2018-19 Parent/Student Handbook

“...rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith,

just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

Colossians 2:7

Parent/Student Handbook

2018-19

Prestonwood Christian Academy

A Ministry of Prestonwood Baptist Church

PCA Plano Campus

6801 W. Park Blvd., Plano, Texas 75093

www.prestonwoodchristian.org

PCA North Campus

1001 W. Prosper Trail, Prosper, Texas 75078

www.prestonwoodchristian.org/north

PCAplus

Extending Kingdom Education

www.prestonwoodchristian.org/pcaplus

Accredited by AdvancED

and ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International)

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Table of Contents

Parent/Student Handbook

2018-19

General Information. . . . . . . 12-37

A Message from the Head of School . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Operating Constitution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Vision Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Mission Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Core Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Personal Christ-likeness Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Statement of Doctrinal Beliefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Purpose and Philosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

PCA Crest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Portrait of a PCA Graduate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

The PCA Code of Honor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

The Five Tenets of the PCA Code of Honor . . . . . . . . . . 19

Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Joshua Plaza and the Divine Servant Statue . . . . . . . . 20-21

2018-19 School Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Administrative Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-24

Executive Ofces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

North Campus

Pre-K —Grade 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Plano Campus

Lower School

Pre-K—Grade 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Middle School

Grade 5—Grade 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Upper School

Grade 9—Grade 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Admissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Business and Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Marketing and Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Special Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Diversity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Extended Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Fine Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Guidance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Learning Lab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Library and Media Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Campus Ministry and Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

PCAplus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Admissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Anti-Harassment Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Bullying Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Student Discipline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-26

General Guidelines

Student Code of Conduct

Revisions

‘Parents’ Dened

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General Information (continued...)

Corporal Punishment

Physical Restraint

Code of Conduct: 24/7/365

Video/Audio Monitoring

Use of Recordings

Access to Recordings

Personal Electronic Devices

Communication with Faculty and Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Denition of Campus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Disaster Drills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Extended Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Facilities Usage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Financial Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Tuition and Fees

Refund of Tuition and Fees

Medical Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-29

First Aid

Medication

Health Records

Illness

Returning to School After Hospitalization

Immunizations

Medication Consent

Student Emergency Form

Fund Raising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Homework Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Inclement Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

North Campus

Library/Media Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Plano Campus

Library/Media Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Lower School Library (Pre-K—Grade 6)

Middle School and Upper School Library (Grade 7—Grade12)

Challenged Materials Policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Lunch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

SAGE Dining

Non-Discrimination Policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Ofce Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Lost and Found . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Parental Involvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31-32

Closed Campus

Drugs/Substance Abuse/Alcohol/Tobacco

Search of Students

Use of Third Party Security Enforcement

Vehicle Use on Campus

Visitor Sign-In/Sign-Out

Weapons

Sexual Harassment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

PCA School-Wide Technology Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) . . 33-36

School-Owned Individual Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Student MacBook Covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

School-Owned Shared Devices, Network and Printers . . . . . 33

Personally-Owned Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Device Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

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General Information (continued...)

Internet Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Software, Communications and Multimedia . . . . . . . . . 35

Email Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

File Sharing Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Consequences for Violation of the Acceptable Use Policy . . . . 36

Student Withdrawals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

EPA Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Mediation and Arbitration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36-37

North Campus

Lower School

Pre-K—Grade 4

. . . . . . . . . .38-47

Academics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Grading Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Homework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Missed/Late Work Policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Physical Education Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Elementary Sports Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Academic Probation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Promotion to Next Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Double Promotions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Report Cards and NetClassroom/NetCommunity . . . . . . . . 40

Student Assignment Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Testing of Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Textbooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Discipline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40-42

Minor Infractions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40-41

Major Infractions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Discipline Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Disciplinary Probation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Suspension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

In-School Suspension

Out-Of-School Suspension

Restoration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Expulsion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Attendance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42-43

Arrival and Dismissal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Absences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Excused and Unexcused Absences . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Tardies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Carpool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Birthdays and Special Occasions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Classroom Visits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Closed Campus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Dress Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44-46

General Dress Code Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Dress Code Guidelines for Girls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Dress Code Guidelines for Boys . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45-46

Dress Code for All Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Field Trip Attire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Dress/Chapel Attire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Spirit Day Attire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Extended Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Field Trips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46-47

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North Campus Lower School Pre-K—Grade 4 (continued...)

Parties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Searches of Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Use of Third Party Security Enforcement

Volunteers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

North Campus Lower School Administration . . . . . . . . . 47

North Campus

Middle School

Grade 5—Grade 8

. . . . . . . . .48-59

Academics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Elective Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Advanced Math Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Students with Learning Differences . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Grading Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Minimester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Homework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Missed/Late Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Tests and Quizzes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Academic Probation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Promotion to the Next Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Double Promotions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Report Cards and NetClassroom/NetCommunity . . . . . . . . 50

Testing of Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Textbooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Discipline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50-53

Code of Conduct: 24/7/365 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Minor Infractions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50-51

Major Infractions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51-52

Discipline Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Detention and Saturday School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Suspension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

In-School Suspension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Out-of-School Suspension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Restoration Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Disciplinary Probation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Expulsion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Attendance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53-55

Arrival and Dismissal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Carpool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Absences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54-55

Excused and Unexcused Absences . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Tardies to School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Tardies to Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Co-curricular (athletics, ne arts, academics) Programs . . . . . 55

Sportsmanship Code of Conduct . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Birthdays and Special Occasions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Classroom Visits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Closed Campus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Dress Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56-58

General Dress Code Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57-56

Dress Code Guidelines for Girls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56-57

Dress Code Guidelines for Boys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

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Plano Campus

Lower School

Pre-K—Grade 4

. . . . . . . . . .60-70

Academics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Class Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Grading Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Homework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Missed/Late Work Policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Physical Education Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Elementary Sports Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Academic Probation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Promotion to Next Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Double Promotions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Report Cards and NetClassroom/NetCommunity . . . . . . . . 62

Student Assignment Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Testing of Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Textbooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Discipline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62-65

Minor Infractions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Major Infractions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63-64

Discipline Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Disciplinary Probation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Suspension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

In-School Suspension

Out-of-School Suspension

Restoration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64-65

Expulsion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Attendance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65-66

Arrival and Dismissal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Absences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Excused and Unexcused Absences . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Tardies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Carpool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Birthdays and Special Occasions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66-67

Classroom Visits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Closed Campus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Dress Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67-69

General Dress Code Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Dress Code Guidelines for Girls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Dress Code Guidelines for Boys . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68-69

Dress Code for All Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57-58

Field Trip Attire

Chapel Attire

Spirit Day Attire

Physical Education

Extended Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Field Trips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Guidelines for Field Trips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Music and Dancing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Searches of Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Use of Third Party Security Enforcement . . . . . . . . . . 59

Volunteers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Middle School Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

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Dress Code for All Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Field Trip Attire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Dress/Chapel Attire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Spirit Day Attire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Extended Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Field Trips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Homework Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Parties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Searches of Students

Use of Third Party Security Enforcement . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Volunteers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Plano Campus Lower School Administration . . . . . . . . . 70

Middle School

Grade 5—Grade 8

. . . . . . . . .71-83

Academics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Ability Skills Grouping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Class Scheduling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Dropping Elective Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Upper School Courses in Seventh or Eighth Grade . . . . . . 72

Students with Learning Differences . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Grading Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Minimester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Homework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Missed/Late Work Policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Tests and Quizzes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Physical Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Academic Probation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Promotion to the Next Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Report Cards and NetClassroom/NetCommunity . . . . . . . . 73

Testing of Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Textbooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Discipline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74-77

Code of Conduct: 24/7/365 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Minor Infractions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Major Infractions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74-76

Discipline Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Detention and Saturday School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Suspension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

In-School Suspension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Out-of-School Suspension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Restoration Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76-77

Disciplinary Probation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Expulsion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Attendance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77-79

Arrival and Dismissal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Carpool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Absences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77-79

Excused and Unexcused Absences . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Tardies to School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78-79

Tardies to Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Co-Curricular (athletics, ne arts, academics) Programs . . . . . 79

Middle School Activity Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Sportsmanship Code of Conduct . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

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Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Birthdays and Special Occasions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79-80

Classroom Visits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Closed Campus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Dress Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80-82

General Dress Code Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Dress Code Guidelines for Girls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80-81

Dress Code Guidelines for Boys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Dress Code for All Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81-82

Field Trip Attire

Chapel Attire

Spirit Day Attire

Physical Education

Extended Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Field Trips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Guidelines for Field Trips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Homework Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Music and Dancing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Searches of Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Use of Third Party Security Enforcement . . . . . . . . . . 83

Volunteers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Middle School Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Plano Campus

Upper School

Grade 9—Grade 12

. . . . . . .84-100

Academics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Report Cards and NetClassrom/NetCommunity . . . . . . . . 85

Grade/GPA Calculations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

GPA Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Semester Exam Exemptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Credit Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85-86

Academic Probation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Honor Roll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Upper School Incentive Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Ranking Top Ten Percent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

National Honor Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Class Scheduling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86-87

Justiable Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Dropping Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Upper School Courses in Seventh or Eighth Grade . . . . . . 87

Non-PCA Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

PCAplus Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Credit Transfer Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Summer School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87-88

Minimester/Mission Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Students with Learning Differences . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Advanced Placement Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Distinguished AP Measure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit Courses . . . . . . . . . . . 88-89

Standardized Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Graduation Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

x | TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Valedictorian/Salutatorian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Honor Graduates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Homework Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Textbook Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89-90

Discipline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90-93

Code of Conduct: 24/7/365 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Minor Infractions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Major Infractions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90-91

Tardies (per class) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Excessive Tardies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Discipline Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Detention and Saturday School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Public Display of Romantic Affection . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Missed Detention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Suspension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Restoration Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Disciplinary Probation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Expulsion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Attendance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94-96

Arrival and Dismissal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Absences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94-96

Academically Excused, Exempt and Unexcused Absences . . 94-95

Excused Absences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Exempt Absences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Pre-Approved Absences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Unexcused Absences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Upper School Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Co-curricular Programs (athletics, ne arts, academics) . . . . . 96

Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Sportsmanship Code of Conduct . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Campus Visitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Closed Campus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Dress Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97-98

General Dress Code Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Dress Code Guidelines for Girls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Dress Code Guidelines for Boys . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97-98

Dress Code Violations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Spirit Day Attire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Field Trips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Guidelines for Field Trips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Music and Dancing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Search of Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Use of Third Party Security Enforcement . . . . . . . . . . 99

Service Hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Vehicle Use on Campus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Upper School Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

xi | TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PCAplus On-Campus . . . . . . 101-103

PCAplus On-Campus Student Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Academics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Competitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Chapel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Fine Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Honor Choir (Grades 4-6)

ITS / Junior ITS

Group Musical

One-Act Play

Other Categories

Theatre Productions

Prestonwood Christian Academy

Upper School School Programs/Activities . . . . . . . . . .103

Fine Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Spiritual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Academics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Social . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Prestonwood Christian Academy Parent/Student Handbook . . . 103

PCAplus Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Extending Kingdom Education

GENERAL INFORMATION

12 | GENERAL INFORMATION

General Information

2018-19

GENERAL INFORMATION

13 | GENERAL INFORMATION

Dear Students and Parents,

Welcome to the Prestonwood Christian Academy 2018-19 school year!

We certainly feel blessed to have you on our team. Please know that it is truly our prayer that you feel welcomed and a

part of the PCA Family. We hope that this handbook assists you in this endeavor, and provides the pertinent information for

guidance and understanding of Prestonwood Christian Academy.

The philosophy at Prestonwood Christian Academy is Kingdom education, which focuses on bringing the home, church

and school together to form a partnership for training the next generation. Paralleling this philosophy are institutional

guidelines and parameters that provide structure, accountability and direction.

I want to encourage you to understand these guidelines and be supportive of them as we journey together this year. Although

I have communicated some of our policy focus areas through the Virtual State of School meeting, our focus on the main

objectives for the school will be clearer throughout the year if we individually and collectively honor the parameters set forth

in our handbook. However, our ultimate authority is God’s Word, which provides unchanging Truth and principles for each of

us.

We look forward to partnering with you in God’s work at PCA!

Warmly,

Larry Taylor, Ph.D.

Head of School

Prestonwood Christian Academy

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14 | GENERAL INFORMATION

Prestonwood Christian Academy Operating Constitution

God has established Prestonwood Christian Academy for the purpose of impacting lives for eternity through biblically-

based and Christ-centered education. This vision and mission statement articulates the purpose behind the school’s

existence. When coupled with seven core values and a series of operating principles, this mission statement provides

Prestonwood Christian Academy with an operating constitution that will guide all of its policies, procedures, and

practices. In addition, a complete explanation of what a Kingdom educator is (supported by seven core values and

operating principles) and the biblical principles for achieving Kingdom education (supported by Scripture and application

points) completes Prestonwood Christian Academy’s Constitution.

Prestonwood Christian Academy

Vision Statement

To advance a Christian school of excellence through Kingdom education so that the generations to

come will know the truth of God’s Word and not forget His works, nor be taken captive by the vain

philosophies of their day.

Mission Statement

In pursuit of excellence in education, the mission of Prestonwood Christian Academy is:

To assist Christian parents by helping equip students to embrace biblical truth, strive for academic

excellence and model Christ-like leadership to inuence their homes, churches and communities for

Christ.

Core Values

In order to successfully fulll this mission, Prestonwood Christian Academy will give priority to seven

core values. Each core value must have operating principles that will allow PCA to put these core

values into everyday practice in every aspect of its educational program.

Bible, Christ-likeness, Christian Family, Church, Excellence in Education, Service, Stewardship

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15 | GENERAL INFORMATION

Personal Christ-likeness Assessment

Pursue Excellence

Throughout the Bible, God has encouraged us as believers to always do our best (Colossians 3:23, Philippians 4:8, 1 Peter 2:12,

1 Peter 2:15, Hebrews 12:1-2, Ephesians 4:29).

Christ First in All Things

If we would apply the adage “JOY: Jesus, Others, then Yourself”, then Christ would always be the rst thought of every moment.

If we as PCA stakeholders put Jesus rst in every decision we make, then every aspect of PCA will be vertically aligned in a

God-honoring way (Colossians 3:1, 15-17).

Always Show Love

If our decisions, and in turn, our actions always show love, we will truly reect the love of Christ as individuals and as a collective

body of believers (Philippians 2:1-5, Romans 12:9-13, 1 Peter 2:17, 1 John 4:7-11, 19, Ephesians 5:1-2, John 13:35, 1 Timothy 1:5).

If we, the PCA stakeholders:

PURSUE excellence, put

CHRIST rst in all things and

ALWAYS show love

…then Christ will be our focus and all that we do will glorify Him.

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16 | GENERAL INFORMATION

We believe that a Christian school must be fully and equally

committed to excellence in education and delity to biblical

truth. Prestonwood Christian Academy is unbending in its

dedication to provide the very best educational environment

for students entrusted to its care. Its administration, faculty,

support staff and curriculum adhere to the precepts and

principles of the Holy Scriptures, God’s inspired Word for this

and every age.

Statement of Doctrinal Beliefs

1. THE SCRIPTURES: I/We believe that the entire Bible, all

66 books of the combined Old and New Testaments, are

verbally inspired by God and are inerrant in the original

writings. Through the providence of God, the Word of

God has been protected and preserved, and is the only

infallible and authoritative rule of faith and practice. (2

Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

2. GOD: I/We believe that there is only one true, living,

sovereign, holy, and eternally existent God. He exists in

three co-equal persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit –

each being a distinct person and with a distinct function,

but all of one essence and all possessing the same

nature, perfection, and attributes. The triune God is the

creator and sustainer of all things, the source of all truth,

and is worthy of worship, condence, and obedience.

(Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Genesis 1:31)

3. JESUS CHRIST: I/We believe that Jesus Christ is God.

He was conceived by the Holy Spirit; born of a virgin,

lived a sinless life, performed many miracles, shed His

blood on the cross to pay the debt for our sins, was bur-

ied, bodily resurrected, and ascended to the right hand

of the Father; and will return literally, visibly, and person-

ally in glory and power. (John 1:13,14; Matthew 1:18-25;

Philippians 2:5-9; Colossians 1:15; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8;

Acts 1:11)

4. HOLY SPIRIT: I/We believe that the Holy Spirit is God,

co-equal and co-existent with the Father and the Son. He

is the chief convictor of sin, the chief agent of regenera-

tion and sanctication. The Holy Spirit lives within every

believer and empowers every believer to live a godly life.

(John 14:16-19; 16:7-15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans

8:9-11; Titus 3:5)

5. MANKIND: I/We believe that in the beginning God cre-

ated mankind in His image, and man is not in any sense

the product of evolution. Mankind was originally created

with the ability to live perfectly for God’s glory. (Genesis

1:27, 31) Man is the special creation of God, made in

His own image. He created them male and female as

the crowning work of His creation. The gift of gender,

as predetermined by God and revealed at conception, is

thus part of the goodness of God’s creation.

We believe that human life is sacred from conception to

its natural end; and that we must have concern for the

physical and spiritual needs of our fellow persons.

(Psalm 139:13; Isaiah 49:1; Jeremiah 1:5)

6. SIN: I/We believe that Adam, the rst man, sinned by

disobedience. This act resulted in the fall of all mankind;

therefore, all people have sinned and lost their ability to

live for the glory of God. Every person’s sin incurs both

physical and spiritual death until there is forgiveness and

salvation by the grace of God. (Genesis 3:1-24; Romans

3:10-23, 5:12-21, 6:23)

7. SALVATION: I/We believe the salvation of lost and

sinful people is a free gift of God’s grace apart from

human works, based solely upon Christ’s vicarious and

atoning death, effected by the regenerating work of the

Holy Spirit, and received only through faith in the person

and nished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and His

resurrection from death. (Ephesians 2:8-10; 2 Corinthians

5:21)

8. THE CHURCH: I/We believe that the church is the body

of Christ and the family of God. It is made up of saved

and baptized believers, who regularly join together for

worship, fellowship, and ministry. (Matthew 16:18; 1

Corinthians 12:12-14; Hebrews 10:25)

9. EVANGELISM: I/We believe that it is the responsibil-

ity and privilege of every Christian to proclaim the good

news of Jesus Christ and to seek to make growing

disciples. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)

10. THE HOME: I/we believe that God has ordained the fam-

ily as the foundational institution of human society. It is

composed of persons related to one another by marriage,

blood or adoption. Marriage is the uniting of one man

and one woman in the covenant commitment. In addition

to these important beliefs, I/we also believe that God

has given the parents and the home the responsibility to

bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of

the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4; Proverbs 22:6) I/We believe

that a consistent and whole education will occur when

home, church, and school work closely together and are

in agreement on the basic concepts of life.

GENERAL INFORMATION

17 | GENERAL INFORMATION

Purpose and Philosophy

An Academic Focus - A Christian Foundation

Purpose

The purpose of Prestonwood Christian Academy is to assist

Christian parents in providing a sound education for their

children through the integration of faith and learning. PCA is

committed to teaching a biblical view of God and the world

through the development of basic spiritual, intellectual,

physical and social skills.

Assisting Christian Parents

PCA endeavors to function as an extension of the Christian

home, supporting parents in the biblical mandate giving them

ultimate responsibility for the education of their children.

Teachers, parents and students must have a common

grounding in the Lordship of Jesus Christ as revealed in the

Scripture and common commitment to the work of education.

In order to serve these families with biblical instruction and

godly examples, the school employs administrators, faculty

and staff who serve as role models in their Christian walks,

their professional lives and Christian faith.

Integration of Faith and Learning

The curriculum is rooted in a God-centered view of life,

allowing students the opportunity to understand themselves

and the world around them from a biblical perspective. All

truth is found in God and is derived from His revealed Word

and from objective observation of the world He created. In all

matters, the Scriptures are supreme. The integration of biblical

faith and learning is the responsibility and a primary function of

the teacher at PCA. The school endeavors to select the best

instructional materials available from secular and Christian

publishers in order to reach its overall goals.

We, at Prestonwood Christian Academy, believe that we

have the mission of enabling our students to live wholesome

Christian lives in a harsh and demanding world. In cooperation

with the parents, we will make the students aware that, while

they are created in God’s image, they are also blessed with

distinctive personalities. They will also learn that they are

endowed with special talents, which they will discover, and

nally, that God has a purpose for each of them, and they can

achieve that purpose.

Prestonwood Christian Academy provides an environment that

balances a relationship with God through faith in Christ with

intellectual and artistic pursuits. Academic excellence, coupled

with the development of Christian character, will enable each

student to recognize God’s special plan for his or her life and

to strive to attain that goal.

We are well aware that the primary responsibility for raising

children rests with the parents. With that in mind, Prestonwood

Christian Academy believes that parent and school should

work in cooperation and harmony in nurturing, training, guiding

and expanding the child’s mind and spirit. Such cooperation

creates spiritually-vital families and the foundation not only of

our school, but also of our church, our community and

our nation.

PCA Crest

The primary colors for the PCA crest are navy and gold.

