Student Handbook

OVERVIEW
 

Welcome to Las Cruces Seventh-Day Adventist Academy! Our school offers Kindergarten through 5th grade education with a focus on spiritual, academic, and social excellence. We strive to educate children in the love of Christ and provide a nurturing environment for their growth and development. Join us in our mission to shape the future leaders of tomorrow!

MISSION STATEMENT
 

To stimulate and provide leadership and excellence in a Christ centered environment.

VISION STATEMENT
 

Las Cruces Seventh-Day Adventist Academy will provide the highest quality programs possible from Kindergarten through 5th grade to nourish the body, mind and soul of each student and help them become faithful servants of Christ.

ADMISSION
 

Las Cruces SDA Academy is a Christian school operating grades Kindergarten through 5th grade. Las Cruces SDA Academy welcomes students of any race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin. It does not discriminate in the administration of its educational policies or any of its school-administered programs.
Acceptance is granted to those who desire a Christian education and agree to hold high standards of conduct and thought. The school, however, is not equipped to handle young people who have major behavioral or scholastic problems. All applications are subject to the approval of the School Board. All new students are accepted on a nine (9) week academic/behavior probation.

Regular Registration Day is held in August prior to the first day of school. (See School Calendar) For your convenience, registration may be completed at any time during the spring or summer.

Las Cruces SDA Academy is operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and functions within its belief system and educational philosophy.
A student will not be admitted without financial clearance from a former school
The School Board of Las Cruces SDA Academy is the final authority for the decisions of all admissions and/or dismissals from the school program.

​

FINANCIAL

​

Registration Fee 2024-2025

Registration Fee  $200

 

Descounts

1st Child: Whole Tuition

2nd Child: 10% Discount

3rd Child 15% Discount

 

Tuition will be billed over a 10 months period from August 1-May 1. Payments are due the first of each month from August to May.

​

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
 

Students entering Kindergarten must be at least 5 years of age on September 1 of the current year. Las Cruces SDA Academy does not require placement testing for new students unless they were homeschooled the previous year.

ACADEMICS
 

Las Cruces SDA  Academy handles all student records, grade reports, and grading policy. 

ATTENDANCE
 

School begins at 8:00 am and dismisses at 3:00 pm daily. Student drop off begins at 7:45 am. Pick up will be from 3:00 pm-3:15 pm. We encourage punctuality.

Students are always required to remain on campus during school hours. If a parent needs to sign out a child, they must speak to the director and get the dismissal approved prior.

Parents are welcome to visit their child’s classroom if prior arrangements are made with the teacher of the classroom to be visited.

PROCEDURES
 

Daily: Regular attendance is important for maximum achievement. Students enrolled at Las Cruces SDA Academy are expected to attend class 90% of the school days of each year. 

​

Absences & tardiness: Punctuality and dependability in meeting assigned responsibilities are personal behavior habits valued in the Christian lifestyle. Three tardies are equivalent to one absence. Absences and tardies will be addressed by individual interventions and progressive consequences.

Excused absences: Any legitimate absence accompanied by a parental or doctor note of explanation will be excused.  The following are examples of legitimate absences:

Verified illness or quarantine

Medical and legal appointments
Funerals

All others, including family vacations are NOT considered legitimate absences.  Prearranged absences involving more than one school day must be discussed with homeroom teacher.

​

NON-CUSTODIAL PARENTS
 

Students will be dismissed only to those parents/guardians and/or family members listed on school records and an identification will be required.
Concerning student activities that require parental consent, the school will only accept the consent from the custodial parent.

MEDICAL EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
 

All immunizations and physicals must be kept current. Hearing and vision screening should be done regularly.  Las Cruces SDA Academy reserves the right to require a student to obtain a physical if they will be permitted to return to class.
A child who is found to have head lice will be sent home for treatment and will not be able to return to school until all of lice eggs (nits) have been removed from the child’s hair.

 
The Las Cruces SDA Academy staff is not allowed to administer any medication, prescription or over the counter without the proper written documentation from the parents.

In the event my child is taken ill or is injured while under the Academy’s authority, my signature to this document is authorization to proceed as follows:
Attempt to contact the parents and follow the parent’s instructions. If the Academy is unable to contact the parent’s, the school staff is authorized to contact the family doctor listed on the application form and follow that doctor’s instruction.  If the designated doctor cannot be reached, the staff is authorized to contact a properly licensed and practicing physician of its choice and such physician is authorized to provide medical or surgical services as needed.

​

The staff is hereby authorized, appointed, and empowered to furnish on the parent’s behalf such written or oral instructions as may be required under the circumstances herein described.  The Las Cruces SDA Academy personnel and the school are released from any liability arising from the exercise of the permission granted in this section.

STANDARD OF CONDUCT
 

In order to uphold this trust from parents we believe the following Standard of Conduct based upon the biblical passages listed below is necessary (1 Cor. 8:9, 12-13: 10:32, Eph. 6:1-2).

Las Cruces SDA Academy expects each student to maintain Christian standards of courtesy, kindness, morality, honesty, and respect for authority.  Each student is expected to obey the staff of Las Cruces SDA Academy promptly and cheerfully in all areas, including comportment, class work and homework, and any other duties that may be assigned.

The school further requires each student to refrain from profanity, indecent behavior, language or dress, gambling, cheating, sexual immorality, stealing, lying and the use of any type of tobacco, drugs, or pornographic material, and from unlawful, violent or destructive acts.  
   
DISCIPLINE
 

Disciplinary process: Students are expected to abide by these standards throughout their enrollment at Las Cruces Seventh-Day Adventist Academy.  This includes both in-term and out-of-term times- at home, school or any other place.  Students found to be in violation of these standards or out of harmony with biblical principles of life and work may be asked to withdraw for the general welfare of the student body if the intervention plan designed by the staff does not improve the behavior.  No further warning is required.

