Child Nutrition:
MVCA does not provide meals for their students. All lunches and snacks are brought from home. Students are not to share their lunches or snacks with other students. All garbage must be immediately thrown away. Parents are responsible for the providing a balanced breakfast to ensure student energy for learning and recreation.
Masks will not be required during lunch period; but thorough daily cleaning of the lunch room will be necessary prior to returning to their Learning Center. Staff may need to assist in this clean up each day.
Transportation Guidance:
The students of MVCA are either bussed in by their respective school districts or brought in by their parents or authorized family members. No students are to be transported by any staff to the Academy. The only exception is if the parent is employed at the Academy, then they are to bring their own student as they normally would each day.
Social Emotional Well-being:
The ministry of MVCA is just that; a ministry. A ministry mindful of the spiritual, social, emotional, academic and relational needs of the students. Due to our small learning center sizes and established relationships we are positioned to take note and comfortably notify parents of any student exhibiting signs of discomfort in light of all the recent challenges and changes.
There is a weekly chapel that provides formative counseling in a way that is encouraging, relative and visible from the other staff members. Our open door and open communication policy will disallow for us the opportunity to keep a student’s parent from not knowing any concerns we may have on behalf of a student and helping in whatever challenge their student may have at that time as prescribed by the parent to us.
Current learning center supervisors are more than just staff to our students, but friends to each of their families. There is a strong bond of communication and trust for the students of the Academy with a sensitivity to each particular student’s make-up and understanding. Daily communications go home with each student providing the parent with current information and the opportunity to monitor the student’s homework. Parents must sign these daily communications for the sake of the students completed work.
Religious and Independent School Schedules:
At present we are on schedule to coincide with the 10 school districts that we have been affiliated with for the past 40 years. We are prepared to assist and adapt as we did in March of 2020 to meet the academic needs of our students. We do not have any on-line capabilities; but, as we did in the past, we can have a controlled schedule of students and staff in the building.
The strength of ACE learning is that it is portable. At present we are able to provide continued education with minimal interruption as long as parents are encouraging at home learning. Students would be able to schedule allotted times to come score, correct and take final tests.
It was our desire to maintain as much help as we could as a ministry without burdening the parents any more than they were as they were shifting to a whole new paradigm of both parenting and schooling. We extended our school year by 3 weeks this past year with an additional 3 weeks of open opportunity for any students in grades 7-12. This open opportunity provides students using the ACE curriculum to come correct, score and take finals.
Attendance:
MVCA’s small population and family connection assures a well-monitored system for attendance. Due to the type of portability with educational materials; a student can feasibly stay current with their PACE even if they were confined to home.
Our student handbook outlines all our attendance requirements and expectations. There is no student who can simply slip through the cracks without knowledge of both the parents and the Academy.
Teaching and Learning:
The portability of ACE allows for students to continue their education without interruption. In review of our most recent shutdown we assessed no more than 3 students who fell behind in their normal pace of work. Their falling behind was with the knowledge of their parents and understanding that all work must be completed. There would be no work left undone or altered according to the prescribed PACEs that a student was responsible for completing.
Athletics and Extracurricular Activities:
MVCA has very few after school events that are indoors. We are a part of a small athletic conference of which at present we do not know if we will be participating with as our student population is at a minimal.
In the event that MVCA is to host an after school event then all prescribed measures would be enforced and made known to our entering guests.
– Masks will not be required if gym or recess takes place outside, unless the parent has informed us that they prefer their student to wear a mask while being outside and around others.
– Masks may have to be worn for the entire school day, but note, there may be times that masks aren’t worn or needed.
Bilingual Education and World Languages:
MVCA does not have any students that require special staff to help with interpretation and understanding of the English language. This presently does not apply to our situation.
Conclusion:
This document provides the basis for staff, students and MVCA family’s guidelines, expectations and explanations of the coming school year. This information is to be posted to the link that exists with our current website in association of the “First Baptist Church of Little Falls”. The guidelines from both the SED and DOH will be filed and available in the event of any question or concern as to what should be done.
As a ministry family we will continue to provide the best environment for spiritual, academic and physical growth and well-being for all those attending and associated with MVCA.