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Grade EnteringAge or Placement GuidelinesEntrance Test RequirementsPreK-4Must be 4 years old by Sept. 1stNoneKindergartenMust be 5 years old by Sept. 1stNoneGrades 1-8Placed in grade according to age,previous school records, andrecommendations.Grade level diagnostic assessmentENROLLMENT PROCEDURESParents wishing to enroll their child at Queen of Peace Catholic Academy must:1. Complete the online application found on The Academy website (www.qopacademy.org).2. Provide a certified copy of the child’s birth certificate.3. Provide a copy of the child’s baptismal certificate. (Catholic applicants only)4. Provide previous report cards from previous schools. (Grades 1-8 only)5. Provide standardized test results. (Grades 3-8 only)6. Provide psychological test results. (If applicable)7. Provide documentation of custody. (If applicable)8. Provide required health records and immunization requirements. (See Immunization section)9. Provide record of IEP. (If applicable)10. Pay required fees through FACTS. (See Tuition and Fee Schedule)The information provided will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee to determine whether theprogram at The Academy will meet the educational needs of each student. A parent interview is part of theadmission process. All new students will be given a trial period in which to prove himself/herself bothsocially and academically. If during the trial period there are any problems, the parent may be asked towithdraw their child from The Academy.WAITING LISTSCurrently enrolled students will receive priority for admission. New families may be placed on a waiting listpending class sizes. Early applications for enrollment are recommended.EDUCATIONAL NEEDS/ACCOMMODATIONS (DOSA Policy 700.7)The Catholic school community in the Diocese of St. Augustine has a goal of helping all children reach theirfull potential intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. Individual schools establish admission policies fortheir own schools, which target students who are able to manage in a mainstream setting. Limitedresources prevent us from accepting students who would require more than simple accommodations.8

WITHDRAWALSTo withdraw a student, parents/guardians must notify the school in writing. All accounts must be paid in full(i.e. tuition, academic fees, tardy charges, incidental charges). All textbooks, library books, athletic uniformsand school devices must be returned in good condition. Once all these conditions are satisfied, officialschool transcripts can be released to other schools. If a student is withdrawn anytime during the academicschool year, the family will be financially responsible for two months of tuition from the date of withdrawal.FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS2020-2021 Tuition and Fees Schedule (Grades PreK-8)Tuition and Fees are per child and are NON-REFUNDABLE: Fully Participating Catholic* Tuition 6,425 All Other Tuition 8,800 Technology & Materials Fee 525 (due July 1) Re/Enrollment Fee 225 (due upon re/enrollment) Application Fee (new students only) 50*An active, fully participating Catholic is one who:· Regularly attends Mass as shown by envelope usage· Participates in parish ministries and activities· Faithful to continuing faith formation and sharing of time, talent, andtreasure with their parish· Completes a covenant cardAPPLICATION FEEFor new students only, a one-time, 50 Application Fee is due and payable in conjunction with your OnlineApplication. The Application Fee is NON-REFUNDABLE.RE/ENROLLMENT FEE New families will complete their FACTS enrollment and set up a tuition payment plan during theirOnline Enrollment after acceptance into The Academy. Once the online enrollment has beenprocessed, they will be notified to pay their 225 Enrollment Fee per child online through FACTSPrepay Accounts. Returning students must reserve their spot by completing their Online Re-Enrollment and paying the 225 Re Enrollment Fee through FACTS Prepay Accounts by the end of the Re-Enrollment period(typically in early February). Existing FACTS accounts roll over from year to year, so there is no needto set up a new account each year. Siblings who have been accepted will be added to your current FACTS account for you, their9

