Heritage Christian School Student Handbook

GENERAL INFORMATION

Absences

When a child has been absent, he should bring a written note when he returns to school. There are no excused absences except for student illness or death in the immediate family or doctor and dentist appointments. Students are responsible to make up quizzes, tests, and all missed work within two days of their return to school after an absence of three days or more. 6 After an absence of one or two days, students are responsible to make up all missed work on the day they return to school. Family vacations and trips should be scheduled during school vacations since it is often difficult for a child to make up work missed during an absence. Should it be necessary for a student to miss school for personal reasons, please procure permission from the administration several days in advance. Any student who is absent 25 days or more may not pass the school year and will be required to attend summer school. Exceptions may be made for extended illnesses.

In order to be counted present for the school day, a student must attend class until 11:30 or, if tardy, arrive at school before 11:30. If you wish to obtain assignments for a student who is ill, you may contact the office by 11:00 a.m. The assignments may be picked up in the office after school.

Address or Phone Number Change

Any time an address or phone number (home or work) is changed, please notify the school office.

Bible

Bible study is recognized here as of fundamental importance and is a required subject. It augments the study of English, history, geography, and science. Without knowledge of Biblical truth a student cannot be considered educated. The Bible gives direction for this life and the only hope for the life to come. No other book can so enrich the minds and hearts of men as “The Book of Books.”

A knowledge of the Bible is one of the greatest educational assets any man can have in addition to the moral and spiritual values resulting from the study. Character development is the most important work of a school. No other course offered in the school affords the great opportunities for laying the foundation for Christian character. HCS uses the 1611 KJV exclusively.

Discipline

Effective classroom discipline is a necessary key ingredient for a good learning environment. Discipline at HCS is not only to achieve this goal but also to help our students learn self-discipline and good character traits. In order to maintain a good learning environment, we expect students to conduct themselves appropriately. The teacher is responsible to maintain appropriate classroom behavior. Certain behavior is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. The following is not a complete list but is representative of unacceptable behavior: talking without permission, failure to complete assigned work, fighting, lying, stealing, disrespect, cursing, forging another’s name, cheating, and deliberately damaging school and/or another’s property. Heritage Christian School expects full cooperation from both student and parent in the education of the student.

When misconduct occurs, corrective measures will be used to help the student change his/her behavior and attitude. Examples of typical corrective measures are time-out (elementary), a student/teacher conference, an assigned after-school detention, a student/administrator conference, a parent/teacher conference. A student assigned after-school will be given a note to inform the parent, indicating that action needs to be taken at home so that the teacher’s time is not consumed with behavioral problems but rather academic instruction. This note must be signed and returned the next school day. Failure to return the signed note will result in an additional day of after-school. Should a student not stay after school, this will result in a conference with the administrator and additional disciplinary action. Students can be suspended for an accumulation of after-schools and for major behavioral problems.

When the school feels that student/parent cooperation is lacking the student may be requested to transfer out. Also, if the behavior of the student indicates an uncooperative spirit, he may be requested to transfer. The book Dare to Discipline by James Dobson is highly recommended as a help to parents.

Dress

Students at Heritage Christian School wear a school uniform. Educational Outfitters of Charlotte is the exclusive vendor for our uniforms. You may visit Educational Outfitters website at: www.educationaloutfitters.com our school code is NC0327.

Girls may not wear slacks or shorts on school grounds or any school sponsored extra-curricular activities, including ball games, field trips, or class parties. Excessive jewelry may not be worn to school. Girls may wear only one earring per ear and should not wear anklets. Girls may not have their hair cut in a short, masculine style. Culottes are permitted for home ball games and announced activities. Culottes’ length should be to the middle of the knee, and they should have fullness or a flair to the hem. Neither long shorts nor cut off slacks will pass for culottes. Athletic styles (mesh, etc.) may be worn only when participating in a ball game or P. E.

