SAINT JOSEPH SCHOOL IS HAPPY TO WELCOME NEW FAMILIES TO OUR COMMUNITY. BELOW PLEASE FIND A COPY OF OUR CURRENT ADMISSIONS POLICIES.

Admissions

Students will be admitted to Saint Joseph School in the following order:

Pre-Kindergarten Only– Children of faculty and staff of Saint Joseph School
Currently enrolled students, who are in good standing, have pre-registered, and paid the registration fee. Incoming Kindergarten students must first meet screening test standards
Siblings of currently enrolled students who are in good standing, in order of the preference outlined in numbers four, five and six below
Children of registered and contributing members of Roman Catholic parishes
Children of non-Catholic families.

Children of Catholic families who are not registered or contributing members of a Roman Catholic parish will not receive special consideration for registration.

All new families who have pre-registered students will be notified of their acceptance by early June.

All students entering Saint Joseph School for the first time and new to our diocesan school system are accepted on a probationary basis. The probationary period is for 90 school days and is intended to benefit both the student and the school. During the probationary period, if necessary, parents may be asked to attend a parent conference to discuss their student’s progress. Saint Joseph School strives to provide a Christ-centered learning environment that promotes academic success and personal responsibility.

During the 90-day probationary period, if the school determines the student is unable to perform adequately in this environment, any prepaid tuition will be prorated and refunded. Grades will not be released until all accounts are current. Fees are non-refundable.

*Students not re-enrolled by May 1 may lose their place if the class becomes full.

Age Requirements

Pre-Kindergarten students must be four years old before August 15 of the year entering Pre-Kindergarten. Students entering Kindergarten must be five years old before August 15 of the year entering Kindergarten. Those students entering first grade must be six years old before August 15 of the year entering first grade and have evidence of attending a state-approved kindergarten prior to admission.

Entrance Requirements

The following records are required to process a student’s application:

Baptismal record

Birth certificate

Copy of social security card

Copy of student’s most recent standardized test scores (if applicable)

Copy of student’s most recent and previous school year’s progress report/report card

Copy of student’s special education file (if applicable)

Custodial records (in case of divorce); court order

Preliminary physical for pre-kindergartener/kindergartener

Proof of immunizations

Proof of insurance

An interview with the principal

For Catholic Families:

Copy of signed Stewardship/Parish Contribution Form

New to the area – Letter of introduction from your pastor

Grades 6-8 – Letter of recommendation from your pastor

Individual readiness screening for Kindergarten is required and administered by Saint Joseph School staff.

For incoming students in grades 1-8, academic screening may be required as determined by the administration.

After a student receives his/her letter of acceptance, the following must be provided to complete the acceptance process:

Official transcript

Tennessee Child Health Record – official copy from child’s physicial

Registration fee of $200

Immunizations

Students entering Saint Joseph School must show proof of the following immunizations:

Hepatitis B
DPT
HIB
POLIO
MMR*

*The State requires that children entering Kindergarten, 4th grade, and 7th grade must have a second dose of MMR. (For a detailed list of immunizations required per grade level, please see our Student Handbook under the Parent Resources tab.)

Students who have not had all required immunizations may not be admitted to school until proof of immunizations is complete and in the office.

Insurance

All students are required to be covered by a primary insurance carrier. A copy of your family insurance card must be on file in the school office. At registration, information is provided to explain the school accident insurance plan. This plan is secondary coverage, and payment is made only after the student’s primary carrier has made payment. School insurance is provided at a nominal fee and is included with the registration fees. To file an insurance claim, parents should contact the school office to obtain the correct forms.

Non-Discrimination Policy

Saint Joseph School admits students of any race, color, national, or ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded to or made available to its students. Saint Joseph School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national, or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, and athletic or other school-administered programs.

Pre-Registration

Pre-registration takes place in January of each year for the following school year. Pre-registration forms for currently enrolled students must be returned to the office by the prescribed date to reserve the student’s space in his/her class. A deposit of $200 per family must be paid at this time. This amount will be credited to your book fees at registration.

In April, students who are pre-registered for Kindergarten are screened to determine school readiness. If students do not seem ready for school, the parents will be notified and suggestions given to help the students mature and develop necessary skills to enroll the following year. Students entering first grade who did not attend the Saint Joseph School Kindergarten are also tested to determine reading and math readiness.

Transfers

To ensure that Saint Joseph School can best serve all of its students, the following criteria will be considered for students transferring to Saint Joseph School: parish affiliation (if Catholic), academics, conduct/deportment, suspension and/or expulsion from another school. Each applicant’s history and situation will be carefully evaluated on an individual basis. No student will be accepted until the academic and conduct documentation from his/her previous school is submitted to Saint Joseph School and reviewed.

Students who wish to be considered for transfer within area Catholic schools during the school year must adhere to the following guidelines:

The principal of the school in which the student is currently enrolled must be notified.

The Application/Admissions process for the school to which the student wishes to apply must be followed.

Principals should confer on the issue(s) concerning the student transfer

An agreement must be reached between principals that the transfer is in the best interest of the student and the two schools.

The principals should notify the Superintendent of Schools of the final decision.

All new students at Saint Joseph School are conditionally accepted with a 90-day probationary period.