New Life Christian School Policies

Please be aware YOUR TUITION ACCOUNT IS A BINDING FINANCIAL OBLIGATION. Please make timely payments according to the payment schedule. Our primary source of income is tuition, and it is critical that we pay our bills promptly to protect the good name and Christian witness in the marketplace. Your faithful stewardship in this matter enables us to do so.

Each family must make themselves available to serve the school in some way by driving for field trips, recess and lunch supervision, classroom assistance, janitorial duties, typing, helping with fund raising efforts, etc. Twenty-four hours for students in grades one through twelve is required for each family each year. In place of this, a cash payment can be made of $200.00 or $8.00 per hour not served. (Preschool and kindergarten families do not have required service hours but are welcome to lend a hand).

To help subsidize tuition fees, NLCS requires families to purchase at least $5,000 in Scrip or a make one-time payment of $500.00. Scrip is available from the following stores (others by special order):

Applebee’s	Long’s
Bath & Body	McDonald’s
Bed, Bath, & Beyond	Olive Garden
Beverage Plus	Papa Murphy’s
Borders	Payless Shoe Source
Burger King	Pierson’s
Children’s Place	Rays
Dennis Company	Red Lobster
Denny’s	Ross Dress for Less
Gottschalks	Safeway (e-scrip)
Hoby’s	Sears
JoAnn’s Fabrics	Shell
Kmart	Staples
Kentucky Fried Chicken	Starbucks
L & M Renner	Walgreen’s

An easy way to support the school. Sign up friends, family, neighbors and earn credit toward your scrip requirement. Check with the school secretary to learn how easy this can be. Please try to order all other Scrip from the school secretary in advance and prepaid.

Parents are expected to attend and support all the school's activities (Back to School Night, Open House, Old Fashioned Christmas, Dessert Auction). There will be scheduled parent-teacher conferences dealing with the progress of each individual student in grades 1-8 with high school at parent or teacher request. It is our goal to keep the parents as informed as possible of their child's progress so additional conferences may be scheduled at any time by parents or teachers.

To help keep the cost of tuition down, we have implemented a mandatory participation in fundraising. All families will be required to participate in the jog-a-thon/trike-a-thon ($150 per student), sell 8 tickets to the fall auction ($96.00) and sell 6 tickets to the spring auction. If you do not participate in these fundraisers you will be billed for the balance of each fundraiser. For those who do not wish to participate, it is just an additional fee. This way you have the option to pay more tuition or keep your tuition the same.

It is the philosophy of New Life Christian School that students should acquire not only an understanding of subject matter, but also a realization that becoming educated for adult life means developing acceptable patterns of deportment, dress and grooming (Luke 2:52). Due to rapidly changing fashion designs and the multiciplicity of fads, the necessity of dress standards becomes increasingly important. As a Christian institution, we have a unique responsibility. We are judged by our appearance. We want to be a good example and not be offensive to others (I Tim. 4:12).

The purpose of the dress code is to help instill orderliness, respect and a good self-image in our children. It is an intrinsic part of education since knowledge without discipline and self respect is empty. Our life goal should be to glorify God, even in dress (I Peter 3:3-4). We must be sold out to promote Jesus and not ourselves through sloppiness; nor should we cause undue attention to come to ourselves through immodesty or overemphasis of clothes, makeup or jewelry. The chart below illustrates the difference between the world's dress philosophy and the Christian's dress philosophy:

World	vs.		Christian
Promote self through dress		Promote Jesus through dress (I Pet. 3:3). (Ps. 90:17a).
Accentuate body through dress		Accentuate Jesus' radiance in our faces (IICor.3:18)
Dress immodestly		Dress modestly; avoid theappearance of evil (1 Thess. 5:22)
Use dress, makeup, jewelry to be noticed		I must decrease and He must increase (John 3:30).

The code is in effect for all school functions or where students are representing the school in public.

Dark glasses or hats (ladies and gentlemen) are not to be worn in the buildings. Student possessions such as lunch pails, folders, etc. should not promote worldly or inappropriate themes, persons, or messages. Students/Parents are encouraged to clear all questionable items before they are brought to school. This will help us avoid many problems.

