Regulations

School year 2022/2023

The school regulation establishes the organizational and management methods of the school aimed at guaranteeing the achievement of the educational and training purposes of St.Thomas’s through compliance with the obligations deriving from civil coexistence.

Art.1 TIMETABLES and ACCESS TO THE SCHOOL COMPLEX

a) The access gate to the school complex is open from 7:45 to 9:30 and from 15:00 to 16:30. Outside these times the gate remains closed; to access the school it will be necessary to ring the school intercom and identify yourself, the school administration will open the gate when needed.

The SCHOOL SECRETARIAT is open to the public every day from Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 10:00 and from 15:30 to 16:30.

b) Early Childhood

Entrance: from 8:30 to 9:00. The activities start at 9:00.

Exit: from 15.30 to 16.00 in the playground or directly in the classroom according to the weather conditions.

Children from the Nursery and Reception are allowed to leave, subject to advance notification to the teachers or to the secretariat, even at 11:55 for children who do not have lunch at school or at 12:30 if they have lunch at school.

PARENTAL ACCESS: Parents (or persons delegated by them) can access the school building at the times established for entry or to collect them at the end of educational activities, keeping the time strictly necessary to collect their child, so as not to crowd the space unnecessarily, hindering surveillance operations.

PROXY FOR PUPIL PICK-UP: Children can only be picked up by parents or persons authorized by them by means of a specific proxy to be filled in and handed in to the secretary at the beginning of the school year. Extraordinarily, you can authorize your child to go out with another person by notifying the secretariat by email or by telephone.

c) Primary School

The teaching activities begin at 8:30 and finish at 15:30.

Maximum punctuality is recommended at the entrance and in picking up the children upon exiting.

Students can enter from 8:00 to 8:25.

From 8:00 to 8:25 the teachers wait for the pupils in the outdoor green area next to the playground or in the atrium in case of bad weather. At 8:25 the pupils, divided by class, will go up to their classrooms accompanied by their teachers.

The exit is from 15:45 to 16:00: the pupils will be led by the teacher in the courtyard at the entrance of the Institute at 15:45. In case of rain, the children will wait for their parents to arrive in the school hall.

PARENTAL ACCESS: Parents are not allowed to enter the school building to accompany their children. Parents are also not allowed to enter the classrooms freely during school hours: any urgent needs must be communicated to the secretariat. The permanence of parents (or persons delegated by them) within the complex and the school building is permitted for the time strictly necessary to accompany and collect their child/children.

PROXY FOR PUPIL PICK-UP: Children can only be picked up by parents or persons authorized by them by means of a specific proxy to be filled in and delivered to the Secretary’s office at the beginning of the school year. Extraordinarily, you can authorize your child to go out with another person by notifying the secretariat by email or by telephone.

The children who carry out the after-school activities will be accompanied to the secretariat by their teachers at 16:00 and will await the arrival of the after-school teacher together with the coordinator of the afternoon activities.

d) PROVISIONS RELATING TO DELAYS TO

EARLY CHILDHOOD: for the correct and respectful conduct of school activities after 9:30 the nursery school door will be closed and children will be allowed in only through the school administration. Parents who arrive after this time will therefore have to accompany their children to the first floor (passing through the atrium between the two glass doors) and the administration staff will be responsible for accompanying the children to their classes.

Entry to the kindergarten is not allowed after 10:30 except in exceptional and sporadic cases which must be communicated in advance to the secretariat. Exceptional cases are considered: vaccinations and medical visits.

PRIMARY SCHOOL: pupils who arrive after 8:30 must go to the secretariat and collect the LATE PASS. Delays are noted in the teacher’s register and reported in the evaluation document.

It has been shown that pupils who frequently arrive late also experience a decline in their learning as they miss a significant part of the school day, i.e. the time when the teacher introduces the learning topics and objectives. Where a pupil’s delay becomes persistent, the class teacher and management will in the first instance summon the parents. If the problem persists, this will affect the assessment of each pupil’s behavior in the assessment document.

Pupils who arrive after 10:00 will not be admitted to school except in exceptional and sporadic cases which must be communicated in advance to the secretariat. Exceptional cases are considered: vaccinations and medical visits.

