Philosophy of Christian Education
OCS bases its educational philosophy on a
Christian worldview that comes from the truths of the Christian faith. Education can most effectively be
accomplished in an environment that recognizes that the only truth is God’s
truth. Because the fear of the Lord is
the foundation of all wisdom and knowledge, developing a personal relationship
with Jesus Christ takes highest priority in the educational process.
Scripture
clearly teaches that parents are responsible for the education and discipline
of their children. The school is not a
substitute for the home; it is an extension of the home, and only one of the
means through which parents are to fulfill the responsibility the Lord has
given them.
God
has given parents the mandate to teach their children His commandments and
train them in the way they should go.
God also commands us to acknowledge Him in all our ways. Because we cannot depend on state
educational institutions to help fulfill these mandates, and because not all
parents are able to educate their children at home, OCS exists to help parents
fulfill their responsibility to God. We
consider the school an extension of the home and expect that the training a
child receives at school is a supplement of the training a child receives at
home and church.
We
exist, then, to provide the best education as we possibly can in an environment
that not only acknowledges God, but also teaches His Word as alive and
completely relative to all that we are.
As we get no visible monetary support from secular institutions, our
trust is in the Lord. We are confident
that He will help us complete the task for which He has called us.
1. We
believe the Bible to be the inspired, inerrant, and only infallible
authoritative Word of God.
2. We
believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
3. We
believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His
sinless life, in His miracles, in His atoning or reconciliatory work on the
cross through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to
the right hand of the Father.
4. We
believe that the entire human race has descended from our first parents, Adam
and Eve, as recorded in Genesis chapters one and two. We believe that Adam and
Eve were a special creation of God and solidly reject any theory that would express
the idea that they may have evolved from a lower creature.
5. We
believe that the entire human race is a fallen race as a result of our first
parents’ being seduced by Satan, and as such dead in sin. It is therefore necessary for God to
resurrect the dead man in order to make him alive in Christ. He must be born again.
6. We
believe that the only means of salvation is by God’s grace through faith
alone. We firmly reject any theory of a
works-based salvation. Justification is
by faith alone and available to all who would receive.
7. We
believe in the ever-present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by Whose indwelling
the believer is enabled to live a godly life.
8. We
believe in the spiritual unity of all true believers in our Lord Jesus Christ
and in the prominence of the visible, local New Testament Church.
9. We
believe that life is a gift from God and must always be regarded as
sacred. Therefore, we believe that
infanticide and euthanasia is inexcusably wrong.
10. We
adhere to the Biblical standards of chastity and purity, and vigorously oppose
public acceptance of sexual promiscuity and all factors and practices that
promote it. The Biblical view of human
sexuality makes the sexual experience a gift of God to be a communion between
husband and wife. We believe that homosexuality is immoral and sinful but that
the grace of God is sufficient to redeem and restore the homosexual.
11. We
believe that Satan is a real being whose will and purpose is to destroy the
will of God for each person’s life. We
believe that Satan’s destruction to eternal hell is guaranteed.
12. We
believe that the Scriptures clearly teach that there is a conscious personal
existence after death. Heaven with its
eternal glory and the blessedness of Christ’s presence is the final abode of
those who choose the salvation which God provides through Jesus Christ; but
hell with its everlasting misery and separation from God is the final abode of
those who neglect this great salvation.
13. We
believe that disputes among Christians should be settled within the Church, not
by a secular court. We believe in a literal second coming or return of our Lord
to gather His saints and establish His Kingdom upon this earth.
History
of the School
In
the fall of 1982, after several attempts to enroll their children in a
Christian school, the Wilsons reluctantly enrolled their three young children
in one of the public schools in Olathe, KS.
Even though the school was well known for academic excellence, it soon
became obvious to them that the school was teaching a philosophy that was in
opposition to their Christian beliefs.
The views of the school were quite liberal; and, according to their
history and science textbooks, the school had subscribed to the humanistic
views of origins and history.
