How do I Register my Child for School?
General registration begins in early January. A student must be five years old before August 15 to register for kindergarten, and completion of kindergarten screening is required. Registration during the school year may require that the parents have a personal interview with the principal or assistant principal. New students may be required to take a placement exam. Application forms are to be completed and a registration fee (non-refundable) must accompany these forms. Copies of previous and current report cards and any standardized tests taken are also required. Students entering grades 1-8 must complete a shadow visit and submit a recommendation form from the student's current teacher and principal. When a student is accepted, an acceptance letter and other pertinent school information will be mailed to the parents.
What is the Earliest Time I can Drop off my Child for School?
School supervision begins at 8:00 a.m. If you need care before 8:00 a.m. or after school hours, please refer to the Latchkey section of this website.
How Would I be Notified of a Non-scheduled School Closing?
You will receive a text message and / or an email through our automated mass communication systems. A notice will also be posted on the school website and the school Facebook page. On local television stations (3, 5 and 8), St. Hilary School will be specifically listed by name.
How Do I Drop My Child Off for School?
In the morning, you may drop your child off on either the Moorfield Road or parking lot side of the building. On Moorfield Road, pull up to the marked drop off zone and drop your child off there. On the parking lot side, pull up to the marked drop off zone just before the crosswalk and drop your child off there. On both sides, please be sure your child is ready to exit your car when you pull up. If you need more time to gather belongings or say goodbye, please park in our lot and walk your child across to the building using the designated crosswalks.
Where Does My Child Go Once Dropped Off?
School doors are unlocked at 8:00 a.m. Beginning at that time, your child will report directly to his or her homeroom classroom upon arrival.
How Do I Pick My Child Up at Dismissal?
At dismissal, pick-up is available only on the parking lot side of the building, to facilitate loading of our many buses on the Moorfield Road side. Please check back in August for a video detailing our dismissal procedures.
What Options Does My Child Have For Lunch? What About Snacks?
Your child is welcome to bring a lunch from home each day, or you may wish to take advantage of our Hot Lunch program. Healthy meals are served daily, many prepared in our own kitchen using fresh ingredients. To order, please watch for notices of ordering cycles and see Parent Resources / Hot Lunch Program on this website for complete details on ordering. Ordering always runs from the 1st-10th of each month for the upcoming month. Questions about our Hot Lunch program may be directed to Hot Lunch Coordinator Becky Vieltorf at bvieltorf@st-hilary.org. Milk is also available for purchase by the semester and is ordered online through our Hot Lunch ordering system. Watch for information in August and December. Please remember to send a small snack with your child for snack time during class.
What if I Need to Take My Child Out of School for an Appointment?
Please write a note indicating your child’s name and the time he or she will be picked up from school for the appointment. Your child needs to bring the note to the office before going to class that morning. He or she will be given a slip to give to the teacher indicating the time he or she is to be excused. For students who switch classes, the note should be given to the teacher during whose class the child will be leaving for the appointment. Your child may then leave class at the designated time and come to the office to be picked up.
What is the Procedure if I Want to Visit the School, Volunteer or Drop off an Item During the Day?
Any time you visit the school, please be sure to come directly to the office first and sign in. Please take a visitor tag before proceeding to your destination. Parents are asked not to go directly to classrooms without teachers expecting you, in order not to disrupt the class. There are many volunteer opportunities in the school, especially in the younger grades, and we welcome your help, but please be sure to coordinate with your child’s teacher before coming in. If your child forgets an item that you would like to get to him or her during the day, you may drop it off by buzzing the school office at the main entrance between 8 am and 2 pm. Your cooperation in keeping forgotten items to a minimum is greatly appreciated.
What Standardized Tests Will My Child Take?
Students in grades K-8 take the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Test three times per year. Students in grades 1 and 3 also take the CAT (Cognitive Abilities Test) . Students in grades 5 and 8 take the ACRE test, which covers religion.
How Much Homework Will My Child Have?
