How do I Register my Child for School?
General registration begins the first week of February. A student must be five years old before September 30 to register for kindergarten, and attendance at a 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 after June 1) must accompany these forms. Copies of previous and current report cards and any standardized tests taken are also required. When a student is accepted, an acceptance letter and other pertinent school information will be mailed to the parents.
What Criteria are Used to Determine Admittance into the School?
The Admission Policy of St. Hilary School is in accordance with the student acceptance regulations of the Diocese of Cleveland. St. Hilary School admits qualified students of any gender, race, color, 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 race, color, 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 within the Cleveland Diocesan School System, built and supported by St. Hilary Parish. The first responsibility of the school is to serve the families enrolled in the school and the parishioners of St. Hilary Parish.
If the number of applicants exceeds the number of students who can be accepted while maintaining the quality of education, children will be accepted into St. Hilary School in this order:
1. The family has children enrolled in St. Hilary School.
2. The family is registered at St. Hilary Parish.
3. The child is coming from a parish with no school.
4. The child is coming from a parish with a school.
All applicants are expected to furnish at the time of application for admission a copy of the student’s most recent academic progress report. If applicable, copies of testing data and special education plans must also be provided. Admission may be denied based upon a student’s previous academic, behavioral or attendance record. Students applying for entry into kindergarten will be required to complete St. Hilary School’s readiness screening unless waived by the school. All other students may be required to complete entrance or placement testing. Previous schools may be contacted and students and parents may be required to meet with the principal and/or pastor as part of the enrollment process. In order to ensure success for the student, St. Hilary School reserves the right not to admit any student who, in the discretion of the school, will be unable to meet the school’s standards for academics, behavior and attendance.
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 phone call and an email through our One Call Now automated mass communication systems. A notice will also be posted on the school website and the school Facebook page. Tune in to Fox 8, where 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. If you drop off between 8:00 a.m. and 8:20 a.m., when the first bell rings, your child will go to our Multi-Purpose Room, just inside the main doors off the parking lot side of the building. Students sit with classmates and talk quietly under adult supervision until the 8:20 bell rings. During COVID, however, students go directly to homeroom classrooms rather than congregating in the Multi-Purpose Room.
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 enter from the West Market Street driveway and pull along the sidewalk all the way to the furthest possible point toward the rear parking lot and Horning Hall. Kindergarten parents are asked to park in the rear lot and kindergarteners will be walked out to cars by our staff. Children are dismissed from doors near Horning Hall and are supervised as they wait on the sidewalk, watching for their rides. Once your child is in your car, please either exit to the right out of Blue Ribbon Drive and onto Moorfield Road, or loop back around and exit out of the West Market Street driveway. Per the Fairlawn Police Department, cars are not permitted to sit on West Market Street waiting to enter our driveway at pick-up time. If you cannot enter the driveway, please continue around the block and re-enter the line of traffic until you can turn in without obstructing traffic. The first few times you pick your child up, you may want to arrive by 2:45-2:50 p.m. to enter the line and become familiar with our dismissal procedures.
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 3:25 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 DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC*
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 Options Does My Child Have For Lunch? What About Snacks? *PLEASE NOTE: THIS INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC*
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. Please check your acceptance packet for information to get you started with ordering in August. 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. Kindergarteners do not need to bring a daily snack. Each child brings a box or two of crackers at the beginning of each month and daily snacks are shared from these. For students other than kindergartners, please remember to send a small snack with your child for snack time during class.
What Do I Need to Do if My Child is Sick? *PLEASE NOTE: THIS INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC*
A child too sick to come to school needs to be reported absent by 9:30 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 the Red Folder on this website, under Forms and Documents. The medication, in the original container, must be brought to the clinic and picked up from the clinic by an adult.
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? *PLEASE NOTE: VISITING AND VOLUNTEERING WILL BE STRICTLY LIMITED, AND DROP OFF OF FORGOTTEN ITEMS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC*
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, please bring it to the office and it will be delivered to your child. Your cooperation in keeping forgotten items to a minimum is greatly appreciated.
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 2-8 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.
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, 3, 5 and 7 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 sent home mid-way through each quarter as needed. Report cards are sent home at the end of each quarter. Grades can be checked as often as desired on Gradelink. User codes for those new to the Gradelink system will be provided in August. 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.
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 see the One Call Now form included in your acceptance packet. Completing this form 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.
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 Lou Camerato 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.
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.