WEAPONS:

Possession of weapon by a student will result in (1) an initial suspension for five (5) days; (2) confiscation of the weapon; (3) contact the police department; and (4) a recommendation to the Board of Education that the student be expelled.  "Possession"  refers to having a weapon on one's  person or in an area subject to one's control on school property, on a school bus, or at a school activity.  

"Weapon means any firearm, whether loaded or unladed, any device or instrument designed as a weapon or through its use capable of threatening or producing great bodily harm or death, or any device or instrument that is used to threaten or cause bodily harm or death.  Some examples of weapons are: gun (including pellet guns, BB guns, look-alike guns and non-functioning guns that could be used to threaten others), knives, clubs, metal knuckles, numchucks, throwing stars, explosives, stun guns, ammunition, or any type of bomb or explosive device.  A student who finds a weapon on the way to school or in the school building and takes the weapon immediately to the principal's office shall not be considered in possession of a weapon.

ASSAULT:

1. A threat of bodily harm or death to another person, without material physical contact, will result in a parent/guardian conference and an initial suspension of up to five (5) days for students in grades 5 & 6.
2. A student who threatens bodily harm or death to another without material physical contact while in possession of a weapon shall be dealt with under the preceding section of this policy dealing with "weapons."
3. Students in grades 5 & 6 who engage in fighting with another person will be suspended from the classroom or from the building for three (3) days.  Students in grades K-4 will be suspended from the classroom or from the building for a period not to exceed three (3) days.  Fighting shall be characterized by a violent aggressive behavior by two or more individuals with the intent of inflicting physical harm upon one another and differentiated from "poking, pushing, shoving or scuffling."
4. Direct attack with a weapon:  Direct attack with a weapon shall be dealt with under the preceding section of this policy with "weapons."  An attack is defined as violent aggressive behavior by one individual directed towards another individual with the intent of inflicting great physical harm upon another.
5. Direct attack without a weapon on another person:  Students in grades K-6 will receive a one 91) to five (5) day suspension.

HARASSMENT GUIDELINES

SS. Peter & Paul School will not condone any form of harassment.

Definitions

Harassment includes but is not limited to:

• Verbal conduct such a s epithets, derogatory comments, slurs or unwanted sexual advances, invitations or comments;
• Visual conduct such as derogatory posters, photography, cartoons, drawings or gestures;
• Physical conduct such as assault, unwanted touching, blocking normal movement or interfering with a person because of sex, race, or any other protected basis;
• Threats and demands to submit to sexual requests in order to keep a job or avoid some other loss, and offers of job benefits in return for sexual favors; and /or
• Retaliation for having reported or threatened to report harassment.

Parents will be contacted if their child has been guilty of harassing others and appropriate disciplining actions will be taken.

PARENTS RIGHTS TO SEE EDUCATIONAL RECORDS
Recent state and federal legislation has guaranteed parents and students access to student educational record information and control over the release of this information to others. Since federal status require that the education institutions shall annually inform parents and eligible students of the rights accorded them, this announcement will serve as this year's notice to parents and students. SS. Peter & Paul School collects students data and maintains educational records on all students in order to comply with state regulations, facilitate the educational program and provide for parents communication. These records include identifying data (age, address), academic grade, attendance records, test results, psychological reports, student activities, and student's future plans. The safeguarding and proper maintenance of current records are the responsibility of the principal. At the close of each year, a designated school staff member shall review the records and remove outdated and inappropriate data and information.
A student's records may be seen or reviewed only with the written permission of the parent of the student (if 18 years of age or older) except under the circumstances cited below:

