Dear Parents,

We are excited to begin the 2015-16 school year with you and your children! We take seriously our role to develop student's academic abilities while broadening their educational experiences and strengthening their Christian faith, and are diligently preparing for their arrival in August.

This summer we have spent time improving the campus, including some elementary classroom renovations, gymnasium floor re-surfacing, and security system upgrades. We are thrilled to announce that we have a new school logo and new athletic logo and will be unveiling it soon. Another key priority has been working at new ways to engage students in their faith formation. It is our goal to provide a remarkable experience for your child so that he or she is prepared for life beyond our school.

Each year we select a theme verse on which to focus. This year it is Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." You will see and hear this verse on campus throughout the year, and our teachers will be incorporating it into their curriculum in creative ways.

Below you will find detailed information regarding the start of school. Thank you for being a part of the Sarasota Christian School community. Please join us in praying for our school, students, faculty and staff. Enjoy the rest of your summer, and we look forward to seeing you at school in August.

Sincerely,

Christine Bradford Pete Conner

Elementary & Middle School Principal High School Principal

BACK-TO-SCHOOL EVENTS

Elementary & Middle School Principal Meet & Greet

Thursday, August 6

6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
(auditorium)

We invite you to get to know our new elementary and middle school principal, Christine Bradford, before the new school year begins. Stop by the auditorium for a casual hour of coffee and conversation.

New Family Meet & Greet (K-12th)

Sunday, August 16

6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

(gym)

New kindergarten through 12th grade students and their families are invited to a fun meet and greet event hosted by the PTA. Enjoy desserts while you meet other new families, PTA members, and school administration. Kindly RSVP when you receive your email invitation.

Back-to-School Night (K-12th)

Monday, August 17

5:00 - 8:30 p.m.

(times vary for different grade levels)

Back-to-School Night provides parents and students an opportunity to meet teachers, learn about exciting things ahead for the new school year, and ask questions. For your convenience, a delicious dinner will also be available for purchase this year.

Back-to-School Night Schedule

First Day of School (K-12th)

Wednesday, August 19
School Start & End Times

Elementary School: 8:00 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.

Middle School: 7:45 a.m. - 3:05 p.m.

High School: 7:45 a.m. - 3:05 p.m.

Pre-K Orientation & Meet The Teacher Night

Thursday, August 20

Pre-Kindergarten families are invited to meet your child's teacher and get familiar with our program. The All Day Class (A) and Morning Class (B) will be at 5:30 p.m. The Afternoon Class (C) will be at 6:30 p.m. Orientation is for both students and parents. Kindly RSVP when you receive your email invitation.

Pre-K First Day of School

Monday, August 24

Class Start & End Times

All Day Class (A): 8:00 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Morning Class (B): 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Afternoon Class (C): 11:45 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

FOR BACK-TO-SCHOOL

AFTER-CARE

After-care is available after school until 6:00 p.m. for students Pre-K-8th grade.

After-care Information

ATHLETICS

All 6th-12th grade students who plan to participate in SCS athletics must have the FHSAA forms below completed prior to tryouts. Athletes simply bring their FHSAA forms to tryouts. Each coach will schedule a parent/player meeting, before the first official game, to discuss the team expectations, policies, procedures, schedules, volunteer opportunities, playing time, etc.

Please contact our Director of Athletics, Mark Butler, if you have any questions at mbutler@sarasotachristian.org or 371-6481, ext. 219.

FHSAA Physical Evaluation & Consent Forms

FHSAA Part-Time Student Registration Forms (if applicable)

Team Tryout Dates
Fall Sports Team Information

BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE (BYOD)

All middle and high school students are required to have a device with them on a daily basis that meets a minimum set of specifications for our "Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD) Program.

BYOD Device Specifications

BYOD Frequently Asked Questions

CAMPUS SAFETY

The well-being of our students remains a top priority, and the following measures are an important part of our commitment to campus safety.

Parents & Visitor Check-In

All parents, volunteers and visitors to our campus are required to have their driver's license scanned at the front desk in order to obtain a visitor/volunteer badge to be on campus. details

Front Door & Gate Locking - Please be aware that our campus gates are locked during school hours. If you need to park your car during drop-off, please park in the front parking lot so that you won't be locked in. Also, as an additional safety measure, our main building front doors remain locked during school hours. Visitors will be granted access via a "buzz-in" system at the front doors.

Student Drop-off/Pick-up Locations & Traffic Flow

Please see the link below outlining traffic flow and pick-up/drop-off locations for the various grade levels. details

CLASS PERIOD SCHEDULES

Middle & High School Period Schedule

GET INVOLVED

SCS relies greatly on volunteers to help in our success, make a difference in the lives of our students, and reduce expenses. Each family is asked to donate a minimum of 10 hours each year. Click Family Service Opportunities now to see how you can help.

Please submit your service hours each time you volunteer by one of the three methods below:

fill out the Completed Family Service Hours Form and turn it into the front office.
sign the log sheet on the volunteer clipboard located in each elementary classroom
or enter your service hours through RenWeb under the family information section

Families with no record of service hours will be assessed $100, so please make sure you turn in your hours every time you volunteer.

