Student Handbook
Student Handbook
“True education means more than pursuing a certain
course of study. It has to do with the whole person, and
with the whole period of existence possible to human
beings. It is the harmonious development of the physical,
the mental, and the spiritual powers.”
Ellen G. White
True Education, p. 9
Introduction
The purpose of this handbook is to illustrate the philosophy, policies and requirements for attending the Edenville Seventh-day Adventist Elementary School. Parents should read this handbook and go over its contents with their children before applying for admission to the school. This will ensure that both parent and child have the opportunity to make an informed decision of whether to attend the Edenville Seventh-day Adventist Elementary School.
School History
The early members of the Edenville Seventh-day Adventist Church believed that all education should be Christ-centered and Bible-based. This led many people to sacrifice both time and money to establish this school.
The school had its humble beginning in the year 1894 in the home of Nancy Weed, a church member. In 1897 the school was moved into what was the original Edenville SDA Church located on West Curtis Road. In 1904 an addition was built on the back of the church and was used to house the school for nearly sixty years. In 1964 the current school facility was built.
Attendance during the existence of the school has varied from 30 to 5 students. About 66 teachers have served at the school during those years. The Edenville SDA Elementary School has the distinction of graduating students who went on to serve as literature evangelists, ministers, missionaries, doctors, teachers, nurses and workers in other areas of service in the Lord’s work. The Edenville SDA Elementary School is associated with the Michigan Conference of SDA Department of Education. Each of its teachers holds a college degree and has been certified by the Michigan Department of Education.
Mission Statement
The main purpose of the Edenville Seventh-day Adventist Elementary School is to lead our students to a living Saviour and to guide them into a practical life of love and service to all. We feel that if a child is led to Christ and learns to love Him, all other aspects of life will subsequently result in success for the present and eternal well being of the child.
Philosophy
The Seventh-day Adventist Church recognizes God as the ultimate source of existence and truth. In the beginning God created in His image a perfect humanity, a perfection later marred by sin. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, God’s character and purposes can be understood as revealed in nature, the Bible and Jesus Christ. The distinctive characteristics of Adventist education, derived from the Bible and the inspired writings of Ellen G. White, point to the redemptive aim of true education: to restore human beings into the image of their Maker.
While God presents His infinitely loving and wise character as the ultimate norm for human conduct, human motives, thinking and behavior have fallen short of God’s ideal. Education in its broadest sense is a means of returning human beings to their original relationship with God. Its time dimensions span eternity.
Adventist education seeks to develop a life of faith in God and respect for the dignity of all human beings, to build character akin to that of the Creator, to nurture thinkers rather than mere reflectors of others’ thoughts, to promote loving service rather than selfish ambition, to ensure maximum development of each individual’s potential, and to embrace all that is true, good and beautiful.
An education of this kind imparts far more than academic knowledge. It fosters a balanced development of the whole person—physically, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Working together, homes, schools and churches cooperate with divine agencies in preparing learners for responsible citizenship in this world and in the world to come.
Policies & Procedures
Admission Policy
"The Seventh-day Adventist Church, in all of its church schools, admits students of any race to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at its schools, and makes no discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnic background, country of origin, or gender in the administration of education policies, applications for admission, scholarship or loan programs, and extracurricular programs." (Taken from The North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists nondiscrimination policy statement.)
While the Edenville Seventh-day Adventist Elementary School has been established primarily for the youth of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, membership in the church is not a requirement for admission. Although the school would like to accept all students, we are not equipped to accept students with some unusual learning, behavioral or disciplinary needs.
Application Procedures
Students in grades one through eight who express a definite interest in receiving a Christian education are eligible for admission. Those wishing to apply for admission to the school should fill out the application form that may be obtained from the school. Applications can be submitted to the school teacher, the School Board chairperson, or mailed to the school. Applications will be reviewed at the first scheduled School Board meeting after the application is received.
Students will be considered for admission to the first grade if they are at least six years of age by the 1st of December. This is in compliance with the laws of the State of Michigan.
A medical report from a physician must be submitted when school begins by all students entering into Michigan schools for the first time. Any special conditions existing which would exclude a student from normal school activities should be stated in writing.
All students transferring from another school will be required to present a report card or transcript from the former school.
Attendance Policy
The purpose of the attendance policy is to maintain academic standards for earning credits. Students who come to school regularly usually achieve more from their total experiences. Frequent absenteeism of pupils from standard classroom learning opportunities disrupts the continuity of the instructional process. The benefit of regular classroom instruction is lost and cannot be entirely regained even if the work is later made up. Consequently, many pupils who miss school frequently experience great difficulty in achieving the maximum benefit of school. Indeed, many pupils in these circumstances are able to achieve only mediocre success in their academic programs.