In kindergarten, students do not have homework other than a bit of math, but may occasionally be asked to bring items from home for various projects during the year. In grades 1-8, the general rule of thumb is 10 minutes of homework per grade level per night. So, for example, a first grader might have 10 minutes of homework, but a sixth grader might have an hour of homework. Of course, every child is different and each works at his or her own pace, so some students may spend more or less time than this on homework each night.
How Will I Know About My Child’s Progress?
Interim Reports are provided mid-way through each quarter as needed. Report cards are released at the end of each quarter. Grades can be checked as often as desired on Digital Academy. Conferences are offered in November and each family is expected to schedule an appointment. Conferences may also be scheduled as needed at other times throughout the year by contacting the teacher.
Who Can I Call With Questions?
You may call Debbie Sinopoli at 330-867-8720, ext. 343, with any questions. If you have questions pertaining to your tuition and fees, please contact Lisa Luby at 330-867-1055, ext. 203. In addition, every family new to the school is matched with a veteran school family who will serve as a mentor to the new family. Mentors begin contacting new families in June and serve as a resource for new families from that point on. Please feel free to contact your mentor family any time you have questions.
What Criteria are Used to Determine Admittance into the School?
STUDENT ADMISSION AND NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
St. Hilary School admits qualified students of any gender, race, color, religion, and national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, or national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
St. Hilary School is a Catholic parochial school built and supported by St. Hilary Parish within the system of schools in the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. St. Hilary School expects all parents of enrolled students to be supportive of Catholic education and all the policies of the school. The school requires all students, regardless of faith tradition, to take part in daily religion classes, weekly school Masses, and other school religious activities and services. St. Hilary Parish is partnered with Guardian Angels Parish and St. Victor Parish, referred to as “cluster parishes” throughout this policy.
In order to maintain an optimal Catholic educational experience for all students, the administration reserves the right to limit enrollment to a maximum of 25 students per classroom, 75 students per grade level, and 675 students total for the school. In the sole discretion of the administration, these maximum numbers may be reduced at any time and for any reason, including, but not limited to, the needs of students in a particular class or grade level and the ability of the educational staff to meet those needs. The administration reserves the right to establish a waiting list if maximum enrollment as determined by the administration is reached for a classroom, grade level, or the school.
IF APPLICABLE, COPIES OF TESTING DATA AND SPECIAL EDUCATION PLANS MUST BE PROVIDED PRIOR TO BEGINNING THE PROCESS OF APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION.
APPLICANTS AND PARENTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO MEET WITH THE PRINCIPAL AND/OR PASTOR AS PART OF THE ENROLLMENT PROCESS.
PARENTAL HONESTY IN SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT THE STUDENT IS EXPECTED. OMISSION OF TRUTH MAY DISQUALIFY A STUDENT FROM BEING ACCEPTED.
ST. HILARY SCHOOL RESERVES THE RIGHT NOT TO ADMIT - OR TO RESCIND ADMISSION FOR - ANY STUDENT BASED ON SCHOOL POLICIES.
KINDERGARTEN ADMISSION
Applicants seeking to enter kindergarten must comply with St. Hilary School’s kindergarten readiness screening requirements, and will also be required to provide at the time of the kindergarten readiness screening a copy of the student’s most recent preschool evaluation. To be included in the kindergarten readiness screening, applicants must be registered by February 1 for the upcoming school year and must be 5 years of age by August 15 of the upcoming school year.
Upon completion of readiness screening, if the number of applicants determined to be ready for kindergarten exceeds the number of students who can be accepted while maintaining the quality of education, applicants determined to be ready for kindergarten will be accepted into St. Hilary School in this order:
1. The child is from a family who currently has children enrolled in St. Hilary School or is the child of a parent who is currently a staff member at St. Hilary School or St. Hilary Parish or its cluster parishes.
2. The child is from a family who is registered at St. Hilary Parish or its cluster parishes by February 1 prior to the upcoming school year.
