SY 2022- 2023 HANDBOOK

A.   General Admissions –

1. Children of faithful members of the Jesus’ Flock Church and children from other evangelical/Christian homes shall be admitted to the Academy unless the child is enrolling in the Reading-Readiness & Learning-to-Read Programs.

2. Children of pastors and missionaries of other Christian organizations who are based in the Philippines.

3. Each applicant is required to secure an application form from the Jesus’ Flock Academy office that must be submitted within a specific period of time.

4. Entrance is not based on IQ or achievement ability. The underachiever is welcome unless he gives an evidence of becoming a social and moral liability to other students. Elementary and Junior High School (JHS) applicants will go through all Diagnostic Tests. SHS applicants are to be evaluated through an initial interview and Diagnostic Testing for Mastery.

5. Admission of new applicants and transferees will depend upon the availability of student offices (learning tables) in elementary and JHS.

6. The applicant and his parents/guardian shall be interviewed by the Pastor or Administrator or by the Principal or any other authorized personnel. The applicant will be accepted or denied depending on the result of the interview.

7. The child must have a physical examination by a reputable physician and submit a medical form.

8. A Pastor’s Recommendation is required. The head of a missionary organization may issue this for missionary kids.

9. Both parents must attend the PARENT-TEACHERS’ FELLOWSHIP on August 7, 2020, Saturday, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and all other scheduled Parent-Teachers’ Conferences and Fellowships.

10. Parents and Guardians must sign the PARENT’S FINANCIAL AGREEMENT indicating their willingness to faithfully clear all financial obligations on or before the specified dates of payments.

11. Students will be accepted in order of date of receipt of application and payment of fees.

12. All children in the family must enroll unless special circumstances exist. JFA is not a reformatory or a SPED school.

13. A birth certificate will be required for office use but it is not related to grade level (residency) placement.

B.  Specific Admissions for Pre-School/Nursery and ABC’s of A.C.E./Kindergarten –

1. 1. For the Pre-School, the child must be at least four (4) years old by October 31, 2020 while in the ABC’s/Kinder, the child must be or will be five (5) years old by October 31, 2020 as indicated in DepEd Order No. 20, series of 2018, which states: “For schools commencing their school year in August, kindergarten learners should be five (5) years old in August 1 and the extension period shall be October 31..”
2. The child should take the Reading Readiness Test. A minimum grade of 80 is required for the ABC’s class.
3. Parents and guardians must agree to the basic Christian principles of education.
4. Parents and guardians must satisfy all the general admission policies unless inapplicable.

C. Specific Admissions for Junior High School –

1. Applicants may be considered on a case-to-case basis based on the results of the Diagnostic Tests and Parent Interview. Grade VI graduates will be admitted to Year VII in Junior High School while those who completed High School units may be asked to do a remedial year depending on Diagnostic Tests results. All transferees are required to take the Diagnostic Tests. Those coming from SOT schools may be required to take The Diagnostic Tests based on the records submitted (specifically, the Supervisor’s Progress Card or the Master Record Sheet for homeschoolers).

2. No transferee shall be accepted who has been arrested; who has used drugs; who smokes; who has been dismissed or expelled from any educational institution; and who is or had been married.

C. Specific Admissions for Senior High School  

1. JFA JHS completers are automatically accepted in SHS.
2. Grade 10 completers from other schools using the A.C.E. School of Tomorrow® System with a minimum of General Course of Study Track completed.
3. Grade 10 completers who are members of Jesus’ Flock Church and JHS completers from other non-SOT schools may apply provided they satisfactorily pass the Diagnostic Tests for SHS.

E. Financial Policies –

1. A student is considered officially enrolled only after the payment of the required “upon registration” down payment of 25% of the Services & Administrative Cost, other basic fees and the payment of the academic materials, payable during the Registration Period. The rest will be collected on a monthly basis (August-May, ten months).

