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MCAG Parent Handbook 1
2017-2018
Parent Handbook
Midland Classical Academy
A Christian Classical Educational Institute
MCAG Parent Handbook 2
The Grammar School at Midland Classical Academy
MCA Purpose Statement Engaging Minds. Pursuing Christ. Discovering Greatness.
General Information Address: 5711 Whitman Drive, Bldg. B
Midland, TX 79705
Phone: 699-7300
Fax: 699-7301
Website: www.mcaknights.org
Executive Committee Rachel Beard
Kim Doan
Lindsy Dunn
Laura Shuman
Head Administrator Amy Avampato
Assistant Administrator Amanda Bell
Karissa Bledsoe
Friday Administrator Erin Berridge
Curriculum Coordinator Sheena McMillian
Administrative Assistant Jean Hunt
School Nurse Julie Johnson
Librarian Shanon Sauders
Office Hours School Year Summer
Monday – Thursday Tuesday - Thursday
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Friday
8:00 a.m. – 12:50 p.m.
School Hours Monday – Thursday 8:30 a.m. -3:30 p.m.
Friday Section I: 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m. Section I: 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Student Lunch Schedule Kindergarten 11:00 a.m. – 11:25 a.m.
First & Second Grade 11:25 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.
Third & Fourth Grade 11:50 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Fifth & Sixth Grade 12:15 p.m. – 12:40 p.m.
MCAG Parent Handbook 3
SCHOOL CALENDAR 2017-2018
Early Curriculum Pick Up Wed., Aug., 10th
Kindergarten Meet the Teacher Wed., Aug. 10th
Orientation (parents of all students) Thurs., Aug. 17th
Meet the Teacher (M/W-9AM,T/Th-10AM) Fri., Aug. 18th M/W @ 9am T/Th @ 10am
First Day of School M/W–Aug. 21st, T/Th–Aug. 22rd
Family Training Friday, August 25th (time TBA)
No Friday School Friday, September 1st
Labor Day Holiday (No School) Mon & Tues, Sept 4th & 5th
First Day of Friday School Friday, September 8th
Vision & Hearing Screening September 11th – 14th
Substitute Training Wed., Sep. 13th & Thur. Sep. 14th @ 10am
Picture Day T/Th September 26th – M/W September 27th
A Knight to Remember Saturday, October 7th 6:00 – 10:00 pm
Vision & Hearing Re-Screening October 2nd – 5th
Dad’s Breakfast Thursday, October 12th
Spic & Span Day Sat., October 28th
No Friday Classes Fri., November 17th
Thanksgiving Break Mon-Fri, Nov. 20th – 24th
Spic & Span Day Sat., December 2nd
Christmas Parties M/W December 13th –T/Th December 14th @ 2:45
No Friday Classes Fri., Dec. 15th
Christmas Break December 18th – January 5th
Second Semester Begins M/W Jan. 8h – T/Th Jan. 9th
MCAG Parent Handbook 4
Library Book Character Week January 22nd – 26th
Dad’s Breakfast Thurs., Feb. 22nd
No Friday Classes Fri., Mar. 9th
Spring Break March 12th – 16th
Easter Parties M/W March 28th -T/Th March 29th
No Friday Classes (Easter) Fri., March 30th
Friday Spring Program Fri., April 20th
No Friday Classes Friday, April 27th
CPT Comp, Testing Prog. (3rd – 6th) Apr. 25th – May 1st
Last Day of School M/W May 2nd – T/Th May 3rd Last day of School (1/2 day, Morning only) - End of the Year Program, Field Day & Early Release
Spic & Span Day Sat., May 5th
MCAG Parent Handbook 5
Resources for Parents Engaging Minds. Pursuing Christ. Discovering Greatness.
Home-Study Sheets Lesson plans (home study sheet) will be emailed to you weekly from your classroom teacher. The first day’s class
assignments will be sent to you by Thursday night - August 17th. Print your home study sheet and keep it handy for you
and your child to view throughout the week.
Parent Training Day – All parents welcome! (Mandatory for new families)
August 25, 2017 This day will be filled with helpful information that will equip you to begin the school year with confidence. Our faculty
will be on hand to answer questions and serve you throughout the day in various scheduled seminars tailored to meet your
child’s grade level needs as well as cast vision for homeschooling parents.
