Parent / Student Handbook

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18

Our Mission:

To provide a high-quality, classical, Christ-centered education that emphasizes character and connectedness while preparing students for their future

Our Core Values:

Classical - Christian - Connection - Character

Classical methods: In the delivery of the core subjects we teach through an integrated curriculum Students will learn using memorization, singing and storytelling as well as through reading classic literature. We will start chronologically with the history of the world and study poetry, art, non-fiction, myths, legends, folklore, and the cultures and peoples of those who have come before us.

Christian Worldview:

Our content is Christ-centered. We use the Bible as our framework from which we view reality and make sense of life and the world While students and families are not required to have faith in Jesus to be a part of SCLC, Bible reading and Christian tenets of faith will be incorporated into the curriculum.

Connection:

We aspire to be in relationship with one another, our world, our history, and our Creator.

Character:

We value listening, critical thinking, consideration, conviction, courage, and integrity. We want students to become responsible for their actions and their impact on others

Statement of Faith:

We believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell The third day he rose again from the dead He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.

Schedule:

PLEASE SEE WEBSITE FOR SCHEDULE AND CALENDAR

School Culture:

Our Beginnings:

SCLC was founded by a cooperative group of educators and parents who saw a growing need for educational choice in Sitka that combines Christian values with a high-quality curriculum and some of the flexibility of homeschooling.

Curriculum:

We are partnering with education consultant Miss Esther to provide a multi-age, multi-grade classical curriculum Our school will cycle on a four-year instructional basis We started with ancient history in 2022-23, are moving to medieval times this academic school year 2023-24, and will continue with early modern history in 2024-25, and follow with the modern age in 2025-26 We will loop this curriculum every four years We will be offering Latin, art, music and science, as well as a separate language arts and math curriculum Grades 8+ and above will follow the same history cycle, but curriculum will differ.

Absences:

We hope your child can attend every day. Please let us know in advance of planned absences so we can ensure your child will not fall behind. Students who miss class will be expected to keep up with material presented in class for that day

Sickness & Allergies:

For the health of the school, we ask that your child stay at home if they have a fever over 100 degrees or if they are vomiting Please keep your child home a full 24 hours If a student has a persistent cough please use good judgment. If or when our school attendance rate drops below

50 percent, we will cancel the school for the day Also, if the lead teacher(s) is sick there is a rare possibility school or class will be canceled.

Covid-19 Statement:

SCLC recognizes the difficult situation that COVID - 19 poses. We also recognize the importance of in-person education Due to the varied responses to the situation we want families to know masks will not be required However, we will respectfully allow parent choice Most importantly we will model respect for all in the school so no student, teacher, parent, or volunteer will feel unsupported, isolated, or ostracized by their masking choices

Safety:

Your child’s safety is of utmost importance to us. All lead instructors and co-op members will be required to have background checks Your privacy is also of importance to us, and we will be using a background check service that only shares minimum, necessary results with school administration. Once a keypad is installed on our main entrance we will keep the door of the school locked Those entering and exiting will need to know the key code to be allowed access into the building. There will be clear expectations set and policies in place to ensure your child’s safety is preserved

Technology & Cell Phone Usage

Ideally there would be zero cell phones with students on campus. However, we realize this is a tool parents use to communicate with their children, and on those terms cell phones are allowed However phones will be expected to stay in backpacks during the academic day During the academic school day K-7+ students will rarely interface with technology. Nearly all assignments given will be paper and pencil assignments and for nearly all research books will be used as reference materials. This will change in high school where technology may be used more frequently, with cell phones and laptops allowed inside of the instructional school day

Homework Policy

We believe the education of a child is primarily the parents’ responsibility. Sitka Classical takes seriously your willingness to allow us to walk alongside you as you educate your child(ren) With that said, we hope you will consider co-oping with us so you can be a part of all of the inquiry and exploration taking place in the classroom. Our goal is to help inspire lifelong learners Outside of the school day we hope that your child will spend time reading We will not “assign” homework for Kindergarten or first grade students. However, once your child becomes an independent reader we will ask your child to read 20 minutes a night, five nights a week, and record their reading as well as some weekly memory work and unfinished work Beginning in grade six we will ask your child to read 30 minutes a night, five nights a week. All homework assignments will come home at night in their homework folders These assignments will be limited and will never exceed 60 minutes a night. Once students reach the high school level expect 60-90 minutes of work outside each instructional day. This work will never be “busy” work and will usually involve reading or additional time on writing assignments

Late Work

When a deadline is given to an assignment, students will be expected to turn in the assignment on the date due If they are one day late, they receive half credit If it is more than one day late they will receive no credit for that assignment. We believe a firm policy helps keep students accountable and prevent them from falling behind

Dress Code

Gr. K-7+ students will be required to bring a pair of indoor shoes or indoor slippers for time inside the building Please note, they will be required to keep shoes here in the school Please label your children’s shoes so they do not get mixed up. Clothing should be modest and God-honoring Please don’t wear midriffs, low-cut or tank tops Shorts and skirts should extend past the student's fingertips when the student is standing

Snacks & Lunches, and Weekly School Community Events:

We will have snack time daily, though the school will not provide these Please limit sugar for snacks as it affects students' learning Please have your child bring a snack in their lunch bag Lunch will not be provided. Students should also bring a labeled water bottle to have on hand. Parents are always welcome to join us for lunch, but we especially welcome parents and extended families on Fridays. Each Friday we will have a brown paper bag-style lunch together as a school community from 11:40 am - 12:00 pm, followed by a weekly chapel from 12:00 pm12:45 pm A weekly nature walk will follow from 12:45 pm - 2:30 pm Some Fridays in lieu of a nature walk may serve in the community of Sitka through various projects.

