School Policies

The purpose of a uniform is to encourage pride in personal appearance and in the school and to eliminate peer pressure and self-consciousness. For students’ safety, backpacks, coats, sweaters, sweatshirts, jackets, hats, scarves, or any other type of clothing which depicts professional or collegiate athletic teams’ logos and/or cartoon characters are not permitted on campus. The aforementioned items must be plain in detail and a solid color. The only acceptable logo or large print is Our Lady of Mount Carmel and/or OLMC. Students’ clothing is to be clean, neat and sized appropriately at all times. Students are expected to come to school well groomed and properly dressed. If a student is not in complete uniform, he/she might not be admitted to class. The parent/guardian will be called, and the student will wait in the office until the parent/guardian can bring the required uniform.

Backpacks/lunch bags:
Students in the Kindergarten program are to use the navy blue canvas school bag with OLMC shield.

Students in grades 1 – 8 will need a backpack or backpack on wheels. ALL BACKPACKS FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 1 THROUGH 8 SHOULD BE A SOLID or TWO-TONE COLOR. No logos, prints, designs, patches, hanging items, professional or collegiate athletic teams’ logos, cartoon characters, etc. or any other items that display with words, pictures or caricatures that imply support or rejection of a specific gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, political stance, social movement, sexual orientation or disability.

PLEASE LABEL ALL BELONGINGS. OUR LADY OF Mount Carmel PARISH SCHOOL IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LOST UNIFORMS OR OTHER ITEMS.

Hair:
A student’s hair should be in a conservative style, be well groomed, and kept simple. Boy’s hair is to be neatly trimmed and above the collar. Estimated length of hair should not exceed two inches. Fad, extreme, Mohawk, or ponytail hairstyles are not acceptable. Hair is to be the natural hairline color. Punk, razor designs, and hair dyes are not acceptable. Girls should wear barrettes, ponytail holders or an OLMC hairband with the hair pulled away from the face.

Fragrances & Topical Substances Sensitivities Policy:
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish School has students that are, at times, severely affected by fragrances and topical substances, including but not limited to: lotions, creams, body sprays, oils, and essential oils. Because chemically sensitive individuals may react to different products with widely varying degrees of severity, it is necessary to ensure that a consistently safe, comfortable and accommodating learning environment exists and is maintained at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School.

These products can cause some people, especially those with chronic illnesses, to suffer additional symptoms and side effects. Symptoms may include asthma, allergies, sinus problems, skin irritation, discomfort, nausea, headaches, and upper respiratory symptoms. In order to ensure that students who have chemical and fragrance sensitivities do not suffer discomfort or negative reactions in school, faculty and staff are prohibited from providing any lotions, creams, body sprays, oils, and essential oils or other sources of scented products to students. Our Lady of Mount Carmel School prohibits students from applying perfumes, colognes, body sprays, scented hand sanitizers, and scented creams in the classroom and other areas of the school.

Shoes:
Soft soled dress shoes are required. Boys are to wear all black soft-soled dress shoes. Ankle boots are not permitted. Girls are to wear all black soft soled, flat dress shoes not higher than 1 inch. High-topped athletic shoes and platform shoes are not permitted.

Make-up:
Girls are not to wear any make-up. This includes nail polish, French manicures, fake and/or acrylic nails, and lip-gloss. Clear nail polish is acceptable. Teachers and staff will remind students to remove nail polish only twice. On the third reminder, a parent/guardian will be called to the school to remove nail polish.

Jewelry and Accessories: All jewelry and accessories should be appropriate for school. Choker type necklaces are not permitted. Girls may wear up to two earrings on each ear, but these must be small and simple. Hoop or dangling earrings are not permitted. Boys are not permitted to wear earrings. Sunglasses, hats, and baseball caps are not to be worn in school. Tattoos are not permitted. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish School is not responsible for any lost jewelry.