Final decisions in interpretation of standards reside with the school administration. We will be enforcing the policies in the coming year so please be aware of what is required. If you have any questions, please ask before you buy or send your child to school. If students come to school not meeting the dress code, they may be required to change. Parents can bring clothes or the child will need to go home. P.E. clothing is determined by each classroom. No short shorts or spandex may be worn at any time. Safe athletic shoes need to be brought to wear during PE class. Shoes must not restrict the students from safely participating in all activities. Safe shoes are to be worn with socks. No bare feet. At other times, open toed shoes and sandals may be worn without socks if feet are clean. Jewelry: Moderate in style and conservative in number. Girls' are not to wear more than two pair of earrings. For safety earrings are to be two inches or less in size. Boys are not to wear earrings at school. Body piercing jewelry is not to be worn.

The following guidelines may be adjusted as the New Life Christian School administration and school board deem necessary to protect the physical and emotional well-being of students, staff, the reputation of Jesus Christ, and New Life Christian School. Behavior on and off school grounds must reflect the character of Christ. Students having more than two offenses may lose extra curricular privileges as well (for example the 8th grade trip, Mission to Mexico, etc.). Repeated offenses move to the next level up to expulsion.

01 First referral for tardies and/or no materials (4 tardies for a.m., 2 tardies after lunch per quarter)

05 Playing MP3 & CD players, cell phones, and other entertainment devices at school.

06 Getting in to another student's property or teacher’s property (backpacks, lunches, desks, computer, etc.)

14 Cutting class (2 hours for every hour missed, to be served one hour at a time after school)

20 Verbally insulting school personnel or other adults during school functions or hours

21 Theft, unlawful possession of school, business, or personal property (Restitution required)

a) Teasing or derogatory remarks about the physical appearance, body parts, body development of students or adults.

27 Attempting to, conspiring to, or vandalizing others and/or school property (restitution required)

30 Sexual harassment (major):Spreading sexual rumors; “Homophobic” sexual harassment, etc.

33 Sexual Harassment (serious) Pressure for sexual activity; retaliatory harassment of a person reporting harassment.

35 Possession or use of illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia, alcohol at any time

Administration will decide if suspensions are to be served in or out of school. Students may lose all academic credits during the time they are suspended. Suspensions are expected to be served on the date designated. Any attempt to avoid, delay, or bargain away will be grounds for immediate expulsion or dismissal. Grades will be counted up to the date of such dismissal. No further grades will count. Any delay or postponement of such a suspension must have prior agreement with the principal, vice principal and the board directly.

1. Parents are to be informed in writing or by phone any time a student is disciplined for each of the above levels. Parents are to be informed before a student is to be suspended or before the suspension is finalized. They may request a meeting with the board or representatives of the board to review the reasons for the suspension.

2. Anytime there is a question about an issue parents/students have the right to appeal to the board for a hearing.

3. Actions for Levels 6 and 7 will require a meeting with the student, parents, and board before implementation. However, a student may be suspended until the matter can be brought by the board.

This school is committed to maintaining an academic and spiritual environment in which all individuals treat each other with dignity and respect and which is free from all forms of intimidation, exploitation and harassment, including sexual harassment. This school is prepared to take action to prevent and correct any

including termination or expulsion. A more detailed copy of the school policy follows:

This school is committed to maintaining an academic environment in which all individuals treat each other with dignity and respect, and which is free from all forms of intimidation, exploitation and harassment, including sexual harassment. This school is prepared to take action to prevent and correct any violations of this policy; anyone who violates this policy will be subject to discipline, up to and including termination or expulsion. "Sexual Harassment" means unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature, made by someone from or in the work or educational setting, under the following conditions:

Submission to the conduct is explicitly or implicitly made a term or condition of an individual's academic status, or progress.

Submission to, or rejection of, the conduct by the individual is used as the basis of academic decisions affecting the individual.

The conduct has the purpose or effect of having a negative impact upon the individual's academic performance, or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational environment.

