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Sunland Christian School CONTENTS SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE and HISTORY SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE and HISTORY Sunland Christian School (SCS) began in 1986, with 24 students, as a para-church ministry to assist families who teach their own children. Since then, SCS has served thousands of students and families in southern California. SCS serves families throughout the Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernandino, and Ventura Counties. We are an evangelical Christian ministry operating to serve families who desire to teach their own children at home by providing accountability, resources and counsel. In our course of study, spiritual orientation is of primary importance. We hope to prove faithful to God and His Word as we accomplish the ministry of helping families educate their children. Besides being a private school recognized by the State of California, Department of Education, SCS is a member of the National Independent Study Accreditation Council (NISAC) and affiliates with other public and private organizations offering support to our home school and alternative education programs. SCS requires participating families to understand and respect our statement of faith, retains the right to approval all applications, and has a non-discriminatory policy; it makes no distinction in its admission or educational services on the grounds of race, color, national origin, or disability. (Adhering personally to the school's Statement of Faith is not a requirement for enrollment, but respect of the school's faith is required at and during all school functions.) We believe in the Scriptures as the final and supreme authority in faith and life. We believe in the one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe that Jesus Christ, by offering himself on the cross, paid the penalty of man's sins, and that we now may enter into the family of God on the basis of His shed blood. We believe in the bodily resurrection and imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We believe that all who receive by faith, the Lord Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God. Sunland Christian School is Accredited with the National Independent Study Accreditation Council (NISAC). Accreditation is an accountability process among peer organizations, establishing recognition that a school has met certain educational and operational standards. NISAC was established by home school administrators with the assistance of California public school officials. IS home schooling FOR MY FAMILY? Regardless of what others may say, home schooling is not always the best choice for every family. There are a variety of things to be considered. home schooling may be the best developmental and academic approach for every child, but not every family system or setting can accommodate the variables. Here are some things to consider. First, families may undergo changes as a result of choosing to home school. Such as, boning up on one's parenting skills and defining your expectations of the children's behavior. Some families are too lenient, leading to a lack of discipline, which may cause confusion and frustration to set in easily. Others are too rigid and the children may suffer from the over-control. Finding the proper balance can take time, effort and require parental change. Secondly, even though you may not have "teaching credentials," being capable to teach your children at home requires your willingness and some self-confidence. Willingness can help you in learning to identify your children's needs and discover resources or ways for meetings those needs. Needs can be spiritual, developmental, academic, physical and/or social. Confidence is important in helping you know that you are not going to ruin your child or create a socially backwards person by choosing to teach them at home. Finally, there are many questions a family may face before determining whether or not to home school. Some families jump in and ask questions later. Others wait until they are satisfied with their preparation process. Doing what works best for your family and considering each child's needs may even result in home schooling some of your children while others continue in a traditional class setting. home schooling does not need to be an all or none situation. It is not necessarily the cure-all. It may be something your family tries for a year, or a semester and then reviews the overall outcome. THE RESPONSIBILITYAccording to the Bible, the responsibility for education rests upon the parents (Deut. 6:69; Eph. 6:14). They are the qualified teachers of their children. In areas where parents may lack necessary teaching skills, they are responsible to learn those skills or to delegate this responsibility to an educational institution. THE PROCESS Education must be thoughtfully conceived, and diligently implemented. Creative utilization of all available resources, and flexibility of scheduling, are important for maximizing individual educational opportunities. THE STUDENTEach student is considered to be a spiritual physical being, created in the image of God, capable of learning, knowing and obeying the Truth of God's Word and The Laws of His creation. He is at the same time a social being standing in relation to his fellow man, having moral, intellectual and emotional needs. THE CURRICULUMThe curriculum is the medium through which the student is orientated to life. The curriculum should include studies from science, language arts, mathematics, history and geography, physical education, the arts and the Bible. The Bible and Christian training should not only be included in the course content, but should furnish the orientation and philosophical framework for the study of every other subject. DEFINITION of INDEPENDENT STUDY Sunland Christian School is a private school in the State of California, thus exempting its students from compulsory public education. Enrolled students are allowed to complete a course of study in grades K 12 by the means of an independent study program in which the