faith christian
academy
Kindergarten Through Twelfth Grade
175 Springtime Street
Spring Hill, Florida 34608
352-686-5060
Parent/Student Handbook
Statement of Faith
1. We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God (II Timothy 3:15,
II Peter 1:21).
2. We believe there is one God, eternally existent in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
(Genesis 1:1, Matthew 28:19, John 10:30).
3. We believe in the deity of Christ (John 10:33), His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His
vicarious and atoning death, His resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of God the Father, and His
personal return in power and glory.
4. We believe in the absolute necessity of regeneration by the Holy Spirit for salvation because of the
exceeding sinfulness of human nature; and that men are justified on the single ground of faith in the
shed blood of Christ and that only by God’s grace and through faith alone are we saved (John 3:16 19, John 5:24, Romans 3:23, Romans 5:8-9, Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 3:5).
5. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the
resurrection of life, and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation (John 5:28-29).
6. We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians
12:12-13, Galatians 3:26-28).
7. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to
live a godly life (Romans 8:13-14, 1 Corinthians 3:16 & 6:19-20, Ephesians 4:30 & 5:18).
8. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage
between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality,
bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We
believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance.
(Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5; Gen. 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-29; I Cor. 5:1, 6:9; I Thess. 4:1-8)
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Non-Discrimination Statement
Faith Christian Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, color,
or national/ ethnic origin in its admission policy. As a religious, private
institution, however, we screen students on the basis of academic ability,
deportment, and compatibility with the goals, purpose, and philosophy of Faith
Christian Academy.
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Academics
Faith Christian Academy is dedicated to the pursuit of academic excellence. We use
ABEKA curriculum from Pensacola Christian College Press and ACE curriculum from
Accelerated Christian Education. All students from grades K through 12 take the Stanford
Achievement Test each spring to measure academic prowess in each of the core subjects.
These standardized tests allow teachers and school personnel to monitor the learning of the
students.
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Curriculum Overview
The K-4 through 4th grade traditional classes use the ABEKA curriculum which has a strong
phonics approach to reading. The program’s emphasis is on reading, writing, mathematics,
history, science/health, and language arts. Character instruction and Bible are also part of the
daily instruction. The King James Version of the Bible is used in class, chapel and for Bible
memory. Each student should have their own copy of the King James Version of the Bible.
Individualized classrooms are available for some elementary students and are used for
5th through 12th grade. The curriculum is Accelerated Christian Education and offers
all of the core subjects, as well as several electives. In addition to the basic curriculum,
students will receive physical education activities, music and field trips to enhance the
learning process.
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Homework
We believe homework to be an important part of our school’s program. It is of
importance that the student’s assignments are completed and turned in on time.
We request the parent(s) cooperate with the teacher in seeing the assignments are
completed and neatly done.
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Report Cards, Progress Reports, Conferences
Report cards are issued every 9 weeks. A parent may request a conference with their
child’s teacher concerning his/her progress. Progress reports may be sent home to inform
parents when help is needed. The grading scale we use is as follows:
100-A+
89-87-B+
77-79-C+
67-69-D+
Below 60-F
93-99-A
83-86-B
73-76-C
63-66-D
90-92-A80-82-B70-72-C60-62-D-
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Attendance
a.
Regular school attendance is necessary for your child’s academic success.
Absences need to be kept to a minimum. A note explaining a child’s absence
is required upon the child’s return to school. Three consecutive absences in a
marking period may require special arrangements be made to complete
assignments.
b.
Tardiness cannot be habitual. A student late 3 times in a marking period equal
one absence. Late arrivals are disruptive to the class.
c.
There are to be no more than nine absences per semester or no more than eighteen in
a school year. A student may be in jeopardy of being retained based on attendance.
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Chapel
A weekly chapel service is provided in the church auditorium, Bible stories,
special announcements, or guest speakers may be a part of the chapel service.
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Discipline and Conduct
It is our belief that the best environment for the student is one that is orderly,
safe, and respectful. The child’s conduct should reflect these same values. We
would like to encourage the children to take responsibility for their own
behavior and to use self-control. Self-discipline is a great character builder.
One we need to encourage as parents and teachers. Positive actions as well as some
punitive measures may be used to encourage appropriate behavior. There is a Detention
Policy used for infractions of classroom rules concerning behavior and incomplete class
work. Demerits earned for infractions earn detention time as below:
1 demerit - none
2 demerits - none
3 demerits - 20 minutes
4 demerits - 30 minutes
5 demerits - 40 minutes
6 demerits - 50 minutes
7 demerits - 60 minutes
If a student exceeds 7 demerits in one day, student will serve one day of suspension.
Each day the student starts with a clean slate of no demerits. Detention slips will go
home the day demerits are earned informing the parent of the detention that must be
served after school the following day. The parent must sign the detention slip, and the
student must return it to school signed. If the detention slip is not returned signed, the
parent will be contacted, and the detention will be served. In the event that a student does
not respond to the discipline actions of his/her teacher, it may become necessary for an
administrator to intervene and take disciplinary action as needed. Parents may be asked to
become involved in carrying out the prescribed discipline. Parent/teacher communications
will be an important part of the discipline process. Discipline for infraction of the school
rules is solely on a case-by-case basis. Some violations are of greater consequence. Repeated
offenses, willful disobedience, poor attitude, arguing, cheating, lying, profanity, etc. may
result in suspension of 1,2, or 3 days or in expulsion.
