Section 4-07 – Safety and Security Procedures
State and Federal laws require employers, schools, and places of public assembly to provide an environment that is healthy and safe for all. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is committed to ensuring that all staff, parishioners, students, and guests can work, worship, learn and visit without encountering known health hazards or dangerous conditions. As ministers and the faithful, every clergy member, employee, and volunteer in our parishes and schools shall place the safety and welfare of the young and vulnerable above their own safety. Due to the multifaceted services the Archdiocese offers in different locations, and in deference to the canonical principle of subsidiarity, as a matter of Archdiocesan policy each location is separately responsible for providing a safe, secure and healthy environment for all.
Each location must follow the programs, policies and procedures of the Archdiocese as distributed or posted by the Archdiocese. Everyone at each location is responsible for maintaining overall environmental health and safety. However, certain persons are charged with specific responsibilities in this regard:
- The person in charge at every location must, in consultation and collaboration with others, develop and implement emergency programs and plans, risk management procedures and injury and illness prevention programs.
- Staff members should be trained to observe their surroundings and inform the person in charge of potential hazards, dangerous conditions, and people who may need attention.
- Students and other participants in school and parish programs should be taught the elements of safe conduct and environmental awareness.
Threat Assessment and School Safety Reporting
Any threat of violence, whether verbal, written, electronic, symbolic, or implied, shall be taken seriously. Students are expected to immediately report:
- Threats against individuals or groups.
- Weapons or dangerous objects.
- Threatening social media posts.
- Discussions of self-harm or harm to others.
- Suspicious or concerning behavior.
Students who make threats, even as a joke, may face immediate removal from campus, suspension, disciplinary review, mandatory threat assessment, and referral to law enforcement. Retaliation against any individual who reports safety concerns is prohibited.
Visitor Management
Visitor Check-In Procedures
The safety and security of our students, faculty, staff and visitors is a priority at Bishop Alemany High School. To help maintain a safe campus, all visitors mush check in through the Main Office before entering any area of the school during regular school hours.
Bishop Alemany High School utilizes an electronic Visitor Management system to verify visitor identification, print visitor badges, and assist in maintaining a secure campus environment.
Visitor Expectations
All visitors are required to:
- Enter the school through the Main Office.
- Present a valid government-issued photo identification upon arrival.
- Wear the visitor badge provided by the school at all times while on campus.
- Check out through the Main Office before leaving campus and return the visitor badge.
Visitors who are not wearing an authorized visitor badge may be directed to the Main Office or escorted from campus.
Identification Requirements
Accepted forms of identification include but are not limited to:
- State-issued driver license or identification card.
- U.S. or foreign passport.
- Permanent Resident Card.
- Military identification.
- Other government-issued photo identification approved by the school.
The Visitor Management system records only the visitor's name, date of birth, and photograph from the identification. No oher personal information is collected or stored. Visitors who are unable or unwilling to provide acceptable identification may be denied access to campus.
Visitor Screening
As part of the check-in process, the Visitor Management system compares visitor information with publicly available sex offender registries and school safety alerts, including court orders, no-trespass directives, custody restrictions, or other campus safety notifications.
If the system identifies a potential match, school administration will review the information before determining whether access will be granted. The existence of an alert does not necessarily mean the visitor is prohibited from entering campus as false matches may occur.
Parents and Legal Guardians
Parents and legal guardians remain valued members of the Bishop Alemany community. If a parent or legal guardian is identified through the Visitor Management system as requiring administrative review, school administration will determine appropriate campus access consistent with student safety, applicable law, and court orders.
The Administration reserves the right to deny access to any person whose presence may disrupt school operations or compromise safety.
Privacy
Visitor information collected through the Visitor Management system is maintained solely for school safety and security purposes and is handled in accordance with applicable privacy laws and school policies.
The Administration reserves the right to deny access to any person whose presence may disrupt school operations or compromise safety.
Emergency Communications
During emergencies, the school will communicate with parents and guardians through designated communication systems. Parents should ensure contact information remains current.