Elements of the Crest

• Lion: The lion is a symbol of courage, strength,

gracefulness, power and perseverance. As Christians, we

should strive to incorporate each of these qualities in our

daily walk as we pursue our various endeavors, all for the

glory of Christ. The lion is printed in a metallic gold color

to represent the precious metal of the same name. Gold

is a symbol of wealth. It was a gift that was suitable for the

Christ child.

“...The wicked ee when no one is pursuing, but the

righteous are bold like a lion.” Proverbs 28:1

“...and opening their treasures they presented Him gifts

of gold.” Matthew 2:1

“...and the gold of that land is good.” Genesis 2:12

“...and the street of the city was pure gold.”

Revelation 21:21

• Red Cross: The cross represents Christ’s ultimate

sacrice. The red cross represents the blood that He

shed for each of us.

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18 | GENERAL INFORMATION

“...and He went out, bearing His own cross.” John 19:17

“...He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the

point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:8

“...But may it never be that I should boast, except in the

cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Galatians 6:14

• Green Leaves: Green symbolizes the everlasting

quality of the characteristic of Christ.

“...the Everlasting God.” Genesis 21:33

“...lead me in the everlasting way.” Psalm 139:24

• Shield: The shield represents our protection in Christ by

having a personal relationship with Him and living in His

Word - the Holy Bible.

“...taking up the shield of faith with which you will be

able to extinguish all the aming missiles of the evil one.”

Ephesians 6:1

“...the Lord is my strength and shield.” Psalm 28:7

“...His faithfulness is a shield.” Psalm 91:4

• Latin Inscription: Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam”

- For the Greater Glory of God.

The Portrait of a PCA Graduate

All schools, including PCA, proclaim goals of developing

college preparatory skills as well as a certain level of

fundamental life skills. Understandably, the portrait of an

18 year-old’s character, work ethic, or academic prowess

is far from being complete, knowing that one’s mind, heart,

and overall maturity continues over a lifetime. Scripture

provides insight in that even Jesus matured in four areas

as described in Luke 2:52. This holistic scriptural maturity

paradigm provides a balanced picture, or portrait, for all

of us to contemplate. Indeed, the maturity cycle does not

end when one receives a diploma; however, there are

foundational training strategies that certainly increase the

probability of a child internalizing a desired belief system;

developing learning habits; and, genuinely living out a

Christ-like character trait. Although the primary molder of

these “portraits” are the parents, the school’s inuence

plays a signicant part. Thus, what does the school aspire

to produce? It is our prayer that our students graduate PCA

with the following foundational desired outcomes--Portrait of

a PCA Graduate:

1. Reverence for God is the beginning point of wisdom (Prov-

erbs 9:10). Without reverence and recognition of God then

education essentially is secular. Learning to think and discern

(Hebrews 5:14) as a mature believer in Christ is undergirded

by authentic respect and love for our Lord.

2. An Eternal Perspective is interdependent with reverence.

This type of perspective gives us purpose in our work and

it develops a strong work ethic because we know and

understand that we are working to please and honor God

(Colossians 3:23). The Latin phrase on our school crest, Ad

Majorem Dei Gloriam (For the Greater Glory of God), frames

our motives.

3. Humility is then cultivated when one recognizes that our

life is about Him, we are ‘serving-as-His leader’. Recogniz-

ing that God has bestowed intellect, talents and gifts upon

us takes the focus off of us and rightfully places it on our

Lord. This compels us to demonstrate the love and attitude

of Jesus Christ to all people, characterized by selessness,

servant-hood (Philippians 2:2-11) and a lifestyle of obedience

to seeking rst the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33).

4. The process of learning, or scholarship, is conditioned by

reverence, eternal perspective, and humility. The Chris-

tian liberal arts environment nurtures the mind to become

eager to learn, think and analyze. All knowledge and every

academic discipline is appreciated, and not for a ‘grade’ per

se, but because the very process of learning—scholastic

excellence becomes a commitment to disciple the mind.

Using our mind to not only magnify God but to serve as His

ambassador in areas of law, business, medicine, engineer-

ing, education, ministry and any assignment God calls us to

is an act of obedience and reverence. The development of a

biblical worldview is the fruit of this process.

5. Rigor, high expectations, and accountability complement

the entire learning environment as students grow accus-

tomed to striving for excellence. Problem-solving, thinking,

critical analysis and synthesis strengthen the mind and

become natural thought processes. The apostle Paul encour-

aged the Corinthians to strengthen their mind (II Corinthians

10:5), including all systems of philosophy, opinions, and

powers of reason being subject to the Word of God. A culture

of rigor serves as a catalyst to pursue excellence in every

area of one’s life.

The PCA Code of Honor

The Prestonwood Christian Academy Code of Honor exists for

one purpose. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, which means: “For the

Greater Glory of God.” It is this statement that unies us in both

perspective and purpose.

Recognizing, with Christ-like humility that our life’s purpose is to

live for God’s Greater Glory inspires an environment of integrity,

GENERAL INFORMATION

19 | GENERAL INFORMATION

honor and character. It is the intrinsic inspiration that produces

authentic school pride and cultivates an environment of self-gov-

ernance that transcends rules and regulations. There are no mere

words or a single document that can contain the way in which we

are to conduct ourselves at all times - this is found in God’s own

Word, and written on our hearts. It is our heart, our identity.

Becoming a “pride” of Lions whose unied goal is to revere Christ

in all things motivates us to treat people with dignity and respect,

afrm our commitment to the school’s mission statement that is

eternal in perspective and emboldens students to embrace biblical

truth, strive for academic excellence, and model Christ-like leader-

ship. Afrmation of our mission drives a deep sense of responsi-

bility to preserve and pass on this culture to future generations.

There are no man-made rules greater in value than the internal

resolve to uphold the principles that serve as the foundation

of this institution. We respectfully rally around Ad Majorem Dei

Gloriam, our individual duty and commitment as “iron sharpening

iron” (Proverbs 27:17).

The Five Tenets of the PCA Code of Honor

Perspective

All stakeholders are challenged to focus on an eternal

perspective. It is through this eternal perspective that one submits

his or her attitude, rights and self to God and a cause that

transcends self.

Key Concepts:

• We have an eternal mindset vs. a temporary, earthly mindset

at all times,

• We possess a constant attitude of gratefulness,

• We are focused on being “others-centered,” seless

servants,

• We recognize that our transcendent cause is more important

than our personal agenda.

Purpose

Every member of the PCA community is challenged to understand

and commit to the school’s Mission Statement. The core compo-

nents of the Mission Statement are continually practiced.

In pursuit of excellence in education, the mission of Prestonwood

Christian Academy is:

To assist Christian parents by helping equip students to embrace

biblical truth, strive for academic excellence, and model Christ-like

leadership to inuence their homes, churches and communities

for Christ.

Key Concepts:

• We recognize that our partnership with parents (family) is vital,

• We understand that embracing biblical Truth is much more than

“knowledge,”

• We know that striving for academic excellence requires

honesty, integrity and rigor, and

• We understand that modeling Christ-like Servant Leadership is

about being “others-centered,” and serving as His leader to inu-

ence others.

People

All people deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. Everyone has

value, therefore our focus should be on serving others. This begins by

respecting them.

Key Concepts:

• We treat all people with respect and dignity (teachers, custodians,

visitors, classmates, other schools and local businesses),

• We recognize that simple actions such as a smile, friendly greeting,

handshake and eye contact demonstrate respect, care and being

“others-centered.”

Programs

Active participation in the life and culture of the school’s programs is

encouraged. Participation is a privilege and it is an honor to “wear the

jersey.” Supporting other participants models our “others-centered” prin-

ciple. Through participation and support, we are ambassadors for

the King.

Key Concepts:

• We know that our out-of-classroom experiences during school

hours, such as Chapel, service project days and Minimester

mission trips are a major part of our curriculum and that

understanding and supporting their purpose is demonstrated by

respect, and

• We respect that God made some to love the arts, some to love

athletics, and some to love academics or a combination of all.

Supporting one another creates unity and friendship. It makes our

school more complete when all of these programs succeed.

Property

The environment, and in particular, the school’s facilities and equipment

are to be maintained with the utmost care and respect. This stewardship

principle carries over into all areas of one’s life.

Key Concepts:

• We recognize that one only has to travel to another part of the

world to understand how PCA has been blessed with facilities,

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20 | GENERAL INFORMATION

Joshua Plaza and the Divine Servant

Dedicated January 5, 2016

The following document chronicles the historical account

of naming Joshua Plaza, and the selection of the Divine

Servant Statue as the symbolic marker to communicate

Prestonwood Christian Academy’s ultimate aspiration:

to produce disciples of Jesus Christ. Several PCA adminis-

trators, faculty, and alumni contributed to the production of

this document—Larry Taylor, Ph.D., Head of School,

Prestonwood Christian Academy

Joshua Plaza is Prestonwood Christian Academy’s marker

reminding past, present, and future generations of the

school’s covenant with God to remain fully committed to

the Biblical principles of Kingdom education. PCA’s culture

has always been characterized by meaningful ceremonies,

practices, and symbols. As is evident from the Latin phrase

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (for God’s greater glory) strategi-

cally placed on the school’s crest, the Baccalaureate Coin

Ceremony, the ve distinct attributes of the Portrait of a PCA

Graduate, and the annual commissioning of the senior class

at their graduation ceremony, we have a profound respect

for traditions and rituals. The origin of PCA’s deep-rooted

devotion to culture-preserving ceremonies is God’s Word.

Scripture illuminates the importance of markers honoring

momentous events, sites and decisions.

Joshua Plaza was conceived in the school year 2006-07.

PCA was celebrating its ten-year anniversary, and the

school-wide theme for this celebratory year, A Decade of

Blessings, was based on Joshua chapter 24. Joshua 24

is the concluding chapter in the narrative of Israel’s pur-

suit and occupation of the Promised Land, as well as the

subsequent renewal of the Israelites’ covenant with God.

This covenant renewal reminds the people of the historical

faithfulness of God and the vow to serve and obey their

Lord. After recording the Israelites’ pledge, Joshua took a

large stone and set it up under an oak tree (Joshua 24:22-

28). The tree and stone constituted a tangible memorial

to the people concerning the renewal of their covenant to

faithfully serve God.

Similarly, the 2006-07 school year was a formative chapter

in the narrative of PCA’s pursuit and the establishment of

a culture focused on Kingdom education. Throughout the

year and in several special ceremonies, the PCA faculty

and staff, board of trustees, pastors, students, parents, and

alumni openly vowed to God to remain faithful to Him, to His

Word, and to an educational philosophy and process whose goal

was to produce disciples of Jesus Christ (this Biblically-based

educational philosophy is articulated fully in PCA’s Constitution).

Connected with all of these ceremonial covenant proclamations

was the selection of a specic site where the visible marker

would someday be placed. Today’s Joshua Plaza was the

site selected in 2006-07 for this symbolic marker. The marker

selected is the much-acclaimed Divine Servant statue of Jesus

washing the feet of the Apostle Peter as recorded in John 13:1-

17. Joshua Plaza represents PCA’s acknowledgement that God

has established this school for the purpose of Kingdom educa-

tion, and the statue exemplies PCA’s goal of producing disciples

of Jesus Christ.

The statue displays an act of authentic humility in which Jesus

models the seless love that truly inuences people. Humility

is cultivated when we recognize that our lives are about Him—

we are “serving-as-His-leader.” Acknowledging that God has

bestowed intellect, talents, and gifts upon us takes the focus

off of us and rightfully places it on our Lord. This compels us to

demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ to all people, which is

characterized by seless servanthood (Philippians 2:2-11) and a

lifestyle of obedience to Christ’s command to seek rst the

Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33).

The word inuence is acknowledged

in the last nine words of PCA’s

mission statement:

“…to inuence their homes,

churches, and communities for

Christ.” It is our prayer and

aspiration that the foundation from

which our students and alumni inuence the world consists of

these attributes: a heart of humility, reverence for God, an eternal

perspective, an attitude of boldness, and a mind that is regularly

transformed by the power of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit.

Although the statue is the most prominent feature of Joshua

Plaza at rst glance, it pales in comparison to the most

renowned symbol in all of Christendom—the cross. Just across

the Prestonwood Lake stands

the magnicent and glorious

cross. This large cross is

actually our church’s original

cross; it was moved to this

property when, out of obedience

to God, Pastor Jack Graham

relocated the church in 1999.

2018-19 Parent/Student Handbook

“...rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith,

just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

Colossians 2:7

2018-19 Parent/Student Handbook

“...rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith,

just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

Colossians 2:7

GENERAL INFORMATION

21 | GENERAL INFORMATION

As humble as it was for Jesus to wash His disciples’ feet, still His

greatest act of humility and resolve was to wash mankind’s sins

through His blood shed on the cross. It is on the cross that the

sacricial Lamb of God died, and by His grace offers us salva-

tion, the free gift of eternal life. We recognize that education, in-

tellect, and acts of service do not in themselves transform hearts.

Only the power of God can change hearts and minds.

We humbly bow and dedicate our school to God. We lay every

individual and institutional accomplishment at the foot of the

cross. Although every other school marker signies its own

meaningful chapter in the PCA story, none is more prominent

than the cross. The amazing accomplishments of our sports

teams mounted on the Wall of Champions all face northward

towards the cross as if to recall the Apostle Paul’s challenge

to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25, “Do you not know

that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?

Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who

competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it

to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.”

We will always run and compete in such a way as to win these

perishable crowns, but as followers of Christ, we will place the

higher priority on the crowns that are of eternal value, those that

are imperishable.

Our founding school trustees selected the lion as the school

mascot and placed it on the school crest. The lion represents

honor, strength, and boldness (Proverbs 28:1)—characteris-

tics we want our students to develop. The PCA lion statue is

a marker in Gateway Plaza that stands tall, proud, and strong

as it greets the thousands of people who enter our campus

every year. But even this majestic lion’s posture is looking back

towards the cross as if to yield its strength and regal status to the

King of Kings and the Lord of Lords—Jesus Christ.

Statues, markers, and the names of facilities have no special

power in themselves, but they do establish benchmarks that re-

mind us of the transforming power of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is

our prayer that Joshua Plaza serves as a visible exhortation for

current and future generations of PCA stakeholders to maintain

past covenants through constant renewal. May we hold fast to

the unending goal to produce students who view their diploma as

a commission—a charge to pick up their towel and serve others,

bearing witness to the good news of Jesus Christ.

GENERAL INFORMATION

22 | GENERAL INFORMATION

OCTOBER 2018

S M T W TH F S

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 1 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30 3

NOVEMBER 2018

S M T W TH F S

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30

5 Grandparents Day (NC)

(Early Release - NC)

12 Homecoming

(Early Release - PC and NC)

19 Grandparents Day (PC)

(Early Release - PC)

31 Parent Conferences

(Early Release - PC and NC)

1 Parent Conferences

(No School - PC and NC)

8-9 Biblical Worldview Institute (BWi)

9 Early Release - PC and NC

19-23 Thanksgiving Break

(No School - PC and NC)

JANUARY 2019

S M T W TH F S

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

DECEMBER 2018

S M T W TH F S

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31

21 End of Semester

(Early Release - PC and NC)

24-31 Christmas Break

(No School - PC and NC)

1-7 Christmas Break

(No School - PC and NC)

17 All School Worship

8 School Resumes

21 MLK Day

(No School - PC and NC)

FEBRUARY 2019

S M T W TH F S

1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28

MARCH 2019

S M T W TH F S

1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

18 President’s Day

(No School - PC and NC)

7 All School Worship

PCA World Impact Day

Grandparents Prayer Breakfast

11-15 Minimester

End of Quarter

(Early Release - PC and NC)

18-22 Spring Break

13 Back to School Day

All School Worship

15 First Day of School

21 North Campus (NC)

Curriculum Night

27 Middle School (PC)

Curriculum Night

28 Lower School (PC)

Curriculum Night

3 Labor Day

(No School - PC and NC)

4 Upper School (PC)

Curriculum Night

20 North Texas Giving Day

26 See You at the Pole (SYATP)

AUGUST 2018

S M T W TH F S

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31

SEPTEMBER 2018

S M T W TH F S

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

APRIL 2019

S M T W TH F S

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30

MAY 2019

S M T W TH F S

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31

15 All School Worship

23 Baccalaureate

24 Class of 2019

Commencement Ceremony

27 Memorial Day

31 Last Day of School

(Early Release - PC and NC)

19 Good Friday

(No School - PC and NC)

22 Easter Monday

(No School - PC and NC)

Yellow dates are early release days for Plano Campus students.

Orange dates are no school days for students.

Green dates represent PCA Minimester - Plano Campus and North Campus Middle

School and Upper School students will participate in either academic or Mission trips.

Blue (outline) dates are important dates.

COLOR CODES:

Blue dates are early release days for North Campus students.

Pink dates represent Giving Campaign days for the PCA Fund.

2018-19 School Calendar

GENERAL INFORMATION

23 | GENERAL INFORMATION

Administrative Staff

Executive Ofces

Larry Taylor Head of School

Dana Epperson Assistant Head of School - Academics

John Klingstedt Assistant Head of School - Operations

Kathy Crabb Executive Assistant to Head of School

Becky McLain Administrative Assistant - Academics

Cheryl Landis Administrative Assistant - Operations

Kay Sibley Administrative Assistant - Executive Ofce

North Campus

Grades Pre-K—8

Donna Leadford Lower School Principal

Greg Wright Middle /Upper School Principal

Jane Agee Administrative Assistant

Sandy Matthews Nurse

Plano Campus

Lower School

Grades Pre-K—4

Paige DeLeon Lower School Principal

Jan Jeffcoat Lower School Assistant Principal

Debi Clark Administrative Assistant

Janet Ludgar Lower School Nurse

Susan McKillip Lower School Receptionist

Patty Gobin Lower School Counselor

Plano Campus

Middle School

Grades 5-8

Bill Wendl Middle School Principal

Phil Armstrong Middle School Assistant Principal

Koko Carroll Administrative Assistant

Janet Ludgar Middle School (5/6) Nurse

Nicole Hall Middle School (7/8) Nurse

Marla Alcorn Middle School Receptionist

Denise Thornton Middle School Counselor

Plano Campus

Upper School

Grades 9-12

Wendy Morris Upper School Principal

Tamika Barnett Upper School Assistant Principal

LaTrease Lindley Administrative Assistant

Nicole Hall Upper School Nurse

Kristi Holden Upper School Receptionist

Ron Moss Director of Guidance and Counseling

Jodi Benavidez Director of Academic Advising and College Placement

Julie Sparks Registrar

Admissions

Angie Gray Sr. Director of Admissions

Shannon Brownstein Admissions Associate

Andrea Collins Records Manager

Allison Taylor Admissions Associate

Angela Emens Admissions Associate — North

Athletics

Chris Cunningham Athletic Director

Chris Jones Assistant Athletic Director

Kari Henry Athletic Coordinator

Business and Operations

Susan Verheul Sr. Director of Business Administration

Leigh Rutherford Director of Human Resources

Christine Moore Administrative Assistant - Human Resources

Amy Newton Controller

Rebekah Worrell Sr. Accountant (nancial aid & student billing)

Angela Startz Accounts Payable Clerk

Valerie Buttry Staff Accountant

Ron Johnson Sr. Director of Operations

Jeremy Thomasson Facilities Services

Art Rutherford Facilities Services

Barbara Brown Sr. Director of Technology

Beth English Director of Information Systems

Allan Shaw Tech Support

Brian Gaffner Media Support Coordinator

Sherri Forrest Sr. Tech Support

Paul Locklin Tech Support

Curriculum

Tini Lozano Sr. Director of Curriculum & Instruction

Anslie Dysart Administrative Assistant - Curriculum

Cindy Galloway Director of Curriculum

Development

Angel DeLeon Sr. Director of Development

Jon Lineberger Director of Major Gifts

Micah Reis Director of Annual Giving

Ron Meador Director of Planned Giving

Megan Rogers Director of Alumni Relations

Kim McIntyre Development Services Assistant

Courtney Caldwell Events Coordinator

Marketing and Communications

Debbie Johnson Sr. Director of Marketing

Katie McDonald Director of Communications and Web

Terri LaMendola Communications Coordinator

Special Projects

Julie Seal The Hub Spirit Store

Mary Carl Finkelstein Director of Special Assignments

Diversity

Jenny Brady Director of Diversity

Extended Day

Brenda Burkes Extended Day Coordinator

Fine Arts

Joel Rutherford Director of Fine Arts

Lisa Gervig Administrative Assistant

GENERAL INFORMATION

24 | GENERAL INFORMATION

Administrative Staff (cont’d...)

