To foster a thriving, Christ-centered community, all students, parents, and staff commit to:

Spiritual & Personal Growth

• Faithfully attend a local church

• Make choices that honor God

• Keep an open heart to God’s Word

Academic Responsibility

• Focus and participate fully in class

• Complete all schoolwork honestly—plagiarism, including AI use, is not tolerated

• Take time each evening to review or complete homework (parents are encouraged to support this with at least 30 minutes of educational engagement)

Character & Conduct

• Be kind and respectful to classmates and adults

• Tell the truth and use encouraging words

• Respond respectfully to correction

Per the Tuition Contract, Parents/Guardians reaffirm the financial commitment and ACS policies in the following statements below:

ACS Financial Expectations

Students whose balances are more than thirty (30) days late will be sent home and not permitted to return until all past due tuition payments are made. ACS will not carry rolling balances from month to month. All payments are expected to be made in a timely manner and without delay through the Gradelink system. ACS reserves the right, at their discretion, to cancel Payment Plans for accounts that are late on a consistent basis. In the event that ACS cancels your payment plan, the full balance of tuition will be due immediately.

Parent/Guardian acknowledges, understand,  and agrees that their student(s) will not be allowed to receive their report cards and transcript, nor participate in classes until any past due tuition payments are paid in full, and that they will be responsible for a 10% late charge due when making the past due payment.

Graduating student/senior, or student who transfers out of ACS with a past due tuition and/or school fee, including, but not limited to, learning materials, athletics, etc., will not be allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony nor be issued his/her diploma, nor shall ACS release official transcripts and/or other academic records until all past due balances are paid in full. All student transcripts are the property of ACS.

I understand and accept the Financial Expectations of ACS.

1. Confidentiality

The Students, Parent(s) and/or Guardian(s) agree to hold in confidence the terms and conditions of this agreement. By their signature they will refrain from sharing with others in any manner disciplinary matters or financial information as detailed in the tuition contract. 

2. Non-Defamation Agreement

Student Parent(s)/Guardian(s) agrees to refrain from, either directly or indirectly, hereafter making any defamatory statements or comments of any type or nature whatsoever to anyone in any manner, including but not limited to social media platform, media outlets, web review sites, etc., about Arundel Christian School (ACS), Oasis Church (OC), its Teaching Staff, Administrative/Executive/Leadership Team, Board of Directors, Trustees, Representatives, Affiliates, and/or Clientele per the tuition contract.

3. Non-Discrimination Policy

Arundel Christian School admits students of any race, color, national, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. ACS does not discriminate based on race, color, national, and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, disciplinary polices, scholarship programs, athletic programs, and other school-administered programs per the tuition contract. 

4. Administrative Right to Amend

ACS reserves the right to amend the Student Handbook and any amendments shall be binding upon all students/parents/guardians.

At Arundel Christian School, we are committed to cultivating a Christ-centered environment where students are nurtured in both academic excellence and spiritual maturity. Our school culture is built upon mutual respect, personal responsibility, and Biblical truth.

• Understand that attendance at ACS is a privilege, not a right. We expect students and families to uphold the values and standards of our community.

• Acknowledge that physical discipline (e.g., spanking) is not practiced at ACS. While we affirm the biblical principle of parental authority, physical discipline is the responsibility and decision of the parent and should take place privately at home.

• Commit to respectful communication. We ask that all concerns and conflicts be addressed in a Christlike manner—through grace, truth, and respect—following the Biblical model of reconciliation (Matthew 18:15–17).

ACS students are called to live by FAITH—a Christ-centered model for conduct rooted in Galatians 2:20.

F – Faithful to Love

• Love God and love others

• Serve one another with a joyful heart

A – Always Persevere

• Don’t lose hope when life is hard

• Look to God for strength

• Keep your eyes on Jesus

I – Integrity at All Times

• Do what’s right, even when it’s hard

• Be authentic and trustworthy

T – Take Responsibility

• Give your best effort

• Admit mistakes

• Follow through on commitments

H – Have Respect

• Value yourself and others

• Care for your belongings, your school, and your community

At Arundel Christian School, the health and well-being of our students, staff, and families is a shared responsibility. To help prevent the spread of illness and maintain a safe learning environment, we ask that all families adhere to the following health guidelines:

Students should not attend school if they are experiencing any of the following:

• A fever of 100.4°F or higher

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Any other symptoms of a contagious illness or viral infection
  
  

Please do not send your child to school after giving fever-reducing or anti-nausea medication to mask symptoms. If a child becomes unwell during the school day, the school nurse will contact a parent or guardian to arrange for pick-up.

