ALEKS: Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces is a Web-based, artificially intelligent assessment and learning system. ALEKS uses adaptive questioning to quickly and accurately determine exactly what a student knows and doesn’t know in a course. The online platform is used as a companion program for mathematics instruction at St. Bernadette for students in Grade 6-8.

ANGEL NETWORK FUND: Unforeseen needs may arise at any time for any family. Sometimes the unexpected need may occur at a time when a family cannot financially absorb it. The Angel Network was established for members of the school community to provide confidential, reliable and anonymous support for families who bring this need to the attention of our school principal. This need could range in nature from uniforms, CYO fees, field trip fees or any other expense that a family may incur for their child to participate fully in their St. Bernadette School experience. The recipient of the support does not know the membership of The Angel Network and The Angel Network does not know the identity of the recipient.

ANGEL NETWORK MEMBER: Any member of the St. Bernadette community who would like to be an anonymous member of a network of individuals who may be called upon to make financial contributions to meet the need of a St. Bernadette School family. Network members do not know the identity of other network members and do not know the identity of the family in need. Solicitations for support are deployed as raised and needed.

ANGEL PENNIES: The St. Bernadette School Community collects extra pennies for those in need within our school community ongoing throughout the school year. There is a large blue “Angel Penny” bucket on a table in the school lobby available to receive collected pennies at anytime. All pennies are deposited into the Angel Network account (see above).

ANNEX: The wing of the building where we house our Kindergarten and Grade 1 Classrooms.

AR POINTS: Accelerated Reader is an online program that SBS students in grades 3-8 use as a tool to support reading comprehension. Students are assigned a unique number of points that they are responsible to “read” each marking quarter.

CHRISTMAS PAGEANT: Christmas performance by K-5 students in the school hall on last day of school before break.

COTILLION: Cotillion is an optional fee- based program available to our Grade 8 girls and boys. Participating in Cotillion offers an introduction to ballroom dancing and social grace training. Students enjoy the opportunity to learn basic dance steps and etiquette skills from professional instructors in a social setting with Grade 8 peers from other diocesan schools. Cotillion for participating St. Bernadette Grade 8 students takes place at Georgetown Visitation over eight Saturday evening sessions beginning in October.

CYO: The Catholic Youth Organization: facilitates our parish sports programs open to all SBS students including cross country, soccer, basketball, softball T-Ball and Track and Field.

DISMISSAL: SBS students may dismiss as a walker, car rider, EDP or After School Activities. Classes dismiss at 3:05 PM on regular days.

EARLY DISMISSAL/HALF DAYS: on an early dismissal half day, SBS will dismiss at 12:00 PM.

EDP: Extended Day Program: This is a Before and after school care program offered to SBS students for an additional fee beginning at 7:15 AM until 6:00 PM.

THE FIELD: The backfield behind SBS. See SNACK SHACK, FRIDAY NIGHT

FRIDAY NIGHT: K-2 play soccer games in the fall and T-Ball games in the spring while the snack shack is open to purchase grill items for dinner from 5:30-8:00 PM. It is a great gathering of the school and neighborhood community past and present for fellowship and socializing.

GREATER LOVE: the social outreach initiative at SBS that all students, staff and school families participate in through a variety of service activities supporting community partners and special interests selected by our students.

HOT LUNCH PROGRAM: A monthly menu of lunch options is offered for purchase. Entrees can be purchased for entire month or individual days.

HOUSE SYSTEM: Our school has an innovative House system helping to foster collegiality, camaraderie and team spirit. We have five Houses, each with a patron Saint, House color and character trait focus. Our students are evenly mixed in the Houses by grade level and gender. Each House has smaller “families” within the House with a staff member who is the “Head of the Family” to provide the opportunity for our older students to mentor the younger students. Students may participate in many varied activities to score points for the House. Each family is dedicated to a service project (See GREATER LOVE). The school year culminates with a school-wide field day. The House with the most points at year-end is awarded the St. Bernadette House Cup.

