Elementary Department
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Parents should:
- Receive an application packet.
- Complete and return:
- Application form
- Application fee (nonrefundable)
- Medical form
- Immunization records on an I-680 form from the physician's office
- Parent survey
- Student picture
- Copy of child's birth certificate
- Have transcript sent to HSCA.
- Have interview with the principal if child is in the sixth grade or higher.
ADMISSION STATEMENT
All applicants for admission will be considered without regard to race or ethnic group. It is very important that both parents and students be in basic harmony with the Academy' s educational philosophy, moral standards (including dress and conduct requirements), and ethical standards. Hobe Sound Christian Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin.
SCHOOL DAY
The school day begins at 8:00 a.m. Students should arrive no earlier than 7:45 a.m. Children grades K-8 are dismissed at 2:30 p.m.
FIRST DAY
School will begin at 8:00 a.m. Parents may greet teachers prior to this time, but it is best for the parent then to leave the room and the immediate area. The period of adjustment for the child will be much more difficult if the parent remains. On almost every occasion the student will adjust very quickly when he sees a teacher in charge.
UNIFORM REGULATIONS
Each child is required to wear the regulation uniform prescribed by the school.
No jewelry or makeup may be worn. (Watches may be worn.) There will be no ear/body piercing during the school year, and students are not permitted to have tattoos of any kind.
Boys' shirts and girls' blouses will be worn inside trousers or skirts. Boys and girls must wear socks.
Shoes are to be solid black or brown, oxford or loafer type, with heels no higher than two inches. Canvas-type shoes may be worn as long as they meet school color restrictions and do not have the appearance of being tennis shoes. Girls may also wear dark navy blue or white shoes. High top boots and sandals are not to be worn, nor are open-heel or open-toe shoes permitted. Sneakers may be worn only during P.E.
Neither boys nor girls should change their natural hair color by any means during the course of the year, nor are hairpieces of any type to be used with the natural hair.
Boys may not wear long hair, or faddish hair styles. No extreme hair cuts will be permitted. It is the policy of the school that they have a haircut that includes a neat trim (fairly close) on the sides and back (not touching the collar). Hair must be combed off the forehead in such a manner that it is not touching the eyebrows. If hair is combed straight down on the forehead, it must not touch the eyebrows.
Appropriate cool weather apparel for K-8th grade: sweaters, jackets, coats or attractive sweatshirts may be worn with the uniform during cooler weather. However, denim jackets, excessively baggy sweaters and jackets, and exercise socks for girls are not permitted. Cool weather apparel should be in keeping with our neat uniform appearance.
Grades K through 6
Girls' and boys' uniforms should be purchased at Day Dreams Uniforms in Stuart. Girls shall wear white ankle socks. Skirts must come below the knee. The boys should wear a belt with their uniform pants.
Grades 7 and 8
Girls' and boys' uniforms should be purchased at Day Dreams Uniforms in Stuart. Girls' blouses and boys' shirts should be long sleeved.
Girls' knees are to be covered whether sitting or standing.
Girls shall wear white ankle socks.
Boys should wear a belt with their uniform pants.
LIBRARY
Hobe Sound Christian Academy has an excellent library. We encourage our students to use it. Two books may be checked out. When these are returned, two more may be selected.
Books should be returned when due. A fine of 100 per day, including weekends and holidays, is charged for overdue books.
Lost and damaged books are to be paid for.
FIELD TRIPS
The various classes take trips to interesting and educational places in the area as a vital part of the instructional program. Parents will be notified beforehand. In order for the student to go, the parent must sign a permission slip. Small fees may be charged to cover the expenses.
Attendance is required for educational field trips. The students will receive a grade for the subject area the trip pertains to. For example, a trip to the Environmental Center would be a science grade. If students do not attend, they will be assigned work that relates to the field trip and additional work for the day.
Attendance is also required for Field Day which is one of the school' s special events. If a student misses this event with an unexcused absence, that absence will result in a two-hour detention to be served after school.
DISCIPLINE
Our school cannot continue to effectively serve God and our patrons without a strict adherence to discipline. In this we expect the parents' full cooperation.
While discipline is basically positive training in the right direction (Proverbs 22:6), there is the negative side of correction and adherence to rules. The school reserves the right to reasonably discipline the pupils. Since failure to respect discipline will lead to dismissal from the school, we wish to set down some of our regulations so that both parent and child will know what is expected. Many are discussed elsewhere in this Guide. Obviously it is impossible to list rules to encompass the complete behavior of all students, but the following (and those discussed elsewhere in this Guide) will serve as a framework within which our students can successfully operate.
Regulations Before School
- Students should arrive at about 7:45. Please do not send them earlier.
- Bicycles must not be ridden within the school zone during school hours and must be parked in the designated places.