school provides direction, supervision and counsel. In many cases, the student's parents function as parent/teacher. Independent study is primarily conducted in a student's home, but may also include courses at a community college, or other group classes. The curriculum chosen by the parent/teacher, may be purchased from a variety of publishers, complies with the Education Code Section 51210 for grades 1 6, or Education Code Section 51220 for grades 7 12, and covers the following subject areas: for grades 16, Bible, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Fine Arts, Health, Physical Education, and for grades 712, Bible, Mathematics, Language Arts, Social Science, Foreign Language, Science, Fine Arts, Applied Arts, VocationalTechnical Education, and Driver's Education. Sunland Christian School's independent study program (a.k.a. home schooling) operates in somewhat the same manner as a public school independent study, with many personalized advantages. California's Education Code (Sect.51745) states, "an independent study program shall be coordinated, evaluated, and under the general, but not necessarily immediate supervision of school personnel. The following excerpt is taken from a California State Department of Education bulletin, entitled,"'INDEPENDENT STUDY: Pathways to Knowledge Through Contract Learning.' What is independent study? Independent study is an alternative toclassroom instruction consistent with a school district's course of study and is not an alternative curriculum..." The Educational Code permits school districts to operate independent study programs in kindergarten through grade twelve (E.C. Sect. 51745 and 51746). Before the current provisions for independent study were enacted, teachers were required to provide "immediate supervision and control" of student learning. Now independent study enables teachers to "generally supervise" students under written agreements, delegating immediate supervision to assistants, school volunteers, family members, and community resource people. Independent study (1) allows students to study at their own pace within the limits of compulsory school attendance requirements; (2) creates a bridge between the school and the community; (3) challenges each student to excel in areas of special interest; (4) provides alternatives for students to achieve competency and mastery in basic skills; (5) ALLOWS FOR home schooling (capitalization is ours); (6) serves as an alternative to expulsion; and (7) encourages student resourcefulness. Through independent study students become more active and more responsible participants in the learning process. And, most important of all, independent study offers educational choices to students and families. Although the Education Code references to independent study apply directly to public schools, Xavier Del Buono, Associate Superintendent for the California State Department of Education wrote on October 27, 1983, that it was the department's "opinion that a private school may carry out any educational program that a public offers, if it is able to do so, subject to the applicable statutes and regulations. Therefore, although no mention is made of nonpublic schools in the authorizing legislation for independent study, it is our opinion that nonpublic ( ie., private) schools may offer independent study, including home study, pursuant to the statutes and regulations." Apparently this opinion is based on a 1925 ruling, Pierce vs. Society of Sisters, in which the United States Supreme Court ruled that states must allow private schools to conduct any program permitted in public schools. SCS hosts year-round, open enrollment. Students may enroll as a full time, part time, or summer school student. To enroll your child(ren) in SCS, obtain and fill out enrollment application forms. Mail your application or call the office for an appointment. A non-refundable family registration fee is due upon enrollment. Registration Fees: Tuition can be paid yearly, quarterly, or monthly. Regular tuitions are computed on 10 monthly payments, from September through and including June and are due by the 1st of each month. Extended school year and summer school fees are due in one payment. Monthly tuition fees: Other fees include the cost of curriculum (Appr. $50 - $400 per student per year), testing fee ($40.00 per student when testing is required), field trips ($1 - $10 per person), Campus Days, Friday School ($20 per student), Annual Camp out, Lesson Plans or tutoring ($10 per half hour), and Graduation costs for seniors. There are only three legal means for home schooling in California, even though some groups claim there are other choices. The first choice is having a California teaching credential. Second, enrolling a student in a public school independent study program. And finally, enrolling a student in a private school independent study (aka home schooling program), such as Sunland Christian School. Some claim that you can declare your home a private school and file an affidavit. According to theappellate court case of People v Turner, this is not a legal choice. Some families home school using only a correspondence course or are just "on their own." These approaches do not meet California compulsory attendance code and have lost in a court of law. Besides the legal issues, enrolling in a private school home school program provides accountability, resources, fellowship and extra curricular activities, making the home schooling process easier on the family. SCS is a recognized, California private school through which families can teach their children at home. As a benefit to each of our families, SCS provides home school legal defense memberships to all families in the program, free of charge. SCS's legal defense provider is California Home Educators Legal Defense (CHELD). CHELD holds the greatest success rate among home school legal defense associations for resolving concerns outside of a court of law. Their regular membership fee is $25.00. DEPARTMENT of CHILDREN SERVICES home schooling families are not exempt from possible accusations from well-meaning family, friends, or neighbors concerning parenting issues. While most accusations are false, some of them unfortunately may prove to be true and require intervention. A family's choice to home school is NOT a parenting issue which the Department of Children Services (DCS) is authorized to confront. But home schooling families may be confronted by the DCS over other types of accusations. SCS's position on this issue is three-fold. 1). If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to be afraid of when falsely accused; do not panic when responding to a call from the DCS. 2). The DCS does not have a right to enter your home without either a warrant or probable cause of an emergency, and is prohibited from illegal searches and seizures. 