Welcome to St. Nicholas Orthodox Academy. This handbook has been
designed to outline the policies and procedures for the current school
year. Please review the following information carefully as there may be
revisions from previous years. Keep this handbook handy for future
reference throughout the school year. Students and parents are reminded
that by your decision to attend St. Nicholas Orthodox Academy you agree
to abide by the policies and procedures as outlined in this handbook

Accreditation and Enrollment:

St. Nicholas Orthodox Academy is Accredited with Distinction
by the Georgia Accrediting Commission and provides an accredited course
of study from kindergarten through twelfth grade. All students enrolled
for credit, third through twelfth grades, shall take a standardized
test during the year. The Iowa Basic Skills Test and PSAT are
administered at St. Nicholas. Full enrollment and partial enrollment
are available.

FOUNDING PRINCIPLES:
Prayer and worship are integral to our lives. School commences daily
with prayer in our Church at 8:15 am. At noon we again gather in the
church for the traditional prayers of the hours.

St. Nicholas
Orthodox Academy is a ministry of St. John the Wonderworker Orthodox
Church in America. As such its educational philosophy, policy and
procedures, and all its operations are guided by the dogmas of the
Orthodox Church in America.

This Academy embraces an
educational context in which our faith will be upheld and the souls of
our students and staff will be nourished together with their minds and
bodies.



Our Orthodox confession of faith, the Nicene Creed, explains the Christian truth

upon which we believe and act:

• We
  believe in One God in Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
  Creator of heaven and earth and all things visible and invisible.
• And
  in One Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten, not
  created, of one essence with the Father, through whom all things were
  made. Who for us and for our salvation, came down from heaven and was
  incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man.
• And
  He was crucified for us under PontiusPilate, and He suffered and was
  buried. On the third day He rose according to the Scriptures . He
  ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He
  will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. His Kingdom
  will have no end.
• And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver
  of Life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son
  is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets.
• In one holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins.
• I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen,

Home schoolers: Individual
courses are available for home-school students as well as a program to
give accreditation to home-school students. A “Home Studies Accrediting
Information Form must be filled out and turned in with a registration
form to the administrator. Also the home schooler shall arrange with
the administrator to take tests at the school at least once per quarter
to confirm the progress of home studies.

After a home-schooled
student has been enrolled in this program for one academic year (nine
months) and has successfully completed the work that he or she has set
out to accomplish, the academy can give the student credit as well as
transcripts for the level of work demonstrated.

To receive
credit and a transcript without attending classes at the academy, it is
necessary to pay a yearly fee of $275 as well as follow the above
testing procedures.


Conduct and Behavior:

A
fundamental goal of St. Nicholas Orthodox Academy is to provide
students with an academically-excellent and Christ-centered education.
The conduct of staff and students as disciples of Jesus Christ must be
guided by the Christian virtues of self-discipline, purity of heart,
patience, contrition, perseverance, industriousness, and humility as
the foundation upon which real education can be built. We expect
appropriate classroom etiquette once students come through the doors
each morning:

• Neatness in dress and adherence to our dress code
• Courtesy and respect towards teachers and classmates
• An attentive attitude during prayers and lessons
• Preparedness for studies with proper supplies and assignments
• Restraint in speech, gestures, and actions which could undermine the teaching environment

Disruptive
behavior that interferes with the integrity of the classroom will not
be tolerated. Therefore, communication, consistency, and cooperation
between parents and staff in matters of discipline are imperative. In
order to prevent a student’s behavior in the classroom or elsewhere
during school hours from becoming a consistent problem, we will follow
the disciplinary procedures outlined in this handbook. By enrolling
your student in St. Nicholas Orthodox Academy, you are giving full
assent to the use of the Code of Conduct.

CODE
OF CONDUCT: Each person will speak respectfully to the other at all
times: teacher to student, student to adult, student to student. There
will be no bullying or harassment.


STUDENT EVALUATIONS:
St. Nicholas Orthodox Academy is now on the semester system. Report
cards are sent out in mid-January and June. Students also receive
progress reports after the first of November and again in mid-March.
Both report cards and copies of the progress report must be signed by a
parent and returned to the school except the June report card. The
teaching staff is available at any time during the school year to
discuss your child’s academic work or behavior at your request.

PARENT RESPONSIBILITIES:

Required
Parent Participation: As a parent-founded school, much of what makes
St. Nicholas Orthodox Academy unique is the invaluable volunteer
participation of the school and church community. Our students greatly
benefit from the skillful gifts and tireless labor of parents in many
necessary areas. Previously it has not been our policy to require a
minimum number of hours of parent involvement. However, since volunteer
effort propels this school to a major extent, the participation of
every family is needed and required. A representative of the Parent
Teacher Organization will be in contact with you to match abilities and
inclinations of the parents with needs of the school.