Submission to, or rejection of, the conduct by the individual is used as the basis for any decisions affecting the individual regarding benefits and services, honors, programs, or activities available through this school.

Unwelcome conduct of this type can include a wide range of verbal, visual or physical conduct of a sexual or otherwise harassing nature. Among the types of conduct that would violate this policy are the following:

3. Making or threatening reprisals after a negative response to sexual advances;

4. Visual conduct such as leering, making sexual gestures, displaying sexually suggestive objects or pictures, cartoons, or posters;

5. Verbal conduct such as making or using derogatory comments, epithets, slurs, or jokes;

6. Verbal abuse of a sexual nature, graphic verbal commentaries about an individual's body, sexually degrading words used to describe an individual, suggestive or obscene letters, notes, or invitations; and physical conduct such as touching, assaulting, impeding or blocking movements.

Students who feel that they have been subjected to conduct of a harassing nature are encouraged to promptly report the matter to one of the school's officials designated below. Students who observe conduct of a harassing nature is also encouraged to report the matter to one of the school officials designated below. All complaints will be promptly investigated.

Fill out the form entitled REPORT FORM for REPORTS or Complaints of SEXUAL HARASSMENT, and HARASSMENT because of RACE, NATIONAL ORIGIN, GENDER, AND DISABILITY to be obtained from the following reporting individuals, the school secretary, or the classroom teacher.

The following individuals are specifically authorized to receive complaints and to respond to questions regarding sexual harassment:

Every effort will be made to reasonably protect the privacy of the parties involved in any complaint. However, the school cannot promise or guarantee confidentiality. The school reserves the right to fully investigate every complaint, and to notify a student's parent/guardian, the school board, and appropriate government officials as the circumstances warrant.

It is against the school's policy to discriminate or retaliate against anyone who has filed a complaint concerning sexual harassment or has testified, assisted or participated in any manner in any investigation proceeding or hearing concerning sexual harassment.

Procedure for Investigation of the Complaint And for Taking Corrective Action

When one of the school officials designated in this policy receives a complaint, he/she shall immediately

inform the administrator. The administrator will direct an investigation. If the investigation confirms the allegations, prompt corrective actions shall be taken. The individual who suffered the harassing conduct shall be informed of the corrective action taken. In addition any employee or student found to be responsible for sexual harassment in violation of this policy will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action including expulsion or termination. The severity of the disciplinary action will be based upon the circumstances of the infraction. If the administrator is the subject of the complaint, the school board president will conduct the investigation.

Cell phones are to be turned in by ALL STUDENTS BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF SCHOOL, or as soon as they arrive. They are returned to the students at the end of the school day. However, since lunch is an open campus for the high school students, they may check their phones out at the beginning of lunch and must check them back in when they return from the break. With this added privilege comes some additional responsibility. The high school student is responsible for checking in their phone. There will be a cell phone check in board where students are required to mark their phone as in or out. The teacher will be able to check the board at any time. The student will be responsible for keeping the board up-to-date.

If a student forgets or chooses not to turn in their phone, either in the morning or after the lunch break these are the consequences:

As a student of New Life Christian School, I pledge to uphold the high standards of Jesus Christ and New Life Christian School on or off campus. (Deut. 6:17-18). I realize that attending this school is a privilege, and I will strive to live in such a way as to glorify God (Phil. 1:20). Specifically I will...

__1. Abstain from the use or possession of illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. (Romans 13:13-14,Eph. 5:17-17)

___2. Not partake in entertainment (i.e. unwholesome TV shows and movies, ungodly music and unwholesome literature) (Psalms 101:3) that will tear down what the Lord is seeking to build in me. I realize that Satan is using these things to promote rebellion toward God and what He stands for.

