In order to make on-campus classes available for our students, we will require masks for staff and students when physical distancing is difficult or impossible.  Masks should be cloth that covers  the nose and mouth and straps or ties behind the head or ears.  No bandanas, gaiters, or costume masks.  Masks should not display anything offensive or inappropriate or have words of any kind.  We may ask students to remove masks we view as inappropriate and substitute a mask from the office for the day. Masks should not be shared and should be stored in the student’s bag if not worn.  Each child is encouraged to bring at least one extra mask in a sealed bag in case the mask they are wearing becomes soiled or unusable.   If allowed by the teacher, when students are seated in the classroom facing the same direction, they may remove their mask during teaching time.  The mask is primarily meant to provide a barrier when physical distancing is not possible or students and staff are moving about the classroom or hallways.  Masks do not have to be worn outside when students are playing or seated at a distance to eat. However, masks should be worn as students move around campus as well as in and out of the building. Mask exceptions will be made for those who cannot wear a mask due to medical reasons.

Faith Christian School is an independent, not-for-profit organization, and as such, depends solely on tuition and fees that our parents pay.  We do not receive funds from the government, a church or any other entity.  Since enrollment varies from year to year and costs don’t fluctuate significantly whether we have many students or few, we hold two major fundraisers a year to help keep tuition affordable for parents.  We hold one fundraiser in the spring, our auction/dinner, and one in the fall, our serve-a-thon.  It is very important that each family is a participant in and contributes to these two fundraising activities.  If these are successful, we are able to keep the tuition the same throughout the school year.  If we didn’t have these fundraisers, when enrollment is lower, we would have to raise tuition rates mid-year to meet the necessary cost to operate a Christian school.  Next week we will kick-off our fall fundraiser, an incredible opportunity to serve others while raising operating funds for Faith Christian School.  Please be in prayer as to how you can support the important work of FCS by doing your part.  If you have questions about our fundraisers, please contact Mr. Buckingham.  (dbuckingham@faith-christian.org)

Dear {friends name},

I am committed to Faith Christian School’s FCS Gives Back fundraiser for 2020. On November 14, families from FCS will be putting together hundreds of meal boxes at Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), an organization that seeks to feed the poor and needy around the world. I need your help to raise the funds necessary to support {child’s name}’s education at Faith Christian School (FCS)! I am asking you to sponsor our team as we serve with FMSC. Not only will these funds help support Faith Christian School, we are committed to give at least 10% of funds raised to Feed My Starving Children.
All sponsorships go directly to the school and will make a great impact for the students and programs that FCS offers. Any amount is welcome! My family is committed to raising at least $500 toward this project. If you are able and willing to give, you can donate at faith-christian.org/fcsgivesback or text to FCS2020 to 243725 to receive a giving link.
Thank you for participating in what God is doing at and through Faith Christian School. God bless!

The hybrid model will be very different from SAS because the teacher will be in the physical classroom with students and will be following a full-day schedule with specials, snack, lunch, recess, and other activities. Because of this, there will not be session blocks as there were during SAS. Teachers will post their lesson plans by Monday morning in the Google Classroom giving an overview of what is planned for the week. Please note that lesson plans, especially at the elementary level often change, but the teacher will let you know if there are any major changes. Teachers will note on the lesson plans which subjects or topics they are planning to record so you know what to expect in the recording the next day. The recordings will be posted in the Google Classroom homeroom stream just as they have been, so the students should be familiar with where to find them. It is also the goal for Art and Music classes to be recorded and posted in the stream of those classes. Students should expect to see something for PE in the form of a workout plan, since recording on the field may be a challenge. Students in grades 3-6 who are in the handbells class will be excused until they return to campus, as it would be very difficult to participate from home. 

Although the lesson plan will indicate the schedule the students are following on campus, the school day will obviously look different for the student at home. Parents will need to work with their child to determine a schedule that works for them. Students will be held accountable for working through the curriculum on the lesson plan and watching the recordings in a timely fashion, so in theory, they will only be a day behind.  They should also complete the work and turn in the assignments to the Google Classroom in the time prescribed, so that when the time is appropriate, they will return to campus and be at a similar place as the on campus students in their progress. 

It is our goal that students who are doing the hybrid model remain connected to their teacher and their classmates. Teachers will check in at least once a week, but students can feel free to reach out to the teacher with questions about assignments as well. Also keep your eyes open for announcements about scheduled Google Meet times with your child’s class where the students can say hello to each other. 

If your family feels comfortable, you are welcome to attend chapel on Wednesdays at 10:30, as the church sanctuary is large and will allow for significant distancing if desired. 

This is new for everyone! We are happy to be offering this hybrid model for families who have decided to temporarily keep their children home, but we know that there may be some bumps along the way. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or if something has not been addressed.

We pray that we will all be able to be back together soon.