Bay Knoll Seventh-day Adventist School
Parent-Student
HANDBOOK
2010-2011
Mission Statement
The mission of the Bay Knoll Seventh-day Adventist School
is to infuse a quality academic curriculum with the principles of heaven that
will transform the minds and lives of each student for the joy of service in
this world and for the higher joy of wider service in the world to come by
harmoniously developing the physical, mental, and spiritual powers. We seek to accomplish this mission by actively
involving parents, teachers, church, and community members in our students’
learning experience.
Statement of Authority
The Bay Knoll Seventh-day Adventist School is operated
according to policies and standards of the Departments of Education of the
General Conference, the North American Division, the Atlantic Union Conference,
and the New York Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The policies and information contained
in this handbook are based upon those guidelines and have been approved by the
Bay Knoll Seventh-day Adventist School Board. Any exceptions, alterations, and/or interpretations must be
approved by, or be subject to the approval of the Bay Knoll School Board.
Philosophy
The Bay Knoll Seventh-day Adventist School has been
established to provide a Christian education primarily for the children and
youth of the Seventh-day Adventist Church as well as for others who appreciate
its values. As Seventh-day
Adventists, we believe that Christian education includes subject matter,
teaching methods, discipline, character development, and respect for the
personal worth of each individual.
Each student will be exposed to and taught as truth the Bible-based Christian
beliefs and doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
We believe that Seventh-day Adventist education provides
students an environment in which to gain an intelligent understanding of the
principles governing the function and proper care of the body. It also helps students establish habits
and practices that foster physical, mental, and spiritual vitality and health.
The school curriculum will include literature, art, math,
science, music, writing, and the study of the Bible in keeping with Seventh-day
Adventist doctrine.
Objectives
The following objectives should expand and reflect the
general philosophy of Seventh-day Adventist education and the school’s
statement of philosophy:
1.
To assist students in gaining a growing
knowledge of God as Creator and Sustainer of life in an environment conducive
to the development of Christian character;
2.
To encourage students to assume a growing
responsibility for unselfish service within their homes and to all mankind, and
to identify themselves with the church and its outreach;
3.
To assist students to acquire the basic skills
of reading, mathematics, and communication;
4.
To enable students to develop critical-thinking
skills and to make decisions based on moral and ethical values as well as on
accumulated facts;
5.
To provide both social and learning experiences
that are based on the use of materials and methods of instruction that reflect
Seventh-day Adventist values, including healthful living;
6.
To provide an appropriate environment and
encourage students to become intellectually curious through an educational
program that challenges them to academic excellence within the parameters of
individual interests, needs, and abilities;
7.
To develop an appreciation for an understanding
of the Bible as the written word of God, an infallible rule of faith and
practice for the Christian; to develop a personal religious life of Bible
study, prayer, worship, wisdom, and service; and to develop a personal sense of
mission for giving the gospel message to all the world in preparation for the
soon return of Jesus Christ;
8.
To encourage students to recognize and to
acknowledge God’s ownership of human resources;
9.
To assist students to develop an understanding
of, and an appreciation for, the worth of all people.
Notice of Non-discriminatory
Policy
The Bay Knoll Seventh-day Adventist School does not
discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, or national/ethnic origin in
administration of our educational policies, admissions policy, scholarship
program, or any other school-administered program.
Admission
Enrollment in the Bay Knoll Seventh-day Adventist School
is a privilege and not a right.
With it goes responsibility to respect and cooperate with all school
policy. By enrolling, both
students and parents agree to support the total program of the school. In harmony with the General Conference
recommendation, it is strongly urged that children should not be sent to school
at too early an age. Students who
wish to enter Kindergarten should be five years old by December 1 of the year
of enrollment. Students who wish
to enter First Grade must be six years old by December 1 of the year of
enrollment. The Bay Knoll School
Board will evaluate students who have not attained the age of six years by
December 1 of the year of enrollment and wish to enter the First Grade.
A birth certificate and updated health and immunization
records that conform to current state requirements must be supplied at
Registration. It is required that
any child transferring from another school presents a report card, transcript
of all previous work, and two references.
