Policies

Comprehensive Attendance Policy

The maintenance of attendance records for each student is mandated by the New York State Education Department.

It is essential that parents email or telephone the appropriate division attendance line when their child is absent for a full day or for any part of a school day and do so again for each day that their child is absent. Attendance phone extensions can be found on the back inside cover of the art calendar.

Saint Ann’s follows New York state guidelines that 90% attendance is required to proceed to the next grade level. Barring exceptional circumstances, Saint Ann’s does not offer the opportunity to repeat a grade level. When excessive absences jeopardize a student’s ability to complete coursework required to advance to the next grade or to graduate from Saint Ann’s, the student may be required to withdraw from the school.

Our detailed Comprehensive Attendance Policy is located in the Head of School’s office and is available for your perusal upon request.

Inclement Weather School Closure Policy

  • If the NYC Public Schools are open, Saint Ann’s School will also be open.
  • If the NYC Public Schools are closed, then Saint Ann’s School will also be closed.
  • However, if school is already in session and the public schools close early, Saint Ann’s will NOT necessarily close early as well. Please check the school’s website for further information.
  • NYC Public School closing information is available via most radio stations, via the New York City website nyc.gov or by calling 311.

Immunization Policy

In accordance with New York State Public Health Law, all students must be immunized. Proof of vaccination or immunity from the following is required for all students: measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), tetanus, diptheria and pertussis (TDAP), varicella (chicken pox) and Hepatitis B. All 12th graders need proof of two meningococcal immunizations prior to the first day of school. Additionally all preschool students need proof of vaccination or immunity from the following: Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), pneumococcal conjugate (PCV), and influenza. 

The School will not offer any exemptions to this policy, except in the case of a New York State licensed physician certifying that such immunization may be detrimental to the student’s health. Such certifications must be submitted to the Head of School. If you are seeking a medical exemption, you must provide a letter from a New York State licensed physician certifying that one or more of the required immunizations are detrimental to your child’s health. The letter should specify which immunizations may be harmful to your child and for how long the immunization(s) would be detrimental.

International Trips Policy

International trips are an exciting opportunity for students to explore other cultures beyond the lens of the classroom experience. In high school, there are numerous chances to take part in such trips, and the school strives to ensure that the distribution of these opportunities is an equitable one. Therefore, the following policy applies to students in grades nine through twelve:

The school will grant need-based financial aid to qualified students for one international trip during their four years of high school so that no one will be excluded from these experiences due to financial need. 

All high school students may take part in a maximum of two international trips during their four years of high school.

Accident Insurance Policy

Saint Ann’s has a student accident insurance policy designed to cover all full-time students’ expenses in excess of any policy that their parents might already hold. Claim forms are available from the school nurses. Saint Ann’s disclaims liability for accidents that happen as a result of the normal risk which children incur.

Children’s Online Privacy Protection Policy

Saint Ann’s School uses several computer software applications and web-based services, operated not by the School, but by third party service providers such as Google (Google Apps for Education) and other companies that provide services to schools. A complete list of the programs used by the School and links to their respective privacy policies can be obtained upon request. In order for our students to use these programs and services, some identifying information (generally limited to student’s name and Saint Ann’s email address and/or username) must be provided to the web site operator. Under the Federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, the School is permitted, under certain circumstances, to consent to the collection of personal information on behalf of all of its students, thereby eliminating the normal COPPA requirement for these websites and service providers to provide individual parental notification and obtain parental consent concerning individual children before collecting personal information from children under the age of thirteen.

Your acceptance of the Saint Ann’s School enrollment contract constitutes consent for the School to act as your agent in providing the requisite consent under COPPA to the collection of certain identifying information for your child (as stated in the referenced privacy policies and described generally above) to the sites and services that the School uses as part of its academic program, to which the School may add during the upcoming academic year.

Non-Discriminatory Policy

Saint Ann’s School admits students of any race, color, religion, creed, gender, disability, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation or any other category protected by applicable federal, state or local law, to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, gender (which includes a person’s actual or perceived sex, as well as gender identity and expression), age, marital status, disability, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, familial status, predisposing genetic characteristics, actual or perceived domestic violence victim status, unemployment status, caregiver status or any other category protected by applicable federal, state or local law, in carrying on its educational activities or in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, employment policies, financial aid programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.

Building Entry Security Policy

Saint Ann’s School maintains a balance between a welcoming community and a safe community.  All students, faculty and administrators value their freedom to seamlessly move from one building to another at any time.  In addition to the creation of a friendly and open environment around the School, we take our security procedures seriously.  Below are the procedures we have in place to ensure a welcoming and safe environment:

  • Faculty, students and administrators can enter buildings without showing an ID.  However, students in grades 4-12 are required to sign in when they enter the building for the first time each  morning. Morning sign-in is necessary to maintaining accurate attendance records.
  • Parents or caregivers may enter the Bosworth Building (129 Pierrepont), the Lower School (153 Pierrepont), Henry Street Kindergarten (124 Henry) or the Preschool (26 Willow Place) during drop-off (8:00am-9:00am) and during pickup (2:45pm – 6:00pm).  
  • Parents visiting any of our other buildings should announce themselves, sign in at the front desk, and wait to be granted permission to enter.
  • All parents who have appointments or who need to deliver items to division offices should sign in at the front desk so that they can be announced to the appropriate office.  Parents should wait at the front desk until permission is granted to enter the building even during drop-off and pick-up times.  
  • Parents entering buildings for specific events will be directed to the appropriate venue.
  • Parents and caregivers waiting to pick up children at the end of the day should wait on the sidewalk or in areas designated inside the building by security on any given day.
  • Alumni visitors are most welcome at Saint Ann’s. Alumni should identify as an alumnus/na so that the security guard on duty can contact the director of alumni relations to arrange for an escort.  Recent alumni (those visiting during college breaks) will be able to enter the building without an escort only after they announce themselves and sign in at the front desk. If alumni visitors already have an appointment with a faculty member or administrator, they should sign in and wait at the security desk to be announced to the appropriate office.
  • All other visitors must announce themselves and sign in at the front desk. The security guard will provide them with a visitor badge that must be worn at all times and will admit them after they have been announced to the appropriate office and have been granted permission to enter.