HEALTH FORMS & REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Students may not start school until all state required documents listed below are on file at SCS. Please make sure you've turned in the necessary documents.

Pre-K Required Documents

Kindergarten Required Documents

1st-12th Grade Required Documents

Field Trip Permission & Indemnification Form

All students must turn-in the field trip permission & indemnification form.

Health History Form

All new students must submit a health history form. Students entering grade 1, 3, 6 and 9 as well as returning students whose health history has changed must also submit an updated form.

Emergency Care Consent Form

New students and returning students whose emergency care information has changed must submit this form.

Medication Authorization Form

Parents who desire their student to have access to medications during school hours must make arrangements through the school clinic. Students are not permitted to have medications on their person or in their backpacks.

A medication authorization form must be completed each year for prescription and over the counter (OTC) medications. Medications must be retained in the school clinic in their original containers, and are available to the student according to directions outlined by the parent on the authorization form. This includes pain relievers, cold medication, cough drops, etc. Special circumstances are accommodated through this process.

IMPORTANT DATES

A wall calendar of 2015-16 Important Opening & Closing Dates will be available at Back-to-School Night. You can also download a list of the dates above.

LUNCH PROGRAM

Lunch Program Information

PARENT/STUDENT HANDBOOK

All parents and students must sign a commitment form to indicate understanding and support of school standards and policies as outlined in the Parent/Student Handbook. The commitment form is on the last page of the handbook and is due Friday, August 21st.

Parent/Student Handbook (K-12th)
VPK Parent/Student Handbook (Pre-K)

STUDENT SCHEDULES

Elementary School - Parents will receive an email notification of their child's teacher in August, prior to the start of school.

Middle & High School - Student schedules will be available through RenWeb in August, prior to the start of school. Parents will receive an email notification when schedules are available and they can then log into RenWeb to access their child's schedule. Returning middle and high school students can also access their schedule by logging into RenWeb. New students will not be able to access their RenWeb account until school begins because they need to receive their SCS email account, which is required to obtain access. However, until then they can simply have their parents access it through RenWeb for them.

Parent RenWeb Login Instructions

Student RenWeb Login Instructions

SUPPLY LISTS

Pre-K - 5th Grade Supply List

6th - 8th Grade Supply List

9th - 12th Grade Supply List

High School Student Vehicle Registration Form - This form must be completed by high school students who will be driving to school and turned in to Principal Conner.

UNIFORMS

Pre-ordered uniform shirts will be available for pick up during Back-to-School Night on August 17th. If you would still like to place an order, return the order form below, together with your payment, to the front office by July 20th.

Orders placed by July 20th will be ready at Back-to-School Night.

Please select the correct size and color when ordering, as refunds or exchanges are not available. To see or try on sample sizes, visit the front office between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm. Since we do not maintain inventory, uniforms must be ordered by July 20th to have them in time for the first day of school.

Contact Bonnie Vanucci at bonv@mailmt.com should you have questions regarding ordering.

Uniform Policy Information

Uniform Order Form

STAY INFORMED

Below are a variety of ways to stay informed about school events, activities, and news throughout the year.

ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTERS: Email is our main method of communicating with parents, so please ensure we have your current email address. The Blazer News is sent frequently and is packed full of valuable information. Links to all Blazer News issues can be found on the SCS website and the most current issue is posted on the website homepage. Additional emails for events and activities are also sent periodically throughout the year.

SCHOOL CALENDAR: A link to the calendar of upcoming events and important dates can be found on the school's website home page and in each Blazer News email. Sporting events are listed on the athletics schedule calendar (see below).

ATHLETICS SCHEDULE: A link to the athletics schedule calendar can be found on the school's website home page. The athletic calendar includes practice times, game times, dismissal times, departure times, directions, and game results. You can also sign up to become a fan and get alerts about game time or practice time changes/cancellations etc for specific sports.

RENWEB: Access your child's grades, homework assignments, and more at your convenience through RenWeb's online portal. Simply click the link on the school's website to login. You can also download the RenWeb app, which will allow you to stay logged in and have quick access to information in a mobile-friendly format.

TEXT & VOICE MESSAGING: SCS is able to send text and voice messages for special announcements and in case of emergencies. Text messages will come from a 5-digit number such as 341-66 and display Parent_Alert: before the message. Voice messages will go to your cell phone or home phone if you don't have a cell phone on file. Voice message calls will display the school's phone number 941-371-6481. You can opt out of receiving these messages by contacting the front office.

FACEBOOK: "Like" the Sarasota Christian School page and see what's happening around campus as well as tons of photos throughout the year.

YOU TUBE: Watch videos from school events and activities on the SCS YouTube Channel. You can also subscribe to the channel so you'll be notified when new videos are posted.

TWITTER: Follow @SRQChristian on Twitter to get campus news and more.

PRAYER REQUESTS: Do you have a prayer need for yourself or others? We want to pray for you. Email us at prayers@sarasotachristian.org or click the prayer request link on our website home page.

WEBSITE: Sarasotachristian.org provides links to the items mentioned above and more to help you with any information you need.

Download a printer-friendly version of all the Stay Informed information here.