to progress to the next level in that subject.

Tutoring

tutoring within the school day can be done during study halls and extra help periods. Please notify the office to make arrangements for such.

also, if any student is being tutored outside the school day, please notify the office so that teachers can have access to the tutor to offer information about the student’s areas of concern.

Curriculum Policy

St. Catherine’s administration and faculty, informed by the school’s mission and professional standards, are solely responsible for the setting of curriculum. each division works with departments to decide what material is important and developmentally appropri-ate by subject and by age. all students are expected to complete the school’s curriculum at each level.

Middle School Carpool

our goal is to ensure that students are dropped off and picked up as safely and as expeditiously as possible. We ask that parents enter the mS carpool lane from Grove ave. pass Washington Hall and pull up all the way in the lane by the Kenny Center to allow access to the maximum number of vehicles. We also ask that parents not leave a vehicle unattended in the carpool lane as this disrupts the flow of traffic and causes unwanted delays. Parents should speak to their daughters about being prompt in meeting carpools in the afternoon and not loitering in the classroom or at lockers.

No students are to be discharged on Maple Ave. because it is unsafe to cross Maple Ave. at peak carpool times. there will be a crossing guard at the intersection of Somerset ave. and Grove ave. If a student takes the city bus, rides a bike, or walks to and from School, she should cross the street at the Grove/Somerset intersection. Students should never

use the Maple/Grove intersection because it is an unsafe crossing area.

Seventh and eighth graders may be dropped off and picked up in the Grove ave. circle area in front of Bacot. middle School students with sisters in the lower School may by dropped off in the mcVey lot on maple ave.

Check-in, Check-out

Students check in every morning during their home-room period. at the end of the day, they check out with their homeroom teacher to say goodbye and to receive information to take home. If a student arrives at school late or leaves during the day, she must sign in or out in the office. our check in and out process is a safety procedure to ensure that we are always informed of the comings and goings of students while they are in our care. failure to check in or out upon arrival or departure from the school will result in detention for the student.

Homeroom

a student begins and ends the day in homeroom. She also goes to her homeroom at the beginning of extra Help. one day each week each homeroom has advisory time together for special activities. the homeroom teacher is also the student’s adviser. each homeroom forms a very special small group for dis-cussions, projects, and good times together. the homeroom teacher/adviser is the person who has the best overall view of her students’ progress. She is the main contact for parents who have questions or concerns.

Dress

Clothing should reflect a student’s self-dignity, even while it expresses her individuality.

Dresses, skirts, nice pants or shorts that are mod-est, neat and clean are required for school. Shorts and skirts must be longer than the fingertips when the student’s arms rest by her side. Students wear-ing clothes that do not meet this standard will be denied the privilege of wearing shorts to school. (field trips/St. Stephen’s attire - dress, skirt or dress pants, unless otherwise instructed.)

Students cannot wear jean shorts, blue jeans, sweat pants or clothing with inappropriate/offensive messages or images. Students cannot wear inappro-priately low tops or halter tops, spaghetti straps, or pants or clothing that exposes the midriff or under garments. on Jeans Day, no frayed jeans, jeans with holes, or jeans shorts will be allowed.

for reasons of safety and noise reduction, students are asked to wear shoes that are no more than two

7 STuDENT LIFE

inches in height and have a back or strap around the heel so the shoe will stay on the foot. Platform shoes and clogs are inappropriate for daily school activities. the best shoes for daily school wear are tennis shoes.

Students who fail to follow the dress code will be required to call home for appropriate attire.

Detention

failure to follow school rules will result in students serving detention for 40 minutes after (30 min-utes for 5th/6th graders) school on Wednesdays. Students who have sports, music lessons, dance, etc. will mISS these activities. teachers will post students’ names on the detention list and inform the student of her required detention duty. Students must report to detention promptly or serve additional time for tardiness.

Late Pick Up

If a parent needs to pick up a student after 3:30 p.m., the student may wait at the middle School until 4 p.m. after that time the middle School will be locked. It is not safe for a student to wait alone in the maple ave. parking lot. Students should wait inside the switch-board at the front entrance to St. Catherine’s, where an adult is always on duty.

Religious Life

on tuesdays and thursdays the middle School wor-ships together in Bannard Chapel at 8 a.m. the ser-vices are led by a chaplain, an administrator, a teacher, or a student. Parents are welcome to attend any ser-vice. the altar Guild, composed of seventh and eighth graders, prepares the chapel for worship, ushers and takes part in the service.

on special occasions worship is at St. Stephen’s Church. Services such as St. Catherine’s Day and the advent Service are held there, along with others that might be planned during the year.