Guidance

Ron Moss Director of Guidance and Counseling

Jodi Benavidez Director of Academic Advising and

College Placemen

Denise Thornton Middle School Counselor

Patty Gobin Lower School Counselor

Julie Sparks Registrar

Debbie Considine Administrative Assistant

Learning Lab

Cheryl Burns Director of Learning Lab

Allena Yount Administrative Assistant

Library and Media Center

Lucy Towle Upper School Librarian

Julie Carlyle Lower School Librarian

Judy Steen North Campus Librarian

Campus Ministry and Activities

Dan Panetti Worldview Director

Lainie Montgomery Campus Ministries Coordinator

Gabe Boyd Student Discipleship

Julie Pyle Administrative Assistant

PCAplus

Keri Ingraham Director of PCAplus

Kathi Wagnon Admissions and Events Associate

Laura Banta Manager of Records and Student Services

Admissions

The admissions process involves submitting the following: an

application, parents’ personal testimonies, records from previous

schools, recommendations from current math teachers, English

teachers and principal, a pastoral recommendation, as well as

an admission test. Preschool and kindergarten students take the

WPPSI, an individually administered standardized measure. First

through twelfth graders take the math and reading portions of the

Stanford Achievement Test. PCA also accepts the Independent

Student Entrance Exam (ISEE) for students in fth through

twelfth grades. Following the testing and when the applicant le

is complete, parents are invited for a personal interview with an

administrator.

Prestonwood Christian Academy does not discriminate on the

basis of race, color, national, or ethnic origin in the administration

of any of its policies or programs. Admissions are contingent on

space, abilities of the student, philosophy, and willingness of the

family to participate within the school guidelines.

Provisional Acceptance: School records or admissions data

that indicate a signicant academic or behavioral problem may

result in the student being admitted provisionally. If the student

shows the ability to be successful at PCA, the provisional status

may be lifted. If the student is not able to be successful, another

placement may be recommended.

Anti-Harassment Policy

The environment at PCA must be one in which all individuals

are free to work, learn and develop relationships without fear

or intimidation or humiliation as a result of unwanted or unac-

ceptable behavior from others. This includes verbal or physical

conduct that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an

individual because of his/her actual perceived identity with regard

to race, color, gender, age, disability, political beliefs, national

or ethnic origin, any other distinguishing physical or personality

characteristics, or any other characteristic protected by law. It is

essential to the well-being of all that students, teachers and staff

members treat each other with due respect for rights, individuality

and personal dignity.

Bullying Policy

Negative behavior exhibited by students will be addressed in a

fair and balanced manner. Once the school is made aware of any

such behavior, the situation will be evaluated as to the serious-

ness of the behavior by using the guidelines below:

Immature Behavior

• No intent to be unkind

• Annoying activity that causes discomfort

• Foolish actions that may cause harm to others and/or their

property

Immature Behavior: Such behavior will primarily be addressed by

the classroom teacher. Consequences for this type of behavior

will require restitution and possible loss of privileges and/or deten-

tion.

Unkind Behavior

• Intent is to be unkind

• Behavior is not frequent

• Behavior intensity level is low

• Behavior may reect impulsivity and is infrequent

• Behavior duration is short

Unkind Behavior: Such behavior may be addressed by the

classroom teacher or school administration. Consequences for

this type of behavior will require restitution and some type of

detention. In addition, a Saturday School may be given. A parent

conference will take place.

Bullying Behavior

Bullying is an act of repeated aggressive behavior (including

ridicule) in order to intentionally hurt another person, physically or

emotionally. Bullying is characterized by an individual behaving in

GENERAL INFORMATION

25 | GENERAL INFORMATION

a certain way to gain power or control over another person.

• Intent is to be harmful (physically or emotionally)

• Behavior is frequent

• Behavior intensity level is moderate to severe

• Behavior duration is long

• Negative behavior is mostly one sided

Bullying: Such behavior will be determined and addressed

by the classroom teacher and school administration. Con-

sequences for this type of behavior will require restitution, a

parent conference and a minimum of one day suspension.

Student Discipline

General Guidelines

School personnel shall adhere to the following general

guidelines when imposing discipline:

1. A student shall be disciplined when necessary to improve

the student’s behavior, to maintain essential order, or to

protect other students, school employees or property.

2. Students shall be treated fairly and equitably. Discipline

shall be based on a careful assessment of the

circumstances of each case. Factors to consider shall

include:

a. The seriousness of the offense;

b. The student’s age;

c. The frequency of misconduct;

d. The student’s attitude; and

e. The potential effect of the misconduct on the school

environment.

3. In the ideal structure of Kingdom education, the home,

the church, and the school work together in a cooperative

manner to fully educate and train students. Cooperation

between these three groups must be evident to fully

develop the character of the student, and promote

behavior consistent with biblical worldview. Whenever

the student behavior problems arise, there can be the

temptation to focus on the disciplinary process rather than

the actual problem. The goal of discipline is to correct

and train students while protecting the overall safety and

educational environment of PCA.

During the course of investigating actions and events

concerning possible student incidents, the School

may seek to question students alone or in groups.

Administrators have full discretion in the questioning

of students, and in the evaluation of events may

conduct their investigation without parental notication

or attendance. The administration will strive to adapt

individual discipline procedures and processes to the

needs of the student, and communicate expectations and

ndings to parents in a timely manner.

Attending PCA is a privilege that is extended on the

condition that students and parents accept and support

school policies. The School, in its sole discretion, will

make the nal determination of whether there has been

a violation of the School’s Student Code of Conduct. If

a student is suspended, expelled or withdrawn due to

disciplinary actions, there will be no refund of tuition or

waiver of nancial obligations.

Student Code of Conduct

At the beginning of the school year and throughout the school

year as needed, the Student Code of Conduct shall be made

available on the school’s web site and/or as hard copy to

students, parents, teachers, administrators and to others on

request.

Revisions

Revisions to the Student Code of Conduct included in the

Parent/Student Handbook shall be made as needed and are

approved by school administration. Revisions made during the

year will be communicated electronically.

‘Parents’ Dened

Throughout the Parent/Student Handbook, Student Code of

Conduct and discipline policies, the term “parents” includes a

parent, legal guardian or other person having lawful control

of the child.

Corporal Punishment

PCA prohibits the use of corporal punishment. Students shall

not be spanked or paddled for violations of any kind.

Physical Restraint

Within the scope of an employee’s duties, a school employee

may physically restrain a student if the employee reasonably

believes restraint is necessary in order to:

1. Protect a person, including the person using physical

restraint, from physical injury.

2. Obtain possession of a weapon or other dangerous object.

3. Remove a student refusing a lawful command of a school

employee from a specic location, including a classroom or

other school property, in order to restore order or to impose

disciplinary measures.

4. Control an irrational student.

5. Protect property from serious damage.

GENERAL INFORMATION

26 | GENERAL INFORMATION

Code of Conduct: 24/7/365

Students are expected to represent PCA in a positive manner

even when they are not on school grounds and/or attending

school functions (including extracurricular activities). Students

and their parents acknowledge and understand that students are

subject to discipline for conduct occurring off-campus or during

non-school hours, including weekends, holidays and summers.

The administration will deal directly with any student who violates

the Student Code of Conduct or draws attention to PCA in a

negative manner which may result in disciplinary action or a

student’s dismissal from the school.

A student may be removed from participation in extracurricular

activities or may be excluded from school honors or more for

violation of extracurricular standards of behavior for an activity or

for violation of Student Code of Conduct relating to 24/7/365.

Video/Audio Monitoring

Video/audio equipment is to be used for safety purposes to

monitor student behavior on the school campus.

Use of Recordings

Recordings shall be reviewed as needed by the principal, and

evidence of student misconduct shall be documented. A student

found to be in violation of the school’s Student Code of Conduct

shall be subject to appropriate discipline.

Access to Recordings

Video recordings obtained from surveillance cameras that

contain images of students are student records, which are

protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

(FERPA). Requests for such video records shall be processed in

accordance with FERPA requirements.

Personal Electronic Devices

Personal electronic devices (including personal communication

devices such as cellphones and computers) are discussed in the

divisional sections of the handbook. Please note, audio or video

recording may not be conducted anywhere on the PCA campus

without the prior approval of PCA Administration. No audio or

video recording is permitted in bathrooms or locker rooms under

any circumstances.

Communication with Faculty and Staff

PCA faculty and staff welcome constructive communication from

parents at any time. Any of the following methods may be used to

contact a staff member:

1. Staff Mailboxes - Notes or letters may be left with the Lower,

Middle or Upper School assistant for placement in the staff

mailboxes.

2. Voice-mail and Email - All PCA staff and faculty have voice-

mail extensions and email addresses. A directory of all PCA

staff and faculty is provided at the beginning of the year with

directions for reaching staff voice-mail boxes. Every

attempt will be made to respond to all voice-mail and email

messages within 24 hours during the school week.

3. If you would like to arrange a conference, please make your

request in the form of a note, voice-mail or email so that a

time may be scheduled. Instructional time in the classroom

is valuable. Unscheduled conferences prohibit teachers and

administrators from adequately addressing your questions and

concerns. Teachers and administrators have conference times

built into their schedules when they would be happy to meet

with you.

4. Our staff’s family time is precious. We ask you to refrain from

calling our staff at home.

5. The school receptionist is not free to leave the ofce to take

messages to students. Please make every attempt to have

after-school plans in place prior to the school day.

6. In seeking to solve any problem or misunderstanding

originating in class, students and parents should work

with teachers rst, then administration if needed.

Concerns involving students and classroom procedures are

most appropriately directed to the teacher. Questions concerning

school policy should be directed to the principal.

Denition of Campus

The Prestonwood Christian Academy Plano Campus is

encompassed within the boundaries formed by Midway Road,

Plano Parkway, Marsh Lane and Hebron Parkway. The PCA

North Campus is located at 1001 W. Prosper Trail, in Prosper,

Texas. All buildings, athletic facilities/elds, parking areas and

student lockers utilized by PCA students and/or faculty within

the above mentioned perimeter are considered part of the PCA

Campus as it relates to any school-related activities.

Disaster Drills

Practice drills will be provided for re and tornado safety

precautions. Fire drill charts are posted in each classroom.

Evacuation practices will be conducted and recorded in an orderly

fashion. Fire drills will be held throughout the year in conjunction

with state and local requirements. Students will be informed of

proper escape routes and procedures on the rst day of school.

Pulling the re alarm with undue cause will result in reporting to

the county re department, and/or disciplinary action. Careless

or malicious initiating of a false alarm is an extreme offense that

could lead to serious injury in an attempt to evacuate the building.

GENERAL INFORMATION

27 | GENERAL INFORMATION

Deliberate offenses will be handled with the utmost severity. The

student and his/her family will become nancially responsible for

fees resulting from a false alarm.

The Crisis Management Plan adopted by Prestonwood Christian

Academy is available in the PCA Asst. Head of School ofce.

Extended Day

Extended Day is committed to providing a safe and fun

environment for your child to play - a place where play

encourages children to make friends, to share thoughts and

ideas or to spend time with caring adults. Many PCA children

participate in Extended Day. We are fortunate to have warm

and caring staff who are committed to your children. These

individuals provide quality child care by demonstrating

enthusiasm, warmth and respect for the children.

It is here that many of their childhood experiences will be built.

It is our mission to do everything we can to enhance those

experiences and enrich your children’s lives.

Attending Extended Day is considered a privilege. Students

participating in this program should adhere to the PCA Code

of Conduct. An administrator at all times has the authority to

remove a student from Extended Day.

Extended Day is available to PCA students in grades

Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade for an additional fee. See

the PCA website for enrollment forms and fee.

Facilities Usage

All school events taking place on or off the Prestonwood

Christian Academy campus must be approved by the PCA

administrative ofce. Event Request Forms may be obtained

from the Lower School, Middle School or Upper School ofce.

Only when the event is approved will it be placed on the school

calendar.

Financial Information

Tuition and Fees

Overdue Accounts and Payment Information: Unless paid

in advance, tuition payments are automatically debited from

your bank account through FACTS Tuition Management. If an

account becomes more than 30 days delinquent, a letter from

PCA will be mailed advising that the student may be dismissed

if the account is not made current. Report cards and academic

transcripts will be held in the PCA administrative ofce for all

delinquent accounts. Grades, testing results and transcripts of

any student withdrawing with an outstanding balance will not be

released until tuition is paid in full. There is a $30 service fee for

all NSF checks.

Refund of Tuition and Fees

At PCA, all tuition and other charges are based upon an

estimated cost of providing the services of the school to all

students enrolled. When you enroll your child, we execute the

enrollment contract, indicating that we have reserved a space

for your child. Your signed and returned contract guarantees

your child a spot. When you execute the contract, you pledge to

PCA that you will pay the costs indicated in order that we may

meet the budget of the school. We employ staff and teachers in

accordance with the number of students enrolled and must pay

those teacher contracts whether or not a student withdraws.

If you nd it necessary to remove your child after enrollment,

please contact our admissions director as soon as possible.

PCA offers a tuition refund program, in which, under certain

circumstances, a portion of the tuition may be refunded. For

those students who do not participate in the tuition refund

program, the terms of the enrollment contract will apply.

Application, matriculation and admission fees are not refundable

under any circumstances. No refunds will be made for students

who are dismissed or withdraw for disciplinary or academic

reasons.

Medical Information

First Aid

We have a nurse on staff and teachers are provided rst aid kits

equipped with band-aids and antiseptic to assist students with

the cleansing of cuts and abrasions. With the exception of an

emergency, the student must have a pass from a teacher to be

admitted to the clinic.

Medication

We recognize that there are times when students will need to

take medications during the school day. All medication brought

to school must be in the original container and kept in the school

nurse’s ofce. If a prescription or over-the-counter medication

(OTC) must be given during the school day, each must be

accompanied by a note signed by the parent or legal guardian

giving directions for its administration including date, time,

dosage and reason for administration. Prescription medication

which does not appear to be prescribed to the child will not

be administered even with a parental consent form. OTC

medications will not be given on a routine basis without a signed

note from the child’s physician.

Parents of students in Pre-K3—6th Grade must provide OTC

medications with a signed consent form. These OTC medication

requirements also include Advil and Tylenol and any other OTC

medicines. OTC medications will not be given without consent

of the parent. For students in 7-12th grades, the US Clinic has

limited supplies of the most common OTC medication however,

they will not be given without parental consent upon admission.

GENERAL INFORMATION

28 | GENERAL INFORMATION

Texas State Law now allows students with asthma to carry and

self-administer their own inhalers provided certain conditions

are met. These conditions indicate that an asthma action plan

developed and signed by the child’s physician and signed by

the parent or legal guardian must be on le with school health

services.

Health Records

All new students are required to submit a Health Record

Form, which requires a doctor’s signature conrming the

student’s current immunizations. Once students have all of their

immunizations on le by Kindergarten entry, a new Health Record

Form will not be required unless state requirements change.

Illness

Sick children (temperature of 100 degrees or higher, vomiting,

diarrhea, severe coughing, unknown rash, repeated visits to the

nurse during the school day) will be sent home from school. For

fevers less than 100 degrees, the parent will be called to discuss

the child’s symptoms and the proper action to take for the welfare

of the child and the other students in the school. Students should

be free of fever, vomiting or diarrhea for a minimum of 24 hours

before returning to school. Therefore, children sent home from

school should not return the next day. Students diagnosed by

their doctor with strep throat must have been on antibiotics for a

minimum of 24 hours before returning to school.

Children who are sent home with fever or rash will need to check

in with the clinic on the morning they return to school before going

to class. Do not send a child with a rash to school. If you have

concerns about a rash, you should contact your child’s physician

rather than bringing the child into the school. It will continue to

be necessary to keep children with fever home until they have

been fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing

medication.

Please be considerate of other students and staff by not sending

a child to school with an infectious condition, fever, or persistent

runny nose with green mucous, persistent cough, or persistent

sneezing. Parents will be called and asked to pick up their child

if he or she is sent to school with fever, vomiting or diarrhea.

Parents will be asked to pick up their child if he/she is found to

have contracted conjunctivitis (“pink eye”) or head lice. Children

with bacterial conjunctivitis (pink eye) must have been on

antibiotic eye drops for a minimum of 24 hours before returning to

school.

In the case of head lice, the child will be re-admitted to school

only after he or she has been treated with the proper lice-killing

shampoo and the eggs and live bugs have been combed out.

Children sent home with head lice will need to be checked by the

nurse before going back into the classroom.

In some cases, a doctor’s note may be required before the

student returns to school. In the event any student has a

communicable disease, the parents are expected to notify PCA,

and to re-admit the student only after a doctor has given written

permission for the child to return to school.

If your child needs over-the-counter medications (cough drops,

pain relievers, etc.), please administer before you leave home

rather than expecting our nurses to do it rst thing in the morning.

Over the counter medications will not be given before 10:00 a.m.

for students in grades 7-12.

Returning to School After Hospitalization

Students will not be allowed to return to school following

hospitalization for illness or injury until the school nurse has an

ofcial written release from the physician authorizing the student

to return to school. The physician must indicate any restrictions,

activity or otherwise, for the student.

Immunizations

Students must be vaccinated as required by the State of Texas as

follows:

• DTP/DtaP: Five doses, including one received on or after the

child turns 4; must be received by Kindergarten entry. Four

doses are required for Pre-K students.

• MMR: One dose received on or after the child turns one; must

have a total of two doses by Kindergarten entry.

• Hepatitis A: All students in Pre-K 4 through 9

grades are

required to have two doses. Students younger than 42 months

are required to have one dose.

• Hepatitis B: Three doses are required for all students in Pre-K

through 12

grades.

• Polio: Four doses, including one received on or after the child

turns four; all four doses must be received by K entry. Three

doses for students younger than four.

• Hib: A complete series of Hib vaccine or one dose given on or

after 15 months of age is required for all students under ve

years of age.

• Prevnar/PCV: Students in Pre-K are required to have had three

doses of pneumococcal vaccine with one of the three doses

having been given on or after 12 months of age. Two doses

meet the requirement if both were given on or after 12 months

of age. One dose meets the requirement if it was given on or

after 24 months of age.

• Varicella/Chicken Pox: Two doses after the rst birthday are

required for all students in K through 12th grades. For students

who have had chickenpox disease, an approximate month and

year of chickenpox disease must be documented by the child’s

health care provider on the immunization record or by a parent

signed statement stating the approximate date and year the

child had chickenpox disease.

• Tdap/Td booster: All students entering 7

grade will be required

GENERAL INFORMATION

29 | GENERAL INFORMATION

to have a booster dose of Tdap vaccine if it has been ve

years since their last dose of tetanus containing vaccine.

Students in grades 8-12 are required to have a booster dose

of Tdap if it has been 10 years since their previous dose

of tetanus/diphtheria vaccine. Td is acceptable if a medical

contraindication to pertussis exists.

• Meningococcal Vaccine: One dose of Megninogococcal

vaccine given on or after the 11th birthday for all students

entering grades 7-12.

Students who are not in compliance with state immunization

guidelines will not be allowed to attend school or participate in

school-sponsored activities. All students must show proof that

the above immunizations have been received before the rst

day of school. Current immunization records and conscience

exemption forms must be on le with the school nurse prior

to school attendance. For more information about Texas

immunization requirements, log on to www.immunizeTexas.com

and look under school and childcare.

Medication Consent

Any medications to be administered during the school day

to any students must be kept in the nurse’s ofce along with

a completed Medication Consent Form informing the nurse

of the dosage and the time to be given. Medication Consent

Forms are available from the clinic. All medication must be in its

original container with specic directions. No medications will be

administered without a completed Medical Consent Form.

Medications that are sent to school and must go home at the

end of the school day are the responsibility of the parent. When

bringing prescription medications to school, please have your

pharmacist label a second bottle for school use.

Although it is best to time dosages of OTC medications to avoid

dosages at school, the clinic will assist families by dispensing

those types of medications (i.e. allergy medications) when

absolutely necessary. At no time will the recommended dosages

for OTC medications be exceeded without a written, signed

request from the child’s physician. The nurses reserve the

right to refuse to administer any medication or treatment if their

professional judgement deems it unsafe to do so.

Student Emergency Form

A Student Emergency Form is required for every student at

the time of enrollment or re-enrollment. Parents are required

to update the Student Emergency Form online before the start

of school. If there are any major changes in your child’s health

and/or medication or medical procedures, or any changes in

phone numbers, please notify the clinic immediately as well as

updating the information online. In an emergency, every attempt

will be made to reach the parent; however, in the event that

the parent cannot be reached, the contact person listed on the

Student Emergency Form will be called.

Fund Raising

Fund raising makes it possible to recruit and retain the most

dedicated and stimulating teachers and to provide the highest-

quality programming. All fund raising must be approved through

the PCA Development Ofce.

Tuition and fees cover approximately 95% of the cost of a

PCA education. The rest comes from voluntary, tax deductible

donations from parents, faculty, staff, alumni, grandparents,

parents of alumni and friends of PCA.

