July 30, 2008

Dear Parents,

The Elizabeth Seton High School community welcomes you and your daughter to the 2008-2009 school  year.  The beginning of each new academic year is filled with promise and excitement.  As our enrollment continues to grow, we are proud to greet the largest freshman class in over twenty years.

The following information will provide for a smooth transition from summer into the academic year.  Please read this letter carefully and file it for future reference.

ORIENTATION DAYS
           
Monday , August 25                     Freshman Retreat Day            7:50 – 3:15 (see enclosed green inserts - 2)

Tuesday, August 26 Freshman Orientation     8:00 – 1:00
                        Transfer Student Orientation  8:30

Wednesday, August 27 Sophomores   8:00 - 10:00
                        Juniors 11:00 - 12:30
                        Seniors   1:00 - 2:00
Students will report to the auditorium when they arrive at school.  They do not need to wear the uniform on orientation days. 

Thursday, August 28 All Students   - 7 period day – Schedule 2 – Full uniform required on this day.  Bring a snack or light lunch as no food service will be provided.

NOTE:  Classes will not be held on Friday, August 29 so that students and their families may enjoy the long Labor Day weekend.

Student orientation is considered a school day and will be considered an absence if a student does not attend.  Parents must call in advance to notify Mrs. Pasterick if a student will not attend orientation.

Student fees (non-book fees) must be paid in full by August 20 before you can participate in orientation.  Please refer to your fee statement, which was sent under separate cover.

SCHOOL PHOTOS

Freshmen, sophomores and juniors will have school pictures taken on their orientation day.  All students must be photographed for their school identification cards.  The enclosed brochure also has information regarding school picture purchases.  Students should bring the brochure and exact payment with them on orientation day.  Make-up day for undergraduate pictures and senior portraits is October 17.  Seniors who were not photographed in June must have their picture taken on October 17 in order to appear in the yearbook.

BOOKS

The on-line bookstore (MBS Direct) opened for business on July 15th.  MBS Direct is the official book store for Seton books.  Orders for books must be placed by August 15th to ensure delivery prior to the opening of school. 

SPORTS

Information on tryouts, dates, times, physicals, etc., is available on the school’s website – www.setonhs.org

No student may try out for fall sports without having the proper physical and immunization forms on file at the school.

FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS

Tuition for the 2008-2009 school year is $9,500.   Monthly payments are $950.  July 1 was the due date for the One Payment Tuition Plan.  For those on the two-payment plan, the first payment of $4,750 was due July 1 and the next payment of $4,750 will be due December 1.   For those families choosing a ten-month payment plan for tuition, the first payment was due July 1 and the second payment is due August 1.  Please make sure to include your daughter’s SID number or name on the check.  If you have questions regarding tuition, please call Sr. Dorothy in the Business Office, 301-864-4532, ext. 7106.

Please do not add any fees, books or bus costs to your tuition check.

BUS INFORMATION

The Seton bus route is once again being offered for $220 per month.  If you are interested and did not originally sign up, please contact Mrs. Burke (ext. 7104) as soon as possible.

All students will report for classes on Tuesday, September 2 and will follow their regular schedules with dismissal at 2:40.  Food service will be available. 

Please note the start of the school day.  The first bell will ring at 7:50 a.m., and advisory will start at 7:55 a.m. 
Our regular schedule provides for a 2:40 p.m. dismissal.  On Schedule 2 days, dismissal is at 1:30 p.m.

Regular attendance is essential for learning.  Grades may be affected by absences from classes.  Days absent and times late are recorded on students' permanent records.  Please make yourselves familiar with the attendance policy, which you will find in your daughter's Student Handbook.  Maryland State law requires a written note be brought to the school on the day following any absence.  These are to be given to the Main Office.  After the bell rings for advisory (7:55 a.m.), students are considered tardy.

Early dismissals are discouraged.  We request that you arrange medical and dental appointments, job interviews, applications for driver's license, etc., either after school hours, free days, on Saturdays, or during vacation periods.  Early dismissal notes are given to the Main Office before advisory period.  We strongly discourage the scheduling of family vacations during school time. Our calendar is on the website.

UNIFORMS

Elizabeth Seton is a college prep high school.  A school uniform that is clean, of modest length and worn properly demonstrates certain student professionalism as well as school and personal pride.  This school year we will pay particular attention to our uniform dress code.  If uniforms and shoes have not been ordered, parents should do so immediately.  The Flynn & O'Hara store is located at 8807 Annapolis Rd. in Lanham, Maryland.  The telephone number is 1-800-441-4122.

Each student must wear the regulation uniform during school hours.  If a student remains in the school building or on school property after dismissal and chooses to wear the school uniform, she must wear the uniform according to the uniform dress code. The uniform consists of the gray/cardinal plaid skirt and a white oxford shirt (long or short sleeves).  Other uniform options include gray slacks and a cardinal golf shirt.  All uniform pieces, including the required black uniform shoes, must be purchased from Flynn & O'Hara Uniform Company.

Please check your daughter's skirt to see that it is an appropriate length.  The skirt should reach to the top of the knee, and there should be enough material available for lengthening should your daughter grow during the year.

Please refer to the handbook concerning the wearing of jewelry.

