Parent and Student Handbook

2019-2020

Is Spring Vale right for me?

What to Consider When Choosing a School

One of the most important decisions you make for your child is where to send them to school. By the time your child graduates high school, they willhave spent up to 15,000 hours in class and doing home-work.

When choosing a school for your student, there are three key components to examine: spiritual foun-dation, social atmosphere, academic excellence. Many schools excel in one of these areas, but only a small percent are able to bring them all together and offer a complete package of academic excellence, positive peer-pressure, and spiritual instruction.

As you consider Spring Vale Christian School, I am confident that you will see how Spring Vale intention-ally integrates an environment of academic excellence, relational integrity, and Christian morals into everyaspect of education.

- Kelen M Caswell Director of Admissions

CurriculumSpring Vale provides a well rounded curriculum designed to lead students to competency, relational integrity, and mature Christian character. The goal of our education is for the educational and spiritual disciplines to become habits of the heart and not just rule-following; to put students on a path toward responsible, stable, and wise adulthood.

MissionTo prepare young people to articulate and defend their faith in a post-Christian world and to prepare them academically, socially, and psychologically for further education and for the relationships and responsibilities of adult life.

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Classical EducationWhat is it?

Classical Christian Education is a holistic approach to education that prepares students to excel in all aspects of life, not just college.

The secular model of education adopted in public and most private schools is primarily aimed at preparing students for college. While this is an admirable goal, the Classical Christian Curriculum is a much more ex-pansive model that understands academics as just one piece to the educational puzzel. Where as the secular system prepares students for tests and college entrance exams, the Classical Model focuses on preparing stu-dents for relationships, careers, and leadership. As President Theodore Roosevelt wisely said, “To edu-catate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.”

PaideiaEphesians 6:4 reads, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction (paideia) of the Lord.”

To know and be instructed according to the “paideia of the Lord” is to have a solid foundation in biblical truth, to be affecionate for what is good, true, and beautiful, and to obtain the fruit of the Spirit.

TriviumThe trivium is an educational philosophy that divides learning into three stages: grammar, logic, and rhetoric.

The grammar component consists of early childhood education, usually grades K through 5. During this phase teachers capitalize on children’s natural tenden-cy to memorize facts. Grammar school students spend a significant amount of time studying language. One’s ability to communicate and comprehend both verbal and written communication is the foundation of all learning and relational growth.

The logic component consists of grades 6 through 8 and focuses on reasoning and critical analysis. During this phase, students begin to makes sense of facts, de-velop and test hypotheses, and identify logical falicies.

The rhetoric component consists of grades 9 through 12. Rhetoric students who have been classically trained are very articulate, excellent writiers, and can spot a falacy from a mile away. Debate, aplogetics, and dis-cussion are all important aspects of the rhetoric phase. Classically trained students consisteny outperform their public and private school counterparts on stan-dardized tests.

What to Expect from a Classical Christian SchoolClassical Christian schools are significantly different than traditional public and private schools. Where tra-ditional schools adhere to a Common Core baseline standard, classical schools compel students to excel-lence.

Most traditional Christian schools will provide Bible class in addition to Common Core standare courses. The Classical model integrates biblical principals into every course, showing how each subject is relevant to the Christian faith.

In traditional schools, lecture is the primary means of education. In classical schools, students are taught through the socratic method. Students are encouraged to aske lots of questions and seek to understand and appreciate others’ points of view.

Classical education focuses more on oral presentation and exposition than any other educational philosophy. Students are trained to communicate effectively, write persuasively, and adorn their knowledge with eloquent language, a skill that will help them excel in post-sec-ondary education, their career and relationships.

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Grammar and Logic SchoolAcademic Overview

The grammar school consists of grades K through 5 and logic school is composed of grades 6 through 8. These are traditionally referred to as the elementary and middle school years.

School Day begins at 8:00am and ends at 3:07pm

Grammar SchoolGrammar school students focus on reading, writing, and arithmetic. Since communication is foundational to all learning, classical education prioritizes language and comprehension. One’s abil-ity to read, write, communicate needs and questions, and com-prehend language will determine a students level of academic suc-cess. Penmanship is also a point of emphasis for grammar school students.

Kindergarten and 1st GradeKindergarten and 1st grade stu-dents spend most of their school day learning to read, write and speak affectively. Students also learn to quickly solve simple mathematical equations to set the table for success in upper lev-el math courses such as algebra, trigonometry, and calculus.