Teachers cannot instruct students who are not present. The entire process of education requires a regular con-tinuity of instruction, class participation, learning experiences and study to reach the maximum educational ability of each student. The regular contact of the pupils with one another in the classroom and their partici-pation in well-planned instructional activity and education underlies and gives purpose to the requirements of compulsory school in this and every other state in the nation. For these reasons, we feel that a student must satisfy two basic requirements to earn class promotions: (1) satisfy academic requirements, and (2) exhibit good attendance habits.
The Michigan Conference Office of Education requires that school be in session 180 days per year. Michigan requires that children between the ages of 6 and 16 be in regular school attendance. Parents are expected to ensure that their child attend school regularly and on time.
Punctuality is essential in the development of character. Tardiness and missed appointments tend to become an unacceptable way of life. Therefore, any student who is absent from Edenville SDA School for more than eight (8) days during any one semester will be subject to school board review for administrative action.
A student who misses more than eight (8) days in a semester regardless of the reasons for the absences, may forfeit his/her grades.
Parents are asked to call the school on the day of the absence unless prior arrangements have been made. If prior communication has not occurred, verbal or written communication by the parent must accompany the student upon return to school.
Absences for vacation are discouraged. Please plan your vacations to coincide with the school calendar. If that is not possible, it is necessary for the parent to contact the teacher involved at least a week in advance to arrange to get assignments. We request that the child make every effort to complete any assignments by their return.
Class time is from 8:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8:00 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. on Friday. All students are expected to be in attendance. If for any reason a child must come earlier or remain later than regular school hours, prior arrangements must be made with the teacher.
Tardiness
The reliability of being on time to one’s appointments is a vital aspect of character. Therefore, arriving late is harmful to the student and detrimental to the overall class program. All students are expected to meet their appointments on time. Excessive tardiness, like excessive absences, will be subject to review by the school board.
Visitor Policy
Parents, church members and school board members are welcome to visit the school. Arrangements with the teacher are to be made prior to the school day in which the visitation is planned. If the teacher feels that the visit would be detrimental, he/she has the right to deny it. The decision may be taken to the school board by both parties involved if there is a conflict.
Parents, guardians or church members are also welcome to attend the school board meetings. Simply contact the principal or school board chairman about your interest in attending. (Any meetings dealing with personnel are closed to non-members.)
Parents, family, relatives, friends and church members are all welcome to attend any of the school sponsored programs and activities which are announced.
Field Trips
Field trips will be planned at the teacher’s discretion and according to Michigan Seventh-day Adventist Conference policy. The object of these trips is to give the students a practical glimpse of a few of the things they are studying. Parents are required to sign a permission statement before their child will be allowed to participate in a school field trip.
Reporting Student Progress
Report Cards
Progress cards will be issued four times a year. Conferences may be arranged by parents or the teacher as needed. Parents whose child is below a “C” average in any subject may expect an interim report.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
A parent or teacher may discuss a student’s progress at any time. However, there will be two regularly scheduled parent-teacher conferences each school year. These will be scheduled by the teacher in consultation with the parents. Normally, such conferences will be held in October and January.
Healthful Living
Breakfast and School Lunches
Parents are encouraged to see that their child gets a hearty, well-rounded breakfast. Breakfast is essential as it provides the student with the energy needed to learn and to grow.
School lunches are also important. A child’s performance demands a lunch that is nutritionally balanced. Fresh fruit and vegetables are encouraged. The following items are not allowed:
1. Caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea or soft drinks (Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, etc.); students are encouraged to drink adequate water.
2. Unclean meats such as pork, shrimp, etc. (see Leviticus 11:1-13; Deuteronomy 14:1-21). A vegetarian diet is encouraged.
3. Food and snacks with high sugar content are discouraged.
Students are not to eat food during school hours except during the provided lunch period or during a school sponsored party. Students may not chew gum unless the teacher allows it.
Medical Services
Students who get sick during school hours will have to be picked up by their parent(s) or a designated guardian if the teacher feels it is necessary.
School accident insurance which supplies partial and, in some cases, complete coverage of student accidents is included in the registration fee. However, this insurance is secondary. A student’s private insurance is primary. Accidents should be reported promptly to the individual in charge of the activity or to the principal.
Standards of Conduct
The chief aim of the Edenville Seventh-day Adventist Elementary School is to assist young people in developing high standards as a firm foundation for character development. In order to accomplish this, the school sets before its students definite principles and ideals. Any student who becomes involved with the following practices will be subject to discipline or dismissal from school:
1. The use, handling or possession of alcoholic beverages, tobacco in all its forms or illegal drugs in any form.
2. Immoral conduct, improper social relationships, the use of profane or indecent language, indulging in lewd
conduct or suggestions or possession of obscene literature or pictures.
