Summit CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
Student
HANDBOOK 2023-2024
"In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Colossians 2:3
WELCOME
MESSAGE SCA Partners in Ministry, Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! I believe that God has placed each of us here, at this specific time, for His specific purposes. I pray that we would remain intentional in prayer for each other, and the children and families we are called to serve. Our theme this year is “ALL IN FOR HIM” based on the passage “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart”, Jeremiah 29:13. I invite your prayers as we boldly go “ALL IN FOR HIM” in caring and service to the children and families of SCA, to each other and our community.
Chris Hahn Head of School
As we begin the year, we are blessed with a record enrollment nearing 1250 children. God has blessed us with additional faculty to nurture and encourage head knowledge, and heart knowledge. We are blessed with an improved campus as the Elementary School remodel was completed on time and on budget. We are blessed as our campus was expanded with the creation of 8 additional SCA designated classrooms at Lee’s Summit Community Church to be used this year for Junior High ministry and learning. While the campus grows in numbers and facilities, our mission remains the same. Summit Christian Academy exists to inspire students to achieve their God given potential through excellent academics and Christian training in a compassionate environment. We have an incredible responsibility and opportunity, to inspire, encourage, challenge, pray with and for, motivate, question, and hold accountable one another and the children of SCA. May we be led and empowered by God’s grace and the power of the Holy Spirit in our mutual service. I look forward to working with and for each of you. Chris Hahn, Head of School
STAFF
DIRECTORY
ELEMENTARY - 816.524.0185 FAX - 816.524.4105 SECONDARY - 816.525.1480 FAX - 816.525.5402 ADMINISTRATION: Deb Augustine
Admin Asst to Secondary Asst Principal
daugustine@sca-kc.org
Kelsey Branch
Community Relations Assistant
kbranch@sca-kc.org
Sarah Coats
Director of Development
scoats@sca-kc.org
Dan Cockrell
Technology Director
dcockrell@sca-kc.org
Courtney Constant
Finance Director
cconstant@sca-kc.org
Rocco DeFelice
International Program Director
rdefelice@sca-kc.org
Cordell Dick
Director of Access & Affordability
cordelld@sca-kc.org
Chris Hahn
Head of School
chahn@sca-kc.org
Joe Hesman
Secondary Principal & Director of Ops
jhesman@sca-kc.org
Matt Holman
School Resource Officer
mholman@sca-kc.org
Alyssa Knox
Counselor
aknox@sca-kc.org
Carmen Kraus
Elementary Athletic Director
ckraus@sca-kc.org
Julie Madsen
Upper Elementary Principal
jmadsen@sca-kc.org
Rochelle McBride
Upper Elem Principal Assistant
rmcbride@sca-kc.org
Rick McGregor
Counselor
rmcgregor@sca-kc.org
Christy Merrell
Assist Director of Development
cmerrell@sca-kc.org
Anthony Mickelson
Secondary Assistant Principal
amickelson@sca-kc.org
Brittany Miles
Asst to Head of School & HR Director
bmiles@sca-kc.org
Kelly Montgomery
Dean of Innovation, Integration, and Improvement
kellymontgomery@sca-kc.org
STAFF
DIRECTORY Lesly Pace
Community Relations Assistant
lpace@sca-kc.org
Deniece Park
Development Assistant
dpark@sca-kc.org
Shaun Pfannenstiel
College & Career Advisor
spfannenstiel@sca-kc.org
Andy Pfeifer
Secondary Asst Principal Intern
andypfeifer@sca-kc.org
Kristy Phillips
Secondary Receptionist
kphillips@sca-kc.org
Lance Quessenberry
Secondary Athletic Director
lquessenberry@sca-kc.org
Noelle Rhyne
Health Clerk
nrhyne@sca-kc.org
Erin Rider
Health Clerk
Erider@sca-kc.org
Mallory Robinson
Admin Asst to Secondary Principal
mrobinson@sca-kc.org
Charissa Sanders
Early Ed & Lower Elementary Principal
csanders@sca-kc.org
Joe Sanders
Transportation Director
jsanders@sca-kcorg
Judy Schmidt
7th grade Advisor
jschmidt@sca-kc.org
Tiffany Summitt
Health Clerk
tsummitt@sca-kc.org
Bessie Terranella
Finance Coordinator
bterranella@sca-kc.org
Kathy Tharp
Fine Arts Coordinator
ktharp@sca-kc.org
Mary Thiel
Human Resources Assistant
mthiel@sca-kc.org
Mary Tovar
Elementary Office Assistant
mtovar@sca-kc.org
Kreg Welch
Technology Integration Coordinator
kregwelch@sca-kc.org
Heidi Winters
Admissions Assistant
hwinters@sca-kc.org
Kathi Woodall
Admin Asst to Secondary Athletic Director
kwoodall@sca-kc.org
Jennifer Yates
Advisor grades 8-10
jyates@sca-kc.org
Amber Zicari
Office Coordinator
azicari@sca-kc.org
STAFF
DIRECTORY Early Education & GAP (Before/After care): Andrea Albin
EE Teacher
andreaalbin@sca-kc.org
Mary Kate Berck
EE Teacher
marykateberck@sca-kc.org
Claire Figlo
EE Teacher
clairefiglo@sca-kc.org
Ann Finch
EE Teacher
annfinch@sca-kc.org
Meagan Ingold
EE Teacher
meaganingold@sca-kc.org
Amanda Minnick
EE Teacher
amandaminnick@sca-kc.org
Megan Richards
EE Teacher
meganrichards@sca-kc.org
Gail Wesselschmidt
GAP Coordinator
gwesselschmidt@sca-kc.org
LOWER ELEMENTARY: KINDERGARTEN:
1ST GRADE:
Karen Davis
karendavis@sca-kc.org
Lauren Mattson
laurenmattson@sca-kc.org
Kassi Ginther
kassiginther@sca-kc.org
Elizabeth Schmidt
elizabethschmidt@sca-kc.org
Sue Santon
suesanton@sca-kc.org
Lindsey Skinner
lindseyskinner@sca-kc.org
Katelyn Wilfong
katelynwilfong@sca-kc.org
Sheri Stiglic
sheristiglic@sca-kc.org
2ND GRADE: Julie Ray
julieray@sca-kc.org
Jennifer Rinn
jenniferrinn@sca-kc.org
Rachael Sare
rachaelsare@ca-kc.org
STAFF
DIRECTORY UPPER ELEMENTARY: 3RD GRADE:
4TH GRADE:
Allisan Stephens
allisanstephens@sca-kc.org
Shauna Borgstadt
shaunaborgstadt@sca-kc.org
Kristen Tschida
kristentschida@sca-kc.org
Ashley Clark
ashleyclark@sca-kc.org
Jennifer Wilhoit
jenniferwilhoit@sca-kc.org
Kari Cubley
karicubley@sca-kc.org
Amy Young
amyyoung@sca-kc.org
6TH GRADE:
5TH GRADE: Michelle Bacon
michellebacon@sca-kc.org
Chandra Brownlee
chandrabrownlee@sca-kc.org
Ellie Dunham
elliedunham@sca-kc.org
Erin Cook
erincook@sca-kc.org
Katelyn Pav
katelynpav@sca-kc.org
Alexis Govro
alexisgovro@sca-kc.org
Gillian Reising
gillianreising@sca-kc.org
ELEMENTARY SPECIALS TEACHERS: Katie Carruthers
Art 5th & 6th
katiecarruthers@sca-kc.org
Heather Elizondo
Spanish
heatherelizondo@sca-kc.org
Stacy Epema
Stewards
stacyepema@sca-kc.org
Laura Hoelzel
Spanish
laurahoelzel@sca-kc.org
Anna Jociryn
Vocal Music
annajociryn@sca-kc.org
Lorena Johnson
Spanish
lorenajohnson@sca-kc.org
Meredith McWilliams
Librarian
meredithmcwilliams@sca-kc.org
STAFF
DIRECTORY ELEMENTARY SPECIALS TEACHERS CONTINUED: Brandon Schaedel
PE
brandonschaedel@sca-kc.org
Kara Totzke
PE
karatotzke@sca-kc.org
Suzanne Turner
Art K - 4th
suzanneturner@sca-kc.org
Ben White
Vocal Music
benwhite@sca-kc.org
SECONDARY TEACHERS: Shea Allen
sheaallen@sca-kc.org
Carrie Friedline
carriefriedline@sca-kc.org
Lynnae Andersen
lynnaeandersen@sca-kc.org
Justin Giger
justingiger@sca-kc.org
Rich Bartow
richbartow@sca-kc.org
Laura Hoelzel
laurahoelzel@sca-kc.org
Becky Blaine
beckyblaine@sca-kc.org
Bruce Hoover
brucehoover@sca-kc.org
Dan Cahill
dancahill@sca-kc.org
Mandy Hoover
mandyhoover@sca-kc.org
Katie Carruthers
katiecarruthers@sca-kc.org
Nancy Horine
nancyhorine@sca-kc.org
Allison Cook
allisoncook@sca-kc.org
Lorena Johnson
lorenajohnson@sca-kc.org
Brad Creason
bradcreason@sca-kc.org
Jana Jurkovich
janajurkovich@sca-kc.org
Georgia Duncan
georgiaduncan@sca-kc.org
Debi Lee
debilee@sca-kc.org
Andre Echols
Andreechols@sca-kc.org
Tammy Lee
tammylee@sca-kc.org
Danielle Ezra
danielleezra@sca-kc.org
Patrick Love
patricklove@sca-kc.org
Chantele Ferguson
chanteleferguson@sca-kc.org
Dennis Luce
dennisluce@sca-kc.org
Diane Ferguson
dianeferguson@sca-kc.org
Michael Mayor
michaelmayor@sca-kc.org
Greg Finch
gregfinch@sca-kc.org
Tim Mattson
timmattson@sca-kc.org
STAFF
DIRECTORY SECONDARY TEACHERS CONTINUED: ACADEMIC SUPPORT TEACHERS:
Rhonda Morrison
rhondamorrison@sca-kc.org
Angie Moyer
angiemoyer@sca-kc.org
Linda Creason
lindacreason@sca-kc.org
Matthew Peek
matthewpeek@sca-kc.org
Shannon Miller
shannonmiller@sca-k.org
Andy Pfeifer
andypfeifer@sca-kc.org
Sharon DeFelice
sharondefelice@sca-kc.org
Jessica Phillips
jessicaphillips@sca-kc.org
Stacy Epema
stacyepema@sca-kc.org
Cassie Puckett
cassiepuckett@sca-kc.org
Tonya Gargotta
tonyagargotta@sca-kc.org
Montana Rex
montanarex@sca-kc.org
Jennifer Hamline
jenniferhamline@sca-kc.org
Tony Roman
tonyroman@sca-kc.org
Ian Keller
iankeller@sca-kc.org
Steve Scheperle
stevescheperle@sca-kc.org
Susan Kennedy
susankennedy@sca-kc.org
Tim Schwab
timschwab@sca-kc.org
Joy Lucht
joylucht@sca-kc.org
Ashley Shaw
ashleyshaw@sca-kc.org
Corinne Smeda
corinnesmeda@sca-kc.org
Abigail Stolberg
abigailstolberg@sca-kc.org
TECHNOLOGY:
Tellus Truesdale
tellustruesdale@sca-kc.org
Marty Beaird
mbeaird@sca-kc.org
Greg Turner
gregturner@sca-kc.org
Dan Cockrell
dcockrell@sca-kc.org
Elaine Whitfield
elainewhitfield@sca-kc.org
Kreg Welch
kregwelch@sca-kc.org
Abigail Woodall
abigailwoodall@sca-kc.org
Pam Wooldridge
pamwooldridge@sca-kc.org
Tim Dyer
tdyer@sca-kc.org
Kristen Zumwalt
kristenzumwalt@sca-kc.org
Mikki Shearer
mshearer@sca-kc.org
Graci Welch
gwelch@sca-kc.org
KITCHEN: Jen Satterfield jsatterfield@sca-kc.org
MAINTENANCE:
TABLE OF
CONTENTS Foundational Beliefs Board of Education & Affiliation Technology Guidelines
11-14 15 16-19
Entrance & Admissions Standards
20
Financial Information
21-22
Parents at SCA
23-24
Character Development
25-27
School Visits and Hours
26-27
Extra Curricular and Co-Curricular
28-30
Student Services
31-35
Additional Policies
35
Information for K-6
36
Elementary Academics
37
Student Discipline
38-40
Dress Code
41-42
Attendance and Tardies
43
Schedules
44
TABLE OF
CONTENTS Information for 7-12
45
Academics
46-51
AP/Dual Credit
52-54
Graduation Requirements
55
Dress Code
56
Attendance and Tardies
57-58
Conduct & Discipline Policies
59-63
Support Services
64-66
Spiritual Life Clubs and Organizations
66 67-69
Schedules
70
Elementary Building Layout
71
Secondary Building Layout
72
Church Classrooms
73
Contact Information
74
The Student Handbook is an operational manual that is in line with the school’s Foundational Documents and Policies. Summit Christian Academy reserves the right, however, to change any policy or procedure in the Handbook at any time when, at the discretion of the Board and Administration, if the change is deemed to be in the best interest of the school.
FOUNDATIONAL
BELIEFS
MISSION Inspire students to achieve their God-given potential through excellent academics and Christian training in a compassionate environment.
For purposes of Summit Christian Academy’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, the school’s Board of Education is the final interpretive authority on the Bible’s application.
VISION The school of choice for Christian families whose priority is excellence.
POSITION ON MARRIAGE, SEXUALITY, AND GENDER IDENTITY Summit Christian Academy (SCA) believes that the term marriage has only one meaning: the God-ordained union of one man and one woman in a covenant commitment, distinguished by sexual exclusivity, permanence and devotion to their good and to the welfare of any children within the family, as delineated in Scripture (Genesis 2:1825).
VALUES PROPOSITION – A transformational education for each child - refining and testing faith. Renewing the mind and proving truth. Revealing and equipping purpose. Increasing in wisdom and favor. STATEMENT OF FAITH As a community school, it is not our intention to promote the doctrines of any one church or denomination. Instead, we will center on those beliefs that we share in common with each other. 1. We believe the Bible to be the only inspired, infallible, authoritative, inerrant Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 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 (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:35), His sinless life (Hebrews 4:15, Hebrews 7:26), His miracles (John 2:11), His vicarious and atoning death (1 Corinthians 15:3, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 2:9), His resurrection (John 11:25, 1 Corinthians 15:4), His ascension to the right hand of God (Mark 16:19), and His personal return in power and glory (Acts 1:11, Revelation 19:11). 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 we 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 we are 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—the saved to the resurrection of life, and the lost to the resurrection of condemnation (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; I Corinthians 3:16; 6:19-20; Ephesians 4:30; 5:18). The Summit Christian Academy Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe.
We believe that God intends for sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Corinthians 6:18, 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4.) We believe that God’s command is that there be no sexual intimacy outside of or apart from the man-woman marriage relationship. Summit Christian Academy (SCA) believes that God wonderfully foreordained and immutably created each person as either wholly male or wholly female in conformity with their biological sex. These two distinct yet complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God (Genesis 1:26-27). PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION SCA believes that Christian education is a vital link in the successful rearing of children. It is the desire of the founders and staff of SCA to work together with the family and their church in reinforcing high moral values and the Christian lifestyle, while providing an excellent academic experience (Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:23; Genesis 2:18-25; Proverbs 9:10; Romans 1:21-27; Romans 12:1-21). SCA can never replace the significant spiritual impact of a godly home and church. The parents maintain the ultimate responsibility in spiritual matters, but the school can assist them by including sound biblical teaching and through the example and leadership of the faculty (Romans 8:29; Proverbs 1:7). To educate and prepare for life without including God as central to life does not fully prepare a child. The home, church, and school must work together to prepare children spiritually, morally, socially, and academically for their adult lives. The school’s primary responsibility is to provide the student with the necessary academic skills. This responsibility cannot be fulfilled in a spiritual vacuum. The school must also provide spiritual and moral direction in academic pursuits as well as personal life (John 8:32 and Romans 12:2).
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FOUNDATIONAL
BELIEFS
CORE VALUES Christ-centered. Our belief in God and His Word is central to SCA. Through a faculty who practice a personal and active faith, we foster a thoroughly Christian environment where God’s Word is the standard for decision making. Placing Christ at the center of all enables us to educate the whole student, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, socially, and physically. Pursuing grace and truth. SCA seeks to model the life Christ demonstrated on earth, a life full of grace and truth, that rejected legalism for the higher priority of focusing on the inner man. We recognize that Christ looks inward at the motivations of the heart and pursues a relationship with us. We exercise spiritual discernment, speaking the truth in love in order to promote the spiritual growth of the individual without compromising the student body as a whole. Inspiring excellence in learning. The SCA faculty inspires students to discover and develop their God-given gifts and talents. We nurture an enthusiasm for learning, providing an atmosphere wherein students may express creativity, discern truth, think critically, and choose wisely. In academics, the arts, and athletics, we uphold a standard of excellence to encourage students to achieve their individual best. Encouraging spiritual growth. We desire that every student know Christ personally and grow in His grace and knowledge, so they may impact their world for Him. We understand the importance of godly staff and faculty who model the Christian walk and mentor students to pursue their personal relationship with the Lord. Cultivating community. We recognize that the SCA community extends beyond the walls of our school. Coming from diverse backgrounds, we unify around a simple statement of faith that binds us together. We acknowledge the responsibility of the parent, the role of the church, and the authority of the Holy Spirit in training students. Igniting leadership. SCA embodies a culture of servant leadership that is sparked by a sense of individual purpose. With competency, credibility, and compassion, we add value to others and influence the marketplace of ideas.
STUDENT OUTCOMES As part of our reaccreditation process, we were required to develop Schoolwide Expected Student Outcomes. The administration met with faculty members and students to discuss, brainstorm, and develop the outcomes. The Student Outcomes are tied to the SCA Core Values that were developed several years ago and are traits we hope all graduates will have when they leave SCA. Summit Christian Academy seeks to graduate students who: Christ-centered have an active faith driving independent pursuit of a personal relationship with Jesus; have developed the skill set necessary to demonstrate a consistent and genuine desire to live out God’s will as revealed in His Word; have a biblical framework to discern and make Christlike decisions; are able to articulate and defend a Christian worldview; Pursuing grace and truth humbly communicate grace with discernment in their interaction with others; humbly communicate and demonstrate truth with discernment in their interactions with others; view themselves through the lens of grace and truth, rejecting legalism for the higher priority of the heart; Inspiring excellence in learning demonstrate standards of excellence across the curriculum to show mastery of academic requirements for higher education; prioritize the discovery and development of their gifts and talents; confidently use knowledge and critical thinking skills to gather, analyze, and apply information; consistently and accurately evaluate information through a biblical worldview; exercise time management skills and navigate the learning process as a persistent and independent learner, understanding the value of hard work; embrace a lifelong love of learning. Encouraging spiritual growth have been spiritually impacted or mentored by SCA faculty and/or staff; exercise spiritual disciplines such as prayer, Bible reading, fasting, worship, giving, and serving; value fellowship with believers; are confident in their ability to lead and disciple others in Christ; recognize the value of seeking wisdom from godly counsel.
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FOUNDATIONAL
BELIEFS
Cultivating community demonstrate compassion which motivates action toward a world in need; as a Christian living in a diverse world, will demonstrate awareness, appreciation, and sensitivity toward others without compromising their faith; promote unity without sacrificing the essentials of faith; discern truth and lead others in their field of influence; Igniting leadership initiate leadership by using their God-given purpose and talents to influence others and add value to the marketplace of ideas; have active involvement in a local church; identify Christ as the true example of servant leadership and strive to lead as He led; lead with competency, credibility, and compassion. SCA GOALS Spiritual 1. To provide a thoroughly Christian learning environment for students. 2. To teach the Bible as the only inspired, inerrant, infallible, authoritative Word of God. 3. To teach the deity of Christ including His virgin birth, perfect life, atonement on the cross, resurrection, and return. 4. To teach all men have sinned and salvation is based on acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior, with the goal of leading each student to a personal decision of confessing Christ as Savior and Lord. 5. To develop students with integrity, high morals, and a respect for God’s Word. 6. To encourage self-discipline and responsibility in students, based on respect for the submission to God. 7. To work with parents and churches as they train children for a life of service to God. 8. To train students to achieve the very best that God has for them, providing them with a strong sense of who they are in Christ and how they should relate to God and man. 9. To help students develop a biblical worldview.