A delay of more than 10 minutes (i.e. more than 4.10 pm) in the collection of the students of the INFANCY SCHOOL and PRIMARY SCHOOL involves the payment of the babysitting service equal to Euro 10,00. However, the service is not available after 5.00 pm, when the administrative offices are also closed.

e) USE OF OUTDOOR SPACES OUT OF SCHOOL TIMES

The external areas of the school or the green area, the space under the gazebo, the playground, the football field, the mud kitchen are teaching areas and will be closed from 4:00 pm. Therefore afternoon use by children and families is not permitted.

f) PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE ENTRY OF EXTERNAL PEOPLE

Access inside the complex and the school building is permitted only to parents or to persons officially delegated by them with a written proxy. The entry of people from outside the school must be authorized in advance by the Headmaster.

g) PARKING

Each family must collect a pass from the Secretariat to enter and park inside the school complex, this pass must be displayed on the dashboard of their car. Parking is allowed along the wall of the school building (up to the boundary chain of the Convent spaces) or along the perimeter walls located beyond the playing areas. Parking under the shelter is reserved for school staff.

It is forbidden to park and stop in front of the parking bollards located at the entrance to the school complex.

Art.2 SCHOOL ATTENDANCE/INFANT

SCHOOL

Parents are required to inform the class teacher and the school office in the event

of prolonged absence of their child.

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Parents are required to inform the class teacher and the school secretary in the event

of prolonged absence of their child.

It is strongly recommended to plan the holidays according to the days when the school is closed, indicated in the school calendar published on the St.Thomas’s website and sent by email to all families. Prolonged absences have a negative impact on students’ educational path. In any case, it is the responsibility of each student to read up on the program carried out with his classmates and/or to request information from the teachers on the activities carried out and on the tasks assigned via email.

For the purposes of the validity of the school year and admission to the aptitude test, the absence of a student from school (for any reason, except in exceptional cases agreed and approved in advance by the Management) must not exceed 25% of the entire school year.

Art.3 ADMISSIONS

A student’s enrollment at St.Thomas’s International School is permitted only if his age corresponds to the admission criteria indicated below. Pupils must reach the appropriate age with respect to the enrollment class by 31 December of the school year for which admission is requested, as per the chart below:

NURSERY 3 years by 31/12

RECEPTION 4 years by 31/12

PREP 5 years by 31/12

GRADE 1 6 years by 31/12

GRADE 2 7 years by 31/12

GRADE 3 8 years by 31/12

GRADE 4 9 years by 31/12

GRADE 5 10 years by 31/12

St.Thomas’s allows the enrollment of monolingual Italian students only in nursery school classes. Bilingual Italian-English or monolingual English students are admitted to any grade of primary school with extra linguistic support from Italian teachers. Furthermore, monolingual Italian students who have completed a previous international training course may be admitted to primary school. The school reserves the right to evaluate the enrollment of pupils with requirements other than those specified by evaluating each individual case.

The inclusion class of pupils with certified (or subsequently identified) special needs will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Art.4 CODE OF CONDUCT

a) Each member of St.Thomas’s International School has the right to:

– feel secure;

– learn to the best of one’s potential;

– be treated with respect and dignity

In order to preserve these rights St.Thomas’s has established the following general code of conduct (each class will set its own specific expectations together with the teachers each year).

Each student is responsible for his actions towards others, himself and the environment in which he finds himself: any damage to school property or another student’s property must be reimbursed by the person responsible for this act.

The pupil whose behavior will be judged inappropriate and disrespectful will initially be warned by the class teacher. In the event of recurrence of this behavior, the pupil will be summoned to the management: the parents will initially be informed via an email or a telephone call and finally they will be summoned in person.

b) With a view to the school-family collaboration and the support that the school must provide to guide each pupil in achieving the set educational objectives, the teachers will inform the parents (and the management) of any specific needs documented during the academic path and the development emotional state of your child who require evaluation by a specialist.
c) The school also reserves the right to expel pupils/families for any behavior that jeopardizes the safety of other pupils in the school and/or the school community in general or in the event that the reputation of the school itself is significantly threatened.

Art.5 COMMUNICATIONS: USE of EMAILS, TELEPHONE and SOCIAL MEDIA

At the time of registration, parents must fill in the personal data sheet indicating the telephone numbers where they can be reached in case of need as well as one or more valid postal addresses electronics. In case of variation of the same during the year, parents are required to immediately notify the school administration.

St.Thomas’s teachers communicate with families through: email, digital platforms, periodic newsletters, evaluation documents, interviews with parents.

Administrative communications are sent regularly by the management or by the secretariat by e-mail, therefore parents will have to check their e-mails daily.

a) USE OF E-MAILS: as a rule, school personnel reply to e-mails within 24 hours, excluding Saturdays and Sundays. Teachers spend most of their day teaching, so they can’t check their email while in class.