Friday Workshops for Parents – These will be offered throughout the year related to core subjects; Reading,
Writing, Math, History, Etc. Our first workshop will be Friday, September 8th. Be sure and watch the school
calendar, weekly newsletter & Parent Alert for notification.
Mandatory Fall Parent Teacher Conferences – October/November 2017 (TBA) Teachers will be scheduling parent-teacher conferences. This meeting is an opportunity for your child’s teacher to
review your child’s progress with you, answer any questions you may have, and address any potential concerns.
*late October and early November
MCA Website – Grammar School Academics
Listed under Academics > Grammar School
Reading List This is a great resource for parents in finding quality, grade-level appropriate literature for
students to read for independent reading, book reports and parent read aloud books.
Home Expectations with Survival Tips
Resources – History Study Guide & Maps, Vocabulary Comprehension Questions, Easy Cheesy
Poems
School Supply Lists
Parent Handbook
You will find Quick Links on the right hand side of the MCAknights.org home page to:
RenWeb
MCA Calendar Grammar Office – Call 699-7300 for assistance.
MCA Calendars Viewing the MCAG Calendars
The MCA calendar is located on our website www.mcaknights.org. Click on Connect > calendar.
Students are welcome to attend the things that are listed under “Grammar School”. If it is listed under
“Grammar School: Parents Only” please make arrangements for you children.
*The RenWeb Home App is available now in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for an
annual subscription of $4.99 which covers all iPhone, iPod, iPad and Android devices for every parent
and student in your household as recorded in RenWeb. Search the App Stores for the RenWeb Home.
MCAG Parent Handbook 6
Information & Policies *This section is intended to serve as a helpful reference for parents, but does not contain all of our policies. The Policy
Manual can be found on the school's website, www.mcaknights.org, under Admissions.
Arrival and Dismissal Midland Classical Academy does not provide supervision for students before or after school. Children should be dropped
off at school no more than 10 minutes before the scheduled start time. Out of respect and courtesy for the MCA staff,
parents should make every effort to pick up their children on time. If a parent is going to be more than 10 minutes late
picking up a child, the parent must notify the school office. If a parent is 15 – 30 minutes late picking up a child, the
parent will be fined $25 per incident. Likewise, if a parent is more than 30 minutes late, he or she will be fined $50 per
incident. The school must be notified if anyone other than the custodial parent or a designated car pool person will pick up
a child. In order to set up a designated carpool, please notify the school by providing the school with written permission.
If there will be a change to your child's regular carpool, please notify the school of any temporary arrangements by
sending a signed “Carpool Change” slip to school or by calling the main office.
Lunch and Snacks Students need a packed lunch Monday-Thursday. Please only send WATER for your child. Also, include a healthy, non-
sugar snack for the mid-morning “Fruit-break”.
What do your initials mean? Our system is a partnership between parents and teachers. Initials are required on all pages of assigned homework as an
easy form of communication. By initialing your child’s homework, you are representing that you are satisfied with your
child’s understanding of the material. You have checked the homework and asked your child to correct any mistakes
and/or deemed it complete as is. Your child will receive full credit for his/her homework when your initials are present on
every page. If any pages within the required assignment are not initialed, a zero will be given. When in doubt, initial the
page.
FAQs
Do I need to put a grade on the homework? No, it is not required. You may choose to write on the homework
as you deem necessary to communicate with your child.
Do I need to show the teacher which problems I asked my child to correct? No. Teachers are only checking
for initials. Your initials communicate to the teacher that your child basically understands the concepts included
on the assignment.
Do I need to initial every page of each assignment? Yes, to receive a 100% on each assignment, you must
initial every page. If any pages within the required assignment are not initialed, a zero will be given. This puts
the full responsibility on the parent to manage this portion of the home day. Teachers will be quickly checking
and recording homework as it is returned.
What happens if I forget to initial? Your child will receive no credit for homework that is not initialed.
Should I initial everything? If you are satisfied with the amount and quality of the work, yes! All initialed, on-
time homework will receive 100%. Papers and projects should still be initialed, but will be graded by the
teacher, i.e., writing papers, history projects, book reports, and tests.
What if my child is sick and misses school? If your child is absent for any reason their assignments will be in
the office by 3 p.m. Please pick them up at your convenience. Your child will have one week from the last day of
missed school to make up his or her work. All make-up tests will be administered in the office with directions
from the teacher.