Academic 1. To provide an excellent academic education for students, preparing them for admission to colleges, universities, or the workforce consistent with their abilities and academic performance. 2. To thoroughly integrate biblical principles in all subject areas. 3. To instill in students a pursuit of excellence in all things. 4. To teach and encourage the use of good study habits. 5. To teach students how to do independent research and to reason logically. 6. To develop creative and critical thinking skills. 7. To help students discover their God-given gifts and talents. Social 1. To provide a safe, caring school environment. 2. To adequately prepare students to become productive, interactive members of society. 3. To develop Christ-like character in students and a desire to treat others with respect (i.e., academic competitions, sports, etc.). 4. To develop in students a spirit of Christian service as exemplified in the person of Jesus Christ. 5. To promote physical fitness and good health habits. 6. To impart a respect for the sanctity of life and abhorrence for the sins of abortion, euthanasia, sexual impurity, and substance abuse.
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FOUNDATIONAL
BELIEFS
COMMUNITY COMPACT The following is the Community Compact that is agreed to and signed by all secondary students and their parents. Summit Christian Academy (SCA) is an association of Christian families from various denominations seeking similar educational and spiritual goals. It is not a church nor does it take the place of one. Instead, it is a unique school where both spiritual and academic aspects are integral. SCA strives to provide a Christian environment conducive to the development of Christ-like attitudes, habits and character in the pursuit of academic excellence and positive extracurricular activities. In cooperation with the handbook and school policies, SCA puts forth this compact to partner with students and parents to work toward this common goal. For its part, SCA commits to operate by biblical principles, including those highlighted in this compact, and uphold the mission statement “to inspire students to achieve their God-given potential through excellent academics and Christian training in a compassionate environment.” When discipline is warranted, SCA further commits to apply it judiciously and with grace. For the student, attending SCA is a privilege that comes with responsibilities and expectations as conveyed in this compact that are to be taken seriously. Christian Life In all settings, the lives of students should reflect biblical principles. Students are to dedicate themselves to: Speak only with integrity using wholesome and truthful words (Eph. 4:29, Phil. 4:8). Demonstrate fruit of the Holy Spirit such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, humility, and forgiveness (Gal. 5:19-21; Col. 3:12-14). Resolve grievances as directed in Matt. 18:15-17 with counsel from parents or other adults who can help bring resolution. Develop in the Christian life seeking God’s will and be diligent in studies seeking to achieve one’s full potential (Rom. 12:2; II Tim. 3:16). Respect and submit to authority (Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 6:13). Regularly attend a Bible-believing church (Acts 2:42-47; Heb. 10:19-25). Students are to avoid: The use of profanity and language that profanes in sexual content in either the spoken or written word (Eph. 5:7; Col. 3:5-10). Dishonesty, prejudice, and cheating (Gal. 3:26-29; II Cor. 4:2; Col. 3:8-10).
Immodesty in dress or behavior (I Tim. 2:8-10; I Cor. 6:18-20; Gen. 1:27). Gossip, derogatory speech, harmful teasing, and bullying (Eph. 4:29; Prov. 11:13). Use of tobacco and illicit drugs, consumption of alcohol, and other illegal activities (Rom. 12:1, Rom. 13:1-2; I Cor. 6:19). Sexual immorality including sexual relations of any kind outside the bonds of marriage, homosexual orientation or activity, transgender identity or activity, and pornography in any form. (Matt 5:27-28; Rom 1:21-27; Rom 12:1; Lev 18:22; Job 13:1; Gen 2:1825; Eph 5:22-33; Genesis 1:27; Mark 10:6) Freedom in Christ In addition to specific biblical principles is the concept of freedom in Christ that requires believers to make biblically-guided choices in matters of behavior, entertainment, and relationships (Gal. 5:13-14; I Pet. 2:16-17; I Cor. 6:20). Parents are ultimately responsible to guide their student in such matters and, while the school acknowledges varying convictions exist, it has established rules and policies with sensitivity to the needs of the school and the practices of other Christians. Be of One Accord In a diverse community of believers complete unanimity is not expected. Even so, each parent and student should support and pray for the school and work with it toward the stated goals and support this compact as a positive statement of biblical aspirations (Phil. 2:2). Student Behavior Students should be mindful that as Christians they represent Christ at all times and, as students of SCA their actions reflect on the school. It is not the intention of the school to tell parents how to parent, so school rules will be enforced only at school functions; however, even away from such functions there can be student behavior so egregious that it necessitates a response by the school. The school may take immediate action or work with the parent and student toward reconciliation with the school. Sustained or flagrant disregard for the school or this compact would indicate a lack of unity with the school and, if remedial action by all those involved did not restore the accord, it would be best for the school and student to part (Phil. 1:27). Conclusion Students are encouraged to enter into this compact willingly with the full intention of learning and growing under its provisions rather than passive compliance. Signing indicates the student and parent join the school in this compact and will endeavor to abide by its principles (James 5:12).
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BOARD OF EDUCATION
& AFFILIATION SCA is a not-for-profit corporation with a Board of Education that directs the operation of the school through a Head of School. The Board of Education is composed of seven persons. Five are elected by the parents for three-year terms and two are pastors appointed by the Board for two-year terms. BOARD OF EDUCATION Don Bisbee, President Tim Wiseman, Vice President Sarah Osborne, Treasurer Angela Schumer Jodi Butler Pastor Fel Bagunu Pastor Toshaun Avery BOARD MEETING STRUCTURE Board meetings will be held regularly throughout the school year. All meetings are closed sessions, which allows for focused and concentrated time for the board to deliberate major board responsibilities, i.e. vision, financial responsibility, future planning, etc. The board may occasionally offer open sessions where parents can attend. Open meetings will be noted as such on the school calendar and announced to school stakeholders at least a week in advance. In an effort to maintain good communication between parents, faculty, staff, and the Board of Education, a board report will be included in the SOARING newsletter. In addition, an email account has been established for the Board. Please send all communications to Board Secretary Brittany Miles at bmiles@sca- kc.org. The Board will review comments as a body and then respond. The Board strongly encourages stakeholders to pursue questions and comments with your principal/supervisor first, then with the Head of School before bringing to the Board. NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY Subject to the Constitution of the United States and all applicable state and federal laws, Summit Christian Academy does not discriminate against applicants or students on the basis of race, color, and national or ethnic origin in its admissions or in the administration of its education policies, programs, or activities. SCHOOL RECORDS In the unlikely event Summit Christian Academy closes, administration will transfer all paper and digital school records to St. Joseph Christian School in St. Joseph, MO. .
ACCREDITATION/AFFILIATION SCA is fully accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and by Cognia. Teachers are expected to obtain and maintain ACSI or state certification. For information on the certification process, check with the Human Resources Coordinator. SCA is a member of the Great Plains Alliance of Christian Schools (GPACS). COVENANT CHURCHES Summit Christian Academy is a nondenominational community school serving families from a wide variety of churches in Lee’s Summit and surrounding areas. Currently we have more than 215 covenant churches. A covenant church is one who agrees to: Be in agreement with the SCA Statement of Faith. Actively support, promote and pray for SCA among their congregation. Permit limited dissemination of school information to church families. In return, Summit Christian Academy extends to covenant churches the following: Enrollment opportunities prior to the beginning of open enrollment. 50% off enrollment fee. Pray regularly for our covenant churches. To find an updated list of covenant churches, go to summit-christian-academy.org. SCHOOL PLEDGES Pledge to the Bible I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God’s Holy Word. I will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. I will hide its word in my heart that I might not sin against God. Pledge to the Christian Flag I pledge allegiance to the Christian flag and to the Savior for whose kingdom it stands. One Savior, crucified, risen and coming again, with life and liberty for all who believe. Pledge to the American Flag I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
15
TECHNOLOGY
GUIDELINES Summit Christian Academy (SCA) is committed to using technology to provide an excellent learning experience for all students and provides students access to technology in order to support the mission of the school and to enhance the curriculum and learning opportunities in the classroom. SCA is pleased to offer students access to technology resources that operate in a safe, filtered Internet environment. To gain access to the Internet, all students must obtain permission as verified by signatures on this form. The use of SCA technology by students is a privilege and students are subject to all applicable school policies and regulations, and state and federal laws. All personal and school-owned devices will be subject to the terms of this agreement. Parent Responsibilities SCA desires to provide supportive and open communication concerning technology as we partner together to “train up a child in the way that he should go.” A strong partnership between school and home will help students “reach their God-given potential.” As such, our Technology Team offers several trainings, one of which is required: Required trainings offered during Open House: Junior High Chromebook Initiation Training for Students and Parents (Required) Recommended trainings offered Friday mornings in Sept, Oct, Jan, and Feb: FACT SIS 101: Details on using the school management system to your greatest benefit as parents (EE-12th) Canvas 101: Details on using SCA’s curriculum system (6-12) Google Classroom 101 (K-5) How to use curriculum delivery system. ***You can sign up for all training sessions through a Signup Genius sign up, which will be emailed to you or in the weekly announcements.*** Parent responsibilities are to: Review the information in this Student Technology User Agreement. Sign the Student Technology User Agreement and return it to school with your student so he or she can receive the device during registration. Monitor student use away from school. Ensure the school-owned devices are properly cared for inside and outside of school.
Google Accounts For all school activities and responsibilities, students should only use their school-issued Google account (@realschoolspirit.org). File storage is unlimited – students should always save documents to this account. Communication is monitored – students should not email teachers or other students with personal email accounts. Student Email Access K-2 – Students do not have access to email from their Google accounts. 3-6 – Students can only send and receive emails from SCA Google accounts (students/teachers) but have been asked not to email other students. 7-8 – Students can only send and receive emails from SCA Google accounts (students/teachers). 9-12 – Students can email SCA and non-SCA email accounts. Account Access For students who withdraw from SCA prior to graduation, school-issued Google accounts will immediately be deactivated. SCA alumni will have access to their Google accounts for 1 year following graduation to provide time to transfer any documents/contacts to a personal account, at which time their accounts will be deactivated. SCA alumni accounts that Google reports as potentially hazardous to our domain will be immediately deactivated. Your student account information should be private information that only you, your parents, and the school Technology Team have access to. Students will receive a handout with all of their account information at orientation. This information needs to be kept in a safe place. Parents/Guardians will be emailed their student’s account information within a week after the first day of school. Security with Securly Securly is a browser extension tied to student Google accounts. As long as students are signed into their school Google accounts, the Securly extension will be active. There are three Securly products we use that you should be familiar with: Filter, Auditor, and Classroom. Filter is a cloud-based web filter that protects students. It is designed to block inappropriate traffic for a safe experience on any device, anywhere students go. Continued next page...
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TECHNOLOGY
GUIDELINES
Security with Securly continued... Auditor provides real-time scanning of email and Google Drive documents for signs of nudity, cyberbullying, suicide, and violence. Classroom is a classroom management tool. It allows teachers to see students’ screens during class for accountability and allows teachers to block students from accessing information during assessments they are not supposed to access.
General Device Information Secondary Students All new High School students are required to provide their own Chromebook or Mac for school use. Devices that run on a Windows Operating System are not allowed for students at SCA. If your device breaks during the year, you must replace it with a Chromebook. Junior High students should not bring their own devices to school. They will only be allowed to use school-issued devices. Your Mac device name should include your first and last name under settings. Headphones and earbuds are only allowed in class at the teacher’s requested need. For School-Owned Devices SCA Chromebooks remain the property of the school. Seventh and eighth grade students may take Chromebooks home after a parent has completed a release form. Students should not Powerwash or reset their Chromebook. Students should only sign into their Chromebook using their school-issued Google account (@realschoolspirit.org). Elementary students will keep their Chromebooks in carts in their classroom. Receiving and Returning Your Device Students in 3rd-8th grades will receive a device to use at school. Before students can use the device, parents and students MUST submit a signed Technology Student User Agreement to acknowledge receipt of the device and understanding of responsibilities related to the device. The device must be returned to the school: at the end of the school year upon withdrawal or transfer to another school at the request of the school.
It must be returned in working order with all parts and accessories included or the appropriate fees will be assessed. Please see the Repair/Replacement Costs guidelines in this handbook for the fee schedule. Receiving and Returning Your Device Students in 3rd-8th grades will receive a device to use at school. Before students can use the device, parents and students MUST submit a signed Technology Student User Agreement to acknowledge receipt of the device and understanding of responsibilities related to the device. The device must be returned to the school: at the end of the school year upon withdrawal or transfer to another school at the request of the school. It must be returned in working order with all parts and accessories included or the appropriate fees will be assessed. Please see the Repair/Replacement Costs guidelines in this handbook for the fee schedule. Caring For Your Device Students are expected to accept the responsibility of caring for their Chromebook just as they would any textbook or other school-issued item. Proper use and care of your school-issued device is essential. This includes caring for the included power cord (if applicable). Please follow these guidelines. At all times Follow the Responsible Use of Technology guidelines in this handbook. Protect your device from damage due to food, liquids or extreme heat or cold. Do not place items on top of your device. At school Do not leave your device unattended or on the floor. Secure your device properly in your bag or backpack when not in use. Have your power cord with you (if applicable). At home Charge your device every night (if applicable). Students are expected to come to school with a fully charged device. Store your power cord with your device. Do not leave your device unattended where it could be accidentally damaged by food, liquids, pets, or small children. Continued...
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TECHNOLOGY
GUIDELINES
Traveling to and from school Do not leave your device in a vehicle or on the school bus. In public, keep your device out of view. Secure your device properly in your bag or backpack while traveling. Device care Use a soft, dry microfiber or lint-free cloth to clean your device screen. Report any issues with your device promptly to a parent, teacher, or school official. Do not remove the school barcode or school identification sticker from your device. Do not install, uninstall, or modify any application, game or operating system component without school authorization. Do not deface the device exterior. Stickers are not allowed to be placed on school devices.
Repair/Replacement Costs SCA will maintain Chromebooks unless there is damage due to accident, abuse, or misuse. If a lost or stolen school-issued device is not recovered or if a schoolissued device is otherwise damaged, the student and the student’s parent(s) or guardian(s) are financially responsible for the repair and/or replacement cost for the device. The following prices are estimates, as exact costs for each repair will be made upon further inspection of the damaged device. Device replacement $235 Motherboard $150 Screen repair or replacement $ 60 Battery (internal) $ 60 Power cord $ 25 Keyboard/Cover $ 60 Cover (top or bottom) $ 50 Should your student’s device become damaged, they will be provided a loaner device while their assigned device is being repaired. This loaner device may not be of equivalent performance or features. *** All repairs must be made by SCA employees or SCA approved technicians ***
Using The Device Securely Students are required to use their school-issued Google account and password to operate their device. The school-issued devices have security features and filtering intended to protect and prohibit your student from accessing inappropriate materials on the Internet unless specific action has been taken to bypass these features. Security features and filtering are in effect at school, and on home or other networks, including public libraries, restaurants, and airports. This is true for all school-issued devices and personally owned Chromebooks that students have signed into with their school-issued Google account. Responsible Use Of Technology Postings of information by SCA students on any social media should be done with great discretion and discernment and should be wholesome, uplifting, and in line with the school’s mission. Students and parents must acknowledge they have read this policy, including its regulation, and understand that violation of this policy could result in a loss of privileges and further disciplinary action. Prohibited uses Your student is responsible for his or her own actions involving technology, along with personal files, passwords, and accounts. Uses and activities that are expressly prohibited include, but are not limited to: Accessing, submitting, transmitting, posting, publishing, forwarding, downloading, scanning, or displaying materials that are proprietary and confidential school information, racial slurs, defamatory, abusive, obscene, vulgar, sexually explicit, sexually suggestive, threatening, discriminatory, harassing and/or illegal. Soliciting or distributing information with the intent to threaten, harass or bully others. Using technology for any illegal activity or activity that violates other Board policies, procedures and/or school rules. Copying, downloading, or using copyrighted materials, including software, without the permission of the copyright owner or express authorization of the student’s teacher or principal. Collaborate on work that is meant to be done individually. Representing as one's own work any materials obtained on the Internet, such as term papers and articles. When Internet sources are used in student work, the author, publisher, and website must be identified. Continued...
18
TECHNOLOGY
GUIDELINES Using an unreasonably high level of Internet bandwidth. While at school, using technology for non-schoolrelated purposes. Using, touching, or moving a device that is not your own without permission. Sharing passwords, using other users' passwords without permission and/or accessing other users' accounts. Any malicious use, disruption or harm to the school's technology devices, networks, and Internet services, including, but not limited to, hacking activities, and creating or uploading malware. Recording videos or taking pictures of others during school without their permission. Misuse of a school name or logo on a personal website that gives the reader the impression that the website is an official school website. Posting inappropriate and/or disrespectful content on social media, as SCA students are expected to uphold SCA core values as addressed in the Community Compact. Negative comments that may cause notoriety for the school, an employee, a student, or a family could result in separation from school. SCA retains control, custody and supervision of all school technology and reserves the right to monitor student usage/activity of all technology. Students have no right of privacy in their use of technology, including email and stored files. Getting Tech Help Students can visit the Tech Office in the Learning Commons to get help with: Connecting to the Internet Google Password Help Troubleshooting Canvas or other classroom curriculum Printing issues Locating a lost/stolen device
Administrative Expectations Students should understand that the use of the network and devices while at school is a privilege. Students are responsible for displaying behavior that reflects godly digital citizenship. General school rules for behavior and communication apply, especially as communications on the network are often public in nature. The user is responsible for personal actions in accessing and using the school’s network, SCA technology resources, and/or personal devices while on campus. Consequences for Poor Choices Teachers, administrators, and the technology team may revoke personal use of any technology equipment, personal or school-owned, at any time if a student is found to be in violation of any part of this agreement. Possible discipline may include and is not limited to: The device may be given extremely restricted access to the network. The device may be taken to the office. If so, the student or parent will be allowed to pick up the device at the end of the school day. (In some cases, only a parent may pick up the device.) The student may be suspended from their device for a period of time. The student may receive an after- school detention. Student participation in a conference with the teacher, administrator, IT personnel, parent/guardian. The administration will have final authority over the student’s privilege to use SCA technology resources or personally owned devices on campus and may exercise additional actions depending on the severity of the infraction(s). Repeated offenses may incur a more severe penalty. All questions concerning this contract should be directed to the administration.
If a student’s personal device is not working properly or isn’t charged, they may be able to check out a loaner device while their device is out of commission. This loaner device may not be of equivalent performance or features, however, students are still responsible for the care of the device while they are using it. Students can also email tech@sca-kc.org for help. Tech recommendations for High School devices: Chromebooks should have at least 4GB RAM.
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ENTRANCE AND ADMISSIONS
STANDARDS
Entrance and Admissions Standards The following standards have been established for entrance into Summit Christian Academy: Parents must be in agreement with our Foundational Beliefs and be willing to actively support and pray for our academic program. At least one parent must be a born-again Christian. Families must actively attend and support an area Bible-believing church consistent with our Statement of Faith and receive a positive pastor's recommendation. The student’s record of behavior at home, church, and school should reflect good citizenship, and the student must agree to abide by the standards and guidelines of the school. The student should be of suitable age for the grade assigned. Children entering Kindergarten should be five years of age (six for entering first graders) on or before July 31 of any school year. Pre-enrollment testing determines the suitability for enrollment and placement in our program. Student records from prior schools will be secured and reviewed by administration. Placement testing is required for all new students. All Kindergarten and preschool students will take a readiness test. There is a nonrefundable fee for all testing. An initial interview with parents will be required as part of the enrollment process for all students applying for admission. Upon completion of all steps of enrollment, parents are notified as to whether their child has been accepted to the school. All new students are subject to a probationary period that lasts until the student has completed one full grading period. This is to ensure that the child adjusts properly to our school.
Reenrollment Students who are presently enrolled at SCA are given first opportunity to reenroll for the following year. Accounts must be current in order for a student to be eligible for reenrollment. Paying the enrollment fee secures a place for your child for the coming school year. Enrollment is then opened to families of covenant churches. After a specified period of time, enrollment is then opened to the general public. Course registration opens each year in February. Teacher Standards and Qualifications Candidates for SCA teaching positions go through a thorough process that includes several references including one from their pastor, interviews with at least two members of the leadership team, and a background check. Only candidates with a thoroughly Christian worldview and appropriate academic credentials and experience will be selected. In addition to other certifications, teachers should have a bachelor’s degree at minimum and hold or obtain certification through the Association of Christian Schools International, which has academic, Bible, and Christian Philosophy of Christian Education requirements. SCA teachers are dedicated to serving the Lord through the ministry of teaching young people. Teachers are carefully selected and prayerfully chosen by the Administration. The Board of Education reserves the authority to employ faculty and staff who will effectively meet the responsibilities of the classroom, both spiritually and academically.