The Bay Knoll Seventh-day Adventist School is open to a limited number
of students who are members of other denominations.
Upon receipt of references, the Bay Knoll School Board
will review for approval all applications. Parents and students must be willing to observe the
principles and regulations of the organization.
Registration
It is required that one or both parents/guardians
accompany their child when registering.
Children will be accepted on the basis of room in the class,
scholarship, attendance, conduct in past schools, and suitability to the
overall school curriculum.
Financial Information
An annual registration fee will be due and payable at the
time of registration. Tuition for
the school year may be paid in a lump sum in full at the beginning of the
school year or in consecutive payments to be automatically deducted from a bank
account or charge card each month. If automatic payments are made from an account or charge
card, this can be set up at the time of registration. The tuition rates and the registration fee are subject to
change each year. Current rates
and fees can be found on the school’s website at school.bayknoll.org.
It is the responsibility of parents, guardians, and
sponsors to meet their financial obligations to the school. Keeping one’s school account current is
a condition of continued enrollment in the school.
A
limited number of scholarship funds may be available to help provide assistance
for those unable to bear the full cost of tuition. However, if scholarship funds are not available or approved,
or satisfactory arrangements have not been made with the Bay Knoll School
Board, the school is under no obligation to accept or keep a student in school
if the student’s account is not kept current.
If financial assistance is desired, arrangements must be
made with the Bay Knoll School Board.
A financial plan must be entered into between financially responsible
parties and the school board.
Priority in the distribution of any available assistance shall be given
to students who are (or whose parents or guardians are) members of the
constituent church. The School
Board will determine final eligibility.
If for any reason persons having students enrolled in the
school are unable to make their tuition payments at the regular time or in the
full amount due as agreed upon with the School Board, it is the responsibility
of those individuals to make arrangements with the school board to ensure that
the obligation is met in an acceptable, timely manner.
If a student’s account is in arrears and satisfactory
arrangements have not been made with the school board, the student may be
suspended from school. It is the
prerogative of the school board to deny students whose accounts are in arrears
from taking of final tests, permission to reregister, or graduate from the
school.
Attendance and Hours
School hours are 8:15 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday through
Friday. It is expected that
students not arrive at school before 8:00 AM, and that they should leave
promptly after dismissal, no later than 3:15 PM. Prior arrangements must be made with the teacher if your
child needs to arrive before or stay after school hours.
Students
must remain on the school grounds from their arrival in the morning until they
leave for home, unless otherwise authorized. Any student who leaves the school grounds without permission
will be suspended.
If your child needs to leave the school grounds during
the school day, please notify the teacher ahead of time. When parents or guardians arrive to
pick up students during school hours, they need to see the teacher to sign them
out of school.
According to policy, the front doors of the school will
be locked during school hours. If
someone is planning on visiting, please notify the teacher in advance. On
arrival ring the bell to the right of the door.
Emergencies, sickness, and death in the family are
considered the only legitimate excuses for absences.
Students are tardy if they do not arrive at or before
8:15 A.M. Students are not
considered tardy if their school bus is late. Written excuses are required for all absences and
tardinesses. A
parent-student-teacher conference will be held to determine further action in
the event of excessive absences or tardiness (more than 20% of the time). A pupil who is absent as many as seven
days out of a marking period, whatever the cause, may forfeit his or her
quarter grades unless it is evident to the teacher that the work has been
satisfactorily made up.
When students have an absence, it is their responsibility
to learn what work was missed. For
an excused absence, a student will be given a reasonable amount of time to do
the work for full credit if completed within the given time limit.
Dental and medical appointments should be arranged
outside of school hours when at all possible.
Parents who wish their children to remain indoors during
recess must send a signed note to the teacher indicating the reason and period
of time the request is in effect.
Transportation
Transportation is the responsibility of the parents or guardians. The school cooperates with the various school
districts that bus the students from their areas of residence in accordance
with New York State regulations.