- Once the students reach school, they may not leave the school grounds without permission granted by the office.
In Class
- No student shall talk without permission.
- Students shall not move about the room without permission.
- Students shall refrain from any act of disrespect such as:
- mimicking or mocking teachers or students.
- laughing at the mistakes of others.
- sassing teachers.
- writing or passing personal notes.
- whispering during a lesson presentation.
- studying any subject other than the one the teacher is directing, unless permission is given.
- doodling, drawing nonsense designs during classes.
- No student shall throw any object or material in any building or room.
- Chewing gum is not permitted during school hours.
- During devotions and chapel services reverence is expected.
- Students who insist on disturbing others will be removed.
- Assigned work must be completed on time.
Physical Education Period
- Students shall go outside and participate unless they have a note from home stating a good reason why they should be excused.
- Good sportsmanlike conduct shall prevail at all times.
- Extended absence from P.E. will require a doctor's excuse.
After School
- Students are to go directly home as soon as possible.
- Students are not to be in the school rooms after school without the teacher present.
Other Rules
- Students shall not engage in any type of horseplay in the buildings at any time.
- Students "keep hands to themselves" at all times.
- No student will be allowed to engage in fighting while at school.
- No profane, abusive, or slang language may be used.
- School property is never to be destroyed or defaced.
- The safety patrol must be obeyed.
- No pupil is to ride another's bicycle without permission.
- Cell phones may be brought, but must be turned off and put away at all times. If the phone rings or is used for any reason during the school day, it will be confiscated and taken to the office. Repeat violations will result in a phone call to the parents, and the student will no longer be allowed to bring the cell phone to school.
Various forms of discipline will be administered, depending upon the nature of the offense and the frequency of commission. Obedience to authority (parents, teachers, patrol, and others in authority) should be willing, cheerful, and immediate.
Dismissals
A student may be dismissed because:
- Parents will not cooperate with the school.
- A student's conduct, attitude, or lack of effort make it inadvisable for him to remain.
- A student has excessive unexcused absences and/or tardies.
DETENTIONS
Elementary students will serve detentions for unexcused tardies and uniform violations. After every three of either of the above offenses, a 30-minute detention will be served. Detentions for unexcused tardies will be served after school. Uniform violation detentions will be served during school hours at recess or break times.
SUSPENSION
Suspension is a disciplinary action taken in an attempt to help the student involved. Suspension may be counted as an unexcused absence, and consequently can seriously affect the student's grades. A suspended student automatically is on probation for the remainder of the year. If probation is broken, the student may be dismissed or asked to withdraw.
TALLY SYSTEM
The fifth and sixth grades use a moderated tally system that results in detentions served during school. These tallies do not accumulate or build toward suspension and expulsion. If a trend of disruptive behavior develops, disciplinary action may result.
The Junior High teachers and students use a Tally System to encourage appropriate classroom behavior and an atmosphere conducive to learning. Tallies are accumulated on a weekly basis. Students with ten or more tallies in a week will receive a demerit for that week. Each successive week of ten or more tallies results in two demerits for the second week, three demerits for the third week, etc. After the week is over each student will start the new week with a clean slate as far as tallies are concerned. Any student receiving too many tallies will be subject to detentions (after school and not optional), disciplinary probation, parent-teacher conferences, parent-principal conferences and suspensions.
Parents are notified when demerits are given. When a student receives fifteen demerits, he is on probationary status. The student will serve a two-day suspension (one in school and one out). If twenty demerits accumulate, the student is suspended from classes for one week without the privilege of making up work. Twenty-five demerits will result in expulsion for the remainder of the year. The student will need to furnish proper evidences of change of attitude and spiritual intentions before being readmitted to school.
Some behaviors may result in immediate suspension and/or expulsion, such as fighting, profanity, weapons, drugs, cigarettes, or other prohibited objects being brought to school.
Behavior that will merit tallies include:
Classroom Disturbance Talking without permission 1 Out of seat 1 Unprepared for class 1 Distracting noises 1 Throwing items 1 Running in the room (breaktime) 1 Tardies Excessive tardiness 5 Unexcused tardy 1 Lack of Courtesy Touching or pushing 2 Tripping 2 Dangerous pranks 3 Disturbing or stealing other students' property 3 Uniform Violations Jewelry 5 Make-up, including fingernail polish 5 Shoes 2 Belt 2 Buttons unbuttoned 2 Shirttail 2 Miscellaneous Messy desk 3 Chewing gum 2 Damage to textbooks 5 Inappropriate possessions 5 Romantic affection 5 Disrespect to teachers 10 Writing on desk 5 Late or incomplete work 1 Walking on grass 3 Note writing/throwing/reading 3 Working ahead 2 Sent out of room 5 Tipping back in chair 2