Parents should not report to campus during emergencies unless directed by school officials.
For safety purposes, students must obey the traffic signals at Rinaldi Street while crossing to the athletic fields.
Dances
All dances are for Bishop Alemany High School students only, unless otherwise announced. If guests are allowed, Guest Passes must be approved by the Deans prior to the event. Students are limited to one approved guest. The Alemany student is responsible for the good conduct of his/her guest. The policy regarding guests who have withdrawn or been dismissed from Bishop Alemany may be found below. All guests should be under the age of 21.
Dances are normally scheduled from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. Students must be present from a half-hour after the starting time of the dance until a half-hour before the ending time. Prom is an exception to this rule since students must arrive and leave via school-provided transportation.
After a careful analysis of problems associated with underage students utilizing limousine services, Bishop Alemany High School joins many other high schools in the area in prohibiting the use of limousines and other chauffeur-driven vehicles at all Bishop Alemany High School dances and events. Such vehicles will not be allowed on campus. Students who arrive in such vehicles will be turned away at the gate and forfeit any kind of refund.
In addition, limousines or other chauffeur-driven vehicles may not pick up students after the Prom.
If any student is suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol by any school faculty or staff member, he/she may be subject to a sobriety test. In addition, the parent/guardian will be called to take the student home. The student will be suspended pending disciplinary action.
Any student absent from school on the day of a dance or social event may not attend the event. Freshmen are not permitted to attend Prom. If any student owes detention hours, he/she may not be allowed to attend any dance, including but not limited to Homecoming and Prom.
Former Students
Any student who has been asked to withdraw or has been expelled from Bishop Alemany High School may not attend any extracurricular function sponsored by Bishop Alemany or those that take place on Bishop Alemany campus. The events that the former student may not attend include but are not limited to dances, athletic events, concerts, or theatre productions.
One calendar year from the time a student is asked to withdraw or is expelled from Bishop Alemany High School, that student may petition for permission to attend extracurricular activities sponsored by Bishop Alemany High School or those that take place on Bishop Alemany campus. Any request by a former student to attend a specific event or events must be made at least one month prior to the scheduled event. The petition must include:
- A signed letter from the former student requesting permission to attend activities sponsored by Bishop Alemany High School. The letter should include the reasons the former student believes he or she should be allowed to attend these activities, how the former student's behavior has changed significantly to warrant this permission, and what type of behavior the student will guarantee if given permission.
- Two letters of recommendation. If the former student is currently attending another high school, then one of the letters must be from a dean or counselor from the student's current school. The letter must address the student's discipline record at the current school. The other letter (or both letters if the former student is not currently enrolled in another high school) must be from adults who are not members of the former student's immediate family. The letters should describe the adult's relationship with the former student and comment on the former student's behavior and character.
- An interview. Bishop Alemany will assign a committee including an administrator and a Dean to meet in person with the student.
After all the requirements of the petition are submitted/completed, the student will be notified of the decision of the school in writing within two (2) weeks of the interview. This decision will be final and not subject to any further discussion.
If permission is granted to attend the petitioned event, the student will fill out any contract for the event (if applicable) and abide by further Bishop Alemany High School policy.
Normally, the only former students who will be given permission to attend Bishop Alemany sponsored activities will be those who were not on strict probation prior to the request to withdraw or expulsion and did not have a significant discipline record while a student at Bishop Alemany. It is up to the discretion of the Dean and administrator to determine if the appeal will be accepted.
Drug and Alcohol Policy
Students who seek help from the Administration or faculty for a drug or alcohol related problem will be given support and guidance. Bishop Alemany will work with families to free a student from substance abuse. This would include required counseling. However, students who do not seek prior help and are guilty of use, possession or distribution of drugs or alcohol will be liable for immediate expulsion.
Bishop Alemany considers substance abuse an extremely moral and personal problem. This rule will be strictly enforced. The Administration may require a test for illegal substances any time it suspects a student may be involved in drugs or other illegal substances. These tests will be performed at the parent/guardian's expense. Tests may also be administered at school if the School Administration deems there are sufficient grounds. Parents/guardians who allow substance abuse at parties or the like in their homes are advised that Bishop Alemany deplores this practice vehemently.