Fund raising at Prestonwood Christian Academy comes in a

variety of events yearly, to support the current operations of

PCA. These gifts help enhance the day-to-day life of every

student and faculty member by supporting a variety of programs,

including academics, faculty development, the arts, athletics,

technology and the library. We encourage the members of the

school community to share their God-given treasures to permit

the school to continue carrying out its mission.

Homework Assistance

The Homework Assistance Program is offered to students in

grades 2-6. Qualied teachers assist students in similar grade

levels for a period of time after the teacher’s scheduled day is

over. The teachers are available to answer questions, clarify

instructions, and monitor progress, but not individually tutor

students.

The program days are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from

3:45 to 4:30 or 4:45 p.m., depending on the age of the students.

You may choose to enroll your student two or three days a

week.

The students are taken to a central place and given the time

to have a snack brought from home and relax before the

Homework Assistance Program time begins. The teachers take

the students to their rooms starting at 3:45 p.m. Extended Day

students are delivered to the program rooms by Extended Day

staff. Students enrolled in Extended Care are picked up by

the Extended Care staff. Students have this time to complete

the daily homework, read for reading minutes, work on math

memorization and study for tests.

Because teachers and a Homework Assistance Program

Coordinator are paid for assisting the students, fees are

assessed on a monthly basis.

Fees are charged on a monthly basis even if there is an uneven

number of attendance days or if students do not attend each

session for the month. However, the fees for the months of

GENERAL INFORMATION

30 | GENERAL INFORMATION

November, December, January and March when there is one

week less of school are three- fourths the fee. Refer to the PCA

website for fees.

LATE PICK-UP FEE: Students will be taken to Extended Day ten

minutes after the scheduled pick-up time and charged a dollar per

minute late fee.

Inclement Weather

It may be necessary to close or delay the start of school because

of ice, snow or other inclement weather. Additionally, school may

need to dismiss early due to inclement weather. It is important

that you tune in to a local radio, TV station or online news source

when there is a question regarding inclement weather or

dangerous road conditions. We will update the PCA website

(please remember to refresh the page frequently for updates) and

notify most major area radio and television media of any delays,

closures or early dismissals. It is, however, the decision and

responsibility of the area radio and television stations to air such

notices.

The bus will not operate on days when school is closed due to

inclement weather. If PCA announces a late start or an early

release due to inclement weather, please check the website for

information regarding bus transportation times.

Library/Media Center

It is the mission of the PCA Library Research Centers to prepare

students in grades PreK—12 to be information literate in the

century as well as advancing them toward the premises of

being life-long learners and seekers of God’s truth. It is our goal

to accomplish this by inspiring, motivating and challenging them

through the use of technology and the printed word.

North Campus (Pre-K—Grade 8)

Plano Campus (Pre-K—Grade 4)

Students in grades PK-4 will utilize the elementary library facility

for all their book needs as well as having the availability to do

research. The library has an open door policy but also operates

from a planned schedule agreed upon by the faculty.

There is a set limit to the number of books each student may take

and books must be returned before more can be checked out. A

renewal system is available if a student needs an extension on

his/her time limit. Charges will be assessed for damaged or lost

books and must be paid through the Business Ofce in order for

the nal report to be released. The library is open each day 7:30

a.m. - 4:30 p.m. with the exception of Wednesday when it closes

at 2:30 p.m. for staff institute training.

Plano Campus - Middle School (5-6)

Students in grades 5-6 will utilize the Lower School Media Center

for their book needs following the same standards as the others.

Students in grades 7-8 will utilize the Upper School Media Center

for their library and technology needs.

The Lower School Media Center hours are 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

The hours for the Upper School Media Center are

7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Plano Campus - Middle School (7-8)

Plano Campus - Upper School (9-12)

Students in grades 9-12 will utilize the Upper School Media Center

for their library and technology needs. This Media Center will

be open from 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. each day with the exception

of Wednesday when it will close at 2:30 p.m. for staff institute

training. We have an open door policy with every student having

the availability of checking out as many books as needed with the

approval of staff. A set time limit is established with the availability

of renewal if extension is needed. Charges will be assessed for

damaged or lost books which must be paid through the Business

Ofce in order for the nal report card to be released.

Challenged Materials Policy

Despite the great care taken in the selection process, there may

be occasional objections raised to some of the materials included

in the PCA Library and Media Center. Concerns should be

handled in a Scriptural manner, following the principles in Matthew

18:15-17. Anyone hearing any concerns should refer that person

to the Media Center. Any parent, faculty or staff member may

challenge materials he or she deems objectionable by following

the procedures outlined herein.

PCA supports the rights of all parents to monitor their child’s

reading and instructional materials. However, those rights extend

only to their own children. Individuals are not free to dene what

is appropriate for all students or teachers to read, view or hear.

The school retains the right for students to have availability to

materials which have gone through the selection policy and

chosen by the professionals as acceptable use.

When materials are challenged, the following procedure is to be

followed:

1. Formal objections to library materials are initiated by lling

out a Request for Reconsideration Form. The Request for

Reconsideration Form must be signed by the complainant and

led with the administrator or teacher in charge.

2. The form will then be referred to the Literature Review

Committee.

GENERAL INFORMATION

31 | GENERAL INFORMATION

3. The Literature Review Committee will then review the

challenged materials based upon the objections set forth

in the Request for Reconsideration Form. Based upon that

review, the Literature Review Committee will make a decision

whether to keep or remove the material from the curriculum.

4. The Literature Review Committee will send written notice to

the complainant regarding their decision.

5. All challenged materials shall remain in circulation during the

challenge process period.

Lunch

SAGE Dining, is the PCA premier school dining provider. SAGE

uses organic and locally sourced produce whenever possible to

support sustainable practices and feels strongly about fostering

community at PCA through healthy dining.

PCA and SAGE Dining are working to craft a comprehensive

program with student safety and satisfaction in mind. Daily

offerings will satisfy most dietary needs, including nut-free and

gluten-free, and students will have the opportunity to create a

meal tailored to them. There will be procedures in place to alert

parents and students of potential allergens and an executive

chef will assist in the preparation of food, assuring recipes are

followed according to directions with no added ingredients.

Throughout the school year, SAGE Dining will coordinate

“Educational Seasonings” where the menu will highlight food

from a particular culture and historical context. Educational

Seasonings provides students with the opportunity to learn

about ingredients, cuisines and cooking methods with the

philosophy that learning isn’t just limited to the classroom.

Students will have the opportunity to taste food and avors from

around the world.

Participation in the Dining Program is campus inclusive, and

enrollment in the program is handled at time of re-enrollment or

enrollment.

Non-Discrimination Policy

Prestonwood Christian Academy admits students of any race,

color, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges,

programs and activities generally accorded or made available

to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis

of race, color, national or ethnic origin in administration of its

education, employment, admissions policies, tuition assistance,

athletic and other school-administered programs.

Ofce Procedures

Lost and Found

All personal articles, outer garments, class materials, binders,

notebooks, lunch boxes, musical instruments, etc. should be

labeled with the student’s name. Lost and found items will be

kept in an area in the Media Center at the Lower School and at

the Upper School reception desk. At the end of each quarter, all

items remaining will be donated to the City Missions ministry of

Prestonwood Baptist Church.

Parental Involvement

Parental involvement at PCA is welcomed and encouraged.

Parents are provided opportunities throughout the academic

year to become involved within the classroom and in support

activities.

Prestonwood Christian Academy has several Special Interest

Groups parents can join to provide service and support to PCA.

These Special Interest Groups include:

• Fine Arts Council

• Friends of the Library

• Learning Lab Partners

• Lions Den (Athletic Booster)

• Parent Teacher Fellowship (PTF)

• Prayer Ministry

• Grandparents’ Association

• For additional volunteer opportunities, check with divisional

areas or the Director of Events.

Parents have been given the responsibility by God for the

education and upbringing of their children. It is the desire of our

teachers to work together with parents in this endeavor. The

best education can only be achieved when parents and teachers

work together to support and encourage students.

Security

Closed Campus

Prestonwood Christian Academy maintains a closed campus.

All visitors must enter the building at the main entrance. All other

doors leading into the buildings must remain locked during the

school day to provide maximum security for all students. Non-

PCA guests are not allowed in the classroom or in the lunch

room (including Main Street Café) without prior approval from

administration.

PCA believes that the safety and security of students and staff

is a major priority. Safe schools require a collaborative effort

of the Board, administrators, teachers, students, parents and

community. A variety of prevention and intervention strategies,

programs, and activities must be in place to ensure students’

and staffs’ welfare.

Physical aggression, hostile behavior, intimidating acts of

harassment, extortion, violent behavior, or possession of

weapons shall not be tolerated. Anyone who demonstrates

such behavior shall be held accountable for his or her actions

in accordance with the Parent/Student Handbook, the Student

Code of Conduct, and civil and criminal law.

GENERAL INFORMATION

32 | GENERAL INFORMATION

The Administration shall develop detailed procedures to be

followed to implement school safety and security measures. Those

measures shall include routine campus security procedures as well

as directives to administrators to follow when responding to threats

of serious harm.

The routine campus security measures shall include, without

limitation:

1. Controlled access to campuses

2. Additional staff training

3. Increased communication to students, parents and to the

community

4. Increased student and community awareness

5. Physical inspections and monitoring using various means

including canine security units

Drugs/Substance Abuse/Alcohol/Tobacco

The possession, use, distribution of illegal drugs, controlled

substances and/or misuse of over-the-counter drugs, alcohol

and tobacco products is prohibited. Students connected to, in the

presence of or associated with any drug-related persons or events

may be required to submit to drug testing and subject to expulsion.

Violation of this rule will be dealt with whether on or off campus.

PCA is considered a drug, alcohol and tobacco free zone and has

a zero tolerance policy as it relates to the possession, use, and/or

distribution of illegal drugs, alcohol and controlled substance on its

campus.

Search of Students

Students, their lockers, and their motor vehicles shall be subject to

searches by school ofcials including, but not limited to, students’

outer clothing, pockets, locker or belongings.

Students also understand and agree that PCA shall have the

right to monitor or examine any electronic device at the school or

any PCA activity. Additionally, PCA may monitor or examine any

postings on the Internet or other electronic medium, which includes

but is not limited to, text messages and postings on personal

websites, social networking sites, for example “FaceBook” or other

private or public domains. Such monitoring includes, but is not

limited to, all verbiage, pictures, depictions, graphics and videos.

Students understand and agree that they are responsible for and

may be subject to disciplinary action for inappropriate material

sent, posted, made available, shown to others or possessed by the

student themselves.

Use of Third Party Security Enforcement

The school shall retain the right to utilize third party resources,

including, but not limited to, security guards or canine units to

further establish a secure zone on the PCA campus.

Vehicle Use on Campus

Students and parents are required to follow all trafc signs while

on the Prestonwood campus. Speed limit on campus is listed as

15 mph. Any student or parent that does not follow these trafc

regulations may have their privileges to drive on campus revoked.

All carpool lines are considered a cell phone-free zone. Cars

belonging to students and of grades 7-12 staff must be registered

through the vehicle registration form found at the receptionist desk

of the Upper School building.

Visitor Sign-In/Sign-Out

All visitors to the school campus must sign in and out at the Lower

School or Upper School reception areas. Upon signing in, each

visitor will receive a visitor badge to be worn at all times. Before

leaving the campus, each visitor must sign out and return their

badge to the reception area.

Weapons

The possession, use, distribution or attempted distribution (by

sale, gift or otherwise) of any type of operable or inoperable

weapon such as rearms, knives, switchblades, mace, tear gas,

bullets, reworks, and other explosives are expressly forbidden.

Whether designed as a weapon or not, an object will be considered

a weapon if it is used as a weapon. Use of a toy designed to

look like a weapon is prohibited on campus. Pending divisional

administrative approval, exceptions for this may be granted for

school projects.

Sexual Harassment

Prestonwood Christian Academy is committed to providing an

environment free from any form of sexual harassment. Sexual

harassment is a violation of both the law and PCA’s policy and

will not be tolerated. Males and females can both be victims and

perpetrators of sexual harassment. It is an issue that may affect

any member of the PCA community and will be dealt with promptly

by the administration. Report any harassment immediately to a

teacher, principal or the administrative ofces.

GENERAL INFORMATION

33 | GENERAL INFORMATION

PCA School-Wide Technology Acceptable

Use Policy (AUP)

Prestonwood Christian Academy (PCA) has a commitment to

the integration of technology into the academic programs of the

school. The PCA network and computer equipment are available

for students, faculty and staff to use for research, study and other

educational purposes. The goal in providing access to these

technological resources is to promote educational excellence and

innovation and to facilitate communication and creativity in the

expression of ideas and information.

Access to PCA technological resources and the Internet is a

privilege that is tied to responsibilities. Students must use these

resources in a legal, ethical, moral and responsible manner in

accordance with the school’s stated mission. The following guide-

lines are intended to help individual technology users understand

appropriate use and apply to any device brought to, or used at,

school or provided by the school. The school may restrict, sus-

pend, or terminate any user’s access to the school’s technology

systems and network for not following these guidelines.

School-Owned Individual Devices

• All students in grades 1-12 are assigned a computing device

for use during the school day. Students in Pre-Kindergarten

and Kindergarten have access to shared devices.

• Ownership: a school-owned device assigned to a student

remains the property of PCA and is managed by PCA

Technology Support. The device is labeled with a property

identication tag that must not be removed for any reason.

Students may not remove or alter the PCA Technology Sup-

port account or reset its password. Upon graduation or with-

drawal from PCA, each student’s assigned device must be

returned to PCA Technology Support in working order, with

all assigned accessories such as power cords, cases, etc.

• Home use privileges:

o Devices assigned to Lower School students

remain at school each day.

o Middle and Upper School students may take

their assigned device home at the end of the

school day and are responsible for bringing

it back to school for use the next day. Stu-

dents may use their assigned device on a

wireless network outside of PCA as long as

it does not require any additional rewall

software or change the PCA network congu-

ration.

• Maintenance/Repairs: the assigned device needs periodic

maintenance by PCA Technology Support. Students may not

attempt to repair a school-owned device, or allow anyone

other than PCA Technology Support to repair the device.

Middle and Upper School students must make their devices

available to PCA Technology Support for scheduled mainte-

nance during school breaks, as requested.

• Licenses: PCA retains ownership of software licenses and

any content installed by the school on a school-owned

device. Students may not duplicate or transfer school-owned

software to other devices.

• Backups: Students in grades 5-12 are responsible for back-

ing up their own work, using options such as a ash drive,

home network backup system, or cloud storage. If software/

hardware problems arise, the assigned device may need

to be restored to its original settings or be replaced. In this

event, the school cannot be responsible for recovering a

student’s personal les including any software the student

may have installed.

• School Use: Each teacher has the right to limit classroom

use of any type of device, whether personally-owned or

school-owned.

Student MacBook Covers

A student that does not have a cover would receive the same

consequence as for any dress code violation. If a student’s

school-issued top or bottom cover breaks, they need to bring the

broken cover to the Help Desk for replacement. Covers are es-

sential to prevent scratched, dented and cracked cases. Charges

of $250 or more for damaged cases may be applied if the laptop

is damaged from lack of cover.

School-Owned Shared Devices, Network and Printers

• Students have access to shared computing devices in desig-

nated locations, including grades Pre-Kindergarten through 6

classrooms and the Lower School library.

• Personally-owned laptops and unapproved wireless routers

may not be connected to the Prestonwood Ethernet (wired)

network. Only school-owned devices may be connected to

Prestonwood’s wired network.

• Students are prohibited from accessing faculty, administra-

tion and staff computers as well as restricted le servers

for any reason without explicit permission from the user or

administrator of that computer.

• Students are prohibited from utilizing the command prompt

interface or altering PCA Administration/Installation ac-

counts. In addition to this, students are prohibited from using

any method to obtain control of another person’s computer

through the use of their own computer.

• Students are not to use another person’s user name or

password to gain access to the PCA network or Internet or

trespass into another user’s les.

• Users are responsible for their individual network account

and should take all reasonable precautions to prevent others

from using their account. Students should not provide

their network password to any other person. If there is

ever any concern about a password being compromised, the

student must contact the PCA Help Desk in order to have the

password changed.

• Students must not intentionally waste limited resources such

GENERAL INFORMATION

34 | GENERAL INFORMATION

as paper and printer cartridges that are provided by PCA.

Only essential materials should be printed. Limitations may

be placed on students’ permission to print if they abuse this

privilege.

• Students must not use the network in such a way that

would disrupt the use of the network by other users. For

example, students may not download large les over the

Internet during school hours.

• No food or beverages should be in the vicinity of PCA-

owned computing devices, including laptop and desktop

computers.

• Families may be responsible for reimbursing the school for

any misuse that leads to damage subject to the Accidental

Damage, Loss and Theft Policy.

Personally-Owned Devices

• Device privileges:

o Lower and Middle School students may not use

personally-owned devices during the school day.

o Upper School students may bring and use personally-

owned netbooks, tablet PCs, Smartphones or similar

devices, and connect them to the Internet through a

personal data plan or through Prestonwood Public Wi-

Fi, where available.

• The school monitors computer activities that take place on

campus during the school day including logging website

access, social media access, bandwidth and network use

even when access is through a personally-owned device.

• Any computing device used at school, even if privately

owned, is subject to all policies and consequences of the

AUP including the right to view the content of the device at

any time.

• A computing device may be removed from a student’s pos-

session if there is an infraction to the AUP that deserves

that consequence. In this case, a parent or guardian must

reclaim the device from school administration.

• Students are responsible for all maintenance on personal

laptops and other personally-owned devices.

Device Security

• Students must receive permission from the owner before

borrowing devices, power cords, or any accessories. To

act otherwise is considered theft and the student will be

referred to an administrator to face disciplinary action. If

a student brings a computing device to school and then

loans it to another student who uses it inappropriately, the

student owner may also bear some responsibility for the

inappropriate use.

• Students are responsible for taking care of their computing

device and accessories such as batteries and chargers.

• Student computing devices must not be left unattended at

any time. Computing devices that are not being monitored

by the student should be secured at all times in a locked

classroom or assigned locker with the lock securely fas-

tened, or as directed by a PCA staff member.

• All personally-owned devices and cases should have a name tag

attached to the outside of them that clearly identies the owner.

• Students are entirely responsible for backing up their own data.

Lost or damaged data is not the responsibility of the school.

Computer malfunctions are not an acceptable excuse for not

submitting work.

• If students are participating in an afternoon activity, they must

make prior arrangements to store their devices in a secure place.

The following options may be used:

o Devices may be left locked in lockers and picked up when

the after-school activity is completed. Supervising adults are

responsible for allowing students into the buildings.

o Students may make prior arrangements with a parent to pick

up devices immediately after school.

• Under no circumstances should school-owned or personally-

owned computing devices be left in unsupervised areas, such

as the school grounds and church campus, the Upper School

SLC, the library/media center, unlocked classrooms that are also

unsupervised, dressing rooms and hallways of buildings. Unsu-

pervised computing devices will be conscated by staff and taken

to the appropriate division ofce.

• It is the responsibility of each owner to be sure that all personally-

owned equipment is insured.

• Students must notify the school immediately in the event a

school-owned device is lost or stolen, or a personally-owned

device is discovered missing while on school grounds.

Immediate notication increases the possibility of recovery. If a

device that is reported stolen cannot be located within a reason-

able period of time, the school may require a police report to be

led.

Internet Policy

• Students have ltered Internet access through all school-owned

devices, whether on campus or off campus. Any personal device

using Prestonwood Wi-Fi also has ltered access to the Internet

through Prestonwood Wi-Fi. Students may not modify, disable, or

attempt to bypass web ltering applications or content restrictions

on an individual device or the network.

• Students’ use of the Internet at school must be in support of

education and research and be consistent with the educational

objectives of PCA, whether that use is on a PCA computer or

a student-owned device. Misuse of the Internet is prohibited,

including production or use of threatening or obscene material,

and infringement of copyrighted material or material protected by

trade secret.

• PCA reserves the right to monitor the Internet usage of all stu-

dents through specialized software reporting as well as any other

means available to teachers and administration. This includes

school owned computers as well as any other computers or de-

vices that access the Internet through PCA’s Internet connection.

Students are not allowed to access inappropriate sites.

• Students may not use any social networking, instant messaging,

blogging, chatting, photo-sharing or other collaboration method to

communicate with others during the school day unless a teacher

or administrator expressly authorizes this use for educational

purposes.

GENERAL INFORMATION

35 | GENERAL INFORMATION

• The use of the Internet and email is a privilege, not a

right, and inappropriate use could result in a cancellation

of those privileges. PCA reserves the right to review any

material on user accounts and to monitor le-server space

in order to make determinations on whether specic uses

of the network are inappropriate.

• If a student inadvertently accesses a website that contains

obscene, pornographic or otherwise offensive material, the

student should notify a teacher or the Director of Technolo-

gy as quickly as possible so that such sites can be blocked

from further access within the PCA rewall. This is not a

request; it is a responsibility.