Re- Enrollment Fee will be charged and you will be notified. Please do not set up a new FACTSaccount for your new sibling. Re-Enrollment Fees are NON-REFUNDABLE.TECHNOLOGY & MATERIALS FEE This fee covers instructional materials, hardcover and electronic textbooks, consumable workbooks,enhanced technology, classroom supplies, assignment books, art materials, physical educationequipment, music, computer applications, robotics, standardized testing materials, studentinsurance, and Science lab fees for consumable materials. It does NOT cover field trips, Morning or Aftercare, athletic programs, or other school activities. The 525 Technology & Materials Fee is paid through FACTS Prepay Accounts and is due by July 1. Technology & Materials Fees are NON-REFUNDABLE.EIGHTH GRADE FEESGraduation and related activities require a separate fee for 8th grade students. Parents will be notified ofadditional 8th grade fees shortly after the start of the academic year. Fees are determined by the 8th gradeteachers and include the class trip, diplomas, class retreat, and caps and gowns. They are paid throughFACTS Prepay Accounts under 8th Grade/Graduation.FACTS TUITION PAYMENT PLAN & BILLING Tuition payments are automatically withdrawn from your financial account on a payment scheduleyou choose. Tuition payment schedule choices include: One annual payment due August 5th, Two semi-annual payments due August 5th and December 5th, Monthly payments Bi-Monthly payments. There is an annual, non-refundable administrative fee for using FACTS - 10 for annual orsemi-annual payments and 38 for monthly or bi-monthly payments. If you are new to FACTS, you will be linked to set up a FACTS tuition payment plan during yourOnline Enrollment. Once your FACTS account has been set up, you will access it throughParentsWeb. If you are already enrolled in FACTS, please do not re enroll. Your agreement automatically rollsover from year to year and siblings will be added to your current FACTS agreement for you. Tuition Payment Plans will show as pending in FACTS until your agreement has been finalized in Aprilor May. Tuition Payment Plans are easily modified and can be customized to fit your schedule. Pleasecontact Mari Hamilton, Fiscal Administrator, at mhamilton@qopparish.org if you would like to makeany changes. Please do not create a new FACTS account to change your Tuition Payment Plan.10

FACTS PREPAY ACCOUNTS FOR FEES & INCIDENTAL EXPENSES Fees and Incidental Expenses include: Aftercare, Athletics, Re/Enrollment Fees, Field Trips,Technology & Materials Fee, Music/Band, Summer Camp and many others. When you are made aware that a payment is due - either by a teacher or by receiving a FACTS“negative balance” email - please login to your FACTS account using the link in the email or throughParentsWeb. Choose Add Funds and enter the amount required in the field next to the appropriateexpense. The payment is immediately withdrawn from your financial account. Unless you are pre-funding your Aftercare account, please be sure to only fund the exact amountrequired in the correct Prepay Account for each student. If you have a Prepay Account balance showing in BLACK, it is a CREDIT balance and you do not oweit. An amount shown in RED is a NEGATIVE balance you owe. If you would like to see your transactions in FACTS, please choose View Details and then choose theTransactions tab. If you have a question about which Prepay Account to fund, or you accidentally pay too much,please contact our Fiscal Administrator, Mari Hamilton, at mhamilton@qopparish.org right away.MORNING AND AFTERCARE FEESExtended care is available both before and after school hours. Students attending will be assessed apart-time or full-time fee per week. Please visit our website, www.qopacademy.org, or contact theMorning/Aftercare Office for more information. Due to the CDC requirements morning care and aftercarewill require advanced registration and prepayment to ensure proper staffing and facility availability.WITHDRAWAL FEESIf a student is withdrawn from The Academy during the course of the school year, the family will befinancially responsible for two months of tuition from the date of withdrawal.EXTRA-CURRICULAR PARTICIPATIONStudents may not participate in Morning or Aftercare, field trips, or extra-curricular activities if financialobligations have not been met.COMMUNICATIONFORMS OF COMMUNICATIONThe Academy strives to establish open lines of communication. Parent-teacher conferences are available at any time throughout the school year. These conferenceswill generally be held outside of normal school hours. Please note that a conference cannot be held11