When your daughter is in uniform, she represents Elizabeth Seton High School.  

STUDENT PARKING/STICKERS

Students who drive to school must purchase a parking sticker for $125 from the Main Office.  Students who fail to display a sticker by Friday, September 5, will lose parking privileges. 

TRAFFIC PATTERN

All persons who drop off and/or pick up students are to enter through the Emerson Street gate, proceed along the front driveway, move around the right side of building, and circle around the flag pole to allow students to exit the vehicle along the sidewalk leading to the student entrance near the cafeteria.  To exit, please round the end of the building, turn right, proceed across the front of the building, turn left and proceed down the driveway to Emerson Street.  A left or a right hand turn onto Emerson Street will allow you to return to Rt. 450.

Students and faculty who will be parking are to enter the grounds from 57th Avenue, travel up SK Motors Drive, and park in one of the lots near the new building.

Parents who need to park in order to conduct business in the school should park in front of the school in a non-reserved space.

NOTE:

1.        STUDENTS ARE NOT TO BE DROPPED OFF ALONG THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL.
2.        NO ONE SHOULD PARK IN RESERVED SPACES AT ANY TIME.

TRAFFIC CONTROL

Ensuring the safety of our students, parents and guests is a primary consideration in planning traffic control.  To this end, we ask for your cooperation, courtesy and patience.

Traffic rules are as follow:

*           No double parking
*           No parking by any yellow lines or around the flagpole.
*           Parents should arrive no earlier than 2:55 p.m.  This allows students who drive to exit, thus leaving spaces available for parents to park.
*              Drive slowly and cautiously at all times
*            Elizabeth Seton High School reserves the right to prohibit parents from entering our parking lot if they are consistently uncooperative and/or disrespectful with regard to the traffic rules.

Any student who remains in the school building after 3:15 p.m. and is not in a supervised club or athletic activity is required to report to the cafeteria for a supervised study hall.  For the safety of our students, a faculty monitored after school study is provided.  After 4:45 p.m. (3:30 on early dismissal days), the school
does not provide supervision or accept responsibility for students who remain in the school or on school grounds.  At the request of our school board and administration, all students must be picked up no later than 6 p.m.  unless they are directly supervised by a coach or club moderator.

Throughout the year, important information is sent to parents via e-mail.  To join the mailing list, please go to the parents’ page on the website and select the Parent Email Form.  Since AOL blocks our Parent-Announce mailing list messages, we cannot add any AOL addresses to the list.  All messages sent to parents are also posted on the parents’ page.

A MANDATORY MEETING FOR ALL FRESHMEN AND AT LEAST ONE PARENT/GUARDIAN WILL BE HELD ON Thursday, September 11 at 7 p.m. in the school auditorium.  Issues regarding attendance, the Honor Code, discipline and study skills will be discussed.

On Thursday, September 25, at 7:00 p.m., we will have a "Back to School" night for parents.  You will follow your daughter’s schedule and meet her teachers.  Please mark your calendars.
                                                                                                                       
SUMMER ASSIGNMENTS

Most students were given subject assignments to complete over the summer.  Please check to see that your daughter has completed these assignments.

HEALTH FORMS

Physical and immunization forms are to be completed and returned to Mrs. Daly, the school nurse, by August 1st.  These forms are required of all new students and all students who wish to try out for a sport.  No student will be allowed to start classes without having physical and immunization forms on file in our health office.

AREA CHARITY CAMPAIGNS

Elizabeth Seton High School is a participant in several area charity campaigns.  We encourage you to pass the following information along to your relatives, friends and co-workers.  Last year, Elizabeth Seton High School received over $36,376 through these donations.

COMBINED FEDERAL CAMPAIGN (CFC) - designation number 24755.

UNITED WAY OF THE NATIONAL CAPITAL AREA - designation number 8302.

MARYLAND CHARITY CAMPAIGN: - agency code for Elizabeth Seton High School is 5869.

AMERICA’S CHARITIES - designation number is 18845.

STUDENT HANDBOOK/CALENDAR

On orientation day your daughter will receive her student handbook and calendar.  The handbook, which states and explains school policies, has two inserts for you to sign and return by September 5, general school policies (pink) and appropriate use of computer networks (blue). Your signature serves as an acknowledgement that you have read the handbook and agree to abide by the school policies.

SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS

We are pleased to once again make our events accessible for the deaf members of our community.  Elizabeth Seton High School will provide sign language interpreters for the following dates:

• September 11th – New Students and Parents Meeting
• September 25th – Back-to-School Night
• November 6th – Parent/Teacher Conferences
• February 26th  – Parent/Teacher Conferences
• May 26th – Baccalaureate and Graduation

Parents using this service are required to confirm their attendance to each of these events with Mrs. Ginger Thompson at 562@setonhs.org two weeks prior to the dates listed above.

FAMILY SERVICE PROGRAM

Families are asked to pledge ten hours of service to our school each year.  More information about the program is included on the yellow insert.

Our administration, faculty and staff look forward to the approaching academic year with hope and joy.  We pray that strengthened by your interest and support we may continue to provide your daughter with a quality education.

Sincerely, 

Sharon Pasterick
Principal