We ask that families ensure they are readily available, or have an alternate emergency contact, who can promptly pick up the child in the event of illness. A sick child should not remain at school for an extended period while waiting to be picked up.

Students may return to school only when they have been symptom-free (no fever, vomiting, or diarrhea) for a full 24 hours without the use of medication.
If the 24-hour period ends during the academic day (e.g., 10:00 AM), the student should not return until the following school day.

By working together and keeping children home when they are sick, we can help protect our entire school community and minimize the spread of illness. Thank you for doing your part to keep ACS healthy and safe for all.

Every student must have up-to-date health records of immunization, a copy of his/her birth certificate, transcript from another school(s), and a social security number on file by the first full day of school. 

In the case of inclement weather, Arundel Christian School will monitor the decisions made by the Anne Arundel County Public Schools for closings and delays. Because we have staff and students traveling not only through Anne Arundel County but also Carroll, Baltimore, Prince George’s, and Howard Counties, we will also monitor their closings and delays. We will also monitor Anne Arundel and its surrounding counties in regards to early dismissals or cancellations of afternoon activities due to inclement weather. Please make sure to check your emails, text messages, and our Facebook page as well as your local television stations regarding closings and delays.

When making a decision of whether to close or delay school due to inclement weather, we will consider the commute of not only our students who are driving to school from Anne Arundel County but also that of our students who reside in the surrounding counties. Once we have determined whether to close for the day, delay opening, or close early, we will notify you both by e-mail and by posting on our Facebook page. We will also post our delays and cancellations on WBAL Channel 11, WJZ Channel 13, WBAL1090 AM, and 95.1 SHINE FM. Please Note: If there is a morning delay of any kind, there will be NO MORNING CARE.

If it becomes necessary to close schools early due to inclement weather, we will have either the office or your child notify you to come and pick him or her up. All students must have an emergency contact person who will be available to pick them up from school if the parent is unable to do so.

If the school must close for inclement weather or other emergency situations, all students must be picked up immediately from school. All students registered in AM or PM Club must have two (2) emergency contacts provided in the event of such early closings. If school is closed early, there is no PM Club.

In the event of an emergency, the ACS Staff will direct the students to one of the many emergency exits in the building. Our preschool students will be escorted directly out of the building from their classrooms which have their own individual exits.

If there is a weather emergency such as a tornado warning, all students will be directed into the MPR, Annex, or to windowless classrooms to await an “all clear” release to send them back to their classrooms.

All of our classrooms lock from the inside. While we hope it would never be necessary, our students can be locked safely in their classrooms should we experience an unsafe presence in our building.

For their own safety, students are not permitted to exit the school building without the supervision of an ACS teacher. Students may not leave the building via any of the emergency exits unless they are participating in a fire drill or are escorted by an ACS staff member. If a student leaves the school campus without having been picked up by a parent or authorized guardian, that student shall be faced with suspension or expulsion. Students will not be permitted to be outside of the fenced areas outside of the ACS facility unsupervised.

In order to ensure the safety of our staff and students, ACS has a full-time security officer on site during our operational hours. Our security officer will patrol both the indoor and outdoor facilities of ACS both physically and through our multiple security cameras. If he should see a person or vehicle that is in a questionable location, he will approach that person or vehicle to determine their purpose for being on our premises. It is therefore paramount that all of our ACS families follow all of the procedures laid out in the ACS Student Handbook regarding drop-off, pick-up, and parking lot procedures and directives. Please note the following security directives:

• No vehicles are to be double parked or left standing or unattended in the parking lot.

• No one will be permitted to enter or look over the fences of the protected playground areas.

• Follow all of the parking lot signs indicating where to enter and exit the premises.

• Parents picking their children up from the office must come into the building. No student will be permitted to leave the building before dismissal unattended.

• The office must be notified in advance that you will be picking up your child before dismissal, and your child will only be called to the front office at the time of your arrival.

• The ACS front office will be locked at 3:00 pm and will remain locked until 4:00 pm every school day for afternoon dismissal. There will be no office admittance during this time.