Grades 2 through 4In Grades 2 through 4, students continue to build upon their language skills and begin learning Latin. Latin vo-cabulary and grammar prepare students to master the English language, read historical documents, and ac-cel in professions that are steeped in Latin such as law, medicine, science, music, theology, philosophy and lit-erature. Latin students also score higher on the SAT.

Grades 5 and 6By the time a student reaches 5th grade, they have de-veloped a love for learning and are very gifted commu-nicators. Communication and comprehension skills are now applied to the humanities, science, and more advnaced arithmatic. Students learn to reason, test hy-

pothoses, and see the beauty of God in creation and his work throught history.

Grades 7 and 8The 7th and 8th grade students begin to use their elite communication and comprehension skills to craft ar-guments and persuade. Students enter a journey of sci-entific discovery, civility, philosophy, and morality. The socratic method plays a large role during these years,

After School ProgramSpring Vale may provide an after- school program based on need on a year-to-year basis for students in Kindergarten through 6th grade. This program is not included in the price of tuition. Supervision is avail-able from 3-5:30pm. Call our office at (989) 725-2391 to inquire about after-school programming.

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School UniformsKindergarten through 6th Grade

All students must wear modest cloth-ing that aligns with biblical stan-dards. While some of Spring Vale’s policiesregarding dress code are di-rectly found in scripture, others spe-cifically address trends of modern culture. The\purpose of the Dress Code Policy is to help protect stu-dents both physically and spiritually,

limit distractions, andencourage neatness and self-re-spect. All dress, including but not limited to all cloth-ing, piercings, jewlery and anyother wearable item, must be permited by the Spring Vale adminsitration. Enforcement of all dress code guidelinesis subject to staff interpretation and is never open to debate. Daily uniforms must be worn during the school day

Shop uniforms at www.globalschoolwear.com

MathematicsStewardship Math

Pre-AlgebraAlgebra IAlgebra II Geometry

TrigonometryAP Calculus

EnglishEnglish IEnglish IIEnglish IIIEnglish IVAP English

Social StudiesWorld History/Geography

GovernmentU.S. HistoryEconomics

Understanding The Times

Biblical TeachingOld TestamentNew Testament

Biblical InterpretationBible Doctrines

ScienceBiology

ChemistryEarth Science

Anatomy and PhysiologyPhysics

Foreign LanguageSpanish ISpanish II

Applied ArtsChoir

SOUND/Action

ElectivesComputers I

SpeechJournalism/Yearbook

Career ClassesNursing

Business LawMarketing

EngineeringDigital Media

Church Ministry

Classes Available*This is not an exhaustive list, as Spring Vale can provide more than 200 classes online or in-person.

Academic OverviewSpring Vale offers core, AP and elective classes in-person and/or online. Spring Vale’s diverse delivery method prepares students for both campus and online post-secondary education. Spring Vale’s diplomas are recognized by colleges and universities across the Unit-ed States.

H.S. Graduation Rate

97%

College Completion Rate

82%

University

College Attendance

90%Spring Vale graduates have attended:University of TexasMichigan State UniversityUniversity of MichiganBaker CollegeLiberty UniversityWalden UniversitySpring Arbor UniversityGreat Lakes Christian CollegeUniversity of OregonWashington State UniversityIBS School of CosmetologyCarrington CollegeTexas State University

Cornerstone UniversityArtios Christian CollegeUniversity of North DakotaLake Region State CollegeGurnick AcademyMoody Bible InstituteAustin Community CollegeTexas A&MDel Mar CollegeHawkeye Community CollegeLone Star CollegeSaginaw Valley State UniversitySan Joaquin Delta College

* and many other colleges and universities across the U.S.Graduation Requirements

area of study and required creditsEnglish 4 Physical Ed./Health 1Mathematics 4 Online Experience 1Science 3 Applied Arts 1Social Studies 3 Biblical Teaching .5 per semester

Foreign Language 2 Work Study .25 per semester

Und. the Times 1 Service Project 2 per semester

Qualified TeachersEvery teacher at Spring Vale is certified or permitted by the state. Spring Vale teachers and administrators take the safety of your child very seriously, receiving training in CPR, prescription drug administration, and other health and safety related courses in addition to their academic qualifications.

