Sage FAQ: How Do I?

Q. What are the hours of operation for the front office?
A. The front office is open between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. during the academic school year.

Q. Does The Sage School provide transportation for students?
A. Sage has contracted with Local Motion to provide transportation for students in the greater Newton and Dedham areas. Additionally, parents of children living in Foxboro may contact the Foxboro Public Schools (508-543-1600) to arrange transportation through the public school bus system. When Foxboro schools are not in session, bus transportation is not provided.

Q. How are late arrivals, early dismissals, and absences handled?
A. If a student has a planned late arrival, parents should contact their child’s homeroom teachers (and Cheri Alix in the front office at calix@sageschool.org) to report that their child will be arriving late to school and the estimated arrival time. Late arrivals are recorded on every student’s attendance record. Additionally, students may be dismissed early by written parental request. Notes and emails regarding early dismissals should be sent to the student’s homeroom teacher and Cheri Alix. Parents or Authorized Guardians must report to the front office and sign their child out at the front desk. Early dismissals are recorded on the student’s attendance record as such.

Students are expected to be at school during school hours. Parents should call the School Nurse by 8:15 a.m. if their child will be absent. The Nurse will contact any parent who does not call the school. Attendance is documented on progress reports. Ongoing attendance concerns are addressed by the teachers and subsequently by the Assistant Head of School directly with the parents.

Q. Will Sage keep families notified about school closings?
A. Yes. Sage has various methods of notifying families about school closings or delayed openings during inclement weather. Decisions will be broadcast in Massachusetts on WBZ News Radio 1030 and listed on CBS TV Channel 4/Boston; and in Rhode Island on WHJJ-AM 920, WWBB-FM B101, WHJY-FM 94.1, and WSNE-FM Coast 93.3, and listed on Fox WPRI TV Channel 12/Providence. Parents may call the school for a recorded message after 6:30 a.m. (Dial extension 100.) Parents can also consult the school’s website (www.sageschool.org) where a message will appear on the home page. Additionally, Sage has implemented ALERTNOW, a service that allows us to send a telephone and/or email message to you, providing important information regarding emergencies. For more information regarding ALERTNOW, please click here. For regularly scheduled closings such as holidays or professional development days, please refer to the Leaflet, as well as the school calendar on the website. Click here for the 2013-2014 Calendar Highlights.

Q. Does Sage offer extended day programs?
A. Sage offers both Before School Care from 7:00 – 7:45 a.m. and Aftercare from 3:15 – 6:00 p.m. when school is in session. Additionally, Sage offers a Supervised Study program from 3:15 – 5:00 p.m. in which Juniors and Middle Schoolers can complete daily homework assignments and study. (Extended Day and Vacation Program)

Q. What kind of extracurricular activities does Sage offer?
A. In addition to Aftercare and Supervised Study, Sage has a robust extracurricular program with a wealth of choices and opportunities for students to explore beyond the classroom. The school offers a variety of academic, recreational, arts, and athletic clubs and programs organized each year by staff and/or outside organizations. Click here for more information.

Q. Does Sage offer hot lunches to students?
A. For busy parents, we offer a selection of healthy lunch choices through Smart Lunches. However, we do believe that parents provide the best meals for their children and most students bring a lunch from home. Pizza from Papa Gino’s is available every Friday. (These must be pre-ordered, please click here for the form.) Milk is available Monday through Friday for snack and lunch, free of charge.

Snack period occurs in the morning for all Junior and Prime students and in the late afternoon for any student in the Extended Day Program. Prime students have an additional small, afternoon snack. Sage does not provide food for snack times.

Q. Are students allowed to bring cell phones to school?
A. Students are permitted to bring cell phones to school; however, they must be turned off during the school day. No texting or phone calls are permitted during school hours. If a student needs to contact home while school is in session, he or she can use a phone in the front office.

Prime Division
Q. How long is the school day for a Prime student?
A. School is in session from 8:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Attendance is taken at 8:00 a.m.; students will be marked tardy if they are not in their classrooms by this time.

During the first week of school, both Pre-K and kindergarten students will have half-day sessions (8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., after lunch).

Q. How often do Prime students eat during a regular school day?
A. Prime students have one morning and one afternoon snack in addition to lunch. Milk is provided for morning snack and lunch, free of charge. Students who remain after school for extracurricular activities or Aftercare have an additional opportunity to eat a snack.

Q. Will students have outdoor recess in the winter?
A. Prime students will go outside for recess unless it is raining or below 20 degrees. Students should bring boots, snow pants, coats, and mittens so they can stay warm and dry on snowy and/or muddy days.

Junior Division
Q. How long is the school day for a Junior student?
A. School is in session from 8:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.. Attendance is taken at 8:00 a.m.; students not in their homerooms by this time will be marked tardy.

Q. How often do Junior students eat during a regular school day?
A. Junior students have morning snack in addition to lunch. Milk is provided for snack and lunch, free of charge. Students who remain after school for extracurricular activities, Aftercare, or Supervised Study have an additional opportunity to eat a snack.

Q. When are Junior students put into their academic groups?
A. There is a brief period of review and assessment during the first week or two of school. Academic groups will be formed after this review period and communicated by the Junior Division faculty.

Q. Whom should I contact for any academic or social/emotional questions I have about my child?
A. Email your child’s homeroom teacher first. They will be the liaison between any teachers or other staff members and parents.

Q. Will students have outdoor recess in the winter?
A. Junior students will go outside for recess unless it is raining or below 20 degrees. Students should bring boots, snow pants, coats, and mittens so they can stay warm and dry on snowy and/or muddy days.

Middle School
Q. How long is the school day for a Middle School student?
A. School is in session from 7:55 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Attendance is taken at 7:55; students not in their homeroom by this time will be marked tardy. Middle School classes are 45 minutes long, with some double periods (90 minutes) in Humanities, Math, and Science.

Q. Whom should I contact for any academic or social/emotional questions I have about my child?
A. Middle School students are assigned to an advisor each school year. Email your child’s advisor first with academic or social/emotional questions. The advisor will be the liaison between any teachers or staff that may be involved with specific concerns or questions.

Q. Will students have outdoor recess in the winter?
A. Middle School students will go outside for recess unless it is raining or below 20 degrees. Students should bring appropriate winter gear, including boots, to remain warm and dry during the winter months.