during morning drop off or afternoon pick up times. Contact the teacher directly to set-up aconference.Teachers may be contacted via email or written note sent in with a student.Texting of faculty members for school related purposes is not permitted.The Academy’s office number is 352-332-8808.The Academy’s website is www.qopacademy.org.Parents are encouraged to log-on to ParentsWeb (www.renweb.com) on a weekly basis to obtaininformation pertaining to grades and individual classes and to contact teachers.The Virtual Back to School Night is a mandatory parent meeting.Other parent information opportunities are offered throughout the year. The purpose of thesegatherings is for enrichment in areas which could have an impact on your child. At least one parentis expected to attend each meeting.The website contains a monthly calendar of events along with an agenda view for the entire year.Written information can be delivered to any teacher or staff member through The Academy Office orvia a student.Academy Weekly Updates are distributed via email and Google Classroom.Email blasts and text messages are sent by The Academy to inform parents of current events.OFFICE PHONE USEStudents may not use classroom phones. The Academy Office and Academy Clinic phones may only be usedfor school business and emergency calls. Forgotten items such as homework, lunches, instruments, iPads,or PE clothes, do NOT constitute an emergency. Students will not be called out of class for telephonemessages; however, urgent messages will be delivered to a student if necessary.EMERGENCY ANNOUNCEMENTSThe Academy follows the directive of the Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of St. Augustine as tothe emergency closing of schools. Families will be notified via text and email if the need arises to close TheAcademy. In the event of an emergency on campus, parents will be notified via text and email. Parents areasked to kindly follow any directions that are given through the communication.MEDIA/PHOTO RELEASEThe Academy celebrates the many achievements of our school community; students, parents, volunteers,and staff. It is normal practice that Academy staff, parents or volunteers may take photographs of ourstudents and other community members engaged in scholastic activities during the academic year.It is important that our families understand that a media/photo release is not required under thesecircumstances. Newsworthy photographs may appear in various Academy media, including but not limitedto: The Academy’s website, newsletters, yearbooks, Queen of Peace Church bulletins, ParentsWeb, GoogleClassroom, social media, etc. This also pertains to the publication of student work, any photographs taken at12

public events held on our campus, and any school-sanctioned event that occurs in a public venue. In allother circumstances, a media/photo release will be obtained.Please note that in an effort to protect our students, The Academy does not identify any child on socialmedia, or the school website, without prior authorized consent.ATTENDANCEATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS (DOSA Policy 4.3)Regular school attendance is a necessary part of a student’s education, and it is closely related to studentlearning and academic success. Excessive absences impair a student’s educational progress and may, at theprincipal’s discretion, impact whether the student passes or fails a grade. Students will be considered absentwhen they miss 50% of their school day.It is the parent’s/guardian’s responsibility to contact the school if their child will be absent and to state thereason for the absence. Students returning to school from an absence are required to present a writtenexplanatory excuse from their parent(s) or legal guardian stating the cause for the absence. Failure toprovide a note will result in an automatic unexcused absence. A physician’s note is needed when thestudent (1) has been absent for three or more consecutive days, (2) has had surgery, (3) is returning toschool after hospitalization, (4) has been under a doctor’s care for a significant illness, or (5) is returning toschool after being excluded because of a communicable disease.Students must be in school unless the absence has been deemed an “excused absence.” Excused absencesinclude the following: (1) illness or injury of the student; (2) serious illness or death in the student’s family;(3) scheduled doctor or dentist appointment; (4) special events such as family weddings, important publicfunctions, etc., which require permission from the principal at least five days in advance; (5) required courtappearance or supervised visitation; and (6) having or being suspected of having a communicable disease orinfestation, including, but not limited to head lice, ringworm, impetigo, and scabies.Unexcused absences include but are not limited to the following: (1) pleasure trips; (2) suspension fromschool; (3) truancy; or (4) other avoidable absences that are not on the “excused absences” list. Studentswith more than 8 unexcused absences in any given class within a quarter risk receiving a failing grade forthat quarter. The principal can waive this policy in extreme circumstances.A student with 5 unexcused absences within a calendar month or 10 unexcused absences within a90-calendar day period shall be referred to the principal for a conference to be held with the student, his orher parent(s) or legal guardian, and the school administration.13

