General FAQ
High School Parent Handbook
Middle School Parent Handbook
Elementary School Parent Handbook
Early Education Parent Handbook
• What are the school hours?
Kindergarten: 8:20am – 2:10pm
1st -5th Grades: 8:20am – 3:10pm *Tuesday, Early Dismissal at 2:10pm
Middle School: 7:45am-2:45pm.
High School: 7:45 am- 2:45 pm.
• Are your teachers credentialed?
VCES core teachers must have a Bachelor’s Degree and hold a teaching certificate or be actively seeking their teaching certificate.
VCES teachers are certified through ACSI (recertified every 2 years).
VCMS core teachers must have a Bachelor’s Degree and hold a teaching certificate or be actively seeking their teaching certificate.
VCMS teachers are certified through ACSI (recertified every 2 years).
• Can parents attend chapel?
Yes! Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend.
•Elementary Chapel is held on Tuesdays from 1:00pm – 2:00pm.
•Middle School Chapel is held on Thursdays from 9:55-10:45 am, Small Groups follow from 11:30 – 12:05pm.
•High School Chapel is held on Wednesdays from 11:40 am-12:20 p.m.
• Are you a uniformed school?
Kindergarten through 5th grade is required to wear uniforms. Please visit http://www.truegrits.com for more details. Our school code is VAC170. We do not require that you purchase all items from the True Grits Store. Middle School students do not wear a school uniform, however we do have a dress code which details the acceptable standards for dress on our campus. High School students do not wear a school uniform, however, we do have a dress code which details the acceptable standards for dress on our campus. Please refer to the following handbooks for further clarification:
High School Parent Handbook
Middle School Parent Handbook
Elementary School Parent Handbook
Early Education Parent Handbook
• What curriculum do you use?
Follow this link
• Will my child take any standardized tests during the school year?
Yes, VCS students take the Stanford Achievement Test on a yearly basis. VCHS students take the PSAT, PLAN, and EXPLORE. CollegeBoard sponsors the PSAT, and ACT sponsors EXPLORE for 9th graders and PLAN for 10th graders.
• Is your school on a traditional year schedule?
VCS is a traditional school year beginning in late August and continuing until Mid-June.
• What are the daycare hours?
Extended Care hours begin at 6:30 am and end at 6:00 pm. Please see the following link for Extended Care rates: –Insert link to Tuition Sheet--.
• What is the earliest & latest time I can drop-off & pick-up my child without getting daycare charges?
Elementary Grades K-5th can be dropped off at 8:00am without daycare charges. Grades 1st – 5th should be picked up no later than 3:30pm to avoid daycare charges. Kindergarten should be picked up no later than 2:30pm to avoid daycare charges. Middle School Students can be dropped off at 7:30am and should be picked up by 3:15pm. There is a minimal fee charged for students who arrive either before 7:30am or stay beyond 3:15pm.
• Do you offer summer programs?
Yes, VCS offers Summer Camp, Summer Enrichment Classes, Summer Academic Classes, and Summer Sports Camps. Please see the following link for more information. –Insert link to Summer Camp Info--
Middle School offers Summer Academic Classes, Summer Sports Camps, Summer Camp, and a Summer Music Program. Please see the following link for more information. –Insert link to Summer Camp Info—
High School offers Summer Academic Courses for students who need to make up course work.
• What do I do if my student is absent?
•Elementary – Please call the elementary office at (707) 446-1776 extension 2106. Please also send a written note with your child the following day to explain his/her absence. This will be given to your child’s teacher. For planned vacations/absences, please come by the Elementary Office to pick up a Planned Absence Form. Please give at least 5 days notice.
•MS/HS- If your son/daughter will not be in school, please call the MS/HSOffice by 8:30am. If the office has not heard from you and your child is reported absent, you will receive a call at your home phone number to advise you that they are not on the campus. Upon your child’s return to school, they should report to the MS/HS Office before class, with a note signed by their parent or guardian which includes the dates(s) and reason for absence. The student will be issued a readmit slip which they must present to all their teachers for signature throughout the day. The readmit slip will indicate to the teacher whether the absence is excused or unexcused. Once all the teachers have signed the readmit slip, the student is to return it to the MS/HS Office. A student has 3 school days to complete the readmit process. Past that, the absence will remain unexcused. As a new policy this year, each unexcused absence will result in a 1% deduction in your student’s grade for that grading period. All School - We discourage scheduling activities that remove students from class during the school year such as vacations or trips. If however, there is desire to be absent for more than one day, a request for a planned absence is needed. To request a planned absence, you must bring a note to the appropriate office at least one week prior to the absence.
Please refer to the following handbooks for further clarification:
High School Parent Handbook
Middle School Parent Handbook
Elementary School Parent Handbook
Early Education Parent Handbook
• How do I pick up my child early if they have a doctor’s appointment?
Elementary - Please send a written note with your child advising what time you need to pick up your child. Come to the elementary office at that designated time to sign your child out. Note: Please allow a few extra minutes for your child to be dismissed from class and to gather his/her belongings if necessary.
MS/HS - Please send a written note with your student advising the office what time you need to pick them up. Your student needs to bring the note to the MS/HS Office before school. The office will issue the student a hall pass for the appropriate time, and the student will present that pass to the teacher at the BEGINNING of the period during which they need to leave. The teacher will then excuse them at the appointed time, and your student will meet you in the MS/HS Office where you sign them out prior to leaving the campus. Note: Please allow a few extra minutes for your child to be dismissed from class and to gather his/her belongings if necessary. It is also very important that your student present the appropriate teacher with their hall pass at the beginning of class. This is because if the teacher is not aware that the student is leaving and they distribute a quiz or test, your student will not be excused from the classroom until the quiz or test has been completed.
• What is your policy on administering medications at school?
School personnel will cooperate with parents when a physician prescribes medication to be taken during school hours and is required for the student’s health. However, the primary responsibility for the student taking medication at school rests entirely with the student and the student’s parents. The school nurse or other designated personnel may assist the student in taking medication provided the parent has complied with the school’s requirements. Medication can only be given between 8:00 AM & 4:00 PM, emergencies excepted.
• How does my family fulfill our H.I.S. Hours requirement?
Elementary parents are asked to check with their child’s teacher for projects and activities that they can participate in to fullfill H.I.S. Hour requirements. Elementary Parents can also contact the Elementary Office at (707) 446-1776 extension 2106.
Middle School parent coordinator is Mrs. Janet Fogh. Janet can be reached at 446-1580, extension 4050, or . At the beginning of the school year, most teachers will make their parent volunteer needs known either by sending notice home with the student, or by having a sign-up sheet available to parents on Back-to-School Night in the classroom. Parent volunteers are also needed for projects in the various offices and the maintenance department. You can call to see if there are any upcoming needs throughout the year. Also from time to time volunteer needs are listed in various school publications.