Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common
questions of students and parents.
- What time should students arrive at school?
- What time is dismissal?
- What happens if my child is absent?
- What is the dress code?
- How is a student's grade calculated?
- How can I arrange a meeting with the teacher?
- Do I need to attend the Home School Association meetings?
- What is the High School process and how can I prepare my child?
- What are the requirements for graduation and/or promotion?
- How can I stay on top of my child's education?
- Do you assign any extra credit work?
- In addition to studying, how can my child succeed in school?
- What is the purpose of the Behavior Reflection Room?
- Does the school have a cell phone policy?
- Who are my child's teachers?
What time should students arrive at school?
Students should arrive at school by 8:05am. You may enter at
that time through the Auditorium doors along Fourth Avenue. After prayers and announcements,
we head upstairs to the classroom.
Frequent latenesses cause a disruption to the class.
What time is dismissal?
Dismissal is at 2:20pm. The students will be dismissed from the
Auditorium doors along Fourth Avenue.
What happens if my child is absent?
Please call the office and inform the secretary. Your child will be responsible for making
Up any assignments. Please try not to be absent for a test or a quiz.
Also, if your child is absent, please make sure to
send in an absent note on the day he/she returns to school.
Taking vacations during the school year is considered an
unexcused absence.
What is the dress code?
The children should wear the proper uniform. For boys, shirts
should be tucked in and belts should be worn. Hair should be
kept short. For girls, hair should be tied back. Skirts should be an appropriate length.
No makeup or dangling earrings are
permitted. Gym uniforms should look neat and clean.
How is a student's grade calculated?
A student's grade is calculated according to class
participation, average of test and quiz scores, homework, published
writing, note-taking skills, oral reading skills and reading
comprehension.
How can I arrange a meeting with the teacher?
If you ever need to meet with me for any reason, you can either
call the office, send a note in with your child, or e-mail me.
I will respond promptly.
Do I need to attend the Home School Association meetings?
Your attendance at these meetings is encouraged. During
the first meeting in September, you will meet your child's
teachers and receive pertinent information / handouts which you
will need to refer to throughout the year. At the meeting in
June, you will meet with your child's future teacher and be
briefed on information pertaining to the following
school year.
What is the High School process and how can I prepare my child?
Within the first two months of school, it is recommended that
your eighth grader take two very important high school exams.
One is the TACHS Exam for admittance into Catholic High Schools
and the other is the Specialized Public High School Entrance
Exam.
The scores your child receives, along with academic
performance, will help determine where your child will be
attending high school next year. An application is filled out
for general public schools. Preparation courses are given
in our area and are recommended. We will also utilize school
time to help the students prepare for these tests, however, keep
in mind that we are very limited on time. I am always available
to speak with you and your children to help them make the
best decisions for their upcoming year. Please be aware that it
is your responsibility to obtain information about any
scholarships or exams for private high schools, such as Poly
Prep. Also, students needing letters of recommendation should
ask a teacher they currently have and should give that
teacher a week's notice. Regis, Sacred Heart, Marymount,
Loyola, Bard,etc. have separate admissions processes.
What are the requirements for graduation and/or promotion?
A student must successfully complete his/her course study at St.
Patrick. Failure to do so will result in the student having to
attend summer school. If a student fails three subjects for the
year, retention may be necessary. If an eighth grader fails
One subject for the year, he/she will not receive his/her
diploma until summer school has been successfully completed.
How can I stay on top of my child's education?
Every student should keep a record of his/her assignments in
their agenda book. Please check this book every night to make
sure each assignment has been completed. I might also suggest
checking the assignment for spelling and grammatical errors as
well. Proofreading and editing all writing assignments is an
essential step in doing well. Also, please note when your
child has an exam. I usually return my tests within a few days
to a week, so be persistent in asking your child what score
he/she received. Interim progress reports go out three times a
year. Report card conferences are held twice a year.
Do you assign any extra credit work?
I do not give extra credit assignments on a regular basis. I
do, however, give a student extra points for turning in writing
assignments for essay/poetry contests that sometimes come across
my desk. Students are given the details as the contests come in.
In addition to studying, how can my child succeed in school?
Note-taking and organizational skills are very essential to
being successful in school and in life. Pink vocabulary index
cards should be carried and studied. Reading daily, whether it
be books, newspapers or magazines, can help a student struggling
with comprehension skills. Turning in homework assignments on
time, participating in class discussions, and coming prepared to
class are also important factors in doing well and succeeding.
Failure to bring workbooks, notebooks and textbooks to class
results in the student falling behind.
What is the purpose of the Behavior Reflection Room?
The Behavior Reflection Room is a resource room made available
during lunch to students who do not follow the rules of the
school. Once the student eats his/her lunch, he/she must
complete an essay on why they broke the rules and how they plan
to better follow the rules in the future. More
than four Behavior Reflection Room notices will result in the
student receiving an unsatisfactory grade in conduct on their
progress report. Also, the student forfeits the right to dress
down days. Behavior Reflection Room logs are sent home
periodically throughout the year. If the inappropriate behavior
continues, the parent/guardian will be called up to
meet with a tribunal of teachers. More than thirteen relection
logs for the year results in the student forfeiting his/her
graduation trip and other graduation festivities.
Does the school have a cell phone policy?
Junior high students usually walk home from school either alone
or with a classmate. I understand, that for this reason, an
eighth grader may need to carry a cell phone with him/her. Cell
phones may be carried (turned OFF and out of sight) only if
there is a parent note on file requesting that their child be
permitted to carry a cell phone to school. All other electronic
devices are forbidden.
Who are my child's teachers?
Mrs. Keenan - eighth grade homeroom and english language arts
Mrs. Shapiro - seventh grade homeroom and mathematics
Mrs. Gammone - sixth grade homeroom and social studies
Mr. Barone & Mrs. D'Emic - science, lab, health and science
essays
Mrs. Biondo - library and research skills
Ms. Zaikowski - computer
Mr. Turro - physical education
Mrs. Geraci - art