Drop Off / Pick up:

Your child is welcome to arrive at school any time between 8:00 am and 8:15 am We ask that you observe those times. If you know you will be late, please text the teacher so we know where you are Pick up from school is 2:30 pm - 2:40 pm A $15 fee will be charged for any day you pick your child up after 2:45 pm. This will jump to $30 if you pick up your child after 3:00 pm. Please respect the dismissal times.

Evaluations: Portfolios & Academic Notebooks:

All recommended grades will be accessible to parents on ClassReach Grades 1-7+ students will be creating academic portfolios. All class work will be organized and collected in binders accessible to families and students throughout the academic school year These binders will go home with students at the end of each academic year. The portfolios will have work samples for students’ district homeschool program. Lead teachers will provide initial learning plan (ILP) content, work samples and recommended grades to families, and district homeschool-enrolled families will submit ILP and all work samples/progress reports to their homeschool program. Some work will not be found in portfolios: Bible, handwriting, spelling, and math work will be found in academic notebooks and will be easily accessible by your child

Admissions Policy: Discipleship:

At SCLC we walk alongside your student in all areas of the academic day and seek to grow the whole child In the classroom as well as PE , recess, and lunch, lead teachers are actively engaged discipling your child Building students of character is of utmost importance and cannot be accomplished without engaged educators and more importantly, actively-involved parents We partner with families to hold children accountable for their behaviors and engage students in recognizing how their actions impact the community at large. We also set a high bar on focused, respectful learning and require students to provide their best work. If there are recurring negative, disruptive or distracting behaviors that prevent others from learning or if students repeatedly produce poor-quality work, as a parent you will be expected to be involved in the dialog, and a change in student behavior will be expected If over time changes are not made, there will be a conversation with all involved as to whether SCLC is a good fit for your child. Other students' education should not be compromised due to one child’s classroom conduct or lack of engagement And we cannot be successful in this endeavor apart from parents' engagement

Special Needs:

Students diagnosed with a learning disability are welcome to apply to SCLC as long as they can meet the discipline standards of the classroom, discussions, and daily routine Neither our faculty nor our facility is equipped for severe learning disabilities, but if we can assist a student in meeting his full God-given potential without disruption to other students, then those with learning disabilities are welcome at SCLC

Annual Tuition:

See Tuition Guide

Billing:

Families will be billed annually at the beginning of the year, but may choose to pay monthly. You will be expected to pay the bill promptly; unless otherwise notified not later than 10 days after your bill is received. You may pay either in cash or check to Sitka Classical Learning Center; we also accept credit adn debit card payments for a small additional fee After the first day of school if your child withdraws you will still be expected to pay the tuition in full

Additional Expenses:

There is a one-time $50 per family registration fee, along with an annual materials and curriculum fee of $500 per enrolled student If half- day enrolled students would like to participate in full enrichment week, there will be a $100 charge. Also, out of respect to the teachers and co-oping families, a $15 fee will be charged for any day you pick your child up after 2:45 pm. This will jump to a $30 fee if you pick up your child after 3:00 pm. Please respect the dismissal times

Parent Honor Code:

I am enrolling my child as a student at Sitka Classical Learning Center because I want my child to be educated in truth, virtue, and beauty. I understand that my child will be educated under a Christian worldview and that guiding students to know God and live purposefully in their walk with Him is the primary tenent of Sitka Classical This includes being on time, being present, being healthy in body and mind, and being respectful. For this reason, I understand that school attendance is a way of loving both teachers and classmates I will ensure my child’s timely arrival so he or she is prepared for class (unless an emergency arises) I understand that my child will need to submit to the authority of the instructors during school and school-sponsored events. I also understand that I will be ultimately responsible for my child’s behavior while at SCLC

Student Honor Code:

I am enrolling as a student in the Sitka Classical Learning Center and as such agree to submit to the authority of the instructors at SCLC as agreed to by my parent(s). I understand that Sitka Classical aims to foster a culture where we love God and love our neighbor, and as such I promise to do the same through my actions, attitude, and words as I learn and grow in the Christian community and in my academic endeavors My commitment is simple:

● I will seek to love those around me, treating each the way I would like to be treated.

● I will not be disruptive in class

● I will be consistently on time and present for classes

● I will come to school having eaten breakfast and, to the best of my ability, with a good night’s sleep

● I will seek forgiveness when I have wronged someone.

● I will submit to the authority of my instructors (as delegated by my parents) in grading and in conduct

School Governance & Accreditation:

We are a praying community. Currently, there is a weekly SCLC prayer meeting every Monday at 3:00 pm which families and all other vested parties are welcome to join We also have a board that meets throughout the year SCLC is a member of the Association of Classical Christian Schools, or ACCS, and is pursuing accreditation.

Salaries and Qualifications:

We are operating currently as a tutoring company working with a homeschool co-op With that said, we want and need parents of students to step into leadership roles Please consider your strengths, passions and/or availability and let us know how you can contribute to making our learning center not only sustainable but a place for our students to learn and thrive Our lead instruction and tutoring team consists of a diverse background of both certificated teachers and