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How can I learn about what is going on in school?
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It may take a bit more initiative to find out what is going on in school than it did for elementary and middle school,
where you may have been able to count on notes or flyers coming home in your student’s backpack. There is always
something going on in school-both standard and special types of events. Fortunately, there are many sources of
information you can use to find out what is happening.
Basic information about Bishop Ireton High School is available in printed materials provided to parents and students.
Schedule information, important dates, dress codes, and regulations appear in materials sent to parents before each
school year begins.
The Student Handbook , with detailed information about policies, practices, and expectations,
is distributed at the beginning of the school year. It is your contract with the School and the acknowledgment
agreement must be signed and returned to the school in September or your student will not be allowed to attend classes.
Course catalogues for planning next-year selections are made available in February.
School calendars showing the cycle of class days, early dismissal days, and important events are made available early
in the school year; updates are placed on the website.
The Student Directory is distributed as early as possible each school year.
Current information, clarifications, and changes are distributed electronically and in periodicals such as the
“Cardinal Connection.
The school website www.bishopireton.org is updated frequently,
with daily announcements usually available. The website also provides contacts for academic, health, or other concerns.
The Dean of Students provides weekly updates, “This Week at Bishop Ireton,” to parents providing e-mail addresses
on registration materials. Other time-critical information is provided by e-mail, and some information is sent home with
students-be sure to check or inquire regularly. “Cardinal Chatter,” sent by e-mail, provides regular updates on athletic activities
and results.
Career and college planning software , “TCCi: The Family Connection” is another tool to use for information.
Subscribe to electronic notices by e-mailing your address to
simmons@bishopireton.org
Other parents , including your child’s Advisory Rep(s) and PTO officers, are also happy to answer questions.
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How can I become involved at Bishop Ireton?
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There are many ways to get involved at Bishop Ireton. The time you spend can be as little as a couple of hours
during the school year, or many hours if you want to be a regular participant in the many activities of the Parent
Teacher Organization.
There are many good reasons for spending time up at Bishop Ireton:
• Although the administration does a good job of keeping parents informed through e-mails,
the Web site and the Cardinal Connection, a great deal of additional information is exchanged between the parents that
volunteer for PTO activities.
• There is no better way to show our children how important their education is than to take
time out of our busy schedules to help out at school.
• During their Junior and Senior years, all students are required to get involved in volunteer
programs. Students develop an appreciation for volunteering when they see their parents volunteer.
• New challenges are faced by parents during the high school years - dating, driving, curfews
and the whole college application experience, to name a few. How parents deal with these issues varies from child to
child. One of the benefits of volunteering is the interaction and sharing of ideas with other parents dealing with these
issues, or who have already been through them with older children.
The PTO Membership forms provide the opportunity to volunteer for any of a number of school activities. Most of them-for example, providing hospitality for various receptions, helping plan and conduct the Annual Dinner and Auction, and setting up special events-are ideal for parents who work during the day. In-school activities, such as working in the Library or Book Store, generally involve only a few hours for a day or two during the month, and helping with Development Office tasks can be fit into any schedule. Whatever type of involvement works for you, be sure that your time and talents are deeply appreciated by the faculty, staff and administration.
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What are the hours the school is open; how early and where can I drop off my student and how late can I pick him/her up?
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School policies are designed to maintain a safe environment and smooth traffic flow before and after school on
public streets as well as on school grounds. Use the South parking lot (the student parking lot down from the auditorium)
to drop your students off in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon. The only door unlocked each morning is the
single door in the auditorium circle near the cafeteria, which opens at 7 a.m. The school remains open for an hour after
dismissal; any students remaining after that time must be under the supervision of a teacher, coach, or other staff.
Buses pick up students for athletic and other after school events at the front entrance of the school, and state law prohibits
cars operating in bus loading zones. Not only is there a danger to students, but traffic congestion and blocked fire lanes are
caused when parents use the driveway around the flagpole to pick up students after school. Consider parking on
Cambridge Road and having your student meet you at the car.