Merit Awards

merit awards are given three times a year. Students in each grade are recognized for academic effort, service to the school and community, kindness and support of classmates and teachers, and care of personal pos-sessions and school property. Students and teachers nominate candidates and the grade level teachers make the final selections from those nominations. Students so honored have a special lunch and their names are posted for all to see.

Lunch

middle School students have these options: 1) pur-chase a lunch, 2) purchase only a beverage, 3) bring a

bag lunch and beverage from home. these choices are made in September but may be changed in December for the spring. Students who have forgotten their lunch may sign up in the office for a lunch on a particular day. lunch debts are paid in the middle School office.

Students eat at assigned tables with their class-mates. table assignments will change periodically. each student will be expected to clean her table area during the year and will be responsible for maintaining appropriate behavior at that table. Students are not to reenter Bacot or Washington Halls after lunch until the bell rings.

Messages

Parents may call the middle School office, 281-7144, if there is an urgent message for a student during the school day. Parents may also leave an important message for their daughter on the Student message Board. after hours, parents may leave a voice mail message for the middle School by calling 281-7144. In case of emergency, parents may leave items in the office for student pick-up when necessary.

Telephone

Students must assume the responsibility for trans-porting notes, books, homework, lunches, supplies and other materials to and from school. they will be not allowed to call home for these things. If home and school work together on this matter, girls will learn to be more responsible in their organizational habits.

Use of cell phones is not alloWeD on the cam-pus during the school day. Students may use them after 3:30 p.m. School phones in the gym and in other campus areas are off-limits to middle School students during the school day. Detention will be given to those who do not follow the phone rules. Misuse of cell phones will result in confiscation of the phone. a parent will then need to pick up the cell phone from Debbie Staley’s office.

Lost and Found

at the end of the day, articles of clothing, books and other items are placed in the lost and found areas. all belongings should be legibly marked with the student’s name. Students should not bring valuable items or large amounts of money to school. If a student brings money to school, she should leave it in the office safe for the day. at the end of each month, unclaimed articles are given to a charitable organization.

Library

middle School students use Wright library in turner Hall. Students have an opportunity during extra Help and during some of their classes to go to the library.

8STuDENT LIFE

library instruction will be given to 5th grade students and to all students who are new to the school.

library hours are from 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. monday-thursday and from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on friday.

Seventh and eighth grade students who remain on campus for extended periods after school in the after-noon should only be those who are participating in sports, dramatics or other planned school activities, or who need to do research. If a student is not involved in one of these activities, she should be picked up by 4 p.m. If it is necessary for a student to stay on campus later than 4 p.m., she should go to the library by 3:50 p.m. and follow these rules:1. Go into the library and sit at a table or study carrel.2. Be as quiet as possible so others can work.3. no food or drink (except water in a tightly-sealed

container) is allowed inside the library; you may not chew gum in the library.4. no middle School student is allowed to sit outside

by the elevator. everyone must be inside where there is an adult on duty.

5. Students who are asked to leave the library for failure to follow these rules must meet with mrs. Staley before being allowed to return to the library during after-school hours.

Rules and Disciplinemiddle School rules are few but are essential to a safe and successful community. Basic expectations are that students treat teachers and each other courteously; that they take care of school property and personal belongings; that they take responsibility for their aca-demic work; and that they meet all obligations con-nected with committees, performance groups, teams and extra-curricular activities.

no chewing gum is allowed in the buildings or on field trips.

Possession or use of drugs, including alcohol and cigarettes, is not permitted at St. Catherine’s or on school sponsored trips. Students violating these or other state or federal laws will be subject to disciplin-ary action including probation or expulsion.

It is the expectation that St. Catherine’s students show kindness and consideration toward fellow stu-dents. Harassment, abuse or any form of bullying of a member of the St. Catherine’s community (student or adult) will not be tolerated and disciplinary action will be taken.

It is essential that girls take responsibility for their actions, and this responsibility applies to behavior as well as to academic matters. Disciplinary action begins with the classroom teacher and will be referred, when

necessary, to the Director or assistant Director of middle School. response by administrators could include (but is not limited to) detention, suspension from school, expulsion and/or requirements for pro-fessional counseling/assessment. administrators will meet with parents to address concerns regarding each individual situation.

St. Catherine’s & St. Christopher’s Policy on Student Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Use

St. Catherine’s and St. Christopher’s Schools share a common mission in promoting the full development of each student’s potential and in challenging each student to build an understanding of personal integ-rity and respect for civic responsibility. our schools prohibit the possession, distribution and use of alco-hol, tobacco, and other drugs by our students as an integral component of this common mission.

