GUIDELINES & POLICIES

• HOPE Families and Teachers should “read and heed” all of the policies and guidelines in order to maximize the benefit of
  classes for all students. Parents attest that all students have been informed of these policies and guidelines.

• These policies apply to all HOPE sponsored functions on or off campus. HOPE campus consists of all space
  inside/outside of the buildings and parking lots. Building and equipment consists of all HOPE and host facility property.

• Implementation and interpretation of all policies and guidelines is at the discretion of the Board. Please contact the Director for clarification or if you have additional questions.

Dress Code for Adults and Students

1. Dress and groom oneself in a way that honors Christ and brings you respect. Guideline: Modesty

   • No clothing that is revealing, see-through, or skin tight on top, middle, or bottom.

   • Shorts, skirts, and dress hemlines, and tops worn over leggings, must have adequate coverage.

   • All clothing must cover undergarments.

2. Dress in a way that is appropriate for the type of class attending (ie appropriate athletic attire and shoes for PE classes).

3. No clothing with inappropriate, illegal, or immoral designs.

4. Dress code violations will result in a student being asked to change or leave HOPE premises until he/she is dressed
   appropriately.

General Behavior

1. Students are expected to act in a respectful and polite manner to adults and fellow students.

2. Bullying behavior on campus and promotion of behavior contrary to any portion of our Statement of Faith, will not be tolerated.

3. Any controlled-substances found on HOPE premises will be confiscated and, if illegal, turned over to the Mckinney Police with appropriate names and information regarding the confiscation.

4. No smoking or e-cigarettes on the HOPE premises, including in vehicles. If found, the cigarettes or entire unit may be
   confiscated and disposed of without repayment or return.

5. No weapons, including pocket knives, allowed at HOPE.

6. No public displays of affection at HOPE, including hand-holding, kissing, embracing and/or other physical fraternization.

7. No rough housing, running or talking loudly.

8. Students are to be in designated areas only and may not loiter in the bathroom. 

9. Students and parents are required to use the bathroom facility that corresponds to their gender on their birth certificate. Students must dress, conduct themselves, use pronouns, and use bathrooms consistent with their sex assigned at birth.

10. No gum is allowed at HOPE.

Illness and Medical Issues

1. Please do not bring/send your children who have had fever, vomiting, or diarrhea within the last 24 hours.

2. If you have a child with a medical condition or food allergies/restrictions you must indicate that on the Medical Release/ Liability form and inform teachers. HOPE will not monitor food intake of any student.

Building and Equipment Policies

       1.We are guests at this facility.  Treat the facility with respect.

       2.HOPE Prep Students must stay in designated areas of the facility.

Discipline Policy

Warnings may or may not be given before issuing a discipline notice for offenses. Discipline notices may be submitted by any adult member of HOPE during any HOPE function, including regular or extra class days, programs, or field trips. 

1. Teachers have absolute authority in their classrooms. The classroom expectations will be clearly outlined by each teacher. Classroom discipline will be handled by the teacher.

2. Administrators have absolute authority in common spaces, lunch, and study hall. Any persistent misbehavior can result in removal from study hall, lunch, or a discipline notice.

3. If a student receives a discipline notice, the future expectations and consequences will be clearly outlined in that discipline notice.

4. If a student is expelled from HOPE, access to Jupiter and class material will be removed within four days of disciplinary action. The student may not finish his/her classes from home. A refund for the remainder of the school year will not be issued.

The HOPE Board reserves the right to choose the consequences given the severity of the offense or expel any student/family.

Exceptions – Grounds for immediate expulsion:

• Any purposeful acts of vandalism.

• Any defiant behavior or foul language.

• Any alcohol or controlled substances.

• Any bullying behavior.

• Theft of any kind.

• Putting Students/Staff/Teachers in harms way on HOPE campus or at a HOPE sponsored event.

Lunch

1. Lunch is eaten in designated areas only as instructed by HOPE Admin and may change year to year or for inclement weather. 