The e-mails must be used to request any interviews with the teachers or with the Management: parents must make an appointment by sending an e-mail directly to the person concerned (the e-mail addresses of all school staff have the same format: name .surname@stthomass.com).

Parents should make an appointment with the class teacher to discuss children’s academic progress and behavioral development: it is not appropriate to discuss these topics by email.

Teachers will be able to send an email to parents to request an extraordinary interview if they deem it necessary to inform them about the school progress and the behavioral development of their children.

Emails should NOT be used to communicate last minute changes to children’s outings, playdates or parties. Any sudden changes in the withdrawal of children from school must be communicated directly by the parents by calling the secretariat.

b) USE of the CLASS PHONE/CHAT (WHATSAPP): for the respect of all and in compliance with the new GDPR (European regulation on privacy):

– parents (including class representatives) are strictly prohibited from communicating with teachers, administration and management via personal mobile phone/whatsapp even outside school hours.

– Class chats created by families must be used sparingly and exclusively as a virtual bulletin board to publish notices, information and initiatives concerning the class, publish the minutes of parent representatives’ meetings with management, request information on assigned tasks.

Messages often trigger dynamics and misunderstandings that are difficult to manage, because they are not mediated by the nuances of “live” communication. Therefore, the use of chats to express personal judgments or express individual fears or concerns that may cause alarmism in the rest of the participants is strongly discouraged. In the event of improper use of group chats, the responsible person will be summoned to management for clarification; in the event that the reputation of the school itself or of the teachers is significantly threatened by such improper use, the company My School srl also reserves the right to expel the responsible family from the school.

c) WEEKLY OFFICE OFFICE: the teachers’ weekly office hours are communicated by email within the month of September or upon confirmation of the definitive internal timetable for each class.

It is not allowed to talk to the teachers about the school progress of one’s children during the pupils’ exit time in order not to divert the attention of the teachers from supervising them and not to hinder their fostering operations.

AFTERNOON INTERVIEWS: during the school year, two afternoon interviews are scheduled with parents, the dates of which are indicated on the school calendar: one in the first semester and one in the second semester. It is important to participate in these meetings to find out about the school progress of the children and discuss it with the teachers to contribute to the pupils’ training process and to their well-being within the school.
NEWSLETTER: a newsletter is published on the school website every month which provides information on what happened in the current month and previews of the following month.
COMMUNICATION OF EXTRAORDINARY SCHOOL CLOSURES: any extraordinary closures of the school due to exceptional weather events, earthquakes, etc., follow the municipal ordinances. Therefore, in the event that the above extraordinary conditions occur, the families of St.Thomas’s must consult the official website of the Municipality of Viterbo or the Facebook page of the Municipality of Viterbo. At the same time, the school will send a confirmation email to the representatives of each class who will in turn inform all the other families.

Art.6 PARENTS’ REPRESENTATIVES

During the class meetings at the beginning of the school year, parents must elect their own representatives. Up to a maximum of two representatives per class can be elected.

The position of class representative must rotate over the years among the various families: a parent cannot be elected for more than two consecutive years. During the school year, the parents’ representatives must meet at least once every two months with the management and coordinators of the primary and kindergarten schools.

Role and responsibilities of parent class representatives:

– create a link between parents and the school to reflect and share ideas concerning their class as a whole or majority.

– create a positive and collaborative relationship with teachers and assistants.

– communicate ideas/concerns/concerns to teachers and administration.

– help promote school-family collaboration.

The class representative does NOT have the right to:

a) deal with individual cases;
b) deal with subjects of exclusive competence of the other Bodies of the School (for example those concerning the didactics and the teaching method).

Art.7 SCHOOL FEES

Payment of the enrollment fee must be made at the time of payment and, in any case, by 20 February of the current school year for the following year.

The registration fee is non-refundable.

The annual fee can be divided into monthly installments whose payment must be made by the 5th day of each month or the day immediately following if this coincides with a holiday, according to the methods set out in the school tariff (bank transfer, check, debit card or cash ). A delay of more than 7 days in the payment of fees will result in a delay equal to 5% of the monthly installment; a delay of more than 15 days in the payment of fees will result in a 10% delay. These amounts will be automatically included in the electronic invoice relating to the installment to be paid and will be charged at the time of payment.

Stationery materials, books and field trips are not included in the fee.

There are no refunds in case of absence due to illness or holidays or for other family reasons.