The school reserves the right to withdraw, release, or remove a student at any time for any reason, including failure of the parent(s) to adhere to the policies, philosophies, and procedures of the school.
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FINANCIAL
INFORMATION Tuition and Fees Below are the 2023/2024 tuition and fees. For multiple-child families, the oldest child is considered the first student, with subsequent children discounted in descending age order. # of Students
K -6
7-8
9-12
1
$11,720
$12,470
$14,720
2
$10,780
$11,470
$13,130
3
$9,840
$10,470
$11,990
4
$8,910
$9,480
$10,850
Curriculum Fee (per student)
$250
$290
$350
Enrollment Fee (per family):
There are five payment plans available: Ten-month Payment Plan* – Ten equal monthly payments from August through May. Twelve-month Payment Plan* – Twelve equal monthly payments from June to May. Quarterly Payment Plan* - Four equal payments due in August, October, January, and March. Semi-Annual Payment Plan* – Two equal payments due in August and January. Annual Payment in Full – One payment due in August. * These plans are managed by FACTS of Evangelical Christian Credit Union. There is an annual administrative fee of $48 for the monthly and quarterly payment plans.FACTS offers two payment methods – automatic bank draft and credit card (an additional 2.85% service fee will apply.) Incidental Fees All fees, including GAP and lunch charges, (classified as incidental by FACTS) will now be charged through your FACTS incidental account. Families will receive a monthly invoice by email with a specified due date. GAP and lunch charges will be billed the first week of each month for prior month charges. Delinquent Accounts Families are expected to make payments in a timely manner according to their payment plan. SCA policy states, "for any account that falls two (2) months in arrears, the students may not attend school until the account is settled or satisfactory arrangements have been made." FACTS charges a $30 NSF fee for any returned payments. The school reserves the right to charge late fees for past due accounts.
Covenant Church Family*
Other Churches
Early Ed Before 3/1
$100
$200
Early Ed After 3/1
$125
$250
The school reserves the right to withhold report cards and/or student records when accounts fall in arrears. This includes tuition and fees, lunch, library books, fines, etc.
K-12 Before 3/1
$200
$425
K-12 After 3/1
$250
$500
Withdrawal from School Please notify the finance office if withdrawing from school. The school will request that a withdrawal form be completed. Tuition will be due until the withdrawal requirements are complete. A student who attends school during any portion of a month is responsible for payment of 50% of that month's tuition. The unused portion of any prepaid tuition will be refunded or credited to outstanding balance. If the student is withdrawn after the 15th of the month, a refund will not be given for the remainder of the month. Final report cards will be released when the account is settled.
*Fees in this column reflect the 50% discount for Covenant Church famillies on enrollment fee. It is our desire to remain totally neutral when dealing with divorced families. It is the responsibility of the parents to work together outside of SCA and communicate to the finance office how charges should be handled between parents.
Withdrawal should be reported to your child’s principal who will notify the finance office and development office. Parents should expect a follow-up call.
21
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION Tuition Assistance and Scholarships Tuition assistance is available to those who qualify. Tuition assistance is reserved for students in grades K12. It is based on need and may not exceed 50%. To be considered for assistance, students must be enrolled and all accounts must be current. Applications for assistance, as well as backup documentation, must be completed online. FACTS does the initial review of applications and makes recommendations to SCA. Final determination is made by the SCA Tuition Assistance Committee. Throughout the application process, the confidentiality of students and parents is carefully guarded and the school does not publicize scholarship recipients. SCA has worked to build relationships with private school scholarship agencies that may support private school education through student tuition scholarships for those who qualify and need more than schoolawarded assistance. Each agency has its own criteria. Questions regarding these scholarships should be directed to the Development Department. Lunches Hot lunch is available Monday - Friday for $4.00 per lunch (K-12) and $3.10 for Early Ed. Extra entrees are available for an additional $2.00 and extra sides for 90¢. Drinks are an additional charge and are not included in the cost of the hot lunch. Students may purchase white milk, chocolate milk, or juice for 50¢. Bottled water is available for 75¢. Lunch and milk prices are subject to change. Lunch items available at the secondary level only include: Salad bar - $4.50 Premium entrees (subs, wraps, sandwiches) - $3.00 Premium sides (fruit cups, yogurt parfaits, dips, meat/cheese cup) - $1.80 Sack Lunch - $4.00 Soup/Roll (Fridays only) - $3.50 Monthly lunch menus are posted on the home page of the SCA website each month and in FACTS/ParentsWeb in the blue menu on the left under School>Resource Documents. Each family has a lunch account. Students may pay for lunches daily or lunches may be charged to the family account.
Parents may regularly monitor their family lunch account through their FACTS/ParentsWeb account. Please do not send any red Kool-Aid or punch to school. Refrigeration is not available for students who choose to bring their lunch. Lunch & GAP Activity Lunch and GAP activity may be viewed in family ParentsWeb account under Financial-Financial Home. Funding Summit Christian Academy is organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Contributions made to the school are tax deductible. SCA is dependent upon contributions and gifts from families and friends in meeting financial obligations that tuition alone does not cover. Development Department The Development Department’s role is to sustain the mission and vision of the school through charitable giving, volunteerism, recruitment and retention, marketing, and public relations. By building partnerships among students, parents, teachers, churches, and the community, the Development Department seeks to build a solid foundation of support for Summit Christian Academy. Donations Equipment and supplies received by SCA as donations shall be the property of SCA. Gifts to SCA Staff Personal gifts to teachers are not expected and certainly not required. We know, however, that parents often wish to bless teachers. We ask that the following guidelines be followed: The giver is sensitive to the effect the gift will have on the recipient and how it may be perceived by other staff members. The gift must not be perceived as an attempt to influence a staff member in any way. Personal gifts shall be a private matter and not a topic of discussion. Any gift is inappropriate where the giver may expect, or ask for, favors or special consideration in return.
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PARENTS AT
SCA
A Word to Parents Parents play a vital part in the total program of Summit Christian Academy. Working together, parents and teachers can strengthen individual students and provide an excellent school experience. Together, it will be our goal to help fulfill Proverbs 22:6 which says, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” The following list contains steps that parents can take to help this process: Pray regularly for the teachers, administration, and board of SCA. Give of your time and energy in ways that can make SCA more successful. Be faithful in fulfilling the duties for which you volunteer. Attend the meetings and parent functions of the school. Recommend SCA to others as opportunities arise. Help support the school financially as the Lord blesses. Promote SCA among family and friends who might be interested in giving toward Christian education. If problems arise, seek to resolve them with the person(s) involved rather than spreading criticism or negative attitudes (Matthew 18:15). Seek the advancement of SCA in all areas spiritually, academically, and physically. Volunteers SCA offers and encourages opportunities for parents to volunteer at school. Regular volunteer opportunities include assisting teachers, working in the lunchroom, working in the library, and serving in the Watch DOGS program. In addition, several volunteers will be needed to work during special events such as Grandparents’ Day, Book Fair, Community Partnership Luncheon, teacher luncheons, etc. Parents are expected to wear neat and modest dress when volunteering SCA. Volunteers are an important part of the SCA program. While serving, they may become aware of confidential information. There is an expectation that volunteers will not share any confidential information with others for any reason. All volunteers will go through the school’s School Safe ID system. SCA reserves the right to also do a thorough background check on volunteers. Volunteers are also required to go through volunteer training before serving. Training will include rules, behavior, safety, as well as mandatory child abuse and neglect reporting.
Conflict Resolution The parties ascribing to an enrollment agreement for Summit Christian Academy believe the Bible commands them to make every effort to live at peace and to resolve disputes with each other in private or within the Christian community in conformity with the biblical injunctions of I Corinthians 6:1-8, Matthew 5:23-24, and Matthew 18:15-20. Therefore, the parties agree that any claim or dispute arising out of or related to the agreement, including any claim or statutory claims, shall be settled by biblically-based mediation. As we seek to resolve problems, let us always remember that it is God’s reputation, not our own, we are seeking to promote. We do that best when we seek to do things His way. Guidelines to consider as we seek to do this are as follows: 1. Seek to gain knowledge of all sides of a problem before passing judgment on the matter. 2. Go to the source of the problem (i.e., teacher, finance office, etc.) and seek to resolve the problem at this level before going any further. Go with the assumption that everyone has your child’s best interest at heart. 3. If the problem cannot be resolved with the initial source, present your concerns to the appropriate administrator. 4. Continued dissatisfaction should lead to the Head of School. Make an appointment through the Head of School’s assistant. 5. Inability to resolve at the administrative level should lead to a request to be put on the board’s agenda through the Head of School’s secretary, as follows: Present a written request at least one week prior to the meeting requesting to be placed on the agenda. Clearly state the specific topic to be addressed including the results of conversations or meetings with school personnel on the matter. The Head of School or Board President will review the request and determine if it will be placed on the agenda or if a separate course of action is appropriate. If the request to be on the agenda is approved, the parent/guardian must be present at the appointed time. 6. The board will have final say in resolving the issue at hand.
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PARENTS AT
SCA
Child Abuse Reporting In accordance with state law, school staff are obligated under penalty of fine and jail term to report the reasonable suspicion of physical abuse, sexual abuse, or child neglect. In this very serious and legally narrow area, the school is unable by law to contact parents in advance of making a report to authorities, which would be the procedure in most other legal matters. The clear intent of the law, based on the seriousness of the crimes listed above, is to mandate that a report of reasonable suspicion of abuse be made. The school will make such reports in the best interest of the affected child and does not, once reasonable suspicion is established, have any legal alternative except to make the report to the proper authorities for their investigation and review. Communication Expectations SCA strongly desires to form a true partnership with parents. To ensure good communication, the following guidelines should be used by parents: 1. Read the Soaring school newsletter. 2. EE-5 parents should read their child’s weekly newsletter and post at home for easy reference! 3. Contact your child’s teacher via email. Please allow 48 hours for a response, as teachers are responsible for student supervision during the day. They avoid phone calls and email except during planning periods or after school in order to maximize face time with students. 4. Appointments with Administration may be made through their executive assistant. 5. Bookmark www.Summit-Christian-Academy.org and check regularly for general information, school calendar, news, and sports updates. 6. Access FACTS/ParentsWeb for teacher home pages, student grades, and lunch account balances. 7. Provide any changes and/or updates for your family’s address, email addresses, or phone numbers. Be sure to keep all emergency phone numbers current.
Parents are requested to take care of all communication with their children before they arrive at school. Except for emergencies, when it is necessary to get a message to a student, the office staff will relay the message to the student as soon as possible. Otherwise, parents of elementary students may email a teacher. Teachers are required to check their email twice a day (once before dismissal). The teacher will relay the message to the child. Secondary parents may call the school office and a message will be sent to the teacher to relay to the child. Please do not expect your student to read text messages during the school day, as they are not allowed to access their phones from 7:40 – 2:55 (secondary) or 8:15 – 3:15 (elementary.) Grandparents at SCA In 1999, a group of grandparents formed the Golden Eagles to support SCA students and the school at large. The Golden Eagles organization has offered volunteer and financial support to SCA that has blessed the school greatly. The group hosts an annual fellowship event for grandparents and families. The Golden Eagles have contributed more than $263,300 since 1999 through donations to the Golden Eagles Fund in honor of their grandchildren’s birthdays. School Safe ID SCA places a high priority on the safety of students, staff, and faculty. SchoolSAFEid will be used by SCA to check in all parents, visitors, and volunteers as well as early dismissal of students. This will be done at Kiosks at the elementary and secondary main entrances. All guests will scan their driver's license or state ID, a screening will occur through the system and sex offender registries. Once completed, a visitor badge with a photo taken at the kiosk will be printed for all guests to wear while they are on property. This badge will be used to check out when leaving.
**The time between 7:05-7:40 a.m. and 2:55-3:20 p.m. (secondary) and 8:00-8:15 a.m. and 3:15-3:45 p.m. (elementary) is for teachers to engage specifically with students. If you need to schedule a time to discuss an issue with your child’s teacher, please email them or call their VM to arrange a conference time.**
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CHARACTER
DEVELOPMENT Bible Classes The Bible curriculum is required of all students. The faculty, staff, and administration desire to help students know the Bible and its truth, improve their relationship with God and fellow Christians, and deepen their own Christian experience. Students must be enrolled in a Bible course every semester per Board policy. Students receiving an SCA diploma must be enrolled in an SCA Bible course each semester. Daily Bible studies form the foundation of instruction. The junior and senior high curriculum exposes students to a survey of the entire Bible, the life of Christ, discipleship, and a variety of Bible courses. Academic excellence in the study of God’s Word is encouraged just as it is in the rest of the academic program. II Timothy 2:15 says, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (RSV).
Christian Character Awards Christian Character Awards are given out each quarter for elementary students, and each semester for secondary students, and yearly for both. The purpose of the award is to encourage all students to earnestly pursue their potential toward attaining the highest level of personal and academic development. The criteria for this award are: Consistent choices and action that glorify Jesus Christ, reflect biblical truth, and demonstrate interest in growing in regard to personal Christian faith. Consistent attitude of honesty and integrity. Consistent spiritual attitude in general and in responsiveness toward teachers. Demonstration of respect for people and property. Consistent role model for classmates and student body in general. Consistent quality academic achievement. Quarterly and semester winners receive a $25.00 gift card. Yearly winners are presented a $100.00 gift card.
All subjects are taught as God’s truth and are integrated with Bible teachings. Relationships student/teacher and student/student - will be built on the basis of God’s teachings in all areas of the school. Chapel Our weekly chapel services are an integral part of the school’s total program. Chapel provides an opportunity for the expression of individual and corporate worship and praise to God through prayer, singing, testimonies, special music, and teaching from the Word. Chapel services are designed to minister to the student body and to encourage personal growth, commitment, and service to our Lord. Visiting pastors, guest speakers, musical groups, drama groups, faculty, and students share throughout the school year. During our salvation emphasis weeks, opportunity is given for students to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of their life. Parents are always welcome to attend chapel services. Chapel Schedule: 4-6 Thurs, 8:25-8:55 a.m. Elem Commons K-3 Thurs, 9:00-9:30 a.m. Elem Commons 7-12 Tues, 10:40-11:25 a.m. LSCC 7-12 Small Groups meet every other week in various classrooms.
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School Hours PS & PK ½ day 8:15 a.m.-11:15 a.m. PS & PK Full Day 8:15 a.m. - 2:15 p.m. Grades K-6 8:15 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. Grades 7-12 7:40 a.m. - 2:55 p.m. Early dismissal for full-day early ed 11:15 a.m. Early dismissal Grades K - 6 11:50 p.m. Early dismissal Grades 7-12 11:35 a.m. Secondary students should arrive no earlier than 7:30 a.m. Should an earlier arrival be necessary, students should report to the secondary gymnasium and students should access the building through the north gym door beginning at 7:00 a.m. Elementary students should arrive no earlier than 8:00 a.m. Should an earlier arrival be necessary, students should report to GAP located in the elementary commons between 7:00 - 8:00 a.m. Any student arriving before 8:00 a.m. will be charged normal GAP rates. Siblings of secondary students and beginning band students should wait with parents until 8:00 to avoid this charge. Students should be picked up within 15 minutes of dismissal time if at all possible. Please do not pick up your child early to avoid car line. Elementary students not picked up will be escorted to GAP. Secondary students may go to the front entry way until 3:15 p.m. OR they can go to the Learning Commons until it closes at 4:00, at which point they will go to GAP. GAP fees will apply. Before-school care is billed by the minute at a rate of $0.13. A 1-hour minimum charge of $7.80 for the 1st hour of GAP. $5.00 late fee per minute after 6:00 p.m. For more information on the GAP program, please see pages 31 & 32. Please drop off and pick up students as indicated on the traffic flow diagram in your back-to-school packet. Designated traffic patterns have been established to provide the safest and quickest morning drop off and afternoon pick up. It is vital for traffic and the safety of your students that everyone follow the defined traffic patterns. Inclement Weather In the event of inclement weather that causes the cancellation or the delayed start of school, you may find notice of this as follows:
On local TV Recorded message on the school answering system The Summit-Christian-Academy.org website Facebook / Instagram SCA Emergency Alerts. SCA uses an emergency notification tool. It will automatically pull phone numbers and emails from the FACTS SIS system. In the event of an emergency or school closing/delayed start, you may be notified by text, email, and/or voice message. To receive texts, please text “Y” or “Yes” to 67587. If no announcement has been made and there is no message specifically announcing that SCA has been canceled or has a delayed start, parents and students should assume school will be open as normal. Before and after school care will be closed any time SCA classes are canceled. When school is canceled, SCA may use eCampus for school content delivery. EE-3rd grade students will receive an agenda with embedded links, grades 4-5 will use Google classroom and grades 6-12 will use Canvas. Occasionally, the decision may be made to have a delayed start of 90 minutes. On those days, the schedule is as follows: No morning GAP on delayed start days. Secondary classes begin at 9:15, with doors opening at 9:00. Elementary and Preschool start at 9:45, with doors open at 9:30. All before school activities (i.e., athletic practices, band, prayer teams, etc.) will be canceled. During severe weather, GAP may close early. Snow days may be made up either during established school holidays, spring break, or at the end of the school year, as determined by the Board of Education. It is not the school’s general policy to dismiss early; however, if at any time a parent feels it necessary to pick up their child for travel safety, the absence will be excused. The SCA Board of Education studied the school’s snow days make-up procedure. The State of Missouri has a minimum number of K-12 student instruction hours of 1,044. SCA is well over that number with 1,158 hours. In light of this research, the board voted to include 5 snow days in the school calendar instead of 2, which results in SCA having 1,123 instructional hours. We encourage you to enjoy the beauty of winter with your children knowing those days will not have to be made up. Any snow days over 5 will be made up.
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School Visits SCA places a high priority on the safety of students, staff, and faculty. SchoolSAFEid will be used by SCA to check in all parents, visitors, and volunteers as well as early dismissal of students. This will be done at Kiosks at the elementary and secondary main entrances. All guests will scan their driver's license or state ID, a screening will occur through the system and sex offender registries. Once completed, a visitor badge with a photo taken at the kiosk will be printed for all guests to wear while they are on property. This badge will be used to check out when leaving.
Shadowing First through twelfth grade students who are considering attending SCA in the future may shadow a current student one time during the school year. Parents of the visiting student must make arrangements with the development department at least 24 hours prior to attending classes. The Development Team in collaboration with the Principal will assign the prospective student to a current student for the day. All shadow students are encouraged to follow dress code and rules of the school.
Teacher attention must be on the students, so parents should refrain from visiting with teachers between 7:00 a.m. and 3:25 p.m. (secondary) and 8:00 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. (elementary). Classroom observations must be prescheduled through the school office in order to minimize classroom disruptions. Parents are always welcome to volunteer or schedule an appointment. Parents are asked to arrange for the observation of a class at least 24 hours in advance through the appropriate principal. Lunch Visits SCA parents, alumni students and Covenant Church pastors are welcome to have lunch at SCA. As always, please stop by the front office to sign in and get your visitor badge. Any other guests must be pre-approved by the principal at least one day in advance. Their dress and conduct must be appropriate for our school environment. Students from other schools and students who no longer attend SCA are not permitted to attend lunch. Finally, any guest that has not been preapproved will not be admitted into the school. Parents are not to go directly to a classroom. Lunches, homework, books, and other items should be left in the school office to be delivered to the student.
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These activities are designed to allow students to use In addition to these programs, elementary students are the gifts God has given them and to develop each encouraged to participate in the Academic Meet, which student as a whole person. It is our desire that in every includes entries for vocal, instrumental, and piano. activity we do, students will grow in character and bring Students will be selected by audition. An extracurricular glory to God. There are several guidelines that are in honors choir is available for all interested students in place for these activities. grades 5-6. Academics To participate, students must comply with eligibility requirements as printed in the individual activity handbooks. Character Since the character of students is important, any student who has had discipline issues during the year may not be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities. If a student does receive a detention, serving the detention comes before involvement in any school activity. In every activity, we want our parents, students, and staff to set a Christ-like example.
