We recognize that God has given different abilities to each student. We want each student to work to capacity, motivated by a heartfelt love for Christ.

On the spiritual level, we desire to assist the home in maturing the young person. This goal is the reason for our school's existence and is met by Bible class, a biblically-based curriculum, and theological training for the staff.

Our staff intellectually challenges the students through Christian and secular curricula. We include music, PE and computer instruction. We use nationally-normed achievement tests to chart the progress of the students. We hire Christian teachers who:

Emphasize the worth of each student as a unique creation of God.

Openly share the love of Christ with students.

Encourage students to respect, love, and obey their parents.

Attempt to inspire loyalty to and respect for the church.

Attempt to inspire love for country/respect for authority.

Equip students with solid academic skills.

Social opportunities are provided through intramural participation in art fairs, speech meets, science fairs and spelling bees; whenever possible Bethany combines with like-minded schools. These opportunities are in addition to the small group setting that develops leadership skills.

We actively seek Christian families who desire a Christ-centered education that includes wholesome friends, quality academics, and a disciplined learning environment. It is our intent to enroll students who believe in Christ and have at least one parent who is also a believer. In an effort to maintain harmony in our work, we do not seek, visibly practice, or promote speaking in tongues. Without being anti-charismatic, we are a non-charismatic school.

Statement of Faith

We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were verbally inspired and completely inerrant in the original writings. They are of supreme and final authority in faith and life.

We believe there is one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We believe Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Spirit, and was born of the Virgin Mary. He is true God and true man.

We believe man was created in the image of God; he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also that spiritual death which is separation from God. All human beings are born with a sinful nature, and those who reach moral responsibility become sinners in thought, word, and deed.

We believe the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice. All who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood. Any person who, in simple faith, trusts in the risen Christ as his only hope of heaven, refusing to trust in anything else, receives the gift of eternal life which, once granted, can never be lost.

We believe the crucified Christ was bodily resurrected, ascended into Heaven, and lives today as our High Priest and Advocate.

We believe in "that blessed hope"--the personal, pre millennial, and imminent return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and of the unjust; the everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting punishment of the lost.

Academic Policies

Non-Discrimination Policy

Bethany Christian School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin with all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded to students of the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its policies or programs.

Admissions Policies and Procedures

Bethany Christian School’s biblical role is to work in conjunction with the home to mold students to be Christlike. On occasion, the atmosphere or conduct within a particular home may be counter or in opposition to the biblical lifestyle the school teaches. Bethany retains the right to refuse enrollment to or to expel any student who engages in sexual immorality, including any student who professes to be homosexual/bisexual or is a practicing homosexual/bisexual, as well as any student who condones, supports, or otherwise promotes such practices (Leviticus 20:13, Romans 1:27).

As a private institution, Bethany Christian reserves the privilege of setting and maintaining its own standards for student conduct, dress, and scholarship. It is understood that to be a student at Bethany is a privilege and not a right. Any student who does not conform to the standards and regulations of the institution may forfeit this privilege. The school maintains the right to admit only those students who are in harmony with the standards of the school. The school may expel any student at any time, who, in the opinion of the school, does not share the spirit of the institution--regardless of whether or not the student conforms to the specific rules and regulations of the school.

Parents may register students by filling out a registration form available in the office. The completed form along with the registration fee is to be given to the office. Fees cannot be refunded (see financial information).

State law requires that all students attending school must be immunized prior to admittance. Students will not be admitted unless they comply with the state ordinances relating to this matter. Immunization forms are obtainable from your doctor or the Health Department. All required forms must be in the office within 30 days of the student’s first day of school or the student will not be allowed to continue in class until the forms are returned.

The Academic Affairs Council shall determine the grade placement of students when placement is not obvious. New students must be tested by a nationally normed placement test. The cost of testing and the administration of the test are to be born by the applicant.