Parents must make arrangements (sometimes required well in advance) with
their local public school districts for bus transportation.
All changes in after school bus transportation or other
means of transportation requires written permission in advance from the parent
or guardian detailing and approving the change.
An approved drivers list must be filled out at
Registration. If your child needs
to ride home with anyone else who is not on the approved list, written consent
must be sent in to the teacher in advance.
Proper student conduct on school buses is important to
the reputation of our Christian school and of its families. Bay Knoll students are expected to
uphold the reputations of both at all times.
Snow Days and Inclement Weather
During inclement weather, the school will be closed when
the East Irondequoit public schools are closed. Listen to school closing news on TV Channels 8, 10, and/or
13.
Student Code of Conduct
Students are expected to conduct themselves as young
Christians. Christian comportment
includes respect for God, respect for teachers and other adults, and respect
for each other. To that end, the
following behaviors are expected of students attending the Bay Knoll
School. It is understood that the
students’ school environment includes riding the bus to and from school, field
trips, and other school-related activities.
1.
Respect
and reverence for God
a.
Expected behaviors:
·
Respectful, reverent use of the Holy Bible
·
Respectful, reverent use of hymnals and other
church-related items
·
Respectful, reverent use of God’s name
b.
Examples of violations:
·
Slamming Bibles and hymnals closed
·
Throwing Bibles and hymnals on the floor
·
Cursing, oaths, and slang expressions of God’s
name
·
Mocking of hymns and scripture use
·
Slouching and irreverent behavior in worship
2.
Respect
for teachers and other adults
a.
Expected behaviors:
·
Courteous, respectful address (Mr., Mrs., Miss,
etc.)
·
Courteous, respectful conversation
·
Courteous, respectful demeanor
·
Obedience to instructions and requests
b.
Examples of violations:
·
Back-talking
·
Interrupting teacher-led instruction
·
Disobedience
·
Temper tantrums or other disruptive behavior
3.
Respect
for other students
a.
Expected behaviors:
·
Courteous, respectful conversation
·
Courteous, respectful demeanor
·
Respect for rights of others
·
Respect for property of others
·
Respect for personal space of others
b.
Examples of violations:
·
Teasing or name-calling
·
Intimidation or bullying
·
Kicking or pulling a student’s chair to cause
harm
·
Fighting
·
Disruptive behavior of any kind
·
Indecent touching of others
·
Obscene language
Responsibility of Students
Students are expected to have read, understand, and agree
to the Student Code of Conduct. Students
are expected to be courteous and respectful at all times. Quietness, orderliness, cooperation,
polite conversation, and proper response to correction exhibit this. The Bay Knoll School will not tolerate
a student who is defiant and rebellious.
It is understood that every student who applies for
admission to the school pledges to observe all of its regulations, to uphold
the principles upon which the school operates, and to perform all assigned school
duties to the best of his or her ability.
It is also understood that to break this pledge forfeits the privilege
to attend. Continued attendance is
at the discretion of the Bay Knoll School Board.
The formation of special boy-girl friendships at this age
is not permitted.
All students are expected to use language befitting a
Christian, which excludes abusive or obscene language, gestures, or profanity.
Stealing, willful deception, falsehood, fraud, or any act
of dishonesty will not be tolerated.
The
use or possession of tobacco, alcohol, narcotics, illegal drugs, weapons of any
kind, playing cards, or any gambling device is grounds for suspension or
possible expulsion. A student who
must take prescription drugs during the school day must have a written request
on file at the school signed by the student’s doctor.
Non-prescription pain relievers must be given to the
teacher. If their use is necessary
during the school day, the parent or guardian must provide written permission
before it will be distributed for use by the student.
The school will not be responsible for personal items
lost at school. Entertainment
items and toys are to be left at home.
Students are not to bring unusual, distracting, or dangerous articles to
school. The teacher may confiscate
such items.
Questionable entertainment including television shows,
movies, videos, dancing, and rock concerts should be avoided, and the
discussion of it is not approved.
