Portsmouth Christian Academy Upper School
Family Handbook
Mission
PCA exists to honor God joyfully by inspiring students to maximize their God given potential.
Table of Contents
Statement of Faith…………………………………………………………….………………..………………. 3
Academic Policies and Graduation Requirements………………………..……………………… 4
Student Life Policies………………………………………………………………….……………………….… 12
Health Information ……………………………………………………………….………………….………… 27
Attendance Policies and Arrival/Dismissal Policies……………….…………………………….. 32
Communication ……………………………………………………………………….………………………….. 37
Statement of Faith
The basis of the Corporation shall be the Word of God. It will structure itself on the teachings of Christ and not on the doctrines of any particular denomination. Furthermore, it will not discourage or discriminate against the doctrines or members of any denomination, which embraces the Statement of Faith of the Corporation.
Each member of the Board of Directors and each member of the staff of the Corporation having accepted Jesus Christ as personal Savior, shall subscribe annually in writing to the following Statement of Faith:
1. I believe the Bible is the Spirit-inspired and wholly authoritative Word of God.
(II Tim 3:16)
2. I believe that there is one God who is eternally existent in the three persons of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (I John 5:4-7)
3. I believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His substitutionary death on the cross, in His shed blood for the remission of sin, in His bodily resurrection from the dead, in His Ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory. (Jn 10:30; Lk 1:34, 35; Heb 7:26; Acts 2:22; II Cor 5:21; I Jn 1:7; I Cor 15:4; Acts 2:33; Lk 21:27)
4. I believe that God created the heavens and the earth, light and darkness, the sky and waters, the sea and land, vegetation according to its various kinds, the day and night, the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, the creatures of the earth according to their kinds, and man in His image. (Gen 1:1-27)
5. I believe that man was created good and upright, and that by voluntary transgression fell and thereby incurred physical and spiritual death, which is separation from God the Father. (Gen 1:26-27; 2:17; 3:6; Rom 5:12-19)
6. I believe that man’s salvation is received through repentance for sin and faith in Jesus Christ, shown by a life that is growing in holiness. (Lk 13:3; Rom 10:9; I Cor 7:1)
7. I believe in leading a life that is sanctified by the power of the Holy Spirit where sanctification is the act of separation from that which is evil and being dedicated unto God. (Rom 8:13; 12:1-2)
8. I believe in the resurrection of both the saved and lost. The saved will enter into the resurrection of life with the Father according to Christ’s work, and the lost into the resurrection of the damned according to their own works. (Jn 5:24, 28-29)
9. I believe in the spiritual unity of the Body of Christ that includes all those that are trusting Christ for their salvation and leading a sanctified life. (Jn 17:21-23)
Academic Policies
and
Graduation Requirements
This section of the Handbook covers important information about academics, including the number and types of credits required for graduation, the benefits of taking honors courses and additional course work, the process for earning credits outside of PCA, and the requirements for community and school service hours.
Upper School Academic Policies
As always, students are encouraged to maximize their time at PCA. As a college preparatory institution, our goal is to well equip our graduates for the next step in their education.
Expected Course Load
Students at Portsmouth Christian Academy attend for two semesters each school year. The minimum number of credit hours required to graduate from PCA is 25.50. Students are required to attempt at least 5 credits per year to be considered full-time students.
Definitions and Policies
Course
An academic presentation typically occurring in the classroom, but could result from participation in specially recognized activities occurring after school hours. Collectively, courses comprise the curriculum. Satisfactory academic achievement in a course results in a numerical grade and the award of credit hours to satisfy graduation requirements.
Credit Hour
In most cases, credit hours at PCA are awarded on the basis of the length of the course and the frequency of weekly presentations (the following assumes each class is presented four or five periods per week):
Length of Course Credit Hours
Full Year 1
Semester .5
Quarter .25
Core Course
A course that is mandatory for graduation.
Electives
A course that is not mandatory but contributes to meeting the minimum requirements for a course category (e.g., a music elective may help satisfy part of the requirement in the Arts Education category). Electives are graded, contribute to the weighted numerical average and are offered at various times during the student’s four years at PCA.
Class Rank
PCA does not calculate class rank except for purposes of determining valedictorian and salutatorian. If required for college admission or scholarship application, there must be a written request from the student’s parent or guardian outlining the reason for the request. A rank based on weighted numerical average will be reported to the school and/or the institution requesting it.
Prerequisites
Requirements that must be satisfactorily met before taking a course. For example, French I is a prerequisite for French II. Teachers may waive prerequisites if it is believed to be in the best interests of the student and school.
Pass/Fail Courses
Some courses are offered as pass/fail. Students may take pass/fail courses for credit. Pass/fail courses do not factor into a student’s weighted numerical average.
Auditing Courses
In certain cases, students may be allowed to audit a course. Students will not receive academic credit for auditing a course; however the course will be recorded on transcripts as having been audited. In such cases, students will be required to do all of the course work, including tests, quizzes, and homework. Students who voluntarily elect to audit a course need to consult with the teacher of that course about what the work load will be.
Athletic Participation Policy
See the Athletic Department Handbook for more information on athletics.
Grading System
PCA students are evaluated based upon the following scale:
A+ 97-100 F Below 60
A 93-96 W Withdrawn
A- 90-92 D- 60-62
B+ 87-89 AU Audit
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 73-76
C- 70-72
D+ 67-69
D 63-66
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)
A student wishing to earn the STEM themed diploma must successfully complete four years of science, including Physics as well as four years of math, including Calculus. In addition to these requirements the student would need to successfully complete either Calculus, Chemistry or Physics at the AP level and the software engineering or programming elective.