Roy
and Laura Wilson were in Olathe to start a new church and had been repeatedly
warned to let that take precedence in their lives and let the state take care
of the education of their children. They
tried to ignore the obvious and glaring differences of philosophy the state
education system had with their Christian beliefs. However, their personal convictions that it was their
responsibility to train their children and not the state’s soon took precedence. In November of 1982, they removed their
children from the public school and began to home school them. The decision to home school was even more
difficult due to an increased public opposition to home schooling in the late
‘70’s and early ‘80’s.
During
the next year many parents began to ask them for help in the education of their
children. Having already been in a
situation where they had needed help, they didn’t feel they could turn these
people away. The rest is history. The school was given the name “Olathe
Christian School” in 1985 and joined with Olathe Wesleyan Church in 1995. Currently, the school is seeing a sustained
growth. They look forward to a bright
future with the church.
There
still remains a strong alliance with home school parents. At present there are over one hundred home
schooled students that take part in OCS programs. The OCS Sports program is second to none among Christian schools in
the area. In 1996, the OCS basketball
program won the NACA Boys Div. I national basketball championship and in 2001
won the JV national basketball championship, and winning state in volleyball
and basketball is a common occurrence.
In 2001, they won both the football and volleyball NACA Div. 1
championships.
The
OCS faculty and staff realize that a continued “history” is completely reliant
on God’s undying love and purpose for this ministry. We praise the Lord for His faithfulness.
Relationship
of the school to the church
Olathe
Christian School (OCS) is an independent, non-profit corporation formed for the
purpose of operating a Christian school.
Olathe Wesleyan Church (OWC) serves as a sponsor for the ministry of
OCS. While some OCS staff members also
serve in ministry with OWC, and OWC must approve new OCS board members, OCS is
autonomous is its day-to-day functions.
OCS is open to continually broadening its support base by cooperating
with area churches that share a vision to educate children according to God’s
Word.
The
school board
A
board of directors that is independent of any church governs OCS. The pastor of Olathe Wesleyan Church is an
honorary member of the school board.
The members of the school board are elected by the school board
according to seniority of involvement and the proven ability of
Biblically-sound judgment. The school
board exists for the purpose of making major decisions for the school. Board meetings are not open to the
public. Parents should not contact
board members directly; rather they should refer questions or problems to the
principal.
The
administration
The superintendent or
administrator has final decision-making authority in all school matters. Under the direction of the school board,
he/she has ultimate responsibility of all school matters. The school administrator is responsible for
the operation of all school matters.
The principal has the principle decision-making authority in matters of
faculty and staff, academics, and discipline.
He/she is subject to the authority of the administrator. The principal may appoint assistants and/or
department supervisors as he/she sees fit.
Teachers
Teachers
have immediate authority and responsibility of students in matters of academics
and discipline. Teachers are first
accountable to the program (preschool, elementary, secondary) supervisors and
ultimately to the principal. Since the
focus of OCS rests ultimately on the salvation of its students, all teachers
must show evidence of a sincere relationship with Christ.
Accreditation
Olathe
Christian School is a member of the American Association of Christian Schools
based in Independence, Missouri. OCS
has received school accreditation through the National Association of Private
Schools
Entrance
requirements
OCS
aims to train Christian young people to live for Christ; therefore, students
and parents must subscribe to our philosophy, to our statement of faith, and to
our standards. We believe that it is of
utmost importance for the child to receive Christian training in the home. Regular church attendance of both children
and parents is a vital and necessary part of this training. OCS will make every effort to accommodate
students with special needs; however, OCS may not have the resources to accept
those with severe special needs such as physical and mental handicaps or
critical learning disabilities/differences.
Decisions for or against acceptance are made at the sole discretion of
the OCS administration. An exception in the policy for one is not meant as an
exception in the policy for anyone else.