Discipline
A teacher is authorized to handle misconduct by a student
and may refer the offense to the School Board depending on the seriousness or
frequency of the offense. The
following will be used by teachers and staff as a guideline for determining how
to proceed if discipline is deemed needed.
Violations of the Student Code of Conduct are taken
seriously and cannot be tolerated.
Parents of students involved will be notified immediately via telephone,
letter, or email. Actions that
will be taken are as follows:
1st violation: Student will be warned and
reminded of appropriate behavior.
2nd violation: Student will be suspended for 1
day.
3rd violation: Student will be suspended for
2 days.
4th violation: Student will be suspended for
3 days.
Serious violations or 3
suspensions in a 60-day period will be reported to the School Board and may
result in expulsion.
Responsibility of Parents
In
general, it is the duty of parents and students to uphold the teachings and to
adhere to the academic and spiritual principles and standards of the Bay Knoll
Seventh-day Adventist School.
Parents can contribute to a successful school program by following these
guidelines:
1.
Upholding in your homes the ideals taught in the
school by being a positive, Christian role model;
2.
Insisting on the development of good health and
work habits and sharing responsibilities inside and outside the home;
3.
Seeing that the child is in the best physical
condition possible, and that he or she receives adequate sleep each night;
4.
Actively participating in school-sponsored
activities and functions;
5.
Cultivating an acquaintance with the teacher and
conferring with her or him;
6.
Discussing any concern or criticism of the school
program directly with the teacher rather than with the children;
7.
Resolving any concerns you have with the school
program by using the escalation procedure outlined in the section below;
8.
Promptly meeting financial obligations to the
school;
9.
Providing adequate, scheduled time and a
suitable environment and study area for homework.
The school board and faculty strongly urge that
television viewing be very selective and chosen in such a manner that does not
interfere with schoolwork or the student’s general well being.
Issue Escalation Procedure
On occasion legitimate concerns or issues need to be
answered or addressed. In order to
resolve these concerns appropriately in a timely fashion, the Bay Knoll School
follows the procedure outlined by Jesus in Matthew 18:15, “If your brother
offends you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you …”. To that end the following process will
be followed. Escalation to the
next step assumes all prior steps have been followed without satisfactorily
resolving the issue.
1.
Speak directly with the individual in question
(e.g., teacher, staff member, board member, etc.);
2.
Speak a second time with the individual;
3.
Conference with Head Teacher and individual,
unless individual is Head Teacher.
4.
Conference with the School Board chairperson and
the individual;
5.
Request to address the School Board;
6.
Conference with the Associate Superintendent of
Schools.
Dress and Appearance
Dress and appearance are highly subjective matters,
therefore, the school leaves this matter to the discretion of the teachers.
It
is expected that students will uphold the school standards for dress and
appearance at all times. Parents and
others doing volunteer work at the school, chaperoning field trips, or
participating in school functions are requested to comply with the school
guidelines for dress and appearance.
The physical appearance of a student and peers has a
major impact on their readiness for learning and character development. Because this is a Christian school,
clothing is expected to be modest, and simple in nature. For that reason, the following
principles will help to guide the selection of appropriate clothing for
students.
Health and Safety:
Clothing should be adequate for the weather:
·
Students should wear boots outdoors when the
weather requires it, but they will be expected to bring shoes or sneakers to
wear while indoors.
·
Students should wear coats, mittens or gloves,
and warm headgear while outdoors.
Clothing should allow free movement and should not be so
tight as to restrict circulation to any part of the body.
Modesty:
Clothing should be in harmony with Christian standards.
Clothing should be age, size, and gender appropriate.
Clothing should be modest and not accentuate body form:
·
Tight-fitting slacks, jeans, and tops are not
appropriate for boys or girls.
·
All shirts and blouses must have sleeves. For example, spaghetti straps, cap
sleeves, and tank tops are not allowed, even if worn in layers.
·
Shirts and blouses must also completely cover
the waist when arms are fully raised over the head.
·
Pants, jeans, and slacks must reach the
ankles. Knee-length pants are
allowed during hot weather. Shorts
and cut-offs are not permitted.