• The Internet is a rich and valuable source of information

for education. Inappropriate materials are available on the

Internet, but are strictly prohibited. These materials include

items of a sexual or pornographic nature, extremist or

militant materials, gambling, depictions of violence, images

that are intended to be abusive or harassing, etc. Students

must not access, display or store this type of material.

• These policies and procedures apply to all computing de-

vices used at PCA, including devices owned by the school,

privately purchased devices (irrespective of ownership),

and any device considered by the PCA administration to

fall under this policy. Teachers may set additional require-

ments for device use in their classroom.

• In areas where wireless access is not available to PCA’s l-

tered network, students in grades 9-12 may choose to use

their own wireless data plan. Students using their own data

plan are expected to abide by all aspects of the PCA AUP.

Software, Communications and Multimedia

• Installation privileges:

o Lower and Middle School students may not alter or

remove the software or “apps” installed by PCA on any

school-owned device, and may not install additional

software or apps.

o Upper School students have administrative privileges

to install applications and drivers on their assigned

school-owned device. Upper School students are

responsible for installing only software that is properly

licensed and appropriate for the school environment.

• Content restrictions:

o Lower and Middle School student devices are cong-

ured with content restrictions. Students may not alter

or attempt to disable these settings.

o Upper School students must maintain content restric-

tions on the device at all times, as directed by Upper

School Administration. Student devices are subject to

random checks to verify that the mandated restrictions

are in force.

• No computer programs (executables), pornography or

copyrighted material may be distributed at any time. This

rule prohibits sending les through email as well as setting

up “servers” on a student’s device or by any other physical

or electronic means.

• Unauthorized duplication of data or software is prohibited.

• Students are not to use electronic devices to send messages

(emails or text messages or to access social networking sites

or join chat rooms) during class periods without permission of a

teacher.

• The volume setting on computing devices should be muted when

using the device in a setting that would be distracting to others

unless required for the activity being conducted.

• Any audio or video recording may not be conducted without the

approval of PCA Administration. No audio or video recording is

permitted in bathrooms or locker rooms under any circumstances.

• Sharing of music over the school network is strictly prohibited and

is subject to appropriate consequences.

• Downloading music, videos or software from the Internet

at PCA

is prohibited unless specically approved by a faculty or staff

member.

• Using a computing device to play games during class time is

strictly prohibited.

• Violent games and computer images containing violence or

pornographic material are not allowed on school grounds in any

format. This includes music with vulgar lyrics or titles, pictures,

text documents, presentations, etc. Any le found on a student’s

device that is considered violent, obscene, vulgar or pornographic

results in immediate disciplinary action.

• Students are prohibited from disabling or attempting to disable

any Internet ltering device or content restrictions, encrypting

communications to avoid security review, or intentionally introduc-

ing a virus to the computer system.

• Downloading or using copyrighted information without permission

from the copyright holder is a possible copyright infringement.

Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken if it is discovered

that a student has infringed a copyright holder’s rights and/or

plagiarized material.

• Students are responsible for providing their own storage media,

such as CDs, DVDs, video tapes and ash drives. PCA has

installed anti-virus software on all school-owned devices. This

software is congured to automatically scan removable devices

for malware. Students must not alter or disable this automatic

scanning.

Email Policy

• Email account privileges:

o Students in grades PK-6 are prohibited from using personal

email accounts while at school or when using school-owned

devices.

o PCA email accounts are provided to students in grades 7

through 12 for educational purposes only. Students in grades

7 through 12 must use a personal email account (i.e., Hot-

mail, Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) rather than their school account for

non-educational purposes.

• Be polite. Do not become abusive in messages to others. Email

accounts may not be used to harass others or send inappropriate

or offensive messages.

• Email etiquette should be observed. In general, only messages

that one would say verbally to the recipient in person should be

written.

GENERAL INFORMATION

36 | GENERAL INFORMATION

• Students who receive harassing or threatening messages

must notify a faculty member as soon as possible.

• Grade-level and school-wide mailing lists are for school

purposes only. Emails to the entire school are permitted only

with permission from the Principal.

• The use of email during class, without teacher approval, is

strictly prohibited.

• Do not send out bulk email. This includes chain letters,

advertisements, or any other message that includes many

different recipients without their consent.

• Students must not disclose personally-identifying informa-

tion, such as home address or phone number, or those of

other students or faculty, without the express permission of

an authorized adult.

• Forgery or attempted forgery of email messages or other

electronic documents is prohibited.

• Attempts to read, delete, copy or modify the electronic mail

or other electronic documents of other users or deliberate

interference with the ability of other users to send/receive

email is prohibited.

• Any malicious attempt to harm, alter or destroy school tech-

nology equipment or materials, the data of another user, or

any of the institutions, or other networks that are connected

to the Internet is prohibited.

• Email and any other use of the electronic communication

systems by students shall not be considered condential and

may be monitored at any time by designated staff to ensure

appropriate use.

• School email addresses are not to be given to ANY website,

company, or other third party without the explicit permission

of a teacher or administrator.

File Sharing Policy

• File sharing is the public or private sharing of computer data

or space. Any program that creates a point–to–point connec-

tion between two or more computing devices for the purpose

of sharing data is considered le sharing.

• File sharing of any kind is prohibited on campus. The only

exception to this is when it is a specic assignment given by

a faculty member, such as for a group project.

• No le sharing software of any kind is to be used on school

grounds. Examples of this type of software are Limewire®

(and its derivatives), Bearshare®, Kazaa®, iMesh®, etc.

Although these types of programs are software downloads,

they automatically create le sharing connections.

Consequences for Violation of the Acceptable Use Policy

• Conference with an administrator.

• Loss or restriction of technology privileges, including the

privilege to use personally-owned devices at school.

• Parental notication.

• Although not all-inclusive, violation of the above policy

may result in a detention, Saturday School, suspension

or immediate separation from the school. In all cases, the

administrator reserves the right to make the nal decision for

any disciplinary action.

• Students are subject to a random check of the history and

activity on school-owned devices that they have used.

• Students are to report any known violations of this AUP to

appropriate administrative staff members.

Student Withdrawals

To withdraw a student, a parent should notify the admissions

director or administrative ofces in your child’s division and

complete a Student Withdrawal Form. All textbooks and school-

purchased materials must be turned in to the classroom teacher.

No ofcial records, including academic transcripts and report

cards, will be released until all forms are completed and all nan-

cial balances are paid.

EPA Inspection

In compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA) Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA),

in the spring of 2006 we performed inspections and developed

management plans for Prestonwood Christian Academy campus

concerning asbestos-containing building materials (ACBM).

The AHERA management le is on le in the school administra-

tive ofce.

No ACBM has been identied during this process. We will

continue to monitor and update the management plan as required

by applicable regulatory requirements.

Anyone is welcome to view these documents that are present

in the management ofce anytime during normal school hours.

The Asbestos Program Manager, Ron Johnson, is available

to answer any questions you may have about asbestos at

Prestonwood Christian Academy at 972-820-5120.

Mediation and Arbitration

PCA believes that the Bible commands us to make every effort

to live at peace and to resolve disputes with each other in private

and within the Christian community in conformity with the biblical

injunctions of 1 Corinthians 6:1-8, Matthew 5:23-24 and Matthew

18:15-20. In response to this belief, disputes and disagreements

between PCA and its families should be handled directly and

quickly to restore unity to the relationship.

For those times when the resolution of issues is not clear,

disputes will be handled through biblically-based mediation.

As supported by the enrollment contract between PCA and its

families, if resolution of the dispute and reconciliation does not

result from mediation, families can then submit the dispute to a

single independent and objective arbitrator for binding arbitration.

If PCA and a family are unable to reach an agreement as to the

selection of the arbitrator, the Institute for Christian Conciliation

division of Peacekeeper Ministries of Billings, Montana, shall be

asked to select a qualied person who will serve in that capacity.

GENERAL INFORMATION

37 | GENERAL INFORMATION

The mediation and arbitration process shall be conducted

in accordance with the “Rules of Procedure for Christian

Conciliation” contained in the Peacemakers Ministries booklet,

“Guidelines for Christian Conciliation.”

Further information for this process is contained in the enrollment

contracts for students, which indicates this is the sole remedy for

any controversy or claim arising from the relationship between

PCA, students, families and staff.

38 | LOWER SCHOOL - NORTH CAMPUS Parent/Student Handbook

NORTH CAMPUS - LOWER SCHOOL (Pre-K—4)

North Campus

Lower School

Pre-K3—Grade 4

Parent/Student Handbook

2018-19

39 | LOWER SCHOOL - NORTH CAMPUS Parent/Student Handbook

NORTH CAMPUS - LOWER SCHOOL (Pre-K—4)

Academics

Class Placement

It is our goal to balance each class with equal boy/girl ratios, but it

is not always possible. Parental requests for specic teachers will

not be honored. Placement of students is an administrative and

teacher decision. Educational and social needs are carefully and

closely considered when making class assignments.

Grading Scale

The grading scales used by the Lower School are as follows:

Pre-K 3, 4, 5 and Kindergarten will receive a detailed developmen-

tal checklist indicating progress/mastery in academic, behavioral

and social milestones.

Grades 1-2

Letter Grades: Letter Grades: Conduct

Scale

A, B, C or D G-Good or N-Needs

Improvement

Reading Science

Writing/Grammar Social Studies

Spelling Bible

Math Penmanship

Grades 3-4

A+ 98-

100

B+ 87-

C+ 77-

D+ 67-

0-59

A 93-

B 83-

C 73-

D 63-

A- 90-

B- 80-

C- 70-

D- 60-

Homework

The primary purpose for homework is to develop responsibility and

accountability. It is assumed that homework will be a regular part

of school life, with increasing time and application required as a

student progresses through each grade. In general, homework is

for skill practice, enrichment, or more in-depth attention to a given

unit of study. Please be aware that we do not give homework on

Wednesday nights. Some assignments are given days or weeks in

advance and students may choose to use weekend time to work

on them. Homework will take approximately 10 minutes per grade

level (i.e. rst grade = 10 minutes, second grade = 20 minutes,

etc.) not including Bible memory, test preparation, projects and

reading minutes. Please understand each child’s ability is different.

Therefore, whether a student spends less or more time depends

on the organization, use of time, homework environment, and other

factors. For good communication and to avoid late homework, we

ask that you review your child’s daily assignments. If at any time

there is a question or concern regarding an assignment, please

contact your child’s teacher.

Missed/Late Work Policy

The policy listed below pertains to students in grades 3-4 only:

1. Twenty points will be taken off of an assignment for the

rst day that it is late. Ten points will be taken off every day

thereafter. Enrichment classes - 10 points per class period

(A zero will be given after three class periods).

2. After a week, a zero will be given on the assignment.

3. A student will have one day for each day he/she is absent

to make up any work or tests missed in class, provided the

absence is excused.

Physical Education Participation

When any student has a physical challenge that limits activity or

prohibits a particular activity, the school requires a note from the

family medical doctor indicating the reason for the limitation and the

period of time for which the limitation is valid. Likewise, if a student

needs to be excused from participation in P.E. due to an illness, a

note is required from a doctor or parent.

Elementary Sports Program

Working hand-in-hand with the Prestonwood Sports Organization

and other local leagues, PCA offers many opportunities for students

and parents to be involved in youth sports. Team sports, individual

activities, summer camps, off-season training and personal

coaching clinics are available. One of our goals is to develop our

students for Upper School athletics. Competition and recognition

coupled with character developing coaching complements our

school mission, and is a great opportunity to become a part of the

school community.

Academic Probation

Students may be placed on academic probation at the discretion of

the administration.

Promotion to Next Grade

If your student is consistently struggling academically or socially,

a parent conference will be scheduled to discuss the possibility of

retention for the following year. Students will not be promoted to the

next grade if they have a failing yearly average in math, reading or

both (failure is considered anything below a 60).

Double Promotions

PCA typically does not practice promoting current or newly enrolled

students into a grade beyond their age group. In assisting parents,

our focus remains on what would be best for the children in

40 | LOWER SCHOOL - NORTH CAMPUS Parent/Student Handbook

NORTH CAMPUS - LOWER SCHOOL (Pre-K—4)

light of what has been widely observed when children are promoted

into a grade beyond their age mates. Generally the situation results

in students experiencing difculty in their social and/or academic

development.

Report Cards and

NetClassroom/NetCommunity

Parents with students in grades 1-4 have the ability to check their

student’s progress as well as view the class newsletter on a weekly

basis by utilizing the on-line grade system through NetClassroom/

NetCommunity. Parents with students in grades PreK-K may reference

their child’s newsletter weekly through NetClassroom/NetCommunity.

A user name and password are required to set up an account in order

to access student grades. Detailed information for setting up these

accounts is provided (for grades 1-4) to parents at the beginning of the

school year. Report cards are posted every quarter on NetClassroom/

NetCommunity.

Student Assignment Notebook

Each teacher will explain the classroom schedule at the beginning of

the school year. Homework assignments will be recorded by students

in their student assignment book in grades 3-4. In addition, students

in grades 3-4 will keep a study skills notebook to aid in organization.

Teachers in grades 1-2 have individual methods for communicating

assignments to the students and parents. Parents are encouraged to

review assignments daily and to check with the teacher if there are

questions about the classroom schedule. It is the parents’ responsibility

to carefully review what the student is actually accomplishing in the

homework process and to sign the work or assignment notebook.

Testing of Students

All students entering grades Pre-K4-4 will be tested prior to admission.

Students in PK - 1st Grade will have quarterly assessment using the

CPAA: Children’s Progress Academic Assessment. Students in 2nd

- 4th Grade will take a nationally normed standardized achievement

test each spring. Students who are re-enrolling will not normally be

expected to take tests beyond the standard achievement and school

ability tests; however, if school personnel need additional test data to

make a re-enrollment decision, parents will be so advised.

Textbooks

PCA assigns textbooks for a student to use throughout the year.

1. No writing or marking is to be done in any school-assigned

textbook. Additional copies may be purchased for home use, if

necessary, through the textbook publisher. Additional information is

available on the PCA website.

2. Students will pay for damages done to a textbook because of

abuse or misuse.

3. Students will pay for lost textbooks.

4. Report cards will be held until such nes are paid or until your PCA

account is billed.

Discipline

We believe it is God-ordained that parents bear the primary responsibil-

ity for teaching their children right behavior and attitudes. Prestonwood

Christian Academy provides an atmosphere of order that is essential

in allowing a student to lead a Spirit-controlled, Christ-like life. It is the

responsibility of the teacher to dene behavioral boundaries consistent

with biblical principles and developmental capability. Teachers will

establish classroom procedures and discuss school-wide rules with

students at the beginning of the school year. A student who disobeys

school or class rules or the teacher’s verbal instructions may lose

privileges or be separated from the class. When misbehavior is habitu-

ally repeated or there is a severe infraction of school policy, the student

will be sent to the appropriate administrator. STUDENTS AND THEIR

PARENTS AGREE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT PCA’S DECISIONS

REGARDING DISCIPLINARY ACTION SHALL BE FINAL. Students

violating the student Code of Conduct outside of the school campus or

in school activities will be subject to disciplinary action.

Just as the family has rules to help children learn to get along with

parents, brothers, sisters and others, our school has expectations for

orderly daily operation in a setting with many students and activities.

The following are rules by which PCA students agree to abide:

Minor Infractions

The following is a non-comprehensive list of minor infractions:

1. Chewing gum while on school premises.

2. Radios, recorders, tape/CD/DVD players, iTouch type devices,

toys, electronic games or devices (including cell phones and

cameras), posters and playing/trading cards are subject to

conscation by school personnel. No electronic devices that

connect to the internet or take pictures are allowed during

Extended Day. Cell phones must also be turned off and put away

in backpacks and are only allowed to be used if given direct

permission from a school ofcial. Cell phones and other electronic

devices are subject to search and seizure provisions to examine

postings, messages, pictures, graphics, videos and depictions

and appropriate disciplinary actions may result from inappropriate

material or use.

3. Failure to comply with the PCA dress code.

4. Failure to obey playground rules given by teachers.

5. Failure to follow the instructions of school adults and students who

serve as carpool safety supervisors.

41 | LOWER SCHOOL - NORTH CAMPUS Parent/Student Handbook

NORTH CAMPUS - LOWER SCHOOL (Pre-K—4)

6. Use of white boards or other school equipment without a

teacher’s permission.

7. Visible possession or use of cell phones during the school day,

carpool or Extended Day. Cell phones are subject to conscation

by school staff.

8. Failure to act in a quiet and orderly fashion while in hallways,

restrooms and during carpool.

9. Failure to refrain from behavior that inhibits learning in classroom

situations.

Major Infractions

The following is a non-comprehensive list of major infractions that

may result in suspension or immediate separation from the school:

1. Use of Abusive or Profane Language and Disrespect: Using

abusive or profane language and showing disrespect or

insolence to teachers and classmates will not be tolerated and

will result in disciplinary action.

2. Disruptive/Disrespectful Behavior: Repeated classroom

disruptions that prohibit learning in all classroom situations will

not be tolerated and will result in disciplinary action. Disrespectful

behavior towards authority will not be tolerated.

3. Bullying: Repeated use of ridicule, threats, intimidation or causing

bodily harm to any person will result in certain disciplinary action.

See also: Anti-Harassment Policy in General Section.

4. Cheating: Students are responsible for preventing the giving

or receiving of assistance (written, oral or otherwise) on tests,

examinations, nal evaluation or class assignments that are to

be graded as the work of a single individual. This also includes

lying, plagiarism or forgery.

5. Drug Use/Substance Abuse: The possession, use, distribution

of illegal drugs, controlled substances, alcohol, tobacco

product(s) and/or misuse of over-the-counter or prescription

drugs is prohibited. Students connected to, in the presence

of, or associated with any drug-related persons or events may

be required to submit to drug testing and subject to expulsion.

Violation of this rule will be dealt with whether on or off campus.

PCA is considered a drug/alcohol-free zone and therefore

practices a zero tolerance policy as it relates to the possession,

use and/or distribution of illegal drugs or a controlled substance

on its campus.

6. Electronic Device or Medium: A repeated misuse, as dened by

the Acceptable Use Policy, of an electronic device or medium

or a signicant abuse of such privilege may result in disciplinary

action beyond conscation of a device. Additionally, students

must understand that inappropriate material or depictions

sent, posted, shared or possessed on any electronic device

including cell phones and the Internet are subject to appropriate

disciplinary action at the discretion of PCA administration.

7. Fighting: Students are responsible for settling confrontations in a

peaceful manner and without the use of violence. Fighting or play

ghting will not be tolerated on or near school grounds or at any

school-sponsored activity. Students are reminded that ghting

may result in suspension, followed by a parent conference in

order to return to school following a rst offense.

8. Violation of Fire Safety Regulations: Violations of re regulations,

including tampering with re alarms, using matches, lighters or

recrackers, will be considered serious offenses.

9. Gambling: Card playing for the purpose of gambling, or any other

form of gambling, is forbidden.

10. Immorality: Students are expected to maintain moral purity as is

outlined in God’s Word.

11. Stealing: Knowingly taking items that do not belong to you, with

the intent to deprive the owner of its use, constitutes stealing.

12. Truancy: Missing school or any part of a school day without

parent or teacher permission is truancy. The penalty for truancy

is a zero for all work missed, plus possible suspension or

expulsion from the school. Students must obtain permission

before leaving a classroom.

13. Vandalism: Destruction or defacing of property belonging to

the school, PBC or others, including textbooks, will result in

disciplinary action as well as assessing compensatory damages.

14. Possession of Weapons: The possession, use, threat of use,

distribution or attempted distribution (by sale, gift or otherwise)

of any type of operable or inoperable weapon such as rearms,

knives, switchblades, mace, tear gas, bullets, reworks and

other explosives is expressly forbidden. Whether designed as a

weapon or not, an object will be considered a weapon if it is used

as a weapon. This includes toys and/or replicas of weapons.

15. Repeated violation of minor infraction will be considered a major

infraction.

Discipline Method

This process will normally follow specic steps as described below:

• The teacher is the rst line of authority on addressing behavior

requiring discipline.

If the behavior continues, a parent will be contacted.

• If there is still no resolution of the problem and parents have

been notied of a discipline problem, a school administrator will

42 | LOWER SCHOOL - NORTH CAMPUS Parent/Student Handbook

NORTH CAMPUS - LOWER SCHOOL (Pre-K—4)

become involved. At this time a phone call or conference with

the parents, administrator and/or teacher and child will be held to

implement a plan of action to resolve the situation.

• Discipline referrals will be given to the student and a copy will be

sent to the parent to be signed and returned to the ofce.

Disciplinary Probation

Students who accumulate a series of minor infractions or are guilty of

a major infraction may be subject to disciplinary probation - see listing

of infractions above. While on probation, the student’s behavior will

be closely monitored by teachers and school administration. Methods

to address behavioral change will be recommended. Disciplinary

probation may include denial of privileges and participation in school

activities. The length of the probation period will be determined by the

administration. Parents will be informed of the probationary status.