MCAG Parent Handbook 7
Dress Code Policy Students attending Midland Classical Academy are expected to comply with the following guidelines for student attire:
General: Midland Classical Academy is a workplace for students as well as for teachers. Students should dress in such a way as to
demonstrate their respect for the school, their fellow students, the teachers, and the staff.
Enforcement: The teacher will determine if there is a violation of the dress code, either in fact or attitude. Students will be asked to
rectify their appearance as quickly as possible. Cheerful, consistent compliance is expected; grumbling and challenging
attitudes will be subject to disciplinary action. The student or the parents may appeal the decision to the Board of
Advisors.
Attendance Policy This policy is designed to encourage student attendance at school. At school, a student is exposed to various types of
instruction in each class or subject. Because of the nature of classes at Midland Classical Academy, each class period
should contribute significantly to the curriculum objectives and therefore, it is necessary to encourage student attendance
in all prescribed classes. However, in recognizing the authority of parents over their children, we understand that parents
may decide that it is in the best interest of their child not to attend school on a particular day.
1. Students enrolled in a class at Midland Classical Academy are expected to attend all prescribed class sessions, i.e.
parents and/or students may not choose how many class sessions to attend.
2. A record of attendance for each student will be kept.
3. In the event an Upper School student is absent for more than one-third of the class sessions during a semester, or
a Grammar School student is absent for more than 5 core days per semester, the student’s parents must meet with
the teacher and Head Administrator to determine whether the student will receive credit for the class. Additional
and/or make-up work may be required.
Upon request from parents, the Board of Advisors may waive requirements set by provisions of this policy. In doing so,
the board should take into account the student's mastery in all subjects, attitude toward work and study, and disciplinary
record at school.
Make-up Work Due To Absences Due Date: In the event of an absence, an extension will be given. The extension will not exceed the number of school days
missed during the absence. Due dates will be established by the teacher. Students must complete all work assigned during
their absence. However, the teachers may, at their discretion, excuse the students from any portion of the assignments
missed. Students will receive full credit for submitting assigned work.
Please Note: It is the student's and their parents' responsibility to find out what work was assigned. In the case of extended
illness, it is recommended that the student or parents contact the teacher directly in order to find out what assignments
were missed.
Inclement Weather In the event that school is postponed or canceled due to inclement weather, information concerning weather conditions
will be listed on the following television stations: 2, 7, 9, and 24. You may also find information on MCA's website,
www.mcaknights.org. Unless there are extreme conditions, MCA will proceed with school as scheduled. It is rare that
MCA needs to cancel school. Occasionally, we may opt for a delayed start. The delayed start will always begin at 10:00
a.m. with the day ending at 3:30 p.m. In the event of inclement weather that does not cause a school cancellation, parental
discretion should be used to determine whether or not your child should attend school. Please call the main office at 432-
699-7300 if you have any questions or need further information.
MCAG Parent Handbook 8
Discipline The goal of Midland Classical Academy is to help our students become godly disciples of Jesus Christ. We hope the need
for discipline will rarely arise, if it does the teachers will determine the kind and amount of discipline. The discipline will
be administered in the light of the individual student's problem and attitude. All discipline will be based on biblical
principles, e.g. restitution, apologies (public and private), restoration of fellowship, no lingering attitudes, etc. In order to
maintain consistency, the staff will discuss biblical standards and school policy concerning discipline. No corporal
punishment will be administered. If a staff member is unable to satisfactorily deal with a discipline problem, the student
will lose the privilege of attending class for that day and will be sent home. If the behavioral problems persist or are
severe, the matter will be brought to the Board of Advisors to determine the nature of the discipline.
School Property Please do not send your child to school with any non-clear liquids or gum. Only water will be allowed in the classrooms.
Students are expected to take good care of desks, chairs, and the facility in general. We hope that this will not be
necessary, but in the event of vandalism, we will hold parents financially responsible for any damage to school property.
Please help us be good stewards of our wonderful facility by coaching your child to respect and take care of our facility.
Medical Conditions & Medications Please notify the school nurse of any allergies, medical conditions, medications, or special instructions regarding your
child by filling out a blue “Nurse Notes” form or calling the main office.