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Basic Rules For Students
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Students shall respect all teachers, staff, and parent volunteers.
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Students shall respect their fellow classmates. Teasing, name-calling,
bullying, and other forms of harassment will not be tolerated.
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Follow the dress code.
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Respect the school property. This includes proper treatment of desks,
furnishings, computers, books, walls, lockers, etc. Parents may be called
on to cover replacement or repair expenses.
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Students must walk in a quiet and orderly fashion while in the building as
well as entering and exiting.
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Music, tapes, CDs, mp 3 players, toys, hand-held games, etc. have no place in
the classroom or at any school sponsored activity unless permission is granted.
(This list includes any and all hand-held electronic devices.)
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Cell phone use is not permitted at school or at any school sponsored event. The first
offense will result in the cell phone being taken by the teacher and will be returned to
the student at the end of the day. With a second offense, the phone will be taken and
will be returned to a parent. Any successive offense will necessitate the phone being
confiscated and not being returned until a meeting is held with the student, parent and
school personnel.
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Use of, or possession of items such as tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs, knives, guns, or
other weapons is forbidden and may result in immediate expulsion.
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New students are admitted on a 9 week probationary period.
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Dress Code
BOYS:
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Dress pants, casual pants or khakis are acceptable, NO JEANS OR SHORTS.
Pants may not be tight fitting. Belts are required and pants must be properly worn at
the waist.
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Collared shirts with short or long sleeves, polo or tailored, in solids or in like
designs free from pictures or words. Shirts must be tucked in. T SHIRTS are not
permitted.
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For Chapel, field trips, special days, or assemblies we require students to wear dress
shirt and tie or a polo shirt with the school’s logo. Polo shirts may be purchased
from the school. An order form was included in the registration packet or one may
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be obtained from the office or from one of the school staff.
Shoes with socks are required and shall be worn at all times. Shoes with cleats or
wheels are not permitted. K4 through 4th grade students are required to wear close
toed shoes to school. 5th through 12th grade students must bring tennis shoes for
outside activities and physical education. NO FLIP FLOPS OR SLIDES are
permitted.
Heavy chains worn at the waist or neck or anywhere else on the body are not
permitted. Boys will not be permitted to wear necklaces, earrings or rings
anywhere on the body.
Tattoos are forbidden, permanent or otherwise.
GIRLS:
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Dress pants, casual pants or khakis are acceptable, NO JEANS OR SHORTS.
Pants may not be tight fitting. If the pants have belt loops, belts are required.
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Jumpers, skirts and dresses shall be middle of the knee or longer. NO SPANDEX!
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Shoes with socks or hose are required and shall be worn at all times. Shoes with
cleats or wheels are not permitted. K4 through 4th grade students are required to
wear close toed shoes to school. 5th through 12th grade students must bring tennis
shoes for outside activities and physical education. NO FLIP FLOPS OR SLIDES
are permitted.
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Collared shirts with short or long sleeves, polo or tailored, in solids or in like
designs free from pictures or words are acceptable. Girls in Junior High and Senior
High may wear dressy or casual blouses or shirts that meet the above criteria and
are not low-cut, tight fitting or see-through. T SHIRTS are not permitted.
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Girls may wear one earring in each ear but may not wear rings anywhere else on the
body.
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Tattoos are forbidden, permanent or otherwise.
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For the purposes of outside activities, shorts should be worn under dresses, skirts, or
jumpers. The purpose is modesty.
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K 4 & K 5 Knee length shorts are also acceptable for boys and girls. Other dress code
requirements are the same as above.
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Outerwear
Appropriate jackets, sweaters, windbreakers, sweatshirts, etc. are needed for
rainy or cold days. Our space is limited; please be sure your child is not
accumulating these items in the classroom. Please do not bring umbrellas.
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Hair
Boys: No facial hair. Bangs should be kept above the eyebrows. No fad hair styles. Hair
must be off the collar, off the ear, neatly trimmed and tapered in the back.
Hair
should
be kept clean, and kept a natural color so as not to cause a distraction.
Girls: Neatly kept and clean. Bangs should be kept above the eyebrows. No
extreme styles are permitted and colors shall be kept natural so as not to cause
a distraction.
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Financial Responsibilities
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our
Application fees which include registration are nonrefundable.
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Tuition for the full amount of $350 per month is due on the first of each month
beginning with August. Tuition is due each subsequent month for the next nine
months for a total of ten months.
Delinquent Accounts
An account becomes delinquent after 30 days and will require an immediate
meeting with the parents to arrange for the account to be paid in full. Report
cards and test scores along with transfer of records will not be honored for
students with past due accounts.
Accounts must be current for a student to re-enroll the following year.
