Riverside Christian School Handbook
II. Admissions and Attendance
Admissions Procedure
The process for admissions to Riverside Christian School includes the following:
(1) Completion of all application materials. These are to be obtained from the school office or you may click on the links below and print the forms needed.
(2) Payment for and completion of an admittance assessment.
(3) Interview with the appropriate principal or other member of the admissions committee, if necessary.
(4) Receipt of the church involvement form.
(5) Completion of the Student Commitment Contract by secondary (7-12) students.
Riverside Christian School does not discriminate in its admissions policies on the basis of race, color, gender, or national origin. We do reserve the right to deny admission to applicants who are not practicing Christians, those with a history of discipline problems, or those whose academic abilities would hinder their success in our school.
Schedules
Elementary School
School Hours:
Beginning - 8:30 a.m.
Dismissal - 3:00 p.m.
| Grades Preschool - 3rd Grade | Grades 4th - 6th |
| 9:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. | 10:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. |
| 11:40 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | 12:00 p.m. - 12:20 p.m. |
| 1:45 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. | 2:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. |
| Grades Preschool - 3rd Grade | Grades 4th - 6th |
| 11:20 a.m. - 11:40 a.m. | 11:40 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. |
| Pre - K and Kindergarden | Grades 1st - 3rd | Grades 4th - 6th |
| Monthly | Thur 8:40 a.m. - 9:20 a.m. | Fri 10:20 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. |
Secondary School
School Hours:
Beginning - 8:15 a.m. | Ending - 3:10 p.m.
Lunch Schedule:
12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. (Except Friday, 12:20 p.m. - 12:50 p.m.)
Financial Policy
Tuition is to be paid in twelve equal monthly payments. The first payment will be due July 1st of the current school year. Subsequent payments are due the first day of each month through June 1st, the end of the school year.
Tuition fees paid in full by August 15th for upcoming school year will receive a 5% discount.
Tuition is considered delinquent if not received by the 10th of each month from July through June. If a student's account is delinquent, a telephone call from the Finance Department requesting payment of past due tuition will be made to the financially responsible parent or guardian. If there is no response within five working days, a second call will be made requesting payment and informing the responsible party that a $25.00 late fee will be added to the account, should there be no effort to communicate or pay the past due tuition by the end of the month.
At the beginning of the next month, if no effort has been made to pay or contact the school, a member of the Finance Committee will contact the responsible party to work out an acceptable solution. If the agreed upon solution is not adhered to, the account will be referred to the Finance Committee, which will make a decision as to continued enrollment at Riverside Christian School.
No transcripts or report cards will be given until payment or arrangement for payment of the delinquent tuition has been made.
Attendance
RATIONALE
Regular and punctual attendance at school is vital to the success of each student. As Riverside Christian School works with parents to instill lifelong habits, being at school and being on time are two commitments that will serve students for a lifetime. Guidelines have been established, both to help insure that positive habits are being formed and to make certain that students are in compliance with the Washington State Compulsory Attendance Law.
PROCEDURE
In the elementary, preschool-grade 6, roll will be taken at the beginning of each school day. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to notify the school as early as possible in the morning if the child will be absent from school. If there is no communication from the paretn/guardian by 9:00 a.m., an attempt will be made by the attendance secretary to contact the parent/guardian to learn the reason for the absence. If the attendance secretary is not able to speak to a parent/guardian to verify the absence, it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian and student to bring a dated note, signed by the parent/guardian, indicating the reason for the absence. This note is to be given to the classroom teacher, who will forward it to the office. A determination will then be made as to whether the absence is excused or unexcused. (RCW 284.225.005.0)
Failure to bring such a note within three days of the return to school will result in an unexcused absence. If parent/guardian wishes homework to be requested from the teacher, this must be specifically stated at the time of contact with the school. Teachers may be unable to honor homework requests that reach their desks later than noon. Clssroom teachers will give students with excused absences due dates for make-up work.
In the secondary, grades 7-12, roll will be taken at the beginning of each class period. Parents/guardians must contact the school by 9:00 a.m. if the student will be absent for the day. If there is no communication from the parent/guardian by 9:00 a.m., an attempt will be made by the attendance secretary to speak to a parent/guardian to verify the absence. A dated, signed note must be presented at the secondary office upon return to school, explaining the absence. A determination will then be made regarding the status of the absence. If the parent/guardian wishes homework to be requested from teachers, this must be specifically stated att he time of contact with the school. Teachers may be unable to honor homework requests that reach their desks later than noon.
A doctors note may be required if a student is absent more than three (3) consecutive days due to illness. Students with excused absences will have one week upon return to school to make up the work missed.