Student-to-Teacher RatioWith an average student-to-teacher ratio of 4:1, your child will get the attention he or she needs when working on difficult subjects or trying to tackle a school project. Most students who attend Spring Vale see their academic performanceimprove because of the extra help they receive.

Academic LabSpring Vale teachers often make themselves available to help students in the morning and during academic lab after school. Academic lab is an opportu-nity for your child to get that one-on-one help that he or she may need.

Career ClassesSpring Vale offers many online classes that are career focused, giving your child a taste of what it is like to be a nurse, engineer, computer programmer, and much more. Spring Vale can help your child discover their potential career paths before graduating high school.

Spring Vale OnlineIn addition to Spring Vale’s Owosso Campus, Spring Vale provides distance learning. Through Spring Vale Online (SVO), students can take a wide variety of core, elective, and AP classes from the comfort of home.

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High School

Tuition and Financial Opportunities

Annual Tuition CostGrammar School Tuition (K-6) $4,000Upper School Tuition (7-12) $4,995

U.S. Boarding Students $11,300

International Boarding Student $12,800

International Day Student $6,495

The cost of tuition covers the usual schooling charges associated with academic, dietary, and athletic partic-ipation. It also includes room and board for boarding students. Some costs, including but not limited to ex-tra- curricular expenses such as dual enrollment, state and national testing, and online course material, is not covered by tuition. These additional charges will be communicated on monthly statements sent to finan-cially responsible parties.

Tuition can be paid in three ways: 1) Annual Payment; 2) Semester Payment; 3) Monthly Payments. Interna-tional student tuition is annual payment in advance.

Annual PaymentThe Annual Payment option is for parents who choose to pay for their student’s tuition before the start of the school year.

Semester PaymentsThe Semester Payment option is for parents who choose to make two payments, one at the beginning of each school semester.

Annual Payment 5% DiscountSemester Payment 2.5% Discount

Monthly PaymentsMonthly payments are scheduled as a 12-month pay-

ment plan (seniors will be placed on a 10 month plan to accommodate graduation). Monthly payment plans must be made via credit/debit card or automatic with-drawal from a bank account. Checks are not accepted for monthly payment plans. Spring Vale may cease en-rollment for students whose account has one or more missed payments.

If a student withdraws early, has their enrollment ter-minated, or has an outstanding balance at the end of a school year, monthly payments will continue to be taken until the entire account balance is paid in full.

Check-Out DepositA check-out deposit of $50 is held until the end of the school year. Before each student departs, textbooks must be returned and a checkout form must be signed by each teacher. Any damages to school property that have not previously been billed to the student’s account will be deducted from the check-out deposit. The remaining deposit is refunded to the student’s account when the checkout form is turned in to theschool office.

Financial Opportunities To help families in need and to recognize outstanding student achievements, scholarships, sponsorship, and tuition aid are available. Occasionally, scholarship or grant qualifications are not met or sponsors do not maintain their pledges. When this occurs, the financial responsibility belongs to the parent/guardian.

Returning students must have all tuition and fees from previous years paid in full prior to returning to Spring Vale. If a student leaves or graduates from Spring Vale with an unpaid balance, transcripts and/or diplomas will not be released until satisfactory arrangements have been made. Parents of seniors should plan to take care of all tuition and fees before graduation to ensure their child’s participation in graduation ceremonies.

Tuition

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ScholarshipsScholarships may available to Upper School students only (grades 7-12) depending on available funding. Some Scholarships may require participation in a con-test or submission of an essay or other assignment. Please note that applying for a scholarship does not guarantee acceptance.

Academic Scholarship - academic scholarships may be awarded to students with a history of academic excellence and a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Leadership Scholarship - leadership scholarships may be awarded to students who take an active role in community service, student governance, and promoting the academic, social, and spiritual health of their peers. Leadership Scholarships are reserved for returning students only.

Athletic Scholarship - athletic scholarships are reserved for students who excel in sports and provide the greatest chance of helping improve Spring Vale’s athletic reputation.

Music Scholarship - music scholarships may be awarded to students who excel in vocal and/or in-strumental performance and use their gifts to edify their peers and promote Spring Vale.