Our schools recognize that:• Use of alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs or improperly

used prescription drugs by our students is prohib-ited by Virginia law and undermines respect for civic responsibility.

• Use of these substances impairs one’s judgment and may threaten the safety of both of the user and of those around him or her.

• Use of these substances may lead to long-term health problems, compromising one’s ability to develop his or her full potential.

In order to fulfill our mission, St. Catherine’s and St. Christopher’s Schools will:• evaluate each incident on a case-by-case basis, and

violations of this policy will be handled as a disci-plinary matter. our schools use different processes to do this, as we are independent schools. actions up to suspension or expulsion are possible disci-plinary and honor responses; other responses may be appropriate to health concerns. If the circum-stances are such that it is believed a violation of Virginia law has occurred, the appropriate authority will be contacted for further review and possible action.

• address each potential infraction of our alcohol/drug use policy without regard for the location of the event, including situations arising on or off campus, including on the campuses of other schools.

• Protect the health and well being of our school communities by reserving the right to expel a student who is found in possession of alcohol or drugs with intent to distribute them.

9 STuDENT LIFE

• Inform parents that they may jeopardize their chil-dren’s enrollment at either or both of our schools if they choose to host parties at which they serve alcohol to minors or know that it is consumed on the host premises.

• recommend to our students and their families professional evaluation if we suspect that students’ health or safety may be at risk due to alcohol or drug abuse. our schools reserve the right to require testing when we have reason to believe a student is under the influence of drugs or alcohol; we also reserve the right to require professional evaluation and on-going counseling for students if we determine that the threat to their health or safety warrants it.

• Continue to build and improve a comprehensive coordinated K -12 educational program for our students and parents. We believe it is essential to begin this program with parents of younger chil-dren to help them in establishing healthy behaviors and setting clear limits with their children as early as possible.

Technology in the Middle School and the 1:1 Laptop Program

middle School students have increasing access to instant information through the use of technology. Students and parents are asked to become familiar with St. Catherine’s new acceptable Use Policy and to sign and return to the school the copy you receive in the august mailing.

Acceptable Technology Use Policy

as St. Catherine’s and St. Christopher’s Schools have put into place additional computer resources and capabilities, and as sources of information that were unimaginable a few years ago have become available to the schools’ communities, we recognize the responsi-bility our schools bear to ensure the proper use of this technology. all use of technology at our two schools must be consistent with the ethical and personal prin-ciples that our communities feel are important. What follows is the code of behavior to which users of our schools’ computer resources must adhere.

the same basic rules of respect, honesty, integ-rity and common sense that apply to all interactions at our schools also apply to the use of computers. Users of computers enjoy the same rights to privacy, security and ownership of their communications and information that we expect with more traditional forms of information. In addition, members of our communities who venture into the Internet or other areas from the schools’ own networks are acting as representatives of their school and are expected to behave accordingly.

all users of computer technology at St. Catherine’s and St. Christopher’s Schools are expected to observe the following policies while using the schools’ tech-nology resources:1. You may not access the files or accounts of oth-

ers. It is wrong to use in any way the account of a student who leaves a computer without logging off. to do so is no different from entering another’s room and reading her letters, or opening some-one’s locker and taking a book.

2. When you use information obtained over the Internet, you must acknowledge copyrights and other legal protections. Copying software without a license is unethical and illegal; failure to list an Internet source in a submitted assignment is the same as plagiarizing from a book in the library.

3. When you communicate over the network, the Internet and/or any other cyber medium, you must adhere to the same standards of respect and courtesy that govern communication elsewhere on campus. Cyber bullying, threatening, harassing, obscene or derogatory communication is unac-ceptable and will not be tolerated. this includes “sexting” or sending inappropriate images through any technology device.

4. You may not attempt to subvert network security, nor may you alter network software or hardware without the direct permission of the network administrators. Sharing passwords or other network information is a violation of these principles. to run or install computer programs, viruses, etc. that may interfere with the operation of the network or cor-rupt the data or files of others is forbidden.

5. It is prohibited to use the schools’ networks for ille-gal commercial or wasteful activities. our computer networks exist to further our academic purposes and for school-related personal and administrative communication. Students may not send broadly addressed letters without permission (i.e.: class emails), or otherwise use excessive computer resources. a user who is not sure whether what he or she is doing conforms to these standards should ask a teacher or administrator before acting.