2. Parents must sign the FINANCIAL AGREEMENT on yellow form.

3. Parents/guardians must fulfill all monthly financial obligations as specified in the Financial Agreement. Due date is every 15^th day of the month except May, which will be collected on the 7th. PACE work will be stopped automatically and student will not be allowed to attend classes for failure to pay dues for two consecutive months. Progress Report Cards will be withheld from parents with delinquent accounts.

Parents must agree to the following statement:

“We recognize without reservation, the authority of Jesus’ Flock Academy to bar or not to allow our child from entering the school and attending his/her classes is case we fail to pay two (2) consecutive installments of the due demandable educational pledge and other schools fees as indicated in the current schedule of payment and that he will only be readmitted as soon as the educational pledge and school fees are paid.”

4. Children of parents with delinquent accounts may be refused admission the following school year. Permanent Records will likewise be withheld until accounts have been settled.

5. Payment should be given to the Finance Manager or the authorized school personnel.

6. Refund - The following percentages of refund will be applicable in case of pulling out of students:

a. First week of classes - 80% of total amount paid
b. Second week of classes - 60% of total amount paid
c. Third week of classes - 40% of total amount paid
d. One month after opening - No more refund

Diagnostic Testing, which does not necessarily determine acceptance, will be conducted before the child may be admitted to school.  The test results will determine the proper PACE levels from which the child would start.  However, tests for the Reading-Readiness and the ABC’s will determine whether the child is qualified or not in Nursery or Kindergarten respectively.

The school year 2021-2022 will begin on the 9th of August 2021, Monday and end on the 13^th of May 2022, Friday. Recognition Day/Graduation will be on May 21, 2022, Saturday.

1. Reading Readiness-Nursery: 7:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m.
2. ABC’s of A.C.E.-Kindergarten:  7:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
3. Primary (Years 1-2): 7:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
4. Primary (3) & Intermediate: 7:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
5. Junior High School:  7:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
6. Senior High School: 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Regular classes will be suspended following the closure notices declared by the PAGASA and for any abnormal circumstances such as strikes, rallies, etc.  No classes will be held on official national holidays set by the Department of Education. The school will observe the following S.O.P. regarding typhoons:

Typhoon Signal # 1: No classes for Nursery, Kinder, and Elementary

Typhoon Signal # 2: No classes in all levels.

Parental discretion may be used for students coming from areas where roads to school may be deemed not passable due to floods.

As a Christian school, Jesus’ Flock Academy believes that church life is vital to the education of its students, thus, regular church attendance in a Bible-believing, evangelical Christian church is part of the commitment parents sign in the PARENTS’ UNDERSTANDING AND COMMITMENT.

A.C.E. School of Tomorrow® departs from the traditional classroom situation since each child completes the requirements of each academic level at his own pace.  PACE and quarterly grades are averaged.  In the elementary department, JFA identifies each child in terms of residency not academic level, which covers six years (Years I-6). Academic programs for Junior (Years 7-10) and Senior (Years 11-12) High School are projected upon completion of A.C.E. basic elementary materials or upon completion of the minimum requirements of the sixth year of elementary residency.  Junior High School students must complete their four-year residency before moving up to Senior High School. A fast-learner, however, may enjoy the benefit of acceleration. Acceleration in ACE means completing more materials in a given time frame rather than skipping a school year, giving a child higher academic advantage.

A STUDENT WHO INCURS ABSENCES OF MORE THAN 20% OF THE PRESCRIBED SCHOOL DAYS WILL BE GIVEN A FINAL MARK OF “INCOMPLETE” unless the student fulfills the minimum academic requirements. An SHS student may fail in a subject for missing 20% of class days. A STUDENT WHO DOES NOT COMPLETE HIS ACADEMIC PROJECTION FOR COMPLETION/GRADUATION WILL HAVE TO EXTEND HIS/HER RESIDENCY UNTIL THE COMPLETION OF THE ACADEMIC PROJECTION REQUIREMENTS. Academic Projections are reviewed annually.