Honors Policy
Honors awards are reserved for those students who demonstrate a special commitment to overall academic excellence. Students will have their performance in all course offerings, including electives, considered when deciding eligibility for honors. To receive highest honors, the student must achieve a weighted numerical average of 96 or higher; high honors will be awarded to students with a weighted numerical average of 91-95.99; honors will be awarded to students with a weighted numerical average of 86-90.99. At the end of the year, awards are presented during an Annual Awards Ceremony for outstanding achievement for the entire year, which include: Highest Average, Highest Honors, High Honors, Honors. Additionally, other awards are given for exemplary traits of character. A student must be enrolled in PCA at least three quarters of a year in order to be eligible for year-end academic awards.
Promotion Policy
A passing grade for each course is a 60 or higher. Freshmen must earn a minimum of 5 academic credits to be promoted, sophomores must have earned a minimum of 10 academic credits to be promoted, and juniors must have earned a minimum of 15 academic credits to be promoted. Students must also demonstrate an ability and desire to meet the academic challenges of the next grade. Parent-student-teacher communications are emphasized at Portsmouth Christian Academy; parents have access to their child’s grades through the Veracross system. If a student is having academic difficulty, the parents will be made aware of the problem promptly, and will be expected to assist the student in addressing the issue immediately.
Acceleration within a Discipline
The Principal will meet initially with the family to discuss the request, and to evaluate the student’s likelihood of success if accelerated. A thorough review of all pertinent records will be made at that time. The Principal will consult with the faculty and the Dean of Academics concerning the request. When a recommendation is to be made, the Principal will meet with the parents and student and explain the rationale for the decision. The teachers may be asked to attend and provide more detailed reasons for recommending non-acceleration.
Early Graduation
A diploma from PCA indicates the successful completion of an academically challenging, college preparatory program. PCA’s Expected Student Outcomes and mission have been designed to culminate in a four-year Upper School program. Further, PCA’s goal is not for students to meet the minimal standard, but rather to optimally prepare students for competitive college entrance. For that reason, requests for early graduation are strongly discouraged, even for students who have completed minimum graduation requirements.
Families who desire to request early graduation must do so prior to the end of 3rd quarter of sophomore year. In order to be considered for early graduation, the student must:
· Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.75.
· Have taken no more than one Pass/Fail course.
· Demonstrate accelerated college readiness by successfully taking an AP course and the corresponding AP exam or successfully completing one dual enrollment course through PCA’s dual enrollment program.
· Submit one reference from a teacher, noting the quality of class participation and work habits.
· Submit to the Principal, in writing, a formal request for early graduation, which includes a compelling rationale for the request and, as much as possible, a detailed outline of future plans.
The Principal will review the request, ask the Guidance Office to comment on the feasibility of early graduation in light of earned credits, and meet with the family to discuss the request. Students approved for early graduation will be given senior status when they have earned enough credits (15 minimum); this may mean a midyear transfer of homerooms and not participating in first semester senior activities.
Add-Drop Policy
Students may add courses through the Friday of the first full week of a semester. A student may drop a course, with parental permission, within four weeks without a notation on the transcript. A course may be dropped, with parental permission, after four weeks, but the course will be recorded on the student’s transcript; the grade for the course will be recorded as “WP” (withdrawn passing) or “WF” (withdrawn failing).
Grading Policy
Quarterly grades are based on the results of examinations, quizzes, tests, projects, papers, participation, homework and/or other criteria established by the teacher. Semester grades are the numerical average of the two quarters. Year-end grades are the average of the two semester grades plus a final exam grade (90% and 10% respectively). Students earn credits at the end of the school year for yearlong courses.
Testing Policy
PCA administers the NWEA test in English and Math to ninth and tenth graders. PCA also uses PSAT, SAT, and AP scores to assess its academic performance in comparison to other schools.
PCA Graduation Requirements
Course Category
English 4
Mathematics 4
Science 4
Social Science 3
Bible 4
Foreign Language 3
Physical Education 1 Met by participating in US Athletic Program
Arts Education 1
Electives As needed
Core credit hours 24.0
Total credit hours 25.50
Required courses for each department are published in the Course Catalog, available in the Guidance Office and on the school’s website.
Community/School Service Policies
Our mission is to administer a school of excellence that teaches and encourages students to maximize their God-given intellectual, artistic, physical, and spiritual potential in preparation for a life of Christian commitment and service to family, church, community, country, and the world.
It is our prayer that our students will develop a heart for serving God through service to others. Our Community/School Service Program is not designed for students to just log service hours for the sake of acquiring the required number of hours for graduation, but to instill in each of them a heart for service, and to provide opportunities for students to experience the joy of helping others. We hope to help our students establish patterns of service, which they can carry with them through life.
1. Students are required to perform 50 service hours per year.
2. Students must record their service hours on forms provided by PCA.
3. Students can get the forms from the office or online, and must turn them in to the main office.
4. The office will keep a record of the total number of service hours each student has performed. Cumulative hours will be recorded on the student’s page in our Veracross System.
5. Participation on a PCA-sponsored mission trip will give students 50 service hours.
6. Non-PCA sponsored missions trips must have prior school approval; the number of service hours awarded will be determined at that time. Missing school for any reason is strongly discouraged. Please see attendance policies in this Handbook.
7. PCA will provide opportunities for students to receive service hours. Watch for announcements concerning opportunities.
- Examples of service are working in Sunday school, VBS, Awana, etc., managing for our athletic teams, participating in some clubs doing office work, working for an individual teacher, assisting with athletic duties, or working with the HOS office, the auction, or on class service projects.
8. Students must perform the required 50 hours each year. Students with under 50
hours are encouraged to find a project over the summer. Students with over 50 hours will not be able to carry those over into the next school year.