3. The child is from a parish with no school.
4. The child is from a parish with a school.
6. After priorities 1-5 above have been exhausted, if two or more children seeking to enroll for the same seat equally meet all admission criteria, priority will be given to the first to complete all steps in the enrollment process.
Applicants determined not to be ready for kindergarten will receive a refund of the registration fee paid at the time of registration. When the kindergarten class reaches capacity, remaining applicants determined to be ready for kindergarten but unable to be seated in the class will be notified. These remaining applicants may opt to be placed on a waiting list in the order of completion of all steps in the enrollment process or receive a refund of the registration fee paid at the time of registration. Placement on a waiting list is valid only until September 30 of the upcoming school year, after which time the registration fee will be refunded. The applicant may newly begin the application process again in January for the following school year.
GRADES 1-8 ADMISSION
TIER 1 ADMISSION: Applicants Registered Through February 1 for Upcoming School Year
Notice of new student registration for the upcoming school year is amply published to families of St. Hilary School, families of St. Hilary Parish and its cluster parishes, as well as to the general community. If the number of qualified applicants for a particular grade level exceeds the number of students who can be accepted while maintaining the quality of education, qualified applicants will be accepted into St. Hilary School in this order:
1. The child is from a family who currently has children enrolled in St. Hilary School or is the child of a parent who is currently a staff member at St. Hilary School or St. Hilary Parish or its cluster parishes.
2. The child is from a family who is registered at St. Hilary Parish or its cluster parishes by February 1 prior to the upcoming school year.
3. The child is from a parish with no school.
4. The child is from a parish with a school.
6. After priorities 1-5 above have been exhausted, if two or more children seeking to enroll for the same seat equally meet all admission criteria, priority will be given to the first to complete all steps in the enrollment process.
TIER 2 ADMISSION: Applicants Registered After February 1 for Upcoming School Year
Because St. Hilary School enrolls students throughout the year, after February 1, if the number of qualified applicants for a particular grade level exceeds the number of students who can be accepted while maintaining the quality of education, the above priority order will no longer apply and qualified applicants will be accepted in the order of completion of all steps in the enrollment process. Because enrollment is ongoing, priority cannot be given to children who are from families of St. Hilary School or from families of St. Hilary Parish or its cluster parishes who delay applying if others have completed all steps in the enrollment process ahead of them. Similarly, siblings in multiple grades who apply at the same time cannot be guaranteed admission simply because they are siblings. When a particular grade level reaches capacity, remaining qualified applicants who are unable to be seated in the class will be notified. These remaining applicants may opt to be placed on a waiting list in the order of completion of all steps in the enrollment process or receive a refund of the registration fee paid at the time of registration. Placement on a waiting list is valid only until September 30 of the upcoming school year, after which time the registration fee will be refunded. The applicant may newly begin the application process again in January for the following school year.
IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE, THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS APPLY TO
ALL APPLICANTS FOR GRADES 1-8 IN TIER 1 AND TIER 2:
Applicants seeking to enter grades 1-8 must provide at the time of application for admission a copy of the student’s most recent academic progress report and TWO completed recommendation forms from the student’s current principal and teacher (must use form provided by St. Hilary School).
Applicants seeking to enter grades 3-8 must complete a full-day shadow visit.
Applicants seeking to enter grades 1 and 2 must complete a two-hour visit which includes shadowing in a classroom of the student’s current grade level and an assessment of the student’s proficiency in core subject areas.
Applicants seeking to enter any grade may be required to complete placement testing.
NOTES ABOUT KINDERGARTEN ADMISSION:
Please carefully read the policy above.
A student must be five years old before August 15 to be eligible to apply for admission. Meeting this cutoff date does not guarantee admission.
Each applicant for Kindergarten will be required to comply with the school's Kindergarten Readiness Screening requirements to determine readiness for Kindergarten at St. Hilary School. Readiness is the first and foremost criterion for admission into Kindergarten at St. Hilary School.
New 2025-2026 Kindergarten applicants must be registered by February 1 to be included in Kindergarten Screening planning.