High school choir and band students have some required Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) competitions. Students are encouraged to compete in individual events through MSHSAA as well. Virtuosity! For a limited number of students, music lessons will be available before, during, and after school. Lesson availability will depend upon teacher hours, room availability, and student schedule. Students will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, and lessons taken during school hours will be subject to principal approval.
All Virtuosity! students will participate in a fall and Attendance spring recital (dates to be announced) and will be School attendance is important. Therefore, a student provided with a Virtuosity! t-shirt that may be worn on must be at school for at least half the day to participate two selected school days. in a school extracurricular activity. Part-time students should be in attendance for those hours enrolled at P.E. Credit Program SCA. A doctor appointment that takes the student out of The goal of the PE credit is to equip students with tools school for a few hours is permitted. If a student is too to establish and maintain a healthy lifestyle physically, sick to come to school, they should not be involved in a emotionally, and spiritually. Fitness is an important school activity that day. component, and consistency is key. Students may choose from large group classes, online PE, small group Music - Vocal and Instrumental classes or one-on-one training to fulfill each PE credit The vocal and instrumental music departments are depending upon schedule, academic, and financial committed to the development of each individual components unique to their family. Educating the student in the areas of music theory and appreciation, student to make proper nutrition and fitness choices worship, and performance. Classes are designed to empowers him/her for life, so this element is integral to encourage exploration and participation in each of the overall success of the program and the student. these areas, using a variety of activities. Students must complete both fitness and education The music department prepares programs where components to earn the SCA PE credit through Bodies students have the opportunity to perform for family and Health and Fitness. Addressing the physical and friends and to showcase the talents God has given them. emotional components without the spiritual aspect is These performances are an integral part of each short-sighted and leaves the student without the most student’s music education. important resource to live a truly healthy life. Bodies’ Participation in these programs and concerts is required coaches are dedicated to providing an encouraging, for all music students. The music staff requests written positive approach for students, and many members of the staff provide spiritual mentorship as well. notification if a student will be absent for a performance. Students will be excused for illness or death in the family. Other reasons will be excused at the discretion of the teacher. A student’s grade will be affected by an unexcused absence.
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Speech and Debate (Grades 7-12) Forensics, more commonly known as speech and debate, is one of the most rewarding and beneficial educational activities available to students. As students compete in high school forensics, they will find that their skills in areas as diverse as research, writing, critical thinking, presentation, time management, persuasion, and interpersonal communication will improve dramatically. Forensics helps students: Develop confidence both in front of an audience and in interpersonal communication. Develop academic skills (research, writing, problem solving, critical thinking, effective listening, etc.) essential to high school and college-level work. Improve written and verbal communication skills that are highly valued in the working world. The SCA debate and forensics team allows students the opportunity to compete in tournaments sponsored by local high schools in conjunction with the National Forensic League (NFL) and under the guidelines of the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA). Participation in these tournaments can range from a few to several dozen schools from around the state. The students will compete in a variety of events falling into basic categories that correspond with official NFL events. The events are quite diverse in nature and ensure that the competition offers something for everyone. Generally, these events are divided into two categories: Individual Events and Debate. Neither type of event is inherently superior to the other. Each provides tremendous academic benefit and is extremely challenging. To build a foundation for future success, the school will offer semester classes in speech and debate for students in grades 7-8. For students in grades 9-12, students must be enrolled in a speech or debate class to be part of the speech and debate team. Depending on students’ performance, some travel, including overnights, may be required. Theatre Program (Grades 7-12) The theatre department is committed to the development of each individual student in the area of stage performance. At SCA, there are two ways to participate in the theatre department - through classes and through after-school productions.
There are two main high school productions each year, in the fall and spring. Practices are held four days a week after school, and there are often Saturday practices and work days as well. All students in grades 7-12 may try out for the productions, and secondary students also help backstage with costumes, lighting, makeup, and other technical jobs. There is one junior high production each year. Theatre electives begin in junior high. There are two semester-long classes where students learn the basics of acting and participating in theater arts. Students memorize lines, perform scenes for class, learn about the history of drama, write their own skits, and learn how to improvise. Several theatre courses are available to secondary students interested in continuing their theatre experience. Though classes and after-school productions are not connected, the skills students learn in class are constantly used in after-school productions. In addition, the after-school productions are often discussed and studied in class, as students practically apply their knowledge to a production they may have seen on stage. Elementary students will gain theatre experience through vocal music classes and performances occurring every other year. Athletic Program At the junior high and high school level, SCA is a member and one of the founding schools of the Crossroads Conference. SCA is also a member of the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) competing at the state level of competition. Elementary athletic teams are members of the Crossroads Conference. The Athletic Director and school administration determine the number and level of teams within each program. The makeup of each individual team is at the discretion of the head coach. Junior high teams will consist of 7th and 8th grade students. JV and varsity teams will consist of 9th-12th grade students. Teams are fielded based on level of student interest. Sports currently offered are: Fall & Winter Girls Cheerleading Grades 2-12 Girls Dance Grades 9-12
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Fall Boys & Girls Cross Country Grades 5-12 Boys Football Grades 7-12 Girls Golf Grades 9-12 Boys Soccer Grades 5-12 Girls Softball Grades 9-12 Girls Volleyball Grades 5-12 Boys Swim Grades 9-12 Winter Boys & Girls Basketball Grades 5-12 Boys Wrestling Grades 7-12 Girls Swim Grades 9-12 Spring Boys Baseball Grades 7-12 Boys Golf Grades 9-12 Girls Soccer Grades 5-12 Boys and Girls Track and Field Grades 5-12 Other sports may be added as school enrollment and student interest warrant. MSHSAA has a specific by-law regarding club teams/competitive teams and how they are allowed to work with school athletics. MSHSAA By-Law 3.13.2-b2 states… “The student shall not practice for or compete in the non-school competition on the same date the school team practices or competes, without approval of the school administrator.” The MSHSAA handbook says the following about violating this by-law, “The penalty for violation of ByLaw 3.13 (entails the above rule 3.13.2-b2) shall be ineligibility for a period not to exceed 365 days in the sport in which the violation occurred.” SCA truly values all athletic programs and appreciates the development of student athletes. However, we are also bound to follow all MSHSAA rules. Families should be aware of this rule and its applicability to our SCA student athletes when it comes to their participation in club and competitive teams. SCA will follow the MSHSAA rule as written and will not give approval to an SCA student athlete to miss an SCA practice or competition to attend a non-school practice or competition. The SCA athletic program is designed to allow the student to develop and use his or her God-given athletic ability to glorify God, as well as help students develop mentally, emotionally, socially, spiritually, and physically. Our desire is to help student athletes do their best as they strive for excellence.
The following guidelines are intended to help define the purpose for athletics and to provide consistency in the operation of the program: Athletes must be academically eligible as determined by SCA. Athletes will be expected to conduct themselves in an exemplary manner at all times. Respect must be shown for coaches, teammates, opponents, officials, supporters, school personnel, and facilities. Elementary and secondary students must attend school a minimum of a half day on the day of a scheduled game or practice to be eligible to participate. To be eligible to participate in athletics, secondary students must meet MSHSAA rules. All student athletes must obtain a sports physical before participating in practices or athletic contests, as well as complete their PRIVIT Profile. All student athletes must use the MSHSAA sports physical form. To obtain a copy of the form or for more information regarding the PRIVIT Profile, please contact Kathi Woodall at kwoodall@sca-kc.org or visit the Athletics section of the school website. It is expected that all students, parents, and friends adhere to the school's standards at all games as ambassadors for SCA and, more importantly, Jesus Christ. More details may be found in the Athletic Handbook. Students participating in interscholastic athletic programs will pay an athletic fee for each sport. Fees are assessed when an athlete makes the team and must be paid before the first game in order for the athlete to be eligible to participate. These fees help support SCA athletic programs and are nonrefundable. Those who choose not to honor the above guidelines will be disqualified from participating in the sport. As necessary, a warning will be given for the first offense, disciplinary action will be taken for a second offense, and potential expulsion from the team/ for a third offense. Egregious behaviors, however, may warrant immediate suspension or removal from the team. It is the responsibility of the coach to handle rule infractions. If needed, the coach may request assistance from the athletic director or the principal. Coaches must notify the appropriate athletic director when any disciplinary action is taken. Questions and concerns regarding athletics should be directed to Athletic Director Lance Quessenberry at 525-1480 x 305 or lquessenberry@sca-kc.org.
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Resource Services SCA has a number of resources available to meet students’ educational needs. Please feel free to speak with your child’s teacher if you feel there may be a learning issue. Comprehensive academic testing is administered to discern a student’s need for additional support services. The following resources are offered on campus at an additional fee: Discovery Therapy. The Discovery program uses the National Institute of Learning Development model developed to treat assumed underlying identified causes of learning difficulties through individual therapy. Speech Therapy Private Practice Through LSR7, if qualified and available Occupational Therapy Physical Therapy SPARKLE. Special Attention to Respect, Kindness, and Loving Everyone serves students who need moderate behavior/social intervention. STEWARDS. Student Environment of Arduous Study is for students who demonstrate academic giftedness. Strategies Courses. These courses are offered in core subject areas and study skills. Philosophy of Equitability SCA believes that all students come with a unique set of gifts and talents. We work together with parents to enable each student to develop those gifts to their Godgiven potential. In the spirit of this idea, we maintain that “fair” does not equal sameness but means that each child’s needs are being met. Some students have documented academic, social, behavioral, physical, and/or medical factors that affect their ability to succeed in the classroom. For these students, and for others who may have a temporary situation, modifications to the curriculum and/or discipline plan may be necessary to help them succeed. When we help the individual child succeed, we are helping the classroom as a whole be successful and are developing a spirit of helpfulness, tolerance, inclusion, and love in our classrooms and our school as a whole. Such modifications by the administration and staff are determined based on individual student needs. English for Academic Purposes EAP is a class to assist English language learners (ELL). The EAP teacher works closely with classroom teachers in providing support to the ELL. There is an additional fee for this service. All international students are required to take EAP.
Counseling SCA has two PS-12th grade counselors available to support student success. All appointments should be made through the counseling office located in the elementary building. Field Trips and Special Activities Along with a strong emphasis on academics and scholarship, Summit Christian Academy incorporates informative events and activities that advance students’ education while promoting social and spiritual development. These activities foster creativity and increase the excitement of learning. Field trips and other educational presentations will be scheduled throughout the school year. Parents will be required to provide a permission slip for each field trip. Students may be asked to pay a nominal fee for some field trips depending on the event. Part-time students may be included in assemblies and field trips with parental approval if supervision and transportation are available Lunches, snacks, or refreshments are not usually provided by the school. Students may be asked to bring a snack or money for refreshments. Dress for all field trips will follow the regular school dress code unless otherwise stated. Elementary students may be required to wear class shirts. Parents should be aware that school nurses will not be able to accompany students off campus for field trips and other special activities. For those students with special care plans, parents should make arrangements to attend field trips or have a designated adult to provide care as needed. Doors open for special events 30 minutes before the program begins. Parents may not save seats prior to doors opening. SCA reserves the right to reserve seating for supervising employees involved in the program. Lockers Lockers will be provided for students in grades 4-12. Lockers are to store textbooks and personal belongings and must remain neat and orderly. Locker decoration must be inside the locker and reflect Christian values. School groups, with administration approval, may decorate lockers to promote school spirit. Decorations should reflect Christian values and may not deface the locker in any way. Posters celebrating student activities must be removed at the end of a season. The school has the right to inspect any locker at any time and may also remove locker décor.
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Secondary lockers should be kept locked. Secondary students are also provided with PE lockers. Electronic devices should be left in students’ hall lockers, not in their PE locker. Clothing should be kept in their locked PE locker during PE classes. Elementary lockers: No need to purchase a lock, as they remain unlocked. No décor on the outside of lockers. Only blue painters’ tape or magnets may be used on the inside of lockers. Pictures of family and friends and inspirational items are fine, but students should avoid anything celebrating secular bands, movie stars, etc. SCA is not responsible for lost, stolen, or broken items. Items of extraordinary value should not be brought to school. Elementary Library Guidelines All library material is evaluated for appropriate content prior to being placed in the library. The library is maintained and operated through the efforts of many volunteers and the school librarian. Parents may access the elementary book database to search for appropriate books for their students. Books may be checked out for a one-week period. Books are the responsibility of the individual signing out the book. Lost books will incur a minimum replacement fee of $5.00 up to full replacement value. Books not returned will be charged to the last individual signing out the book. Overdue books will result in temporary suspension of library privileges. Godly Aftercare Program (GAP) Early Ed & Elementary GAP (PS-6th) GAP was developed to further the school’s mission of partnering with parents by providing quality care in a compassionate environment for those who need supervision outside regular classroom hours. GAP is managed by GAP Coordinator Gail Wesselschmidt, who offices in the Early Education area. GAP staff is trained to meet the physical, social, and emotional needs of each student. A snack is served each day and opportunities are provided to play games, visit, work on homework, make crafts, and strengthen friendships. GAP emphasizes character traits to allow students opportunities to learn and practice a variety of Christhonoring traits.
Families choosing to utilize GAP should be aware of the following expectations. Although GAP staff understand the need for students to be able to relax after the structure of a school day, it is equally important for students to agree to respect the GAP staff and to treat other students kindly. GAP allows students of varying ages to mingle together and expects that the older students will be good role models for the younger students. GAP meets in its own room; however, it also utilizes the classroom space of the early childhood rooms. Students must understand that the preschool furniture and toys should be treated gently in order to prevent unnecessary replacement. GAP is available as a regular part of a student’s schedule or on an occasional basis. It is vitally important that parent cell phone numbers and emergency contact information be kept current. GAP hours * Preschool-6 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. Preschool and PreK 2:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Grades K-6 3:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Grades 7-12 3:15 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. * Lunch is not available on early release days, so students staying in GAP should bring a sack lunch. * GAP ends at 4:00 p.m. on early release days. * There is NO before school GAP on delayed start days. * GAP is available for students following after school tutoring, lessons, and practices. GAP Hourly Rates Before-school care is billed by the minute at a rate of $0.13. There is a 1-hour minimum charge ($7.80) for the first hour of GAP. Families will receive a monthly invoice by email with a specified due date. GAP charges will be billed the first week of each month for prior month charges. Rates may be subject to change. There will be an overtime charge of $5 per child for each minute checked in before the normal opening time of 7:00 a.m. or checked out beyond the normal closing time of 6:00 p.m. In order to avoid additional charges, parents should be diligent to establish alternate plans in case of weather, traffic, or work issues.
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Elementary GAP Before-school elementary GAP will provide service from 7:00-8:00 a.m. Elementary students who arrive earlier than 8:00 a.m. should report to GAP located in the elementary commons. Normal GAP fees apply. Siblings of secondary students and beginning band students should wait with parents until 8:00 to avoid this charge. After-school GAP will provide service from 3:30-6:00 p.m. All elementary students will be escorted to GAP 15 minutes after dismissal (K-6 at 3:30). Charges will begin at 3:30 at a rate of $0.13 per minute. Secondary GAP (Grades 7-12) Secondary GAP is for students whose parents cannot pick them up directly after school. Students waiting to be picked up should do so in the front entry or at the north door and should be picked up within 15 minutes of dismissal. Students not picked up within 15 minutes have two options: They may use the Learning Center (LC) from 3:004:00 p.m. at no charge to work on assignments. The LC is a place for students to work and study. If students are not working or become disruptive, they will be sent to GAP and normal GAP fees will be assessed. Or students may choose to go directly to secondary GAP, which is in room 100B (Mr. Finch’s classroom) of the secondary Learning Commons and normal GAP fees will be assessed. At 4:00 p.m., any students remaining in the Learning Commons will go to secondary GAP in room 100B (Mr. Finch’s classroom). At 5:00 p.m., secondary students still in the secondary GAP room (100B) will be sent to the Elementary Library from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. GAP is billed by the minute at a rate of $0.13. The 1hour minimum charge no longer applies. Students remaining in GAP after 6:00 p.m. will be charged a $5 per minute fee. Parents will check their students out with GAP staff. Students may bring their own snacks and are welcome to change clothes before entering secondary GAP. Please be aware that there is no Secondary GAP or Learning Commons Supervision for students on early release days, which includes finals days and the day of high school graduation.
Health Policies Before the first day of school, every student entering SCA must present records showing all Missourirequired immunizations are current. Families may present religious or medical exemption cards. If immunizations are not reported current as required by Missouri State law, students will not be allowed to attend school after September 16 until immunizations are completed. SCA will adhere to the following procedures recommended by the Missouri State Health Department when dispensing medication: All medications (prescription/nonprescription) shall be given to a child only with a signed Authorization to Administer Medication Form on file in the health clerk office. All prescription medicine/drugs shall be in the original container and labeled with the child’s name, physician's name, and written instructions. Tylenol or Ibuprofen may be given with verbal or written approval of the parents. A log will be kept in the health office to record each time medication is given. For elementary students, notification will be sent home with the student when Tylenol or Ibuprofen is administered. Minor cuts and scrapes may be dealt with in the classroom. More serious injuries should be dealt with in the health office. Medical Care Plans Any student with a chronic or severe medical condition (asthma, nut allergies, diabetes, seizures, etc.) must have a Medical Care Plan on file in the health office. The health office will provide copies of medical care plans to all teachers, recess aides, and lunch attendants who have direct contact with the student. Teachers should review medical care plans regularly to remain familiar with emergency guidelines. If a child has a severe allergy, parents should speak with the school health clerk regarding specific school procedures.
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SERVICES
For your child’s protection and the protection of others, children should be kept home when they have any of the following symptoms: Severe cold symptoms (chronic coughing, sore throat, etc.). Temperature. A child must have a normal temperature for at least 24 hours prior to returning to school. Upset stomach, vomiting, abdominal pain, or diarrhea. A child must be kept at home until there has been neither vomiting nor diarrhea for at least 24 hours. Questions should be referred to the health clerk. Undiagnosed rash or skin lesions, red or discharging eyes (i.e., conjunctivitis/pink eye), earache, or swollen glands. A child must be kept home with any of these symptoms until diagnosed by a doctor and the student has been symptom free for at least 24 hours. Please notify the office in the event your child has been diagnosed as having a communicable illness. Head Lice. Students may not be readmitted to school until treatment has been accomplished and evidence of all live lice and lice eggs (nits) have been eliminated. Parents must report incidents of head lice to the office. The custodial staff will be notified to treat rooms and the health staff will then take preventative measures and check other students in the classroom to determine if other students have been affected. If a student complains of illness, the school will: Check the child’s temperature. If it is 100 degrees or more without medication, the parent will be called to take the child home. If the student is still not feeling well one hour after an original complaint, the parent will be called to take the child home. If the child is vomiting and/or has diarrhea, the parent or emergency number will be called immediately. In the event of serious illness, accident, or injury to any child, the school shall follow the parent's written instructions for emergency medical care, with prompt notification of the parent. The Lee’s Summit Fire Department and Rescue Unit will be called if the administration deems it necessary. Information regarding the illness, accident, or injury shall be noted in the school's health log.
Concussion Protocol In an effort to help support students who have had an extended absence or suffered a concussion, the following protocol was created based upon the latest medical research regarding concussions. The steps listed below will help identify those students, monitor them, and then ensure that they are released at the appropriate time (not too early and not too late). Concussion Procedures Latest research states that students should only stay home for a day or two and then start becoming active. Walking is very beneficial in the healing process - not running, playing sports, or putting oneself at risk for falling or being hit in the head or neck - but being active and walking preferably outside. To receive the concussion protocol, a student must have a written diagnosis from a medical professional that states the student has a concussion. That written form must be submitted to the health clerk in the health office. The health clerk will then notify the administrators, academic advisors, and teachers of the diagnosis and the beginning of the following protocol items: Teachers should print copies of notes and give to students, so they do not have to use technology. Quizzes can be excused and not made-up or may be required to be made-up based upon the importance of the material in an effort to support success on future tests and mastery of the content. The final decision on excused vs. made-up will be at the discretion of the teacher with input from the principal. Students are responsible for information on quizzes. Copies of quizzes with answers should be given for any excused quizzes. Electronic device use should be replaced with hard copies of materials where possible if needed due to a concussion. P.E. may be modified. Students should be active and walking but not participating in any activity that could cause hitting of the head. The Health Services Manual says, “No P.E. until cleared by the doctor.” Projects/major essays must be reviewed by the principal and teacher for individual assessment of necessary action. Tests will need to be made up once a student returns to school or is cleared of concussion. In some instances, tests may be proctored. Continued Next Page...