Kindergarten
To
enter kindergarten, a child must be five years old by September 1of the year
he/she enters school. Every child
(preschool and up) entering a Kansas school for the first time is required to
bring a certificate indicating the required immunizations. Those who have religious convictions against
immunizations must sign a release form.
All children entering kindergarten must have a physical examination
signed by a doctor (dated no earlier than May 1 of the calendar year in which
he/she will enter kindergarten).
Elementary
To
enter grades one through six, a student must have successfully completed the
previous grade. If the student is
transferring from another school, it may be necessary to test the child for
placement. Parents should have
significant input regarding the placement of their child. Any special concern should be made known to
the principal upon enrollment.
Secondary
To
enter grades seven through twelve, a student must have successfully completed
the previous grade. If the student is transferring from another school, it may
be necessary to test the student for placement. OCS reserves final decision making authority in all questions of
placement. All students entering seventh grade must have a physical examination
signed by a doctor (dated no earlier than May 1 of the calendar year in which
he/she will enter that grade) and present a certificate indicating the required
immunizations.
Selection
of students
Registrations
are taken subject to approval by the administration and only as long as space
is available; enrollment is limited in each classroom. Applicants will be considered in this
order: (1) returning students; (2)
those whose families are committed to a Christian education; (3) those applying for any other reason such
as for “private” education or an advanced curriculum. Students who turn nineteen before September 1 may not be admitted
as full time students, although OCS may work with students over this age in an
individualized program.
Re-enrollment
It
may become necessary toward the end of the school term to re-evaluate those
students who have presented consistent discipline and/or academic difficulties
to OCS. If the student has not
demonstrated significant improvement, his/her pre-enrollment fee, if paid, for
the next school term will be refunded and the student will be denied
re-enrollment privilege.
Nondiscriminatory
policy
OWC
and OCS shall have a racially nondiscriminatory policy and, therefore, shall
not discriminate against members, applicants, students, and others on the basis
of race, color or national or ethnic origin.
Admissions
committee
This
committee consists of the principal and the superintendent, and makes the
determination as to which students are or are not admitted to the school.
Admissions
procedures
Please
be careful to follow each of the following steps when applying for admission:
1. Formally
apply by submitting a signed application for each student wishing to enroll.
2. Both parent
and child must attend an interview conducted by the principal or other
administrator.
3. Pay all
applicable fees.
4. Complete
all applicable forms.
Probationary
period
All
new students are on probation for six weeks.
If the student does not adjust to the program within this time by
evidencing academic, emotional or disciplinary problems that have not been
improved, that student may not remain at OCS.
Notice
Withdrawals
from school must be made in writing through the office by the parent. OCS will permit a student to be withdrawn
for any reason. OCS reserves the right
to ask a student to withdraw for any reason.
Finances
Tuition
and fees continue until withdrawal has been completed. If the account is delinquent a grade report
will not be issued and the student’s records will not be transferred to another
school until the account is made current (including late fees, lost book
charges, etc.). A student may not be accepted
for re-admittance if the account for the previous year is delinquent.
A
refund will be given for the period of time remaining in the school year,
starting with the next calendar month.
Any refund given applies only to tuition paid in advance, and not to any
fees or other expenses paid by the parent.
Times
OCS
only provides before and after school care when it is pre-arranged by the
parent and is feasible for the school to provide such care. Students should not arrive earlier than
fifteen minutes before school begins, and should leave within fifteen minutes
of when school dismisses. Students at
school before or after this time must remain in the designated area.
Cost
OCS may find it necessary to
charge parents who have their children at school too early or too late. Parents must pay for pre-arranged before and
after-school care at the beginning of the month.
Tuition
Tuition
may be paid monthly, each semester, or in one sum in the form of cash, check or
money order. If paying in one sum,
payment must be made at the beginning of the school year. Parents are allowed up to twelve months
(beginning in July and ending in June) to pay the balance of the tuition. Those who enroll during the year are allowed
one more payment than months remaining in the school year to give them a lower
monthly payment.