Electronic Devices:
iPods, cameras, recording devices, CD players or any other type of electronic device, handheld games, toys, etc. are not permitted on campus. Any type of electronic device will be confiscated from any student who uses said device on school property. It will be the responsibility of the parent/guardian to stop by the principal’s office at the end of the day to pick up the device.

Pencil Pouches:
Students in grades kindergarten through 8th are required to purchase an official Our Lady of Mount Carmel Pencil pouch. Pouches may be purchased in the school office.

Playground Balls:
Any type of hard football, baseball, soccer ball, etc. are not permitted on campus unless previously approved by principal.

Mask Policy:
Students at school may not wear masks, clothing, or carry bags or any other items that display with words, pictures or caricatures that imply support or rejection of a specific gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, political stance, social movement, sexual orientation or disability.

Other:
Candy, gum chewing, and soda pop are not permitted during school hours

Parents/guardians are required to follow the uniform guidelines as set forth by Our Lady of Mount Carmel School. The Early Childhood uniform is sold directly through the school. Kindergarten through 8th-grade students may purchase some of their uniforms at SchoolBelles. Some of the uniform items are available for purchase at school. Warm weather uniform begins 24 in August. Cold weather uniform wear begins with the 2nd quarter in October. Please check your son/daughter before he/she leaves for school.

SchoolBelles School code: S0071

Warm Weather Uniforms (Aug, Sept, June)

Early Childhood:

Navy blue polo shirt with OLMC logo  
Khaki shorts with OLMC logo
White plain tennis shoes (no lights or characters)
White cotton crew socks for boys/navy blue knee socks for girls

Girl (K-3):

Uniform jumper
Light yellow blouse with Peter Pan collar
Uniform tie
Navy blue knee-high socks

Girls 4-8:

Option 1:
Uniform split skirt
Side pleat skort
Walking shorts or slacks
Light yellow blouse with Peter Pan collar
Uniform tie
Navy blue sweater vest with OLMC monogram
Navy blue knee-high socks

Option 2:
Uniform split skirt
Side pleat skort
Walking shorts or slacks
Yellow polo shirt with OLMC monogram
Navy blue knee-high socks

Boys K-3:

Option 1:
Fitted, dark khaki-colored dress pants or walking shorts from SchoolBelles with a brown or black belt
Tucked-in, white, short-sleeved polo shirt
Navy blue sweater vest with OLMC monogram
White crew socks

Option 2:
Fitted, dark khaki-colored dress pants or walking shorts from SchoolBelles with a brown or black belt
Yellow polo shirt with OLMC monogram
White crew socks

Boys 4-8:

Option 1:
Fitted, dark khaki-colored dress pants or walking shorts from SchoolBelles with a brown or black belt
Tucked-in, white, short-sleeved, button-down dress shirt
Uniform tie
Navy blue sweater vest with OLMC monogram
White crew socks

Option 2:
Fitted, dark khaki-colored dress pants or walking shorts from SchoolBelles with a brown or black belt
Tucked-in, yellow polo shirt with OLMC monogram
White crew socks

Cold Weather Uniforms (OCt - May)

Early Childhood

Navy blue sweatshirt with OLMC logo (with Our Lady of Mount Carmel Navy Blue Polo shirt beneath)
Navy blue sweat pants with OLMC logo
White plain tennis shoes (no lights or characters)
White cotton crew socks for boys/navy blue knee socks for girls Navy blue sweater, windbreaker, or jacket

Girl (K-3)

Option 1:
Uniform jumper
Light yellow blouse with Peter Pan collar
Uniform tie
Sweatshirt with OLMC logo or navy blue cardigan sweater
Navy blue knee-high socks or navy blue tights

Option 2:
Uniform slacks
Light yellow blouse with Peter Pan collar
Uniform tie
Navy blue sweater vest with OLMC monogram
Navy blue knee-high socks

Students have the option of wearing an OLMC logo sweatshirt or navy blue cardigan sweater with a navy blue sweater vest with an OLMC monogram.

