Communications at the School of St. Mary

Communications

School Website: The School of St. Mary website, www.schoolofstmary.org, is a resource for all our families. It contains calendars for school and athletics, information on extracurriculars, uniform ordering, and hot lunch. The site also links to the handbook, faculty/staff directory, and PowerSchool.

Don't know where to start? At the top of the page, there is a drop-down menu called QuickLinks. There, you will find links to the Parent Resource Page, School Calendar, and Absence reporting.

Crusader Chronicle Newsletter: The Crusader Chronicle is our primary vehicle for school-to-parent communications. It is sent to all registered school families every Thursday at 4:00 p.m.

Extracurriculars, Athletics, & Special Announcements: We try to keep additional emails to a minimum. Registration for extracurriculars, athletics, and special events will be emailed on Tuesdays only to the grades to which it applies.

Classroom Communications: In addition to the school communication classroom, teachers may have their own newsletters or emails through programs like Google Classroom or PlanBook. They will go over those with you at Back to School Nights in the Fall.

Parents Association: The Parents Association uses Room Parents to send out monthly communications on events and volunteer needs. These volunteer parents will send messages from their personal accounts to the other parents in their class.

Emergency Closing: In the event of an emergency requiring the school to close, the School Administration will notify school parents via the following communication:  

• An e-mail message will be sent through School Messenger (the system we send the Crusader Chronicle through)
• A text message will be sent.
• A notice will be placed on the school website and on the school's Facebook Page.
• In addition, you may check the Emergency Closings Link to see all reported school closings. 

Note: SOSM considers many factors before choosing to close due to weather and will generally align with Lake Forest & Lake Bluff public school's decision.

Extended Day: Registered families will be placed on a group email list by building. Extended day will be canceled on early release days, early dismissal days, and weather-affected closings. Notice of cancellation will be included in school-wide announcements and text messages. Registration and program information is posted on our website and in an annually published parent handbook.

Absences: If your child is or will be absent, please email the attendance account directly at attendance@schoolofstmary.org. Staff at both buildings regularly review absences through this email account. If you need to pick up your child early, please inform the school through the attendance account. You may also cc your student's classroom teacher and aides, but you must email attendance.

Office staff will call home if an absence has not been reported by 9:00 a.m.

Tardy: The prompt start of the day is critical for students and teachers. Students at the UGC must arrive no later than 8:40 a.m., and students at the PGC must arrive no later than 8:50 p.m. Tardies are recorded and are part of the record that is sent on to high schools with the students.

Social Media: The School of St. Mary maintains the official social media sites for the school.

• Facebook: facebook.com/schoolofstmary
• Instagram: instagram.com/schoolofstmary/
• YouTube: @schoolofst.mary-lakeforest4741