Attendance, Emergency Procedures and Closings
Absences
Parents must notify the school by 9 a.m. when a student is ill. Parents should email or call student's advisor or the main office. Parents must also send in a written explanation for absences upon the student’s return to school.
Regular attendance is a crucial component of a student’s success at St. Anne’s School and student performance may be affected by absence. Due to the extensive hands-on nature of our program, work cannot be readily made up. Teachers should not be asked to prepare work ahead of time for a family vacation planned for when school is in session. Family vacations should be scheduled during school holidays, and families are discouraged from taking students out of school during days before or after a school break. Absences, other than for illness, are strongly discouraged.
Early Dismissal
In the event of an early dismissal, St. Anne’s School follows the Anne Arundel County Public Schools’ decision about whether or not to close early, but adheres to different dismissal times. Please listen to the radio or television, check your email or the school website or call the school for accurate dismissal time information. Parents are asked to pick up children who stay for AEP and After Care as soon as possible.
Emergency Procedures
The school has in place crisis response, evacuation and shelter-in-place plans for responding to emergencies. St. Anne’s School also utilizes an automatic communication system to communicate quickly with all parents should an emergency or incident occur at the School. Should the campus need to be evacuated completely, Hillsmere Elementary serves as our off-site “safe house,” with PAL Park serving as an alternative site.
Fire Drills
Fire drills are conducted periodically throughout the year. Students should be silent and move in an orderly manner to points indicated by their teachers, where roll will be taken. If the fire alarm rings when students are out of the classrooms, they should leave the building by the nearest exit.
Inclement Weather
The School generally follows the Anne Arundel County Public Schools for closings, late openings and early dismissals when there is inclement weather. The School’s phone message and website are updated when changes to the school day schedule occur.
Inclement Weather Alternate Schedule
When the county schools experience a delayed opening, they often indicate that there will be “no morning Pre-Kindergarten.” St. Anne’s School does not follow this practice, because if our school is open, it is open to all students. Therefore, we have devised the following Alternate Schedule that is followed when there is a delayed opening.
- One Hour Delayed Opening
- Before school care opens at 8:15 a.m. for registered students only in Prekindergarten - Eighth Grades. Preschool before school care begins at 8:15 in the classroom.
- All a.m. classes arrive one hour late, and dismiss at the usual time. If you are not registered for before care, plan to arrive between 8:50 and 9:10 a.m.
- Two Hour Delayed Opening
- Before school care opens at 9:15 a.m. for registered students only in Prekindergarten – Eighth Grades.
- All classes will open at the same time – Early Childhood, Lower & Middle School divisions. Students may arrive beginning at 9:50 for 10:15 start time.
- Preschool 10:15 a.m. to noon. Before care for Preschool begins at 9:15 for two hour delayed opening.
- Prekindergarten 10:15 a.m. to noon.
- Kindergarten 10:15 a.m. to 3:10 p.m.
- Afternoon Enrichment Program noon – 3:10 p.m.
Tardiness
Please bring students to school on time. Arriving on time is a positive way to begin the school day. Prekindergarten through Eighth Grade students should be seated and ready to start their day by 8:15 a.m. Preschool classes begin promptly at 9 a.m. All students arriving late for the school day must be accompanied by a parent and report to the front office to sign in. Repeated tardiness hampers student progress.