EXTENDED CARE PROGRAM
St. Mary Help of Christians Extended Care Program (ECP) is a service to working parents and their children who are attending St. Mary Help of Christians School. The program is guided by the philosophy and policies of the school administration. Employees are responsible for the implementation of the goals and policies of the program, subject to the supervision of the school principal.
Goals
The goal of ECP is to provide a Christian atmosphere conducive to constructive growth experiences for our students who must be cared for away from their families on days when school is in session. The program also seeks to provide a place and time to accomplish homework. Please refer to "Policies" for information regarding "Study Hall."
Program Schedule
The program begins on the first day of the school and ends on the last full day of the school year. Care is provided from 2:50 until 6:00 p.m. on days when school is in session. ECP closes PROMPTLY at 6:00 p.m. ECP will be closed on the Friday before St. Mary's annual Chocolate Festival, on the half-day before the Christmas holidays, and on days when the school is closed. If a decision is reached by the Principal that the school should close during school hours due to inclement weather or other reasons, ECP will also close. Snacks will be provided from 3:15-3:30 p.m. After snacks, children are free to go to Study Hall or play.
Registration and Rates
Registration is a one-time charge each year of $15.00 per student, not to exceed $25.00 per family. The fee will be used to cover the cost of supplies and other program expenses. The registration fee is nonrefundable. The fee will be included in your first bill. Bills will be sent home every five weeks. The ECP rate schedule is $4.00 per child and $6.00 per family per hour. Staff members are employed only until 6:00 p.m. It is common courtesy to respect the time of closure. A substantial fee of $6.00 for every 15 minutes per family will be charged for late pickups. We suggest for practical purposes that families should consider the last pickup time to be 5:45 p.m. to prevent any additional charges. Our staff is to leave promptly at 6:00 p.m. to assure that custodial services can conclude in a timely fashion and the cafeteria is vacated for evening activities.
Discipline Policies
Each student is expected to: (1) abide by the rules of the program, (2) respect staff members and other students, (3) and respect all property. School rules (as stated in the School Handbook for Students and Parents) must be followed by all students attending ECP. Repeated or severe violations will be discussed with the parents. In each case, the Principal will be notified of each offense and action taken.
After-School Activities
St. Mary's ECP accepts no responsibility for escorting students to after-school activities (e.g. basketball in St. Angela Hall). There will be no exceptions. ECP students who want to leave ECP to attend St. Mary's School sporting events in St. Angela Hall may do so only with written parental permission. The children must be picked up at St. Angela Hall; they may not check back into ECP. Students who attend ECP before or after an after-school activity must check in and out to avoid misunderstandings.
Payment of Fees
Bills will be distributed in the classroom to the youngest child in the family monthly. Payment should be turned in as soon as possible. If you do not pay the amount due promptly, ECP reserves the right to refuse the use of ECP to your family. Payment to ECP should be made by check (payable to "St. Mary's ECP"). Send the check in an envelope marked "Extended Care Program." Students may give the envelope to their regular classroom teacher to be sent to the office. Additional areas of parental responsibility are in the matters of prompt fee payment and prompt pick-up of children in the late afternoon. Regular and prompt payment will assure the continued employment of personnel and the provision of supplies and equipment. If a parent or guardian fails to meet the ECP fee payment deadline and does not make adequate arrangements with the ECP director, the child(ren) will not be allowed to continue in the program. We will do everything possible to assist you, but we must be made aware of the needs.
Late Pickup
When a child has not been picked up and no parent contact has been received, the following steps will be taken: (1) The staff will try to contact the parent. (2) Persons listed on the Emergency Information Sheet will be contacted in order to locate someone who can pick up the child(ren) immediately.
Study Hall
Study Hall is open from 3:15-4:15 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Study Hall is not mandatory unless requested by a parent. Since Study Hall is included with ECP, it is to your child's advantage to attend. Please note: ECP will not be responsible for homework or attendance at Study Hall. This is up to students and parents.
Personal Belongings
Students are responsible for all supplies needed to complete homework. All books and possessions must be secured in the cafeteria when reporting to ECP to prevent personal injury to the students. Personal items, book bags, lunch boxes, clothing, etc., must be labeled with your child's name. Toys and other special items may be brought to ECP. However, the ECP staff assume no responsibility for the loss of or damage to these items. (These items are not allowed to be removed from bookbags during the school day.)