The following minimum requirements must be fulfilled in order for a student to be promoted from one academic category to the next.

Nursery – Reading Readiness Class

Students must complete all the work and activity requirements in the Preschool with Ace and Christi Reading-Readiness Class to be awarded a Certificate of Completion. A student who fails to satisfy the requirements will be awarded a Certificate of Attendance.

Kindergarten – ABC’s of A.C.E. Plus

Students must complete the ABC’s of A.C.E. Learning-to-Read Classes plus completion of at least PACE 1012 in all the core subjects (Math, English, Science, Social Studies, Word Building, Alfabetong Filipino) by the end of the academic year to be awarded a Certificate of Completion. A student who fails to complete the minimum requirements will be awarded a Certificate of Attendance and will be recommended to do remedial work to qualify for elementary level.

Elementary Level

After six years of residency in the elementary, a student must complete at least PACE 1084 in Math, English, Science, and Word Building, complete 1072 in Filipino, and finish the Philippine History PACEs in order to qualify for elementary graduation and promotion to Junior High School. However, students with medically diagnosed learning difficulties who complete PACE 1072 in the core subjects MAY BE promoted to Junior High School but will only be accepted under the Para-Professional Track (Special Academic Student - requires a Medical Diagnosis/Evaluation).

An Elementary Year 6 student who fails to complete the minimum requirements by the end of the school year will not march and will not be awarded the Certificate of Completion during the Graduation Day but upon completion of requirements.

Elementary Year 6 students with major academic deficiencies will be retained in their residency to complete the requirements.

Junior High School

Junior High School Year 10 students must complete the requirements of their course of study – General Course, College Preparatory or Honors Course based on the Academic Projection – to be promoted to Senior High School. Year 10 students with minor deficiencies (i.e. unfinished PACEs) will not be allowed to march during the Moving-Up Ceremony on Recognition Day.

Year 10 students with major academic deficiencies – as reflected in the Academic Projection - will not be promoted to Senior High School and will add a year in JHS to complete the requirements.

Senior High School

Senior High School students must complete the requirements of their Strand/Track to be awarded the SHS Diploma.

Special Academic Students (SAS) may be exempted from certain requirements. 

1. Quarterly Honors – Honor Status every quarter is based on the fulfillment of the minimum requirements, which are as follows:
   • Grade Average of 95-100 for Honor Roll A and 90-94.99 for Honor Roll B.
   • Recited all Scripture Memory Work
   • Completed PACE Requirements (at least 3 PACEs per subject or as specified in the Academic Projection. Gap PACEs – remedial work – are not counted). A student working on very high academic levels may be exempted from the 3-star requirement upon the approval of the Administration.
   • Completed other academic requirements (e.g. reports, projects).
2. Annual Honors Award – fulfilled combined requirements of the four quarters.
   • Based on the new DepEd Policy Guidelines on Awards and Recognition for the K-12 Basic Education Program, we will be using the following categories for our Annual Honors Award:
     • With Highest Honors - 98-100 General Average
     • With High Honors - 95-97.99 General Average
     • With Honors - 90-94.99 General Average

ALL LEVELS: May 7, 2021, Friday, is the deadline for completion of honors requirements.

3. Most Outstanding Students (Kinder to HS Year 11)
   • Selected from among those who made it to the Annual Honors.
   • A maximum of top three places (First, Second and Third Most Outstanding Students-MOS) from each residency group will be awarded during the Recognition Day. One for every three students per residency is the ratio to determine the number of awardees. It is possible, though, for students to tie in a particular slot.
   • The following will be the criteria to determine the ranking:
     ACADEMIC – 70%
     - Annual Grade Average (25%)
     - Average PACE Level (50%)
     - Least Number of Repeat PACEs (25%)
     LEADERSHIP, CHARACTER, CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES– 30%
   • In Junior High School, students taking Honors Course of Study will rank higher than those in the College Preparatory Course, and CPC will rank higher than those in General Course of Study.
   • A student who has been suspended or has committed serious disciplinary infractions shall be disqualified from the top honors for the curriculum year. (See p. 23 from Conduct Policies)