Students out of school for an approved period of time due to a medical concern may be recorded as“Present-Medical” if they successfully cooperate with the school in a distance learning program. Approvalfor the extended time away from school will only be granted with medical documentation approved byschool administration.ABSENCESPunctuality and regular attendance are absolute necessities for real progress in school. Excessiveabsenteeism is a contributing factor to a child’s academic difficulties. Parents must notify The Academy of a child’s absence by email by 8:15 am. The Academy Officecontact is office@qopacademy.org or 352-332-8808. This is done to ensure the safety of each child.This applies to both in-person and remote learners. When a student returns from an absence, a note must be sent to the homeroom teacher stating thereason for the absence from the parent and/or doctor, if applicable. Pre-planned Extended Absences: As soon as a parent is aware that their child(ren) will be absentfrom school, he/she must notify the school administration for approval at least five days in advance.Attendance rules apply. For more information see the HOMEWORK section. Only serious illness or family emergencies should cause a student to be absent. The school calendar provides for extended weekends throughout the school year. Parents areencouraged to schedule trips or family outings during these times so as to eliminate the need tointerrupt a child’s learning process. Parents who choose to take a child out of school for other reasons should consider the possibleconsequences to the child’s progress. The final decision, however, is the responsibility of the parent. Missed assignments are the student’s responsibility. Attendance at school for at least half-day (3.5 hours) is required in order for a student to attendextra-curricular activities (clubs, athletics, play practice, etc.). Failure to comply with this FHSAAguideline could result in a forfeit for the team. Any student who leaves school anytime during the day due to illness or head lice, will not be eligibleto attend athletic practices/competitions, club meetings, play practices, etc. as a participant orobserver. For extra-curricular activities that take place on a non-school day, half-day attendance (3.5 hours) onthe last school day prior to the event, competition, practice, etc. is required. Failure to comply withthis FHSAA guideline could result in a forfeit for the team.ARRIVAL Early drop-off supervision is available from 7:00 AM - 7:30 AM for Morning Care (additional fee).If a student needs to arrive before 7:25 AM, he/she must be dropped off at Morning Care.Morning drop-off is between 7:25 AM - 7:42 AM.Students must be IN their homeroom by 7:45 AM.14

To ensure the safety of all students and to facilitate arrival procedures, drivers are prohibited from cellphone use, and are asked to kindly follow instructions from all faculty and staff.TARDY TO SCHOOLIf a student arrives at his/her homeroom after 7:45 AM, he/she is tardy. Students must be IN their homeroom by 7:45 AM. If a student arrives at school after 7:42 AM,he/she is tardy and must report to The Academy Office for a tardy slip. Any student arriving at schoolonce the school gates have closed will need to be accompanied to The Academy Office by a parentbefore being admitted to class. After three tardies in a quarter, parents will receive a letter from The Academy to remind families ofthe school policy. After six tardies in a quarter, a conference may be requested. Doctor, dentist and orthodontist appointments are considered excused tardies. Students arriving latedue to such appointments must have a parent sign them in at The Academy Office and bring officialdocumentation from the doctor. Students who arrive after 8:00 AM will be marked absent for their first period class. Students withmore than 8 unexcused absences in any given class within a quarter risk receiving a failing grade forthat subject.MASS ATTENDANCE The Catholic Mass is an integral part of our Catholic faith. It is a primary source for building a schoolcommunity, authenticating our Catholic identity, and fortifying our personal journey with JesusChrist. Therefore, attendance at school mass and prayer services is expected for all students.DISMISSAL Elementary Dismissal, Grades PreK - 5th begins at 2:30pmMiddle School Dismissal, Grades 6-8 begins at 2:50pmElementary School students that have a middle school sibling will remain in class until called. Early dismissal, Grades PreK - 5th begins at 11:30pmEarly dismissal Middle School, Grades 6-8 begins at 11:50pmElementary School students that have a middle school sibling will remain in class until called. Rainy day dismissal times are the same as above. The Academy utilizes the SafeDismissal system. All pick up vehicles must display the current schoolyear’s pick up information card.To ensure the safety of all students and to facilitate the dismissal procedures, drivers are prohibited fromcell phone use, and are asked t

Gainesville, FL 32607 Telephone: 352.332.8808 FAX: 352.448.4560 Website: www.qopacademy.org School Information System: ParentsWeb (www.renweb.com) Pastor Principal Fr. Alberto Esposito Mrs.Therese Majewski FREQUENTLY CALLED TELEPHONE NUMBERS Academy Office 352-332-8808 School Nurse 352-448-4556