6. failure to observe the policies listed above may expose a student to consequences that include potential honor violations. Use of the schools’ computer resources is a privilege, not a right. Users who violate these policies may lose their computer privileges. Serious violations will be referred to the student’s school for further action. Computer users should also be aware that, while the schools support the concept of privacy in communication, all communications over the network are legally accessible by the network administrators in the performance of their duties.

10STuDENT LIFE

Laptop Rules & Regulations for 7th & 8th Grade

• must be in school issued case going class to class

• onlY take out once instructed

• You may not change your password and you may not share it

• You may not change the name of your laptop (mS—16-mB, mS Student)

• Internet use directed by teacher (always school related)

• Shut down computer each night and charge at home

• treatment of laptop must be gentle – careful with how you treat it

• Desktop clear—all folders in proper documents; all class work in classes folder

• ¼ of desktop stickles maximum

• Do not leave your laptop unattended at any time

• only you may use your laptop

• Do not deface or remove your name label from laptop or charger

• no permanent stickers on outside or inside of lap-top or on charger

• any covering (iSkin, et al.) must keep label visible

• all St. Catherine’s School Internet use and com-puter/laptop policies are to be followed

• make sure that your background and screen saver are both appropriate and not distracting to others

The following are not permitted:• Students may not have non-educational games,

DVDs or music CDs at school

• laptop out of the case while going from class to class or use in other unauthorized areas without teacher/administrator permission

• Student using headphones for non-instructional purposes

• Students using laptop for non-teacher directed activities during the school day (i.e., playing music/games/surfing the web)

• Student loaded files that consume hard drive space and interfere with educational and instructional requirements

• Downloading music, games, or videos at school

• Sending e-mail, instant messages, and/or using or entering chat rooms at school or hosting unauthor-ized personal web pages for use during the instruc-tional day (i.e. facebook)

• Having writings or other inappropriate digital media

• Use of laptop or other electronics to share or

distribute information that was intended to be individual work i.e.: homework, projects, answers to questions

• Hiding non-teacher directed activities i.e.: using a screen shot as a cover, or using Hyper Spaces for this purpose

• Changing or deleting browser or history preferences

• Having obscene, threatening images or writings including inappropriate Stickies

• any attempt or completion of a sales transaction during the instructional day

• Student using ethernet jack at school without teacher permission

• Student reconfiguring the preloaded software, hacking, and electronic trespass

• Student trying to go around or manipulate the school Internet filter

• Harassment, bullying, and threats via computer

• Having a social networking account (i.e.: facebook, mySpace, etc.) except for 8th graders

The following regulations are in effect during all school hours for St. Catherine’s School computers unless otherwise directed by the teacher:• It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that there

is enough hard drive space and ram available to engage in all educational requirements

• Students are prohibited from sending personal emails, instant messages, and/or hosting personal web pages with their laptops while at school

• Students should not deface the laptops in any way. this includes but is not limited to marking, paint-ing, drawing or marring any surface of the laptops

• Headphones are prohibited in class unless directed by a faculty member

• Downloading music, games, and videos from the Internet during school hours is prohibited except when directed by a faculty member

• laptop use in study halls and extra help is for instructional purposes only

• Students are prohibited from playing games (except educational games) during school hours

Chat rooms are not to be accessed• regulations have been addressed in the student

code of conduct to emphasize that obscene lan-guage and/or materials, including screensavers, backdrops, and/or pictures are prohibited

• Illegal use or transfer of copyrighted materials is prohibited

11 STuDENT LIFE

• additions, modifications or deletion of files except in the students document folder is prohibited

• file sharing must be approved and directed by the teacher

• recording of class/teacher/students only after per-mission is granted

Consequences for Laptop InfractionsClass I laptop Infractions:

• Students having non-educational game, CD or DVD at school

• laptop out of the case except in classroom, or in other unauthorized areas without teacher/adminis-trator permission

• Student using headphones for non-instructional purposes

• Students playing games or music before or during school

• Students using laptop for non-teacher directed activities during the school day (i.e., playing music/watching a movie/playing games/surfing the web)

• Student loaded files that consume hard drive space and interfere with educational and instructional requirements

Consequences:• Warning letter, Confiscation of CD/ headphones,

files deleted

• after School Detention, files deleted

• Before School Detention & Parent Conference, files deleted

• one day SUSPenSIon & Parent Conference, files deleted

Class II laptop Infractions:

• recording in class without permission

• Downloading music, games, or videos at school

• Sending e-mail, instant messages, and/or using or entering chat rooms at school or hosting

unauthorized personal web pages for use during the instructional day

• Having writings or other inappropriate digital media, including inappropriate Stickies