While we realize that a particular student's academic readiness or ability is not always tied to age, we seek to establish classes where children of the same age are in the same class. Therefore we have established policies that place students according to age and not ability only. If a student is too young, the Academic Affairs Council may grant enrollment to a student who is within 30 days of meeting the deadline (i.e. someone whose birthday is September 30 applying for first grade). If a student is too old, the school shall not enroll nor re-enroll any student who is two or more grade levels behind the grade that they should be in. The following shall apply for determining appropriate age/grade status:

Four by September 1 go into kindergarten-four (K-4)

Five by September 1 go into kindergarten

Six by September 1 go into first grade

Seven by September 1 go into second grade

Eight by September 1 go into third grade

Nine by September 1 go into fourth grade

Ten by September 1 go into fifth grade

Eleven by September 1 go into sixth grade

Twelve by September 1 go into seventh grade

Thirteen by September 1 go into eighth grade

Fourteen by September 1 go into ninth grade

Fifteen by September 1 go into tenth grade

Sixteen by September 1 go into eleventh grade

Seventeen by September 1 go into twelfth grade

Curriculum

Selection of curriculum is an area of vital concern for Bethany. The Academic Affairs Council must approve any changes in curriculum. Through use of a standardized achievement test we are able to determine the effectiveness of the curriculum currently in use. We currently rely heavily on A Beka and Bob Jones and prefer to use Christian

publishers. It is our belief that integration of Christianity into all walks of life takes place through the teacher's efforts and not solely the curriculum. Therefore we choose the materials that best equip the student for learning the subject under study and will from time to time select materials from secular sources.

Bethany is accredited by the Association of Christian Teachers and Schools (ACTS) and is a member of the Texas Association of Non-Public Schools (TANS). The Association of Christian Teachers and Schools (ACTS) is fully recognized by TEPSAC as an educational association authorized to provide accreditation for its member schools. State law stipulates that credits and grades given by schools accredited by the TEA, SACS or TEPSAC are equally transferable. Renewal of accreditation is required every five years; Bethany’s renewal is set for 2012.

Classroom academics

Report Cards will be given every nine weeks. The report will give a numerical grade for each academic subject. Physical Education is graded pass or fail. The student will also receive a behavioral report in each subject. Excellent, satisfactory, or unsatisfactory are the options available. Both academic and behavioral grades are objective and are determined by verifiable data.

The Administration reserves the right to withdraw a student from a particular class. Students who are withdrawn from a class due to an administrative decision automatically lose all credit for the class, and receive a WF (withdrawn failing) regardless of the earned average at the time of withdrawal. This policy applies to both required courses and electives. If the class is required, the student is still responsible for earning that credit before graduation.

The Faculty may drop graded assignments for the entire class, but may not drop an individual student's assignments. Therefore students must complete the work or receive a zero. The Academic Affairs Council, which determines and implements a unified grading scale for the school, must approve variation from this policy.

Parents may observe a particular class by an appointment made through the administrator.

Written progress reports are sent out after the completion of the fifth week of classes within the nine week quarter. Parents will be verbally notified by the homeroom teacher or the adjunct instructor when a student receives the third failing grade within a particular subject. Verbal notification may not be feasible when the third failing grade coincides with the written progress report or the report card.

Homework is an important part of the educational process. We desire that students learn to carry the responsibility of learning to plan and budget the necessary study time to complete a reasonable amount of outside preparation. As a general rule the average student should spend ten minutes per grade level per night five nights per week. Homework is not generally assigned on Wednesday in order to encourage school families to participate in Wednesday night church activities. Teachers have discretion in this matter and may on occasion assign on Wednesday work due on Thursday.

Students have one day for each day of excused absence to turn in assignments. It is the student's responsibility to determine the missed assignments. The student is responsible for everything covered in class. Work not turned in will be graded as a "zero." The teacher shall schedule make-up tests and quizzes. Tests not made up will be recorded as a "zero."

A student whose overall quarter average is 90 or above shall be placed on the Pastor's List of Honor Students. These students will be appropriately honored for their accomplishments and will receive special attention throughout the following quarter. Physical Education and other Pass/Fail classes shall not be included in calculating the quarter average.