3). SCS has an article, "home schooling and the Department of Children Services," to help you respond in a favorable manner to resolve any false accusations. Accountability is a key component of SCS's program, providing the support to exchange ideas, ask and answer questions and offer support to each other. Record Keeping and good communication is vital for families to recieve the help they need. Monthly accountability occurs through, mail, emails, phone calls, and parent meetings. Record keeping helps families to mark and record student progress. A simple process has been designed to tell what will be done, what has been completed, and how a student has scored. Each family maintains an attendance record for each student. The State of California requires 175 schooling days per year, with a minimum of three hours per day. This information is used when filling out the Report Card. 1ST 8TH GRADE RECORD KEEPING FORMS INCLUDE: Report CardFilled out at the end of each quarter and a photo copy is turned in at the following parent meeting. The original is turned in at the end of the year. 9TH 12TH GRADE INCLUDE: Course Descriptions This form lists the courses being taught, curriculum used, the length of the course (semester or full year) and the credits to be earned. Families with high school students should read through "SCS High School Manual". Transcripts A transcript, reflecting courses completed, grades received and credits earned, is maintained and updated at the end of each semester. Creating appropriate records and interfacing with other established schools, both public and private, is part of SCS's purpose. SCS requires the maintenance of records, requesting records from other schools and sending of records to be handled in a professional manner. Students enrolling in SCS or transferring to an other school may have their cumulative folders forwarded (public, private or Independent Study Programs) by means of an authorization sent to our office. SCS will not forward records to individual families. PRESCHOOL/KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM Families home schooling children who are below the compulsory school age (six years old by December 2, otherwise enrolled upon their sixth birthday) may enroll their child in SCS and participate in its field trips, Campus Days, Friday School, etc. An annual fee of $25.00 for registration and a Preschool/K application is all that is needed to get started. Attendance at the monthly parent/teacher accountability meetings, a $10.00 monthly tuition fee and a quarterly progress report are required. Special preschool - elementary grade activities are scheduled on a regular basis. Student oral reports, guest speakers and a science fair are examples of campus day activities. A local facility is used for this "assembly" type activities. Families participating must be responsible for their child. Signup is required and a minimal fee is charged. Field trips are available on a signup basis and may be limited to a specific age group. A student must attend with his/her parent or another adult. If you are unable to attend, please call the person in charge or the office to cancel. Field trip expenses must be paid in advance and are non-refundable. For the courtesy of others, be on time. The field trip coordinators will progress with the event at its scheduled time! When you arrive, keep your children with you at all times. Please, as tempting as it may seem, do not let them climb on, over or between any areas not designated as climbing areas! Seminars (open to the general public) are periodically hosted by SCS. They are geared toward parenting skills, marriage communication, child development, curriculum counseling, educational approaches and other home schooling issues. Most seminars have a registration fee. Friday School classes are held once a semester and are taught mothers in the school in five week sessions on consecutive Fridays. Classes are divided into six categories: Nursery, 2 4 year Old, Kindergarten -3rd grade, 4th - 6th grade, and Junior/Senior High. A fifteen dollar per child fee is due upon registration. All moms are required to help in a class each hour. Specific information about Friday School, such as dates, times, locations, classes offered, etc., is available prior to the event. SCS's Honor's Program lends itself to the unique structure of the home school student. The Honor's Program is based on participation in an oral report, a science fair exhibit, and two written reports of field trips attended. Student's completing this program will be recognized as honor students at SCS's annual promotion night. Testing can be a helpful tool in analyzing your child's knowledge in those areas tested. SCS requires yearly testing for all students 3rd, 5th and 7th grade and above (IOWA Test of Basis Skills for 1st - 6th grades, and Stanford Achievement Test for 7th grade and older). The SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) administered by the state will also meet this requirement. Testing is not available for kindergarten. All students will be tested around the beginning of the 4th quarter. The testing fee is $30.00 per student. While summer school has a traditional meaning, students making up failed classes during the summer, home schooling adds new meaning. Many families teach their children at home year-round, including the summer. SCS offers year around schooling as well as a