Use - Use implies that a student is reasonably known to have taken or to be under the influence of illegal substances while under the jurisdiction of school authorities. This includes such actions as smoking marijuana, using steroids, taking drugs, drinking alcohol, etc. Bishop Alemany High School does not recognize Medical Marijuana licenses.
Possession - Possession of drugs or alcohol implies that a student has on his/her person, or within his/her personal property, in the car he/she is driving, or has under his/her control any drugs or alcohol (including marijuana) on campus, in the immediate vicinity of the campus, at school activities or school functions. Bishop Alemany High School does not recognize Medical Marijuana licenses.
Distribution - Distribution of drugs or alcohol implies the transfer of such substances to another person, with or without the exchange of money or other valuables. Students in possession of drug paraphernalia, including a Medical Marijuana license, will be suspended and subject to dismissal.
Penalties - Students determined to be distributors of drugs or alcohol, as defined above, shall be subject to dismissal from school. In cases of drug possession and/or distribution, the police will be consulted. Students in possession of drug paraphernalia, including a Medical Marijuana license, will be suspended and subject to dismissal.
Student Searches - Bishop Alemany must be able to provide a safe and healthy environment for all students. Therefore, a student who refuses to submit to a reasonable search by an appropriate Dean of his/her person, backpack, vehicle, and any other belongings will be presumed to be in possession of contraband and will be subject to dismissal from Bishop Alemany. The Dean will notify the student's parent(s)/guardian(s) after any search.
Canine Contraband Detection Program - Bishop Alemany High School is committed to providing its students, faculty and staff with a learning environment and workplace free of drugs, alcohol, and weapons, as well as the violence that often accompanies such things. To this end, Bishop Alemany High School contracts the services of Impact Canine Solutions, a private, non-police-affiliated company that utilizes canines trained in the detection of the following odors:
- Illegal Drugs (marijuana, heroin, cocaine, opium, etc.)
- Over the Counter and Prescription Drugs (aspirin, muscle relaxants, etc.)
- Alcoholic Beverages (beer, wine, liquor, etc.)
- Gunpowder (fireworks, ammunition, firearms, etc.)
- Residual Odor (where one of the above was previously present).
The Program - Bishop Alemany uses these detection canines to check odors from student backpacks and vehicles and Bishop Alemany common areas. An Impact Canine Solutions handler and canine are escorted around campus by a Bishop Alemany Administrator, usually a Dean of Students. In the event of a canine alert (the term used when a canine detects the scent of a substance it is trained to detect), the handler will advise the Dean of the location of the alert and the following steps will take place:
- Backpacks - The Dean and handler will conduct a thorough search of the backpack and all its contents. Depending on the circumstances, the student will then be escorted to the Dean's Office where a reasonable and limited search of the student's person will be conducted by the appropriate Dean.
- Vehicles - The Dean will summon the owner of the vehicle and, with the handler, will conduct a thorough search of the vehicle and all its contents. Depending on the circumstances, the student will be escorted to the Dean's Office where a reasonable and limited search of the student's person will be conducted by the appropriate Dean.
A student who refuses to submit to any of the previously mentioned searches will be presumed to be in possession of contraband and will be subject to dismissal from Bishop Alemany.
In the event of an alert, the appropriate search will be conducted. The Dean will do any necessary investigation and then notify the student's parent(s)/guardian(s). Depending on the nature of the contraband, the police may be notified, and appropriate school discipline will be rendered.
Each time a canine alert occurs, the handler will complete an Incident Maintenance Report detailing the item(s) detected, the location of the alert, and a list of any item(s) retained.