Academically distressed students sometimes ask for extra work in order to improve their grades. Extra work is not allowed for the purpose of improving grades. Students struggling with regular work do not need additional work. A teacher may allow a class to redo an assignment, but grades are earned during an entire semester and should not be artificially increased through a last minute flurry of extra credit work.

The Academic Affairs Council allows schedule changes only upon approval. A course drop form must be filled out and submitted to the office. The student must remain in the class until the drop has been granted, a new schedule has been issued to the student, and the teacher has been notified. No credit is given for a course dropped before the end of the semester. The course may not be dropped if it results in an academic deficiency. The student's transcript will record a WP (withdrawal passing) or a WF (withdrawal failing) if dropped before the semester ends.

Some students are invited to sign up to be teaching or office assistants. The student will be responsible to work with a staff member and will receive academic credit for their work. Students on academic or behavioral probation may not serve as teaching assistants or office assistants.

Records and transcripts are available to the parent. Please arrange a time with the administrator to explain the testing scores, grades, etc.

Promotion and Graduation Requirements

Junior High students must earn a final average for the year of 70 or above in language arts, a final average of 70 or above in mathematics, and all grades averaged together must equal at least 70. The grading scale is as follows: A=100-90, 4.0; B=89-80, 3.0; C=70-79, 2.0; F=69-0, 0.0. Behavioral grades are as follows: E=Exceptional, S=Satisfactory, U=Unsatisfactory, Honor Roll=90-100 average in all subjects, and Probation=0-69 average in all subjects.

Grade classifications for High School are as follows:

Freshman -- 9th 0-6 credits

Sophomore -- 10th 7-13 credits

Junior -- 11th 14-20 credits

Senior -- 12 th 21-32 credits

Bethany is on a quarter system. Two quarters equal one semester. No credits are given for completed quarters. Senior High students must pass every class each semester to receive credits. High School students must earn a minimum of 28 credits to graduate. Required credits are

4 Bible

4 English

4 Math

4 History

3 Science

3 Foreign Language

3 Electives

1.5 Physical Education

1 Computer

.5 Health

Credits are earned when a student satisfactorily completes the course's requirements. The Academic Affairs Council may increase or decrease the amount of credits the student receives if the work required, or the nature of the subject under study or the policies of other schools merits the change. The semester must be completed to receive credit. No credits are given for completion of a quarter. No credits are given for WP (withdrawal passing) or WF (withdrawal failing). At the end of the student’s time in the school, credit total will be rounded up to the nearest quarter credit.

Enrollment in a private school requires discipline and effort. Not all children are able to achieve the level of academic proficiency that Bethany requires. It is not in a child's best interest to allow him to continue in an environment where academic achievement may be beyond his ability. Academic Probation is an action taken by the Academic Affairs Council of the School that notifies the parent that the student's grade average of all grades is below 70. Students in seventh through twelfth grades who have an average grade of 69 or below at the end of a grading period shall be placed on academic probation. The average shall be determined from all classes, including electives. If grades are not 70 or above by the end of the next grading period, the student shall be expelled. The board shall have final authority in this matter. Appeals for continuing in the school shall be made to the Board. The Academic Affairs Council may place a student on Academic probation before the end of the grading period if the Council determines that the student's present grade average is 69 or below. If the student's grades are not 70 or above by the end of 60 days, the student shall be expelled.

Seniors may be exempted from a course's final exam provided they have an average of 90 or above for both semesters, have not been placed on behavioral probation during their senior year, do not have any unexcused absences, and have no more than five excused absences per semester.

Attendance

Private schools differ greatly in their attendance policies. The Texas State Education Code and the Texas State Family Code specifies the policies for public schools. Children enrolled in private or parochial schools are exempt from the State requirements of compulsory attendance (21.0333 (a) (1)). This exemption is the reason for the significant variances among private schools. It is our desire to voluntarily comply with all laws that enhance the educational objectives of Bethany Christian School.