Girls 4-8

Uniform split skirt
Side pleat skort
Walking shorts or slacks
Light yellow blouse with Peter Pan collar
Uniform tie
Navy blue sweater vest with OLMC monogram
Navy blue knee-high socks or navy blue tights

Girls have the option of wearing the OLMC sweatshirt or navy blue cardigan sweater however, the navy blue sweater vest with OLMC monogram must be worn with the OLMC sweatshirt or navy blue cardigan sweater.

Girls Shoes: Black soft-soled, flat dress shoes no higher than 1 inch. Platform or black tennis shoes are not permitted.

Girls Uniforms Must Be Mid-Knee Height

Boys K-3:

Fitted, dark khaki-colored dress pants from SchoolBelles with a brown or black belt 
Tucked in, white short-sleeved polo shirt
Navy blue sweater vest with OLMC monogram
White crew socks

Students have the option of wearing an OLMC logo sweatshirt or navy blue cardigan sweater with a navy blue sweater vest.

Boys 4-8:

Fitted, dark khaki-colored dress pants from SchoolBelles with a brown or black belt
Tucked-in, white, short-sleeved, button-down shirt with uniform tie 
Navy blue sweater vest with OLMC monogram
White crew socks

Boys have the option of wearing the OLMC sweatshirt or navy blue cardigan sweater however, the navy blue sweater vest with OLMC monogram must be worn with the sweatshirt or navy blue cardigan sweater.

Boys Shoes: Black dress shoes. NO BOOTS.

Jackets: Plain in detail Navy blue color (including North Face and any other brand)

Coats: Plain in detail Solid Color – No words, logos, or designs larger than 1.5 by 2 inches. No prints, designs, patches, professional or collegiate athletic teams’ logos, cartoon characters

All students should dress appropriately for outdoor recess and cold weather. This includes a warm coat, gloves, hat, scarf, and boots. Students should wear boots on snowy days and then change into their school shoes to wear in the classroom. Any child, who is not properly dressed for colder weather, will spend recess in another classroom. If it is too cold for any student to go outside because of illness, he/she should stay home.

Discipline underlies the whole educational structure and is an important goal of OLMC. It is the training that develops self-control, a Christian character, orderliness, and efficiency. It is the key to moral development, good conduct, consideration, and respect for other people. Parents/guardians must accept the responsibility for helping their children develop self-control. Parents/guardians will be notified of any inappropriate behavior and asked to come to the school for a conference with the teacher and Principal.

Rough play, pushing, swinging book bags, throwing snowballs, and other potentially dangerous activities are never permitted while waiting to come into the building, at recess time, dismissal time or anywhere on school/parish property. Ball playing is not permitted before school or at dismissal because of the number of students and cars present at these times.

Students will abide by the policies and provisions of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel School Home and School-Family Handbook, Discipline Policy and Code of Conduct while at any sporting event, after school activity, field trip, etc.

Elementary and Junior High
The Principal may take the following disciplinary actions or her delegate as deemed appropriate, but not limited to:

• Student conference.
• Student will be sent home for the day
• Parent conference.
• Implementation of Behavior Contract.
• Isolation.
• Reassignment to another class on the same campus.
• Loss of morning and/or lunch recess privileges.
• Detention.
• Removal from extracurricular activities.
• Suspension (not to exceed five days per semester).
• Expulsion.

In all cases, discipline will be meaningful to the student, relevant to the nature of the infraction, and respectful to the dignity of the child.

Notices to Parents
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish School will notify parents by forms in addition to telephoning or conferences, of any disciplinary or academic difficulty a student is experiencing. The following forms are used: Disciplinary Referrals, Deficiency Reports, Conduct Referrals, Uniform Notice, Detention Notice, etc.

It is the student’s responsibility to bring the form home and return it the next school day with a parent’s signature. If a form is not signed or returned, students will contact their parents to bring in any missing forms or to come to the school office and sign forms. Students may be sent to another classroom for the day if forms are repeatedly unsigned or not returned to
school. 