34
STUDENT SUPPORT
SERVICES
Concussion Protocol Continued ... When a concussion initially occurs, most likely all testing will be paused. No tests should be given the first two weeks after concussion without express doctor permission or the student is cleared from the concussion. For making up tests, the school will work in conjunction with the student, doctor, parents, administration, advisor, and health office to determine best procedures for making up exams. Tests should be on paper rather than on screens. Students may start making up work after two weeks if agreed upon by the doctor, parent, student, and administration that the student is able to handle it and not have a recurrence of symptoms.
The health clerk will follow up every couple of days with the student who has been diagnosed and the parents. A student must be cleared by a supervising physician or designee. All elementary students must be cleared by an outside health care professional. The school’s athletic trainer may clear secondary students only if the concussion occurred during the student’s sports season. When a secondary athlete is cleared by the athletic trainer, written documentation will be provided to the health clerk. Once a student is cleared, the health clerk will notify administrators, academic advisors, and teachers of the student being cleared, and the student will return to full academic expectations. Return to play for secondary student athletes will be completed by the athletic trainer. Parents and students need to work with individual teachers to schedule make-up tests and items that need to be completed. For more information, visit For more information, visit http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2017/04/28/bjspor ts-2017-097699
ADDITIONAL
POLICIES Deliveries In an effort to reduce classroom distractions, any flowers or gifts delivered for a student will be held in the office until the end of the day. Food Service Deliveries including but not limited to: GubHub, UberEats, DoorDash etc. will be turned away at the door and not received. Student Couples on School Grounds or School Activities Students at SCA are expected to honor and respect one another in a manner that exhibits and portrays the highest Christian standards. Friendship is something that is earned between individuals. At SCA, we desire to provide an atmosphere that promotes healthy avenues of expression of friendship among couples and that reflects biblical standards of morality. Public displays of romantic affection such as holding hands, arms around each other, and kissing are not permitted at school or school functions. An exception is made at dance events where reasonable and appropriate physical contact for a dance is permitted.
Book Bags/Backpacks For safety reasons, book bags and backpacks should be kept away from walkways and halls. Some secondary classroom teachers may institute a “no backpack” rule in their room due to space issues. Fictional Characters are not allowed for PS-12th grade students.
35
Information for grades k-6
36
ELEMENTARY
ACADEMICS Report Cards and Parent Conferences The purpose of a reporting system is to provide parents and students with a means of noting student progress. For core subjects, report cards and midterms are sent home with students for the first three quarters. As special classes meet only weekly or biweekly, they do not furnish a midterm report. Final grades are sent home in Friday folders. The school reserves the right to withhold report cards and/or student records when accounts fall in arrears. Students will not receive final report cards until all financial accounts are paid in full. This includes tuition and fees, lunch, library books, fines, etc. Parent/Teacher conferences are held in the fall and spring. Spring conferences are primarily for students experiencing academic difficulty. First quarter grade cards are distributed to parents either at the conferences or via the students. Parents are encouraged to keep communication open with teachers and request a conference with teachers whenever necessary. The school requires parents to telephone and arrange an appointment so a teacher can allow time to discuss concerns. Classroom time or time just before or after school will not be used for conferences unless prearranged with the teacher. Elementary Grading Scale
O/S/N/U grades are awarded for Art, Music, PE, Penmanship, Spanish, and Computer. Outstanding = Quality work and/or effort in every detail. Satisfactory = Average and above work, room for improvement. Needs Improvement = Low and below average work, needs to improve. Unsatisfactory = Below average work, must improve. Elementary Honors Soaring Eagle Awards – Teachers will select students to receive a Soaring Eagle Award for demonstrating random acts of kindness or compassion. These awards are recognized by the principal. Christian Character Award - Each quarter two students are chosen (one from grades 1-3 and one from grades 4-6) as representatives of true Christian character. This award comes with a $25.00 gift card. Year-end honors include: Superior Spelling - Student must maintain at least a 98% average on spelling tests all four quarters. Superior Bible Memory - Student must maintain at least a 98% average on Bible memory tests/quizzes all four quarters. Citizenship Award - A student will be selected by the teacher for excellence in attitude, academics, and overall behavior. Christian Character Award - Student of the Year is awarded a trophy and a $100.00 gift card.
A+
100
C-
70-71
O+
100
A
94-99
D+
68-69
O
94-99
A-
90-93
D
62-67
O-
90-93
B+
88-89
D-
60-61
S+
87-89
B
82-87
F
59
S
83-86
B-
80-81
S-
80-82
C+
78-79
N
70-79
C
72-77
U
0-69
Students in grades 4-6 will also be eligible for academic recognition: Principal’s Honor Roll - All A’s in core subjects all four quarters. No U’s in special classes. A/B Honor Roll - All A’s and B’s in core subjects for all four quarters. No U’s in special classes. Elementary Procedures Homework - The school will provide a silver folder for important papers. This folder will be sent home on Fridays. Please be sure to check these “Friday folders” diligently. Achievement Testing SCA administers annual aptitude and achievement testing. Results are presented to parents and training on interpreting test scores is available to elementary families. Home school students may participate in the testing process with students at their grade level as room allows. Testing fees will apply.
37
ELEMENTARY STUDENT
DISCIPLINE
The goal at SCA is to encourage students to be more like Jesus. Acceptable behavior is essential to an effective instructional program and to the development of the student. The attitudes and behaviors listed below should be the goal of each student. Love the Lord with your whole heart. Respect authority, school rules, property, and fellow students. Self-discipline and control. “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” Hebrews 12:10-11 (NIV). Just as discipline is a key element in a solid and secure Christian home and a victorious Christian life, it is a major component in the Christian school. Teaching within the Christian school is backed up with biblical discipline, conveying love and understanding to a child. We believe that all things should be done decently and in order (1 Corinthians 14:40) and that our children must learn responsibility for their actions. At SCA, discipline is firm, consistent, fair, and exemplifies respect for one’s self and others. This same biblical discipline is tempered with love and heightened with encouragement to strive for excellence in character and academics. Procedures to correct improper behavior will be designed to correct the behavior, not to punish the child. Corporal punishment is not utilized by the school. Discipline will be handled at the lowest possible level. The following are samples of behaviors that may be brought to the attention of the principal: Bullying (defined as repeated and unwelcome action reflecting unkindness and an imbalance of power) Cheating Defiance Disrespect to people or things Drug and/or related paraphernalia Excessive tardies Firearms, knives, or weapons of any kind Physical contact in anger Profanity Vandalism Racial language or gestures
Discipline consequences could include: Verbal reprimand by the principal Loss of privileges A phone call/conference with parents Detention In-school suspension Out-of-school suspension A referral slip to be signed by the parent Expulsion SCA recognizes that children may behave in unacceptable ways toward their classmates, and such behavior can be classified as immature or unkind as defined below: Immature Behavior No intent to be unkind Annoying activity that causes discomfort Foolish actions that may cause harm to others and/or their property Immature behavior will be addressed by classroom teacher, redirection, classroom consequences, apology/reconciliation, possible loss of classroom privileges. Unkind Behavior Intent is to be unkind Behavior is not frequent Behavior intensity is low Behavior may be impulsive and is infrequent Behavior duration is short. Unkind behavior will be addressed by the classroom teacher and may involve school principal. Consequences for behavior may include loss of privileges, parent-teacher conference, apology / reconciliation. Discipline Appeal A student, or parent on behalf of the student, may appeal the action of a staff member following the Matthew 18 principle and through the chain of command as follows. Please reference the Conflict Resolution language on page 20. ∙ The student/parent will request reevaluation and reconsideration by the school administrative staff, within 7 days of the discipline date. Continued next page...
38
ELEMENTARY STUDENT
DISCIPLINE
Classroom Discipline Grade Level Classrooms Each grade level classroom teacher has a classroom discipline plan that deals with most normal, daily discipline problems. These plans are submitted to the principal for approval. Parents are informed of the classroom plan at the beginning of the school year. Once a child has exhausted the teacher’s classroom discipline plan, he/she will immediately be sent to the principal. The principal will determine what form of Bullying and Hazing Philosophy discipline is necessary depending on the offense. The SCA believes each person is made in the image of God word discipline is related to the word disciple. and is worthy of respect as an esteemed member of the The purpose of discipline is to disciple students in school community. SCA does not tolerate any form of the Lord’s way (Proverbs 6:23). hazing or bullying in any classroom, sport, or activity of Discipline is instruction that molds, shapes, the school whether on campus or off campus, or over the corrects, and inspires appropriate behavior Internet or other digital devices (Cyberbullying.) (Proverbs 9:9). Discipline is the opportunity to redirect students’ Consequences of bullying and hazing will be sinful natures (1John 1:8). administered in accordance with the school’s overall The goal for our students is the same as the goal discipline policy. Jesus had for His disciples -self-motivated discipline born out of a personal desire to please Definitions God (Romans 12:2). Hazing: The practice of rituals and other activities God does not force or intimidate His children into involving harassment, abuse, humiliation, or use of making godly decisions. He allows them to choose intimidation as a way of initiating a person into a group. (Joshua 24:15). Hazing may occur even when all students involved are Society’s lifestyles are moving further away from willing participants. biblical principles. One of the most serious challenges is to keep classroom management Bullying: Intentional, repeated, aggressive behavior philosophies firmly rooted in the Word of God involving an imbalance of power where physical or verbal (Proverbs 22:6). harassment is used to frighten, hurt, threaten, or Disciplined living is the outward manifestation of intimidate. Bullying behavior can include repeated proper love and respect for God, others, and self teasing, insulting, shoving, hitting, excluding someone, or (1Peter 2:17-18). gossiping, whether in person or over the Internet or other digital devices (Cyberbullying.) Luke 6:31, Leviticus Detention 19:18b, Proverbs 6:16-19 Staff members, coaches, Students required to serve detention must stay sponsors, and/or volunteers shall not permit, condone, after school to serve. Detention supersedes all or tolerate any form of bullying or hazing. Staff members, after-school activities. coaches, sponsors, and/or volunteers who witness or Each student must enter quietly with pen, pencil, learn of any bullying or hazing shall report the incident and paper to write. to the building principal as soon as possible. No talking or disturbances of any kind. Parents may not enter the detention room until the child is Parents should report any concerns immediately to the dismissed. PLEASE, no interruptions at all. classroom teacher or principal. Administration will Sports and extracurricular events do not excuse a ensure follow-up. student from detention. Excessive detentions may result in a suspension. Entering detention tardy will require staying later and/or a second detention may be issued. Detentions for tardies will be served with the teacher to make up class time. Any situation not satisfactorily resolved by the administrative staff and the student/parent may be appealed as follows: First appeal to the appropriate principal. Second appeal to the Head of School. Third appeal to the Board of Education who will consider the facts in the case and render a decision that will be the final determination of the issue.
39
ELEMENTARY STUDENT
DISCIPLINE
Suspension - Expulsion Board Policy Student suspension or expulsion is considered a severe and drastic measure to be used only when other methods of controlling a student’s behavior have failed. The school principal may suspend a student; the Head of School may expel a student. Suspension occurs when a student’s conduct, and/or failure to respond to corrective disciplinary procedures, requires that a student be temporarily removed from the student body. The suspension of a student may be either in-school suspension or out-of-school suspension. A suspension may be changed to expulsion for cause. Expulsion of a student is the permanent removal of a student from the school. Expulsion is warranted when all available disciplinary procedures to rehabilitate the student have been unsuccessful, or the student’s conduct is of such a serious nature as to warrant immediate removal. The school reserves the right to withdraw, release, or remove a student at any time for any reason, including failure of the parent(s) to adhere to the policies, philosophies, and procedures of the school. Late Work Kindergarten has no late work, as work is accomplished in class. Grades 1-6 - When work is turned in late and is “unexcused,” it will not be allowed to receive an A. The highest grade possible will be an 89% after that, 5% per day late will be deducted for a grade no lower than 59%. No work may be left unaccomplished, as we are striving to achieve a Colossians 3:23 attitude that says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Should a student reach 59%, he or she will be sent to the office until all work is finished. Recess and/or specials may be missed.
Toys at School Personal toys should be left at home. This includes trading cards, electronic devices, dolls, etc. Teachers may choose to stipulate specific days to bring items. The school is not responsible for lost or broken items. Cell Phones / Electronic Devices Any use of cell phones, Apple Watches, handheld video games, etc., by students will not be allowed. This includes all text messaging and camera/video use. All electronic devices must be turned off, put away, and out of sight during school hours. If violated, electronic equipment will be confiscated and given to the principal. When appropriate, the administration may approve use of electronic devices. Computer and Internet Use Any computer on the SCA network is filtered and we make every effort to monitor the content available to students. The computers at SCA are for school use only. Use for any other purpose can be grounds for disciplinary action.
Work to be Redone In some rare circumstances, teachers may determine to average a low homework paper grade with its redone work. Rarely, a teacher may determine to allow a test to be retaken. The grades from the original test and the new test will be averaged. This practice will only be performed with a principal’s approval.
40
ELEMENTARY UNIFORM
DRESS CODE
The following uniform dress code has been adopted by the SCA Board of Education and is enforced so students reflect a neat, modest appearance. For items that may be in question, the principal’s decision will stand. SCA students are required to wear clothing that meets the following specifications: Shirts* Long or short-sleeved, collared, button polo shirts in any solid color. No contrasting trim or piping should be visible. Small pockets are fine on a shirt. Button-front oxford, blouse, or blue denim shirts with long or 3/4 length sleeves in any solid color with no visible contrasting trim or piping. K-4 may wear solid color turtlenecks as a primary shirt. Grades 5-6 may wear solid color turtlenecks only under a sweater, sweatshirt, jumper, or polo. Only school-approved SCA logos are acceptable on any shirt. Shirt brands/logos must not be visible. Shirts must be tucked in at all times. Parents should check ability of shirt to stay tucked in by having students raise hands over their heads. Sweaters* Solid colors with no visible brand names or logos (except school-approved SCA logos). Pullover, cardigan, V-neck, or vest. Ponchos are not acceptable. All sweaters must have a separate collar showing above neckline. (Solid color cowl/turtleneck sweaters are not acceptable.) Collar should be from a polo, oxford, blouse, turtleneck, or denim shirt. Sweatshirts* School sweatshirts only. Must be purchased through the school with the school logo. These are the only sweatshirts that may be worn during the school day. If a student desires to wear a “hoodie” sweatshirt (zip or pullover) as a jacket, it must have an SCA logo. School sweatshirts and hoodies may be worn. However, if the sweatshirt or hoodie is removed, school dress code must be followed.
Pants/Skirts/Shorts/Capris/Skorts* Tan khaki, navy blue, gray or black dress slacks or capris with or without pockets. Very small brand name logos may be visible. Cotton or cotton-polyester twill fabric. Proportioned to fit; i.e., not extremely tight or baggy. Skirts/shorts/skorts must measure no higher than 4” from the bottom of the kneecap. Skirt slits should measure no higher than 4” from the bottom of the kneecap. No jeans, corduroys, or cargo pants. Flares should not be extreme. Leggings should not be worn as pants. They may be worn under length appropriate skirts – solid colors only. Socks Girls may not wear nylons. Tights and leggings must be opaque rather than sheer. Shoes Any lace up or velcro tennis shoe that is non-marking may be worn. (zippers on tennis shoes are not acceptable as they damage the gym floor.) All dress shoes are acceptable. No plastic shoes, pool shoes, or sandals are acceptable. This is a playground safety issue. Belts Must be worn with all pants, shorts, skorts and skirts with belt loops. Jumpers Tan khaki, navy blue, gray, or black jumpers may be worn (no denim). Skirt length regulations apply. Polo dresses with sleeves may be worn. Skirt length regulations should be followed. Scout Uniforms Students participating in Boy Scout or Girl Scout programs may wear their Class A uniforms to school. Hair and Makeup Girls may have up to two ear piercings per ear. No other visible body piercing jewelry allowed. Boys may wear a short chain inside the shirt and one or two finger rings. Boys may not wear long necklaces or earrings. No visible body piercing allowed. No unusual or extreme hair styles for boys or girls. Girls may wear jewelry, but not large or excessive. No visible tattoos. Boys’ hair should be of moderate length or shorter (at or above the eyebrows, collar, and mid-ear). No hair accessories. Continued Next Page...
41
ELEMENTARY UNIFORM
DRESS CODE
Hair and Makeup Continued... Hair may not be dyed an abnormal color; i.e., blue, pink, green, etc. (except during spirit week). No facial hair. Boys may not wear nail polish or makeup. No hats or sunglasses may be worn while in school buildings. Special Events Some special events will require dress code or special attire. For games and optional events, we ask that students dress in a neat and modest fashion, refraining from suggestive or worldly attire. Dress Code Violation Reminders will be as follows: 1st offense: Verbal correction and written documentation from teacher and office. 2nd offense: Verbal correction and written documentation from principal. 3rd offense: Verbal correction, documentation, and written notification from principal. Parent may be called to bring a change of clothing. 4th offense: Verbal correction, written and phone notification to parents from principal. A detention may be issued. Student will be required to immediately comply with code. This may include: An item being confiscated for parental pick up. A student remaining in the office until proper clothing is available. Student wearing an item supplied by the office.
42
STUDENT ATTENDANCE &
TARDY POLICIES Attendance Students are required to complete and turn in all assignments in line with the below guidelines. Any and all illnesses that result in either an absence or in late work should be reported to the school office. We view the whole school day as valuable and important. Classes are scheduled until departure time. Parents are asked not to pick up their students early unless there is an emergency or a scheduled appointment. For security purposes, parents bringing or taking children outside of normal times must sign their child in and out at the front desk. If a student is absent, parents should notify the school each day of their child's absence. This will confirm parental knowledge and consent for the student absence. If parents have not previously called, the first day a student returns to school after an absence, he must bring a dated, written note from the parents indicating the reason for the absence to his teacher. SCA discourages extended planned absences. Parents who plan for their student(s) to be absent for any part of a day, or one or more days, must notify the school in advance. Teachers will require that work be made up for all absences. Students are generally allowed one day for each day missed to make up their work. It is the responsibility of the parents and student to arrange with the teacher any makeup work to be completed. If possible, makeup work should be completed before the absence. When homework from a planned absence is not turned in when due, the grade will be lowered one letter grade each day it is late. eCampus days due to building closure are counted as attendance days. Tardies Tardiness disrupts the class academic learning time and the school routine in general. Students are expected to be in their seats ready to start work at 8:15 a.m. Early Pick-up Should a parent choose to pick up before 3:15, the student will be marked absent in accordance with the absence/tardy chart.
To Report An Absence Elementary parents, please call 524-0185 x 202 to leave a voice mail before 9:30 a.m. to report an absence due to illness. Please email your child’s teacher to request homework assignments for absences of two days or more. Absence/Tardy Chart Tardies and absences will be recorded in FACTS SIS as follows: Reports to School Recorded in SIS as 8:15 – 8:45 (30 min or less) Tardy 8:45 – 11:45 (.31-3.5 hrs) 0.5 day absent 11:45 – 3:15 (3.5+ hrs) 1.0 day absent Leaves School Recorded in SIS as 2:45 – 3:15 Tardy 11:45 – 2:45 0.5 day absent 8:15 – 11:45 1.0 day absent Student absences will be recorded in ½ or full-day increments. Additionally, students who arrive late up to 30 minutes or leave early up to 30 minutes will be marked as tardy. Student absences and tardies for the following reasons will be excused: Student illness. Death in the immediate family. Doctor/dental appointment that could not be scheduled outside of school hours. Out-of-town trips with prior approval. Unusual hardship approved by the principal. Outside activities approved by the principal. Parents will receive a courtesy email at the 3rd and 6th unexcused tardy and 7th absence. Tardy letters will be sent out at the 7th unexcused tardy and each thereafter. Copies of letters are kept on file. The 7th unexcused tardy and all unexcused tardies thereafter will result in a 15-minute after-school detention with the principal. A letter will be sent home at the 10th and 15th absences. At the 20th absence, promotion will be discussed. Copies of letters are kept on file in the school office. Tardies go back to “0” at semester. Absences accumulate throughout the year. Should a student reach the 20th absence in a school year, it may put promotion requirements at risk. The principal will evaluate the absences to determine if additional steps are necessary to make up days/work missed.