Boys uniform pants must be neat with an appropriate fit. Boys are required to wear belts. No shirts are allowed under the uniform shirt except a normal, white T-shirt. Boys may not wear shorts on school grounds. Young men are not allowed to wear chains, earrings, or other similar jewelry. Boys’ hair should be neatly trimmed and tapered over the ears and at the back of the neck. This means the hair should not be on the ears, excessively bushy, turned up on the ends due to length, on the collar, on the eyebrows, a bowl cut. Boys may not bleach their hair. Boys may not have beards, mustaches, or sideburns longer than the bottom of the ear.

Boys and Girls must wear shoes and socks (or nylons for girls) in all classes. Socks must be a solid color in accordance with the color scheme of the uniform. Shoes must be a solid color. Athletic shoes may be worn by K-6 students. Students are required to keep shoelaces tied. Hats or caps are not to be worn inside the buildings and should not be worn backwards on the school campus. Students may not wear any type of stick-on, temporary, or permanent tattoo. Shirts must be tucked except when a student is participating in physical education.

Parents and visitors may not wear shorts on school grounds. This includes when picking up children unless the parent is staying in his vehicle. Parents and visitors may not wear shorts when attending ballgames.

Important: The school administration reserves the right to initiate policies on new fads and changes in style during the school year.

Illness

For the welfare of your child and others in the school, all children who are sick must be kept at home. When the child is well enough to participate in a normal school day, please send hat, coat, etc., as an aid to prevention of future illness. The class does participate in outdoor activities each day, weather permitting. If a child is to receive any medication during the school day, the parent must send a note to the teacher. If your child requires medication during school hours and we do not have signed authorization, it will be necessary for you to stop by and personally give it to him.

Parent-Teacher Meetings

Parent-Teacher Meetings are scheduled on the same day report cards go home. Every parent is requested to attend each meeting for the benefit of his child and to obtain pertinent information concerning the school program.

Reenrollment

During the month of March presently enrolled students may enroll for the fall term on a first-come, first-served basis. Heritage Christian School admits students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.

School Conferences

Please feel free to consult with the school office regarding any problems or questions that concern your child. It is the desire of the administration and the faculty to be of service to both parent and students, and each teacher welcomes a visit from any parent. Such conferences should be made by definite appointment with the teacher at a convenient after-school hour.

If you need to talk with a member of the faculty, please call the school office between 8 A.M. and 3 P.M. Your call will be returned as soon as possible after school. You may leave a voice-mail message for teachers.

If for any reason you become dissatisfied with the school, please seek first to resolve the matter with the person involved. Usually a problem can be resolved with a short conversation with the teacher or person involved. A parent’s recourse is to see the teacher first. If the situation is not resolved with the teacher, the parent should see the Supervisor, and then the Administrator.

Be careful not to criticize a teacher or staff member in front of your child, as this will cause discipline problems for the child later. Please remember that it is never appropriate to discuss any problem with other parents. Take the problem directly to those who are in charge.

Sending Money to School

Money should always be sent in a sealed envelope with the child’s name and the amount and purpose on the outside of the envelope.

Tardies

Tardies are disruptive to the classroom and also have an adverse effect on your child’s educational progress. When a student is marked tardy two days in any grading period, he will receive a detention, and that student may be asked to make up work.

Telephone

Students are not permitted to use the school telephone except in cases of emergency. In these situations, the secretary will make the call for the student. Students may not accept phone calls at school. Cellular phones should be left at home or in the student’s car and should not be used during school hours.

Visitors

Parents are requested to stop by the office if they need to leave something for the student or teacher or if they have to pick up the student. Please do not go directly to the classroom, as this interrupts the teaching.

Withdrawals

All withdrawals from school must go through the school office. It is not our policy to prorate tuition for withdrawals.

CONDUCT

Students are not allowed to bring rock, country, “Christian” rock, or rap music, tapes, CDs, or magazines on the school campus. Any student who violates this rule will be subject to suspension. It is impossible to teach Biblical truths and principles to students who have a steady diet of the messages this music contains.

Any use or distribution of drugs or alcohol will result in immediate expulsion from school. Any use of tobacco products will result in suspension on the first offense and expulsion on the second offense. This applies to use on or off campus.

No student will be retained at Heritage Christian School who is involved in any of the following activities.