Off-Limits Areas - The following areas are off-limits to students without proper authorization:
- The Chapel
- Alumni Hall
- San Fernando Mission Rey de Espana
- The area behind the West building bordering San Fernando Mission Cemetery
- San Fernando Mission Cemetery and Mission Hills Catholic Mortuary
- Utter McKinley Mission Hills Mortuary
- Brand Park (across San Fernando Mission Boulevard)
- The orange groves and any construction areas
- Private hallway on West campus next to C-wing
- All athletic facilities, hallways, stairwells, and classroom areas without proper faculty/staff supervision
- Students must wait for rides in area(s) identified by staff or security. They are not allowed to loiter or roam campus.
It is the student's responsibility to remain in designated and supervised areas of campus. No student is allowed to loiter in any area without supervision at any time.
Designated Areas - The following rules are to be observed in the designated areas:
- Classrooms - Students are to be in classrooms when the tardy bell rings. No food, drink, or chewing gum are allowed in classrooms or corridors. Classroom furniture is to be kept in good condition. Students are not to be in any classroom without proper supervision.
- Hallways/Stairways/Balconies - Unnecessary noise, rough-housing and/or loitering are strictly prohibited. Students may not sit or walk on balcony walls. Students are not to be in any hallways without proper supervision. Use of the elevators is strictly prohibited without permission. These areas are off limits to all students unless under the direct supervision of a staff or faculty member.
- Assemblies - Assemblies are a part of the school program. Therefore, students are required to observe the same rules of conduct that apply throughout the school day.
- Gymnasium - No student is to be in the gymnasium or locker room either during or after school hours unless under the actual supervision of a designated faculty member. This applies especially during lunch periods.
- Swimming Pool - Students wearing swimsuits must remain in the pool area. When leaving the pool area, students must be appopriately dressed. This applies to all students, including athletic team members. Students should not be in the pool area unless they are with a Bishop Alemany High School staff member.
- Campuswide - For general safety, glass bottles on campus are not allowed.
Parent Cooperation
Parents/guardians are required to cooperate fully with the school in all policies, rules and regulations. By enrolling their student(s) at Bishop Alemany High School, parents/guardians have chosen to entrust their children to the care of professionals who have the students' best interests as a primary concern.
The education of a student is a partnership between the parent(s)/guardian(s) and the school. Just as the parent/guardian has the right to withdraw a child if desired, the School Administration has the right to require the withdrawal of a student if the Administration determines that the partnership is irretrievably broken.
California State Law states that it is a misdemeanor for any person, parent or guardian to upbraid, insult, or verbally abuse any member of the School Administration, faculty or staff in the performance of their duties on or off school premises.
International Student Policy
Bishop Alemany High School welcomes international students as valued members of the school community. International students are expected to uphold the academic, behavioral, disciplinary, and religious expectations outlined in this Parent-Student Handbook, as well as all school policies and procedures.
Pre-Enrollment Expectations
Prior to acceptance and enrollment at Bishop Alemany High School, International students and their sponsoring agencies must demonstrate that the student is prepared to successfully participate in the academic, behavioral, religious and community life of the school. Admission of International students is contingent upon review and approval by the school Administration. Bishop Alemany High School reserves the right to deny admission or revoke acceptance if a student, host family, or sponsoring agency fails to meet school expectations or provide accurate and complete information during the admissions process. Prior to enrollment, International students may be required to provide:
- Official academic transcripts and school records translated into English;
- Proof of English language proficiency sufficient for participation in coursework and school life;
- Valid passport, visa, and immigration documentation;
- Medical records, immunization records, and proof of health insurance coverage;
- Emergency contact information for natural parents, host family, and exchange agency representatives;
- Behavioral and disciplinary records from previous school(s);
- Documentation identifying the sponsoring exchange agency and approved host family placement.
Students and sponsoring agencies are expected to disclose any significant academic, behavioral, disciplinary, medical, mental health, or safety concerns prior to enrollment. Failure to provide accurate or complete information may result in denial of admission, disciplinary action, or dismissal from the school.
International students are expected to understand that enrollment at Bishop Alemany High School includes participation in the religious and community life of a Catholic school. Students are expected to attend required liturgies, retreats, assemblies, service activities, and school events while demonstrating respect for Catholic teachings, school values, and community standards.