The
school endeavors to pay its debts promptly as a good, Christian testimony. If parents fail to pay tuition and fees on
time, it is difficult for the school to pay its debts, teachers’ salaries, and
other expenses as they become due.
Monthly payments are due on the first day of the month with a late fee
of 1% added to the account if the payment has not been made by the tenth of the
month. If a past due account is not
brought up to date within the month due, and parents have not made arrangements
with the school administration for payment, parents may be asked to withdraw
their child from the school.
The
tuition schedule is designed to accommodate families of more than one
student. There is a discount for each
additional student for which the parent is paying.
Fees
A
registration fee is charged each year and is due when an application is
submitted. It is not refundable.
An
administrative fee is charged each year to provide for textbooks, copying
costs, property insurance, Christian school memberships, etc. Textbooks that the student uses belong to
the school and must be returned to the school at the end of the year or when
the student withdraws from school.
Other
fees may be applicable as the student participates in athletics, school trips,
laboratories, physical education, elective classes, hot lunches, etc.
Contributions
Any
interested group or individual is invited to contribute to the operation of the
school via gifts for general expenses, specific needs, or by providing
scholarships for deserving students who would otherwise be unable to attend a
Christian school. This would be a
tax-deductible donation.
Refund policy
OCS
does not refund money except when a student’s tuition has been paid in advance.
Use of funds
OCS
reserves the right to use any money paid or given to the school any way it
deems necessary and/or appropriate.
Exceptions
An exception in any policy for one is not meant as an
exception for anyone else.
Belonging to a local
Bible-believing church provides Biblical nourishment, Christian fellowship, and
Christian accountability. Therefore, it
is strongly encouraged that students and parents be active members in a local
church. Families out of fellowship with
a local body of believers may be refused admission or be asked to
withdraw.
OCS believes that part of being a
responsible person in life is the quality of being present and punctual each
day to assume one’s responsibilities.
This quality must be taught at a very young age and consistently
enforced throughout the student’s life.
Parents who permit their children to be tardy or unnecessarily absent or
who cause them to be tardy or unnecessarily absent are enforcing a very bad
habit.
Excused Absences
A student will be excused for the
following reasons:
· Personal illness
· Illness in family that requires the
student to be absent from school
· Death in family
· Medical appointments (parents are
requested to make such appointments after school hours when possible)
· Emergencies (as determined by
administration)
· The administration may also give special
permission for absences for worthwhile causes.
In this case permission must be granted prior to the absence in order to
make arrangements with the student’s teacher(s) to make up any missed
assignments.
As much as possible, notify the
school in advance of any absence. In
the event that a student misses a day of school for one of the reasons listed
above, the student’s parent should call the school office to notify the teacher
and administration of the absence and the reason. Upon returning to school, the student should bring a note from
his/her parent explaining the reason for the absence. The school office will determine whether a absence is excused
or unexcused.
Excessive absences
Excessive absences will definitely
affect the student’s grade. Students
absent more than twelve times per semester are in jeopardy of receiving a
failing grade for that semester.
Illness
If your child shows signs of illness
(vomiting, fever, etc.), please do not bring him/her to school. A student who contracts a contagious illness
should be kept at home until he/she feels well and there is no danger of
passing the illness to other children.
Check with your family doctor as to the time that is advisable for the
student to return to school. If your
child should become ill with a contagious illness (mumps, chicken pox, measles,
etc.), it would be appreciated that you call the school to report the illness
so that other parents can be advised to watch for symptoms in their children.
Unexcused absences and
make-up work
An absence will be unexcused for one
of the two following reasons:
1. Unacceptable absence from school
2. No call or note from a parent on the day
returning to school
Unexcused absences may carry a penalty of
no make-up work, with a grade of zero for any test or assignment missed by the
student Or, the teacher may choose an
alternative method for the child to make up his\her missed work.