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How and when should we buy Uniforms? Books? Gym Clothes?
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Selecting “Bookstore” at the Bishop Ireton web site brings you to links to sources for uniforms, books, PE uniforms,
and other items. New school uniforms and accessories are carried by Campus Outfitters, whose locations and ordering
procedures are available online. Campus Outfitters brings a full inventory of new uniforms and accessories to Freshman
Registration at the end of March. It is essential that the basic uniform, including polo shirts, sweaters, vests, pants and
skorts, be those carried by Campus Outfitters. You may choose to purchase conforming socks, oxford shirts, shoes
and other accessories elsewhere.
Varsity Books, also with a link at the web site, is the official supplier of books for nearly all of the school’s
courses, including an increasing number used books may be available there.
PE Uniforms, as well as some supplies for team sports and logo gear, are available by mail order at the
bookstore web page. As with your books, you must ensure the PE uniform is clearly marked with a permanent marker.
Some books and supplies are available at the school Bookstore. There will be a greatly expanded inventory of
merchandise, as well as extended hours, during the coming school year.
A great source for school uniforms and used books is the PTO-sponsored book fair, usually held early in August.
The Book Fair provides a service to students for selling their books and uniforms, benefits those who wish to purchase
these books and uniforms, and enables the PTO to provide substantial support to the school. Most summer reading
material will be available at the end of the school year, so that students can begin those assignments before the Book
Fair in August.
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What is Back to School Night?
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Back to School Night, scheduled very early in the school year, is a great opportunity to meet your student’s
teachers and school personnel, and to gather information about the upcoming school year. Parents convene
in the student’s advisory, where you meet the Advisor, receive a schedule for visiting your child’s classes, and
meet your Advisory Rep, who will discuss the Annual Dinner and Auction, especially the Advisory’s donation
basket. When the bell rings, you’ll walk the halls, following your student’s schedule of classes. For about 10
minutes, each teacher will explain, in broad terms, how the curriculum will unfold during the year, and suggest
the best ways to communicate with him or her. Various school staff and administrators, as well as representatives
of parent groups, are stationed in the cafeteria to greet parents and answer questions.
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How does lunch work?
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Students may bring lunch from home or purchase meals from the dining service using their own PIN attached to a
debit account. You can deposit funds into the account using a personal check or credit card, and you will receive
detailed purchase statements each month electronically, or on paper. Note, however, that
there is a service charge for credit card transactions and for paper statements.
Students eat lunch during one of four sessions within an expanded fourth period each day. Cafeteria menus can be
found on the school website.
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How will I be notified about my child’s grades and progress?
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Reports cards are sent home by mail four times a year--first quarter, mid term, third quarter, and final. At each mid-quarter,
interim grades are distributed via e-mail. For those parents who have not submitted an e-mail address, the mid-quarter grades are distributed in Advisory. Any parent who does not receive their student's mid-quarter grades should e-mail BI Progress Reports
Formal parent-teacher conferences are
scheduled after the first and second quarters, in November and February; information about requesting conferences is
sent along with those respective report cards.
All teachers will discuss performance with parents as the need arises; most prefer e-mail contacts, but they will let you
know during Back to School night what works best for them.
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What is the Advisory? What does the Advisor do? What is an advisory rep and what does that person do?
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The Advisory is like a homeroom in that students gather there almost every day. In general, your student will stay in the
same advisory for all four years of high school. The teacher who is your student’s Advisor will come to know the student,
so that he or she is in a position to approve recommend course requests, write college recommendations, and act as a
resource for academic advice or school practices and policies.
Advisories conduct business such as distribution of interim report cards and other materials. Occasional Extended
Advisories may be used for in-advisory business or for class gatherings for elections, information sharing, and the like.
Each advisory provides a basket or similar donation to the Annual Dinner and Auction; participates in the Christmas
“Adopt-a-Family” program; and may undertake other fundraising activities during the year.