IN THE EVENT OF EARLY WITHDRAWAL OF A CHILD FROM SCHOOL, A FEE EQUAL TO 30% OF THE REMAINING ANNUAL FEE WILL ALSO BE DUE; IN THE EVENT THAT A FAMILY HAS TWO CHILDREN ENROLLED AT ST.THOMAS’S, THEY WILL HAVE TO PAY 25% OF THE REMAINING ANNUAL FEES IN THE EVENT OF EARLY WITHDRAWAL; IF A FAMILY HAS THREE OR MORE CHILDREN ENROLLED, THEY MUST PAY 20% OF THE REMAINING ANNUAL FEE.

Art.8 FOOD

NURSERY SCHOOL

St. Thomas’s International School provides nursery school children with both a morning and an afternoon snack. In the morning the snack consists of fruit and/or vegetables, in the afternoon they will be administered in turn: yoghurt, biscuits, crackers, bread and jam, bread and oil. Each child must bring a bottle of water which will be refilled by school staff as needed. The morning snack is at 10:00 and the afternoon snack is at 15:00.

St.Thomas’s has a catering service that provides a full hot lunch every day. LUNCH is served at 12:00.

Meals are ordered by the secretariat at 9:30 based on the number of meals marked by the parents on the bulletin board at the school entrance.

Pupils are allowed to bring their lunch from home in special hygienic and thermal containers. Food brought from home must comply with the school’s food policy aimed at the consumption of healthy food (chocolate bars or similar, crisps, fizzy drinks are not allowed). Parents who choose this method will have to communicate it to the school office and will have to sign a declaration to be delivered to the secretariat at the beginning of the school year. Those who choose the lunch from home option will have to deliver it in the morning at the children’s entrance time and in any case no later than 9:30.

The calendar of snacks and the monthly lunch menu is posted on the bulletin board at the entrance to the nursery school (the monthly menu is also published on the school website).

PRIMARY SCHOOL

At St.Thomas’s we educate our pupils about healthy and balanced nutrition as a fundamental part of their education and learning.

Primary school children bring their SNACK from home in compliance with a healthy diet (chocolate bars, crisps, gum or candies, fizzy drinks are not allowed).

According to their needs, they can bring one or two snacks (for the morning and for the afternoon).

St.Thomas’s makes use of a catering service that provides a complete hot lunch every day (first course, second course with side dish, bread and fruit/donut/yoghurt). A copy of the menu is posted on the bulletin board in the school hall and published on the school website.

Meals are ordered by the secretariat at 9:30 based on the number of children present who have not communicated that they have lunch from home.

Lunch for Grades 1, 2, 3 is at 12:30; for Grade 4.5 it is 1.00pm.

If, for any reason, your child enters school late, the parents/guardians must notify the Secretariat by 9:30 so that lunch can still be ordered.

If, for any reason, your child leaves school early, you must notify the secretariat by 9:30 so that the meal cannot be ordered.

Children who bring their own lunch must also bring the relative cutlery and only eat the meal prepared for them and delivered by their parents/guardians in the lunch box with their name on it. They will not be able to exchange food with other children.

Pupils who choose the option of taking lunch from home will have to bring it in the morning when entering school and, in any case, the lunch boxes cannot be delivered after 9:30.

Special diets: parents of children with certified special dietary needs that cannot be satisfied by the school canteen must provide snacks and lunch for their child, making sure that the food provided for the same is adequately stored and protected from any external contamination.

Any intolerances or allergies to particular foods or substances must be reported at the time of registration, also delivering the relevant medical certificate.

Special occasions – exceptions to the food regulations are allowed on special occasions and holidays; on these occasions, families are also allowed to bring home-made food and sweets.

Art.9 DRESS CODE

a) The use of the school uniform is compulsory for all children and all classes.

PRIMARY SCHOOL: The third report for lack of school uniform will affect the pupil’s conduct grade.

The compulsory uniform with the school logo can be purchased online, chosen from a range of items: polo shirts, t-shirts, sweatshirts, cardigans, waistcoats, etc. Upon enrolment, each family will receive access credentials to the school’s website. supplier company.

Under the garments of the uniform, children must wear white, blue and gray trousers, skirts and leggings. It is important that the pupils wear comfortable clothes that facilitate their movements and facilitate the various school activities and their independence, the children do not have to worry about getting dirty with colours, earth, mud or food.

It is also mandatory for all children in the Nursery and Reception to leave a change at school in the special bag with the name written on it, which can always be purchased online.

To avoid exchange and loss, each garment must bear the full name of the child it belongs to.

In WINTER children must be dressed appropriately according to the weather conditions to be able to be outdoors (‘layered’ clothing recommended).