Basic medical information should be completed online in ParentsWeb under Web Forms.
Safety For safety reasons, all children on the playground must be accompanied by an adult. This applies during school hours as
well as non-school hours. No boards or shoes with wheels are allowed in the school building.
Electronics, Toys, Money and Items of Extreme Value Please do not allow your child to bring cell phones, toys, electronic devices, money, or items of extreme value to school
unless they are necessary for classroom activities. These items prove to be a distraction and risk being lost or damaged.
Send any money/checks in a sealed envelope.
Invitations In order to avoid hurt feelings, please do not send invitations to school to be passed out unless you have an invitation for
every child in the class, whether boy or girl. The school directory is on RenWeb for access to student addresses.
Food or Treats Because several of our students have severe food allergies, please notify the school and your child's teacher about any
food or treats you wish to bring to school to make sure that what you are bringing is safe for everyone in the class. Any
treats (i.e. birthday) should be served at lunch by the parent or a designated helper other than the teacher.
MCAG Parent Handbook 9
Service Hours & Fees We are able to pass on a lower tuition rate and still provide a high quality education to parents with the agreement of a
minimum of 3 hours of service per month for parents of Grammar School students. For families with children at both the
Upper and Grammar schools, the monthly service hour requirement will be: Upper School – 4 hours per month and
Grammar School – 2 hours per month. In the event that parents decline or are not able to fulfill their service hours for any
given reason for the month, they will be required to pay $15.00/Upper School hour and $10.00/Grammar School hour to
defray the cost of their absence. Though parents may buy out their service hours at any time during the year, we believe it
is more beneficial to the school when parents serve their hours. We truly value the involvement of parents! Although
serving the required number of hours per month is preferred, parents may “catch up” or “get ahead” by serving more than
the monthly requirement in any given month. Families will be billed in May for any service hours that have not been
served or bought out by the end of the school year. Service hours not completed by the end of the year will be drafted
from your FACTS account.
Please Note: It is the parents' responsibility to record all hours served in on their ParentsWeb account. This is the only
way to receive credit for hours served! Sign-up sheets will be out at Orientation or call the office to ask questions.
Service hours options include:
lunch duty, making copies, washing windows, Spic & Span Saturdays, organizing various events, Nurse’s screening days,
SAT snack, event refreshments, yard maintenance, processing library books, childcare for staff meetings, Friday
enrichment class helpers and carline assistance, substituting, room mom, helping with events, facility maintenance &
repairs, and many more.
Curriculum Return Policy Fees for Curriculum not returned by the end of the year or damaged beyond use will be drafted from your FACTS
account.
Visitors For the safety of the students, we ask that all visitors to the school, including parents, sign in in the main office and put on
a “visitor” or “parent volunteer” tag. This helps us to be aware of who is in the school building.
Fundraising “A Knight to Remember” Auction – Saturday, October 7th
This school-wide fundraiser entails a night of fun along with an auction that helps to raise money for MCA. Whether you
come to enjoy the evening or come to take part in the live or raffle ticket drawings, your support will be appreciated. The
auction items are donated from local businesses and friends of MCA. MCA accepts donation for the auction at any time.
We hope you’ll be a part of this evening.
Box Tops – Throughout the School Year MCAG participates in Box Tops Collections. General Food sponsors a program in which Box Tops Coupons clipped from
selected products can be redeemed for 10 cents each. In the past we have raised over $1,000 for items for the school, such
as P.E. Equipment. Look for the coupon on products you purchase. To turn in your box tops, place them in a baggie
labeled with your student’s name and grade and turn them in to your child’s teacher. Classes will compete to collect the
most box tops and winners will be awarded a special surprise for the whole class to enjoy. Note: The coupons MUST
HAVE AN EXPIRATION DATE IN ORDER TO BE VALID. More details will be provided at the beginning of the
school year regarding box tops collection.
MCAG Parent Handbook 10
Contact Information This information should be completed online in ParentsWeb on Web Forms.
Please put as your 1st email choice your home email.
If your contact information, including address or phone number, changes at any time during the school year, you may edit
your information on RenWeb through Web Forms/Family Demographics.
Lost And Found The Lost and Found is located in the lunch room. Please check the Lost and Found regularly for items that may belong to
you. We will clean out and donate items in the Lost and Found at the end of each month or as often as needed to keep the
Lost and Found from getting too full.