John and Addie Brann Scholarship - the John and Addie Brann scholarship is a needs-based scholar-ship that may be awarded to students who would oth-erwise not be able to attend Spring Vale. The scholar-ship entity prefers to award scholarships to boarding students from Oregon and surrounding west-coast states.

Tuition AidTuition aid is available to low-income families. Students may receive up to a 50% tuition discount. Families requesting tuition aid must file with FACTS Tuition Management to be considered. Tuition aid is not awarded until the end of a students payment plan.

Financial Opportunities Work-Study ProgramThis program provides Upper School students (grades 7-12) opportunity to learn skills that pre-pare them for employment. A minimum of 45 min-utes of work per day is required. Students who com-plete their work requirements receive 1/4 credit toward graduation per semester.

Additional hours worked beyond the minimum requirement will be paid to students at current minimum wage. Students who receive tuition aid or are not current on their tuition account will have their additional earnings applied to their account balance.

Boarding students who are not receiving tuition aid and whose accounts are current may receive payment of no more than $100 per month, and local students no more than $50 per month. Any amount earned above that will be applied to the students account.

Student SponsorshipRelatives, friends, churches, and businesses may help fund a students tuition. Spring Vale has resources available to help families find and solicit potential sponsors. Contact Spring Vale to learn more about student sponsorship.

Multi-Student DiscountFamilies with more than one student attending Spring Vale will receive a discount.

Second Student 15% DiscountThird Student 25% DiscountFourth or more Students 35% Discount

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Quote“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character -

that is the goal of true education” - Martin Luther King Jr.

Admissions

Non-Discrimination Policy Spring Vale Christian School admits students of any race, color, gender, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and financial aid programs, athletic, and other school administered programs. As a Christian school, the majority of Spring Vale students have a Christian background and adhere to biblical principals, this is not however, a requirement for admission. Acceptance is subject to available space, academic and character requirements, as well as commitment to adhere to school standards. Admission to Spring Vale Christian School is a privilege, and as such, may be withheld at the discretion of the school’s administration.

How to Become a StudentApplication FormsTo become a student at Spring Vale, a child and their parent/legal guardian must complete the following forms:

1. Enrollment Application2. Financial Commitment Form3. Medical Release and Immunization Waiver4. Physical Examination Form

New Students must also complete the following forms:

1. School Records Form2. Self Evaluation & Character References3. Photo Release and Home Visit Form4. Copy of Medical Insurance Information5. Birth Certificate

All forms should be mailed, emailed, or faxed to Spring Vale Christian School.

Address:

Email: kcaswell@springvale.us

Fax: (989) 729 - 6408

Spring Vale Christian School4150 S M52

Owosso, MI 48867

DeadlinesEarly Bird RegistrationThose who submit all necessary application forms by July 15 will have their application fee waived.

Regular RegistrationThose who submit all necessary application forms be-tween July 16 and August 1 must pay an application fee.

Late RegistrationThose who do not submit all application forms by Au-gust 1 will be charged a rushed processing fee.

Regular Registration $50Rushed Registration $100* Spring Vale has an open enrollment policy and can accept new students at any point during the school year.

Down PaymentA non-refundable tuition down payment of $500 is required before a student will be admitted to any class. This down payment can be made via check or credit card. It is recommended that you make your tui-tion down payment before August 15 to make sure your student is able to participate in academic courses at the start of the school year. Families who file with FACTS Tuition Management may see their down payment re-duced at the discretion of the Spring Vale Administration.

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Becoming a StudentStep 1: Fill out an Enrollment Application found at www.springvale.us and send it to Spring Vale Christian School.

Step 2: Schedule an interview with the Director of Admissions by phone or in person.

Step 3: Complete the following forms and send them to Spring Vale Christian School:

1. Financial Commitment2. Self Evaluation & Character References

Step 4: Prepare a Payment Plan.

Step 5: If accepted, new students will need to completethe following forms and send them to Spring Vale Christian School:

3. Medical Release 4. Physical Exam5. Immunization Waiver6. Photo Release and Home Visit 7. School Records Release

Step 5 (boarding students only): Make travel arrange-ments to Spring Vale with the Office Administrator.

