Michiana Covenant Academy Student Handbook
14567 Cleveland Road, Granger, IN 46530 | www.michianacovenant.org
Michiana Covenant Academy is designed to serve homeschoolers
by offering academic classes by qualified teachers for students in grades K-12.
We offer classes in three 10-week trimesters, with spring, fall, and winter breaks.
We are under the oversight of Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church
and have been granted the privilege of using their facilities.
Board:
The board will consist of the administrator, one member of the Church, one elder, one deacon, if available and at least 2 parents as a minimum (a teacher is eligible to serve on the board). The board will be elected by the Church elders and will serve for renewable 2 year terms. The administrator will be elected by the Church elders and may serve for renewable 3 year terms. The Church elders can renew the term of any board member or administrator with mutual consent.
All teachers must be approved by the Church elders and all classes must be board approved.
The Church elders of Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church have final authority under God for any issue irresolvable by the Administrator and the Board.
All changes to this Handbook will be submitted to the Church elders. All meetings will have minutes which are to be submitted to the Church elders after each meeting.
For the Parents:
Attendance:
Only registered, paid students will be allowed to attend classes.
Parents may observe a class period only through prior arrangement with said teacher.
Siblings of students or children of the teacher or their aide will not be allowed in the classroom unless they are a paid participant.
Students should be in their designated seat and ready to begin 2 minutes before class begins. Please be sure to be on time as a courtesy to the teacher and the other students.
Snow days will be announced via email, by the administrator. We are unable to make up for missed days.
Illness:
Masks are optional for all students/teachers. We ask that if you show any cold or flu symptoms, you stay home. If someone in your family is sick, we ask that all students and teachers either stay home or come masked to MCA. If anyone in your family has a known Covid-19 exposure or diagnosis, we ask that you stay home.
Sign in/out:
Parent/guardian or Students who drive themselves/siblings will physically enter the building and sign in each of their registered students no more than 15 minutes prior to class. They will sign out and pick up students no later than 15 minutes after class is over.
Pick up your child(ren) after the last class that your child(ren) attend. Do not leave your child(ren) in Study Hall if they do not have another class for the remainder of the day.
Absence:
Please notify the Administrator via email of all absences, both planned and sudden. If student has a planned absence, (e.g. vacation), please let their teachers know in advance.
If a teacher is ill, they will notify the Administrator, who will arrange for a substitute/or set up a zoom call. Any new homework will be available at the desk or sent via email to the students.
Academy Forms/Fees:
A non-refundable registration fee of $60.00 per family is due at registration and payable only once per academic school year, late registration fee is $75.00.
Each Course fee is $95.00, and each Lab fee is $50.00/$55.00 per student per 10 week trimester. If a family registers for 6 or more classes (not including labs) then the price for each class is reduced to $90.00.
Material Fees may be applicable and are stated on the course description.
Monitored Study Hall is available at no additional charge to students who have a free period between their classes—or a student whose sibling still has another class period after their classes are finished for the day.
All registration forms, and all fees are due on the first day of each trimester. Please make sure to fill out these forms completely.
For the Student:
General Principles
When asked which was the greatest commandment in the Law, Jesus answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40).
- About Teachers, and Other Students:
Since all people are created in the image of God, students are to be respectful of their teachers, their fellow students, and other people at all times, both verbally and physically. Words or actions that are designed to intimidate, bully, or harass others are not acceptable.
Remember, if the other person doesn’t think what you are saying or doing is kind and loving, then you need to stop. - About the Building and Things in it, or around it:
Since we are stewards of creation, students are to be respectful both of church property, as well as the belongings of others. This includes clean up after each activity. Do not run or roughhouse inside the building. - About What to Do when Someone does not follow these principles:
When someone else is acting inappropriately towards another person, love of neighbor requires that we take action. If you witness inappropriate behavior or language, either directed against you or others, please either speak with the person, and/or report it to the person at the front desk, or to a teacher.
In the Classroom/Study Hall:
Students are responsible for all assigned homework. Bring only those materials which are required for class.
Students will dress modestly, which includes shirts to the shoulder, messages on clothing, length of clothing and or anything that may hinder yourselves and others to have an environment that is conducive to loving God and loving others while at MCA.
Food and drink are allowed during break time/lunch time only in the fellowship hall. There is to be no food or drink, (except bottled water) in the sanctuary,
There are breaks between classes for restroom use and arriving promptly for the next class.
Students will be allowed outside play during lunch on days when we have a volunteer adult supervisor. Otherwise, they are to remain in the building, or on the front sidewalk where the SH monitor can see them.
Study Hall is designed for study. Students are encouraged to bring schoolwork/quiet things to do for Study Hall hours (crochet/knitting, a book, a game, etc.). If you bring an electronic device (phone, tablet, laptop), please be respectful and appropriate with its use. Electronic devices are for personal study or communication use, and not to be shared with others. Please refrain from social media use, videos, or other non-educational use while at MCA.
Remember that even if you are not personally studying, others are—please be respectful of them and keep your voice and your activities quiet. All activities accepted in study hall are under the discretion of the study hall monitor.
Lunch time is from 11:50-12:20. There are no heating or cooling options available for student lunches so please pack accordingly. Lunch time will end at 12:20 and students are to clean up after themselves and prepare for the 12:30 class.
Discipline:
Discipline will be reserved for serious and/or repeated infractions.
If a student ignores/resists the direction of a teacher/Academy staff, the student may be removed from the classroom and the parent will be notified.
A meeting will be held immediately with the student, parent, and teacher/staff member to discuss the situation. The goal of all such meetings will be reconciliation based on repentance and forgiveness, so that offenders recognize the harmfulness of their actions, and begin to establish new patterns.
If such a meeting does not produce satisfactory results, a parent can request a meeting with the teacher, administrator and an elder from Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church, together with a representative of your faith community (if desired).
If acceptable reconciliation does not occur, the student will be suspended from the Academy. Authorization from the administrator will be required prior to the student attending any further classes at the Academy.
Academic Probation:
A teacher will notify the parents and the administrator as soon as a student is failing a class.
A student who fails a class may be placed on academic probation by a teacher for this class for the following trimester.
If a student is placed on academic probation, the teacher will notify the parents and the administrator.
After failing two consecutive trimesters a student may be denied enrollment in this class for the following trimester.
A student who plagiarizes may be placed on academic probation and may receive a failing grade on plagiarized assignment.
Plagiarism:
Plagiarism is defined as:
1) copying directly from a text of any form without reference to the author and text. Simply replacing a few words, using a few sentences, or copying a complete paragraph without reference is considered plagiarism.
2) The use of any electronic sources without reference to the original source so as to suggest that it is the student’s own work. This includes use of ChatGPT or other AI based writing tools.
3) A direct facsimile of an image without acknowledgment of its source. For more clarification please see: Plagiarism and Copyright | Notre Dame
Rev 2/23 Doc4/4