1. Attendance at a rock or country/western concert, dance, lounge, disco, or public school prom

2. Bringing firearms to school

3. Active participation in the vandalism or destruction of school or private property

4. Possession or use of any alcoholic beverage

5. Possession or use of illegal narcotics

6. Pregnancy or marriage

Students are expected to hold forth a good testimony at home and in public, as well as in school. Any student who brings reproach upon the school by ungodly or improper behavior in public may be suspended or expelled from school.

Lying, stealing, cheating (or giving the appearance of cheating), helping another student to cheat, disrespect, and deliberate destruction of property are serious offenses. Prompt, appropriate disciplinary measures will be taken.

Vulgar language, swearing, using God’s or Christ’s name irreverently, or off-color implications will not be allowed. Students should refrain from the use of words like gosh, golly, gee, fag, queer, etc. Un-Christian slang, slurs, or name-calling will not be permitted. We also ask our students not to make disparaging remarks about another student or race.

When students arrive in the morning, they may not loiter in their cars. Students may not loiter behind the gymnasium in the student parking area or in any unchaperoned area.

Students may not leave campus without permission from the office.

Radios, cellular phones, pagers, CD players, magazines, games, cards, etc. should not be brought to school without permission. Students may not bring guns, knives, sling shots, or any other potential weapon to school.

Couples must be under adult supervision at all times.

Physical contact such as tickling, slapping, flipping, holding hands, hugging, kissing, or other similar contact is not allowed on campus, at school functions, or on school vehicles.

These rules also apply when a student is with a friend who is not a student at Heritage.

Halls and Foyer

There is to be no running, throwing, chasing, picking, scuffling, yelling, or sliding on the rails. Students must have a pass when classes are in session to go to the restroom or office.

Students should talk softly while classes are in session.

Cafeteria

Students are expected to use good table manners. Students should refrain from talking and laughing loudly, playing, throwing food or objects, running, and scuffling.

Trash should be discarded in the appropriate places utilizing the recycling bin.

Gymnasium

No street shoes are allowed on the gymnasium floor, and tennis shoes should be free of dirt and grit. Tennis shoes must have non-marking soles. Soccer and baseball shoes may not be worn inside the gymnasium.

Horseplay and scuffling are not allowed inside the gymnasium. Students should not jump off boxes, chairs, etc., to try to dunk a ball.

Students, parents, and other guests should never boo, jeer, or criticize other teams, their fans, or the referees. Students are not allowed to be in the gymnasium after school without permission and supervision.

Restrooms

Students should obtain a pass before going to the restroom during class.

Excessive waste or misuse of property is a serious offense. A fee will be charged to cover the cost of repairing damage caused by vandalism. Loud talking and horseplay are not allowed in the restrooms.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Participation in extracurricular activities is a privilege and carries with it certain responsibilities. The student is a representative of Heritage Christian School and his attitudes and actions should glorify the Lord at all times.

Athletics

Heritage Christian School is a member of the Carolina Christian Athletic Association and of the North Carolina Christian School Athletic Association. Students in grades 6-12 have the opportunity to participate in volleyball and basketball.

Athletes who miss any period of school due to illness will not be allowed to practice or play that afternoon or evening.

Students must maintain a “C” average with no more than one “F” to participate in extracurricular activities. The faculty and administration may allow a student with less than a “C” average to participate after considering the following areas:

1. Academic ability

2. Attitude and behavior

3. Promptness in turning in assignments

4. Class participation and effort

Students who join a team or club have an obligation to that group and are to be present at all of its activities unless they are sick or excused by the coach or the administration.

Athletes are expected to get all of their assignments, make up all tests, and turn in homework that is due before they leave for a game. They are responsible for all assignments and tests that are due the following day.

All participating members of a team or group are expected to ride in the school bus/van or with their parents to any activity away from school. Students who ride the school vehicle to away games must also ride the school vehicle to return to school unless they have been picked up by their parents. A student may not ride with someone else’s parent.

It is a privilege to be an athlete or an officer. Those who accept such a position must have a testimony concerning their salvation that is demonstrated in their personal lives. They are to be an example to other students in their behavior both in and out of class.