Parental Involvement

The teachers and staff at SWCA are here to support parents in their role as the primary educators of their children. Teachers, staff, and parents work together as partners to ensure students succeed and get the most out of our programs, and to create a wholesome, safe environment that reflects our commitment to living a Catholic, Christ-centered life.

How are parents involved?

1. Choosing your student’s program and reporting.

In our Monday, Wednesday, Friday Core Curriculum program, our teachers provide high quality classroom instruction and individual attention in the core academic subjects required by the NYS Department of Education for students in Grades 3 through 8. On Tuesday and Thursday, SWCA teachers and partners offer classes in art and music, as well as extra classes and opportunities for further enrichment and recreation. Parent can choose to enroll their students in one program or both.

Parents will be guided and assisted by SWCA teachers and staff through the process of submitting all required paperwork—including course descriptions, quarterly and year-end reports, and teacher-recommended grades—to the NYC Department of Education’s Central Office of Home Schooling. SWCA does not keep records or transcripts, but we will assist parents in generating these documents. We offer proctoring for required standardized tests. Our teachers can also write letters of recommendation for eighth grade students applying to high school or other evaluations that parents might request.

2. Partnering with teachers to make sure all our students get the most out of the programs.

A parent or parent-appointed guardian is expected to bring each student to school and pick him or her up when school is finished. Parents will be expected to make sure that their students attend school, bring required materials to class, and complete their homework. Parents are responsible for making sure that their students complete the classes and the number of hours of instruction required by the Department of Education. Students will be expected to obey school and classroom rules and follow teachers’ instructions. If a student is experiencing unusual challenges in acclimating to the classroom environment or if a student’s behavior in school is disruptive, a parent or parent-appointed guardian may be asked to accompany the student to school and sit in on classes. A parent or parent-appointed guardian may be asked to accompany a student on planned class trips.

3. Volunteering

Parents will be required to volunteer a certain number of hours of service each quarter. This may involve watching the school door, helping out at lunch time, watching students during study hall, chaperoning students on field trips, or helping out with fund-raising events. If you have a special talent that you think we could use, please let us know! The volunteer requirement will be greater for students receiving scholarships. In no case will the volunteer requirement be burdensome, and we will work together with you to ensure as far as possible that volunteering works with your schedule.

4. Virtus Training

In keeping with the policy of the Diocese of Brooklyn, teachers, staff, volunteers, and any other adult who will often or regularly be on the school premises for more than the time necessary to pick up and drop off will be required to complete Virtus Training. This is a free course in child safety. We’ll explain how this works when you come in for an interview.