___3. Recognize the importance of what I say (Phil. 1:27). I will abstain from swearing, "Dirty" or off-color jokes, gossip and back-biting against authority and other students. (Ex 20:7, Eph. 5:4)

___4. Conduct myself properly in my relationships with members of both sexes (Rom. 1:26-32). I will conduct myself in such a manner that there will be no question about my moral purity. (Isa. 55:7, 1 Tim. 5:22, 4:12, Titus 2:7)

___5. I realize that I am representing Jesus Christ and this school while I am on or off school grounds. (Phil. 2:14)

___6. Handle all negative feelings toward the staff, the school in a scriptural manner. (Matt. 18, Lev. 19: 16-18, Phil. 2:14)

___7. I understand that if I cannot live in agreement with what is stated above, that it may be necessary for me to be dismissed from the school.

___9. I have read and am aware of the Behavior Policy and Consequences on the reverse of this document.

As parents we pledge to uphold the above standards and to support the position of New Life Christian School. We understand that New Life Christian School reserves the right to dismiss any student who continues to violate any of the above areas of Godly behavior.

1. to teach that the Bible is the inspired and the only infallible, authoritative Word of God, thus developing the attitudes of love and respect toward it (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21);

2. to teach the basic doctrines of the Bible as outlined in our statement of faith (Titus 2:1);

3. to provide opportunities for the student to confess Christ as Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9-10);

4. to teach the student to know and obey the will of God as revealed in the Scriptures, thus equipping the

student to carry out God's will daily (Romans 12: 1 -2; 2 Timothy 2:15; Deuteronomy 26:16-17);

5. to impart an understanding of each Christian's place in the Body of Christ, and its worldwide mission, providing opportunities for the student's involvement in this task (Ephesians 4:12; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; Matthew 28:19-20);

6. to teach Biblical character qualities and provide opportunities for the student to demonstrate these qualities (1 Samuel 16:7; Galatians 5:22-23);

7. to teach the student how to develop the mind of Christ towards Godliness (Philippians 2:5; 1 Timothy 4:70);

8. to encourage the student to develop self-discipline and responsibility from God's perspective (1 Timothy 4:7; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27);

9. to teach the student respect for and submission to authority from God's perspective (Romans 13:1-7; Hebrews 13:17; Ephesians 6:1-3);

10. to help the student develop a Christian world view by integrating life and all studies with the Bible (2 Peter 1:3);

11. to teach the student to hide God's Word in his heart through memorization and meditation (Psalm 1:1-3);

13. to help the student develop his self-image as a unique individual created in the image of God and to attain his fullest potential (Psalm 139:13-16);

14. to teach the student to treat everyone with love and respect as a unique individual created in God's image (Philippians 2:1-4; Ephesians 5:21):

15. to teach the student how to become a contributing member of his society by realizing his need to serve others (Galatians 5:13; Romans 12:10);

16. to teach the student Biblical skills for personal and social relationships (Psalm 119:9, Ephesians 4:12);

17. to teach the student the Biblical view of dating, marriage, and the family (1 Thessalonians 4:1-7; 1 Timothy 4:12; Genesis 2:18-25; Ephesians 5:22-33);

18. to teach the student physical fitness, good health habits, and wise use of the body as the Temple of God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20);

19. to teach the student Biblical attitudes toward materials, things, and his responsibility for using them to God's glory (1 Timothy 6:17-19; Matthew 6:19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:31);

21. to teach the student to understand and use the fundamental processes in communicating with and dealing with others, specifically: reading, writing, speaking, listening, and mathematics (2 Corinthians 5:20);

22. to teach and encourage the student to use good study skills and habits (2 Timothy 2:3-7);

23. to teach the student how to research and reason logically from a Biblical perspective (Hebrews 5:14; Romans 12:2);

24. to teach the student creative and critical thinking based upon the proper use of Biblical criteria for evaluation (2 Timothy 3:14-17);

25. to teach the student good citizenship through the understanding and appreciation of our Christian and American heritages-home, church, and nation

26. to use current affairs in all areas, teaching the students how they relate to God's plan for man.

27. to teach the student an understanding of and an appreciation for God's world, developing an awareness of man's role in his environment and his God-given responsibility to subdue, use, and preserve it properly (Psalm 8:6; Hebrews 2:6-8).

