The Bible clearly indicates that parents/guardians are responsible for the discipline (that is, training or instruction) of their children. Grace Christian Academy exists to assist parents/guardians in this God-given responsibility. Grace Christian Academy does not seek to assume the task which God gives to parents, but only to serve as the parents’/guardians’ appointed and authorized representatives in the training process. Grace Christian Academy’s system of student discipline and educational philosophy is structured in such a way so as to mirror the Bible’s guidelines for reproof and instruction.
Attendance at Grace Christian is a privilege and not a right. Grace Christian Academy reserves the right at the sole discretion of the administration and/or the School Board to dismiss students from enrollment if at any time it is decided by the aforementioned entities that the school can no longer assist in the educational process of the student. Furthermore, Grace Christian Academy, the administration, and the School Board, reserve the right at their sole discretion to deny readmission to any student whose actions demonstrate that it is not in the school’s best interest to allow readmission.
At the beginning of each school year, all Secondary School students and parents will be required to sign a Grace Christian Academy Code of Conduct Agreement.
Any student who believes he or she has been subjected to any form of harassment should report these statements, comments, or actions immediately to a teacher or administrator. Each report will be given serious consideration and investigated thoroughly in a prompt and confidential manner. Should an accused party be found in violation of this policy, that party will be subject to full disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from enrollment. Students or parents found to have filed false or frivolous accusations of harassment will also be subject to disciplinary action.
It should be noted, any bystanders who did not act to intervene on the behalf of a student who is being bullied or failed to report instances of bullying may be considered complicit in the incident and may subject that student to disciplinary action as well. Also, any instances of retaliation will be handled with serious disciplinary action.
First offenses to this policy will be handled according to classroom disciplinary action and a parent notification will be made. Second offenses will result in a conference between student, parent, and administrator. Further instances that have been deemed bullying will be considered a violation of the harassment policy and will subject the party to the aforementioned disciplinary actions. Extreme incidents and instances of bullying may be initially considered harassment at the first offense and will be handled accordingly. Cyber bullying will also be considered under the parameters of this policy.
In order to prevent bullying or to ensure that a student that is being bullied is given justice the following responsibilities have been outlined for students, parents, and staff:
In an effort to create a distraction free learning environment, Grace Christian Academy has adopted a zero-tolerance policy for electronic communication devices during school hours. Student devices should be turned off and stored in the student’s locker or vehicle and should not be visible at any time during the school day. If a device is brought to class or the device rings during class, disciplinary action will be taken and the device confiscated. Forgetting to turn off the device is not an excuse for violation.
Use of devices during a test for any reason will automatically be considered cheating, and appropriate academic and disciplinary action will be taken. No taking of photographs or other use of phone cameras is permitted on school property. No devices are permitted in restrooms at any time and any violations of this prohibition will result in serious disciplinary action.
Parents should not consider their student’s device as a means of contacting their student for any reason during the school day. All student phone calls, incoming and outgoing, should be made through the school office. Parents who need to contact their student during the school day for emergency purposes should use the school’s emergency contact process outlined on page 22.
Students may not use any recording devices on the school grounds at any time. This includes transmitting images, taking photographs with phones, camera or other recording device, or using any electronic device on an audio or video record setting.
Exceptions to this policy apply only to Grace Christian Academy students that have been approved for the use of a camera or video camera to record images for curriculum or school related projects or purposes.
As members of the Grace Christian Academy community, students, parents, and staff are ambassadors of the school and more importantly ambassadors and witnesses of Jesus Christ. This same ambassadorship applies to online communications both at home and at school. This includes but is not limited to, email, chat, instant-messaging, video calls, texting, gaming, and social networking sites (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YikYak, etc.). In all of our online communications, whether they be with our peers, classmates, teachers, or otherwise we will treat others with love, grace, and respect as Christ commands us to. Any illegal, disrespectful, obscene, sexually explicit, inflammatory language or media, ethnic or racial slurs, bullying, harassment, defamation, or other similar content posted or sent online will result in disciplinary action up to and including expulsion.
Social networking sites such as the ones listed above are not allowed at school, no exceptions. However, the school realizes that many students do have access to these sites outside of school. Students and Parents/Guardians are reminded that regardless of where their posting originates, be it home or otherwise, any text, photographs, or videos they put on these sites or similar that are obscene, sexually explicit, derogatory to the school or the school community, demean or bully students or faculty is prohibited and will be reported to the appropriate ‘report abuse’ section of the network site and, if needed, may be referred to local law enforcement agencies. The school will also expect that any student or parent/guardian remove such posts and comments immediately. Any further instances may result in the student losing the privilege of enrollment at Grace Christian Academy.
Students are assigned lockers for their personal use. Fire code prevents items from being stored outside the lockers in the hallway. LOCKERS ARE THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OF THE SCHOOL AND, AS SUCH, ARE SUBJECT TO SEARCH/INSPECTION BY THE SCHOOL AT ANY TIME. Students are not permitted to store opened food or drink in lockers. Stickers and writing with dry erase markers are not permitted on the outside or inside of any locker. Magnets placed on the inside of the student’s locker must be school appropriate and must be removed at the end of the school year. If the student applies anything to the locker that he/she cannot remove, a $10 fee will be charged to the parents’ account.
A student and/or personal effects (i.e. purse, back pack, etc.) may be searched whenever a school authority has reasonable suspicion that the student is in possession of illegal or unauthorized/prohibited materials. Students may be asked to empty their pockets, purses, wallets, back packs, etc. without the parent’s permission or the student’s permission. Enrollment of the child constitutes parental consent to such searches. If the student refuses and the school feels a personal search of the student’s person or belongings is required (as per the safety of that student or any other student) then the parents will be called and must come to the school to perform the search. If the parents fail to come to the school to perform the search within one (1) hour of the phone call, and/or the student refuses to empty their pockets or remove from their person what is suspected, then the student’s privilege to attend Grace Christian Academy will be revoked immediately and they will be dismissed from enrollment. If a phone is confiscated, Grace Christian Academy reserves the right to review the phone’s content for any reason.
Student desks and lockers are Grace Christian Academy property, and as such remain under the control of Grace Christian Academy at all times and are subject to search, both random and initiated under suspicion, at any time. Grace Christian Academy exercises exclusive control over school property, and students should not expect privacy regarding items placed in school property for these reasons. Students are responsible for all items contained within desks and lockers, and any illegal, unauthorized, or contraband items found in a student’s desk or locker will constitute possession. Periodic general inspections of desks and lockers are conducted by school authorities for any reason at any time without notice, student consent, parental consent, or search warrant.
If a properly conducted search yields illegal or contraband materials, such findings will be turned over to the proper authorities for ultimate disposition.
Grace Christian Academy believes in providing a wholesome environment conducive to learning for all its students. We believe teenage pregnancy and/or marriage are incompatible and impermissible within this environment. Individual situations that conflict with this standard will be evaluated case by case with an attempt to find the best solution for the individual and the student body as a whole. However, no married student, pregnant student, or student responsible for a pregnancy may attend daily classes at Grace Christian Academy.