Full up-to-date payment of fees is required before student transcripts will be released.


DRESS CODE and APPEARANCE:

The
dress code of St. Nicholas Orthodox Academy is a reflection of the
values of our Orthodox Church community of which our school is a part.
As such, the student should be modest in appearance and the code should
be affirmed with a cheerful disposition. Any teacher may, at any time,
ask the student to conform to the dress code. Any question about its
implementation will be decided by the pastor, and all disputes will be
referred to him.


The dress code of St. Nicholas Orthodox Academy is this:

All
clothing must be clean, neat and modest, without any logos,
advertisements or media images. The clothing will be neither too loose
or too tight, and not frayed or torn.

For the boys, dress
should be as follows: button-down oxford, polo, or turtle neck shirts,
pants and a belt. The shirts must be tucked in at all times. Hats are
not permitted to be worn in either school or church. Socks must be worn
with shoes. For the girls, skirts and dresses must fall below the knees
when standing or sitting. Modest blouses or sweaters should be worn
with no cleavage or midriff showing. Blue jean pants for the boys and
blue jean skirts for the girls may be worn but may not be worn-out or
frayed. Sandals are permitted, but flip-flop sandals are not permitted
for either boys or girls.

No shorts for the boys or pants for
the girls will be permitted during school, with the exception of the
K-6, where the students may change into shorts when they go into the
park for recess. At lunch time, girls in all grades will be permitted
to wear sweat pants under their dresses when walking to and from the
Boys and Girls Club, which is several blocks away.

Our
community does not wish to promote media advertising; therefore, media
images will not be on any items of clothing, book bags, or lunch boxes.
However, we realize that some clothing has brand logos on it and as
such may be worn if the logo does not exceed 2 inches in length.

The final word on the dress of any student is in the hands of the pastor.

Physical Education:

For
our sports program, there will be a clothing package containing St.
Nicholas T-shirts, sweatshirts, shorts and sweatpants (with the St.
Nicholas emblem). This will be what is worn by all students for sports.
Parents will be required to buy the package before the beginning of the
school year. Quantity and cost information will be forwarded to parents
in orientation packets. Sneakers should be worn with sports socks.

Discipline Plan: Academic Year 2007-2008

School wide rules:

• Be on time to school and each class
• Complete homework assignments and turn in on time; do not plagiarize; do not cheat on tests
• Adhere to the dress code
• Deal courteously with peers and respectfully and cooperatively with teachers
• Obtain a hall pass from a teacher to leave a room for a specific purpose

Consequences for Infractions of rules:

1. Be on time to school, each class and activity

• Consequence
  for being tardy to school is after-school detention next day unless
  student has an excuse at the time of the detention signed by a parent
  explaining the unavoidable circumstances of the tardiness.
• Unexcused tardiness to school three times in a month results in Friday-school.
• Unexcused
  tardiness to school six times in an academic quarter results in an
  incident report being file in the student’s permanent record, a parent
  – teacher planning conference and probation established.
• Consequences
  for being tardy to class are at the discretion of the teacher but
  include a written warning, after school detention, or, for chronic
  tardiness, Friday-school.

2. Complete homework assignments and turn in on time; do not plagiarize; do not cheat on tests

The consequence for a first time infraction for not turning in completed homework is a verbal warning.
The consequence for a second infraction for not turning in completed homework during a five day period is a written warning.
The
consequence for not turning in completed homework a third or more times
in the same week is (are) detention(s) adequate to provide for the
completion of any and all incomplete homework assignments. Also a
parental conference will be held to seek support for the student to
accomplish academic work.
The consequence for chronic failure to
turn in homework complete and on time will be standing daily detention
for the current academic quarter unless all teachers daily approve
completed homework. Chronic infraction of this rule is (omitted:
indicated by a student receiving detention for failure to turn in
completed homework on time three times within a three week period)
defined by the teacher in each class.
The consequence for cheating
on tests or plagiarizing is Friday-school detention, a conference with
parents, same semester probation, and a record of the incident in the
student’s permanent file.


3. Adhere to the dress code

• The consequence for a first time infraction of this rule is a verbal warning.
• The consequence for a second infraction of this rule in the same day is a written warning.
• The
  consequence for a third or subsequent infractions of this rule during a
  five day period is (are) after-school detention(s) for each infraction.
• The
  consequence for seven infractions of the dress code that have resulted
  in after-school detention within a month shall be Friday-school
  detention.

4. Deal courteously with peers and respectfully and cooperatively with teachers

“Deal
courteously with peers” means that students do not bully, belittle,
intimidate, sexually harass, embrace, grab, hit, poke, lean on, or
ostracize each other or take and destroy each others property.