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ELEMENTARY DAILY
SCHEDULES
Elementary Office Hours: 7:30am - 4:00pm All elementary classes are on a 5-day schedule with special classes at varied times per teacher. Elementary Chapel Schedule: Grade:
Date/Time:
Location:
4-6
Thursday, 8:25 - 8:55am
Elementary Commons
K-3
Thursday, 9:00 - 9:30am
Elementary Commons
5th and 6th Grade Band, Strings & Honors Ensembles Schedules: Date/Time:
Activity:
Location:
Beginning Band
Mon/Wed/Thurs, 7:35 - 8:15 am
Elem Music Room
Intermediate Band
Tues/Friday 7:35 - 8:15 am
Elem Music Room
5th/6th Jr Eagle Singers
Wednesday 3:15 – 4:00 pm
Elementary Music Room
Allegro Strings 5th
Tues/Fri - 7:40 - 8:20
Secondary Room S122
Allegro Strings 6th
Mon/Thurs - 7:40 - 8:20
Secondary Room S122
Elementary Lunch Schedule: Lunches are scheduled for thirty minutes. K: 10:50 am
4th: 12:05 pm
1st: 11:20am
5th: 12:20 pm
2nd: 11:50 am
6th: 11:35 am
Elementary Recess Schedule: 1st & 2nd: 20 min -- K, 3-6: 30 min K: (Ginther/Wilfong) 10:15 am (Santon/Davis) 11:20 am (Ginther/Davis) 1:30 pm (Santon/Wilfong) 2:00 pm
4th: 2:00 pm
1st: 10:45am & 1:15pm
5th: 12:45 pm
2nd: 11:15am & 1:40pm
6th: 2:30 pm
3rd: 11:05 am
3rd: 11:35am
44
Information for grades 7-12
45
SECONDARY
ACADEMICS Secondary Open Houses Attendance at the appropriate open house is required for all 7-12 students. If family scheduling does not allow, parents may schedule a different time prior to the start of school. Please call the office at 816-525-1480. Open houses activities include the following: Finalized course selection Necessary software for courses Passwords for email, network, etc. P.E. shirts Parking permits Spirit wear Yearbook orders Locker combinations Grading Scale – 7-8 The grading scale used for SCA students in grades 7-8 is as follows: 100
A+
73-76
C
94-99
A
70-72
C-
90-93
A-
67-69
D+
87-89
B+
63-66
D
83-86
B
60-62
D-
80-82
B-
1-59
F
77-79
C+
Grading Scale – 9-12 Secondary students shall be assigned a percentage earned for each course. These percentages go to the hundredths place and only round from the thousandths to the hundredths. For the purposes of an averaged cumulative percentage, a numerical percent to the hundredths place shall be used and will again only be rounded from the thousandths place to the hundredths. Semester course percentages and semester cumulative averages shall be provided as unweighted with cumulative averages showing as being both weighted and unweighted. Courses offered as dual credit or honors shall receive an additional 10% weight added to the semester course percentage (if the final grade is a 60% or higher).
The school profile and student transcript should include the statement: SCA uses a percentages-only grading system. If a GPA conversion scale is needed, SCA recommends the following: 90 – 100 = 4 80 – 89 = 3 70 – 79 = 2 60 – 69 = 1 Grades may only be calculated once all assignments have been turned in to the teacher. Failure to complete assignments results in an Incomplete and potential loss of credit. Honor Roll Awarded at semester and end of year: Principal’s Honor Roll. Student must maintain a 90% or above in every class for the semester. Honor Roll. Student must receive an 80% or above in every class for the semester. Academic Lettering Students in grades 9-12 are eligible to receive an academic letter for achieving a 90% cumulative weighted percentage rounded from the tenths place after completion of their 9th, 10th, and 11th grade years. (Students must take 8 classes each year to be eligible.) Academic Special Invitations Students may take advanced courses if academic performance warrants. Student cumulative percentage of 95% or above qualifies students to receive an invitation from the secondary principal to take AP or dual credit courses early. Students close to this percentage may make an appointment with the principal to discuss the possibility of advanced classes. For information on early advancement, please talk to your student’s advisor or the principal. Secondary Report Cards and Parent Conferences The purpose of a reporting system is to provide parents and students with a means of noting the progress of the student. Parents have access at any time to grades through FACTS SIS. Report cards are available online at the end of each semester. The school reserves the right to withhold report cards and/or student records when accounts fall in arrears, including online access to grades and report cards. Students will not receive or be granted access to report cards until all financial accounts are paid in full. This includes tuition and fees, lunch, fines, etc.
46
SECONDARY
ACADEMICS Parent/Teacher conferences for all students are held each fall. Parents may sign up electronically for fall conferences via Sign-Up Genius. Parents are encouraged to keep communication open with teachers and request additional conferences whenever necessary. Spring conferences are optional and are a time for parents to meet with teachers when a student is not meeting their academic potential. To schedule any additional conferences, the school requires parents to call or email teachers directly to schedule an appointment. Classroom time or time just before or after school will not be used for conferences unless prearranged with the teacher. Career Testing To bring students to their God-given potential and ignite leadership in their areas of strength, SCA provides the following opportunities for career testing: 10th Grade Missouri Connections
ASVAB The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery is a multiple choice test that measures aptitudes for a variety of careers both in the military and civilian environment. It tests four critical areas -- arithmetic reasoning, word knowledge, paragraph comprehension and mathematics knowledge. It is offered on a volunteer basis to high school students when they are in the 10th, 11th and 12th grade. Semester & Final Exams Junior high/high school students will be given semester assessments in all cumulative subjects. Assessments may be project-based, papers or written exams. Exams will be a minimum of 10% of overall course grade and a maximum of no more than 15% in junior high and 20% in high school for all non-college courses. Exams shall not be taken early. If a student is absent on an exam date, it may be taken later, per arrangement with the school office. At the teacher’s discretion, the exam may be a different format and/or contain different questions than previously given exams.
Academic Testing PreACT (Grades 7-9) The PreACT is administered to all 7th - 9th graders in April. Accepting Transfer Credits for New Students All courses considered for acceptance are subject to the Results are sent home to parents and maintained in student records. This test sets a baseline for students and SCA Transfer Policy: Grades received on an official transcript, from an helps track their academic progress through these years. It also provides an early measure of college and career accredited school or an accredited home school readiness and prepares them for being successful when program, will be accepted as verification of courses taking the ACT in 10th and 11th grade, as it follows the taken and credit(s) earned. same format as the ACT. Grades received from a non-accredited school will be evaluated on an individual basis to determine PSAT (Grade 10 & 11) acceptability. Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) is a college Credit for courses completed from a non-accredited preparatory test that helps students with the SAT and home school program will not be accepted for credit ACT. This is also the qualifying test for the National Merit unless completion is confirmed in one of the following Scholarship. ways: The student passes a test administered by SCA to ACT/SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) ensure a thorough understanding of the subject (Grades 9-12) matter. These are college entrance exams that are necessary for The student successfully completes with a 70% or admission to college. ACT and SAT tests are administered better grade the next level of course work in the in accordance with standards found on act.org and sat.org. particular subject matter. ACT tests are given in September, October, December, Documentation of 60 hours should be provided February, April, June, and July of each year at set for any course receiving .5 credit. locations. SAT tests are given in November, December, Only grades earned at SCA, from an accredited January, and March. Registration is not done through our school, an approved non-accredited school, or an school, but online at www.act.org or accredited home school program and received on an www.collegeboard.com. Students without Internet access official transcript will be used as part of the at home can use computers in the Learning Commons to cumulative average of SCA transcripts. register. When registering for the ACT/SAT, our school Only courses that correspond with SCA weighted code is 261-902. SCA is an ACT test site and our test courses will be granted the weight that would have center code is 223-010. been received had the course been taken here.
47
SECONDARY
ACADEMICS Every student is required to take a Bible course and an English course every semester regardless of the number of transfer credits in those subjects. Dual credit courses taken at Summit Tech Academy will be weighted on the SCA transcript. Students are responsible for providing the transcript to their advisor. College courses not equivalent to SCA courses will not be weighted.
Grades earned during junior high years will not be caluclated into the overall cumulative percentage of the student. Also, these high school courses taken in junior high will not count toward the total number of 29 credits required for graduation. The 29 credits must be earned grades 9-12.
Algebra Itaken in junior high may not be used to fulfill SCA graduation requirements of 3 high school math courses. However, it will count toward the Application of Outside Credits for Existing SCA Students magna/summa course honors requirements of 4 math If an SCA enrolled student wishes to take a course outside courses. of SCA (either through online, summer school, homeschool, or some other method) and wishes to apply Course Changes that credit to satisfy or supplement an SCA graduation Class schedules are determined for both semesters of requirement, the following steps must be followed: the upcoming school year prior to the end of the current Must obtain written approval from the administration school year. prior to the beginning of the course. When an outside course is completed, an official Within 7 school days of the first meeting of the class record (transcript) must be provided to the College each semester, schedule changes may be made if: and Career Advisor for the purposes of verification. Student class placement is inappropriate for ability level. Making Course Selections Student is approved to take an alternate course. Students are encouraged to choose classes after creating Administrative reasons. an academic plan in conjunction with their parents and
Advisor. The overarching framework for the academic To request a schedule change for an academic course, plan is SCA’s graduation requirements. Choosing an academic plan will also entail discussion on career goals, students must fill out a Schedule Change Request Form. college plans, and student personal interests. Scheduling This form requires administrator approval and parent signature. Approved schedule changes may only be conflicts may prevent a student from taking a course of choice. Certain courses may be taken online. Courses may made through the first two weeks of each semester. be cancelled if enrollment or staffing changes do not permit the offering. Depending on class enrollment, other After the deadline, student requests for schedule changes will not be considered without academic courses may be combined or regrouped. Administration reserves the right to adjust a student’s schedule. Student penalty. Courses dropped after the deadline will result schedules are not guaranteed to keep the same teacher or in a grade of WF (Withdrawal/Failing) and recorded on the transcript and included in the student’s cumulative period from semester one to semester two. average as a 59%. Withdrawing from courses may affect Part-Time Students athletic eligibility; therefore, athletes must obtain Students interested in part-time attendance should withdrawal approval from the principal, athletic director contact an advisor or the secondary principal. Part-time and College and Career Advisor. students will have a thorough audit of all courses taken. All students are required to take a Bible course every Existing Students Transferring in Credit/Grades semester while enrolled at SCA. Students that seeking an SCA students may desire to transfer in outside credit SCA diploma must earn 8 credits through SCA and are from colleges or programs. Credit is acceptable when it required to take SCA apologetics their senior year. is an accredited institution, and the advisor should If students desire to participate in MSHSAA, special requirements apply. High School Courses Taken in Junior High Advanced junior high students may be approved to take high school courses. These courses will be noted ion the trancript as having been taken in junior high.
place the course names and the credit earned on a student’s transcript in parenthesis during the summer or semester in which the course was taken. College courses must be a minimum of three (3) credits to be transferred into SCA. Every transferred 3-credit college course is equal to a .5 credit. Continued Next Page...
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SECONDARY
ACADEMICS It should be noted that no weighted courses will be transferred as weighted unless also offered as weighted at SCA. Grades (which impact cumulative percentage) may only be transferred to SCA by existing students under special circumstances: Pre-approved courses (such as the George Caleb Bingham Institute) Foreign language that SCA does not offer, up to the collegiate level IV. Administrative approval due to parent conflict with curriculum/teacher at SCA. Summit Technology will count as 1. SCA credits p/semester. A scheduling conflict due to courses only being offered a single time. Students must be full time in order to transfer in grades for this reason. Courses taken outside of SCA that SCA offers may not count toward SCA school graduation requirements. For an SCA diploma, transferred credit for existing students must be in addition to 29 earned SCA credits. Special circumstances should be referred to administration.
Repeating High School Course(s) Students receiving a percentage lower than their expectation may choose to repeat that course. A record of the first attempt in the course will remain on the student’s transcript, along with a record of the second attempt in the course. Once a course is repeated, the highest percentage will be averaged into the cumulative total and both courses will be reflected on the student transcript. Credit for successful completion of a course will be counted only once toward meeting graduation requirements. NCAA Clearinghouse Statement Many college sports are regulated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), an organization founded in 1906 that has established rules on eligibility, recruiting and financial aid. The NCAA has three membership divisions – Division I, Division II, and Division III. Institutions are members of one or another division according to the size and scope of their athletic programs and whether they provide athletic scholarships. Any student wanting to participate at an NCAA school needs to go through the NCAA Clearinghouse. NCAA Clearinghouse information and applications are available at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net.
Policy for Recovering a Failing/Incomplete Grade Failing or having an Incomplete (I) has at least two serious High School Athlete Eligibility implications: It both dramatically drops the cumulative High school athletes must meet criteria of age and average and eliminates the earning of .5 credit during the academics in order to participate in interscholastic semester. The failing percentage cannot be removed from competition. For further details, please reference the the transcript. Whether the class must be taken again is athletic handbook or contact the athletic director. You usually dependent on graduation requirements. If the may also visit www.mshsaa.org. failing percentage was in an elective category for which the credit was not needed to meet graduation MSHSAA Regulated Co-Curricular Class Enrollment requirements, the course need not be retaken. However, if Procedure the failing percentage was in one of the core subjects MSHSAA (Missouri State High School Activities (Bible, English, Science, History, Math) for which credit is Association) regulations require that students who are necessary to graduate, then the class must be retaken in competing in events must be academically eligible or order to recover the credit. This may be done as follows: their participation in events can create a forfeiture of Through SCA’s Summer Credit Recovery Program the entire group. To be academically eligible, a student (when available). Additional fees apply. See your at Summit Christian Academy must have passed 7 of 8 Advisor for details. classes the semester prior to their competition. Retake the course concurrently with the next level course. SCA’s Band, Choir, and Orchestra must maintain a class Administration will require resource English, and history enrollment of eligible students as they compete as an and/or math to make up F’s in those subjects at an entire group second semester. Therefore, any students additional cost. that have not passed 7 classes first semester cannot be enrolled in the second semester section of Band, Choir or Orchestra. Continued Next Page...
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SECONDARY
ACADEMICS MSHSAA Regulated Co-Curricular Class Enrollment Procedure Continued... Students are eligible to enroll in Band, Choir, and/or Orchestra for first semester if they do not pass 7 classes the previous semester, as there are no MSHSAA regulated competitions as an entire group for first semester. A+ Program SCA is a designated A+ school. Students may enroll in the A+ program at any time during high school. There are several requirements that must be met in order to receive an A+ scholarship. Students will be offered the opportunity to attend informational meetings at the beginning of the year. Missouri Seal of Biliteracy Senior International Students and World Language students may apply for the Missouri Seal of Biliteracy. Students who wish to pursue the Seal and accompanying graduation honors, should request an application from their language teacher or the International Program Director at the beginning of their senior year. Recipients of the Seal receive: a statement on their transcript, special recognition with a sealed certificate, a silver and royal blue cord for graduation, and up to 14 free college credit hours added to the student's college transcript. Graduation In order to participate in the graduation ceremony, students must have fulfilled all graduation requirements (including completing all individual assignments for every class) as well as settled all financial accounts. Part-time students who do not desire an SCA diploma but want to participate in the graduation ceremony will receive an attendance certificate in lieu of a diploma. Graduation Honors SCA recognizes seniors by using the Laude system. Any senior that has completed the last 4 semesters at SCA and graduates with a cumulative weighted percentage of a 90.00% or higher is eligible for the Cum Laude. To achieve magna cum laude or summa cum laude students need to also: Complete 30 credit hours on their transcript. Have taken a minimum of 7 courses each semester of their senior year Have completed 4 math courses and 4 science courses at the high school level
Summa Cum Laude is the top 5% of the graduating class. Magna Cum Laude is the next 10% of the graduating class. For scholarship purposes, students who achieve summa cum laude shall be considered covaledictorians. Students may wear graduation regalia (cords, stoles, and pins) only from SCA or an SCA affiliated organization that has been pre-approved by the Secondary Principal. Graduation caps may be decorated for graduation, but messages must be positive in nature, be school appropriate, include a scripture verse/reference, and pre-approved by the principal. Linda Harrelson Legacy of Servant Leadership Scholarship SCA Philosophy of Admission into Dual Credit Classes The ability to take a class for dual credit at the high school level is to be considered an earned privilege for those students whose attitude toward study reflects a collegiate level of maturity. Prior to enrollment in the initial dual credit class, students and parents will be required to attend a short meeting during back-toschool night in order to review college and classroom expectations. Dual credit requirements are established by the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education. Dual Credit Classes SCA partners with various universities to offer courses for both high school and college credit. The universities require additional tuition for these credits but at a significantly reduced rate compared to the normal college tuition. Students are required to register with the colleges and will be given opportunity during the school day to do so. Parents are responsible to ensure payments to the colleges are timely so students are given credit from the college. Dual Credit Course Requirements for all Students In order to preserve the integrity of the collegiate environment within these classes, the following restrictions will apply: Students should have achieved an overall SCA cumulative percentage of 80%. English and math students must meet the math and English requirements established by the university. Students new to SCA must submit a writing sample.
50
SECONDARY
ACADEMICS Dual Credit/Advanced Placement (AP) Dual credit/AP courses are courses which are weighted 10% at the end of the semester if the students grade is a 60% or higher. This weighted calculation method reflects the increased difficulty of courses taken and rewards the student accordingly. Students may take these courses for college credit (additional fee paid to college or for AP test) or for honors credit (covered by SCA tuition). Should a student elect this option, the course name on the transcript will change to “Honors” rather than “College.” (i.e., “Honors Algebra,” “Honors Calculus,” etc.) The grading and cumulative percentage calculation method employed is the same for both AP and Dual Credit. Transcripts reflect both weighted and unweighted cumulative percentages. SCA recommends no more than 3 honors/Dual Credit/AP courses in a semester.
Summit Technology Academy (STA) Students taking courses at Summit Technology Academy will receive 1 credit p/semester. STA’s partnership with SCA enables students to attend the STA campus from 7:55-10:00. Students return to SCA and attend courses from 4th-8th hours. They are still able to participate in all activities and chapel. It should be noted that STA follows the R-7 school district calendar, and it is important that students follow those dates. This may mean, as it does with other partnering districts, that our students at STA will not experience full days off during certain vacation times as SCA does not follow the Lee’s Summit District school calendar. For example spring break dates may mean that a student has no true break.
51
AP / DUAL
CREDIT
AP/Dual Credit Course Enrollment Requirements *Dual Credit Classes are offered at an additional cost and are billed by the college. SBU charges - $75 per credit hour MBU - $69 per credit hour Evangel - $65 per credit hour * Prices subject to change based on college determination. SCA Philosophy of Admission into AP/Dual Credit Classes SCA currently offers dual credit through Southwest Baptist University, Missouri Baptist University, and Evangel University. The ability to take a class for AP/dual credit at the high school level is to be considered an earned privilege for those students whose attitude toward study reflects a collegiate level of maturity. Prior to enrollment in the initial AP/dual credit class, students and parents will be required to attend a short meeting in order to review college and classroom expectations. Dual credit requirements are established by the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education. Course Requirements for all students In order to preserve the integrity of the collegiate environment within these classes, the following restrictions will apply: Students should have achieved an overall SCA cumulative percentage 80% or higher Students must meet ACT/SAT guidelines as named by the college. SBU Guidelines English students must have an 18 on English portion of ACT or a grade of 80% or higher in English III. Math Students must have an 18 on Math portion of ACT Students will achieve a 70% or higher on the initial class exam Students new to SCA will take a writing exam Summit Technology Dual Credit Once students are accepted into Summit Technology, they may be assigned a dual credit course through the University of Central Missouri, the Missouri Community College System, the Missouri University of Science and Technology, or the University of Missouri-Kansas City. SCA recognizes all assigned courses through STA as weighted courses. AP Courses Currently, SCA offers 3 AP courses: AP Chemistry, AP Calculus AB, and AP Physics. Students may take the AP course exam at the end of the year but are not required to do so. AP students may have prerequisite courses and are approved by the instructor. Dual Credit Course Requirements for Freshmen and Sophomores Freshmen and sophomores may be considered to enter dual credit courses; however, guidelines for entry are much more stringent. Students must first qualify. Students should be aware that they will be in courses that are predominantly upper-classmen. Although intellectual abilities may be high, social/emotional maturity will be evaluated by administration.