HSA: The Home School Association. This is the “fun-raising” arm of SBS made up of parents and staff members. They host a variety of activities for all SBS students, families and community members to participate in throughout the school year to foster fellowship and fun!

HSPT: The High School Placement Test is one of the two most commonly administered Catholic high school entrance exams (the other for some Catholic and Independent schools is the SSAT). It is a five-part, 298 question test. Students are given 2 hours and 30 minutes to complete the exam. It is broken into 5 sections: Verbal; Quantitative; Reading; Mathematics; and Language Skills. All St. Bernadette students planning to apply to a Catholic high school take the HSPT on our campus during a school day in November. Test prep for the HSPT is included in the Grade 8 fall curriculum.

LESSONS and CAROLS: Christmas program that takes place in the church of scripture readings and music selections, featuring all 8th graders and all student musicians 4-8 grades.

MSR: The Monsignor Stricker Room. This is a multi-purpose room underneath the church where different groups meet and activities are held. It can be accessed from a door leading into the church from the back parking lot as well as a door on the side parking lot facing the rectory.

PARENT MASS: Each month, one of the Friday 8:15 AM school masses will be dedicated to the parents of a specific grade level. Coffee and refreshments are enjoyed in the school hall with your child’s classmates afterwards.

PATROL: The term used for the SBS safety patrol. It includes a variety of leadership opportunities from morning and afternoon patrol for the car and walker lines, announcing the dismissal, raising and lowering the American flag on the flag pole, in front of the school, morning car duty etc…These positions are fulfilled with pride and honor by the SBS Grade 7 students.

PIZZA FRIDAYS: Families are offered the opportunity to buy pizza for their children for lunch every Friday on a semester long basis.

PLUS PORTALS (ParentPlus, Rediker): PlusPortals is the student/parent information system that SBS uses for student and parent communication, assignments and grades. Log in credentials are provided to all students, parents and staff members. PlusPortals has a mobile app that is helpful for viewing all school communication and school calendar in one place.

POWDER PUFF: A longstanding school tradition where the grade 7 and 8 girls play flag football on a Friday night on the field.

REDIKER (PlusPortals): Rediker is the software company that developed the PlusPortals Student/Parent Information System that SBS uses for student and parent communication, assignments and grades. Log in credentials are provided to all students, parents and staff members.

SCHOOL HALL: AKA “The Hall” A large multi-purpose room on the lower level of the school with a stage and sound system. School assemblies, school day lunch, performances, rainy day PE, various school and social gatherings occur here.

SCRIP: A school-wide fundraising commitment, on an annual school year basis, involving the cash equivalent purchase of gift cards that generate a rebate for the school.

SCHOOL MASS: SBS attends mass as a school every Friday at 8:15 AM.

SNACK SHACK: On Friday nights from 5:30-8:00 PM, in the fall and the spring, we grill hamburgers and hot dogs for purchase along with chips and drinks from this concession stand on the back field at SBS while the K-2 teams play soccer games in the fall and TBall
games in the spring. See THE FIELD, FRIDAY NIGHT

BERNADETTE SOUBIROUS: The patron saint of our parish and school. Feast Day: April 16.

TADS: Admissions and finance use this online platform for applying to SBS, registering for a new school year, making tuition payments and applying for financial aid,

TAG DAYS: These are days that our students and staff pay a small amount (usually $1.00) to come out of uniform, sometimes dressed in an announced theme, to support a holiday or a fundraiser for a community partner through our social outreach initiative called Greater Love (see above).

TIER CREDITS: Every school family is committed to contributing four (4) volunteer Tier credits as part of the SBS school-wide volunteer hours commitment. Many opportunities are available for all schedules and skills a full overview of that handbook is available on the school website.

VIRTUS TRAINING: In accordance with the Archdiocese of Washington Child Protection Policy, all school volunteers who have substantial contact with children must submit to a criminal background check (including fingerprinting) and attend a training session. This includes, but is not limited to, chaperoning field trips, school functions, classroom assistance, and lunch/playground duty.