• Use of laptop or other electronics to share or dis-tribute information that was intended to be indi-vidual work i.e. homework, projects, answers to questions

• Hiding non-teacher directed activities (i.e.: using a screen shot as a cover)

• Changing or deleting browser or history preferences

Consequences:1. Before School Detention & Parent Conference,

files deleted2. one or more days SUSPenSIon & Parent

Conference, files deleted3. 3 days SUSPenSIon & Parent Conference,

files deleted

Class III laptop Infractions:

• Having pornographic, obscene, threatening images or writings including inappropriate Stickies

• Cyber bullying

• any attempt or completion of a sales transaction during the instructional day

• Student using ethernet jack without teacher permission

• Student attempting to breech St. Catherine’s network/filtering

• Student found to reconfigure the preloaded soft-ware, hacking, electronic trespass, harassment, and/or threats via computer

Consequences:• one or more days SUSPenSIon & Parent

Conference, filed deleted

• five days SUSPenSIon & Parent Conference, files deleted

• Suspended to hearing with Head of Division, files deleted

*In addition if Virginia or federal law is violated, police will be notified.

12STuDENT ACTIVITIES

quarterly that include a variety of art, music, theatre and dance opportunities. In addition to specials classes and the Performing arts/arts enrichment Period men-tioned above, there are other arts’ activities such as those described below:

Daisy Dance Share: this after-school program com-bines dance instruction and choreography with com-munity service opportunities. Students in this group learn dance routines and then perform at area nursing homes and elementary schools.

Private Music Lessons: Students may also request private lessons in piano, strings, winds and other instruments.

8th Notes: the “eighth notes” is an advanced sing-ing group composed of eighth graders selected by audition. Students sing sacred and secular music with emphasis on the skills needed to sing well in a small group. Skills addressed include more advanced vocal technique and music reading and performance tech-niques, based on the needs of the ensemble. Students perform for school chapel services and concerts and in the local community.

Middle School Plays: two middle School plays - one for fifth and sixth graders, and one for seventh and eighth graders - will be performed during the year. Students audition for parts and work on the technical aspects of production. all of the work is done in the afternoons after school.

Interscholastic Athletics

St. Catherine’s offers competitive interscholastic ath-letics in 14 sports for seventh and eighth grade girls. approximately 90 percent of seventh and eighth grade girls compete on a team each year. the girls generally compete on mS teams, but some sports only provide Varsity and JV level opportunities. middle School teams generally practice/compete 4-5 days per week. Some sports have games, meets or practices on weekends and holidays. Students who want to try out for a team should be aware of their academic responsibilities, as well as their team responsibilities.

the athletic Handbook for Parents and Students is a must-read for all participants in the athletic program. the handbook contains all pertinent infor-mation on athlete expectations, schedules, parent guidelines, sportsmanship code and many other top-ics. this handbook is updated in June each year and mailed to all families. It is also posted as a download-able document on the school website, under “Parent Information.”

Students who are not selected for teams should speak with their St. Catherine’s physical education

StUDent aCtIVItIeSChapel

Guild of Sacristans: eighth grade students volunteer to serve on the Guild. they are trained to serve as acolytes for morning worship. they are responsible for the care and upkeep of the chapel space.

MS Worship Committee: Seventh and eighth grade students volunteer to serve on a worship team which will plan our morning worship in the middle School.

Lectors: there is an opportunity for all middle School students and faculty to read lessons and lead prayers in middle School chapel.

Homeroom/Advisory

every middle School student serves as a member of her homeroom’s leadership team. activities are planned around themes of community service and out-reach, multiculturalism, honor education and school life. Homeroom groups may wish to team with other homerooms to sponsor large projects. Homerooms will report on their activities at the weekly Wednesday assemblies. each homeroom will elect a representative to work with class officers to plan leadership activities.

Community Service

the middle School is committed to the service/learn-ing model of community service. at all grade levels, hands on community service and fund raising efforts are integrated with curriculum. Valuable time is spent reflecting on how the girls’ efforts affect the world around them.

Eighth Grade Banquet and Show

eighth grade girls plan a special banquet and a show of their own creation for their guests. With a minimum of rehearsals, guests take part in the performance to the delight of the audience. It is a special evening for the class and their parents.

Performing Arts/Arts Enrichment Period

all middle School students will be involved in a per-forming or visual arts experience on Wednesdays and fridays. a wide variety of choices include Band, Strings, Choir, Handbells, Guitar and Dance (la Petite Joni for fifth and sixth grades, and Just Joni for sev-enth and eighth grades) classes, a theatre ensemble, an arts exploration, and a musical expressions class. Some of these groups require an audition.

