Snow and Emergency
Our Lady of Lourdes follows Montgomery County Public School system decisions for late openings, closings and early releases due to inclement weather. Please listen for radio announcements of the Montgomery County Schools, or check the Montgomery County Public Schools website for updates. In the event of an emergency closing of the school for any reason other than inclement weather, parents will be notified by a representative of Our Lady of Lourdes using our email notification system, and/or through radio announcements.
If we are unable to locate you in the event of an emergency, we will attempt to reach your emergency contacts. Please make sure that your contact information and that of your emergency contacts is updated regularly.
If we are unable to locate you in the event of an emergency, we will attempt to reach your emergency contacts. Please make sure that your contact information and that of your emergency contacts is updated regularly.
Care of School Property
Respect for one another and for the community we share is critical to the success of all. Students should not deface school furniture, walls, ceilings, floors or equipment. Anyone who willfully damages school property will be expected to make restitution for damages. Middle school students are responsible to keep their lockers clean and organized. The school administration reserves the right to inspect lockers.
Care of Personal Property
Lost and found items are placed in the Lost and Found Closet on the ground floor. After 30 days, these items are donated to charity.
Change of Address or Circumstance
Please be sure to change your address or contact information on TADS when necessary. Please notify school office personnel or administrators of any changes in your family situation. This allows us to support your children through disruptions in routines and transitions.
Directory and Calendar
The family directory is made available within the first few weeks of school. The school directory is not meant to be used or sold for other purposes. All families will receive a school calendar at the beginning of the school year. Extra calendars are available for a small fee.
Communication
In order to ensure that parents are informed, and that teachers and parents are able to work together to support the students of Lourdes, teachers will contact parents with academic or behavioral concerns. While parents are encouraged to contact teachers directly when they need to discuss a child’s progress or difficulties, it is important to remember that all conversations about children should take place in a classroom or an office. Parents and teachers should arrange to meet at a mutually convenient time under circumstances that protect the privacy of the child.
The Principal communicates with school families through the weekly distribution of Wednesday Words, through group emails or, in unusual circumstances, using “School Messenger” telephone communications.
The Principal welcomes communication from parents by email at pmcgann@bethesda-lourdes.org, or through scheduled appointments.
Faculty and staff email addresses use the individual’s first initial and last name followed by @bethesda-lourdes.org.
Exceptions are the school receptionist whose email is receptionist@bethesda-lourdes.org, and the school nurse whose email is nurse@bethesda-lourdes.org.
The Principal communicates with school families through the weekly distribution of Wednesday Words, through group emails or, in unusual circumstances, using “School Messenger” telephone communications.
The Principal welcomes communication from parents by email at pmcgann@bethesda-lourdes.org, or through scheduled appointments.
Faculty and staff email addresses use the individual’s first initial and last name followed by @bethesda-lourdes.org.
Exceptions are the school receptionist whose email is receptionist@bethesda-lourdes.org, and the school nurse whose email is nurse@bethesda-lourdes.org.
Extracurricular Activities
A variety of extracurricular activities are available for Lourdes students. These may include but are not limited to: choir, band, sports, drama, language enrichment, writing lab, and art classes.
Lourdes students are representatives of both our school and our faith, and they are expected to represent themselves and the school appropriately during any extracurricular activity.
Lourdes students are representatives of both our school and our faith, and they are expected to represent themselves and the school appropriately during any extracurricular activity.
Field Trips
Each class may plan field trips to supplement classroom learning. Permission slips for all trips are required, and should be returned to the classroom teacher with fees if necessary. If a student is not able to attend a field trip, he or she will remain at school under the supervision of faculty. Students wear school uniforms on all field trips, unless otherwise indicated.
Fundraising
Lourdes asks each family to do whatever is possible within their means to support the school’s fundraisers. Each year the Lions’ Roar serves as our major fundraiser, with one or two smaller events supporting the Annual Fund. When every family contributes within their means, the Annual Fund will have adequate funds to ensure that our children are learning in a safe environment that reflects the value we place on education. The Fund also supports financial aid for families currently enrolled in the school, and professional development opportunities for our teachers.
Lunch
Students in K – 8 eat in the school cafeteria. Students may bring lunch from home or order catered lunch by the quarter. Milk is available for an additional, modest fee for the school year. Use the link below to get more information and make purchases for lunch or milk. We ask that parents not bring fast food or carry-out food to school for their children.
Notes and Money
Notes and money should be sent in clearly marked envelopes. There is no need for children to carry money to school.
School Photos
Individual and class pictures are taken each year. Parents will be notified in advance, and pictures can be ordered online. There is a publicity release form included in TADS that allows us to use your child’s picture in the yearbook, promotional materials, and local news coverage.
Telephones at School
School office personnel rely on the phone for daily business. Student use of school phones is restricted to emergency situations. Students who bring cell phones to school leave their phones at the school office when they arrive in the morning, and pick them up when they leave for the day. Our school is a cell phone free zone. Please do not use your phone in the school building or in the parking lot when you are dropping off or picking up your children.
