Des Moines Diocese Standards

Admission Criteria

It shall be the policy of the St. Francis of Assisi Board of Education that priority for enrollment at St. Francis of Assisi School will be given to children of registered, tithing, active St. Francis parish members and children of contracted parish staff members.  In the event that requests exceed the number of open seats available, the following priorities will be applied:
 

A.  Parishioners:

1)  Present K-8 enrollees^[1] whose families have fulfilled their tuition and 
     tithing obligation.

2)  Siblings of present K-8 enrollees.

3)  St. Francis siblings of graduates of Sacred Heart School or graduates of
     other Catholic schools, due to space limitations at Sacred Heart.

4) Oldest child eligible for kindergarten, and children who are not the oldest in
    the family, provided their older siblings maintained registration for St.
    Francis but did not attend because of space limitations at St. Francis, or
    provided their older sibling has special needs that could not be addressed
    by St. Francis of Assisi School.

5)  Students from newly registered families with an immediate history of
     Catholic elementary education.

6)  Children from families of St. Francis religious education.

Within each subcategory of A. above, additional consideration will be given for longevity in the parish.

B.  Non-Parishioners:

1)  Sacred Heart Parish members.

2)  Children from a parish without a Catholic grade school.

3)  Others.

Policy Adopted:            October 14, 1999

Policy Revised:            September 12, 2002
 

---

^[1] “Present K-8 enrollees” include those St. Francis families with students enrolled at Sacred Heart School and at other Catholic schools due to space limitations at St. Francis.

Mission Statement
The mission of the Catholic schools of the Diocese of Des Moines is to provide meaningful educational experiences for children/adolescents in an environment integrated by Gospel values which nurture faith, community, prayer and service.
        Therefore, we believe that

• Catholic schools exist to teach the traditions and doctrines of the Catholic church and to live the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.

• parents are the primary educators and that Catholic schools are partners with parents in the education of their children/adolescents.

• each child/adolescent in a Catholic school, regardless of race, cultural heritage, or sex, will grow in self-esteem through the development of her/his talents, skills and interests.

• Catholic schools will provide a warm, caring environment where children/adolescents will be challenged to learn the essential curriculum regardless of learning rate or style.

• all children/adolescents in Catholic schools will learn the value of human dignity and the concepts of peace and justice to enable them to be participants in a global society.

 

Building Goals

Student Achievement Goals
 1.  Reading-4th grade students at St. Francis School will show an
      average of at least 1.0 year's growth in Reading as measured
      by National Grade Equivalency on the ITBS Reading Assessment.

  2.  Math -4th grade students at St. Francis School will show an
       average of at least 1.0 year's growth in Math as measured
       by National Grade Equivalency on the ITBS Math Assessment.

  3.  Science-4th grade students at St. Francis School will show an
       average of at least 1.0 year's growth in Science as measured
       by National Grade Equivalency on the ITBS Science Assessment.

Social Goals

1. The St. Francis School faculty and staff will pilot a faith-based character education program.

2.  St. Francis School Dress Code will be effectively enforced by staff and closely followed by students.

3.  Homework completion will be monitored by St. Francis School faculty. Students in grades three through five will take responsibility for homework completion.

Professional Development Goals

1. Kindergarten through 2nd grades will refine the use of running records in reading instruction.

2. 3rd through 5th grades will refine reading instruction, particularly in comprehension and instructional format, throughout the now completed grade band.

3. Quarterly meetings will be held for content, skills, and assessment articulation.  Curriculum maps will be used.

4.  The Math Literacy Team (MLT) will share six training sessions with the faculty in relationship to the Math Standards and Benchmarks.

5.  Teachers will meet twice during professional development time to further implement and refine 6 Trait Writing curriculum.

Essential Academic Learnings
Our Students will:

• accept church, civic and personal responsibility

• anticipate and constructively react to change

• communicate ideas and feelings effectively in various ways

• demonstrate global awareness, cross cultural understand, and social justice principals

• demonstrate personal wellness practices

• cultivate and understanding of and appreciation for the arts

Medical Immunization Information
Please note the following health requirements for students entering St. Francis School the first time and for those students entering grades K, 1, 4, 7

HEALTH

A school nurse, hired by the Diocesan Schools Office, is available to St. Francis School three one-half days per week. Certificates of immunization are required of every new student before entrance into school.  Students are expected to have a physical examination before entrance into kindergarten, grade 4 and grade 7.  Examination forms are available from the school office.  The nurse maintains individual pupil health records as required by the State of Iowa.  Vision screening is done for grades K, 4, and 7 each year, and for students where concern is identified. An audiologist from Heartland AEA conducts hearing screenings for grades kindergarten through Fifth annually.  2006-2007 Nurse Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday PM, Thursday,  Friday AM.

Grades K and 4th are required to have a Des Moines Catholic School Immunization Report on file at Saint Francis. Click here to access the Medical Immunization form directly or access the form from the Registration page.

Please access the following physical form from the Athletics page to be eligible to participate in Saint Francis school athletics.

Home • Activities • Grade Level/RA News • Parents • School Calendar • Links