Students who do not meet the criteria will be required to withdraw from

school.

Suspension

A student may be suspended from school following parent

communication. Specic changes in attitudes and actions will be

expected prior to readmission. A re-admission parent/administrator

conference is necessary for the student to return to school.

Disciplinary probation is invoked when a student is suspended from

school. Re-admitted students will be placed on disciplinary probation

upon their return to PCA. An administrator has the authority at all

times to suspend a student for any violation of a school rule. The

length of suspension will be one to ve days as determined by the

administrator. There are two types of suspensions:

In-School Suspension: Students who violate a major school rule

may be assigned an in-school suspension. While excluded from

participating in regular classes, students are able to complete class

work in school.

Out-of-School Suspension: This is for a designated period of time

during which students are not allowed to attend school. Work missed

during any suspension is required to be made up.

Restoration

It is always PCA’s intention to lovingly restore students after a period

of suspension. “Loving them back onto the team” is the only Christ-like

option. As a means to that end, some or all of the following guidelines

will govern the readmission of suspended students.

At the beginning of the suspension period, PCA staff and

administration will:

• Clearly identify the offense at both the beginning and

end of the suspension.

• Assist the student in verbalizing why the offense was inappropriate

and/or harmful.

• Notify the student’s teachers of the suspension term.

At the end of the suspension period, PCA administration will:

• Conduct a re-entry interview with the student and

at least one parent.

• Assist the student in identifying a plan to ensure improvement.

• Remind the student of their importance in the

PCA community.

Explain that the student is on disciplinary probation and its

ramications, if applicable. Engage in a time of prayer in which the

administrator and parent(s) pray for the student and the student

prayers for any whom they have offended as well as themselves. Staff

will encourage the student prior to and/or

after re-admission to ease the discomfort/embarrassment

of the student.

Expulsion

Attendance at PCA is a privilege. Any student whose conduct in or out

of school that shows him/her to be in opposition to the basic principles

and purposes of PCA will be required to withdraw from the school.

Expulsion will be required if it becomes apparent that the school

will not be able to meet the needs of a student, or that the student’s

behavior is preventing classroom instruction. When

expulsion is recommended, a date of withdrawal from the school will

be set and the withdrawal procedure followed.

Attendance

Arrival and Dismissal

Following are the school day times for each grade:

• PreK-K 8:15 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

• Grades 1-4 8:15 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.

• All grade levels dismiss at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday

We would ask that you please refrain from picking your child up early

as it affects our instruction time. All students are dismissed at 2:00

p.m. on Wednesdays. Only those students enrolled in Extended Day

may stay past dismissal times. Any child not picked up by 3:30 p.m. on

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, or 2:25 p.m. on Wednesday,

will be sent to Extended Day and charged the appropriate fees.

Students in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten may utilize Extended

Day until the 3:15 p.m. carpool. There will be a nominal fee for this

service and students must be ofcially enrolled in the program.

Absences

The following procedures apply to absences:

1. Teachers and the PCA administrative ofce will maintain an

accurate record of attendance and tardiness. The record will

appear on NetClassroom/NetCommunity.

2. Parents must phone or email the Lower School receptionist desk

to report any absence by 9:00 a.m. (972-798-6780)

43 | LOWER SCHOOL - NORTH CAMPUS Parent/Student Handbook

NORTH CAMPUS - LOWER SCHOOL (Pre-K—4)

3. Students returning after an absence must supply the teacher

with a written excuse from the parent/guardian. Please note that

a telephone call to the PCA receptionist regarding the absence is

not sufcient notication.

4. If a student is present for at least two hours of the school day,

he/she will be counted as present.

5. In case of illness, a homework assignment sheet will be given to

the student upon their return to class (for grades 3-4). Students

in grades PreK-2 will receive missed assignments directly from

their teacher. Students will have one day for each day they are

absent to make up any work or test missed in class, provided the

absence is excused.

6. If a student is absent, parents may request and pick-up make-up

work. The request for make-up work to be picked up at the end

of the school day (4:00 p.m.) must be made by noon to the

classroom teacher or receptionist.

Excused and Unexcused Absences

• Release from Class. An absence which is initiated from

the school and given prior approval by the administrator,

such as school-scheduled eld trips and school-initiated/school-

scheduled activities, are not reported on the

student’s report card.

• Excused Absences. The following absences will be considered

excused if the school receives a note from the parent within

three days after the student returns to school. If a note is not

received within three days, the absence will be considered

unexcused which carries an academic penalty on course work

missed. These absences include illness of student or a doctor’s

appointment, death in the family, unavoidable family emergency

or a court appearance.

• Pre-Approved Absences. For the following absences to be

excused, they must be cleared at least one week in advance

with the principal or assistant principal. With advance notice,

these absences will still be counted on the report card, but

without points deducted for make-up work or tests, if submitted

on time. Make-up work must be requested at least two days

prior to the pre-approved absence. Students are permitted ve

pre-approved absences. Absences exceeding this amount are at

the principal’s discretion. Pre-approved absences include family

vacation, church retreat or a mission trip.

• Make-up Work. Students must make up all work missed due

to approved absences. Students or parents are required to

meet with the teacher to make arrangements for missed work.

A student who misses any portion of the day must have a note

from the doctor or approval from the principal or assistant

principal in order to participate in any extra-curricular activities

that day. A student will have one day for each day he/she is

absent to make up any work or tests missed in class, provided

the absence is excused.

• Doctor Appointment. A student who misses school due to a

doctor’s appointment is required to bring a doctor’s note in order

for the absence/tardy to be considered excused.

• Unexcused Absences. All other absences are unexcused and

counted with the student’s total absences recorded on the

student’s report card. Any absences on Grandparent’s Day

will be counted as unexcused. In accordance with the Texas

Education Code, students must be in attendance a minimum

of 90% of the school year or they run the risk of repeating

the grade level. A letter will be sent to parents after a student

reaches ten absences. An attendance committee will review any

absences over ten per semester to determine the educational

process of the student.

Tardies

Students are expected to be in their classrooms and ready for the

school day by the time the tardy bell rings at 8:15 a.m. In order to

be on time, students should be dropped off no later than 8:05 a.m.

Students coming into the building after the 8:15 a.m. tardy bell must

be accompanied by a parent to sign in with the receptionist. Excused

tardies will include doctor/dental visits, illness and trafc situations

that result in a large number of students being late. All other tardies

will be considered unexcused. Three unexcused tardies count as one

absence

for the purpose of perfect attendance awards. In the event of

excessive tardies, an administrator will notify the parents.

Carpool

1. Students may not be dropped off at the carpool drop-off points

prior to 8:00 a.m. Students arriving between 7:30 a.m. and

8:00 a.m. must be signed in with school personnel assisting

with Early Morning Care. An exception to the above: If a Lower

School student has a Middle School sibling whose school day

begins at 8:00 a.m. the Middle School student may walk the

sibling to Early Morning Care. Modication, if necessary, will be

made to this drop off time and will be communicated to parents.

2. Afternoon carpool for PreK-K will begin at 2:30 p.m. and 1

- 4

carpool will begin at 3:15 p.m. To maximize our instructional day,

we will not load cars until 3:15 p.m. All students will be dismissed

at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and carpool will begin at that time.

3. All families will be assigned a carpool number. For student

safety, children will only be placed with a driver showing an

ofcial carpool sign issued by the school. If you are in the

carpool line and do not have your number, you will be required

to park and come into the building. The receptionist will be able

to identify you as a person on the ofcial student Pick-Up and

Release Form and you will be allowed to take the student.

44 | LOWER SCHOOL - NORTH CAMPUS Parent/Student Handbook

NORTH CAMPUS - LOWER SCHOOL (Pre-K—4)

4. Parents are expected to remain in their vehicles in order to

expedite the dismissal process. Walk-ups, particularly during

the afternoon carpool, delay the process and present a safety

concern.

5. For safety reasons children must exit on the curb side of vehicle

and not cross between vehicles

6. For everyone’s safety, our carpool lines are a cell phone free

zone.

Birthdays and Special Occasions

A child’s birthday is very special. If you want to have birthday refresh-

ments at the school, you must contact the teacher in advance to set

up a day and time. School parties are not an occasion to exchange

gifts; however, cupcakes, cookie cakes or donuts are acceptable at

lunchtime or at another time designated by the teacher. For children

with summer birthdays, please contact the teacher to determine a

day and time to celebrate the summer birthday. For birthday parties

outside of school, please adhere to these guidelines:

1. Invitations may not be distributed in school unless the entire

class is invited. If they are distributed in school, they may be

distributed only at a designated time approved by the teacher.

2. After school carpool lines may not be used as pick up times for

birthday parties. Flowers, balloons and/or gift baskets may not

be delivered to students during the school day or at any school-

sponsored event or program. The exception to this would be

participation in the annual Friends of the Library carnation sales.

Classroom Visits

We welcome visitors to our classrooms. However, we want to

minimize disruption to classroom instruction. Therefore, we ask that

parents who wish to visit classes do so within the following guidelines:

1. Contact the teacher and administrator in advance to schedule

your visit to coincide with the class you wish to observe. The

teacher and/or administrator reserves the right to choose the

time of the visit.

2. At the time of your visit, please sign in with the receptionist and

obtain a visitor’s badge. You must sign out and return your visi-

tor’s badge at the conclusion of your visit.

3. Any visitor/parent may be accompanied by a PCA employee

during their visit.

Closed Campus

Prestonwood Christian Academy maintains a closed campus. All

visitors to the Lower School must enter the building and sign in with

the Receptionist located on the second oor near the front doors of

the church. All doors leading into the building will remain locked during

the school day to provide maximum security for all students. Lower

School students are not permitted to remain on campus after school

hours unless enrolled in the Extended Day program for grades PreK-

4. All students must be accounted for at all times.

Dress Code

Prestonwood Christian Academy has chosen to implement the dress

code policy by the adoption of a uniform program. The administration

reserves the right to determine if a student is dressed and groomed

appropriately. We require that all uniforms be purchased through

DENNIS Uniform. DENNIS can assist you with the required compo-

nents for each grade level.

There are clear biblical principles that ought to govern choice

for dress:

1. Dress types are deemed inappropriate if they attract undue

attention to the outward appearance, detracting from the

reection of Christ, which initiates internally

(1 Timothy 2:9-10).

2. Dress is to be distinctively masculine and feminine, reecting a

wholesome appreciation for God’s creative plan

(Deuteronomy 22:5).

3. Immodesty in dress is incompatible with the concept of the

Christian as one indwelt by the Holy Spirit, God Himself

(1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

General Dress Code Guidelines

• Shirts are to be tucked in at all times.

• Only solid white t-shirts (without writing) may be worn under

uniform shirts.

• Students may only wear PCA approved jackets and/or

sweatshirts during the school day.

• Belts must be worn with shorts or pants

(Pre-K -1 exception).

• Hats may not be worn inside the school building.

• Abnormal hairstyles/highlights/feathers are not permitted.

• Tattoos and/or body piercings (except ear-piercings for girls) are

not permitted.

• Appropriate socks (solid white, navy or black only) should be

worn at all times.

• It is important that every uniform item be labeled with the owner’s

name. PCA is not responsible for misplaced items.

• Pants and shorts must be worn above the hips.

• Shoes must be completely solid white, navy, black or brown. No

45 | LOWER SCHOOL - NORTH CAMPUS Parent/Student Handbook

NORTH CAMPUS - LOWER SCHOOL (Pre-K—4)

blinking lights or wheels are allowed. Shoe lace color must be

white, black, navy or brown to match the shoes. Shoes with shoe

lace holes must have shoe laces that match the shoes in white,

navy, black or brown. White soles are acceptable.

• Girls may also wear saddle oxfords or Mary Janes. Boys and girls

may wear loafers or Sperrys

that are solid color. Socks must be

worn with all shoes.

• At all before school and after school PCA events (sporting events,

ne arts events, etc.) students do not need to be in uniform but

must follow similar guidelines and dress standards of PCA.

• Appropriate undergarments must be worn at all times.

Dress Code Guidelines for Girls

• Jumper, skirt, shorts and skort length should not be shorter than

four inches from the crease of the back of the knee.

• Shirts and blouses are to be tucked into slacks, shorts and skirts

at all times, with the exception of the three-quarter sleeved shirt

worn by fourth grade girls.

• Navy modesty shorts are to be worn under skirts and jumpers at

all times.

• Approved PCA sweatshirts may be worn over uniform shirts. PCA

hoodies may not be worn in Lower School. Only the zip-up type

sweat-jackets with hoods are permissible.

• Only PCA approved sweaters, jackets, windbreakers and eeces

may be worn during the school day.

• Shoes must have a closed toe and heel. The rst choice is tennis

shoes for safety purposes during P.E. and recess.

Shoes must be completely solid white, navy, black or brown. No

blinking lights or wheels are allowed. Shoe lace color must be

white, black, navy or brown to match the shoes. Shoes with shoe

lace holes must have shoe laces that match the shoes in white,

navy, black or brown. White soles are acceptable.

Girls may also wear saddle oxfords or Mary Janes. Boys and girls

may wear loafers or Sperrys that are solid color. Socks must be

worn with all shoes. Dress shoes and loafers - heel height 1-1/2

inch maximum, leather or suede, solid color in navy, black or

brown.

• No boots of any type, including UGG

type boots

• No ip-ops, clogs, Crocs

, sandals or moccasin-type

footwear.

• No Tom

type slip on shoes

• No high-top tennis shoes

• Socks – solid white, navy or black only; knee socks are

permissible;. Pre-K - 1: solid white, navy or black only with

decorative fringe/beads are acceptable. Fringed socks must

match uniform. A small white brand logo is acceptable (e.g.,

Nike

swoosh)

• Tights and ankle length leggings are acceptable and must be

solid white, navy or black opaque weight. Leggings must be worn

with socks. Aerobic tights, warm-ups, long johns or stirrup pants

are not acceptable.

• Socks or tights are required with all shoes and must be visible.

• Belts are to be worn if shorts or slacks have belt loops (navy,

black or brown). Only plain belts with plain buckles are allowed.

• Jewelry should be modest, small and delicate, with no oversized

earrings or necklaces and should not draw attention to yourself;

single piercings only. Dangling earrings are not allowed for safety

reasons.

• Nail polish - one color to be worn at a time.

• No articial nails.

• Hair accessories should be modest, small and delicate, and

should be limited to navy blue, forest green, black, brown,

white, gold, yellow or black-watch plaid in color. No scarves

or headbands with long ribbons are allowed. Hair pieces and

feathers are not allowed.

• Hair must be the natural color; highlighting or bleaching is not

permitted.

• Make-up may not be worn during the school day.

• Hats may not be worn during the school day.

Dress Code Guidelines for Boys

• Shirts are to be tucked into slacks and shorts at all times.

• Approved PCA sweatshirts may be worn over uniform shirts. PCA

hoodies may not be worn in Lower School. Only the zip-up type

sweat-jackets with hoods are permissible.

• Only approved PCA sweaters, jackets, windbreakers and eeces

may be worn during the school day.

• Shoes must have a closed toe and heel. The rst choice is tennis

shoes for safety purposes during recess and P.E.

46 | LOWER SCHOOL - NORTH CAMPUS Parent/Student Handbook

NORTH CAMPUS - LOWER SCHOOL (Pre-K—4)

• Shoes must be completely solid white, navy, black or brown. No

blinking lights or wheels are allowed. Shoe lace color must be

white, black, navy or brown to match the shoes. Shoes with shoe

lace holes must have shoe laces that match the shoes in white,

navy, black or brown. White soles are acceptable.

Boys may wear loafers or Sperrys

that are solid color. Socks

must be worn with all shoes and must be visible. “No-show”

socks are not acceptable..

• Dress shoes and loafers - leather or suede, solid color in navy,

black or brown.

• No boots of any type

• No Toms type slip on shoes

• No ip-ops, clogs, Crocs

, sandals or moccasin-type

slipper footwear

• No high-top tennis shoes

• Socks – solid white, navy, or black; socks must be worn. Nike

Elite socks are not acceptable. A small white-brand logo is

acceptable (e.g., Nike

Swoosh)

• Belts (navy, black, or brown) are to be worn at all times if shorts

or slacks have belt loops. The exception would be the younger

boys’ pants with elasticized waist without belt loops (some Pre-K

- 1). Belts and belt buckles should be plain. No oversized belt

buckles will be allowed. Belts that are not made of leather should

not hang down after being buckled.

• Jewelry - should be modest and not over-sized; no piercings. Not

more than three plastic type bracelets are allowed. Arm/sweat

bands may not be worn.

• Hair must be the natural color; highlighting or bleaching is not

permitted. Hair may not touch the top of the collar or be below

the middle of the ears and must be trimmed above the eyebrows.

• Hats may not be worn during the school day.

• Clothing such as Under Armour

may not be worn. White t-shirts

only are allowed under the uniform shirts.

Dress Code for All Students

Field Trip Attire

Casual Attire: The monogrammed Prestonwood Christian Academy

shirt with collar will be worn with uniform shorts, slacks or denim

pants. Denim shorts/skorts are not allowed. PCA sweatshirts and

jackets are appropriate to wear with the monogrammed shirt. This

collared shirt may also be worn with uniform shorts/pants on any

school day, with the exception of chapel day when the chapel shirt

should be worn. No baggy jeans or jeans with holes or frayed ends

or denim skirts will be allowed. Belts must be worn if jeans have belt

loops and shirts must be tucked in at all times. Uniform shoes should

be worn on all eld trips.

Dress/Chapel Attire

• Girls (PK and K): Drop waist jumper with Peter Pan

collar blouse.

• Girls (1

-3

): V to waist pleated jumper with Peter Pan

collar blouse.

• Girls (4

): Plaid skirt with white oxford shirt or three-quarter

sleeved shirt.

• Boys (Pre-K-4): Navy slacks or shorts with blue and white striped

oxford.

Spirit Day Attire

Items purchased through The Hub, which include PCA-branded

t-shirts (not general t-shirts) or sweatshirts are acceptable to wear

with uniform shorts, slacks and denim pants. Denim shorts / skorts

are not allowed. No baggy jeans and no jeans with holes or frayed

ends will be allowed. Belts are to be worn in adherence with the

general dress code guidelines for boys. Shirts must be tucked in at all

times. Non-uniform tennis shoes may be worn. Blinking lights, wheels

or shoes that make noise are not allowed. Shoes must have a closed

toe and heel.

Extended Day

Prestonwood Christian Academy provides Extended Day for an addi-

tional fee. Extended Day will begin at 2:30 p.m. for students in grades

Pre-K3-Kindergarten. Grades 1-4 Extended Day hours begin at 3:15

p.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. Extended Day ends at 6:00 p.m.

each school day unless otherwise noted. Parents will be notied if

hours are adjusted. Sign-up for Extended Day is available through the

PCA website.

Field Trips

Field trips will be taken during the school year. They are fun and

informative learning experiences, primarily designed to enrich the cur-

riculum of PCA. The Parent Authorization Form, which must be on le

before your child begins school, releases the school from any liability.

Any parent who wishes to drive on a eld trip must be cleared by

PCA to chaperone or drive on eld trips, must be licensed and must

be able to demonstrate that they are properly insured. Any parent

interested, please submit your name to your child’s teacher to begin

the approval process.

1. PCA activities are for current PCA students only. No other

students are allowed to attend. Siblings are not allowed to

attend.

2. Any student on disciplinary probation may be excluded from the

eld trip.

3. School rules, regulations and policies are in effect on all eld

trips on or off campus.

47 | LOWER SCHOOL - NORTH CAMPUS Parent/Student Handbook

NORTH CAMPUS - LOWER SCHOOL (Pre-K—4)

4. The sponsoring teacher will communicate the dress code.

5. If parents choose not to allow their child to participate in a

scheduled eld trip, parents should make other arrangements

for their child’s care and an absence will be documented.

6. Parent chaperones are secured in advance for all eld trips and

must have the completed background check on le. Parents

who do not have a completed background check on le will not

be allowed to chaperone children other than their own on eld

trips.

Parties

Because of the secularization of so many holidays, the following

guidelines will be used in the handling of class parties:

• All parties are to be held on campus. Parents are welcome to

attend class parties but should make child care arrangements

for siblings. This will allow the focus to remain on the students

in each classroom.

• Halloween: Halloween will not be observed.

• Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving is celebrated with a Thanksgiving

feast in certain grades.

• Christmas: Class parties may be planned with an emphasis on

the birth of Christ.

• Valentines: Class parties may be planned. Valentines may be

exchanged provided students bring them for all class members.

Derogatory, negative or “putdown” cards are not acceptable and

may not be used.

• Easter: Class parties will be planned with an emphasis on the

substitutionary death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus

Christ.

• End of the Year: A class party is held on the last day of school.