·
Both boys and girls must wear pants, slacks, and
jeans at their waist. For example,
no hip huggers or sagging pants should be worn.
·
All pants, slacks, and jeans with belt loops
should be worn with a belt that fits the wearer.
·
Girls may wear dresses, skirts, or jumpers. These must be below the knees or
longer.
·
Girls must also wear shorts under their dresses,
skirts, or jumpers.
·
Shoes must be enclosed and students must have
appropriate footwear for PE classes or gym wear. Shoes with laces must be tied. Shoes with wheels are prohibited.
Dignity:
Sloppy or overly casual clothing is not appropriate. Modest, loose-fitting jeans are
permissible.
Hats and hoods may not be worn in the classroom.
Unnecessarily expensive attire demonstrates vanity, and
it should not be worn.
Clothing must not have holes, tears, slits, frayed edges,
or other cuts in the material.
Clothing must not have any writing or pictures that portray images from TV, movies, music
videos, cartoons, video games, and the like.
Jewelry of any type is not permitted. (Medic-Alert tags are allowed if
needed.)
Make-up should be avoided. If used, it should accentuate a natural appearance. Nail polish, if worn, should be clear
only.
Cleanliness:
Clean, unstained clothing should be worn to school each
day.
Hair should be clean, neatly groomed, and of a natural
color. “Cut-outs” or other extreme
styles should be avoided.
Students should take regular baths or showers, and if
necessary, use deodorant to avoid offensive body odor.
Building and Grounds
Parents
will be responsible for school property if such is maliciously or deliberately
damaged by their child.
Students can help keep the school clean, pleasant, safe,
and attractive by remembering the following common sense rules:
1.
Place all trash in wastebaskets and proper
receptacles.
2.
Keep classrooms, halls, restrooms, gym, chapel, and
grounds neat and free of litter and other miscellaneous items.
3.
Hang coats, sweaters, and other outerwear on
hangers. Put empty
bookbags/backpacks on shelves.
4.
Flush toilets after use, wash hands thoroughly,
dry hands, and place paper towels in the trashcan. Do not waste restroom supplies.
5.
Avoid:
·
running or rough play in the building;
·
loud voices
·
chewing gum
·
defacing or marking walls or any equipment
·
leaving possessions, food, or clothing around
carelessly
·
misusing any school or personal items.
Report Cards
Report cards will be issued four times per year. Interim reports will be sent home if
students have unacceptable grades.
Parents may request a formal conference with a teacher at
a time outside of the school day.
All arrangements should be made in advance.
Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled following the
First and Third Quarters of the school year. Parents must meet with their child’s homeroom teacher before
securing report cards for these quarters.
Final grades, diplomas, and transcripts (sent from the New York
Conference Office of Education) will be held until student account balances are
paid in full.
Awards
At the end of
each quarter, the following awards will be presented to students in Grades K –
8 who meet the criteria of the award:
1. Principal’s List: defined as incurring all A’s throughout
the quarter or mastery of subject if it is project-based and the project was
completed according to expectation;
2. Honor Role: defined as a student receiving all B’s or higher during that
quarter;
3. Perfect Attendance: defined as being present all day every
day with no tardiness.
4. Citizenship: defined as a student who exhibits, who most consistently
exhibits, or shows the most growth in teacher specified areas including
behavior on the bus and other places.
Parents can send information to share when a child does something
positive at home or away from school for extra points. For example, a student uses the
Light-Skills which include the “Fruit of the Spirit” as described in Galatians
5:22-23;
5. Mentorship Award: defined as a student who helps others
academically and or spiritually by being a role model in and out of school,
tutoring classmates, or helping younger students in school with anything
challenging.
Lunches
The body and mind are closely linked. Anything that harms the health of the
body harms the mind also. As diet
most directly affects health, a student’s diet has a direct effect on her or
his ability to perform well in school.
Parents should ensure that their children’s diet is low in fats, salt,
and simple carbohydrates (sugar and products made from refined flours,
highly-processed foods, etc.) particularly on school days. Foods containing dyes and other food
additives should be avoided.
