Policies

Committees and Staff Assistance SCA requires specific parental involvement in two areas: Special Events, and Testing. Each parent is expected to serve on one of the Special Events committees. Each Team will be assigned a Special Event and will be under the direction of a Special Event Director. This is a great opportunity to serve others and get acquainted with other SCA families. Failure to fulfill this obligation may result in disciplinary action. For Testing involvement, see Testing, or consult the Administration section under Testing in your SCA handbook. Guests Because of our commitment to our members and respect for your tuition payments, we do not allow guests at SCA functions. We know you prefer that we limit attendance of SCA events to those who have made the same commitments as you to accountability and conduct. We also greatly value our staff and do not want to burden them with having to accommodate non-members. The only exceptions are as follows: Prospective members may attend the May faculty meeting to learn about SCA; Grandparents are welcome at any time if they are supportive of home education; Occasionally SCA will host an event not limited to members and will publicize it accordingly. PLEASE do not put SCA staff or board members in an awkward position by asking for any other exceptions. Simultaneous Enrollment SCA does not allow enrollment of any student that is currently enrolled in public school, a public school home study program (CHEP), or traditional private school. SCA is designed to be a resource and support for families committed to privately educating their children at home. Government-sponsored independent study programs hold a philosophy and purpose which is in disagreement with ours and which we cannot endorse. Moreover, public school enrollment disqualifies a family from HSLDA membership which is required for SCA membership. Although we do not advise it, SCA is not opposed to concurrent enrollment in another private independent study program. We are grateful for the existence of the other quality programs available in this area because of the wide range of needs within the home school community. We suggest you choose the ISP that best meets your own needs and avoid being burdened by the requirements and offerings of two separate programs. Families enrolled in correspondence schools are welcome to join SCA. All the same reports are required. Enrollment in a correspondence school outside California does not satisfy the compulsory attendance laws since enrollment must be in a private school whose address is within the state of California. Some out-of-state correspondence school representatives have stated that their students need not be enrolled anywhere else, but this statement is due to their unfamiliarity with the California education code. Withdrawal Notice of withdrawal from SCA must be given in writing before the Faculty Meeting, or that month's tuition payment will be required. No refund of monthly tuition will be given when notice of withdrawal from SCA is delivered to SCA after a Faculty Meeting. Registration fees are non-refundable. Your child's records will be forwarded to the next school upon written request from the school. Faculty Meetings SCA requires that at least one parent from each family attend every Faculty Meeting. Two absences are allowed. The third absence will result in a fine of $25. Faculty Meetings are for SCA parents only -- children are not allowed except for quiet nursing infants. Newsletter The monthly newsletter is distributed via email on or before the beginning of each month.The newsletter contains all the information you need (times, costs, directions, etc.) for all events. Please keep track of and use it so you can avoid calling the staff with unnecessary questions. Most events are published 2-3 months in advance. Therefore, thorougly reading your newsletter will enable you to carefully consider each function well before payment or sign-up is required. The deadline for entries to the following month's newletter is the 15th of the prior month. If you have an item or service to sell, ads are free for SCA members. Non-members may advertise for $20/month. All items should be emailed to the administrator. Discretion should be used when placing ads. All ads placed in the newsletter should have some educational benefit to them. The SCA newsletter is not a forum for selling personal items (Avon, Amway, etc). Specific Activities Field Trips Parents are required to attend any field trips in which they wish their student to participate. The only exception is for one parent to accept the responsibility for another's student. All families are expected to be on time at the designated meeting place. Parents are required to strictly supervise their own student and encourage them to abide by the rules of the guide. Inappropriate behavior will result in dismissal. Guest are not allowed on field trips unless specifically designated ahead of time by the monthly newsletter or field trip coordinator. Any admission charges will be paid by each participating family at a Faculty Meeting prior to the field trip. Admission charges are not refundable. Classes Classes must be paid for in advance. All parents who enroll their children in classes are expected to assist in a classroom for that session as follows: twice for the first child and once each for additional children. Classroom choices for helpers will be on a first-come, first-served basis. A nursery will be available for children of teachers and helpers only. If helping is a hardship, we recommend you hire another mom to take your place for $10. Inform your child that his/her teacher is the authority during class and must be obeyed at all times. Persistent disruptive, disrespectful, or disobedient behavior cannot be allowed. If a teacher has twice spoken to your child about wrong behavior with no improvement, she will inform you of the problem. If the problem persists, we may require that you withdraw your child from classes until he/she has matured enough to exercise the self-control necessary for the classroom. Our goal is not to punish you and your child, but to ensure reliable quality classroom experiences for all children. Assemblies Generally, assemblies are for all ages, but most suitable for ages 5-12. If your younger child is noisy or disruptive, please consider others and make use of designated facilities. If your school-age child has well-established habits of sitting quietly, respectfully and attentively, you are not required to stay. DO NOT leave a preschool age child. Assemblies are designed for school age children and may not be entertaining enough for unsupervised younger children. All previously mentioned rules of conduct, dress and safety must be observed. (Due to expenses, some assemblies may require a small fee.) Special Events Special Events are for the entire family. Due to the expenses involved, some events will require a nominal fee. All rules of conduct, dress, and safety must be observed. Extended family are welcome to attend Promotion Night. Scouts SCA is designated as the charter organization for Cub Scout and Boy Scout troop 627.