Searches of Students

Students, their cubbies or desks shall be subject to searches by

school ofcials including but not limited to student’s outer clothing,

pockets, cubbies, desks or belongings, bookbags, purses and other

cases designated to carry or that can conceal items.

Use of Third Party Security Enforcement

The school shall retain the right to utilize third party resources such

as security guards, canine units, etc. to further establish a secure

zone on the PCA campus.

Volunteers

We welcome parent volunteers to assist in various classroom/school

activities. Any parent wishing to volunteer must have the completed

background check on le.

North Campus

Lower School (Pre-K—4)

Administration

Donna Leadford Principal Lower School

Jane Agee Administrative Assistant

Sandy Matthews Nurse

48 | MIDDLE SCHOOL - NORTH CAMPUS Parent/Student Handbook

NORTH CAMPUS - MIDDLE SCHOOL (5—8)

North Campus

Middle School

Grade 5—Grade 8

Parent/Student Handbook

2018-19

49 | MIDDLE SCHOOL - NORTH CAMPUS Parent/Student Handbook

NORTH CAMPUS - MIDDLE SCHOOL (5—8)

Academics

Elective Courses

North Campus Middle School students will participate in the following

elective courses: Spanish, Technology/Programming, Band, Choir,

Art.

Advanced Math Track

Beginning in 7th Grade, students may enroll in Algebra I. Placement

is made using a variety of criteria, specic students’ rediness and

work ethic.

Students with Learning Differences

If a student has been tested and diagnosed with learning differences

within the past three years, he/she may qualify for special classroom

or testing accommodations. A copy of the evaluation must be submit-

ted to the Learning Lab Director.

Grading Scale

The grading scales used by PCA for grades 5-8 students are as

follows:

A+ 98-100 B+ 87-89 C+ 77-79 F 0-69

A 93-97 B 83-86 C 73-76

A- 90-92 B- 80-82 C- 70-72

Semester Exams: Semester exam grades count 10 percent of the

semester average in grades 7-8.

Anything below 70 indicates a lack of mastery.

Minimester

Minimester is a time of specialized learning for each grade level.

Students in grades 7-8 have a week-long trip focusing on their cur-

riculum.

Sixth grade students may attend an overnight, outdoor education

program that is taught from a biblical perspective. Fifth graders will

have a time of specialized learning that complements the classroom

curriculum and a mission emphasis that includes a service day at a

local charity.

There is a cost to parents for all trips. Since Minimester is part of the

Middle School curriculum with assignments given during the course

of each trip that will be graded, participation is required.

Homework

The primary purpose for homework is to develop responsibility and

accountability. It is assumed that homework will be a regular part of

school life, with increasing time and application required as a student

progresses through each grade. In general, homework is for skill

practice, enrichment or more in-depth attention to a given unit of

study. Please be aware that we do not give homework on Wednesday

nights. Some assignments are given days or weeks in advance and

students may choose to use weekend time to work on them. Whether

or not a student spends less or more time depends on the organiza-

tion, use of time, homework environment and other factors. For good

communication and to avoid late homework, we ask that you review

your child’s daily assignments.

If at any time there is a question or concern regarding an assignment,

please contact your child’s teacher.

Missed/Late Assignments Policy

The policy listed below pertains to students in grades 5-8 only:

1. Thirty percent will be taken off of an assignment (homework,

class work or projects) that is one class period late. Ten points

will be taken off for each class period after that.

2. After the third class period, a zero will be given on the

assignment.

3. A student will have one day for each day he/she is absent to

make up any assignments provided the absence is excused.

Tests and Quizzes

As a result of an excused absence it is the expectation that the

student will have one day for each day missed to make up tests

and/or quizzes. Extra time to make up tests and/or quizzes are at

the discretion of the teacher. Additionally, teachers may contact the

guidance ofce and parent if needed to assist in scheduling a make-

up test and/or quiz.

Academic Probation

Students are placed on academic probation if they receive two “F”

grades at the end of a semester grading period. Parents will be

informed of the probationary status. Once a student is notied of their

probationary status, they will remain on the list for one calendar year

(12 months/two semesters).

During this time, PCA faculty will make every effort to ensure student

success with regards to academic improvement. A student may not

receive one “F” for a semester average in any subject during the

12-month probationary period. If such grades do re-occur during this

period, the student may not be allowed to re-enroll for the following

school year. Students who are asked to leave PCA for academic

reasons may reapply after one calendar year. If they choose to

return to PCA after the academic year, they must apply through the

Admissions Ofce and follow normal admissions procedures.

Promotion to the Next Grade

Middle School students will not be promoted to the next grade unless

they attend the PCA Credit Recovery Program in the summer or a

50 | MIDDLE SCHOOL - NORTH CAMPUS Parent/Student Handbook

NORTH CAMPUS - MIDDLE SCHOOL (5—8)

summer school program approved by PCA administration for any of

the following reasons:

1. Student has failed math for the school year.

2. Student has failed language arts for the school year.

3. Student has failed a combination of any two subjects other

than math or language arts for the school year. In all cases, the

administration reserves the right to make the nal decision for any

academic actions.

4. In accordance with the Texas Education Code, students must be in

attendance a minimum of 90% of the school year or they may be

required to repeat the grade level.

Double Promotions

PCA typically does not practice promoting current or newly enrolled

students into a grade beyond their age group. In assisting parents,

our focus remains on what would be best for the children in light of

what has been widely observed when children are promoted into

a grade beyond their age mates. Generally the situation results in

students experiencing difculty

in their social and/or academic development.

Report Cards and

NetClassroom/NetCommunity

Student grades and report cards can be monitored in

NetClassroom. Parents have the ability to check their student’s

progress in each class by utilizing the online grade system through

NetClassroom/NetCommunity. Parents and students are assigned

an individual username and password to access NetClassroom/

NetCommunity. Usernames and passwords are distributed to families

at the start of the school year upon enrollment at PCA. For questions

regarding the NetClassroom / NetCommunity account username and

passwords, contact

[email protected]. Parents are

encouraged to review assignments daily and to check with the

teacher if there are questions about the classroom schedule. It is the

parent’s responsibility to carefully review what the student is actually

accomplishing in the homework process

Testing of Students

All students will be tested prior to admission. In addition, annual

student testing is conducted in the spring. Students who are

re-enrolling will not normally be expected to take tests beyond the

standard achievement and school ability tests; however, if school

personnel need additional test data to make a reenrollment decision,

parents will be so advised.

Textbooks

PCA assigns textbooks for a student to use throughout the year.

1. No writing or marking is to be done in any textbook unless the

textbook is purchased in advance or is consumable.

2. Students will pay for damaged or lost textbooks. Please note

that if a student returns a book that is damaged, the following

charges will be applied.

• If the book is signicantly damaged or damaged to a point

where it cannot or should not be reissued next year (broken

binding, pages missing, etc.), the full price of the book will be

charged.

• If the book is damaged, but the damage is minimal (torn

pages, partially broken binding, damaged cover, etc.), half of

the price of the book will be charged.

3. Administration may hold a student’s report card at the end of the

year until all books are returned or charges are assessed.

Discipline

We believe it is God-ordained that parents bear the primary re-

sponsibility for teaching their children right behavior and attitudes.

Prestonwood Christian Academy provides an atmosphere of order

that is essential in allowing a student to lead a Spirit-controlled,

Christ-like life. It is the responsibility of the teacher to dene behav-

ioral boundaries consistent with biblical principles and developmental

capability. Teachers will establish classroom procedures and discuss

school-wide rules with students at the beginning of the school year.

A student who disobeys school or class rules or the teacher’s verbal

instructions may lose privileges or be separated from the class. When

misbehavior is habitually repeated or there is a severe infraction of

school policy, the student will be sent to the appropriate administrator.

STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS AGREE AND ACKNOWLEDGE

THAT PCA’S DECISIONS REGARDING DISCIPLINARY ACTION

SHALL BE FINAL. Students violating the student Code of Conduct

outside of the school campus or in school activities will be subject to

disciplinary action.

Code of Conduct: 24/7/365

Students are expected to represent Prestonwood Christian Academy

in a positive manner even when they are not on school grounds or

attending school functions. Students and their parents acknowledge

and understand that students are subject to discipline for conduct

occurring off-campus or during non-school hours, including

weekends, holidays and summers. The administration will deal

directly with any student who violates the Code of Conduct or draws

attention to PCA in a negative manner which may result in disciplinary

action or a student’s dismissal from the school.

Minor Infractions

The following is a non-comprehensive list of minor infractions:

1. Chewing gum while on school premises is not allowed for

students in grades 5-6.

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2. Radios, recorders, tape/CD/DVD players, toys, (including dget

spinners), comic books, electronic games or devices (including

cell phones and cameras), posters and playing/trading cards

are subject to conscation by school personnel. No electronic

devices that can connect to the internet or take pictures are

allowed during Extended Day. Cell phones must also be turned

off (not on silent or vibrate modes) and put away in lockers. Cell

phones are only allowed to be used if given direct permission

from a school ofcial. Cell phones and other electronic devices

are subject to search and seizure provisions to examine

postings, messages, pictures, graphics and depictions and

appropriate disciplinary actions may result from inappropriate

material or use.

3. Failure to comply with the PCA dress code.

4. Failure to obey all rules given by teachers.

5. Failure to follow the instructions of school adults and students

who serve as carpool safety supervisors.

6. Use of whiteboards, marker boards, or other school equipment

without a teacher’s permission.

7. If Middle School students bring cell phones or smart watches to

school, these devices must be kept off (not on silent or vibrate

modes) and put away during the school day. (8:00-3:15 M, T,

Th, F and 8:00-2:00 W)

5th Grade phones and smart watches must be turned off (not

on silent or vibrate modes) and place in the student’s backpack

and left in their homeroom for the day.

6th Grade phones and smart watches must be turned off (not

on silent or vibrate modes) and stored in the student’s locker

during the school day.

Additionally, 5th/6th Grade students may not make or receive

phone calls or text messages during 5th/6th Grade carpool.

7th and 8th Grade phones and smart watches must be turned

off (not on silent or vibrate modes) and stored in the student’s

locker during the school day. 7th Grade students may take their

cell phones/devices to Conditioning class at the end of the day

in preparation for school dismissal at 3:15. During this time, the

cell phone/device must be turned off (not on silent or vibrate

modes) and kept in the student’s backpack or in their assigned

athletics locker.

If a cell phone or electronic device inadvertently rings or

vibrates at school while student is under school supervision, the

following steps will be taken:

1st Offense - A warning will be given.

2nd Offense - The student will be assigned a Saturday school.

3rd Offense - The student will not be allowed to have the item at

school for the remainder of the school year.

8. Failure to act in a quiet and orderly fashion while in hallways,

restrooms and during carpool.

9. Failure to refrain from behavior that inhibits learning in

classroom situations.

Although not all-inclusive, the following may result in suspension

or immediate separation from the school: In all cases, the

administrator reserves the right to make the nal decision for

any disciplinary action.

Major Infractions

The following is a non-comprehensive list of major infractions.

1. Use of Abusive or Profane Language and Disrespect: Using

abusive or profane language, and showing disrespect or

insolence to teachers and classmates, will not be tolerated and

will result in disciplinary action. Non-directed profanity will

result in a minimum of one Saturday School. Directed profanity

will result in a minimum of one-day suspension.

2. Disruptive Behavior: Repeated classroom disruptions that

prohibit learning in all classroom situations will not be tolerated

and will result in disciplinary action.

3. Bullying: Repeated use of ridicule, threats, intimidation

or causing bodily harm to any person will result in certain

disciplinary action. See also: Anti-Harassment Policy in General

Section.

4. Cheating/Dishonesty: Students are responsible for preventing

the giving or receiving of assistance (written, oral or otherwise)

on tests, examinations, nal evaluation or class assignments

that are to be graded as the work of a single individual. This

also includes lying, plagiarism, or forgery. In addition, students

will receive a “0” on the assignment in question, and a possible

suspension.

5. Drug Use/Substance Abuse: The possession, use or distribution

of illegal drugs, controlled substances or alcohol and/or misuse

of over-the-counter drugs or prescription drugs, is prohibited.

Students connected to, or associated with, any drug-related

persons or events may be required to submit to drug testing

and subject to expulsion. Students in the presence of these

substances may be disciplined as well. Violation of this rule will

be dealt with whether on or off campus. Minimum Suspension:

Five (5) Days with possible expulsion.

PCA is considered a drug/alcohol-free zone and therefore

practices a zero tolerance policy as it relates to the possession,

use and/or distribution of illegal drugs or a controlled substance

on its campus.

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6. Tobacco Products: The possession, use, or distribution of

tobacco product(s) such as but not limited to electronic cigarettes,

cigars, chewing tobacco etc. is prohibited. Minimum suspension:

two (2) days. PCA is considered a tobacco-free zone.

7. Electronic Device or Medium: A misuse, as dened by the

Acceptable Use Policy of an electronic device or medium or

a signicant abuse of such privilege may result in disciplinary

action. These items are not allowed to be on or used during

the school day. Additionally, students must understand that

inappropriate material or depictions sent, posted, shared or

possessed on any electronic device including cell phones and

the Internet are subject to appropriate disciplinary action at the

discretion of PCA administration.

If there is a deliberate misuse of a cell phone or electronic device,

the following steps will be taken:

1st Offense - The student will be assigned a Saturday School.

2nd Offense - The student will be assigned one Saturday School.

3rd Offense - The student will be given two Saturday Schools and

lose phone privileges at school.

8. Fighting: Students are responsible for settling confrontations in a

peaceful manner and without the use of violence. Fighting or play

ghting will not be tolerated on or near school grounds or at any

school-sponsored activity.

Students are reminded that ghting may result in suspension.

9. Violation of Fire Safety Regulations: Violations of re regulations,

including tampering with re alarms, using matches, lighters,

or recrackers, will be considered serious offenses. Minimum

Suspension: One (1) day.

10. Gambling: Card playing for the purpose of gambling, or any other

form of gambling, is forbidden. Minimum Suspension: One (1)

Day.

11. Immorality: Students are expected to maintain moral purity as is

outlined in God’s Word. Unacceptable sexual behavior includes

but is not limited to inappropriate contact

and any issue associated with pornography, whether on or off

campus. Minimum Suspension: Five (5) Days.

12. Insubordination/Disrespect: Insubordination or disrespect,

including lying to a staff member or administration; may result in

an automatic Saturday School, or possible suspension.

13. Stealing: Knowingly taking items that do not belong to you, with

the intent to deprive the owner of its use, constitutes stealing.

Minimum Suspension: Two (2) Days.

14. Truancy: Missing school or any part of a school day without

parent or teacher permission is truancy. Students must obtain

permission before leaving a classroom. On campus truancy -

Saturday School, off campus truancy - One (1) Day Suspension.

15. Vandalism: Destruction or defacing of property belonging to

the school, PBC, or others, including textbooks, will result in

disciplinary action as well as assessing compensatory damages.

Minimum Suspension: One (1) Day, plus full restitution, including

labor and cost of repairs.

16. Possession of Weapons: The possession, use, threat of use,

distribution or attempted distribution (by sale, gift or otherwise)

of any type of operable or inoperable weapon such as rearms,

knives, switchblades, mace, tear gas, bullets, reworks and

other explosives is expressly forbidden. Whether designed as a

weapon or not, an object will be considered a weapon if it is used

as a weapon. This includes toys and/or replicas of weapons.

Minimum Suspension: Five (5) Days with possible expulsion.

17. Public Display of Romantic Affection: Students are not allowed to

show public dispay of romantic affection on campus.

1st Offense - Verbal warning

2nd Offense - Parent Conference

3rd Offense - Saturday School

And after the 3rd Offense - Principal’s discretion for

consequences for any further occurrences.

18. Repeated violation of minor infractions will be considered a

major infraction.

Discipline Method

This process will normally follow specic steps as described below:

• The teacher is the rst line of authority on addressing behavior

requiring discipline.

If the behavior continues, a parent will be contacted.

• If there is still no resolution of the problem and parents have

been notied of a discipline problem, a school administrator will

become involved. At this time a phone call or conference with

the parents, administrator and/or teacher and child will be held to

implement a plan of action to resolve the situation.

• Discipline referrals will be given to the student and a copy will be

sent to the parent.

Detention and Saturday School

Detentions may be given when students fail to comply with school

regulations and may be given before or after school, during lunch or

Saturday mornings. Failure to report to detention on time or disruptive

behavior during detention could result in further disciplinary action. If a

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student misses a detention or Saturday School, he/she will need

to serve two. Parents will be notied of a student’s detention.

Saturday School will be from 7:00 to 10:00 a.m. Students

attending Saturday School must:

• Arrive in school uniform at 6:55 a.m.

• Pay $25 upon arrival

• Bring supplies (pen, paper and school work) for a silent study

hall. Students who arrive after 7:05 a.m. or fail to bring their $25

payment will not be permitted to stay for Saturday School.

Suspension

A student may be suspended from school following parent

communication. Specic changes in attitudes and actions will be

expected prior to re-admission. A re-admission parent/administrator

conference is necessary for the student to return to school.

Disciplinary probation may be invoked when a student is suspended

from school. An administrator has the authority at all times to

suspend a student for any violation of a school rule. The length of

suspension will be determined by the administrator.

There are two types of suspensions:

In-School Suspension: Students who violate a major school

rule may be assigned in-school suspension. While excluded from

participating in regular classes, students are to complete class work

as they are able.

Out-of-School Suspension: This is for a designated period of time

during which students are not allowed to attend school. Work missed

during any suspension is required to be made up over a reasonable

time period as determined by administration.

Restoration Plan

It is always the intention of Prestonwood Christian Academy to

lovingly restore students after a period of suspension. “Loving them

back onto the team” is the only Christ-like option. As a means to

that end, the following guidelines will govern the re-admission of

suspended students:

At the beginning of the suspension period, PCA staff and

administration will:

• Clearly identify the offense at both the beginning and end of the

suspension.

• Assist the student in verbalizing why the offense was

inappropriate and/or harmful.

• Notify the student’s teachers/coaches of the suspension term,

but not the nature of the offense.

At the end of the suspension period, PCA staff and administration

will:

• Conduct a re-entry interview with the student and at least one

parent.

• Assist the student in identifying a plan to ensure improvement.

• Remind the student of their importance in the PCA community.

• Explain that the student is on disciplinary probation and its

ramications, if applicable.

• Engage in a time of prayer in which the administrator and

parent(s) pray for the student and the student prays for any

whom they have offended as well as themselves.

• In addition, staff will be encouraged to call the student with

words of encouragement (not lecture) prior to re-admission to

ease the discomfort/embarrassment of the student.

Disciplinary Probation

Students who accumulate a series of minor infractions or are guilty

of a major infraction may be subject to disciplinary probation [see

listing of infractions.]. While on probation, the student’s behavior

will be closely monitored by teachers and school administration.

Methods to address behavioral change will be recommended.

Disciplinary probation may include denial of privileges and

participation in school activities. The length of the probation period

will be determined by the administration. Parents will be informed

of the probationary status. If a student on disciplinary probation is

involved in any disciplinary infraction (major or minor), he/she may

be subject to immediate dismissal at the discretion of the school

administration following the guidelines outlined under the section

titled “Expulsion” below.

Expulsion

Attendance at Prestonwood Christian Academy is a privilege. Any

student whose conduct in or out of school that shows him/her to be

in opposition to the basic principles and purposes of Prestonwood

Christian Academy will be required to withdraw from the school.

Expulsion will be required if it becomes apparent that the school

will not be able to meet the needs of a student, or that the student’s

behavior is preventing classroom instruction. Expulsion may also be

recommended for unresolved academic or disciplinary probation.

When expulsion is recommended, a date of withdrawal from the

school will be set and the withdrawal procedure followed.

Attendance

Arrival and Dismissal

Following are the school day times for grades 5-8:

• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday

8:00 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.

• Wednesday 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

All students may only be picked up immediately upon dismissal

through designated carpool lines or by release to a parent from a

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designated area, unless they are involved in a school-sponsored

activity or sport. Any student in grades 5-8 not picked up by 3:40

p.m. will be sent to Extended Day and charged the appropriate fees.

Students will not be allowed to go to Main Street Café or the Sports

and Fitness Center. Doing so will result in disciplinary action by the

administration.

In addition, students are not permitted to walk between the Lower

School and the Upper School campuses.

Carpool

1. Students may not be dropped off at the carpool drop off points

prior to 7:50 a.m. Students in grades 5-8 arriving between

7:30 and the 7:50 a.m. must be signed in carpool time must be

accompanied to the Lower School cafetorium and signed in by a

parent in Early Morning Care.

2. Afternoon carpool will begin following the 3:15 p.m. dismissal. To

maximize our instructional day, we will not load cars until after

the 3:15 p.m. dismissal.

3. Parents are expected to remain in their vehicles in order to

expedite the dismissal process.