What Should I Bring?• Bible• Bedding• Toiletries• Dress Clothes• Athletic Apparel• Musical Instruments• Backpack• Towel• Flashlight• Winter Clothing• Alarm Clock (battery operated)

What Not To Bring• Fireworks• Candles• Pets• iPod/CD/MP3 Player• Television• Heating Devices• Weapons (firearms, airsoft, knifes, or blades of

any sort)• Controlled Substances or Intoxicants

Personal Property NoticeSpring Vale does its best to provide a safe and secure environment; however, the school cannot assume responsibility for personal items. Students may bring a locking trunk to protect personal items. The student must be willing to have his or her trunk randomly searched by Spring Vale administration to ensure that no potentially harmful personal items are being stored on Spring Vale’s campus.

Room searches or searches of a students personal property may be conducted when there is reason to believe a student has items that are prohibited by law or Spring Vale policy. If a prohibited item is found during a search, the item(s) will be confiscated by the school and either destroyed, sent to the students parents, or returned to the student at the end of the school year.

Quotes from Students“Thank you guys for being there for me when I am down. I’m not always the best company, but you have all tried

your best to help me. And it has been the best help that I have ever received” - Aubreigh Marshall9

Career Building ProgramsWork-Study Program

Working with the State of Michigan, Spring Vale has instituted a work-study program to help students de-velop a healthy work ethic and explore possible career paths.

All students in grades 9-12 are enrolled in the work study program. All campus students must meet daily work requirements. Students who work in excess of their minimum requirement may receive a paycheck up to $100 per month from Spring Vale while work-ing at the current minimum wage rate. Only students whose accounts are current and have not received tui-tion aid from the school are eligible to be paid. Students whose accounts are not cur-rent or who are receiving tu-ition aid will have their pay deducted from their out-standing account balance.

In the rare case that a student works enough hours to warrant great-er pay than $100 in a single month, the addi-tional money will be credited to the student’s tuition account. Any balance will be given to thestudent at the end of the school year.

Potential jobs include:

• Landscaping and Lawncare• Housekeeping• Data Entry• Building Maintenance• Culinary Arts• Janitorial Work• Teaching Assistant• Administrative Assistant• Marketing• Computer Maintenance• Audio and Video Recording/Editing• Music Ministry• Pastoral Work• Athletic Administration• Auto Mechanics

Career-Readiness ProgramIn addition to Spring Vale’s Work-Study Program, Spring Vale Students attend quarterly career sem-inars led by local business professionals. During these seminars, students learn about different career-related fields and what education and unique skills are required to succeed.

Students may also ap-ply for internships as part of Spring Vale’s Ca-reer-Readiness program. Interns will work under the direct supervision of a Spring Vale employee and receive training in different career-related fields. Interns must meet all the require-ments of, and are subject to, the work and pay expecta-tions of the Work-Study Program.

Because interns are hired separately from the Work-Study Program, interns may be hired and dismissed at the discretion of their supervisor.

Potential internships include:

• Office Administration• Computer/Technology Administration• Athletic Administration• Church Administration• Graphic Design and Marketing• Photography• Videography• Statistics and Data Entry• Teaching Assistant• Music Ministry• Grounds Care/Landscaping• Childcare

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AthleticsSpring Vale provides both varsity and junior varsity sports for students grades 7 through 12 as well as other ex-tra-curricular activities that promote character development, self-discipline, and spiritual awareness. Spring Vale’s coaches and volunteers are committed Christians who are specially gifted and trained to provide a safe, account-able, and fun learning environment for students. Spring Vale athletes compete against other Christian schools and homeschool teams across the state of Michigan.

Women’s SportsGirls VolleyballDuring the fall, female students may compete with the Lady Flames Varsity and Junior Varsity Volleyball Teams. The Lady Flames regularly host the Flames Classic Tournament.

Girls BasketballDuring the winter, female students may compete with the Girls Varsity and Junior Varsity Basketball Teams.

Men’s SportsBoys SoccerDuring the fall, male stu-dents may compete with the Varsity Boys Soccer Team. Each season culminates in the annual Home-coming soccer game, in which current students com-pete against Spring Vale Soccer Alumni.

Boys BasketballDuring the winter, male athletes may compete with the Boys Varsity or Junior Varsity Basketball Teams. The Boys Basketball Flames Classic Tournament is one of Spring Vale’s longest standing athletic traditions.