• These policies have been put in place to ensure the safety of everyone coming and going from our school property. If you are outside of the directives listed above, you will be approached by our security officer and asked to remove yourself or your vehicle to the proper location.

In order to provide clean and sanitized work and play areas, ACS will follow CDC guidelines in daily cleaning throughout our entire facility. These protocols will be followed both in and out of the classrooms:

• Students and Teachers will clean their personal workstations in their classrooms routinely throughout the day.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces (e.g., playground equipment, door handles, sink handles, drinking fountains) within the school between use.

• Routine daily cleaning of shared campus spaces.

• Ensure safe and correct use and storage of cleaning and disinfection products, including storing products securely away from children. Use products that meet EPA disinfection criteria.

• Restrooms and hallways will be cleaned and disinfected on a rotating schedule throughout the day.

AM Club & PM Club

AM Club opens at 6:30 a.m. and ends at 8:05 a.m.. PM Club begins at 3:30 p.m. and ends promptly at 5:30 p.m. The earliest time that a student can be dropped off without using AM Club is 8:05 a.m.. The latest a student can be picked up without using PM Club is 4:00 p.m.. If a student is NOT picked up as a car rider (and is not enrolled in PM Club) they will need an emergency contact available for pick-up.

A fee of $3.00 per minute will be charged to any parent whose child is picked up after 5:30 p.m.. This will be due at pick up by cash, check, and credit card.

Any parent who is consistently late picking their child up from PM Club will forfeit their child’s position in the program. Parents must pre-register their children before they can be placed in AM and/or PM Club. AM and PM Club registration is completed in each child’s Financial Contract; therefore, adding a child into both or either program will require an update to the Financial Contract. Parents who wish to utilize AM and/or PM Club for their children for occasional use must notify the office in advance and will need to pay the hourly rate of $10.00 for the day the service is used. (There is no prorating. If any student is using this for 30 minutes, parents will still need to pay $10.00). Payment will need to be made each day utilized if there is space.

ALL PAYMENT PLANS MUST BE ARRANGED WITH THE FINANCIAL OFFICE BEFORE A CHILD IS ENROLLED IN AM CLUB OR PM CLUB.

In the event of inclement weather, AM and PM Club will follow in accordance to how ACS makes its closing decisions. If there is any kind of morning delay, there will be NO AM Club. If school is closed early or if afternoon activities are canceled due to inclement weather, there will be NO PM Club will also be closed.

Parents should monitor local news bulletins; however, the school will notify you whenever school closes early because of inclement weather. It is the parents’ responsibility to make sure there is a “backup” transportation plan in effect for such emergency situations. The school must be provided with at least two (2) emergency contacts so that your child can be picked up if you are unavailable.

Parents are to follow the drop-off and pick-up procedures as detailed in our Parking Lot Policy.

To ensure a safe and focused environment for all students, we kindly ask that no toys be brought into the AM or PM Club. This helps us maintain an atmosphere where students can engage fully in the activities we have planned and prevents any distractions or potential conflicts. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in keeping our club sessions productive and enjoyable for everyone.

At ACS, we love celebrating our students and making them feel special on their birthdays! To help us maintain a positive and inclusive environment for all children, we kindly ask that families follow the birthday celebration guidelines below:

Birthday Lunches

• Parents are welcome to bring in or order a special lunch for their child only on their birthday.

• Lunch may not be brought in for the entire class, as this can lead to feelings of disappointment for students whose birthdays are celebrated differently.

Birthday Treats

• Families may bring in store-bought cupcakes to share with the class.

• Sheet cakes, ice cream, or other large desserts will not be permitted.
  You may also bring in themed napkins and plates for your child’s treat, but please do not send in additional decorations (e.g., banners, balloons, tablecloths, etc.).

Goodie Bags

• Please do not send in goodie bags for classmates. While well-intended, these items can be a source of distraction and can unintentionally lead to comparisons between students.

Celebrating Each Child

Please know that each teacher takes time to recognize and celebrate students on their birthday in a meaningful and age-appropriate way. This may include a birthday crown, a special classroom prize, or other small ways to make your child feel honored and loved on their special day.

We enforce these guidelines with kindness and consistency to ensure all students feel valued and to help protect classroom routines. Extensive celebrations can be disruptive to learning and may unintentionally leave other students feeling overlooked.