52
AP / DUAL
CREDIT
Dual Credit Course Offerings Southwest Baptist University
Missouri Baptist University
Course #
Course Name
College Credit
Course #
Course Name
College Credit
GEO1103
Geography
3
ENG113
Eng Comp I
3
HIS2213
American History
3
ENG223
Eng Comp II
3
HIS2223
Am Hist 1877 - Pres
3
MATH 133
Algebra
3
MATH 243
Prob & Stats
3
MATH 155
PreCalc
5
MATH 153
Music Apprec
3
PSY 133
Gen Psych
3
CPHS 433
World Religions
3
COM 103
Speech Comm
3
MUTH 103
Fund. of Music
3
BIOL 113
Gen Bio I
3
BIOL 111
Gen Bio I Lab
1
BIOL 213
Anatomy & Phys I
3
BIOL 211
Anatomy & Phys I Lab
1
MAT1195 SPA1114 SPA1124 SPA2213 SPA2223
Calculus Spanish I Spanish II Inter Spanish I INter Spanish II
5 4 4 3 3
Evangel University
Course #
Course Name
College Credit
ENG 123
Intro to Lit
3
GOV 170
Intro to Amer Gov
3
HIS 115
World Civ I
3
HIS 116
World Civ II
3
FRE 115
Elem French I
4
FRE 116
Elem French II
4
FRE 215
Inter French I
3
FRE 216
Inter French II
3
Total Number of Credits Offered: 94
53
AP / DUAL Dual Credit Course Fees
CREDIT
SBU – A per credit hour fee is assessed upon enrollment. Check must be enclosed with registration form. Balance must be paid in full by the end of the semester via the student’s MySBU online portal. Questions concerning billing should be directed to Mrs. Alyssa Tabor at alyssa.tabor@sbuniv.edu. The college will send a bill in the mail/email for any remaining balance. Courses are $75.00 p/credit hour with a deposit due at registration. MBU - Students taking courses from Missouri Baptist University will submit payment online via the college’s website. Courses are $69.00 p/credit hour. Evangel U. - Students taking courses from Evangel University will submit payment online or by phone. Courses are $65.00 p/credit hour. Fall tuition is due December 1; Spring tuition is due April 1.
Advanced Placement Course Offerings AP Calculus AB AP Chemistry AP Physics I
54
GRADUATION
REQUIREMENTS SCA Graduation Requirements & University Admission Requirements:
SCA Required
Bible
4
0
English
4
4
4
4
4
Math
3 (4*)
3
4
3
3
Algebra I &Higher
Algebra I & higher including Algeb ra II
Algebra I & higher
3
3
3
No general science & at least 1 lab class.
No general science and at least 1 lab class.
One must be Chemistry or Physics 3
Science
3 (4*)
3
University of Missouri
Missouri Public Community & Kansas Board 4-Year Military Careers Technical Colleges of Regents Colleges (i.e.Longview,DeVry) (i.e. UCM)
State of Missouri
Social Studies
3
3
3
3
Fine Arts
1
1
1
1
Personal Finance
0.5
0.5
0
0.5
Speech or Debate
0.5
Phys. Ed.
1
1
0
1
Health
0.5
.5
Practical Arts
0
1
1
Electives
9
7
7
World Language
0
2
High School Diploma or Certificate of Completion of Home School Program
High School Diploma, GED, or Certificate of completion of Home School Program
3
2 levels of 2 levels of the same lang same world recommended language. & a core class Total
29 units
24 units
24 units plus Appropriate appropriate class rank and class rank and ACT/SAT score. ACT/SAT score
To qualify for magna and summa status, students must take 4 credits in math and science. Part-time students must demonstrate all graduation requirements being met. To receive an SCA diploma, 8 credits must be taken through SCA, and the SCA apologetics course is mandatory.
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SECONDARY
DRESS CODE In Genesis 3:21, God provided clothes for Adam and Eve to cover their bodies. 1 Timothy 2:9 sets a standard of dress that states, “dress modestly, with decency and propriety.” Scripture also teaches that we are to be examples in every area of our lives, recognizing that we are representatives of Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 4:12.) Therefore, the SCA Board has a policy that states students are to dress in a “neat and modest manner.” For the purposes of student dress, we set the following guidelines. Definition of neat: clean and orderly. Clothing should be in good repair; no holes, tears, or frays. All clothing must be proportioned to fit (not baggy, not tight). School clothing must not be something intended to be worn as active wear or athleisure (i.e. sweatpants, yoga pants, athletic shorts, pajama pants, etc.) Definition of modest: avoiding the appearance of impropriety; not revealing too much of a person's body. Material should be opaque (not see-through). Shoulders, midriffs (front and back), and cleavage should be covered. No undergarments should be visible. Clothing must be proportioned to fit - not tight or baggy. ALL SCA branded tops are approved for dress code. If not SCA branded, the following applies: Shirts: Boys: Any solid color collared shirt without graphics or wording. SCA graphics on collared shirts are acceptable. Small name brand or manufacturer logos are acceptable if less than 1 square inch. T-shirts are not acceptable for dress code. Girls: Any solid color dress shirt with or without a collar and without graphics or wording. SCA graphics on collared shirts are acceptable. Small name brand or manufacturer logos are acceptable if less than 1 square inch. T-shirts are not acceptable for dress code. Non-collared dress shirts must not be “gappy” at the top and meet definition of modest both standing and when leaning over. All shirts must also meet the definition of “neat” and not have holes in the arms or shoulder areas. Sweaters: (Definition of a sweater per SCA dress code is: A knitted or crocheted garment with sleeves worn over the upper body.) Any solid color sweater without graphics or wording worn over approved dress code shirt; only small brand name or manufacturer logos – less than 1 square inch in size. (No denim material.) Sweatshirts/Jackets: Only SCA sweatshirts and jackets with the SCA logo allowed and only worn over dress code approved shirts. Bottoms: Any navy blue, black, tan, khaki, or gray solid color dress pants, capris, or shorts allowed. Shorts must be at or longer than mid-thigh. No sweatpants or athletic shorts. Solid color leggings may be worn only under dress code length dresses or skirts. (No denim material). No athleisure wear. Skirts: Any navy blue, black, tan, khaki, or gray solid color skirt is allowed. Skirts should be no shorter than 4 inches from the bottom of the knee. (No denim material.) Shoes: Any street shoes allowed. Special Events: Some special events will require dress code or special attire. For games and optional events, we ask that students dress in a neat and modest fashion. Other: No unusual or extreme hair styles. Hats are not allowed. Boys: Need to maintain a neat and well-groomed appearance, no facial hair, no makeup, and hair length needs to remain out of eyes and not touching shoulder without the use of any hair accessories. Hair must not be dyed any non-natural hair color (except during spirit week and only if it can be completely washed out). Boys may not wear any hair accessories or have unusual or extreme hair styles. Boys may only wear a short chain necklace inside dress code shirts. May wear no more than two finger rings. No visible tattoos or piercings. No nail polish. Hats are not allowed. Girls: May wear jewelry, but not large or excessive. May have up to two ear piercings in each ear, and one small nose stud, but no other piercings. No visible tattoos. Hair must not be dyed any non-natural hair color (except during spirit week and only if it can be completely washed out).
56
ATTENDANCE &
TARDY POLICIES Attendance Because SCA values in-person discipleship, students’ physical presence on campus is critical. If there is a need for a student to be absent, parents must notify the school receptionist. Students may have a maximum of 10 days absent in a semester. All absences are excused with parent permission, however, still count OR may be counted as part of 10 days. College visits, with acceptable proof of visit, will not count toward absences. Students are, however, required to complete and turn in all assignments and take all assessments as assigned, unless they are ill or have pre-approved permission. Pre-announced papers, projects, tests, and quizzes are required to be submitted/taken on the due date or immediately upon return. Students may have exams/quizzes proctored while absent through the learning commons supervisor. Every effort should be made to take assessments the same day as peers that are on campus. Parents have access to their child's hourly attendance through the FACTS Family Portal. As partners in your student’s education, we strongly encourage daily attendance. Written work and assignments can be made-up but class discussions and projects cannot be replicated. Therefore, it is important that students be at school except for reasons of illness or unusual circumstances. The following guidelines are in place to help in the case of student absence. Parents are required to call 525-1480 or e-mail the secondary receptionist at attendance@sca-kc.org by 9:30 a.m. to report an absence. Students & parents should complete a pre-authorized absence form and have it signed off by all of thier teachers prior to any known future absences. Each student is allowed two tardies per class period during a semester. (This is to allow for car trouble, locked keys in car, and other family mishaps.) The third tardy will result in a detention. If a student is tardy to school, they must sign in at the office to be admitted to class. 1st hour students must receive a pass from the front desk to be allowed into class. Students may still be counted tardy. In addition, students will be counted absent if they report to class after missing twenty minutes. Tardy penalties will apply. To be considered in attendance for a school day, fulltime students must be present for ½ day or more. This policy will be used to determine eligibility for athletic game and practice participation.
Students who are absent more than 10 days in a semester in any given class may be in jeopardy of losing credit for that class. FACTS SIS will automatically generate an email to all involved parties starting at the 5th absence. At the secondary level, students may lose credit at the 11th absence in academic courses. Appeals for credit restoration should be made through the secondary principal’s office. Students will lose credit for courses that are based solely on attendance, i.e. Life Prep, Student Aide. They may not appeal for restoration. Extensive absences may prohibit a student’s ability to participate in field trips. For Juniors and Seniors, college visits will not count against their allowable days of absence if they submit a pre-approved absence form at least 1 week in advance of the absence and also submit proof of visit to the attendance office and college advisor. Travel days will still count against the total allowable absences, but the individual day of the college visit will be excused. For juniors and seniors, a one-time mission trip for up to 5 days will not count against allowable days of absence if students submit a pre-approved absence form at least a week in advance of the trip and are able to submit post-attendance proof to the attendance office and the advisor. Travel days will count against attendance, but actual mission days will not. Credit Recovery Due to Student Absences When students exceed 10 absences in a semester, a loss of credit may result. To address extenuating life circumstances, the school has established an Attendance Review Committee, which consists of administration and faculty and meets at the end of each semester. Please see the secondary assistant principal or administrative assistant for more information and for an appeal application. Medical and Dental Appointments SCA recognizes the importance of doctor and dental appointments as part of health or hygiene programs and will honor appointments as follows: Parents should call the secondary receptionist at 525-1480 x 304 by 9:30 a.m. to report that the student will arrive late to school or needs to be dismissed early due to a doctor appointment. Parents, please do not call or email your student’s teachers. Continued Next Page.....
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ATTENDANCE &
TARDY POLICIES Medical and Dental Appointments Continued... Parents should help their student access Canvas for missing assignments. All work may be made up before return. The receptionist will inform all teachers. Parents should provide proof of medical visit upon return. Parents may send a note to school with their student advising that the student needs to leave school early. The note should be brought to the secondary receptionist before the start of school. All students must sign out in the office before leaving for any appointments. Absences will count toward the 10 allowed absences – unless documented from the medical professional with the date(s) of the appointment/excused time frame is received by the secondary receptionist. Closed Campus SCA operates under a “closed campus” policy. After arrival at school, students may not leave campus by any means without permission from the office. 1. Parents may give permission by phone or note. 2. Any student with permission to leave school before dismissal must sign out at the front office. 3. Students violating this policy will receive disciplinary action that may include, but is not limited to, losing parking privileges, serving a Saturday detention, and/or suspension. Makeup Work When students are absent, they must make up any missed work by accessing work on Canvas. 1. Students should not wait for teachers to inform them of makeup work. This is the student’s responsibility. 2. One day for makeup will be allowed for each class day absent unless missed work is a pre-announced project, paper, test, or quiz. 3. If a student misses a class for a school activity (sports, field trips, etc.), he/she is responsible to get assignments ahead of absence via Canvas and have them completed when returning to class.
Tardies It is the student’s responsibility to be in his/her class and/or chapel on time. Tardies will be recorded in FACTS SIS by the office and/or teachers each period. First tardy, verbal warning by teacher. Second tardy, warning by the secondary office. Third tardy, a detention will be served. Additional tardies will be subject to the school discipline policy. Regular emails will be sent to parents whose children have accumulated 2 or more tardies in an individual course. Students arriving after 7:40 a.m. must sign in and obtain an Admittance Slip from the school receptionist to be given to the teacher upon entering class or chapel. Early Dismissal If an early dismissal is absolutely necessary, parents should call the secondary receptionist ahead of time so the student’s teachers may be notified. Students must sign out in the school office prior to leaving campus. Hall Passes Any student leaving an assigned class must have permission from the classroom teacher and be given a hall pass. Except for emergencies, students will not be permitted in the school office without a hall pass from the teacher.
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DISCIPLINE POLICIES “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” Hebrews 12:11 All infractions will be recorded on the appropriate discipline notice. Parents will be notified after the second occurrence of a minor infraction or immediately for a serious infraction. It is our desire to work with parents in the disciplining of each student. The following are a few examples of infractions that may result in a detention or a call home: Classroom disruption 3 tardies Dress code violation Use of profanity Disrespect Actions unbecoming of Christian character Detention If a detention is given, the following guidelines are in place: 1. Detentions will be served each week as follows: a. before school from 7:05 to 7:30 a.m. on Thursday or Friday b. after school from 3:10 to 4:00 p.m. c. or during lunch on Thursday or Friday. i. Students will be notified of the detention location and date and will not be admitted late to a detention. 2. A detention takes precedence over any other school function (i.e., athletics, drama, band, etc.). 3. Students will be given work to do and must remain quiet. No headphones or electronic devices will be allowed. 4. A student is allowed to reschedule one detention per semester but must receive verbal or written approval by an administrator before the end of lunch on the given day. If a student is absent on the day of their detention, they must serve detention on the next detention day. 5. Missing a detention will result in a Saturday detention. If a student is absent on the day of their detention, they must serve detention on the next available day. 6. When a student receives their 5th accumulated detention (for any and all reasons) within a year, he/she will serve a Saturday detention. 7. After the detention, students must be picked up promptly at 4:00 p.m. at the front entrance of the school. 8. In the case of a more severe offense or accumulation of offenses (including missing homework), a student may receive an in-school or out-of-school suspension. 9. After two academic detentions, a Saturday detention will be assigned.
Saturday detentions are served on an appointed Saturday for three hours (8:00-11:00 a.m.). The student will be charged a $30 administrative fee. Appropriate community service work will be given and expected to be completed by the student during this time. Manual labor may be given that may include cleaning the classrooms, facilities, etc. Suspension - Expulsion Board Policy Student suspension or expulsion is considered a severe and drastic measure to be used only when other methods of controlling a student’s behavior have failed or a specific behavior is so egregious that the behavior warrants a suspension. School administration may suspend a student; the Head of School may expel a student. Suspension occurs when a student’s conduct, and/or failure to respond to corrective disciplinary procedures, requires that a student be temporarily removed from the student body. The suspension of a student may be either in-school suspension or out-ofschool suspension. A suspension may be changed to expulsion for cause. Expulsion of a student is the permanent removal of a student from the school. Expulsion is warranted when all available disciplinary procedures to rehabilitate the student have been unsuccessful, or the student’s conduct is of such a serious nature as to warrant immediate removal. The school reserves the right to withdraw, release, or remove a student at any time for any reason, including failure of the parents(s) to adhere to the policies, philosophies, and procedures of the school. Suspension In-school and out-of-school suspensions may be assigned by the school administration. A student serving a suspension will be required to complete all assignments for time missed. While suspended, the student is ineligible to participate in extracurricular activities. Students on suspension are not allowed on school grounds or at school activities during the term of their suspension. Additional days of suspension will result for this infraction. A student returning from a suspension shall be placed on probation for the following term. Parents will be notified of serious or repeated misbehaviors and a conference may be required in certain situations. Continued Next Page...
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DISCIPLINE POLICIES Suspension Continued... Students must be in school on the day of the in-school suspension. If a student misses the in-school suspension, they must serve it the day they return. If an offense is of a serious nature or efforts to correct a student have failed, a student may be expelled from SCA. Common Suspension Reasons The following are a few examples of actions that may warrant an immediate suspension: Repeated minor offenses Missing detentions Fighting Possession of drugs or alcohol Verbal or physical threats Skipping class Leaving school without permission Possession of a firearm, knife, or weapons of any kind Racial or sexual comments Academic Detention Teachers and/or administration have the authority to assign an academic detention for students who are missing work or who are struggling academically. The purpose of an academic detention is to help students become more proficient in the subject matter and to ensure success. Academic detentions may be assigned on Monday or Wednesday after school from 3:10 to 4:00 p.m. Missing an academic detention will result in a behavior detention. Students receiving low grades due to missing and/or incomplete assignments may be assigned a detention by the teacher or sent to the administration. Academic detentions may convert to behavioral detentions if behavior necessitates. At the secondary level, the following procedure will be followed when students have late (any work not turned in within attendance procedure guidelines) and missing (student was absent and is still in the grace period of turning in work) cumulative assignments per semester. Missing Work Policy All missing work – The student and teacher should have a conversation to establish a plan for all work to be completed by a definitive date within attendance policy guidelines.
There will be a 10% per day grade drop to 50%. 50% is the highest earned grade after 5 days (not including excused absences.) Student must have ALL assignments turned in for semester credit. Please see the below guidelines for missing assignments: 1st missing Talk with student 2nd concurrent missing Contact w/ parent 3rd concurrent missing Parent/advisor contact 4th concurrent missing Teacher assigned academic detention & contact with parent & advisor 5th concurrent missing Referral to administration Multiple recurring missed assignments may result in the student being removed from the school. Cheating and Plagiarism Cheating is a serious offense. “It is fraud, deceit, or dishonesty in an academic assignment” (academic guides.waldenu.edu). It involves taking or assisting others in taking information from another source including, but not limited to: submitting work that is not your own, work dependent on an unapproved source, or unauthorized collaboration. Cheating offenses will accumulate across classes throughout the school year. The following are consequences for cheating: First offense - a zero on assignment, a meeting with the secondary administration, and a call to parents. Second offense - a zero for the semester in the given class and a conference with parents and secondary administration. Third offense - expulsion from school. There will be no make ups allowed for work given a 0 due to cheating. Types of Plagiarism Claiming another’s work as one’s own without appropriate citation is defined as plagiarism and falls within our policy against cheating. Plagiarism involves inappropriate citation (MLA, APA, etc.). Egregious plagiarism: Most of the written work is exactly like the source with no citation or attribution. Sources on the works cited page are spurious (fake) or inaccurate, if used at all. The student avoids turning it in on turnitin.com. This may require a Boolean search. Standard plagiarism: a certain section of written work (not enclosed in quote marks) is the exact wording that can be found in another source with no citation or attribution. Continued Next Page...
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DISCIPLINE POLICIES Types of Plagerism Continued... Insufficient citation plagiarism: a certain section of written work (not enclosed in quote marks) is the exact wording that can be found in another source with citation or attribution. Paraphrase plagiarism: When a student reads another source, particularly another written work and paraphrases the written work keeping the same sources and line of argument used by another author or a paraphrase of another source without any attribution or citation. [failure to adhere to assignment as well as insufficient citation] Insufficient citation: a certain section of written work (enclosed in quote marks) is the exact wording that can be found in another source with no citation or attribution. Bullying and Hazing Philosophy SCA believes each person is made in the image of God and is worthy of respect as an esteemed member of the school community. SCA does not tolerate any form of hazing or bullying in any classroom, sport, or activity of the school whether on or off campus, or over the Internet or digital devices (cyberbullying.) Consequences of bullying and hazing will be administered in accordance with the school’s overall discipline policy. Definitions: Hazing: The practice of rituals and other activities involving harassment, abuse, humiliation, or use of intimidation as a way of initiating a person into a group. Hazing may occur even when all students involved are willing participants. Bullying: Intentional, repeated, aggressive behavior involving an imbalance of power when physical or verbal harassment is used to frighten, hurt, threaten, or intimidate. Bullying behavior can include repeated teasing, insulting, shoving, hitting, excluding someone, or gossiping, whether in person or over the Internet or other digital devices (Cyberbullying).