Extra-CurricularsStudent GovernmentAs part of Spring Vale’s leadership development strat-egy, students can be elected to office by their peers to serve on the Student Senate. Positions are available for grades 7 through 12. The Senate is responsible for planning and executing campus events, monitoring the atmosphere of the student body, and responding with actions that promote spiritual, physical, and social health. Common responsibilities include planning and decorating for banquets, coordinating Spirit Week with school administration, and presenting during school functions.

RecreationStudents in grades 7 through 12 are able to take advan-tage of recreation period by competing in the gymna-sium, playing games outside, or watching videos in the recreation center.Friday Night WorshipOn Friday nights, the students are encouraged to take a leadership role in preparing, presenting, and leading music during Spring Vale’s Friday Night Worship. These gatherings are a time for musicians and students inter-ested in a career in ministry to exercise their gifts.

Saturday Night ActivityA variety of activities are planned for Spring Vale stu-dents each Saturday night. Some of these activities may take students off campus and require payment.

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Dress Code Policy BoysAll students are expected to wear modest clothing that aligns with biblical standards. While some of Spring Vale’s policies regarding dress code are directly found in scripture, others specifically address trends of modern culture. The purpose of the Dress Code Policy is to help protect the students physically and spiritually, limit distractions, and encourage neatness and self-respect by having students look and feel like professionals. Enforcement of all dress code guidelines is subject to staff interpretation and is never open to debate.

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Students must wear a collared polo or button up shirt to school. Shirts may not have any writing other than a logo.

Hair must be off the collar and out of the eyes. Tails and designs shaved in to the hair are not allowed. Natural hair colors only.

Pants should not have holes, tears, or writing on them and must be jeans, khakis, or slacks.

School Dress Recreational Dress

Church Dress

Students must be clean shaven at all times. No facial hair.

Students should wear a belt to prevent their pants from sagging.

All students should attend Spring Vale with the proper attire for recreational and athletic activities including swimming, summer sports, and winter sports.

Boys are expected to have shorts and t-shirts for recreational activities. Sleeveless shirts are permitted, but must be loose fitting and modest.

For swimming, boys must wear shorts. Speedo style swimwear is not permitted.

Shoes must enclose the entire foot. Sandals, slippers, flip-flops, etc. are not permitted.

Sweaters are permitted as long as they are worn over a collared polo or button up shirt and do not have a hood. Hooded sweatshirts, jackets, or coats must be hung up at the school entrance and are not to be worn in class.

Boarding students will attend the Owosso Church of God Seventh Day on a weekly basis and are required to wear an oxford shirt, tie, dress pants, and dress shoes. Shirt must be tucked in.

Special events throughout the year may also enforce a church dress policy. It is important that our students are well dressed and presentable as they work towards becoming professionals.

Casual DressAfter school hours, casual dress is allowed. Casual dress must be modest and may not contain writing that draws attention to the seat or have profanity or vulgar lan-guage/graphics on it.

Tight fitting clothes such as yoga pants, spandex, and other form-fitting material is not permitted in mixed gender settings.

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Oxford Dress Shirt Dress SlacksDress Shoes

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Tie

Grades 7 through 12

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Dress Code Policy Girls

School Dress Recreational Dress

Church Dress

Hair must be out of the eyes. Designs shaved in to the hair are not allowed. Natural hair colors only.

Students must wear a collared polo or button up shirt to school. Shirts may not have any writing other than a logo.

Pants should not have holes, tear, or writing on them and must be jeans, khakis, or slacks. Tight pants are not allowed.

Jewelry - Girls may wear one pair of ear rings no larger than 1 inch in diameter. Body piercings are not allowed.

Students should wear a belt to prevent their pants from sagging.

All students should attend Spring Vale with the proper attire for recreational and athletic activities including swimming, summer sports, and winter sports.

Girls are expected to have shorts and t-shirts for recreational activities. Sleeveless shirts must be loose fitting and modest. Sports bras are appropriate under-neath a shirt only. Shorts must be at least to students finger tips when arms are at the side.

For swimming, girls must wear non-form-fitting swim shorts and a top that completely covers the stomach. Bikini’s are not permitted.

Shoes must enclose the entire foot. Sandals, slippers, slip-flops, etc. are not permitted.

Sweaters are permitted as long as they are worn over a collared polo or button up shirt and do not have a hood. Hooded sweatshirts, jackets, or coats must be hung up at the school entrance and are not to be worn in class.

Casual DressAfter school hours, casual dress is allowed. Casual dress must be modest and may not contain writing that draws attention to the seat or have profanity or vulgar lan-guage/graphics on it.

