Welcome to Boyd Christian School

Boyd Christian School was founded by Godly men and women who saw the benefits of Christian education. In a world where our children are subject to so many temptations and worries, they wanted a place where our children could learn and grow while surrounded by people who love them and have their best in mind spiritually as well as academically. Boyd Christian School is that place where our children can learn and grow closer to God each and every day.

Every teacher and staff member is chosen with your child in mind. They are the best in every way imaginable. Our teachers could earn more money and receive benefits by teaching at government-funded schools or in other private sectors. We are all here working because there is nowhere else, we want to be. The students are why we are here. BCS is the best school in the WORLD because of the love and dedication of the people here.

As parents, you can be assured that your children will be loved and cared for here like no other place on this earth. That is our commitment to you. We owe it to our students to do the best we are capable of doing. We will be the best in the spirit of meekness – not arrogance. We will be the best because that is what our God demands of us.

All standards of the student handbook at Boyd Christian School are based upon Biblical principles and moral values that all students and staff are expected to carry out.

Mission Statement

The mission of F.C. Boyd Christian School is to:

• provide students an individualized, challenging education

• maintain a safe, nurturing environment

• instill Biblical morals and principles

• and create responsible Christian individuals who are valuable to their home, church, and community.

Vision Statement

F.C. Boyd Christian School desires at present and foresees a future in which our institution

1.      Is made up of stakeholders whom all hold the best interest of the school as a top priority.

2.      Becomes a spiritual and academic light to our surrounding communities.

3.      Continues to provide a safe, spiritual, and academic environment.

4.      Instills in all students a positive sense of self-worth, self-responsibility, and self-motivation.

5.      Helps prepare our students to make an easy transition from high school to college.

6.      Establishes and maintains a positive relationship with our patrons that will ensure the future financial stability of our school.

7.      Provides an avenue through financial aid or other means for qualified students to receive a Christian education. 

Boyd Christian School Beliefs

We believe:

• That training in spirituality should be first, academics second, and athletics and other extra-curricular activities third;

• That school personnel, parents, and students should acknowledge God in all ways for Him to direct our paths (Proverbs 3: 6);

• That the Bible is the complete revelation from God and contains instruction to be successful in this life and eternity (II Peter 1:3);

• That the Bible is inspired of God and is “profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness; so that the child of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3: 16-17);

• That through daily Bible study each student can do all things in harmony with the will of God and through the guidance from Christ who will provide strength (Philippians 4: 13);

• That Christianity is a part of our identity that should not be separated from academics, and that home and school should work together to instill Christian values;

• That individualized, challenging instruction and curriculum following state standards should be given from highly-trained Christian instructors;

• In providing a classroom environment that is conducive to learning without unnecessary disruption or distraction;

• A variety of instructional methods and considerations of diverse learning styles are necessary for effective teaching;

• That each student should be encouraged to develop socially and physically to their potential and have a healthy lifestyle to better serve God and others.

Tuition

Payment Plans

Tuition may be paid on a 10-month (Aug-May), 11-month (July-May), annual, or semi-annual plan. All tuition payments are due by the 5th of each month. Regardless of the payment plan, the full amount of tuition is required by the end of the school year with the balance for the remainder of the year due in full if students withdraw or are dismissed from Boyd Christian before the school year is complete. 

Discounted Tuition

Local churches and community members have been generous enough to supply a limited amount of sponsorship for discounted tuition in instances where necessary. All discounted tuition is based on income and is given on a first-come, first-serve basis. No athletic or academic scholarships are given. 

Service Hours

Any family receiving discounted tuition based on their income is required to contribute a set amount of service hours per their contract. If service hours are not completed, the family assumes the full amount of tuition, and any discounts will be revoked. 

Balances Due

In severe circumstances, students with outstanding balances will not be allowed to attend until payment is made. All accounts must be settled by the end of the year. Boyd Christian School reserves the right to deny participation in activities and to hold report cards, transcripts, and other items associated with the school until full payment is made. 

A Word of Thanks

Although we are committed to keeping our prices as low as possible for the people in our community, we know it is a sacrifice for you to send your child to a private school. We cannot thank you enough for your support and involvement. Tuition pays a small portion of what it takes to run our school and we are always overwhelmed by the generosity and support of others to keep our school afloat. All donations made are tax-deductible and greatly appreciated! Thanks so much for all you do to support our school!

Attendance Policy

State law (T.C.A. 49-6-3001, T.C.A. 49-6-3007) requires every child to attend school until his/her eighteenth birthday or until he/she has a high school diploma or GED. A student who has five or more unexcused absences (not necessarily in a row) is TRUANT. Truancy is a Class C Misdemeanor, and the school is required, by law, to turn in students who are truant to the proper authorities.