The main principle for life at Las Cruces SDA Academy is:

I will respect myself and others.
I will encourage positive behavior.
I will empower my peers and contribute to a healthy and loving environment.

BULLY-FREE ENVIRONMENT POLICY
 

Students are always expected to behave in a respectful manner during school hours on and off campus. During class time, outdoor time, field trips and all other school related activities students must be respectful to their peers and all personnel.
Bullying is an anti-social behavior in which someone targets another person by putting him/her down in any of the following ways:

Hurtful and demeaning words
Rumors and rejecting others
Hitting, pushing or shoving
Threats and acts that instill fear

Such behaviors will not be tolerated at Las Cruces SDA Academy. Parents will be notified on the first instance of bullying and the necessary interventions and consequences will be put in place by the staff. These disciplinary steps may include:
 

Exclusion from certain activities
In or out of school suspension
Expulsion

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
Occasional disagreements and/or misunderstandings may arise among students or students and teachers, and they should be resolved the following way:
 

• Address a teacher not involved and explain the situation and ask for guidance

• If issue does not resolve, make an appointment with the principal to discuss the situation

• Write a letter to the School Board to get further help

 

SEARCH AND SEIZURE

 

Las Cruces SDA Academy will always work hard to provide a safe environment. Therefore, school authorities have the right to perform unannounced searches of backpacks, desks and all other student possessions if they consider it needed. If items such as weapons, prohibited beverages, drugs, books, magazines and all other items found that interfere with the school’s Christ centered environment may and will be seized. The student or students involved in such scenarios will undergo the necessary disciplinary consequences.

​

UNIFORM POLICY

Choice for everyday wear:
Students must wear a burgundy polo shirt and khaki bottoms. Boys must wear khaki pants and girls must wear khaki jumpers that are below the knees with black tights.
Clothing must always be modest and clean.
Uniforms may not be ripped, faded or made of stretchy material.
Must not be too baggy or too tight.

Miscellaneous Uniform Requirement:

Only burgundy sweaters/jackets may be worn inside campus
Sandals are not allowed
Sneakers are required for P.E.
Extreme hairstyles or colors are not accepted
Clear nail polish may be worn
Students must abstain from wearing any kind of jewelry
 

Friday Attire:

Boys: white dress shirt with burgundy tie, khaki bottoms, beige socks, and black dressy shoes
Girls: White button-down shirt, khaki jumper dress, and black dressy shoes
In the case a student does not follow the uniform policy his/her parents will be contacted and they must provide a uniform that meets the requirements.
 

TECHNOLOGY USE

Personal devices: Personal smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and all other electronic devices must not be brought to school. If a student brings any of these devices to where learning is taking place the device will be confiscated without a warning and parents will have to pick up the device after learning hours. If violation to the technology policy continues to take place during learning hours; the Las Cruces SDA Academy Committee will develop a plan to better the situation and/or ask the student to withdraw of the student body.
   School computer use: Las Cruces SDA Academy encourages a technology-free learning environment but the use of computers and/or electronic resources during school hours is an option the staff have and will use accordingly.  

MEALS
Students are encouraged to have breakfast at home, before arriving to school, and to bring a healthy and wholesome lunch. The Academy will not provide lunch.
Our Academy promotes a healthy diet. Below is a list of well-balanced foods and snacks that are recommended:
 

Fruits
Vegetables
Nuts
Water

Please try to avoid packing your child’s lunch with sodas, candy and chips.

​

PARENTAL PARTICIPATION
Las Cruces SDA Academy encourages parental participation in their child’s education. Teachers can be reached at any time to discuss any questions or concerns.  Involvement also includes:

Monitoring student’s homework, planner and progress reports
Provide a place free of distraction to complete any schoolwork
Refrain from negative conversations that will undermine the Las Cruces SDA Academy staff
Check school calendar to plan all family outings around the calendar
 

BOOK USE AGREEMENT
 

Las Cruces SDA Academy will provide uplifting and educational books for the students.  Students are encouraged and expected to abide by the following guidelines regarding schoolbooks:

 

1. Respect and care for the books

2. Check out books with classroom teachers if they wish to take them home

3. Books cannot be checked out without getting the proper permission first

4. Do not trade books

5. All book use is at the discretion of the teachers and staff of the academy. A fee of $0.50 a day for delayed returns will be applied to the student with the book(s) checked out under his/her name. All lost or damaged books will be charged to the student and/or the student’s family.

VARIOUS MEDIA PUBLICATION
Las Cruces SDA Academy makes an effort to promote the positive activities, honors and work of our students in our internal celebrations as well as in our community marketing efforts. We do this using a variety of media formats and publications, including but not limited to brochures, postcards, displays, website and slide shows.  An essential component of each of these formats and publications are images of our students. Images have a tremendous power to engage online users and readers. Publicizing as student’s work will encourage our students to strive for excellence in his or her schoolwork as well to provide a glimpse of the videos of your child may be taken and/or videos include but are not limited to field trips, sporting events, special programs and events, along with normal classroom routines.
Parents are required to sign a release form to consent or withhold permission for their child to be part of the Las Cruces SDA Academy publications.

NON-PUBLISHED POLICY
Las Cruces SDA Academy makes every effort to provide each family with a handbook that is as complete as possible, however, unforeseen situations arise from time to time.  Therefore, the school staff and/or the school board will work throughout the year to make or adjust policy. These will carry the same weight and importance as the written information found in the handbook.

INTERPRETATION
Las Cruces SDA Academy reserves the right to clarify any interpretation of policy, written or implied, and is not subject to legal interpretation.