During inclement weather, parents should listen to the radio or watch local television stations for school closing announcements. Our Lady of Mount Carmel School will be closed if you view any of the following on television:

• Our Lady of Mount Carmel – West (Cuyahoga)

• Cleveland Metropolitan School District

In case of an emergency closing of the school (e.g. water or gas leaks), the staff will contact the parents by telephone. NOTE: Please do not call the convent, rectory, or faculty/staff at home about school closings.

Parents are not permitted to drop off homework, gym shoes, books, or other items forgotten at home unless requested by the Principal. The office will only accept prescription medicine and house keys. PLEASE NOTE: Parents are not permitted to drop off lunches to school. Any child who forgets a homemade lunch will be provided a school lunch and the parent will be billed accordingly.

Because of the different health issues and allergies developed in our students, no food or drink is permitted to be sent to school to celebrate a child’s birthday.

Parents should instruct their child before he/she leaves for school in the morning as to what his/her program will be for the day. Parents are asked not to call the school to relay a message to them except in case of an emergency and no later than 1:15 p.m. Students are not permitted to use the office telephone or cell phone to ask for books, homework, shoes, permission, etc.

Cell Phone Policy:
The use of cell phones during school hours is not tolerated. We understand that students are given the use of cell phones for safety and to contact parents/guardians in case of an emergency when they are attending after school activities. Cell phones will be confiscated from any student who uses a cell phone between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on school property. Text messaging is prohibited during school hours. Our Lady of Mount Carmel School will not be responsible for any misplaced or lost cell phones brought to school by students. It will be the responsibility of the parent/guardian to stop by the principal’s office at the end of the day to pick up the cell.

The concern over child sexual abuse is a serious matter. Part of the Cleveland Diocesan plan to prevent child abuse is a program called Virtus. This program teaches people how to recognize child sexual abusers. The Virtus, Protecting God’s Children program consists of many components. The education component helps prevent child sexual abuse by first making every employee and volunteer aware of the issues surrounding child sexual abuse. This awareness session also helps adults to recognize the warning signs of abuse and shows them the appropriate way to respond to suspicious behavior. The awareness session empowers each person with five steps to help prevent child sexual abuse.

Every person wishing to work with children or young people as employees, coaches, or volunteers must fill out a volunteer application, attend this seminar, and undergo fingerprinting, background, and reference checks. There is a small fee for fingerprinting. The fingerprinting and background check is designed to further assist our students in a safe and Christian atmosphere.

This requirement is a great opportunity for all parents to be more aware of how to protect your child regardless of age and also to know that at any school event your child is safe and protected not just by their function supervisor but also by other parents who are aware of suspicious behavior. Virtus sessions are scheduled periodically throughout the school year.

Volunteer parents (for any event especially field trips and classroom/school events) can not bring with them younger children. When younger siblings are involved the students are distracted, and parents have to take care of their own child. All volunteer parents that will be coming to school to help at any given event are to be approved by the principal before they proceed with the event.

We welcome visitors. However, we do ask that you come by the office and sign in. The main office is located on West 70th Street. We will give you a visitor’s badge that we expect you to wear to go into the classroom. Before you leave, please come back by the office to sign out and return the badge. We are working very hard to provide a safe environment for your child. We need your cooperation. We do reserve the right to screen visitors.

If a parent/guardian/visitor addresses any staff member with inappropriate language or behavior, he/she will be asked to leave the school building and cannot re-enter until an agreement has been made with the Principal. Until such agreement has been reached, that individual is an unauthorized visitor, and by virtue of the posted signs is considered trespassing if he/she refuses to leave or re-enters the building. Our Lady of Mount Carmel believes in student confidentiality, therefore, parents/guardians are not permitted to sit in the classroom to observe the class.

If a problem arises with your child, attempt to resolve it with the classroom teacher first before requesting an appointment with the Principal. Please send a note with your child to set up an appointment with the teacher or call the school office. Do not call the convent or the rectory. If you were not satisfied with your meeting with the teacher then make an appointment to talk to the Principal. Making an appointment gives the teacher and principal time to prepare and in the end, will be advantageous to your child.

View our wellness policy here