Student attendance and timeliness play a major role in their success. Your child needs to be present and on time every day possible. BCS will not tolerate a lack of compliance with this law and offenders will be subject to dismissal.

Absences are defined as excused, unexcused, or school/church-related.

Excused Absences

Absences from school will only be excused for the following reasons:

· personal illness or serious family illness

· death in the family

· emergency situations

For an absence to be excused, a note from the parent/guardian or doctor explaining the reason for the absence should be presented to the office before 8:00 a.m. the day the student returns to school. If students do not bring an acceptable note upon returning to school, their

absence will be considered unexcused. The office will not accept any more than 3 parent notes for sickness per quarter. All absences due to sickness exceeding this limit will require a doctor’s note to be excused. Any student who acquires more than 5 excused absences per quarter will be reviewed by the Attendance Board before any additional absences are accepted.

Students will receive full credit for excused absences provided that all work is made up within 3 school days.

School and Church Related Activities

School-related activities such as field trips, approved college visits for Juniors/Seniors, and church activities will be excused. Missed assignments must be made up within 3 school days. Teachers should be notified at least three days before the absence. 

Unexcused Absences

The administration and Attendance Board reserves the right to define any absence as unexcused if there have been excessive absences.

Any absence without paperwork turned in or not due to illness, death in the family, or emergency will be counted as unexcused. Teachers do not have to allow students to make up work if their absence is unexcused. If allowed to complete work, students will receive no more than 80% for work missed with an unexcused absence. Students may receive a 0 for any daily grade or work missed. Family vacations will count as unexcused absences. Any student with 5 unexcused absences over the course of the year will be reviewed by the attendance board and may be turned in for truancy and are subject to dismissal.

Tardiness

Tardiness is disruptive to the school environment and is not acceptable. Any student tardy for 1st period should immediately report to the office before going to class. Three tardies equal one absence.

Tardies will only be excused under the following conditions:

· A note from a certified doctor is provided.

· A note from a court of law is provided.

· A verified school-related activity.

Teachers have the right to require service hours, detention, or suspension for any/all tardies

Early Dismissal 

Early dismissal from school requires a note from the parent that should be presented in the office before 8:00 a.m. Notes requesting early dismissal should include the date, time of dismissal, reason, time returning (if applicable), and the signature of the parent or guardian. Parents should go to the office for the student and sign the student out/in. Students leaving early will be counted absent for the class periods they miss.

Students who drive will not be allowed to sign themselves out before the end of their last period class unless a note is given to the office that morning except in an emergency.

Dress code

Kindergarten-2nd Grade

Shirts: BCS polos, t-shirts, sweatshirts and quarter zip pullovers with the BCS logo sold by the school. Button-ups, polos, henleys, and sweaters are also allowed.

Dresses and skirts may be worn at any time for girls as long as they follow modesty and neatness rules. Leggings may be worn underneath dresses but not alone as pants.

Pants: K-2nd grade students may wear jeans, trouser styles such as khakis or pull-on styles. Pants must not have holes in them. Shorts are allowed but must reach the knee when standing.

3rd-12th Grade

Shirts: BCS polos, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and quarter zip pullovers with the BCS logo sold by the school. Other acceptable shirts without the school logo are polos, and collared button-up shirts (appropriately sized, worn completely buttoned). Only the styles listed are dress code-approved.

Pants: All students may wear jeans, khaki, trouser style, or dress pants. Pants must not have holes in them. Shorts are allowed if they are to the knee and follow all modesty and neatness rules. Athletic and jean shorts are not allowed.

Dresses and skirts are allowable at any time for ladies as long as they follow all modesty and neatness rules. Leggings may be worn underneath dresses but not alone as pants.

Modesty and Neatness Rules

Modesty and Neatness rules apply at all times whether on casual days, or school-related events such as field trips and extracurricular activities after school. 

• All attire must be neat and clean without holes or worn areas.

• All attire must not have any logos or graphics that would not represent our school well.

• All attire must be appropriately sized. (Not too tight, sag, baggy, etc.)

• All shorts/skirts/dresses must reach the knee when standing.

• No hoodies, sweat pants, yoga pants, pajamas, lounge clothes, athletic or jean shorts allowed any day of the week.

• No skin at the waist should show at any time.

• Straps on shirts/dresses must cover the shoulder. No spaghetti straps.

• The neckline should not exceed below the width of four fingers placed together against the bottom of the throat.

• At no time may undergarments show while at school. This includes practice for athletic events.