traditional calendar. But summer school could mean a few different things. It could mean a family continuing to school during the summer in order to finish, or meet, the required number of schooling days. A family might also start schooling early, during the summer, to begin their new school year. Maybe they will school three months on, and one month off, all year around. Any way schooling is accomplished during the summer is one of the flexible advantages of home schooling. In any case, tracking of the schooling days for record keeping is very simple. Many families, whose children attend public or private schools, enroll in SCS just to have their student schooled in a course during the summer. Some enroll near the end of the second semester or fourth quarter to redeem the school year for their student. Some families using this process return to the public or private school in the fall, while others had a good educational experience and decide to home school the following year. SCS's High School Manual explains courses required for graduation, how to obtain work permits, accomplish Driver's Education, enroll in college classes, were to take the PSAT test, and much more. Families with high school or junior high students can become well informed about the high school years by reading through the manual or contacting SCS's high school counselor. Developing a strategy for graduation and preparing for college or university, can be a helpful and important part of your home school experience. Contact the school office for your free copy of SCS's High School Manual. H.E.L.P. CLASSES Home Education Learning Program (H.E.L.P.) offers group classes for high school students. Students receive classroom instruction once-a-week, are sent home with instructional exercises, and return the following week for the instructor to grade their work and provide focused tutorial assistance. Some of the courses offered include: Spanish I and II, Algebra ½, 1 and 2, AP (Advanced Placement) U. S. History and AP English Grammar and Composition and EXCEL (Introduction to Business). HELP classes have registration, tuition and curriculum costs. For more information a HELP class brochure is available. home schooling families sometimes teach other children in addition to their own. In some cases, grandparents, aunts, or siblings may even be the instructor. Many families call SCS's office looking for someone else to home school their child. California laws do not prohibit this practice, but it becomes a matter of finding the right person for teaching your child or the correct setting for one to teach other children. Usually a fee is paid each month to the person teaching your child (approx. $250.00 per month for 1st student). Personal discretion should be exercised in each educational arrangement. Parents should feel free to decide whether another teacher will work for their child, and whether or not a family wants to add another student to their setting. If you open your home to begin teaching others, there may be city zoning issues, health and fire codes, and possibly a required day care license for kindergarten or younger children when teaching children from two or more families. This may be a small family business for earning extra money or it may become a co-operative school (see the section on co-op schools). Individuals and families may desire to administrate a private school which provides an alternative education, emulating home schooling, as a business or ministry outreach. SCS administrates a program for these schools and works much like a school district office in providing accountability, direction, counsel and assistance in starting and operating such a school. A list of current co-operative (co-op) schools is available through the office. Anyone interesting in starting and operating such a school should contact SCS's office for an appointment to discuss these goals. Necessary steps for starting a school and the relationship between SCS and the school will be a part of an initial discussion. Contact the office for more information. Students (or parents) needing assistance in understanding the academics of any given topic may purchase tutoring service from a variety of sources. In every community there are tutoring services available. Some of the best tutors can be honor students from the local public or private school who are available for tutoring at a minimal fee. Tutoring services, resources from the local community college (college programs or students), retired teachers, interested family members, and teachers from local schools are just some of the resources available. Parents should retain the right to determine if any specific tutoring resource is properly assisting their student. SCS also offers some tutoring services for $20.00 per hour. For assistance in finding a tutor, or to inquire about SCS's tutoring, contact the school office. Successful home schooling requires that parents direct their child's education on a daily basis. SCS believes planning your student's lessons on a weekly basis minimizes the daily stress of figuring out what to do. This includes having a schedule, knowing what topics a student should be studying, and directing the use of curriculum by assigning work for each day. SCS provides families with lesson plan instructions, a sample plan and blank forms for scheduling weekly lesson plans for the year. Upon enrollment, when a family secures curriculum, SCS offers helping plan one's first week of lessons. Most families then plan their own lessons during the year. Families desiring assistance (on a one time basis or on a regular basis) can purchase lesson planning services from SCS for $10 per weekly lesson plan. Families set an appointment, bring their student and the curriculum, and a lesson plan for a week is written. Some families choice to use this service throughout the year, incorporating having their student answer directly to the lesson planner by proving they completed the assigned work. Parents continue to check their student's progress on a daily basis and grade the work completed. SCS encourages families to gain home school support from a variety