The following Arbitration Agreementis to be agreed upon by those enrolling students in NLCS:

The parties to this agreement are Christians and believe that the Bible commands them to make every effort to live at peace and to resolve disputes with each other in private or within the Christian community in conformity with the Biblical injunctions of I Cor. 6:1-8, Matt. 18:15-20, Matt. 5:23-24. Therefore, the parties agree that any claim or dispute arising out of, or related to, this agreement or to any aspect of the school relationship including any claim or statutory claims, shall be settled by Biblically based mediation.

If resolution of the dispute and reconciliation do not result from such efforts, the matter shall then be handled in accordance with the rules of procedure for Christian conciliation as printed in the Constitution and Bylaws of New Life Christian School.

The parties agree that these methods shall be the sole remedy for any controversy or claim arising out of the school relationship or this agreement and expressly waive their right to file a lawsuit against one another in any civil court for such disputes, except to enforce a legally binding arbitration decision.

Each party, regardless of the outcome of the matter, agrees to bear the cost of his/her/its own arbitrator and one-half of the fees and costs of the neutral arbitrator and any other arbitration expenses.

Congratulations! This is a wonderful accomplishment that we are celebrating. Graduation marks a turning point in your life. It is a time of new beginnings with greater freedoms and also greater responsibilities. It is a time of taking hold and also letting go.

This should be a special event for all involved; however, there may be some confusion about what responsibilities the students and parents have as part of the graduation. The following briefly outlines board policies. If you have any questions please contact the principal, and it can be discussed more completely. Suggestions and ideas are welcome and can be made at any point in the process.

4. Selection, organization, and arrangement of the evening's events (working with the students involved),

2. Reception: deciding whether or not they will have a reception, what they will serve, paying for what is served and used, preparing and set up of the reception, (Serving and clean-up has been done by the junior class and parents in the past.

4. High school senior's Caps, tassels, and gowns. There are some caps and gowns which may fit in storage. If you use one, it needs to be returned washed or dry cleaned, folded and bagged.

Graduation this year is scheduled for _______ at 7 p.m. It has been the custom in the past for the high school juniors and parents to help at the high school graduation, and the 7th grade students and parents to help at the 8th grade graduation. They help by serving if there is a reception and doing any clean-up afterwards . That frees the graduates and their parents to enjoy the evening and spend time with the other graduates, friends, and relatives. Would you please consider helping in this way? The time can be counted as volunteer hours, and I know that the graduates and their families will appreciate the efforts that you make.

Parents are encouraged to read and discuss the following letter from the school with their younger students. Teachers will discuss this in their classrooms.

In our school everyone is to be treated with respect. Teachers are to respect children and children are to respect teachers. Children are also to respect each other. God made each of us different. Some of us He made girls, and some of us He made boys. Some of us have brown hair. Some of us have blond hair. Some of us have blue eyes. Some of us have brown eyes. Some of us have dark skin. Some of us have light skin. The things that make us different are very special gifts from God. Sometimes people

make fun of people who are different from them. Sometimes, for example, boys make fun of girls because they are different. Sometimes girls make fun of boys because they are different.

When we make fun of people because they are different, we are not respecting them. We call this being "disrespectful". When we are disrespectful to each other, we hurt each other's feelings. After awhile, if we continue to be disrespectful to each other, our school becomes an unhappy place. The children whose feelings have been hurt do not do as well in school as other children and sometimes do not want to come to school any longer. In our school we want to be sure that everyone who is part of our school is happy to be here and has a chance to do their very best here. So if someone, whether it is a teacher or another child, says or does something that is mean or disrespectful to you just because you are different, we want you to tell your teacher or Mrs. Johnson right away.

She or he will find out what happened and try to make sure that it doesn't happen again. You should never be afraid to tell your teacher or Mrs. Johnson when something disrespectful happens. It is not tattling and it will not get you into trouble. If you always tell when something disrespectful happens, we can make sure that our school remains a happy place where everyone respects each other's differences.

Teachers will discuss the entire policy with their students at the beginning of the school year. Parents may also wish to discuss the policy with their students.