Because of the large number of applicants, entrance into first grade cannot be guaranteed for children who do not attend kindergarten at St. Hilary School.
For additional information, please call 330-867-8720, ext. 343.
Additional Kindergarten Information
What if I Need to Drop My Child Off Earlier or Pick Up Later?
You may drop off as early as 6:50 a.m. by using our popular Latchkey program. Breakfast and quiet activities are provided. After school, the program is available until 6:00 p.m., with a snack provided, as well as play time and time to do homework. All children not picked up by 3:15 p.m. will be supervised in Latchkey until a ride arrives. For information about costs and registration for the program, please call our Latchkey office at 330-873-1282.
What if I Want My Child to Ride The Bus? *PLEASE NOTE: THIS INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON CONDITIONS WITHIN THE VARIOUS BUSING DISTRICTS*
Busing is available for students residing in the Copley-Fairlawn, Highland, Revere, and Woodridge School Districts. Please note that the nine buses that serve our students are provided by these districts, not by St. Hilary School. To learn more about busing provided by your particular school district, please contact the district’s transportation department (see Parent Resources / Bus Transportation on this website), or our school’s parent liaison for your district. Parent liaison contact information is available by calling 330-867-8720, ext. 343.
What Do I Need to Do if My Child is Sick?
A child too sick to come to school needs to be reported absent by 9:00 a.m. Call the school attendance line at 330-867-8720, ext. 350. Please follow the prompts and give the information requested, and state if you would like homework to be collected for your child. Please note that homework cannot be guaranteed ready for pick-up prior to the end of the school day. When the child returns to school, a note must be sent requesting that the absence be excused. If your child tests positive for COVID-19, or has strep throat, lice, chicken pox, or another condition likely to affect other students in the class, please also notify our school nurse at 330-867-8720, ext. 225.
What is the Procedure if my Child Needs Medication During School?
When a student needs an over-the-counter or a prescription medication at school, a request for the administration of medication must be completed by the doctor as well as the parent. This form is available in our online records management portal. The medication, in the original container, must be brought to the clinic and picked up from the clinic by an adult.
What is My Child Allowed to Wear to School?
Kindergarten students are strongly encouraged to come to school in comfortable clothing they can manage by themselves when using the restroom. Tennis shoes or similar shoes with enclosed toes and heels are recommended for safety. Students in grades 1-8 wear a school uniform. Complete information about the school uniform and dress code can be found in the school handbook which will be available in August, or see Parent Resources / Dress Code and Gym Uniforms on this website. Recycled school uniform items are available on the last morning of school each year in the Spiritual Center, and again at Back-to-School Night in August in our Science Lab. Gym uniforms are required for students in grades 1-8 and may be purchased through our online store.
What Fundraisers Will My Family be Asked to Support?
St. Hilary School has a very active Parents’ Association which raises funds to support the needs of the school and students each year. While many opportunities will be presented during the school year, we realize not every family will choose to or be able to support all of them. Information about fundraisers will be communicated as they arise. Please support them as you are able.
How Can I Distribute Information to the Entire School?
Information of general interest to the school community can be submitted via email to dsinopoli@st-hilary.org for publication in the mass emails. The school administration reserves the right to determine what information will be published. Flyers to be made available to school families must be approved by the principal prior to distribution. Include your name and phone number in the event of any questions.
How Will I be Informed of School Happenings?
In kindergarten and many of the younger grade classrooms, teachers send home a regular newsletter with news of events specific to the class. In addition, mass emails containing the latest news are sent every Monday to school families. Urgent emails are sent as needed. To sign up for our mass email service, please follow the instructions provided at the time of acceptance. Doing so will also allow you to sign up for phone call notifications in the event of a school closing, emergency, or other important updates. Please be sure to check your email and your child’s backpack (or have him or her check) to keep up with communication being sent home.
How Can I Get Additional Information?
Please consult the school handbook. If you still have questions, please call the school office at 330-867-8720. For enrollment information, please call 330-867-8720, ext. 343 or email dsinopoli@st-hilary.org.