• No hats or sunglasses are to be worn inside the building.

• No gothic dress, excessive jewelry, trench coats, or any garment with writing or symbols that would not represent the school well.

• No tattoos are allowed.

• Piercings must be limited to the ears for girls. Boys may not wear earrings. No one is allowed to wear any facial piercings/ear stretchers. Boys are not allowed to have painted fingernails.

• No flip-flops in lab class or gym.

Casual Day

T-shirts will be allowed each Friday. All modesty and neatness rules still apply. Shirts still must be neat, clean, and modest, and must not have any logos or graphics that would not represent our school well. The decision of the administration is final on these issues. Casual days are a privilege and will be revoked if students fail to follow the dress code.

Hair

• All students will maintain clean and neat hair at all times. Students may not have any haircuts that would draw undue attention or distraction at the discretion of the administration.

• Boys will not have hair longer than the middle of the ear, bottom of the collar, or past the eyebrows. Boys may not wear ponytails, buns, or hair bands. No facial hair for boys is allowed during school hours and school events after school hours. Sideburns may not be longer than the top of the ear lobe.

• Hair color for both male and female students can only be what is considered a natural color. Any color that draws undue attention or causes a distraction will not be permitted.

Any questions you might have about the dress code should be asked before you spend the money. A good rule to follow is “when in doubt, leave it out.”

Visitors

We ask visitors, parents, and guardians to abide by the same modesty rules while on campus. The administration will make the final decision on all matters about student dress. 

Disciplinary Policy

School Rules

All students are expected to be Responsible, Respectful, and Safe at all times on and off school property. Students are subject to disciplinary actions when rules are not followed in school-related activities.

To achieve academic excellence, behavior that disrupts the learning process will not be tolerated. Discipline may include but is not limited to:

• Corporal punishment (with parent consent)

• Lunch detention

• Extra assignments

• After-school detention

• In-school suspension

• Loss of school privileges (driving, casual day, senior lunch, etc.)

• Out-of-school suspension

• School service hours during or after school

The school reserves the right to search vehicles, lockers, cell phone pictures/data, and any student materials on school property at any time without warning or permission. Students may also be subject to random drug testing at the discretion of the administration. Any suspicious activity will be dealt with by the administration. Boyd Christian School will not tolerate drugs, weapons, or violence under any circumstances.

Code of Conduct

Students must not participate in any activities at school, outside of school, or on social media that would portray a negative image of our school or blatantly go against our beliefs. For example: profanity, racial/sexual remarks, promiscuity, disrespect, physical aggression, vandalism, bullying/harassment, stealing, drugs, acts of defiance, or threats of any kind will not be tolerated in school or outside of school. Boyd Christian School reserves the right to dismiss any student whom the administration feels is not portraying a positive image of our school or abiding by the beliefs outlined in the handbook.

Bullying

Christian behavior is expected at Boyd Christian School. Therefore, to have a safe learning environment free of violence and/or threats of violence, bullying will not be tolerated. Any student engaging in bullying behavior will receive disciplinary action ranging from verbal reprimand from the administration to expulsion, based on the severity of the infraction. 

Honor Code

Students are expected to be honest and do their best in all areas at school. Students are required to do their work, and at no time will cheating be accepted. Copying work from the internet or soliciting unapproved help from others, including parents, is considered plagiarism and/or cheating. Teachers will deal with cheating at their discretion 

Suspension

There may be times when school suspension is given by the administration. If suspended, the student will be unable to participate at any school function on or off campus. The student will not be allowed to represent the school in any athletic event, academic competition, or any other school activity for the duration of the suspension. Students may not be able to make up work missed during the suspension period or may be assigned additional work to complete while suspended. If students are allowed to make up work, a maximum of 80% will be given to work made up upon return. 

Expulsion

Some offenses warrant the consideration of immediate expulsion. These may include but are not limited to

weapons, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, threats to teachers, administrators, or other students, and bullying. Weapons, alcohol, and drugs are not only violations of school rules but also violations of the State of Tennessee. Any student expelled from school will not be refunded and will still be accountable for any balance on his/her tuition. The school retains the authority to expel a student immediately for such offenses.

Lunch

Cafeteria

Hot lunches are prepared for our students in the cafeteria each day. Students are expected to clean up after themselves and leave the cafeteria clean so other students may enjoy a clean environment. No food is allowed in the classroom or the gym during the academic day. All students will remain in the cafeteria for the entire lunch period. No students will be allowed to return to their lockers or cars during lunch.

The lunch period is an opportunity for students to get extra help or make up any missed assignments or tests. It is the student’s responsibility to schedule any extra help or make-up session.