2. Students are responsible for cleaning up after themselves after lunch. 

3. Only students 16 years of age or older may leave HOPE campus during lunch. If the 16+ year old has siblings, parents may give Written Consent to HOPE Admin for the 16+ year old sibling to transport ONLY the permitted siblings off campus for lunch. No other student that is under 16 may accompany. Once the students leave the campus, HOPE is no longer responsible for the student(s).

4. Parents may check in/out students under the age of 16 at the Admin desk in the front lobby.

Loitering and Study Hall Policies

1. Students are allowed to remain on the premises for up to fifteen minutes before class, between classes or after classes.

2. All students will be asked to exit the building at the end of the day so that we can clean up.

3. Students are expected to be in the study hall room if not attending class. Students may not be outside the building unless they are going directly to their vehicle and leaving HOPE property. 

4. In study hall and between classes, students are expected to be respectfully quiet to avoid disrupting classes in session. Students who are continually too loud will lose the privilege of being in study hall or at HOPE at all before or after classes.

5. As a courtesy, a study hall is provided for a $15 monthly fee for each hour attended. (Monthly fee example: 1 study hall, Monday and Wednesday (total of 2 study halls hours) would be $30 per month).  Study halls may be utilized between classes or while siblings are in class only.

6. A student may may not be in a 4th hour study hall unless he/she has a 5th hour class or has a sibling in 4th hour. A student may not be in a 5th hour study hall unless a sibling is in a 5th hour class.

7. Students are responsible for cleaning up after themselves.

8. Cell phone use in study hall is a privilege.

Visitor Policy

1. Guests (adults and children) are welcome to visit by appointment when evaluating HOPE as a support for their homeschool. 

2. Visiting children must be of the age appropriate for the class.

3. Visitors must check in at the Admin desk before visiting a class to obtain a visitor pass.

4. All guest speakers/visiting instructors must have prior Admin approval and consent to a background check.

Tardiness/Attendance Policies

1. If you are going to be absent, you must notify your student’s teachers as soon as possible the day of the absence. Each teacher will outline his/her tardy/absence policy in the Class Expectations.

2. HOPE Admin and Teachers reserve the right to drop from the class roster(s), with or without penalty, any student who fails to attend classes consistently.

3. Students may be dismissed from a class due to repeat tardies that create a hardship for the teacher or class environment.

4. We do not allow students to “audit” our classes.

Academics and Grading Policy

1. If excessive zeros, incomplete work, and/or classroom disruptions create a hardship for the teacher or class, the student may be dismissed from the class permanently.

2. Cheating, including plagiarism or use of AI, will be grounds for immediate dismissal from the class and perhaps grounds for withdrawal of a student from HOPE. The situations will be handled on a case-by-case basis, but, in order to maintain the integrity of our program we will not allow it to be compromised by cheating.

3.  Assignments will be graded and reported via HOPE’s current online platform, and students will receive a final grade of the class via HOPE’s current online platform. Do not join HOPE unless both students and parent(s) plan to join and regularly login to this important online tool.

4. It is the parent's responsibility to help their student keep up with their homework and to ensure that their student receives proper help with any areas of individual difficulty.  Teachers are not obligated to follow any 504 or IEP plans. 

5. HOPE Board supports a Teacher's right of refusal of a student to their class based on established academic and behavioral criteria.

Class Fee Policy

HOPE Prep Teachers function as private tutors in a classroom setting.  All tuition payments, for the class duration (year-long or semester), are to be turned into HOPE administration at fall orientation (tuition for spring only semester classes is due by the last day of the fall semester). Tuition checks are payable to the teacher. Families must pay the teachers for the full month of tuition for each month HOPE is in session even if the student only attends one class during the month.  Students may not attend any class where tuition or a fee is past due.  

• A non-refundable supply fee for each class is due at the designated date given each year by HOPE Admin.

Class Add/Drop Policy and Procedure