Posted 1.16.2015
What is Catholic Schools Week?
Catholic Schools Week is a national celebration of Catholic schools across the nation and s typically held the last week of January. Schools celebrate the Catholic Church's commitment to evangelization and faith formation through education. During Catholic Schools Week, the St. Francis Xavier School community enjoys a week of faith, family, and fun. An agenda of the week's activities are sent home prior to Catholic Schools Week. The week traditionally includes Mass, a volunteer appreciation breakfast, staff appreciation activities, a Home and School family fun night, and a parent luncheon on the last day of the week.
Posted 6.10.2018
How does the registration process work?
The registration packets will be placed in the church at the last weekend of July. The packets will contain all the information needed for the first day of school, including the calendar, supply list, and other paperwork.
Posted 8.20.18
What is Grandparents Day?
Each year we host a special day when grandparents can come to school and visit. We begin the day with Mass and then move over to the school for cookies and punch. Grandparents Day this year is Friday, September 7th. We hope all grandparents can join us for this fun celebration!
Posted 7.30.18
How does the bus system work? How much does it cost?
The students go to the gymnasium and line up for the bus they ride. We normally have buses serve our families. After the walkers and riders leave, the students are escorted outside by bus supervisors who wait with the students in their bus lines until all the students are loaded on the buses. Sometimes, one bus does not arrive at SFX School until around 3:20 because they have to drop off some students before coming to SFX. At the beginning of the year, there may be some changes as the bus company learns which routes need to be adjusted. Be patient~Durham Bus company gets it worked out for everyone’s safety! The cost is $55 monthly for one student and $75 for two or more students. Good news! If you use the automatic withdrawal, your monthly fee is reduced to $53 and $73 monthly per family.
How does After Care work? How much does it cost?
After Care is available for students in grades K-5 from 3:00 until 5:30 p.m. The monthly cost is $82 per child, but if you use the automatic withdrawal the monthly cost is only $82 per child. Drop ins are welcome at a cost of $6 per day. If you need to use After Care for a drop in situation, you can just call the school and ask to have your child sent to After Care for the afternoon. Students line up downstairs and go to After Care immediately upon dismissal. Students receive a snack and are actively supervised until pick up. On early dismissal days, students attend After Care from 12:40 until 5:30 p.m. Parents enter After Care through the doorway by the outside ramp on the lower lot. On days when the school is dismissed due to dangerous weather, parents should pick up children by 4 p.m.
How do we get signed up to use the bus service or After School Care?
In the registration packet, there is a form to sign up for these services. Please contact the school if you are planning to use the bus service to make sure the buses travel to your home. The bus company does its best to serve our families, but be sure to check with the school. Some of the buses you see traveling past your house might only be responsible for public school students and not be able to deliver or pick up our students.
How do we drop students off in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon?
In the morning, drivers pull on to the lower lot in a circular fashion and line up single file in front of the After Care entry door by the outside ramp. When the supervisor opens the door, the children exit the cars on the entry door side (students should never walk in front of or back of the vehicles). Students stay in the cars until they are able to safely exit by the door, and drivers stay in the line and exit in the same order they entered. If parents need to drop off items, they can park in the middle of the lot and bring the items into the school.
After school, drivers enter the lower lot and park parallel to the retaining wall and facing the parish office so they can exit straight out of the parking lot. Students are dismissed at 3:05 p.m. or when all cars are parked. Once the students are released, all drivers will stay parked until a supervisor sounds a horn, signaling all children are safely in cars. If drivers enter the lot after the students have been dismissed, drivers are to wait at the driveway entrance until the horn sounds and it is safe to drive on the lot.
Some parents prefer to pick up students in the church parking lot. Those students are escorted across the street at 3:10 p.m.
Walkers are dismissed at 3:10 p.m. with the church lot car riders.