The advisory rep is a parent (or, sometimes, more than one parent) who has specified functions during the school year.
In general, these functions include collecting funds for the basket each Advisory donates to the Dinner and Auction;
creating a telephone tree; and encouraging participation in the Spring Clean-up. Advisory reps are available to provide
information and support to new families, and serve as a conduit of information from the PTO.
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What should my child consider when deciding what courses to take?
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The credits and course distributions required for graduation are cited in the Student Handbook and available on the
school web site. Students should be sure to consider all the options for fulfilling these requirements, including those
for Computer Science and Fine Arts. In addition, they should look ahead to their remaining high school years to be
sure to fulfill any prerequisites for courses they may consider taking in the future. Of course, they should consider
any required or desired courses recommended by colleges to which they may apply. Student’s guidance counselor
is the best resource for any student to use in determining the appropriate course selections and we strongly recommend
you start with counselors when making course selection decisions.
Registration for the upcoming school year takes place in the spring. In late February, students will receive the
current course catalog and other materials explaining course selection, approvals, and deadlines. Once course
requests are submitted, changes may be necessary because of performance in prerequisite courses, conflicts, or
insufficient registration for various electives. There may be a charge for student-initiated changes for other reasons,
and requests for changes in order to have a different teacher are not allowed.
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How does detention work?
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Detention is assigned for a variety of violations of the dress code, late rules, and behavioral infractions. Verbal
warnings may be issued at the discretion of faculty and staff. The student is notified in writing and by e-mail, and
a list of those expected to serve is posted (where?) The student normally is expected to serve detention within
48 hours of assignment by attending a 7:00 a.m. or 3:15 p.m. session. Failure to do so results in assignment of a
3-hour Saturday detention in full uniform. Only absence from school, or attendance at a retreat, are allowable
excuses from these rules. Students serving detention generally perform community service.
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What is the best way to help my student prepare for college? How will the counselors work with him or her?
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Your student is ultimately responsible for choosing the college(s) to which he or she will apply, determining their
admission and application requirements, seeking advise from the guidance counselor, and managing the application
process. BIHS guides and supports these efforts in a number of ways. Counselors work with students to provide
academic transcripts and related materials needed for the application process.
The Office of Counseling Services
provides many resources to students and their families. Overall considerations are addressed in the comprehensive
Bishop Ireton High School Guide to College Planning provided to juniors and seniors in hard copy and
available on the web site (select Student Resources, Counseling). In addition, the Office of Counseling Services:
• Offers the “Getting Ready for College” series of seminars throughout the school year.
• Arranges for students to take the PSAT beginning in the freshman year.
• Provides access to the Naviance computer system.
• Makes materials available in the College Resource Room.
• Sponsors or provides information about college fairs, college visit opportunities, or the like.
• Along with the PTO, sponsors Career Awareness Seminars.
Although students will vary in their interest and readiness to undertake the college search, preparations really begin
with course choices in the Freshman year. It is important to weigh good grades against tough courses-good colleges
want to see both. Be sure to look at prerequisites for courses in subsequent years-for example, AP history/English in
the sophomore year or AP science courses in the junior and senior years.
Many students will begin to consider colleges in the sophomore year, to get a feel for schools that match their interests
and abilities. This helps with course selection and the possibility of campus visits during Spring Break or the summer
before the Junior year. By the Junior year, issues such as taking the SAT in the Spring, visiting colleges before beginning
the Senior year, considering early admissions/decision schools, and the possibility of beginning the application process
during the summer before the Senior year arise.
As a general preparation for college selection and application, it is advisable for each student to get to know his or
her counselor early in the High School career.
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201 Cambridge Road •
Alexandria, VA 22314 •
PHONE (703) 751-7606 •
FAX (703) 212-8173 •
info@bishopireton.org
Copyright © 2004 Bishop Ireton High School
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