3. Possession of playing cards or other gambling devices.
4. Theft, damage or defacing of school property or that of other students. (This includes tampering with fire
alarms or extinguishers). Any damage will be paid for by the student.
5. Possession of potentially dangerous objects, such as firearms, knives or other weapons.
6. Leaving the school grounds without permission.
7. Persistent violation of school dress standards or other regulations.
8. Rough or rowdy behavior inside or outside the building which endangers the safety of other students.
Personal Appearance Standards
“No education can be complete that does not teach the right principles in regard to dress. Without such teaching the work of education is too often retarded and perverted. Love of dress and devotion to fashion are among the teacher’s most formidable rivals and most effective hindrances.” (Education, p. 287)
“The young should be encouraged to form correct habits in dress, that their appearance may be neat and attractive; they should be taught to keep their garments clean and neatly mended…. God has given to parents and teachers the work of educating the children and youth in these lines, and from every act of their lives they may be taught spiritual lessons.” (Testimonies For the Church, Vol. 6, p. 170)
While the above statements give a general outline of the school standards on personal appearance, these are the guidelines for dress:
1. Warm-up pants and tank tops are not permitted. Slacks and jeans that are extremely tight fitting, frayed, faded or with holes, or other similar attire are also not appropriate for school dress.
2. Dresses should be long enough and full enough to be modest whether the wearer is sitting, standing or bending. Children are expected to wear appropriate undergarments. Very sheer materials and dresses, shirts or blouses with plunging necklines, front or back, or that are sleeveless, are not permitted.
3. Tops with collars are required in the classroom, such as polo shirts or button down dress shirts. Shirts or blouses with printing or scenes depicting rock groups or unchristian themes are unacceptable. Hats are not to be worn while in the classroom. Shirts with tails are to be tucked in while in the classroom.
4. The hair should be neat, clean, well-groomed and not extreme in style.
5. Use of cosmetics or nail polish is not permitted. Good health and inward happiness are the greatest beautifiers, and all should seek to preserve these assets.
6. In harmony with Seventh-day Adventist principles, jewelry is not permitted. (see 1 Timothy 2:9, 10;1 Peter 3:3, 4; Education, p. 287). Functional wrist watches may be worn.
7. Shoes are to be worn at all times for health and safety reasons.
8. Each child should have appropriate outer wear for the season which will allow him/her to participate in outdoor activities.
9. Because snow boots leave marks on the gym floor, students are encouraged to bring tennis shoes or comparable footwear for play in the gym during the winter months.
School Appearance
Equally important to personal appearance is the appearance of the school. Since we are each stewards of what the Lord has given us, students are expected to help the teachers in keeping the school and school ground neat and clean. Since the building and grounds are a witness to what the school stands for, students will do what they can to keep things clean and orderly. This includes: picking up sticks for the mowing of the grass, taking out the trash, cleaning the bathrooms and the kitchen, cleaning walls, cleaning floors and vacuuming, etc.
Additional Rules and Guidelines
Textbooks
The school books, furnished by the school and rented to the students as covered by the registration fee, will be checked and evaluated at the beginning and end of the school year by the teacher. A student whose books have been marred beyond normal usage will be charged according to the damage done. Full payment will be required for all books lost.
Electronic Devices
Electronic devices may be brought to school at the teacher’s discretion.
Telephone Usage
Students are not to use the school telephone without permission of the teacher. Any calls not related to injury or illness may or may not be approved and will be made as a collect call to the person the student wishes to call. This is to cut down on unnecessary telephone use and expense.
The School Board and teacher have the right to announce rules and guidelines that have not been previously adopted and printed. Parents will be made aware of any additional rules or guidelines throughout the school year. Every student who registers thereby pledges to cheerfully and faithfully accept any new rules or guidelines.
Student Discipline
Discipline is designed to be redemptive, restorative and corrective rather than punitive.
When the actions of a student require corrective measures, the teacher will first employ a method of discipline that he/she deems best. If these measures do not bring the desired results, the teacher will contact the parents of the student. If the undesired behavior of the student does not improve after these steps, the matter will be taken before the School Board. If an effective solution to the problem cannot be found, the student will either be suspended or dismissed from school.
The responsibility of discipline does not rest solely with the teacher. Parents and church members should both cooperate and work together with the teacher. Never should they say or do anything that would undermine the authority and influence of the teacher. The following statements reflect the importance of such cooperation in the character development of our students.
“The teacher should not be left to carry the burden of his work alone.