We encourage all families who purchase lunch to send money on Monday for the week or month of school. Please try to pay upfront. If your child runs out of lunch money, we will allow them to charge minimally for lunch only. Students are not allowed to charge morning snacks or ice cream. It is your responsibility to settle all charges in the cafeteria regularly.

Students may not call local restaurants to deliver to the school. Open food/drink is not allowed in the halls, classrooms, or lockers.

Senior Lunch Privileges

Seniors are allowed to leave campus for lunch if they have a permission slip on file in the office if no grade is lower than a C, and if they have no discipline issues. Seniors may not bring food or drinks back to campus for any of their classmates nor are they to take underclassmen with them. Violations of this privilege will result in the loss of this privilege for a period of time.

If grades and discipline are in order, seniors may eat in front of the high school in the area now known as the “Senior Porch.” Any food purchased off-campus and brought back must remain in the Senior Porch and cannot be taken to the cafeteria or in classrooms. The Senior Porch must be cleaned before the end of the lunch period. The senior lunch is a privilege and can be revoked.

Electronic Devices and Cell Phones

Due to the level of distraction that cell phones and electronic devices cause, high School and middle School students cannot have a phone or device in their possession during the school day. Students bringing their phones on campus must turn in their phones to their 1st-period teacher and may pick them up at the end of the day. Students arriving after 8:00 will turn their phones into the office. Phones and electronic devices, including Smart watches, are not permitted at school unless specified by their teachers or administration for a specific event. Elementary students are not allowed to bring cell phones or electronic devices to school unless approved by their teachers or administration

for a specific event. Students can be contacted through the office during school hours. The school assumes no responsibility for the care of any electronic device brought on campus.

Violation of the cell phone and electronic device policy will result in the following:

· 1st offense Phone/device confiscated for the remainder of the school day and returned once student presents signed cell phone return receipt with parent/guardian signature to the office.

· 2nd offense Phone/device confiscated for 1 week and returned after 5 school days have passed.

· 3rd offense Meeting with parents and administration

The administration can demand to inspect the history, temp files, photos, social media accounts, etc. if there is suspicion that a student has been using his/her phone inappropriately on or off campus.

Transportation

Student Vehicles on Campus

• All student vehicles parked on campus must be registered at the office and display a current BCS vehicle parking decal at all times. Any vehicle not in compliance may be towed at the owner’s expense.

• The school reserves the right to search any vehicle on campus.

• No student may go to their car without permission from faculty or an administrator. Students are to exit their vehicles upon arrival on campus and go to their designated area.

• Students must park in the student parking lot. Any student found parking behind the gym or in other unapproved places will lose their driving privilege for a period determined by the administration.

• The loop in front of the main building is one way. At the end of the day, students must exit the parking lot to the right following the flow of traffic.

• Driving privileges can be revoked by the administration at any time.

• Cars should not be left at school overnight without the approval of the administration and will be subject to towing at the owner’s expense.

Field Trips:

• Students will be transported by car via a parent or approved adult. Students attending field trips must have written permission. No students are allowed to drive or carpool other students at any time on field trips.

Miscellaneous

School Security

All visitors must sign in at the main office. No one will be allowed on campus during school hours without wearing a visitor’s badge. Anyone not signed in will be asked to leave the campus with no exceptions. The school has the right to deny anyone access to the school. 

Distribution of Literature

No one is allowed to distribute ANY type of literature without first having the permission of the administration. 

Illness

A student who feels too ill to continue the normal day should report to the office. If it is determined that he/she should be sent home, the parents will be contacted. The student should remain in the office until he/she leaves.

If it is determined that a student has been exposed to a disease or contracted a disease that is deemed to be a threat to other students, he/she will work from home or a medical institution until sufficient time has passed to eliminate any threat to others.

Medication

All medication, including over-the-counter, is to be left in its original container in the office. Written instruction from the parents must be given to the office for medication to be given to the student. 

Service Hours

All parents of athletes are required to work/prep/organize or clean concessions yearly. All parents receiving any financial assistance are required to work a certain number of service hours as assigned by the administration in addition to athletic requirement. 

High School Academic Information

Class load

Underclassmen are required to take 7 subjects each year. Seniors may take 6 classes. The only exception to this rule will be those enrolled in dual enrollment classes such as Motlow. Each student taking one dual enrollment class must be enrolled in at least five/four BCS classes depending on their year. Seniors taking two dual enrollment classes must be enrolled in at least 3 BCS classes. Students must be enrolled in a Bible, English, and Math course each year. Students may only drop courses under special request. All students must be present for chapel every day regardless of schedule. 

Graduation Requirements