SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Fire drills are required by law and are an important safety precaution. It is essential that when the alarm is sounded everyone (including parent volunteers) obeys promptly and clears the building as quickly as possible by the prescribed route. Absolute silence must be observed during the drill. Fire drills are conducted on a frequent basis.

Lockdown Drills

All external doors and classroom doors are locked for protection. Lockdown drills are practiced several times a year. One of those times will be an unannounced drill conducted by the Upper Darby Police Department.

Shelter-in-Place

Students are removed to designated location (annex) where all doors are locked. Shelter-in-Place occurs if there is a release of a chemical substance into the air. Shelter-in-place practice occurs once during the school year.
 

STEWARDSHIP

Development Committee

The committee, which is comprised of the pastor, principal, faculty member, and former and current parents, focuses on relationship building and fundraising to support St. Dorothy School.

Home & School Association

The Association follows the guidelines of the Archdiocesan Home and School Association via elections and by-laws. They support the school through various fundraisers. They provide professional development for the faculty during the school year by financially supporting workshops, conferences, etc. They give monetary gifts to the faculty on various occasions and provide books to each classroom at Book Fair time. Because of the Home and School's efforts, educational programs, such as Young Author's Day, have been introduced into our school. H&S Executive meetings are held on the first Monday of each month in the Library.

Volunteers

Volunteers are valuable assets of a school program. The assistance of parent volunteers is greatly appreciated and encouraged. A volunteer should enjoy working with children and relate well with people. In respecting the rights of children and their parents, confidentiality is essential on the part of any volunteer. Any disciplinary action involving students will be handled by teachers or the administrator.

Volunteer Requirements

In the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, all volunteers who function in activities in which children are present are required to have on file in the rectory the following information:
(1) PA State Police Criminal Record Check and PA State Child Abuse History Clearance, both of which, are subject to renewal every 3 years

(2) Safe Environment Program, Part 1: “Protecting God’s Children” (2 1⁄2 hr classroom instruction) with signed copy of ‘Standards of Ministerial Behavior and Boundaries’ from above program,
(3) Safe Environment Program, Part 2: Mandated Reporter Training 2015 (on-line course) with printed certificate of above on-line course (The Archdiocese does not recognize programs from other institutions).

FBI Clearance is required for volunteers who live or who have lived out of state in the last 10 years. All training and paperwork must be complete and on file at the rectory prior to any interactions with children at St Dorothy. Policies are subject to change as laws evolve.