Dear Parents/Guardians:

The Archdiocese of Newark has implemented policies aimed at ensuring the safety of all children entrusted to our care and education within the Archdiocese.

These policies require that:

1. All must participate in the child sexual abuse prevention training program: Protecting God’s Children, complete a volunteer application, complete the Declaration page by initialing ALL statements, signing, providing birth date, and social security number, complete the Credit Reporting Agency Check, and sign an Archdiocesan of Newark Code of Ethics. (Please note that the Credit Reporting Agency Check is NOT a financial check, it is a criminal background check.)

Almost all of our Home and School in-service activities involve working directly with children or even working in our facility when children are present.  Therefore all parents are asked to please sign and return the forms and to enroll for participation in course. All forms can be found on the school website.

Failure to complete all of the requirements will prevent your participation in any of our Home/School or extracurricular programs.  

2. Please go to the Virtus website, www.virtusonline.org, and create an account by selecting “First Time Registrant.”
3. The first time you will be automatically prompted to read and sign the Archdiocesan Code of Conduct and will be routed to Verified Volunteers for background check.
4. Protecting God’s Children training classes are provided at various sites throughout the Archdiocese of Newark.  Go to the Archdiocesan of Newark website www.rcan.org under Protect/Report and click on “Virtus Training” for locations and times. (Please note that the background must ONLY be through the Archdiocese of Newark.)

5. If your child will be participating in sports, you must read and complete the Athletic Guidelines for Elementary Schools.  This may be found on our school website under Sports.
6. Please submit the application to the school office, Declaration, Credit Reporting Agency Check, and the signed Archdiocesan of Newark Code of Ethics. Once received you will have 30 days to complete the Protecting God’s Children training class.        Once completing the PGC class. Please submit a copy of the certificate.

As always, the more closely we work together in this regard, the healthier our program.

Thank you for your willingness to volunteer at St. Thomas the Apostle School and for joining us in our efforts to assure the safety of all the children entrusted to our care.

Sincerely,

Ellen Naughton

Principal