1. Administration and staff employees of the school district have access to school records in connection with their school, functions, and responsibilities.
2. Student records will be forwarded to other schools and post-secondary educational institutions to which a student transfers or applies for admission or in which he or she enrolls.
3. Students records will be forwarded to scholarship and financial aid sponsors to whom the students is making or has made application for aid.
4. Researchers, with permission of the principal, may examine school records and report information which does not identify individual students. All student records shall be reviewed and shared with the student (18 years of age or older) or parent, upon request, within a reasonable period of time. Parents who are interested in seeing their children's records should make an appointment with the school principal or appropriate school officials and, upon presenting proper identification, will be provided the opportunity to see the records and to receive interpretations and explanations of these records. Students 18 years of age or older who wish to see their records should follow the same procedure. If there is incorrect, inaccurate, or misleading information in a student's records, the parent of student has the right to challenge the content of the records and to request the principal to have the material corrected or removed. If the correction is not made, the student or parent may ask for a hearing and resolution on the matter before the pastor or his designated representative. The student and/or parents has the right to obtain copies of these records on payment of a fee not to exceed actual cost of reproduction. Federal and state statutes and regulations permit certain individuals and agencies not mentioned in earlier paragraphs to see educational records without parents or student permission. Accordingly, educational records may be shown:
5. To state and federal agencies as required by law or in connection with auditing of federal and state grant-in-aid programs.
6. To individuals in compliance with a court order or lawfully issued subpoena. The district shall attempt to notify the parent of such order or subpoena prior to release of the information.

DUE PROCESS POLICY
In Catholic education it is important that truly Christian standards be adopted and followed to promote fairness and justice in the timely resolution of conflicts and disputes. There must be an opportunity for issues to be understood by the parties involved, for provision that all sides be heard, and for procedures of adjudication and appeal which are agreed upon mutually between the parties.

PROCEDURE FOR RESOLVING COMPLAINTS AND GRIEVANCES

1. Complaints are defined as non-contractual problems or misunderstandings between individuals which ordinarily should be settles orally between the parties. Such complaints can arise between parent and teacher or administrator, between teacher and administrator, between administrator and board or pastor. The Christian objective is for the complaining parties to solve these problems on the informal level as soon as possible.
   a. If satisfactory resolution of a complaint is not affected within five (5) work days after the oral discussion, either of the complaining parties may appeal for a hearing by the local board or pastor. The appeal is delivered in writing through the administrator to the board, and the board hears the complaint in executive session with the parties and delivers its decision in open meeting. The decision of the board is final. If the complaint is brought by the board against the administrator, the board may establish another group as the board of appeal to render a judgment.
2. Grievances are defined as any alleged violations of the application, meaning, or interpretation of the terms of the educational contract and/or any established personnel policies at the local or diocesan level. Before entering a formal procedure, as outlined below, every effort should be made to resolve such disputes in free and open discussion between the parties involved on the local level. a. Grievances against teachers: When a grievance is being brought by the administrator and pastor against a teacher, written notice is given to the teacher and to the chairman of the local board of education. The board informs the teacher in writing about the right to written appeal within ten (10) work days and the procedures and timeline to be followed. The teacher's right to appeal is first to the administrator and pastor and then to the board, not to the students, parents, or other faculty members. If the teacher makes timely appeal to the board for a hearing, the board hears the grievance in open meeting. The decision of the board is final.
   

b. Grievances against administrators:

1. When the grievance is being brought by a teacher against the administrator, the procedures outlined in (a) above are followed, with the exception that the administrator's right to appeal is first to the pastor and then to the board.
2. In the event that a grievance is filed in writing by the Board of Education and pastor against it's administrator, the board informs the administrator of the right of written appeal with ten (10) work days and the timeline and procedures to be followed. The administrator's right to appeal is first to the pastor and then to the Board of Education for a hearing. If the appeal for hearing is timely, the Board of Education hears the grievance in executive session with the administrator. The Board of Education and the administrator may agree mutually to establish another group to act as the board of appeal, e.g. the parish council or the Diocesan Board of Education, if this will avoid a conflict of interest for them.