of sources: office staff, school staff families, families from one's local parent meeting, others met at field trips, and the home school community at large. In addition to emotional and spiritual support, there is an enormous array of extra curricular activities available. "Sing 4 Joy Gospel Choir," Gymnastics Olympia, a local Spanish class being taught in a home, etc., are just a few of the types of additional opportunities for academic and social involvement for your student and family. Our encouragement is to only use what is necessary and avoid becoming stretched too thin by over involvement. It can be easy for home school families to become over-socialized, find themselves running "all over kingdom come," and overlook helping their children develop regular study skills and habits. Definition: Special Students - Students having challenges in their academic learning process, whether due to physical handicap, Downs Syndrome, learning disabilities, or other like hindrances, who would qualify for the public school Individualized Education Program (IEP). Special Students who are taught at home can receive assistance through a variety of resources. Depending on a family's situation, assistance can be provided in conjunction with home education through hiring private educational therapists, utilizing the professional help of friends or relatives, or receiving assistance through the public school system. Every student, who is enrolled in a SCS, can request a full IEP or annual review from their local school or school district. The school has 50 days in which to provide an IEP screening from the day a formal request was made to the local school or district. The IEP screening usually includes the public school principal, psychologist, parents, student and other school therapists and teachers representing the areas of your student's special needs. Once an IEP is completed, a family can home school it's student and receive special assistance through the public school system in specific areas decided upon by the parents. Students whose needs are not assessed as severe (certain degrees of learning disabilities, for example) may not qualify for public school assistance. Otherwise those services can be provided by the local school or district at the closest site with staff and space available. Promotion Night is a school wide graduation where students receive Certificates of Completion, Diplomas and various other forms of recognition. This is an evening to bring your family and friends to see your students graduate! Sign-up is required for promotion certificates. Sunland Christian School will confer a diploma to any student who fulfills the following criteria: 1. Completes the requirements for General Education. A list of these There are three ways in which families may determine and obtain curriculum for their students: 1. Evaluate and decide curriculum on your own. GUIDELINES for SELECTING CURRICULUM 1. Curriculum includes any item that helps you teach a subject (Example: coins CONTACT by LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT It is possible that a neighbor, friend, or even a relative could "turn you in" to your local school district for not having your children "attend school". If this happens, don't panic. Do the following: 1. Relax. Do not be intimidated. Be reassured, you are not doing anything If you are contacted and your local school district pursues the matter, notify the office immediately. (We have been able to set these concerns to rest before they went any further). If you are harassed by a school district official, be polite and truthful in what you say. If the district wants to pursue this, there are several definite steps, spread over several weeks, that the district must take. Harassment is not one of those steps! Below are listed some of the responsibilities of the home schooling parents and/or teacher, some of which can be accomplished with the assistance or expertise of others. A. The duty of caring for your child (and other children in your charge) during Below are listed some of the responsibilities of Sunland Christian School. A. Supervise each student's cumulative/school file. Character Traits Which Should Be Taught To Children "To be pleasant, loving, trusting, honest, obedient, cheerful, content, forgiving, patient, kind, unselfish, quiet in the home, respectful to authority, grateful for a simple life (food, clothes, possessions), helpful, efficient, prompt, industrious, orderly, friendly but not bold, thoughtful to others, polite and courteous, quiet and respectful before visitors, compassionate and tenderhearted, sociable to people of all ages, pure in morals, selfcontrolled, selfdisciplined, consistent, temperate, economical, firm in convictions of right and wrong (even when ridiculed), and a joy and blessing to parents and others. Acts become habits, habits become lifestyles. Habits become unconscious actions. To undo habits requires strong conscious work. Children are likely to become how the parents relate to them. Subdue selfwill in a child. Punish no fault truly confessed." There are times during the home schooling process when one might feel overwhelmed. THIS IS A NORMAL FEELING, NOTHING IS WRONG WITH YOU. During these times, do not withdraw and isolate yourself from others. Let someone know how you are feeling and reach out for direction, encouragement, understanding and empathy. Many times others cannot tell what you are going through, and it takes courage for you share your thoughts. As scary as it might seem, reaching out to someone you trust can be the most rewarding thing you can do. The staff of Sunland Christian School exists for the purpose of assisting you in your home school endeavor. Others in the school also are in a position to have an open heart to you. Find out who they are and interact with them according to their availability. As strength and experience become a part of your home schooling life, begin to be available to others, but never at the expense of your own spouse and children. There are people who care; call someone when you NEED HELP! |
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