He needs the sympathy, kindness, the cooperation, and the love of every
church member. The parents should encourage the teacher by showing
that they appreciate his efforts.” (Counsels to Parents Teachers and Students, p. 153)
“Parents must feel it their duty to cooperate with the teacher, to encourage wise discipline,
and to pray much for the one who is teaching their children.” (Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 270)
Note to Parents
The success of the school depends largely upon the full cooperation between parents and teacher. It sometimes happens that students make complaints to their parents concerning school matters, especially when measures for discipline are involved. In such cases, parents are urged to withhold judgment until the teacher is contacted and an investigation of the matter is made. Following this plan can prevent unhappy consequences.
A parent who has a question regarding something at school should contact the teacher, school principal, or School Board Chairperson.
Parents should discuss policies, problems or complaints with the teacher rather than with other parents or members of the community.
The School Board
The School Board consists of members elected by the Edenville SDA Church, and in some instances, other SDA churches may be invited to elect a member to the School Board.
The purpose of the School Board is to care for the business and administration of the school. The responsibilities of the School Board are:
1. To hold regular monthly meetings or as necessary to conduct school business.
2. To establish rules and guidelines to guide the operation of the school.
3. To monitor the financial condition of the school.
4. To monitor student financial accounts.
5. To staff the school in harmony with the Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists recommendations.
6. To establish the yearly school budget.
7. To select and purchase necessary equipment.
8. To provide the care and upkeep of the school and grounds.
9. To organize student recruitment.
10. To operate the school in harmony with the policies and standards of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination and the “Educational Policies Handbook” provided by the Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
11. To appoint any committees necessary to fulfill its responsibilities.
12. To review the applications of all students prior to the beginning of school. Any students with special financial needs will be reviewed by the Board.
Home and School Association
In the Seventh-day Adventist schools, the name “Home and School Association,” has been adopted in place of “Parent-Teacher Association.” Home and School officers are members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and serve a term from July 1 to June 30.
Members of the Edenville church and patrons of the school are members of the association.
The purpose of the Home and School Association is twofold: to provide parent education and to unite the home, the school and the church in their endeavors to provide a Christian education for the children. The responsibilities of the Home and School Association are:
1. To conduct meetings (up to one each grading period) for parents, teachers and all church members.
2. To strengthen the relationship between home and school by:
a. Encouraging frequent communication between home and school.
b. Encouraging parents to visit school.
c. Planning a yearly open house.
3. To offer opportunities for parents to participate in the school.
4. To provide opportunities for parents and teachers to develop a positive relationship in their work for the children.
5. To help provide school equipment and supplies which the School Board cannot finance.
6. To educate parents and teachers in their work of fostering the development of the whole child – “the harmonious development of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers.” (Education, p. 13)
7. To provide opportunities for the teacher to demonstrate teaching methods.
8. To offer opportunities for parent participation in the school.
9. To work toward the goal of enrolling every child of the church in church school.
The Home and School Association officers and the teachers will plan together the types of meetings, the topics to be presented and other activities for the school year. These plans should be presented to the School Board at its monthly meeting. (For further explanation as to the work of the Home and School Association, see the Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual.)
Financial Information
The Edenville SDA Elementary School is financed by tuition charges and contributions. Tuition charges usually cover approximately one-fifth of the actual cost incurred in the education of a child while the remainder is provided by contributions of the membership of the Edenville Seventh-day Adventist Church and other interested individuals or churches.
Tuition rates are established by the School Board for each year. The rates are based upon projected enrollment and estimated cost of operation. The School Board strives to keep the school charges as low as possible without sacrificing the quality of education.
The school recognizes the need for financial assistance for some students. Worthy students in need of special tuition assistance will be considered on an individual basis by the School Board.
Tuition Payments
Tuition charges are based upon the ten months of school. The first monthly payment is due upon registration in August along with the registration fee. Subsequent payments are due on the 20th of each month, September through May. Monthly statements are sent out indicating current account activity.
Tuition should be mailed directly to the school or to the school treasurer. All checks, drafts or money orders should be made payable to the Edenville Seventh-day Adventist Elementary School.
If your account becomes delinquent, it is your duty to contact the School Board chairperson or treasurer to clarify your intent or payment. Those students whose accounts become two months delinquent may, at the discretion of the School Board, be dismissed from the school. Generally, students will not be accepted for the following year if their accounts are not up to date.
Tuition Charges
Registration fee $150.00
First child monthly charge (including $5.oo per month activity fee) $175.00
Second child monthly charge (including $5.00 per month activity fee) $165.00
Third child monthly charge (including $5.00 per month activity fee) $155.00
342 West Curtis Road
Edenville, Michigan
Mailing Address: P. O. Box 189
Edenville, Michigan 48620
989-689-3505
2016-2017
(last modified January 2017)