A student coming into class late, for
whatever reason, disrupts the flow of the entire class. A student is considered tardy if he/she is
not in his/her seat by the beginning of class. Continued tardiness will necessitate a
conference with parent and principal.
When a student is tardy, he/she must check in at the office for a tardy
slip to enter class. A student more
that fifteen minutes tardy at the beginning of the day must be checked in at
the office by his/her parent. If he/she
has no note signed by his/her parents explaining the reason for tardiness, the
student will be given an unexcused tardy.
Three unexcused tardies will equal one unexcused absence.
Students will not be penalized if
tardiness results from their being detained by another teacher. The student should bring a note from the
teacher to verify this.
It is the responsibility of the student to make arrangements
with the teacher about work that was or
will
be missed during an absence. A student
must make up his/her work in the same number of days missed unless special
permission has been granted by the administration.
If
a test was announced or work was assigned before the unexpected absence, the
student must be prepared to take the test or turn in the work upon his/her
return. (In cases of emergency or
prolonged illness, the teacher may allow additional days.) If the student was legitimately absent when
the test or assignment was assigned or given, the teacher may reschedule the
test or work.
Truancy
Truancy
is a violation of state law. Skipping school
either part of a day or all day is considered truancy. Truancy will be treated as an unexcused
absence. In addition, parents will be
notified, and disciplinary action will be taken.
Contacting
students in the classroom
Only
under emergency conditions may a student be contacted while in class. Parents
who need to contact a student should leave a message with the office, which
will in turn deliver the message to the student.
Early
dismissal from class
When
it is necessary for the student to leave class early, the parent should make
arrangements beforehand with the teacher and the office. The parent must sign the log out book
located in the school office.
Health
service and first aid
The
school will administer minor first aid when it is required. Students who are to take medication during
the school day must notify the office at the beginning of the day. Teachers should not be expected to
administer the medication, although teachers will help the student within
limits. A note from the parent or
physician is necessary. Students may be
given aspirin or other pain reliever when parents have given permission for the
student to take them.
School
Cancellations
OCS
abides by the decisions made by the local public school system regarding the
postponing or cancellation of school due to weather conditions. Local radio and TV stations will carry all
school closing announcements. The
daycare sometimes remains open on snow days. Please call the school for
information about the daycare.
Lunch
Students
attending school full days should bring a sack lunch or buy a hot lunch from
the school. Students are not to leave
the school for lunch unless accompanied by a teacher, parent, or guardian and
only on special days. Upperclassmen may
be allowed special privileges to leave for lunch on special days and upon
receiving permission from administration.
All
food is to be eaten in the lunch area only, except when specified by the
teacher or administration. All trash is
to be placed in the trash container.
Each student is to clean his/her area when concluding lunch.
Visiting
Procedures
Students
are encouraged to bring friends who may be interested in attending our school
to visit for short periods of time.
Arrangements must be made twenty-four hours in advance with the school
office before entering a class. Visiting is not allowed during the first two
weeks of school or on special testing days.
Parents
are also welcome to visit OCS. Please
do not go directly to the classroom, but first make arrangements with the
student’s teacher and check in at the office.
Items and messages are to be left in the office and will be delivered to
the student at an appropriate time. A
parent should not go directly to a classroom without checking in at the school
office.
Change
of address
Any
change of address or phone number should be reported immediately to the school
office. Change of employment or “in
case of emergency contact” phone numbers should also be reported immediately.
Telephone
The
telephone is reserved for official school business and emergencies. Students desiring to place emergency calls
will give the name and number to school personnel who will in turn place the
call.
Transportation
OCS
does not provide transportation to and from school. We suggest carpools with those who live in the same
vicinity. The school will provide
transportation to and from school related functions such as field trips and
games. Parents are encouraged to assist
the school in providing this transportation.
Fundraisers/Sales/Programs
Students
and teachers desiring to sell items on school property must obtain the
permission of the administration. No
student or teacher may keep a monetary account without co-ownership of OCS
administration. The administration of
OCS reserves the right to determine all uses of school related funds. All fundraisers, sales, and programs (i.e.
tutoring) must be approved by the administration.