Choose foods with high nutritive value, complex carbohydrates, and
fiber, and that are as close to their natural state as possible. Drinking six to eight 8-ounce glasses
of water daily is important to maintain all body systems.
Seventh-day Adventists have historically held that a
vegetarian diet is the original diet instituted by God and as such provides the
safest, most nutritious foods for healthful living. As an Adventist
institution, the Bay Knoll School follows that recommendation and requires that
meat will not be brought into the school. Please contact the school if
you would like some ideas for healthful, nutritious, vegetarian lunches.
Additionally, the school does not allow carbonated or caffeinated beverages
on school grounds.
Microwave ovens are a service that the school
provides. However, due to time
constraints in the lunch period, lunches should require no more than three
minutes to heat. If more time is
needed, the student will go to the back of the line.
Once a week, a Hot Lunch may be available for a nominal
fee. A variety of lunch menus that
are nutritionally balanced are provided, and volunteers may prepare the meals.
Visitors
Parents are welcome to visit the school. However, when conferences are desired,
previous arrangements with the teacher should be made.
Students are not to bring visitors without the express
permission of the teacher.
School Computers
Students are not allowed to load any
personal software onto the school computers. Non-educational games are not allowed. All students and parents will be
required to read and sign the Acceptable Use Policy and the Internet Access
Agreement at Registration. These
forms outline the rules and regulations that govern the use of the computers. Parental permission must be granted and
signed before students may use the Internet.
Telephones
The school telephone is to be used only with the express
permission of the teacher. Parents
should refrain from telephoning the school during school hours except in cases
of emergency. Since the school
phones are for school business, no other use should be made of them.
Student cell phones should be turned off during school
hours. Students using their phones
during school hours, unless expressly permitted by the teacher, will have them
confiscated until school is dismissed for the day.
Field Trips
The School Board must approve any trip or program planned
away from the school. Written
permission with parent or guardian signature will be required for all students.
School Calendar
An
annual school calendar will be provided at Registration for your convenience in
knowing the dates of certain school events and vacations. The calendar is also shown on the
school’s website. A copy of the
calendar can also be downloaded from the website at school.bayknoll.org.
Home & School Association
The Bay Knoll Home & School Association serves the
purpose of promoting a firmer bond among the home, the school, and the
church. Effective Christian
education requires the participation of parents and others as partners in the
educational process. Some of the
objectives of the association are as follows:
·
To coordinate activities in cooperation with the
administration, faculty, and staff that will bring the school family together
·
To encourage family participation in the life of
the school in an appropriate manner
·
To select and organize volunteers to assist in
the programs and special activities provided by the school
·
To give leadership to fundraising activities so
as to provide much-needed funds for special projects, equipment, and other
capital improvements
·
To provide a forum for parent information
relative to good parenting and quality home life.
A Home & School Committee plans and helps facilitate
the above-listed activities of the school. The committee is made up of the Home and School Leader,
selected by the constituent church; the school principal; and interested
volunteers. They meet
approximately once a month.
Home & School Association meetings or planned
activities are also held once a month
The Bay Knoll Home & School Association includes
every member of the school family—the school board, administration,
faculty, staff, parents of Bay Knoll students, and others interested in the
welfare of the school.
Volunteers
Bay Knoll Adventist School relies heavily on
volunteers. To ensure the safety
of the students, the staff, and the property, a screening process has been
initiated for individuals wishing to volunteer their time and service. Please contact the school for further
information if you’re interested in volunteering at the school.
Website
The Bay Knoll Seventh-day Adventist School maintains a
website on the Internet located at http://school.bayknoll.org. The contents of the website includes
Registration information and forms; financial information and forms; an annual
school calendar of events which are updated periodically; contact information;
a copy of this handbook; and much more.
It is the intent of the school that individuals will be able to use the
website as a primary source of information about the Bay Knoll Adventist School. Please check there often.
Bay Knoll Seventh-day Adventist School