PRIMARY SCHOOL students must dress appropriately and with respect for the school environment. Therefore the following are not allowed:

– skirts above the knee of more than 10 cm;

– shorts/bermuda shorts above the knee by more than 10 cm;

– trousers* with rips;

– T-shirts with rips;

– tank tops;

– hats/bandannas worn inside the building/classrooms;

– sandals;

*trousers must not be worn below the waist, i.e. they must be worn so that the underwear cannot be seen.

For reasons of order, hygiene and comfort, all pupils must have their hair tied up.

All items of uniform are not included in the fee and must be paid for separately.

Parents will be advised in advance for the purchase or creation of any stage clothes needed for the two school plays or for other initiatives during the year.

b) PERSONAL OBJECTS

– NURSERY SCHOOL children are not allowed to bring toys or other personal objects unless expressly authorized by the teacher;

– It is absolutely forbidden for PRIMARY SCHOOL students to bring/use electronic games or mobile phones. In the event that, for family reasons, a pupil has to bring his cell phone to be contacted by his parents when he leaves school, he must give it to the class teacher in the first hour. The telephone will be kept inside a special container/drawer and will be returned to the owner at the end of the school day.

c) LOST & FOUND (lost items)

All lost items and items found by the school’s auxiliary staff are kept in a special box inside the school office. The lost items/objects will be kept in the box for thirty days, after which time they will be donated to charity to a family home, Caritas, etc.

The school assumes no responsibility for the loss or damage of personal belongings.

Art.10 HYGIENE AND HEALTH

a) DOCUMENTS – By the beginning of the school year, parents/guardians must deliver a photocopy of their child’s Health Booklet to the secretariat certifying the compulsory vaccinations carried out.
b) PERSONAL HYGIENE – Each child in the Nursery and Reception must have a small clean towel in their bag and a change, complete with underwear, to be replaced immediately if used.

Children’s nails must be kept very short and clean and long hair must be tied back.

c) ACCIDENTS – In the event of minor accidents, the children will be medicated and cared for by school staff in possession of first aid certification. The teacher in service will immediately inform the Management and will fill in a report on a special form which will be kept in the secretariat in the student’s file. In the event of an emergency (illness or accidental events that require the intervention of specialized personnel), if none of the parents/guardians can be reached promptly by telephone, the School Management is delegated to adopt the necessary measures for the assistance of the child, including transport by ambulance to the Belcolle hospital.
d) EVACUATION – During the school year, evacuation drills are carried out with pupils and teachers of all classes. In the event of fire or other emergencies, the school will follow the evacuation procedures acquired on the basis of the tests carried out and the certifications9 held by the school.

Infectious diseases – (1) After an infectious disease (measles, varicella, streptococcus, etc.) children can be readmitted to school only upon presentation of the medical certificate proving the child’s state of health. In the event of a contagious disease, parents are required to inform the school, which in turn will inform the entire school community. (2) In the event of conjunctivitis, pupils cannot be admitted to school and can only return after 3 applications of antibiotic eye drops and upon presentation of a medical certificate certifying that they have been cured. (3) In case of pediculosis (lice) the parents will be called and the pupil must be taken home and can go back to school the following day and only after having carried out at least two applications of specific treatment. The anti-pediculosis treatment will still have to be repeated 7 days after healing. (4) If a child has had an episode of enteritis the day before, during the night or in the morning before coming to school, he cannot be taken to school, but must look after himself and show no symptoms for a whole day before being readmitted to school. class.

Compliance with these rules will prevent the widespread spread of viruses.

Art.11 OUTDOOR PLAY AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Participation in school activities throughout the year requires students to go out into the garden for recreation and motor activity. Spending this time outdoors reflects the school’s philosophy towards a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Even in winter, the children, suitably covered, go out into the garden in the morning, after lunch and in the afternoon; in this way they will be able to move and breathe fresh air, helping to strengthen their immune system and fighting the spread of germs and bacteria.

Gli alunni che vengono a scuola non possono rimanere in classe durante le ricreazioni anche perché il personale docente che non è impegnato nella supervisione dei bambini in giardino è occupato in riunioni e meeting per la programmazione.

Se un alunno non è nelle condizioni di salute di poter uscire all’aperto durante l’orario scolastico deve rimanere a casa fino a quando non si è rimesso completamente.

L’ISCRIZIONE PRESSO LA ST.THOMAS’S INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL COMPORTA L’ACCETTAZIONE AUTOMATICA DEL PRESENTE REGOLAMENTO.