Other Arts’ Opportunities

Students in all four grades have “specials” classes

STuDENT ACTIVITIES 13

utilizing theater games as skill-building exercises. members will use skills built during these sessions to prepare culminating productions.

Ecology Club: Gd. 5-8; Deanecology Club members work together to be good stewards of our earth. We learn about the impor-tance of environmentally and socially responsible practices. Some of our activities include working in St. Catherine’s Community Garden, planning and leading an earth Day chapel, and going on field trips to visit interesting places and people who have a passion for the outdoors and nature.

8th notes: 8th Gd.; Frook the “eighth notes” is an advanced singing group com-posed of eighth graders selected by audition. Students sing sacred and secular music with emphasis on the skills needed to sing well in a small group. Skills addressed include more advanced vocal technique and music read-ing and performance techniques, based on the needs of the ensemble. Students perform for school chapel services and concerts and in the local community.

Entrepreneurial Club: Gd. 5-8; Cohen and LazzuriGirls in this club learn sound financial skills, experience first-hand the fundamentals of running a business, and network with local business women and men. members develop a business plan, create and manu-facture products, advertise and sell their products and learn how to be responsible business citizens.

Flute Choir: Gd. 5-8; Davis1st and 3rd thursdays, Guigon rm 100for all those flute players that would like a little extra play time, come to Guigon rm 100 for some fun ensemble time. We’ll explore music to play for all the seasons, study the world of flute music and choir music. You will have the opportunity to play the pic-colo, alto and bass flutes. a minimum of one year of band and/or private study is recommended.

Jazz Lab: Gd. 6-8; Davis2nd and 4th thursdays, Guigon rm 100let’s Swing it! all instruments welcome to explore jazz styles and create our own mS Jazz band. a minimum of two years of band/strings and/or private study is recommended. there will be one or two spots open for a pianist and vocalist.

Leadership: Gd. 5-8; McIntosh, Sobon, Hartman, & bonnellthe President, Vice President, Secretary and treasurer of each grade plan, organize and lead class meetings and activities. these elected officers, along with home-room representatives, serve as the student government for the middle School. It is their responsibility to preside

teacher about what sport potential they may pos-sess. Students should also consider community sports and summer camp attendance before trying out for a team. Community sports are offered in numerous sports. Participation in club teams and leagues is a great opportunity to meet new friends outside of St. Catherine’s, gain skills and confidence in a sport and work on fitness. Coaches, physical education teachers and the athletic director can provide more information.

Fall SportsCross Countryfield HockeytennisVolleyball

Winter SportsBasketballIndoor trackSquash*Swimming & Diving

Spring SportsGolf*lacrosseSoccerSoftball track & field

*Squash and golf are mainly Upper School teams. Seventh and eighth graders may tryout if they have prior playing experience in the sport.

note: St. Catherine’s parents coordinate and coach teams, which participate in the Intermediate Girls Basketball league for fifth and sixth grade.

Clubs meeting during Activity Period on Thursdays

Art Club: Gd. 5-6; Shelorart Club members participate in a variety of art-related activities including workshops and demonstrations. one scheduled meeting is held per month during the school day and one meeting is held per month after school. Workshops and other additional activities may occur after school or on weekends. members will engage in one community service activity within the School community.

Arts Café: Gd. 7-8; Shelorarts Café members have the privilege of bringing lunch to the art room and working during extra Help and lunch. the group meets once a week, and members attend at least one field trip to a local gallery or museum. additional after school meetings may be planned.

Culture Club: Gd. 5-8; Stoller & GavierStudents in Culture Club explore the international community available in richmond by visiting festivals, performances, museums and restaurants to experi-ence cultures different from their own.

Drama Club: Gd. 5-8; Dixon the Drama Club is designed as an introduction to theatre arts through the use of creative dramatics,

14STuDENT ACTIVITIES

over Wednesday assemblies, help with community ser-vice and choose additional projects to educate middle School students about the school’s core values.

Literary Magazine: Gd. 5-8; Sobon & CharltonStudents in literary magazine take submissions from St. Catherine’s middle School students to create their own literary magazine, the Window. Students learn to edit as professionals and discover the art of InDesign magazine layout.

Mathcounts Club: Gd. 5-8; Haner, Safran, & bonnellmembers meet regularly for structured math activities and projects that enrich and challenge the students. Students also prepare for math competitions such as mathcounts, Virginia math league, and the american mathematics Competition.