Absences

When your child is absent from school, please call or email the

school receptionist. The following procedures apply to absences:

1. Teachers and the receptionist will maintain an accurate record of

attendance and tardiness. The attendance record will appear on

report cards.

2. Please call (972-798-6780) or email the receptionist by 9:00

a.m. on the day of the absence.

3. Attendance is recorded by class period.

4. Students who are not present for two full academic subjects

of the school day may not be permitted to participate in

extracurricular activities on that particular day without

administrative approval.

5. If an absent student needs homework assignments, the

best method of obtaining the homework assignments is from

another student. Otherwise, the student or parent should check

NetClassroom/NetCommunity or email the teacher requesting

the assignments. Teachers do not always check their emails

during the school day, resulting in some responses to emails

being delayed.

6. Students will have one day for each day absent to make up

work, provided the absence is excused. A plan for making up

work for an extended absence should be arranged with each

teacher.

7. An absence that is initiated from the school and given prior

approval by the administration is not reected on the report

card. These include school-scheduled eld trips, activities, and

school sporting events where the participant is involved. In

accordance with the Texas Education Code, students must be

in attendance a minimum of 90% of the school year. A student

may not miss more than 9 days per semester. Once a student

has missed 5 or more days, a doctor’s note will be required. An

attendance committee will review absences over 9 per semester

to determine the educational progress of the student. Saturday

School may be assigned for credit recovery.

Excused and Unexcused Absences

Release from Class: An absence which is initiated from the school

and given prior approval by the administrator, such as school-

scheduled eld trips and school-initiated/school-scheduled activities,

are not reported on the student’s report card.

Excused Absences: The following absences will be considered

excused if the school receives a note from the parent within three

days after the student returns to school. If a note is not received

within three days, the absence will be considered unexcused

which carries an academic penalty on course work missed. These

absences include illness of student or a doctor’s appointment, death

in the immediate family, unavoidable family emergency,

or a court appearance.

• Pre-Approved Absences: For the following absences to be

excused, they must be cleared in advance with the principal or

assistant principal. With advance notice, these absences will still

be counted on the report card, but without penalty for make-

up work or tests, if submitted on time. Students are permitted

ve pre-approved absences during the school year. Absences

exceeding this amount are at the principal’s discretion. Pre-

approved absences include family vacation, church retreat or a

mission trip.

• Make-up Work: Students must make up all work missed due

to approved absences. Students are required to meet with the

teacher to make arrangements for missed work. A student who

misses any portion of the day must have a note from the doctor

or approval from the principal or assistant principal in order to

participate in any extra-curricular activities that day. A student

will have one day for each day he/she is absent to make up any

work or tests missed in class, provided the absence is excused.

• Doctor Appointment: A doctor’s note is required in order for the

absence/tardy to be considered excused.

• Unexcused Absences: All other absences are unexcused and

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counted with the student’s total absences recorded on the

student’s report card.

• When a student is absent from school because of illness, the

student—upon returning to school—must bring a note signed by

the parent that describes the reason for the absence. Five parent

notes are allowed per semester to receive an excused absence.

Once the student has exceeded the allowable amount of parent

notes, all subsequent absences will be unexcused unless a

doctor’s note is provided.

• In conjunction with Texas State Law, our attendance policy

requires that a student not incur more than nine absences that

are excused, unexcused or pre-approved (10%) of a particular

period per semester. If a student has more than nine absences,

he or she may be assigned to attend Saturday School in order

to make up time missed during the semester. You will be notied

if your student reaches nine absences for any period, along with

the appropriate action that will be taken.

• We would ask that you please refrain from picking your child up

early as it affects our instruction time.

Tardies to School

Students are expected to be in their seat and ready for the start of

the school day by the time the tardy bell rings at 8:00 a.m. In order

to be on time, students should be dropped off no later than 7:50 a.m.

Students coming into the building after the 8:00 a.m. tardy bell will be

required to sign in with the receptionist. Excused tardies will include

doctor/dental visits, illness and trafc situations that result in a large

number of students being late. All other tardies will be considered

unexcused. Three unexcused tardies count as one unexcused

absence for the purpose of perfect attendance awards.

In the event of excessive tardies, an administrator will notify the

parents.

• 1st Tardy - Warning; Parent notied by school ofcial

• 2nd Tardy - Warning; Parent notied by school ofcial

• 3rd Tardy - One detention; parents notied

• 4th Tardy - Two detentions; parents notied

• 5th Tardy - One Saturday School

• 6th Tardy - Two Saturday Schools

• 7th Tardy - Parent conference and possible suspension

Tardies to Class

Students are expected to be in their seats when the bell rings.

Arriving more than 5 minutes late to class unexcused (unless there

is an extenuating circumstance determined at the discretion of

administration) is considered excessive tardiness and will result in

additional consequences.

• 1st Tardy - One detention; parents notied

• 2nd Tardy - Two detentions; parents notied by teacher

• 3rd Tardy - One Saturday School

• 4th Tardy - Two Saturday Schools

• 5th Tardy - May result in suspension

Students will begin each semester with zero tardies in each class.

Co-curricular

(athletics, ne arts, academics) Programs

In order for students to participate in Middle School athletics, a physi-

cal by a physician will be required. The appropriate forms must be

on le with the Athletic Ofce prior to the rst practice of the sport in

which the student is participating. Middle School athletic wear, must

be worn by all athletes during practices unless otherwise specied by

the coaches. Competitive sports and other co-curricular activities can

contribute to a well-rounded education; however, such activities are

co-curricular and require some basis for eligibility in order to insure

that these activities support rather than hinder a student’s overall

education. Students in grade 7 and 8 must have a passing grade of

70% or higher in all classes in order to be eligible for sports or co-

curricular activities. A student who receives a grade of 69% or below

in one or more classes will be ineligible for three weeks. If a student

has a passing grade in the class after three weeks, the student will

regain eligibility. Ineligible students may also be subject to academic

probation.

The three weeks will begin on the Monday after grades are posted on

NetClassroom/NetCommunity and end at the completion of the school

day on the third Friday.

After three weeks of ineligibility, if ALL grades are above 70%, the

student may return to co-curricular participation. During the ineligible

period, the student may practice, but not travel, suit up or participate

with or in the co-curricular area they are involved. If after three weeks,

the student is still failing a class, grades will be checked weekly, and

when ALL grades are above 70%, the student may return to co-

curricular activities.

Sportsmanship Code of Conduct

All types of competitive team experiences contribute signicantly to

the development of Christian character, mutual support and school

spirit. Sportsmanship is an important part of this training. We expect

our coaches, players and students to represent PCA in a manner that

is respectful of others on and off the eld of play. We also encourage

and endorse the enthusiastic support of parents and friends. In the

process, we expect all to uphold the same high standards that we ask

of our students. Opposing teams and their fans are to be treated as

honored guests. Students who fail to meet these standards will face

disciplinary action or be removed from athletic participation.

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Fees

Fees are required for most co-curricular activities. Access to grades

will be withheld for unpaid fees or items that are not returned.

Birthdays and Special Occasions

A child’s birthday is very special. If you would like to provide birthday

refreshments at the school, this must be done during the lunch time.

School birthday celebrations are not an occasion to exchange gifts.

For children with summer birthdays, please contact the teacher to

determine a day and time to celebrate the summer birthday. Should

a parent wish to provide lunch for a grade level, please contact the

Middle School ofces prior to the date of the lunch so that Main Street

Café may be notied regarding students missing lunch. For birthday

parties outside of school, please adhere to these guidelines:

1. Invitations may not be distributed in school unless the entire class

is invited. If they are distributed in school, they may be distributed

only at a designated time approved by the teacher.

After school carpool lines may not be used as pick up times for

birthday parties. As children age, they should have certain things to

anticipate upon entering Upper School. Because of this, owers and/or

gift baskets may not be delivered to students during the school day or

at any school-sponsored event or program. The exception to this would

be participation in the annual Friends of the Library carnation sales.

Classroom Visits

We welcome visitors to our classrooms. However, we want to minimize

disruption to classroom instruction. Parents who wish to observe

classes must do so within the following guidelines:

1. Contact the teacher or an administrator in advance to schedule

your visit to coincide with the class you wish to observe.

2. At the time of your visit, please sign in with the receptionist

and obtain a visitor’s badge. You must sign out and return your

visitor’s badge at the conclusion of your visit.

3. Visitors (other than parents) who wish to visit PCA must get prior

written permission from the school administration. This includes

lunch visits with current PCA students.

Closed Campus

Prestonwood Christian Academy maintains a closed campus. All

visitors to the Middle School must enter the building at the Lower

School main entrance facing Midway Road or the Upper School main

entrance, whichever is applicable. All other doors leading into the

buildings will remain locked during the school day to provide maximum

security for all students.

Dress Code

The administration reserves the right to determine if a student is

dressed and groomed appropriately. Prestonwood Christian Academy

has chosen to implement the dress code policy by the adoption of a

uniform program. We require that all uniforms be purchased through

DENNIS Uniform. DENNIS can assist you with the required compo-

nents for each grade level. There are clear biblical principles that ought

to govern choice for dress:

1. Dress types are deemed inappropriate if they attract undue

attention to the outward appearance, detracting from the reection

of Christ, which initiates internally

(1 Timothy 2:9-10).

2. Dress is to be distinctively masculine and feminine, reecting

a wholesome appreciation for God’s creative plan

(Deuteronomy 22:5).

3. Immodesty in dress is incompatible with the concept of the

Christian as one indwelt by the Holy Spirit, God Himself

(1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

General Dress Code Guidelines

• Shirts are to be tucked in at all times.

• Only PCA approved sweaters, jackets, sweatshirts, windbreakers

and eeces may be worn during the school day.

• Belts must be worn with shorts or pants.

• Hats may not be worn inside the school building.

• Abnormal hairstyles are not permitted.

• Tattoos and/or body piercing (except ear-piercings for girls) are

not permitted while student is enrolled at PCA.

• Socks, if worn, must be white, navy or black.

• It is important for every uniform item to be identied with the

owner’s name. PCA is not responsible for misplaced items.

• Pants and shorts must be worn above the hips.

• Shoes must have a closed toe and heel.

• Appropriate undergarments must be worn at all times.

At all before hour and after hour PCA events (sporting events, ne

arts events, etc.), students do not need to be in uniform but must be

dressed modestly.

Dress Code Guidelines for Girls

• Skirt and skort length should not be shorter than four inches from

the crease of the back of the knee. Shorts length should not be

shorter than six inches from the crease in the back of the knee.

• Shirts and blouses are to be tucked into slacks, shorts and skirts

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at all times, with the exception of the three-quarter sleeved shirt

worn by the girls and the girls cut, tted polo shirt.

• Modesty shorts are to be worn under skirts and jumpers

at all times.

• PCA approved sweatshirts may be worn over uniform shirts.

• Only PCA approved sweaters, jackets, sweatshirts, windbreakers

and eeces may be worn during the school day.

• Only solid white T-shirts (without writing) may be worn under

uniform shirts.

• Camisoles worn under uniform, eld trip or spirit shirts

must be white and not visible.

• Shoes must have a closed toe and heel.

No boots of any type.

No ip-ops, clogs, sandals or moccasin-type footwear including

slippers/house shoes or shoes with wheels.

• Socks, if worn, must be white, navy or black.

• Tights - white, navy or black. Aerobic tights, warm-ups, long johns

or stirrup pants are not acceptable. Leggings may be worn but

must be solid navy or black.

• Belts are to be worn if shorts or slacks have belt loops. (navy,

black or brown)

• Jewelry should be modest, small and delicate, with no oversized

earrings or necklaces and should not draw attention to yourself;

two piercings per ear only.

• Nail polish - one color to be worn at a time.

• Hair accessories should be modest, small and delicate, and

coordinate colors with uniform; hair pieces are not allowed.

• Highlighting and coloring of hair are permitted as long as the

highlights and color are a natural hair color and the highlights

blend with the hair color.

• For girls in grades 5-6, make-up may not be worn during the

school day. For girls in grades 7-8, make-up may be worn in

moderation.

• Hats may not be worn during the school day.

Dress Code Guidelines for Boys

• Shirts are to be tucked into slacks and shorts at all times.

• Only solid white T-shirts (without writing) may be worn under

uniform shirts.

• Shirts worn under uniform shirts must be same color as uniform

shirt.

• PCA approved sweatshirts may be worn over uniform shirts.

• Only PCA approved sweaters, jackets, sweatshirts, windbreakers

and eeces may be worn during the school day.

• Shoes must have a closed toe and heel.

• No ip-ops, clogs or sandals or moccasin-type footwear

including slippers/house shoes or shoes with wheels.

• Socks if worn, must be white, navy or black.

• Belts (navy, black or brown) are to be worn at all times.

• Jewelry - should be modest and not over-sized;

no piercings.

• Hair may not touch the top of the collar or be below the middle of

the ears and must be trimmed above the eyebrows.

• Bleached and highlighted hair is not permitted. Coloring

of hair is permitted as long as it is dyed a natural color.

• Hats may not be worn during the school day.

• Students are not permitted to wear pants with the hems torn or

ripped.

Dress Code for All Students

Field Trip Attire

Students must wear required eld trip attire (uniform shirt and uniform

pants, skirt, or shorts) unless special permission has been obtained

from an administrator. No baggy jeans, jeggings or jeans with holes,

rips, frays or tears will be allowed. Belts must be worn if jeans have

belt loops and shirts must be tucked in at all times. All uniform sweat-

ers, sweatshirts and jackets are appropriate to wear on eld trips. Spe-

cial dress guidelines for eld trips may be communicated as needed

depending on nature of trip.

Chapel Attire

• Girls: Plaid skirt with light blue oxford shirt. Honor Guard may

wear Honor Guard shirt on Chapel day.

• Boys: Navy or khaki slacks (7/8) or shorts (5/6) with blue and

white striped oxford. Honor Guard may wear Honor Guard shirt

on Chapel day.

58 | MIDDLE SCHOOL - NORTH CAMPUS Parent/Student Handbook

NORTH CAMPUS - MIDDLE SCHOOL (5—8)

Spirit Day Attire

Most items purchased through The Hub, which include PCA-branded

t-shirts, sweatshirts, and denim shirts, are acceptable to be worn with

uniform shorts, slacks, and denim pants. No denim shorts or skorts

are allowed. No baggy jeans, jeggings or jeans with holes, rips, tears

or frays or non-uniform shorts are allowed. Belts are to be worn in

adherence with the general dress code guidelines for boys.

Physical Education

All students in grades 7-8 will be required to dress out for their P.E.

classes. The required shorts and shirts may be purchased through

The Hub.

Extended Day

Attending Extended Day is considered a privilege. Students partici-

pating in this program should adhere to the PCA Code of Conduct.

An administrator at all times has the authority to remove a student

from Extended Day. Students not picked up by 3:30 p.m. on Monday,

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday or 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday must go to

extended care until parents arrive.

Prestonwood Christian Academy provides Extended Day for an

additional fee. Extended Day will begin at 3:15 p.m. for students in

grades 5-8. Extended Day ends at 6:00 p.m. each school day. Sign-up

for Extended Day is available on the PCA website.

Field Trips

Field trips will be taken during the school year. They are fun and

informative learning experiences, primarily designed to enrich the

curriculum of PCA. The Parent Authorization Form, which must be

on le before your child begins school, releases the school from any

liability. Any parent who wishes to drive on a eld trip must be cleared

by PCA to chaperone or drive on eld trips. Any parent interested,

please submit your name to the Middle School Administrative ofces

to begin the process.

1. PCA activities are for current PCA students only. No other

students are allowed to attend. Siblings are not allowed to attend.

2. Any student on disciplinary or academic probation may be

excluded from the eld trip.

3. School rules, regulations, and policies are in effect on all eld

trips on or off campus.

4. The sponsoring teacher will communicate the dress code.

5. If parents choose not to allow their child to participate in a

scheduled eld trip, parents should make other arrangements for

their child’s care and an absence will be documented.

6. Parent chaperones are secured in advance for all eld trips.

Parents deciding to attend a eld trip at the last minute will

require approval from the PCA administrative ofce.

Guidelines for Field Trips

• Students are to behave in a manner that is pleasing and honoring

to God and themselves. We are representing God, PCA, our

families, ourselves and Prestonwood Baptist Church.

• Staff sponsors and chaperones are responsible for the behavior

of all students while under their care and have the authority to

correct a student.

• Students are expected to follow the directions of the adult

leaders.

• Girls and boys are to be in separate seats on the bus. This rule

may not apply in personal vehicles being used for transportation,

but whenever possible, girls and guys will be separated while

traveling.

• Students are to be supervised at all times. Students cannot

wander off. Students will be responsible for being where they are

supposed to be on time and doing what they are expected.

• Students are not permitted to bring cell phones with them on eld

trips. The staff leaders and chaperones will be responsible for

making necessary phone calls. Parents will be provided with a

leader’s cell number in case of an emergency.

• Students are not allowed to leave early without a PCA staff

member approval.

Music and Dancing

The appreciation for beauty and the ability to create works of art are

uniquely human traits which give strong witness to the biblical view

that God created man in His own likeness. As such, PCA places a high

priority on the development of an appreciation for the ne arts, and we

encourage students to participate in various forms of aesthetic creativ-

ity during their years at PCA. It is the desire of PCA that students learn

to make choices in the areas of music, drama, visual and literary art

and dance that are based on an understanding of our responsibility to

live within the personal, present reality of a holy and loving God who

has given us His creative nature to use for our enjoyment and His

ultimate glory. Dance may be evaluated in the same manner in which

we evaluate other art forms. It has the same potential to reect the

beauty of a God-given, creative nature of fallen man. Dance, which in

its style and purpose is done for beauty, recreation or as an expres-

sion of cultural tradition, may be acceptable. Dance which accentuates

the nature of fallen man, which appeals to the physical appetite, or is

sexually suggestive does not reveal the image of God created in us.

It is the desire of PCA that students refrain from choosing the types of

59 | MIDDLE SCHOOL - NORTH CAMPUS Parent/Student Handbook

NORTH CAMPUS - MIDDLE SCHOOL (5—8)

music and dancing that are worldly in nature and that brings glory to

self instead of bringing glory to God.

Searches of Students

Students and their lockers shall be subject to searches by school

ofcials including but not limited to student’s outer clothing, pockets,

locker or belongings.

Students also understand and agree that PCA shall have the right to

monitor or examine any electronic device at the school or any PCA

activity. Additionally, PCA may monitor or examine any postings on the

Internet or other electronic medium which includes but is not limited to

text messages and postings on personal web sites, social networking

sites or other private or public domains. Such monitoring includes but

is not limited to all verbiage, pictures, depictions, graphics and videos.

Students understand and agree that they are responsible for and

may be subject to disciplinary action for inappropriate material sent,

posted, made available, shown to others or possessed by the student

themselves.

Use of Third Party Security Enforcement

The school shall retain the right to utilize third party resources such as

security guards, canine units, etc., to further establish a secure zone

on the PCA campus.

Volunteers

We welcome parent volunteers to assist in various classroom/school

activities. Any parent wishing to volunteer must have a completed

background check on le.

North Campus

Middle School (5-8)

Administration

Greg Wright Principal Middle/Upper School

Jane Agee Administrative Assistant

Sandy Matthews Nurse

60 | LOWER SCHOOL - PLANO CAMPUS Parent/Student Handbook

PLANO CAMPUS - LOWER SCHOOL (Pre-K—4)

Plano Campus

Lower School

Pre-K3—Grade 4

Parent/Student Handbook

2018-19

61 | LOWER SCHOOL - PLANO CAMPUS Parent/Student Handbook

PLANO CAMPUS - LOWER SCHOOL (Pre-K—4)

Academics

Class Placement

It is our goal to balance each class with equal boy/girl ratios, but it

is not always possible. Parental requests for specic teachers will

not be honored. Placement of students is an administrative and

teacher decision. Educational and social needs are carefully and

closely considered when making class assignments.

Grading Scale

The grading scales used by the Lower School are as follows:

Pre-K 3, 4 & 5 Year Olds

These classes provide a detailed checklist so you can see

precisely what skills your child is learning and mastering.

Kindergarten

Grading Scale Conduct

E - Excellent +

G - Good

N - Needs Improvement

U - Unsatisfactory

Grades 1-2

Letter Grades: Letter Grades: Conduct

Scale

A, B, C or D G-Good or N-Needs

Improvement

Reading Science

Writing/Grammar Social Studies

Spelling Bible

Math Penmanship

Grades 3-4

A+

98-100

B+

87-89

C+

77-79

D+

67-69

0-59

93-97

83-86

73-76

63-66

A-

90-92

B-

80-82

C-

70-72

D-

60-62

Enrichment

Academic and Conduct - K-Grade 2

Exceptional +

Regularly beyond expectations

Progressing within expectations

Experiencing difculty;

inconsistent progress

Below expectations -