Unless it is an emergency or for a scheduled appointment, students should not be picked up before the dismissal bell. Those last minutes are for packing bags, prayer, and end of the day routines. Picking up a child early disrupts the routines and procedures for the teacher and the rest of the class.
What if something happens and I can’t get there right at 3:05?
We ask parents to have students picked up by when the last bus leaves the lot, which is usually around 3:20 p.m. Any children who aren't picked up at that time are taken to After Care and the parents pay the drop in fee. Children will always be supervised until they are picked up.
Can we attend daily Mass with the students?
We are always excited when guests can join us for daily Mass. We celebrate Mass on Wednesdays and Fridays at 8:00 a.m. Students may seat with their guests or with their classmates, whichever is preferred. The adults usually sit in the back, but they are also welcome to come up and sit with the student’s class. Each class is assigned to plan the Masses, so during the year your child will be involved in the different ministries at Mass. Your teacher will send home the dates so you can plan to attend. The children go to the bathroom before they come over for Mass, so we encourage children to remain seated throughout the Mass and not develop the habit of leaving the pew during Mass.
What is the best way to contact the school during the school day?
The best way is to call the office or email the office at office@sfxtaos.com. The teachers usually check their email at the end of the day so if it is something that you need taken care of before the end of the day (changes in after school pickup, students in the office for appointments, sad feelings over the pet goldfish who died, etc) please contact the office and we will get the message to the teacher. Please do not text teachers since they put their phones away while they are working.
I noticed there was a Birthday Mass listed on the calendar. Can you explain?
We hold a Birthday Mass at 8:00 a.m. once a month to recognize people celebrating birthdays. Everyone who has a birthday during the month (we do mean everyone! We invite children, pre-school siblings, parents, parishioners, grandparents) to come forward after Communion to receive a blessing. Parents, grandparents, pre-school siblings, and parishioners are invited to join the birthday child for doughnuts and juice/coffee in the cafeteria following Mass. We hope you can join us!
Does the school have an email service to notify parents for emergency alerts?
We have a general email system we call Tiger Express for general information and messages for parents. To sign up for these email messages, just send a message requesting to be placed on the Tiger Express list to mbuskirk@sfxtaos.com. We also have an emergency alert system, funded by Legends Bank, to notify parents in the event of an emergency. Information may be sent through text messaging, emails, or by landline phones. To sign up for the emergency notification system, a form will be sent home at the beginning of school so we have the correct information.
How does the school let parents know about what events are happening at school?
Our school website is www.sfxtaos.com. It contains information regarding calendars, organizations, teacher wish lists, handbooks, and much more! Our school newsletter, Tiger Tales, comes home every Friday with the youngest child in the family. It can also be sent electronically if parents send a request to be placed on the Tiger Tales email list. The newsletter is also posted on the school website. We send information through email messages (Tiger Express) to keep parents in the loop of what’s happening at SFX School! We also have our outside message board with calendar events updated regularly!
What if my child doesn't feel well in the morning? What if they get sick at school?
Children can wake up feeling out of sorts. Take their temperature, have them eat something, and just let them know they will probably feel better once they are up and going. You know your child best, so if they appear unwell, please do not send them to school. If they are vomiting or have a temperature, however, the student must stay home from school until they are fever free for 24 hours. Avoid telling children you will pick them up if they don’t feel well because children will ask us to call five minutes after they arrive. A better solution is to listen to them and remind them of all the things they will miss during the day, including time with their friends. Then call or email the office and let us know the child was not feeling 100%. We can keep an eye on them, check in, and see if they appear to be feeling okay. We can let you know how their day is going via the phone or email.
If a child is vomiting or running a temperature, we automatically contact an adult to come pick them up. We contact parents first, then emergency contacts. Normally, if the child is not running a temperature, we let them lie down, eat crackers, drink water, etc. to give them time to recover. Often a brief nap will fix the problem. However, if the children continue to complain about not feeling well, we contact the parents to tell them the child is not feeling well and ask that the child be picked up.