PAS (Prejudice Awareness) Group: Gd. 7-8; blakemembers of PaS are concerned about the recurring issues of mistreatment, discrimination and bias that plague the human condition. attending two confer-ences a year and working regularly as a team, the students act as models and leaders in changing the world around them through programs and peer awareness campaigns.

Robotics: Gd. 6-8; Armitage Participation in this lego-based program enhances students’ exposure to science, technology, math and more. members learn team cooperation, problem solving skills and physics concepts. Working with an adult coach for a 10-week period, students build and program a robot, conduct research and prepare a pre-sentation. the St. Catherine’s team attends a regional competition where the team members compete in four categories: lego field challenges, a technical interview, a teamwork interview and a presentation to judges. there are also state and national competitions.

St. Cat Chronicle (Middle School newspaper): Gd. 7-8; Astrovethree issues a year are published and posted on the middle School pages on the school website. articles and editorials are written on school, local and global issues.

Science Club: Gd. 5-8; boatwrightmembers of the Science Club participate in regional and national competitions. Competitions have included a regional bridge building contest, a national competition through the Siemens foundation, and research projects. Competition selections are decided by club members and often require more time than given during the scheduled activity period. members make decisions regarding when these additional meet-ings will take place. the club has “Science talk” which gives members an opportunity to discuss topics in

science. In addition, the Science Club invites speakers to share their expertise in various fields of science.

Community Service League: Gd. 5-8; Oelkers, Smith & YoheIn keeping with our school motto, “What we keep we lose, only what we give remains our own,” the middle School believes all students and faculty are part of our service league. the Community Service league includes the homeroom reps from each mS class and other interested students. the Service league’s mis-sion and purpose is to encourage, inspire, facilitate and coordinate service projects that go on in the middle School.

Technology/Movie Making: Gd. 6-8; GordonStudents in grades 6-8 will work in teams to write, film, and edit a movie using the macBook Pro lap top and the imovie program. at the end of the year there will be a “movie night” held at school where all of the movies will be shown publicly.

OTHER CLubS OR GROuPS THAT MEET AT OTHER TIMES: Historical Society: Gd. 5; Cohenthis is an opportunity for interested students to explore cultures in several different ways. It can be an occasion to experience the arts, food, dance, litera-ture, sports and beliefs of a culture we are studying or one that they have a particular interest in.

In addition it is a chance for them to work in groups or individually on projects, both assigned and ones that they are curious about.

Some of the activities may include guest speakers, field trips, and workshops.

Math Camp: Gd. 5-6; bonnell & Hancockmath Camp is an after school math program for students who want extra math support. 6th grade math Camp meets weekly throughout the year on thursdays. 5th Grade math Camp will meet on desig-nated days throughout the year.

Model uN (united Nations) Group: Gd. 7-8; blake & Smithmodel Un is a middle School recreation of the workings of the United nations in our modern world. Working in teams, the students research assigned countries, their positions on world issues, and the positions of their allies and foes. Conferencing at the College of William & mary with middle School students from throughout the east coast, model Un members take on roles as delegates from their assigned countries and negotiate the solving of the world’s most pressing issues.

15 CALENDAR

mIDDle SCHool CalenDar 2011-2012Date Time Event/Location AUGUST 24 5:30 p.m. mS orientation for new parents, MS Auditorium30 10 a.m. - noon mS orientation for Grade 5 students (and new mS students), MS Auditorium30 5:30 p.m. mS orientation for Parents of Gr. 5 students, MS Auditorium 31 fIrSt DaY of ClaSSeS (fUll DaY)

SEPTEMBER 2 9:30 a.m. opening Service for students, St. Stephen’s Church5 labor Day - School Holiday/extended Day closed13 8:05 a.m. mS room parent meeting, MS Conference Room21 7 p.m. mS Parents’ nigh, bacot and Washington Halls28 mS end of mid-Quarter 1 30 Spirit fest, The Green, Lower Fields, Gym

OCTOBER 4 6th Grade Challenge Discovery field trip10 Columbus Day – Student Holiday/extended Day open17 noon 5th Grade Parents’ meeting, MS Auditorium20 mS Conference Day – no ClaSSeS/extended Day open, bacot & Washington Halls 24 noon 6th Grade Parents’ meeting, MS Auditorium 26 7:30 p.m. 8th grade Parents’ meeting introducing US, Library Lecture Room28 mS end of Quarter 1

