ADMISSIONS POLICY
PREAMBLE:

The goal of The Christian Academy is to minister to the whole child. Spiritually: recognizing that God's Word is the foundation for all of life, TCA seeks to lead students into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Academically: TCA strives for academic excellence in every facet of each program. Emotionally: dedicated teachers, who are interested in the needs of their students, help the child grow with a sense of security and self-worth. Socially: how students relate to each other and to their parents and teachers is an important emphasis at TCA. Physically: TCA monitors and seeks to understand the physical needs of the child to be healthy, strong and vitally alive.

Great care must be taken in delegating this responsibility. And in light of this, it is of the utmost importance that The Christian Academy be supported by a Christian home and a Christian church. God specifically commands that parents educate their children; that they "bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord". The school's mission is to partner with Christian families and is not to replace the training of the home or the church. All three however, should be in place and be of one accord, complimenting each other in the raising of each child in Biblical agreement.

The following admissions policies have been adopted to assure consistent standards of admission in agreement with the philosophy and charter of The Christian Academy

ADMISSIONS POLICIES:

1. The parents must be born-again, Bible-believing, Christ-honoring Christians (an exception may be made when only one parent is a born-again believer provided the non-believing spouse agrees not to oppose the Biblical teaching of the school). The parents must declare in writing that they have accepted and continue to acknowledge Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.
   
   
2. All families must be in active fellowship with a Bible-believeing church on a weekly basis.
   
   
3. The parents must state in writing that they agree with the school's Statement of Faith, and both parents must agree to have their children educated in agreement with it.
   
   
4. The parents must agree in writing that:
   the school has full discretion for the grade placement of children,
   they will meet all tuition and other financial obligations,
   they will willingly support the school in prayer and in lending practical help as required by the school, 
   they have read, agree and will perform as required by the Parent's Statement of Commitment.
   
   
5. Parents must be interviewed by the Admissions Committee.
   
   
6. All prospective Kindergarten and 1st grade students will take the Gesell Developmental Observation Assessment and be scored appropriately. All prospective 2nd through 12th grade students will take a math and grammar competency test. The Standardized Test for Assessment of Reading (STAR) will also be administered. TCA cannot remediate for more than a 6 month reading deficiency. All 2nd through 12th grade students will also be assigned a written essay. These instruments are given to determine grade placement and to also indicate if the prospective student fits the educational capabilities of the school.
   
   
7. Prospective Kindergarten and 1st grade students must be five and six years old respectively by September 1 of the school year with no exceptions.
   
   
8. In most cases decisions regarding admission of families to TCA will be based on the date the application is received by the Admissions Office with all materials enclosed including the fees. Students of school families have priority over students of prospective families on the waiting list.
   
   
9. The Admissions Committee will determine the admissibility of a family based upon the information forwarded to the Committee and upon the family interview. All decisions from the Admissions Committee are final.
   
   
10. The Admissions Committee may refuse to admit a student with severe academic, disciplinary or psychological problems as TCA does not at this time have the resources to adequately provide proper education regarding these specialized needs. Any non-disclosure of pertinent information pertaining to these stated areas may result in forfeiture of enrollment.
    
    
11. Acceptance or rejection of applicants will be by written notification.
    
    
12. The registration fee and testing fee are to be included with the application. The registration fee will be refunded if the family is not accepted by the school.
    
    
13. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origins in the administration of its admissions policies.
    
    
14. In order to comply with state regulations, each year the school requires that all children entering school for the first time in kindergarten, and those entering 6th or 11th grades, be examined by the family physician before school opens in August. The completed physical report is to be presented on the first day of school. Health records are transferred with scholastic records when students change schools. All students new to the school must have proper proof of immunization.
    

                                            For additional information contact JEkeland@tca-pa.org