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Withdrawals
Withdrawals are by written notice and any part of a month is counted as a
full month’s tuition. It is not prorated.
Lunches and Snacks
The Academy has no lunch program so each child must bring a lunch from home. No
microwaveable foods are permitted. Please provide a fruit snack for your child’s morning
snack.
Visitors and Volunteers
Volunteers must be registered in the church office. Parent involvement is a necessary part
of our school program. We encourage parents to volunteer time, energy, and resources when
asked to help. Any parent interested in volunteering at Faith Christian Academy will be asked
to be fingerprinted for a background check. This action is necessary to ensure the safety of
students.
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Harassment
Harassment issues that involve the conduct of persons under the auspices of
the school shall be dealt with to maintain a safe, non-threatening environment
that fosters respect and dignity of every individual. Harassment, intimidation,
or bullying should be reported to teachers, parents, or administrators. Prompt
attention will be paid to misconduct on the part of all persons involved.
Corrective measures will be implemented to help resolve the issues at hand.
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Health and Safety
Health and safety issues when they reflect on the child are reportable when
abuse or neglect is suspected. Reports will be made to Child Protective
Services or to law enforcement.
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Health Notice
It is the parents’ responsibility to keep their children at home and secure prompt medical
attention for them when symptoms of disease are exhibited such as:
Signs of a cold; fever, cough, running nose, watery eyes, sore throat, etc.
Diarrhea
Inflammation of the eyes
Abscesses
Draining sores or burns
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Rash of unknown origin (diagnosis to determine if contagious)
Headache or head pain, earache
Vomiting
Loss of appetite
Excessive irritability or unusual passiveness
Scalp itching without inspection
CHILDREN MUST BE SYMPTOM FREE FOR 24 HOURS BEFORE RETURNING TO SCHOOL
It is the responsibility of the school to observe each child upon arrival for symptoms of
possible illness or contagious disease and to send the child home immediately. If the
symptoms occur later in the day the child will be kept in isolation until he or she can be
taken home.
PLEASE HELP US SAFEGUARD THE HEALTH OF ALL OF OUR CHILDREN!
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Accidents and Injuries
Accidents or injuries that occur on our school premises will be reported as an
incident. Appropriate, immediate first aid will be administered. Parents will be
notified. Emergency transportation will be called in case of a medical
emergency. The student’s medical release form will accompany the
transported child.
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Emergency and Disaster Procedures
Monthly fire drills are conducted to acquaint the student body with a quick
and orderly exit of the building. Safety measures are in place to best
accomplish safe egress. Fire safety rules are discussed with the
students each year. Emergency evacuation plans are posted in case of a hurricane
or storm.
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Illness
Children exhibiting signs of illness will be isolated from the classroom
according to our health statement. Parents or another designated contact
person will be called. Children exhibiting signs of illness at home
(vomiting, a temperature of 100 degrees or higher, diarrhea, colored drainage
from the sinuses, etc.) should not come to school until symptom free for 24 hours.
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Medications and Prescriptions
Written permission for administering medications must be obtained by school
personnel before we can give your child medicines. Frequency and dosage
must be clearly stated and in turn logged by person administering the
medication. No medicines can be kept by students. Medication must be in
original container with the child’s name clearly displayed.
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Pediculosis (head lice)
Students affected by head lice are NOT allowed to attend school. Students
found with head lice will be sent home. This common condition is effectively
treated with anti-lice applications. Return will be permitted only when the
child is nit-free. All children are subject to regular inspection for head lice.
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Hours of Operation
K-4: Monday - Friday 8:30 - 11:30 A.M.
Before care: Monday - Friday 7:30 - 8:30 A.M.
After care: Monday - Friday 3:00 - 5:30 P.M.
K-4 wraparound may include before and/or after care
School hours 8:30 - 3:00
Students may enter building after 8:00. Students dropped off before 8:30 must report to the
room where teachers are supervising students who have arrived before class begins. If it
is necessary to be dropped off before 8:00, there will be a charge of $10.00. Also, a charge
of $10.00 will be incurred if a student is not picked up by 3:15.
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Lost and Found
Lost and found articles will be kept no longer than thirty days after trying to
locate the owner.
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Parents
Your presence can be of great help to your child’s teacher. If you wish to
volunteer as a room parent, paperwork must be submitted to conduct
background checks with the state of Florida Department of Law Enforcement
and the State of Florida Department of Children Services.
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School Closings
We close our facility for emergencies when the Hernando School District
indicates the necessity for school closures. School closings will be broadcast on
the Joy FM (88.1 or 91.5) or will coincide with the Hernando School District closings on local
TV and radio broadcasts. Parents, please call if there is a doubt as to whether or not school has
been reopened. The school phone number is 352-686-9350. Lock downs are enforced
according to emergency situations.
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Safety
Your child’s safety is our main concern. Please complete all students’ forms
and keep them updated as situations change. Make a complete listing of
persons who may pick up your child with current phone numbers. Persons
who are not known to the school personnel must be on the approved list and will be
asked to show picture ID to pick up your child.