How do you get clothing with the SFX logo on them?
Normally, we take orders in September or October. A parent volunteer handles this project for the school. The sweatshirts, jackets, shirts, etc. make great Christmas gifts, and we offer adult sizes, as well!
What is your “Uniform Exchange Room”?
We have a room at school filled with uniforms in all sizes for boys and girls, especially shorts and pants. You can take items at any time, and it can save a lot of money on clothes that are in great shape! Rather than selling the items, we just ask families to bring in their gently used items when they have clothes that have been outgrown. There’s a wide variety and new items come in regularly!
How do we financially support the school? How much are we supposed to give?
All parish families have the responsibility to offer some form of financial support to the Church, which in turn supports the mission of Catholic education. The cost of educating one child at St. Francis Xavier School is approximately $35 per day. Please take this into consideration when considering your parish financial support. We do not ask for a specific amount because your donation to the Church is your gift to God. God doesn't demand a fixed amount of money from us; he wants us to give freely and cheerfully.
How do we get involved at school?
At St. Francis Xavier School, we have many ways to get involved! A starting place is to fill out and return the Volunteer Sheet in the registration packet. Home and School meetings are a great way to meet other parents, hear what is happening in the school, and learn about volunteer opportunities. Volunteer possibilities include technology committee member, room parent, grant writer, Home and School officer, School Board member, career speaker, prayer partner, Mary and Elizabeth Mothers' Group member, field trip chaperone, playground committee member, physical plant volunteer (electrician, plumber, painter, welder, roofer, carpenter) fundraiser helper, cookie baker, athletic committee member, groundskeeper, can recycler, Box Tops/Campbells/Best Choice labels collector, team coach, Scrip sales helper, technology educator, health room volunteer ...the possibilities are endless! Everyone has something to offer!
Who can I contact if I have questions?
You can always contact the school, and we are happy to answer your questions! Our school phone number is 395-4612 and Mr. Buskirk’s phone number is (904)652-7733.
What is Catholic Schools Week?
Catholic Schools Week is a national celebration of Catholic schools across the nation and s typically held the last week of January. Schools celebrate the Catholic Church's commitment to evangelization and faith formation through education. During Catholic Schools Week, the St. Francis Xavier School community enjoys a week of faith, family, and fun. An agenda of the week's activities are sent home prior to Catholic Schools Week. The week traditionally includes Mass, a volunteer appreciation breakfast, staff appreciation activities, a Home and School family fun night, and a parent luncheon on the last day of the week.
Posted 6.10.2018
How does the registration process work?
The registration packets will be placed in the church at the last weekend of July. The packets will contain all the information needed for the first day of school, including the calendar, supply list, and other paperwork.
Posted 8.20.18
What is Grandparents Day?
Each year we host a special day when grandparents can come to school and visit. We begin the day with Mass and then move over to the school for cookies and punch. Grandparents Day this year is Friday, September 7th. We hope all grandparents can join us for this fun celebration!
Posted 7.30.18
How does the bus system work? How much does it cost?
The students go to the gymnasium and line up for the bus they ride. We normally have buses serve our families. After the walkers and riders leave, the students are escorted outside by bus supervisors who wait with the students in their bus lines until all the students are loaded on the buses. Sometimes, one bus does not arrive at SFX School until around 3:20 because they have to drop off some students before coming to SFX. At the beginning of the year, there may be some changes as the bus company learns which routes need to be adjusted. Be patient~Durham Bus company gets it worked out for everyone’s safety! The cost is $55 monthly for one student and $75 for two or more students. Good news! If you use the automatic withdrawal, your monthly fee is reduced to $53 and $73 monthly per family.
How does After Care work? How much does it cost?
