School Handbook Summary

WACHE is not a drop-off program. A parent or legal guardian must remain on campus and serve for every hour the family attends, except for IMPACT students.

• Parents directly supervise their children whenever the children are not in class, including Morning Meeting, lunch, setup, teardown, and dismissal.
• Assignments are normally semester-long. Parents are not required to teach, but every adult must fulfill the duties of the role assigned.
• Families are responsible for damage their children cause to the host facility or equipment.

Families may have at most two absences per semester, and each absence lowers the following semester’s registration priority by one level.

• Notify the Substitute Coordinator before 8:30 a.m. and include the reason for an absence. A late notice counts as a tardy.
• A no-call/no-show forfeits priority registration; more than one can suspend WACHE School membership.
• Three unexcused tardies equal one family absence. Being five or more minutes late to any class or assignment is a tardy.
• Three or more family absences forfeit priority registration, may prevent teaching the next semester, and may lead to suspension.

If anyone in the household has symptoms of a contagious illness, the entire family should stay home that day.

• Examples include fever above 100.3°F, vomiting or diarrhea within 24 hours, a non-allergy cold, stomach bug, flu, or strep throat.
• If one child has a non-contagious condition, the rest of the family may attend. Record the absent child at the front desk.
• If illness begins on campus, WACHE will locate the parent and gather the children so the family can leave. An unexpected illness departure is documented but is not a family absence.

Students must participate, bring required supplies, follow teacher directions, and meet the expectations in each class description.

• Academic core classes normally require 3–5 hours of work each week and may include Zoom meetings, homework, tests, and projects.
• High-school electives typically require 1–2 hours of weekly work. Enrichment classes usually have no homework.
• Cheating, plagiarism, and unauthorized use of AI are prohibited. A failing mid-semester grade or unmet expectations may result in removal from a class.
• Disclose learning needs, disabilities, allergies, or medical conditions before registration and speak with the School Directors; after registration, notify each teacher of medical needs.

Every family checks in at the front desk, and every member wears a visible WACHE name tag while on campus.

• Student phones must be off or silent throughout the school day, including Morning Meeting and lunch, unless a class requires them. Earbuds stay out unless permission is given.
• No outside food, drinks, or gum are allowed in classrooms. A labeled, spill-proof water bottle is allowed.
• Bullying, foul language, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, e-cigarettes, and public displays of affection between unrelated people are prohibited.
• Treat people and church property respectfully and stay only in WACHE-approved areas.

The dress code applies to students and adults. When an item is questionable, the handbook asks families to choose something else.

• Shorts, skirts, and dresses must reach at least halfway to the knee and no more than five inches above it. Shorts are required beneath skirts and dresses.
• Leggings and biker shorts cannot be worn alone. Midsections and undergarments must remain covered; tops must provide appropriate shoulder and neckline coverage.
• Shoes are required at all times; P.E. participants need athletic shoes.
• The first violation receives a warning. Later dress-code violations count as tardies, and three tardies equal one family absence.

Leadership may intervene at any time, but the normal progression is warning, incident report, then removal or suspension.

• First offense: verbal warning.
• Second offense: incident report; a student’s parent is notified.
• Third offense: the student is removed for the hour, a second incident report is filed, and the student may be dropped, suspended, or expelled. An adult’s third offense may suspend the family.

Adults must pass a background check and may never be alone with children other than their own.

• Two unrelated adults must be present whenever a child is in a room. If the second adult has not arrived, the first adult stays in the doorway rather than entering fully.
• Adult and child bathrooms remain separate. Shared bathrooms require two-deep leadership.
• Every email, text, online message, or other communication between an adult and a student must include another adult or the student’s parent.
• Members must complete the required school-safety and child-safety training videos. Exterior doors remain locked.