…
because our self esteem directly results from our treatment of each and
every other person around us. What goes around, comes around.

“Deal courteously with peers and respectfully with teachers” means no profane, vulgar, or abusive speech in or around school.

“Deal courteously with peers and respectfully with teachers” means no knives or firearms or lighters anywhere or at anytime at school.

“Deal … cooperatively with teachers” means that students follow the classroom code of conduct per each teacher’s definition of that.

“Deal … cooperatively with teachers” means no cell phones or headphones during school without permission.

• The
  consequence for a serious abuse of another person, even a first
  infraction, shall be at the discretion of the administration and shall
  include Friday-school detention, a
  conference with parents, same semester probation, and a record of the
  incident in the student’s permanent file.
• The consequence for a less serious first time infraction of any aspect of this rule is a verbal warning.
• The consequence for a less serious second, same infraction of this rule in the same day is a written warning.
• The consequence for a third or subsequent less serious infraction of this rule during a five day period is (are) after-school detention(s) for each infraction.
• The
  consequence for six infractions that have resulted in after-school
  detention within a month shall be Friday-school detention.
• The
  consequence for seven infractions that have resulted in after-school
  detention within a month shall be Friday-school detention, an incident
  report filed in the student’s permanent record, a parent – teacher
  planning conference, and probation established.

“Deal courteously with peers and respectfully with teachers” means respecting property belonging to peers, teachers, and the school.

• The
  consequence for damaging, stealing, or destroying property is
  after-school detention and to be liable, along with your family, to
  restore or replace such items.

5. Obtain a hall pass from a teacher to leave a room for a specific purpose

• The consequence for a first time infraction of this rule is a verbal warning.
• The consequence for a second infraction of this rule during a five day period is a written warning.
• The
  consequence for a third or subsequent infraction of this rule during a
  five day period is (are) after-school detention(s) for each infraction.
• The
  consequence for six infractions that have resulted in after-school
  detention within a month shall be Friday-school detention.

DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES:
Both major infractions and chronic misbehaviors (e.g. calling out,
being crude or ill-mannered, clowning around during lessons, disrespect
towards staff members, taunting, or intimidation, willful opposition,
coming to class late and/or unprepared, not completing assignments,
etc.) will be handled swiftly. When a student’s behavior interferes with the integrity of the classroom, the following steps will be implemented.


1. Parent Notification: Communication regarding the behavior or
incident will be made through a note home, a phone call, or personal
contact. A parent conference may be necessary in order for staff and
parents to discuss the needed improvements. If necessary, a
probationary period will be set up during which the student’s behavior
will be expected to improve. Parents’ cooperation and support are
essential in resolving behavioral issues. An incident report will be
placed in the student’s file.

2.
Suspension from School: If the problem behavior is not sufficiently
resolved, the Administration will determine if suspension is in order.
A parent conference will be held at the earliest convenience to discuss
the reasons for removal and the length of the suspension. Certain
incidents may necessitate parents’ picking up their child immediately.
The grounds for suspension will be noted in the student’s file. Should
a student’s behavior be determined at any time to be physically
dangerous to him/her or others, the student will be suspended at once
and a parent conference held as soon as possible.

3.
Expulsion from school: For major infractions or chronic unresolved
misbehavior, expulsion from school may become necessary at the
determination of the school administration and faculty. A formal letter
will be sent to the parents and placed in the student’s file.

LUNCHES:
All lunches and snacks should be fully-prepared at home and should not
require kitchen preparation in case we eat lunch in Grant Park.

BIRTHDAYS:
It is requested that student birthday-gift exchanges take place after
school hours. Invitations for individual parties should be sent through
the mail and not given out at school. In-school birthday celebrations
may occur only with the prior approval of the teacher in whose class
the party is to take place.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES:
All school supplies should have solid colors or display scenic views
only; commercial or pop-culture logos or characters are not permitted.
It is the parents’ responsibility to keep track of and replace their
child’s (childrens’) supplies throughout the school year.

LOST & FOUND:
A lost and found box is kept in the foyer, and all items are displayed
weekly for identification. Please encourage your student to check
frequently for lost items.

OFF CAMPUS: Students
in a group walking to and from the Boys & Girls Club, Grant Park,
or other destinations in the neighborhood must be accompanied by a
teacher.

PARKING EXCEPTION:
Please avoid parking in the one car space across the street from the
school entrance. This space is next to the large water oak tree. When
we asked neighbors to sign a petition requesting City Hall to give us a
parking variation (zoning permission) for school parking, we agreed to
leave this space available for our neighbor living across the street. A
promise is a promise; help us keep it.

2005-06 Student Handbook download