After Care is available for students in grades K-5 from 3:00 until 5:30 p.m. The monthly cost is $82 per child, but if you use the automatic withdrawal the monthly cost is only $82 per child. Drop ins are welcome at a cost of $6 per day. If you need to use After Care for a drop in situation, you can just call the school and ask to have your child sent to After Care for the afternoon. Students line up downstairs and go to After Care immediately upon dismissal. Students receive a snack and are actively supervised until pick up. On early dismissal days, students attend After Care from 12:40 until 5:30 p.m. Parents enter After Care through the doorway by the outside ramp on the lower lot. On days when the school is dismissed due to dangerous weather, parents should pick up children by 4 p.m.
How do we get signed up to use the bus service or After School Care?
In the registration packet, there is a form to sign up for these services. Please contact the school if you are planning to use the bus service to make sure the buses travel to your home. The bus company does its best to serve our families, but be sure to check with the school. Some of the buses you see traveling past your house might only be responsible for public school students and not be able to deliver or pick up our students.
How do we drop students off in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon?
In the morning, drivers pull on to the lower lot in a circular fashion and line up single file in front of the After Care entry door by the outside ramp. When the supervisor opens the door, the children exit the cars on the entry door side (students should never walk in front of or back of the vehicles). Students stay in the cars until they are able to safely exit by the door, and drivers stay in the line and exit in the same order they entered. If parents need to drop off items, they can park in the middle of the lot and bring the items into the school.
After school, drivers enter the lower lot and park parallel to the retaining wall and facing the parish office so they can exit straight out of the parking lot. Students are dismissed at 3:05 p.m. or when all cars are parked. Once the students are released, all drivers will stay parked until a supervisor sounds a horn, signaling all children are safely in cars. If drivers enter the lot after the students have been dismissed, drivers are to wait at the driveway entrance until the horn sounds and it is safe to drive on the lot.
Some parents prefer to pick up students in the church parking lot. Those students are escorted across the street at 3:10 p.m.
Walkers are dismissed at 3:10 p.m. with the church lot car riders.
Unless it is an emergency or for a scheduled appointment, students should not be picked up before the dismissal bell. Those last minutes are for packing bags, prayer, and end of the day routines. Picking up a child early disrupts the routines and procedures for the teacher and the rest of the class.
What if something happens and I can’t get there right at 3:05?
We ask parents to have students picked up by when the last bus leaves the lot, which is usually around 3:20 p.m. Any children who aren't picked up at that time are taken to After Care and the parents pay the drop in fee. Children will always be supervised until they are picked up.
Can we attend daily Mass with the students?
We are always excited when guests can join us for daily Mass. We celebrate Mass on Wednesdays and Fridays at 8:00 a.m. Students may seat with their guests or with their classmates, whichever is preferred. The adults usually sit in the back, but they are also welcome to come up and sit with the student’s class. Each class is assigned to plan the Masses, so during the year your child will be involved in the different ministries at Mass. Your teacher will send home the dates so you can plan to attend. The children go to the bathroom before they come over for Mass, so we encourage children to remain seated throughout the Mass and not develop the habit of leaving the pew during Mass.
What is the best way to contact the school during the school day?
The best way is to call the office or email the office at office@sfxtaos.com. The teachers usually check their email at the end of the day so if it is something that you need taken care of before the end of the day (changes in after school pickup, students in the office for appointments, sad feelings over the pet goldfish who died, etc) please contact the office and we will get the message to the teacher. Please do not text teachers since they put their phones away while they are working.
I noticed there was a Birthday Mass listed on the calendar. Can you explain?
We hold a Birthday Mass at 8:00 a.m. once a month to recognize people celebrating birthdays. Everyone who has a birthday during the month (we do mean everyone! We invite children, pre-school siblings, parents, parishioners, grandparents) to come forward after Communion to receive a blessing. Parents, grandparents, pre-school siblings, and parishioners are invited to join the birthday child for doughnuts and juice/coffee in the cafeteria following Mass. We hope you can join us!
Does the school have an email service to notify parents for emergency alerts?