Tight fitting clothes such as yoga pants, spandex, and other form-fitting material is not permitted in mixed gender settings.

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Dress Dress Shoes

OR

Boarding students will attend the Owosso Church of God Seventh Day on a weekly basis and are required to wear a dress, dress slacks, or a skirt with a blouse and dress shoes for church services.

Dresses and skirts must come to the kneecap and blous-es must cover no less than two inches below the collar bone.

Dress ShoesDress Slacks Blouse

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All students are expected to wear modest clothing that aligns with biblical standards. While some of Spring Vale’s policies regarding dress code are directly found in scripture, others specifically address trends of modern culture. The purpose of the Dress Code Policy is to help protect the students physically and spiritually, limit distractions, and encourage neatness and self-respect by having students look and feel like professionals. Enforcement of all dress code guidelines is subject to staff interpretation and is never open to debate.

Grades 7 through 12

School PoliciesCell Phone/Tablet PolicyIn an attempt to eliminate distractions while learning, students are not allowed to have cell phones or tablets during school hours. Boarding students must leave their phones with their Dean. Local students must turn their phones and/or tablets in to the school office at the be-ginning of the school day and will have them returned to them at the end of the school day. Students may use the phone in the school office if it is necessary to contact parents or for emergency purposes.

By signing an enrollment application to attend Spring Vale Christian School, a student and their parents/legal guardians give Spring Vale faculty permission to search all content stored on personal cell phones, tablets or other mobile devices for material deemed inappropriate by Spring Vale Christian School policies.

Students residing in Spring Vale dorms can retrieve their phones and/or tablets from their Deans at the designat-ed time each school day. They are required to return their phone to the Dean every evening.

In order to provide a safe environment, Spring Vale can restrict access to certain phone and/or tablet features such as apps, music, videos, internet access, etc.

Failure to comply with this policy may result in restric-tion or suspension of cell phone and/or tablet use.

Damage to School PropertyIn the unlikely event that a student causes damage or destroys school property due to carelessness or willful abuse, the student and his or her parent/legal guardian is responsible for the cost of repairing or replacing that property.

Disciplinary ActionSpring Vale is committed to our students’ success both now and in the future. Spring Vale’s disciplinary pro-gram is designed to help cultivate and direct a lifestyle of integrity, respectfulness, and morality that will lead to relational and financial success in the life of its students.

When a student violates school policy or puts anoth-er person in danger, disciplinary action may be neces-sary. Disciplinary actions include, but are not limited to, counseling, detention, community service, loss of school privileges, restricted activity.

Disciplinary actions are decided upon by a committee of Spring Vale faculty. Students who show little regard for the school’s values, or who are disrupting the spiritual, relational, or educational growth of the school, may be suspended or expelled from school at the discretion of the Executive Director.

School BreaksSpring Vale students have three scheduled breaks during the school year: Winter Break, Thanksgiving Break, Spring Break.

During school breaks, the dormitories will be closed and students must return home or their parents must arrange for them to stay with a local family. Spring Vale can assist students who are looking for a local family during a school break. All local families that host Spring Vale students must be in compliance with Spring Vale’s approved home and approved driver policies. If a stu-dent wishes to stay with a family whose home is not ap-proved or who is not an approved driver under Spring Vale’s policy, arrangements will need to be made by that students parents.

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Early WithdrawalIf a student withdraws from school early, they may be eligible for a refund if the parent/legal guardian has prepaid for tuition and/or board. Refunds will be made within 45 days of the student’s withdrawal date.

Scholarships, tuition aid, and discounts will be award-ed according to the length of time the student attended Spring Vale and are not refundable.

If a student withdraws early or has their enrollment ter-minated, monthly payments will continue to be taken until the entire account is paid off.

Students whose enrollment is terminated, voluntarily or involuntarily, within two months of the first day of school, will not receive any tuition aid.

Computer UseAlong with the educational benefits of computer use, there are also many dangers. Students at Spring Vale have access to computers during school hours and in their dormitories.

In an effort to safeguard our students, Spring Vale utiliz-es an internet filter and accountability program offered through Covenant Eyes. Covenant Eyes provides a fil-tering system to block inappropriate content and also offers an accountability program that notifies Spring Vale faculty to any attempt to view such material.