Individual & Class Pictures – September 26th & 27th Individual Portraits and Class Pictures are taken in early fall. Parents may, but are not required to purchase picture
packets, which will be sent home with students. However, students should prepare to have their picture taken on their
assigned picture day as there will be a class picture taken.
Comprehensive Testing Program (CTP) – April 25th – May 1st Third through sixth grade students will take the CTP Test at school the last two class days in order to help parents and
teachers measure their progress and direct learning in the future. We aim to make this a fun week of testing for students by
coordinating special snack breaks. Students truly look forward to this week every year. Parents will be provided with
more information regarding CTP week in the spring. Pearson is no longer publishing the Stanford Achievement Test. We
will be using the Comprehensive Testing Program (CTP).
Health Screening MCAG provides vision, hearing and scoliosis screening for students. Vision and hearing screening is performed on all
Grammar School students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Scoliosis screening is performed on 6th graders who do not
have record showing that this screening was done at their previous school or during a medical exam. Parents will be
notified of dates and times for screenings, which typically take place in the fall. Only abnormal results will be
communicated to parents, usually within 2 weeks after the screenings.
Special Events Operation Christmas Child – Packing in November
Dad's Breakfasts – October 12th, February 22nd Dads, your influence over the culture of our school cannot be overstated. This event is intended to encourage and build
you up in the work you are doing as a Dad. All MCA Dads and Grand Dads are invited to attend the Dad's Breakfast.
Come enjoy free breakfast, coffee, fellowship, and a brief talk by a guest speaker. Topics will be varied. Mark your
calendars! Service hours will be earned.
Friday Programs – April 20th This program in the spring semester showcases the Friday enrichment classes.
Spirit Week at MCA Athletic Games - TBA Spirit Days are a time to let your school spirit shine! In the past, these have included dress up days at school, such as PJ
Day, Camouflage Day and Wear Your Purple Day. But the fun doesn’t end there. Spirit Days are followed by Spirit
Nights at MCA Athletic Games. Admission is free for all MCA students, teachers, and staff (for all non-playoff games).
Come out and support MCA Knights athletics!
Sixth Grade Texas History Trip This optional trip for sixth grade students is a fun way for students to discover and reinforce what they have learned about
the history of the great state of Texas. Details of the trip and an opportunity to sign students up will be provided to parents
at the beginning of the school year.
MCAG Parent Handbook 11
End of Year Program & Field Day– May 2nd & 3rd The last day of the school year combines 3 fun events: The End of the Year Program & Field Day. At the End of the Year
Program each class will showcase some of what they learned over the course of the school year, we will thank God for
another great year, and we will promote our 6th graders. The Field Day events provide fun games for kindergarten
through sixth grade students to enjoy. School is dismissed following field day activities at 11:30 p.m. We hope you'll
mark your calendars to be a part of this fun last day of school.
Carpool Rules ● School begins at 8:30 a.m.
● Front doors unlocked at 8:20 a.m.
● All students must enter through the front of the school.
Please do not drop students off too early. Staff begins supervising students at 8:20.
Pick-up in the loading zone: NO CELL PHONE usage in this area!!!
● Enter the parking lot from the North entrance in a single line. Stay to the right on the street to avoid blocking the cars
that will be entering to park. Fill spots under the covered drive and then the line will continue on the street (Whitman)
next to the curb.
● Parents should pick up their students at the 3 stations in front of the school under the covered drive. Do not park in this
area at any time unless waiting to load your child.
● Students will wait in the hall by the “Family Number” until a teacher comes and gets them.
● Please have your student’s car tag attached to the passenger visor so we can identify you and load your child at the
appropriate station. If you or the person picking up your student does not have a car tag, please park and walk up to
get your student.
● If you have questions for an office administrator or a teacher, please park and go into the office (even short questions
hold up the line).
● Students will only be released to someone other than a parent with written permission or a call to the school office. You
must complete the Transportation Form online in ParentsWeb under Web Forms to list approved names.
MCAG Parent Handbook 12
Your Child’s / Children’s
Friday Schedule
These are subject to change until Friday School starts. Please look to see that we have your student in the classes that you requested, if a correction needs to be made
please contact the school office at 699-7300.