The school will recognize three types of absences:
Excused Absences:
Excused absences will include:- Illness
- Medical or dental appointments that cannot be scheduled outside of school hours
- Family emergencies
- Bereavement
- School sponsored activities
On the first or second day after returning to school, the student must give the office a note stating the reason for being out of school. Failure to bring such a note will result in an unexcused absence. A doctor's note may be requested if a student is absent more than three (3) consecutive days due to illness. Students will have one week to make up work that has been missed from an excused absence.
Prearranged Absence:
Families may apply for up to five (5) days of prearranged absences per school year. A student must bring a note signed by parent/guardian at least three (3) days in advance stating the reason for the absence. Students must present the request to the attendance secretary in order to receive a prearranged absence form.
Elementary--The attendance secretary will route the pre-arranged absence form to the classroom teacher, who will give the student a copy, listing assignments to be completed during the absence. School work for prearranged absences will not be accepted after the agreed upon due date, which is not recorded on the prearranged form. Failure to complete a pre-arranged absence form prior to the absence will result in an unexcused absence.
Secondary--The student must take the prearranged absence form to each teacher, who will record assignments to be completed during the absence. The completed form is to be returned to the secondary office, where the secretary will give the student a copy for his/her use and retain the office copies. School work for prearranged absences will not be accepted after the agreed upon due date, which is not recorded on the prearranged form. Failure to complete a pre-arranged absence will result in an unexcused absence.
Approval to excuse the absence may be in question if the absence will seriously impact the student's grade. Further communication with the parent may be necessary so they have full understanding of the potential impact. Requests for prearranged absence days near the end of grading periods, during semester finals and during SAT testing periods will usually be denied.
Unexcused Absence
An unexcused absence means that a student was not in school and failed to meet the school's policy for excused or prearranged absence. Five (5) unexcused absences (as defined here) within a calendar month require filing of a petition with the juvenile court reporting violation of the compulsory attendance law. Ten (10) unexcused absences (as defined here) within a school year require the filing of a petition with the juvenile court reporting violation of the compulsory attendance laws. RCW 28.A.225.020 and 28.A225.030
School work missed due to unexcused absences will not be collected or given credit. Absent the Day of School Activities.
A student who has been absent from school during the day of an extracurricular activity will not be permitted to participate in the activity unless the absence is excused. If the absence is because of illness, participation will not be allowed in the activity unless an administrator grants permission.
Excessive Absences for Grades 7-12
At the secondary level, in order to receive credit for any class or subject, in addition to other requirements, a student must not exceed ten (10) days of absence in any quarter. This includes all reasons for absence, except school sponsored activities and athletics. On the eleventh absence, a student will automatically lose credit. When extenuating circumstances exist, an appeal may be made to administration. The administration may convene an Attendance Waiver Committee to conduct a hearing to determine the validity of the circumstances.
Tardiness-Elementary
A student is tardy if he/she is not in his/her classroom when class begins. Failure to provide an acceptable excuse for the late arrival will be noted and may result in corrective action.
A student arriving late must report to the office and obtain an admittance slip before reporting to the classroom.
A tardy may be excused due to a medical/dental appointment, extreme weather conditions, car trouble, etc.
Five unexcused tardies in one semester will result in a detention assignment. The accumulation of another three tardies (total of eight) within one semester will result in both a detention assignment and a principal conference with parents. Because of the limited number of detentions that are allowed for attendance at RCS, it is possible for a student to be expelled for habitual or excessive tardiness.
Tardiness--Secondary
Tardiness is defined as a student not being in his/her seat within the allotted time for the passing period. If he/she does not have a written note from another teacher or the office, he/she will be counted as tardy.
Teachers will keep track of tardies for their individual classes. Each class will be kept separately. When a student receives a fifth tardy in the quarter, he/she will be assigned another detention. Should he/she get three more tardies in the quarter, he/she will be assigned another detention. Because of the limited number of detentions that are allowed for attendance at RCS, it is possible for a student to be expelled for habitual or excessive tardiness.
Excusing Students During the Day
Withdrawing children from the building during the school day MUST be done through the office. At no time are students to be dismissed from the classroom without prior notice to the office. Please stop by the office, sign your child out and pick up a dismissal slip.
Give the dismissal slip to the classroom teacher, at which time the student will be relased from class. Early dismissal will be counted as an unexcused absence unless the dismisssal invovles needed health attention or urgent family needs. Instruction continues until 3:00 p.m. for elementary and 3:10 p.m. for secondary. Please do not ask that your child be regularly dismissed before this time.
Students may NOT be released to persons other than parents or legal guardians unless:
The school has prior written notification by the parents or legal guardians that thestudent is to be released to a specific party. Identification may be required. Written permission is given by the parent on the student pick-up card.
Under no circumstances will a child be released to any persons other than those authorized by the pick-up card or through written notification. These rules are designed for the safety and protection of your children. Your cooperation in helping us keep your children safe is appreciated.