Safety, Health, and Wellness
St. Michael’s is dedicated to cultivating physical health, mental well-being, and social-emotional learning among students of every age.
The safety and wellness of our St. Michael’s community is our top priority and we are grateful for our partnership with our families as we work to keep our community happy and healthy. (Scroll down to learn about St M’s approaches to Health and Illness, Mental Health and Well-Being, Social-Emotional Learning, and School Safety.)
Health and Illness Policies
Parents/guardians can help ensure the well-being of all our St M students by:
- Notifying our school nurse, Shawnetta Maben, LPN, of any health concerns or chronic health conditions that may affect your child’s school day
- Keeping an ill child home and letting the School know if the illness is contagious
- Following state guidelines regarding immunizations
- Encouraging good hygiene/hand washing practices at home and school
Click here for St. Michael’s Health and Illness Policies
COVID-19 Reporting Form
Please inform the School IMMEDIATELY via the COVID-19 Reporting Form link below if your St M child has tested POSITIVE for COVID-19. Please keep your child AT HOME until you hear from Nurse Maben.
Mental Health and Well-Being
Dr. Kim Hilton, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, consults with St. Michael’s students, parents, and teachers to offer emotional, social, and behavioral support. She is available to work directly with students who may be experiencing challenges in navigating friendships, regulating their emotions, managing increasing feelings of worry and anxiety, coping with grief, loss, and change, and other life stressors. Referrals may come directly from parents or teachers. Following are details on how to connect with Dr. Hilton.
When? On-campus hours are Mondays and Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Where? Office located behind the main lobby of Hubbard Hall (Dr. Hilton also circulates in Singleton Hall during study hall.)
How to communicate? Email Dr. Kim Hilton.
Social-Emotional Learning
At St. Michael’s, we believe that social-emotional learning (SEL) is critical for our students’ academic achievement, builds their resilience, adaptability, and authenticity, and prepares them to flourish in a diverse and global environment. From starting in kindergarten with responsive classroom practices and “bucket filling” to our Middle School’s “Character Strong” program, we are intentional in teaching all of our students about kindness, patience, resilience, and grace, as these epitomize our DRAGONS’ values — the foundation of our St. Michael’s community.
School Safety
“Meet the needs of the child” is a guiding concept for our faculty and staff. A student has no greater need than to be safe and healthy. St. Michael’s has a School Crisis and Safety Committee that meets regularly to review protocols and mitigation strategies, planning, and procedures. Our school safety initiatives are headed up by our Director of Security Cyndi Chambers. (During her distinguished career, Mrs. Chambers spent 33 years as an active duty policewoman for the Chesterfield County Police Department (CPD) with 8 years as a School Resource Officer, served as a trainer for CPD’s “Crisis Intervention Training Program,” worked with schools on emergency preparedness plans and execution, been a hostage/crisis negotiator and crisis de-escalator, and is a board-certified EMT.)
IMPORTANT: As part of our school safety protocols, ALL PARENTS/VISITORS/GUESTS must enter at the front offices and receive a visitor badge. Thank you for your support. All exterior doors at St. Michael’s automatically lock during the school day.
In a crisis, clear communication is essential to an effective response. As you may have experienced on school days with inclement weather, the School utilizes an emergency text system to broadcast brief, time-sensitive messages. In the event of an emergency, this system would be used, along with emails, for more detailed information.
The School’s crisis preparedness and management plans are reviewed and updated regularly and are in keeping with the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) accreditation process.