General Policies

School/Parent Partnership in Education and Character

This type of schooling is designed as a partnership between the home schooling parents and the teacher(s), and both have a part to play in order to achieve the maximum benefit of this approach for the student. It is important to recognize that we are working in partnership to disciple the student. A successful partnership, therefore, will include these elements from the two parties:

Discipline Policies

In order to assure that every family's investment in time, energy, and money is protected and maximized, it is necessary to establish rules of discipline to maintain an orderly environment and classrooms. These rules will be enforced by a system of demerits issued at the discretion of the teachers according to the following categories:

1. Disruptive behavior: any behavior that the teacher deems distracting to the teacher, the student, or the class; any disrespectful behavior
2. Dangerous or injurious behavior: any behavior that the teacher deems potentially dangerous or harmful to the student or other students (physical or emotional)
3. Immoral behavior: any behavior that the teacher deems Biblically inappropriate (language or actions)

Discipline Policies for Elementary Students:

Minor infractions will receive one demerit. If a student reaches three demerits in one day, he or she may be required to leave the classroom and report to the school office for a “time-out.” The parent may be notified by the teacher that this action was taken.

Infractions of a chronic or serious nature can receive more than one demerit including three at one time and immediate removal from the classroom. Students who persist in disrespectful, disruptive, dangerous, immoral or destructive behavior may be subject to suspension or, in extreme cases, expulsion.

Suspension restricts a student from attending or participating in any school activity during the duration for the suspension. A student who has been suspended is not permitted to make up any work that has been assigned during the period of suspension.

Expulsion results in the immediate dismissal from all classes and activities and the expulsion must appear on the student’s permanent record.

Discipline Policy for 6th through 12th Grade Students:

Minor infractions will receive one demerit. Minor infractions might include, but are not limited to, disruption of the classroom, showing disrespect to the teacher or other students, and chronic tardiness. Students who receive a demerit will be required to write a one-page, double spaced, typed essay on an assigned topic related to Christian Character. The student will be required to attend the next regular scheduled lecture on Christian Character and turn in his paper at that time. If the student fails to turn in the essay and/or attend the lecture he will receive a suspension from school, the nature and length of which will be determined on a case by case basis.

Infractions of a chronic or more serious nature can receive the following consequences: (these infractions might include, but are not limited to, dangerous, immoral or destructive behavior, and disrespect and/or disruption that is chronic in nature)

• a conference between parents, student and administration to discuss the behavior to determine consequences
• removal from the classroom and in-school suspension for the remainder of the day
• immediate removal from school for the remainder of the day (parents will be called to pickup)
• immediate removal from school followed by extended suspension of a determined number of days

If a student persists in disruptive, disrespectful, dangerous, destructive, or immoral behavior after the above steps have been taken, that student will be subject to expulsion.

Suspension restricts a student from attending or participating in any school activity during the duration for the suspension. A student who has been suspended is not permitted to make up any work that has been assigned during the period of suspension.

Expulsion results in the immediate dismissal from all classes and activities and the expulsion must appear on the student’s permanent record.

Christian Character Lectures will occur on a regular (weekly or bi-weekly) basis. They will begin 15 minutes after the end of the last class of the day and will last no longer than one hour. A student may be excused from attending a lecture due to illness or other excused reason only if the school is notified in advance by a parent and a pass is given. He must attend the next lecture or he will face more serious consequences.

Dress Code

Fideles serves a broad spectrum of the Christian community consisting of those who might be considered more conservative to those more contemporary in their convictions concerning dress and grooming. Without making judgments regarding these viewpoints, we refer to the principles in the Scriptures (I Corinthians 8:8-13 and Philippians 2:1-3) that instruct us to defer to our brethren in the Lord in regard to these matters of conscience. We have outlined our dress code in hopes that it will find a common consensus for all involved and we urge our parent partners to instruct their own children in these principles from the Scriptures as means of furthering their discipleship from the heart and not merely seeking conformity to an arbitrary code.

The Dress Code for the 2009-2010 school year is outlined in the pdf document above. Please note that there are some changes from the previous dress code.

We will strictly enforce the dress code for the sake of everyone involved from faculty and staff to students and parents. Dress code violations can result in removal of the student from class until the violation is remedied and be accompanied by a phone call to the parents. Parents may be required to pick their child up and take him/her home to change or bring a change of clothes to the school.

Please oversee your children's dress with diligence to avoid unnecessary inconvenience.

Communication

At Fideles we communicate with our families electronically almost exclusively. Except for conversations in which more detailed discussion is necessary, email is more efficient, less disruptive, and a more certain means of communication than snail mail or phone tag. Parents need to check their email regularly for communications from us. However, please do not hesitate to call us by phone if necessary. Click here for contact information.

Weekly assignments and grades are posted on our web site on the RenWeb student pages. Parents can log into this RenWeb site to see their students' information.

Peanut/Nut Allergy Policy

It is the goal of Fideles Christian School to provide a safe environment suitable to optimal learning for all students. Since Fideles cannot guarantee that the school will be "peanut-free," the school policy will be as follows:

For students in grades K-3, we will ask parents to refrain from sending in peanut products only when a SEVERE allergy to peanut products is documented by a child's physician. We will also provide a "peanut-free table" for the allergic child to sit at during lunch along with a friend that has a peanut-free lunch.

For students in grades 4-12, a "peanut-free table" will be provided for the child to sit at during lunch along with a friend that has a peanut-free lunch.

For all students with peanut/nut allergies, an epi-pen must be kept in the office at all times and will be administered in the event of an emergency.

It is the parent's responsibility to notify Fideles of SEVERE allergies requiring any of the above actions. It is also the parent's responsibility to provide the emergency medications.