The school reserves the right to establish additional requirements, interviews, orientation meetings, or probationary enrollment conditions for International students when deemed appropriate by the Administration.
Enrollment and Participation
International students may be admitted through approved exchange agencies or sponsorship programs recognized by Bishop Alemany High School. Admission and continued enrollment are granted at the discretion of the School Administration and may be revoked if a student fails to comply with school expectations, policies, or standards of conduct. International students are expected to:
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress;
- Attend school regularly and punctually;
- Demonstrate respectful, responsible and appropriate behavior at all times;
- Follow all school rules, technology policies, dress code requirements, and disciplinary procedures;
- Participate appropriately in the religious, spiritual, and community life of Bishop Alemany High School.
Participation in athletics, dances, retreats, extracurricular activities, Senior Class activities and graduation ceremonies is subject to school eligibility requirements and administrative approval.
Host Family Responsibilities
Host families serve as the student's local guardians during the student's enrollment at Bishop Alemany High School and are expected to support the mission, philosophy, policies and procedures of the school. Host families are expected to:
- Maintain regular communication with school personnel and the exchange agency;
- Assist the student in complying with school expectations, attendance requirements, and behavioral standards;
- Provide appropriate supervision, transportation and support;
- Respond promptly to academic, disciplinary, medical, attendance or safety concerns involving the student;
- Cooperate fully with school administrators in resolving student-related matters;
- Support the mission, values and policies of Bishop Alemany High School as outlined in the Parent-Student Handbook.
Host families serve in a supervisory and supportive role consistent with their responsibilities as local guardians. Although host families are not legally or financially liable for the independent actions of the exchange student, they are expected to actively support the student's compliance with school policies and exchange program requirements.
International Student Agency and Parent Communications
The sponsoring International Student Agency and the student's natural parent(s) shall remain informed regarding significant academic, disciplinary, attendance, medical, behavioral, or safety concerns involving the student. Bishop Alemany High School reserves the right to require meetings, conferences, behavioral intervention plans, or other administrative actions involving the student, host family, exchange agency representative(s), and/or natural parent(s) when deemed necessary by the Administration.
Behavioral Expectations - International students are subject to the same behavioral standards, policies and disciplinary consequences applicable to all students enrolled at Bishop Alemany High School. International students are expected to:
- Demonstrate respectful behavior towards students, teachers, staff, host families and members of the community;
- Refrain from behavior that is disruptive, unsafe, dishonest, threatening, inappropriate or harmful to self or others;
- Comply with all school policies regarding technology use, social media, harassment, bullying, Academic Integrity, dress code and student conduct;
- Follow all host family household rules, curfews, transportation expectations, and supervision requirements;
- Maintain open and honest communication with the host family, exchange agency, counselors and school Administration regarding concerns or conflicts;
- Cooperate fully with school investigations, disciplinary meetings, counseling interventions and administrative directives;
- Avoid conduct on or off campus that reflects negatively upon Bishop Alemany High School, the exchange program or the host family.
Discipline and Administrative Action
Violations of school rules or behavioral expectations may result in disciplinary action, including but not limited to:
- Verbal or written warnings;
- Parent/guardian or agency conferences;
- Behavioral probation;
- Loss of privileges or participation in school activities;
- Detention or suspension;
- Reassignment of host placement;
- Dismissal from the exchange program and/or Bishop Alemany High School.
Serious misconduct, repeated violations of school policies, unsafe behavior, harassment, bullying, fighting, substance use, academic dishonesty, posession of prohibited items, refusal to cooperate with school officials, or actions that jeopardize the safety and welfare of others may result in immediate disciplinary action or dismissal. The Administration has the right to determine whether continued enrollment is in the best interest of the student and the Bishop Alemany High School community.
Acknowledgment of Handbook Policies
Enrollment at Bishop Alemany High School constitutes acknowledgment by the student, host family, natural parent(s), and sponsoring exchange agency that they have reviewed and agreed to comply with all school policies and procedures outlined in this Parent-Student Handbook.