NOVEMBER1 7th Grade orienteering field trip 3 10 a.m. St. Catherine’s Day Service, St. Stephen’s Church7 noon 7th Grade Parents’ meeting, MS Auditorium8 9:30 a.m. mS/ US open House, MS Auditorium10 12:05 p.m. mS recital, MS Auditorium11 8:15 a.m. Dialogue with Debbie, MS Auditorium14 VaIS Conference – no ClaSSeS15 8:05 a.m. mS room parent meeting, MS Conference Room18 St. Christopher’s Symposium Weekend21 5th Grade field trip to Vmfa (mummy exhibit), VMFA -Richmond22 10 a.m. mS Joint thanksgiving Service, St. Stephen’s Church 22 3:30 p.m. Dismissal for thanksgiving Break 28 School Holiday/extended Day open29 7:30 p.m. all School Band Concert, McVey Theatre30 7:30 p.m. all School Strings Concert, McVey Theatre

DECEMBER 1 2:15 p.m. advent Carol Service, St. Stephen’s Church5-9 erB testing for 5th, 6th, 7th grades7 mS end of mid-Quarter 2 8 2 p.m. 5th and 6th grade Play, McVey Theatre 9 7 p.m. 5th and 6th Grade Play, McVey Theatre 12 noon 5th Grade String ensemble, The Jefferson Hotel15 8 a.m. mS Christmas Service, bannard Chapel 16 3:30 p.m. Dismissal for Christmas Break

JANUARY 3 Classes resume9 noon 8th Grade Parents meeting, MS Auditorium 12-15 mS french trip to Quebec 16 martin luther King Day – School Holiday/extended Day closed17 8:05 a.m. mS room Parent meeting, MS Conference Room19 12:05 p.m. mS recital, MS Auditorium

16CALENDAR

Date Time Event/Location JANUARY 20 mS end of Quarter 220 8:15 a.m. Dialogue with Debbie, MS Auditorium24 7th and 8th Grade tech expo, bacot classrooms26 10 a.m. founder’s Day Gold/White Cheer rally, Kenny Center 12:30 p.m. 6th Grade World experts, MS Auditorium

FEBRUARY 20 Presidents’ Day – Student Holiday/extended Day open22 mS end of mid-Quarter 3 23 2 p.m. 7th and 8th grade play, McVey Theatre24 7 p.m. 7th and 8th grade play, McVey Theatre

MARCH 2 noon early Dismissal for Spring Break12 7:55 a.m. Classes resume20 5:30 p.m. mS orientation for 4th grade parents, MS Auditorium21 7-9 p.m. 7th gr. Dialogue night-students and parents, St. Chris Scott Auditorium28 7-9 p.m. 8th grade Dialogue night-students and parents, MS Auditorium/McVey29 12:05 p.m. mS recital, MS Auditorium30 mS end of Quarter 3

APR IL 5 8 a.m. mS maundy thursday Service, bannard Chapel6 8 a.m. mS Good friday Service/extended Day closes at 3 p.m., bannard Chapel noon early dismissal for easter9 easter monday - School Holiday/extended Day closed12 machine expo, MS Auditorium13 8:15 a.m. Dialogue with Debbie, MS Auditorium 17 8:05 a.m. mS Parents room Parent meeting, MS Conference Room 18 7:30 p.m. 7th Grade Parent meeting: Introduction to US, Library Lecture Room19 mS Student-led Conference Day – no ClaSSeS/extended Day open 27 Grandparents and Special friends Day28 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Daisy Days30 7:30 p.m. all School Band Concert, university of Richmond

MAY 1 7:30 p.m. all School Strings Concert, university of Richmond2 mS end of mid-Quarter 4 2 7 p.m. mS Dress rehearsal for Banquet, LSAR3 6:30 p.m. 8th Grade Banquet and Show, Dining Hall/ LSAR9-11 6th Grade new York City trip7 11 a.m. mS Sports awards, Kenny Center Gym8 4th Grade orientation visit to mS10 7th Grade museum, bacot Hall classrooms15 2:30 p.m. mS awards assembly, McVey Theatre 17 12:05 p.m. Student recital, MS Auditorium17 7:30 p.m. la Petite Joni/ Just Joni Spring Concert, McVey Theatre25 no Classes/extended Day open26 10:30 a.m. St. Catherine’s Graduation, The Green28 memorial Day Holiday -no ClaSSeS/extended Day closed29 Grade 8 exams - noon dismissal grade 8 only 30 Grade 8 exams - noon dismissal grade 8 only31 Grade 8 exams - noon dismissal grade 8 only

JUNE 1 noon Grade 8 exams - noon dismissal grade 8 only4 no Classes for mS students - teacher workday/extended Day open mS end of Quarter 45 7:30 p.m. mS final assembly, Kenny Center Gym

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