Admission Policies and Procedures
1. ISSUES RELATING TO THE PRACTICE OF THE CATHOLIC FAITH:As a Catholic School, St. John the Baptist strives to remain faithful to Jesus Christ Who said, “Seek first the kingdom of God….” The school therefore places emphasis first and foremost on the teaching and practice of the Catholic faith. Therefore, all students regardless of their religious background and affiliation must participate in all the religious instruction and activities of the school – with the exception of the reception of the Sacraments for those who are not Catholic.
The administration of St. John the Baptist School recognizes that our students come from a variety of family backgrounds, some of which may not fully conform to the moral teachings of the Catholic Church. The personal family background of a student does not constitute an absolute obstacle to enrollment in the school. Nor does acceptance of any child for enrollment in the school condone or imply approval of any parental living situation which may be contrary to Church teachings.
The primary purpose of St. John the Baptist School is the education of young people in order to assist them in their academic, personal and spiritual growth. Parents and guardians who enroll their children also understand that the school will remain faithful to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and steadfast in proclaiming them. While present on the school campus, every adult has the responsibility of appropriate conduct, in order to support the school’s mission and provide positive models to our students. No one in the context of St. John the Baptist school community is to give witness to a lifestyle that is in conflict with the morality of the Gospel. A coherent witness to Catholic moral teaching is expected at the school, especially in behavior which is evident and public. Any other kind of behavior needs to beaddressed and may need to be corrected. The Pastor is the final judge in applying this principle. At thetime of acceptance, preference will be given to students whose parents are active parishioners.
2. TESTING/INTERVIEWS (Grades 1 – 8):Normally incoming K - 4 students are tested as part of the admissions process. New students applying for the upper grades (5 – 8) are interviewed personally by administrators as part of the admissions process and may be tested as well.
3. FOREIGN STUDENTS:The I-20 Forms must be acquired for non-immigrant foreign students. Forms for this approval should be obtained through the Diocesan Department of Catholic Schools. The schools under the jurisdiction of the Diocesan Department of Catholic Education were approved as schools for non-immigrant foreign students on August 24, 1976 under approval number LOS 214F 0963.000. All correspondence regarding Immigration and Naturalization should be handled by the Diocesan Department of Catholic Schools. The I-20 Form will not be signed to admit a non-immigrant student without comprehensive evidence of the suitability of the commitment or without having seen the student.
4. RACIAL NON-DISCRIMINATION:Every person, as a child of God, regardless of race, condition, or age, has equal dignity and an inalienable right to an education. Therefore, no qualified student will be denied admission to this school on the basis of race, color or national origin. St. John the Baptist School admits students of any race, color, racial or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, racial or ethnic origin, in the administration of its education and admission policies, and athletic and other school administered programs.
5. AGE OF ADMISSIONS:Minimum Age (EC 4160A)Ordinarily a child must be 5 years of age on or before September 1st of the current school year to be admitted into Kindergarten. If the Principal determines that a child who is 6 years of age after
September 1st cut-off date has successfully completed a year of Kindergarten and is assessed to be ready for First Grade such a child may be admitted to the school. Where the child has been legally enrolled in another school he/she may be admitted to the school. Grade placement will be at the discretion of St. John’s.
Developmental Readiness (EC 4160B)A child must be developmentally ready in order to succeed in school. St. John’s administers tests to
children applying for admission to kindergarten or first grade to determine their developmental readiness.
If a child is admitted to the school, his/her admission is probationary for at least six weeks.
6. AGE OF COMPULSORY ATTENDANCECalifornia law provides for compulsory school attendance of all children between the ages of six and eighteen years (EC 48200)
7. SEVERANCE OF ATTENDANCE:Upon severance of attendance by or of any pupil subject to the compulsory educational law of California (ages 6-16) whether by expulsion, exclusion (for more than ten days), exemption, transfer, suspension, or other reasons, the school reports such severance to the county Superintendent of Schools (Phone 834-3935 for severance cards). (EC 48202).
8. ATTENDANCE RECORDS AND EXCUSES:All teachers record attendance daily and input the record into the school’s computer database. A student who has been absent or tardy (more than thirty minutes) is required to present a written excuse stating the reason for his/her absence/tardy and signed by his/her parents or guardian(s). These excuses shall be kept on file until the end of the school year. Absences may only be excused for those reasons allowed in the state education code, e.g. illness, dental/doctor appointments, attendance at family funerals, etc. and only if a note signed by the parent is presented. The school reserves the right to request a doctor’s note to verify extended illness.
9. EXCESSIVE ABSENCES AND TARDIES:Excessive absences or tardies, even if necessary and excused, may be grounds for loss of credit and/or disciplinary action. Excessive absence is considered 15 days per semester, a total of 30 days per school year. When the student arrives after 10 am s/he is 1/2 day absent. A student is tardy if s/he is not in his/her designated place when the bell rings at 7:55 am (students arriving in the parking lot gates at 7:53AM or later need to proceed to the main office through the entrance across from the Church since they can no longer reasonably be in their line on time without running). 8 or more tardies of less than 10 minutes duration in any given quarter are considered excessive. 3 or more tardies of more than 10 minutes duration in any given quarter are considered excessive. The parents are billed for every tardy after the third tardy in any given quarter ($5 for tardies 4 through 7, $20 for each additional tardy in that quarter – rates are subject to change with notice) and the student is not readmitted to class at the beginning of the next quarter until the bill is paid. The school may also choose to place additional sanctions on students with excessive tardies including, but not limited to, ineligibility for extra-curricular activities. Only medical tardies with a doctor’s note are excused.
10. RE-REGISTRATION POLICY:The completion of any given year at St. John’s does not automatically imply acceptance for the following year. The re-registration process must be completed, and the school reserves the right not to permit a student to re-register if it feels that St. John’s is not the right fit for that particular student.