We have a general email system we call Tiger Express for general information and messages for parents. To sign up for these email messages, just send a message requesting to be placed on the Tiger Express list to mbuskirk@sfxtaos.com. We also have an emergency alert system, funded by Legends Bank, to notify parents in the event of an emergency. Information may be sent through text messaging, emails, or by landline phones. To sign up for the emergency notification system, a form will be sent home at the beginning of school so we have the correct information.
How does the school let parents know about what events are happening at school?
Our school website is www.sfxtaos.com. It contains information regarding calendars, organizations, teacher wish lists, handbooks, and much more! Our school newsletter, Tiger Tales, comes home every Friday with the youngest child in the family. It can also be sent electronically if parents send a request to be placed on the Tiger Tales email list. The newsletter is also posted on the school website. We send information through email messages (Tiger Express) to keep parents in the loop of what’s happening at SFX School! We also have our outside message board with calendar events updated regularly!
What if my child doesn't feel well in the morning? What if they get sick at school?
Children can wake up feeling out of sorts. Take their temperature, have them eat something, and just let them know they will probably feel better once they are up and going. You know your child best, so if they appear unwell, please do not send them to school. If they are vomiting or have a temperature, however, the student must stay home from school until they are fever free for 24 hours. Avoid telling children you will pick them up if they don’t feel well because children will ask us to call five minutes after they arrive. A better solution is to listen to them and remind them of all the things they will miss during the day, including time with their friends. Then call or email the office and let us know the child was not feeling 100%. We can keep an eye on them, check in, and see if they appear to be feeling okay. We can let you know how their day is going via the phone or email.
If a child is vomiting or running a temperature, we automatically contact an adult to come pick them up. We contact parents first, then emergency contacts. Normally, if the child is not running a temperature, we let them lie down, eat crackers, drink water, etc. to give them time to recover. Often a brief nap will fix the problem. However, if the children continue to complain about not feeling well, we contact the parents to tell them the child is not feeling well and ask that the child be picked up.
How do you get clothing with the SFX logo on them?
Normally, we take orders in September or October. A parent volunteer handles this project for the school. The sweatshirts, jackets, shirts, etc. make great Christmas gifts, and we offer adult sizes, as well!
What is your “Uniform Exchange Room”?
We have a room at school filled with uniforms in all sizes for boys and girls, especially shorts and pants. You can take items at any time, and it can save a lot of money on clothes that are in great shape! Rather than selling the items, we just ask families to bring in their gently used items when they have clothes that have been outgrown. There’s a wide variety and new items come in regularly!
How do we financially support the school? How much are we supposed to give?
All parish families have the responsibility to offer some form of financial support to the Church, which in turn supports the mission of Catholic education. The cost of educating one child at St. Francis Xavier School is approximately $35 per day. Please take this into consideration when considering your parish financial support. We do not ask for a specific amount because your donation to the Church is your gift to God. God doesn't demand a fixed amount of money from us; he wants us to give freely and cheerfully.
How do we get involved at school?
At St. Francis Xavier School, we have many ways to get involved! A starting place is to fill out and return the Volunteer Sheet in the registration packet. Home and School meetings are a great way to meet other parents, hear what is happening in the school, and learn about volunteer opportunities. Volunteer possibilities include technology committee member, room parent, grant writer, Home and School officer, School Board member, career speaker, prayer partner, Mary and Elizabeth Mothers' Group member, field trip chaperone, playground committee member, physical plant volunteer (electrician, plumber, painter, welder, roofer, carpenter) fundraiser helper, cookie baker, athletic committee member, groundskeeper, can recycler, Box Tops/Campbells/Best Choice labels collector, team coach, Scrip sales helper, technology educator, health room volunteer ...the possibilities are endless! Everyone has something to offer!
Who can I contact if I have questions?
You can always contact the school, and we are happy to answer your questions! Our school phone number is 395-4612 and Mr. Buskirk’s phone number is (904)652-7733.