Students who attempt to use proxy servers or other web-sites to get around the firewall or Covenant Eyes, and students who abuse their internet use by viewing or searching for material deemed inappropriate by Spring Vale faculty, may have their computer and/or internet use restricted or suspended.

Boarding Student Arrival and DepartureAt the start and close of each semester, boarding stu-dents will be provided transportation to and from the Lansing, Flint, and Detroit airports. If the student arrives within the first two days that the dorms are open for a semester, the parent/legal guardian will not be charged travel expenses. If a student departs within the last two days of a semester, the parent/legal guardian will not be charged travel expenses.

If a student and his or her parent/legal guardian chooses to arrive or depart from Spring Vale during a day out-side of the parameters listed above, they will be charged $50 to cover transportation fees for the school.

If a student and his or her parent/legal guardian choose to fly into or depart from an airport other than Lansing, Flint, or Detroit, they may be charged up to $300 dollars to cover traveling expenses accured by Spring Vale.

Town DayOn regular occasions, boarding students will be taken into town. During this time, students are free to visit various stores. Students who intend to take advantage of town day should make sure their parents provide money for them to spend during this time.

In the rare case that students abuse their shopping priv-ileges, at the discretion of Spring Vale faculty, town day participation for any student can be restricted or sus-pended.

Medical ExpensesIf a medical need arises, dorm faculty will work cooper-atively with parents to coordinate appropriate medical treatment. Whenever possible, Spring Vale will arrange to have medical services billed directly to medical in-surance. If this is not possible, medical services will be billed directly to the parent/legal guardian.

SOUNDSOUND is a vocal and drama team that performs during special events throughout the school year and also tours the United States during the summer. Students must try out to participate in Sound and have personal and pa-rental commitment to participate in summer tour.

Participation in SOUND is a privilege and only students who excel in music and have mature character will be selected for participation in the group. There may be additional expenses associated with participation in Sound including but not limited to the purchase of uni-forms and travel expenses.

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Campus to Online Transfer FeeA $150 tranfer fee will be charged to campus students who have their enrollment changed from a local campus student to an online student. This fee covers the costs of transfering grades, class schedules, and other transfer related administrative tasks.

Late ArrivalStudents who are enrolled on time but choose to arrive at school late will be charged $100 for every week they are late. This fee will cover the cost of teachers preparing make-up work and time spent giving a special orienta-tion to the late arriving students.

Homeschool Athletic ParticipationHomeschooled students may participate in Spring Vale’s athletic programs. Participants must have a current-year sports physical and complete a notarized medical re-lease form.

Athletic participation is not guaranteed for homeschool students and is dependent upon student enrollment and the anticipated needs of each athletic team as deter-mined by coaches and school administration.

Part-Time StudentsSpring Vale allows homeschooled students to attend class on a part-time basis. Part-time students will be charged $1,100 a year per class or $550 per semester.

Part-time students are eligible to participate in Spring Vale’s athletic program and are held to the same aca-demic eligibility requirements as full-time students for all Spring Vale courses in which they enroll.

Part-time students who have completed four or more classes at Spring Vale and have met all state academic re-quirements may participate in Spring Vale’s graduation ceremony and receive a nationally recognized Spring Vale diploma.

School ClosingsDue to inclament weather, Spring Vale may cancel school. When school is canceled parents will receive a cancelation notification via email and text message. Do not assume Spring Vale has cancelled school because other local schools are closed.

Meal PolicyBuilding constructive, relational, spiritual culture among students is a high priority at Spring Vale. Throughout history, sharing meals has played an important role in the development of cultures, whether the cultures of families, communities, religions, or nations. Helping to build a cohesive, relational culture at Spring Vale, atten-dance of students at meals shall be mandatory, except for excusable absences or as otherwise determined by the staff. Briefings about nutrition will also be presented periodically.

Athletic EligibilityAcademic achievement is a high priority at Spring Vale and determines eligibility for athletic participation. Any student achieving the grade of F in any one class or having a combined grade average below a C- will be restricted from participating in certain extra-curricu-lar activities, including interscholastic sports. Ineligible students may still attend practices, but may not play in games. Academic labs take precedence over practices and games.

FAITH FAMILY EDUCATIONWWW.SPRINGVALE.US

(989) 725-23914150 S M52, Owosso, MI 48867