SMCS Cougars - Handbook

Students in Grade Eight planning to attend local parochial high schools are responsible for acquiring placement-testing information.

Testing services will follow the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP) (Grs. 3 – 8). Students not acquiring the standards set by the State will be offered remediation through New Albany-Floyd County’s Summer School program.

Non-ISTEP Grades will be tested with Terra Nova assessment (grade 2). The Indiana Reading assessment is administered to students in grades 1 and 2.

In case of a transfer, the principal and teacher involved should be informed in sufficient time to make the necessary arrangements and complete the needed forms.

The purpose of the school uniform is to promote neatness, discipline, and to build a sense of school identity. When you look good, you feel good. Optimum learning takes place when you feel good about yourself. The enforcement of the dress code is a joint responsibility of students, parents, teachers, and administration. Parents must see that children leave the house properly attired: teachers and administrators must see that students follow the uniform policy.

Students' uniforms must be clean and in good repair. Holes or stains of any sort are considered unacceptable. Uniforms must fit the student properly and are not to be cut or rolled in any manner. No oversized or baggy uniforms will be allowed. All slacks, skirts, and shorts must be worn at the waist. A belt must be worn with slacks and shorts. Uniforms should be purchased from Coffman Uniform, Educational Apparel of Hillard, Ohio, Dillard’s, JC Penny’s, Land’s End, Shaheen’s or from Target stores. Skirts, skorts, and shorts should be no shorter than 3 and 1/2 inches above the top of the knee cap both in the front and back.

DRESS CODE FOR GIRLS

A. Jumpers ,skirts, or skorts ~ Choice of St. Mary's plaid or solid navy blue.

B. Slacks ~ Uniform navy blue with a belt. No knits, jeans, or corduroy (cargo pants are not acceptable).

C. Blouses/ shirts ~ Solid white, navy or red (St. Mary's logo only) with pointed or rounded collar, or turtleneck, long or short sleeved. (Only solid white T-shirts may be worn under the uniform shirt - no logos or text.) Saint Mary’s denim shirts with the logo are allowed.

D. Shorts ~ Uniform navy walking shorts (during 1^st and 4^th quarters). Maximum of 4 inches above the knee. No knits, jeans, cargo or corduroy.

E. Sweaters ~ (optional) Navy blue, red, or white pullover or cardigan, or vest.

F. Sweatshirts ~ Solid navy blue, red, white, or those with St. Mary's logo. A polo shirt must be worn underneath a sweatshirt.

G. Socks or tights ~ Solid navy blue, red, or white crew socks only (must fit above the ankle- no footies).

H. Belts~ Must be navy blue, black, or brown only (GROMMETS, SPARKLY, OR COLORED BELTS ARE NOT PART OF THE DRESS CODE).

I. Other ~ One post earring per earlobe is acceptable. No part of the earring should be dangling below the ear lobe. Moderate make-up is permitted for Jr. High students only. Costume jewelry may not be worn with the school uniform (unless Christian oriented). Hair must be neat and clean, above the eyebrows, and out of the face. Extreme hair cuts, hair accessories, or hair color are prohibited. For safety purposes, no false or acrylic nails or tips that extend beyond the fingertip are permitted. Nails should be neatly manicured with light or pale colors that are not distracting or obtrusive. No body piercings.

DRESS CODE FOR BOYS

A. Slacks ~ Uniform navy blue with a belt, no knits, jeans, or corduroy (Cargo pants are not acceptable) .

B. Shirts ~ Solid white, navy, or red, long or short sleeved, knit or cotton, button-down or turtleneck. (Only solid white T-shirts may be worn under the uniform shirt - no logos or text.) Saint Mary’s denim shirts with the logo are allowed.

C. Shorts ~ Uniform navy walking shorts (during 1^st and 4^th quarters). Maximum 4 inches above the knee. No knits, cargo, jeans, or corduroy is permitted.

D. Sweaters ~ (optional) Navy blue, red, or white pullover, cardigan, or vest.

E. Sweatshirts ~ Solid navy blue, red, white, or those with St. Mary's logo. A polo shirt must be worn underneath a sweatshirt.

F. Socks ~ Solid white or blue crew socks only (must fit above the ankle- no footies).

G. Belt~ Must be navy blue, black, or brown only (NO GROMMETS OR TRENDY STYLES PERMITTED)

H. Other ~ No earrings or costume jewelry. Hair must be neat, clean, above the shirt collar in back, above the eyebrows and ears, and out of the face (this will be strictly enforced). Extreme haircuts or hair color are prohibited. Boys should be clean-shaven and no side burns. No body piercings.

No logo of any kind (with the exception of the Saint Mary’s Monogram) can be displayed on items worn by the student during the day as part of the uniform ( socks, shirts, jackets, sweatshirts, belts, pants, etc.)

Standards of dress change with the times. What is appropriate at one time or place may not be appropriate at another. In the long run, attitudes of society will determine how we dress for different occasions. The primary requirement for the appropriateness of any dress for children is cooperation of parents. If a child’s clothing/hair/overall appearance is so unusual that it attracts attention or does not fit comfortably, it may at the same time distract attention from the business at hand, which is the education of the child. No rule will suffice for all occasions, so parental cooperation is a must. We believe that children should not wear any clothing that would prevent them them from safely participating in all school activities.

· No jacket, coat, or polar fleece pull over is proper uniform attire and, therefore, is not to be worn in the classroom. Hoodies and/or spirit wear sold by the Athletic Committee may be worn on specific days as designated by the principal.

· Designated “SPIRIT DAYS” will be scheduled for students to wear jeans and a Spirit shirt purchased from the school. These are separate from the Student Council TAG days.

· Sandals of any style are not permitted. Shoes must have rubber soles closed heels and toes. Tennis shoes or loafers are preferred. Heels should be one inch or less and conducive to daily activities. No slip-ons or high-heels. Tennis shoes must fasten with a shoestring or Velcro.

· First infraction of the dress code will result in a written notice sent home by the teacher to inform parents of the problem. The second infraction will result in a parent being called and required to bring the proper uniform to school for the student to wear. A third infraction will result in the student serving a detention. Failure to follow the dress code policy can affect a student’s grade after two detentions are served in a grading period.

· On non-uniform, field trip, or special activity days clothing should be appropriate. Shorts, skorts, and skirts must be walking length, no tank tops, crop tops (midriffs are not allowed to be visible), spaghetti straps, or off- the- shoulder clothing. Clothing fit and jean styles will be monitored closely. All attire should be in good taste and not distracting in the educational setting. Sandals will only be allowed on special occasions and announced ahead of time (i.e. May Crowning).

· While an attempt has been made to present the dress regulations as completely as possible, there may be special cases where the appropriateness of an accessory or article of clothing is in question. The principal reserves the right to decide what is acceptable and appropriate.