Proverbs 6:16-19 – “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.” Staff members, coaches, sponsors, and/or volunteers shall not permit, condone, or tolerate any form of bullying or hazing. Staff members, coaches, sponsors, and/or volunteers who witness or learn of any bullying or hazing shall report the incident to the secondary administration as soon as possible. Parent concerns regarding bullying or harassment should be put in writing to the teacher with a copy to the administration or coach. Administration will ensure follow-up. Mediation may be required as part of the process. Mediation To help students connect with one another and create a resolution and restoration plan, students may be required to participate in one-on-one mediation led by school personnel, i.e. administration, counselor, SRO. The process will allow students to share their side or opinion and listen to the other student’s side and opinion in an effort to create a resolution and restoration plan. Sexual Harassment Policy SCA will not tolerate sexual harassment of any kind. If a student believes he/she is being sexually harassed, the student should bring the concern to the attention of the secondary administration. The school will commence an investigation within 48 hours. Upon completion of the investigation, parties will be notified. Due to the complexity of sexual harassment claims, parents may request a full copy of SCA’s sexual harassment policy via the administration. See next page with chart on reporting
Luke 6:31 – “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Leviticus 19:18b – “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
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DISCIPLINE POLICIES Electronic Device, Cell Phones, EarPhones All students are accountable to the Technology Use Student contract. Any breach of that contract shall result in disciplinary measures. The Technology Use Student Contract can be found in its entirety on the www.summit-christian-academy.org in the Our Families/Technology at SCA area and can also be found on pages 12-13 of this handbook. The use of electronic devices, cell phones, and earphones shall be restricted to before and after school. Students are not to use earphones (buds) at any time, including lunch, passing periods, and class time. If a student is caught using their device, cell phone, or earphone, the following will apply: First offense: device will be confiscated, and the student may pick it up after school in the main office and parent contacted. Second offense: device will be confiscated and must be picked up by parent after school hours. Third offense will result in the device being confiscated for one week.
Dress Code Violations 1st offense: Verbal correction from teacher. 2nd offense: Verbal correction and parent communication. 3rd offense: Detention assigned by teacher. Students will be required at all times to be in compliance with the dress code. This may result in the parent bringing an item to school or the student wearing a school-supplied item. Students will need to remain in the office until they are able to get into dress code.
SCA students are recognized as being of the highest character and integrity. As such, they are expected to adhere to ethical use of electronic equipment (Chromebooks, cell phones, internet, etc.) Appropriate use may be self or teacher directed. The administration reserves the right to confiscate or remove electronic devices if equipment is being used irresponsibly. (All school policies apply should poor behavior choices occur, i.e. cheating, inappropriate websites, invasion of privacy, social networking at inappropriate times, etc.) Audio/video equipment should not be used in the classroom without consent from the teacher and device may be confiscated. No devise should ever be used in a restroom, dressing room, or locker room.
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SERVICES College and Career Advising Secondary administration, College and Career Advisor, and teachers are always available to give insight into career and college opportunities. Events will be held each year to assist students in their post high school journey. Beginning in 9th grade, high school students will be introduced to Naviance, a college and career readiness software program designed to provide students with information about time management and study skills improvement, decision making, career information, college planning, and college admission tests. Each student will be able to access Naviance through his/her Family Connection Page with a username and password. The Academic Advisor will meet with the families of incoming freshmen to set up a four-year graduation plan to ensure that each student is on the right path for post-high school success. Students will continue to meet with their advisor each year for advising and scheduling. There are various college and career fairs that will be available for students to attend throughout the school year. Dates will be posted on the advising bulletin board, in the secondary email bulletin, and on social media. Throughout the year, college representatives visit SCA to present information and meet with students. They will visit during the high school lunch period and will also do more extensive presentation in the ACT Prep class. SCA may hold a Junior/Senior College Information evening in the fall. The College and Career Advisor works closely with colleges and will send transcripts directly to them. Transcripts should be requested through SCOIR. If your student does not have a SCOIR account, please email spfannenstiel@sca-kc.org. The College and Career Advisor searches for scholarship opportunities and will assist students in any way possible to secure admission and/or scholarships to colleges. Numerous scholarships are posted at https://summit-christianacademy.org/admissions/our-schools/seniorhigh/college-and-career-advising/, under RESOURCES FOR SCHOLARSHIPS. Learning Commons (LC) The Learning Commons has been established to inspire students for creation, collaboration, and innovation! Students may use the LC to print papers charge electronic devices or work collaboratively on projects.
The LC has three peer support areas that may be used by appointment or walk-in. Students may visit before, during, or after school. Many students choose to use support centers during a life prep or student aide period. All peer fellows are selected, trained, and overseen by faculty. The Writers’ Corner – Students receive peer tutoring to support efforts in expository writing for classes. Peer Fellows work one-on-one to help students produce their best written work. Notices are sent to faculty when a visit occurs. The Math Corner – Math Fellows meet with students to support math homework needs or studying for exams. Students should bring math texts and calculators when appropriate. Technology Interns – Students experiencing issues with passwords, devices, or technology in general may visit the technology corner for support. Lockers Lockers are provided for students to store textbooks and personal belongings. Students have the responsibility to keep lockers clean and orderly. Student lockers must remain closed and locked. Book bags or backpacks should not be left unattended. SCA is not responsible for any personal property that may be stolen or misplaced. Responsibility for the care of personal items of value rests entirely with the student. Items of extraordinary value should not be brought to school. Students will be issued a locker and a school-owned combination lock. Students must only use the locker assigned to them by the administration. If a student would like to change lockers, he/she must speak with the administration and wait to see if their request is approved. If the request is denied, the student will need to continue to use the originally assigned locker. Personal locks may not be maintained on lockers. Lockers are owned by the school and are subject to periodic checks by the administration. Students are not to share their combination with other students or access the lockers of other students without permission. If a student cannot open his/her locker, he will need to go to the office for assistance. Any locker decorations should reflect Christian values and may not deface the locker in any way. Only school affiliated items may be used to decorate the outside of lockers.
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SERVICES Counseling SCA has two EE-12 counselors available to support student success. All appointments should be made through the counseling office. SCA partners with outside Christian organizations when comprehensive counseling is needed. Academic Support Services Summit Christian Academy offers a wide variety of academic support services. These services include but are not limited to peer tutoring in writing and math, afterschool teacher help sessions, periodic grade checks by school advisors, and a student success coordinator for online support. For students with special needs multiple resource services are available. Lunchroom Procedures There are three secondary lunches. Students may bring a lunch or purchase a lunch. Purchased lunches are charged to the student’s FACTS account monthly. Students should leave their backpacks in their lockers or be prepared to leave them in the designated space within the lunchroom. Backpacks are never to be left on the floor of the lunchroom/gym. Parents wishing to bring their students a lunch/treat should leave it with the secondary receptionist. Students, and parents on behalf of students, are not allowed to order food or drink from delivery services. Parking Regulations for Student Drivers All students parking a vehicle on school grounds must comply with SCA parking regulations and procedures. Failure to do so may result in a loss of the privilege to drive or park on campus. All students must park their vehicle in their assigned parking space only. Students must drive carefully and observe all speed limits (10 mph or slower while anywhere on campus) and car line procedures. Students are not permitted to go to their parked cars at any time during school hours without administrative approval and going through the front office. Failure to comply may result in discipline or loss of privileges. This could include parking tickets, detentions, Saturday detention, suspensions, or parking revocation temporarily or permanently. Students park on campus at their own-risk. The school is not liable for errant balls from different practices or other events.
Each student must display a current year parking permit on their car. This signifies an individual has been granted the privilege of parking on SCA property. 1. To acquire a non-refundable parking permit, students must pay a $15 fee and sign the Vehicle Registration Contract. 2. The parking permit must be adhered to the front windshield on the driver’s side with the parking number showing in order to be valid. 3. If a student must drive a different car than what is registered with the school, the student needs to communicate with the secondary receptionist and the SRO on the day the different car is parked. Student drivers leaving early for appointments must bring a written note signed by a parent or have a parent call or email the school office prior to the appointment. Students are also required to check out before leaving the building. **Examples of parking violations include but are no limited to: Parking in unassigned spot not showing permit, driving carelessly or wrecklessly, parking in visitors spots etc. Parking Violation Procedures 1st offense: Warning sticker placed on driver's window 2nd offense: Warning sticker placed on driver's window and parent contact. 3rd offense: Parking violation sticker placed on driver's window, $25 parking ticket assigned, and parent contact. 4th offense: Parking violation sticker placed on driver's window, $25 parking ticket assigned, loss of parking priviledge for two weeks, and parent meeting. 5th offense: Parking violation sticker placed on driver's window, $25 parking ticket assigned, loss of parking priviledge for the semester (if less than 6 weeks left of semester, then loss for both semesters), and parent meeting.
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SERVICES Class Rings Juniors will have the opportunity to buy class rings from Jostens. Ring information meetings for all juniors will be throughout the school year. Social Events Junior high has one chaperoned social event each semester. Socials usually consist of food, games, and fellowship. The Junior High Student Council is involved in the planning and oversight of the social. No guests are allowed. Senior high has several functions throughout the year including a homecoming dance in the fall, a winter activity, and a spring prom.
Only senior high students are allowed at these events. High school dances may be held either on or off campus. All guests must be preapproved in the office by no later than the Wednesday before the event. There is a $50 fee for late approval. Dresses, for both SCA students and guests, must be approved by the school. Information on this will be shared prior to each dance. No outside food or drink will be allowed. Students attending a social may not leave and reenter. Entrance to the event must happen within the first hour. No entrance will be granted after the first hour unless pre-arranged with the secondary principal. No tickets will be sold at the door. All tickets must be purchased in advance.
SPIRITUAL
LIFE
Bible Bible is a core subject at SCA. All students are required to be enrolled in Bible class. In addition, biblical principles are integrated into all subject areas and extracurricular activities. Weekly Chapel Service SCA is committed to proclaiming God’s Word through weekly services and to transforming lives through the work of the Holy Spirit. Chapel is a time where the student body comes together to corporately worship God. A goal of our secondary chapel services is to give students opportunities to lead. This may be in the area of worship through music or drama, teaching or preaching, leading small groups, or prayer. Students are expected to bring a physical Bible and notebooks to chapel services and small group meetings. Small Groups The small groups meet on average, two times per month. The purpose of the small group meetings is to help students grow closer in their relationship with God by discussing topics led by their small group leaders and supervised by a teacher.
Worship Team Students have the opportunity to participate in the school’s student worship team. Students routinely lead their peers in worship during weekly chapel services. Discipleship Student-led discipleship groups are available during lunch hours. This opportunity develops leadership skills and promotes Christian character among all group members. If interested in creating a group, students must contact the Secondary Principal. Senior Mission Trip The senior class participates in a mission trip as part of their senior Bible class curriculum. The purpose of the trip is to draw the class to a closer relationship with one another and with Jesus Christ in service to people of a different culture. The trip is expected to be spiritually challenging and will be designed to provide returning students ample opportunity to share their experiences with the student body. Students may raise funds outside of school to help pay for their senior mission trip. Students are responsible for any costs not raised through approved fund-raisers.
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ORGANIZATIONS We believe that participation in curricular and extracurricular activities is helpful in developing the complete student. Students have the opportunity to use their God-given abilities to glorify God while developing mentally, emotionally, socially, spiritually, and physically. Godly character and sportsmanship are emphasized, encouraged, and taught through these programs. High School Spiritual Climate Committee SCA high school students may choose to apply to be a member of the Spiritual Climate Committee. The focus and purpose of this committee is to help foster a school environment that leads students to a closer relationship with God. This group is selected by the administration from the student applications. Teacher feedback is also taken into consideration when choosing students to be a part of this committee. The committee meets weekly during lunch to plan events that help bring forth the purpose of the committee. High School Student Council SCA high school students elect student council representatives with faculty sponsors. This group strives for and promotes good citizenship and Christian behavior. They plan and organize activities and projects to foster spiritual, social, and civic development. Junior High Student Council The JH Student Council will plan the junior high socials for each semester, as well as consider potential service projects. The JH Student Council officers must complete an application and will campaign for election by their peers. SOAR (Serve Others Always Respect) Student Diversity Committee Students in grades 9-12 may apply to be part of the Student Diversity Committee. The committee focuses on celebrating diversity through biblical truths.
Every year in March, qualified students are invited to fill out an application to become members. The Society itself offers scholarships and seminars/webinars on leadership, service and college admission planning and preparation. Membership in this organization is considered a plus by many college admission committees. Qualification for membership is initially vetted at SCA by a 90% cumulative grade point average. Eligible sophomores, juniors, and seniors are sent applications in which they detail their activities in leadership and service as well as submit reference letters attesting to their character and leadership. Since this application could be daunting to sophomores, the NHS faculty advisors, the NHS faculty review committee members, and other faculty will be available to assist prospective candidates. Prior to the review of the applications by a faculty committee of 5, each application will be reviewed by another member of the faculty for completeness. Any shortcomings will be reviewed with the student. Invitations for the April induction will then be sent to all qualifying students. Maintaining a 90.0% cumulative GPA and performing 16 hours of service each year are necessary to maintain membership. Annual dues of $10, which is sent to the national organization, is also required. All members receive a lapel pin and membership card. Senior members will be given a cord which is worn at graduation. Faculty oversight comprises a review committee of five teachers, a faculty advisor, who is not part of the review committee, and the secondary principal. Meetings are held monthly which are presided over by the student NHS president and the faculty advisor. Further information can be obtained from the NHS website, the NHS bylaws at the SCA website, or by contacting the NHS faculty advisor.
Service Projects Students have various opportunities to participate in service projects throughout the school year. Each student participates in a special service day devoted specifically to this purpose.
Fine Arts Honor Society National Art Honor Society inspires and recognizes students who have shown an outstanding ability and interest in art. The program supports members in their efforts to attain the highest standards in art scholarship, character, and service and to bring art education to the attention of the school and community.
National Honor Society & National Junior Honor Society The National Honor Society was established in 1921 for high school students who distinguished themselves in scholarship, service, leadership, and character. Summit Christian Academy is a member of this organization, as well as the National Junior Honor Society.
Accepted applicants must be high school art students, have an 85% or better art grade average, 80% or better unweighted cumulative grade point average, and have demonstrated excellent character and dedication to the arts in and out of class. The Fine Arts Honor Society meets monthly.
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ORGANIZATIONS Academic Meets Through academic competition, students are able to demonstrate and sharpen their academic skills. Students can compete in the following areas: vocal music, instrumental music, math, science, drama, speech, foreign language, art, and spelling (7th-8th grade students.) Performing Arts The mission of the SCA Drama Department is to inspire students to achieve their God-given potential in theatre – including both acting and technical expertise – through excellent productions in a professional and challenging environment. The SCA Players have two main high school productions each year in which students may participate, either as actors or as part of the student-led technical crew. Each year, there is at least one large cast play, and every other year, there is a musical. In the past, SCA has produced a rare combination of comedies, dramas, historical plays, and musicals. Junior high students have one production each year. Juniors and seniors are given the opportunity to write and direct their own short plays. One Act Night – the annual student-directed and student-acted night of one act plays – takes place in May and showcases the talents of our students as writers, directors, actors, and crew technicians. The SCA Drama Department is proud to be a part of two international student theatre organizations: The International Thespian Society is the world’s largest honor society for theatre arts students. Through ITS, students have the opportunity to serve the community, attend workshops and camps, and join other local schools in learning about theatre. The Cappies is a program through which high school theater and journalism students are trained as critics, attend shows at other schools, write reviews, and publish those reviews in local newspapers like the Lee’s Summit Journal and the Jackson County Advocate. Competitive Speech and Debate Team The National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) allows students to enter an honor society, the National Forensic League. Students enter these organizations by earning points through participation in Competitive Speech and Debate and becoming a member of the NSDA. Students that are active in Competitive Speech and Debate in their senior year are allowed to wear the NFL honor cords at graduation.
The Competitive Speech and Debate Team is governed by both MSHSAA and The National Forensic League (NFL) guidelines. During the year, students may attend tournaments held at local high schools almost every weekend starting in September or October and running through April. These tournaments all lead to the conference tournaments held each spring by MSHSAA and NFL. Winning at the conference tournaments means a trip to the state championships for MSHSAA or the NFL National Championship. Students participating in tournaments are expected to conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to our school expectations. Attendance at tournaments will lead to membership in the National Forensic League. Tournaments generally run after school on Friday and all day on Saturday. Students have the opportunity to meet and compete with students from all over the Kansas City area in one of the most competitive speech and debate conferences in the nation. Students may compete in a variety of events, including three kinds of debate, a student-led congress, humorous interpretation, dramatic interpretation, poetry, storytelling, original oratory, duo acting, radio speaking, United States extemporaneous speaking, and international extemporaneous speaking. Involvement in this team leads to life-long friendships and connections with fellow students as well as with students from other schools. At the high school level, students must be enrolled in a debate or speech class to participate in the club. Jr. High Speech and Debate Weekly meetings will often involve practicing, researching, learning, and strategizing about debate topics and skills. International Buddies SCA welcomes international students every year and we are blessed to have them enrich our classes, teach us about their cultures, and help provide a global perspective to our school. If you would like to be the “go to” friend for an international student, then consider being a Buddy. This is not just a friendship but a commitment to support the international buddy in various ways and to pray for them. Continued Next Page...
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ORGANIZATIONS NEXUS NEXUS means connection or link, a connection between groups. NEXUS is an opportunity for 7-12 grade students to create meaningful connections with our international students, build new friendships and develop a global worldview. NEXUS meets once a month after school from 3:00 – 4:30 during the school year. All students in junior high and high school, teachers, and staff are invited to attend. Various school clubs and groups partner with our international program to create fun and exciting experiences each month that are designed to help all students engage with and learn from each other through games, laughter, and food. Interact Club Interact Club is a 7th - 12th grade club that meets twice a month and is sponsored by our local Lee’s Summit Noon Rotary Club. Interact is a service club that identifies ways students can serve others both locally and internationally. The main tenets of Rotary are based upon The Four-Way Test. As an SCA school sponsored club, we have taken the Four-Way Test and aligned it to what God says in His Word. Those questions that make up the test and the biblical support are: Is it the Truth? John 8:32 – And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Proverbs 12:19 – Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment. Ephesians 4:25 – Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Is it fair to all concerned? Psalm 9:8 – He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness. Proverbs 31:9 – Speak up and judge fairly, defend the rights of the poor and needy. James 2:1 – My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Will it build good will and better friendships? Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 – Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Colossians 3:12-13a – Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another…”
Will it be beneficial to all concerned? 1 Corinthians 10:23 – “I have the right to do anything”, you say – but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything” – but not everything is constructive. Romans 12:2 – Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Chess Club Students in grades 7-12 can participate in chess club, which meets after school. Students play chess, learning from each other and the group's adult sponsor(s). All skill levels are welcome. Rubik’s Cube Club Students in grades 7-12 can participate in Ribik’s Cube Clube, which meets after school. Students will be learning from each other and the group's adult sponsor(s). All skill levels are welcome. Scholar Bowl Scholar Bowl is a MSHSAA sanctioned team academic competition. Our SCA team will compete against other High School teams across the area and state. The game style format includes two teams that compete head-tohead to answer questions from all areas of knowledge including history, literature, science, fine arts, current events, popular culture, sports, and more. It is a competitive activity that runs through the winter season and regular attendance at practices and tournaments is required to succeed. Young Americans Foundation Young Americans for Freedom, unified with Young America’s Foundation, is a conservative organization that promotes traditional values, principles of a limited government, individual freedom, and a strong national defense. Our SCA YAF chapter upholds biblical Christianity over politics, recognizing that our God has blessed the United States of America as the most free country in the world. This chapter plans on participating in the 9/11: Never Forget Project, partnering with Pro-Life organizations, recognition of U.S. military and first responders, and hosting YAF speakers. Jr. High Book Club Junior High book club is for 7th and 8th grade girls and boys (meet separately). It gives junior high students an opportunity to get involved in a group at SCA outside of the school day. It is a great opportunity to dive into some great books and connect with one another. The group meets approximately once per month to discuss a different book each month and spend time together.
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CONTACT
INFORMATION CONTACT US IF THERE IS AN URGENT NEED, WE ARE READY TO HELP AND SERVE.
Secondary / Main Offices 816-525-1480 fax 816-525-5402
Elementary 816-524-0185 Fax 816-524-4105
www.summit-christian-academy.org
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