Fire
and tornado drills
State
law requires OCS to conduct periodic emergency drills. Students are expected to give full
cooperation during all drills.
Searches
for suspicion of illegal or unauthorized materials
OCS
reserves the right to search the student’s person and belongings in the event
the school suspects that the student possesses an unapproved item. Such a search may be conducted without the
student’s or the parents’ permission.
Registering the child for school constitutes parental consent to such
searches. When the administration
suspects illegal or unauthorized materials, a member may search automobiles,
backpacks, purses, pockets, lockers, desks, etc. When necessary, only a staff member of the same gender as the student
will conduct searches of the student.
Philosophy
of dress code
Dress
is to reflect modesty and is to identify the student with Christ, not with the
world. Students are to keep in mind
that the Christian body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, not a visual
spectacle. Faddish extremes and
symbols, unnecessarily tight or see-through clothing are not acceptable. There
is a strong correlation between a student’s development of a positive sense of
self-worth and his/her appearance. A
student’s behavior is better when he/she dresses neatly. Students are to be neat and clean.
The
following lists are by no means exhaustive.
OCS reserves the right to interpret the appropriateness or
inappropriateness of a student’s appearance.
Any questions the student has concerning the appropriateness of any
particular appearance should be asked prior to wearing it to school.
The
dress code will be in effect to and from any school activity. For a special activity (assemblies, field
trips, special games, etc.), the administration may require an altered dress
code.
Parents
are responsible to ensure that their children meet the requirements. Dress in a manner that will bring credit to
Christ, yourself, and your school. No
student will be allowed to remain in class who is in indecent attire.
Four principles of dress will be
taught and consistently enforced:
1. Modesty of both boys and girls.
2. Distinction between boys and girls.
3.
Identification with the Lord
and not with the world.
4. Appropriateness for the
time/activity.
All clothing must conform to
these guidelines as interpreted by the staff of OCS. The dress code is summed
in these four principles and somewhat, though not exhaustively, explained
below:
· The fit of all clothes should not be
too revealing, too baggy, or too tight.
All clothing must be in good repair.
· Appearance must be in no way be
disruptive to the learning process.
· Sunglasses, visors, hats or sweat
bands, should not be worn in the school building.
· Warm-up pants, athletic/gym shorts,
undershirts, and sleeveless shirts are
not appropriate classroom attire.
· Tattoos are not permitted.
· All clothing must be free
from slogans and/or commercial advertisements that give an anti-Christian
message. Some exceptions to this rule are team wear (anti-Christian mascots,
such as “blue demons,” “red devils,” etc. are not allowed; and names of
controversial players should not be on team wear), vacation locations,
manufacturer’s logos, or Warner Brothers-type attire. Clothing that gives a worldly message is not appropriate.
· ·Shorts coming within two inches of
the knee may be worn. They must be in
good repair. (No “cut-offs” please.)
· Shoes must remain on during school.
· Coats or reversed clothing should not
be worn in place of proper attire.
· Chapel clothing is expected to be
dressier than the other days.
Regulations for Girls
· Dresses and skirts must come within
one inch of the knee. Kindergarteners
through 5th graders must come with two inches of the knee.
· Ears may only be pierced twice on
each ear. No other piercings of body
parts are permitted.
· Girls will be allowed to wear jeans
providing they fit modestly and have a neat appearance. Jeans, t-shirts, and shorts are not
appropriate for chapel days.
Suitable attire does not
include:
· See-through clothing
· Shirts that may reveal the stomach or
back area with normal reaches and movements
· Braless ness
· Low-cut tops
· Beach-wear shoes
· Neat, trim haircuts are
required. Hair should be clean and
styled neatly.
· T-shirts must be worn under tank tops
or jerseys.
·
Blue
jeans, t-shirts, and shorts are not appropriate for chapel days.