   SOME SPECIAL NOTES ON GRIEVANCES

   1. Failure to respond to a grievance within specified time limits, unless these are waived mutually by both parties, constitutes affirmation of the grievance and acceptance of consequent determination concerning contract.
   2. Parties to a dispute may be represented by counsel at a hearing conducted in executive session at the local or diocesan levels. They have specific rights to testify in person, to call witnesses on their own behalf, and to confront and cross-examine any opposing witnesses.
   3. The function of the board of appeal is not to re-open all the background that has prompted the filing of a grievance. Its primary role is to judge whether or not there is valid cause for the grievance and whether the decisions made or actions taken have been according to established policies and procedures.
   4. Specific cases:
      a. The decision to renew or not to renew a contract beyond the time stipulated in the contract does not constitute a grievable item, even though a board may choose to grant a hearing in such a case.                                                                                                             b. The decision to dismiss or terminate employment of a person during the contract period is grievable, and the board must grant the employee the right to timely appeal.

SOME SPECIAL NOTES ON CONCERNS BY PARENTS
It is important that parents are informed annually, e.g. at registration time through parent handbook materials, about proper procedures to follow if they have concerns about teachers and administrators or anything else involving their children in the educational program of the parish.
Christian standards dictate that complaints should be handled on the level(s) where they can be resolved. To circumvent the lines of communication is a negative influence in the Christian community.
Ordinarily the first contact should be with the "offending" party (e.g. teacher, administrator) to resolve the problem. If a satisfactory solution is not achieved, the parent should next seek help from the administrator. If that fails, the parent may ask for a closed hearing with the administrator and board.

Pesticide Notice For Parents/Guardians
A Minnesota state law went into effect in the year 2000 that requires schools to inform parents and guardians if they apply certain pesticides on school property.

Specifically, this law requires schools that apply these pesticides to maintain an estimated schedule of pesticide applications and to make the schedule available to parents and guardians for review or copying at each school office. Please contact the school office (597-2565) if you would like to receive more information on the pesticides applied at SS. Peter & Paul School or would like to receive the schedule for application.

State law also requires that you be told that the long-term health effects on children from the application of such pesticides or the class of chemicals to which they belong may not be fully understood.

If you would like to be notified prior to pesticide applications made on days other than those in the specified schedule (excluding emergency applications), please complete the form located on our School Forms Page and mail it to: Jacqueline L. Walz, principal, SS. Peter & Paul School, P.O. Box 189, Richmond, MN 56368

ASBESTOS NOTIFICATION
SS. PETER & PAUL SCHOOL
September 1, 2006

TO: Parents, Employees and Short-term Workers of SS. Peter & Paul School
FROM: Jacqueline L. Walz, Asbestos Program Manager

SUBJECT: Presence of Asbestos in this school building

Our school has been inspected for asbestos under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act of 1986 (AHERA). Some asbestos-containing building materials (ACBM) were found in the building. A management plan detailing the location and description of the asbestos-containing building materials (ACBM) has been submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), and is available for your inspection at SS. Peter & Paul School Office, 111 Central Ave. North, Richmond, MN.
The person designated as Asbestos Program Manager for our school is Jacqueline L. Walz, SS. Peter & Paul School, 597-2565.
Problem areas in this building, and the response actions planned by the school are summarized below.
SS. Peter & Paul School has asbestos in the soft ceiling plaster including classrooms, halls, Library, and Office area. At this point we will monitor these ceilings which have been encapsulated. Asbestos is also found in our gym/cafeteria ceiling. At this time we will monitor this area. During June, 1990, the ceiling above the stage was removed. We also have some asbestos in the pipe wrappings found in the boiler room and crawl space area. Because there is little exposure to this area, we will continue to monitor it.
Warning labels have been attached to ACBM only in routine maintenance areas such as the furnace room. Please heed these labels, and do not allow them to be removed or misplaced.
Asbestos-containing areas will be kept under surveillance for change or damage. If you notice any change or damage to areas identified as asbestos-containing, please notify the Asbestos Program Manager above at once. In addition to periodic surveillance (at least every 6 months), the school will be reinspected by a certified asbestos inspector every 3 years. Our most recent asbestos inspection was done July, 2004 and our next scheduled inspection will be during the summer of 2007.
Short-term workers, such as telephone workers or plumbers, as well as school employees who will be working in ACBM areas should be informed of any potential danger.