4. Senior High School:

• The Most Outstanding Graduates – One for every three graduating students is the ratio to determine the number of awardees. If there are only six graduating students, only the top two will be given. If there are more than twelve graduates, awards will only be given up to the Third Most Outstanding Graduate. However, ties may be awarded. The following will be the criteria for ranking:
  ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE – (70%) (Year 11 50% & Year 12 50%)
  LEADERSHIP, CHARACTER, CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES (30%)
• Special awards are given to deserving graduates – Academic Excellence Award, Leadership Award and the Christian Character Award. A graduate who receives all three awards is given the Christian Spirit Award. A Loyalty Award is given to a student who completed ABC’s of ACE/Kinder to Senior High School Year 12 in JFA.
• Special awards will also be given during the Senior High School Culminating Activity on April 7, 2020, Thursday –
  • Best in Work Immersion
  • Best Research Work
  • Best Capstone Project/Best Business Simulation
  • Best Presenter
• A graduating student who has been suspended or has committed serious disciplinary infractions during the Graduating Year shall be disqualified from the top honors. (See Conduct Policies)
• “No-March-Policy”: Failure to complete requirements before the Recognition Day will mean a student will not be allowed to march on the Elementary, JHS, SHS completion/graduation ceremonies.

1. JFA Learning Center staff, called Supervisors (licensed teachers), Monitors, and Teacher Aides are committed to working with students towards the attainment of their goals.  The student-staff ratio is from 10:1 to a maximum of 15:1. Only active members of the Jesus’ Flock church and graduates of JFA with teaching qualifications are accepted as members of the full time JFA staff. The school also hires the services of practitioners who can provide specialized instruction for workshops, lectures, and trainings.

(Senior High School Uniform Designs available at the office)

A. Learning Center Attires (Primary-Junior High School) –

1. Boys: The School ID is part of the uniform.
   • Dark blue long pants – gabardine/wool type; no patch-sewn pockets.
   • A black belt is considered a part of the official uniform.
   • Short-sleeve white polo shirt-jack with JFA patch, with plain white undershirt.
   • White socks and black “shine-able” leather shoes (black rubber shoes, “gamusa” or sandals are not allowed.)

• Girls: The School ID is part of the uniform.
  • White short-sleeve blouse with patch (elementary with pocket & HS secret pocket)
  • All around pleated royal blue skirt below the knee.
  • White socks and black (“shine-able”) leather shoes – girls’ school shoes or boys’ Greg-type shoes only (high-cut and more than 2” high heels are not allowed).

B.       Decorative Items –

No offensive pins, badges, or other unnecessary items will be allowed inside the Learning Center.  Earrings (no dangling) for girls and watches for boys and girls are allowed to go with the official uniform.  No earrings, chokers (leather or shells) or bracelets for boys. Only one (1) baller/band or bracelet may be allowed as long as the print is not offensive to Christian values. No multi-earrings and chokers (leather or shells) for girls. The wearing of expensive jewelry and wristwatches are discouraged for security reasons. No pins, badges, and other unnecessary items on IDs and lanyards. No fancy (e.g ears, cabbage flowers, unicorn horns) headbands for girls.

C.       Pre-School and ABC’s/Kinder of A.C.E. Uniform –

1. Boys: The School ID is part of the uniform.
   • White Polo Shirt-jack with JFA patch and white undershirt.
   • Dark Blue shorts
   • White socks and black (“shine-able”) leather shoes (No high cut).

2. Girls: The School ID is part of the uniform.
   • White blouse, baby collar, pockets in front and royal blue buttons; royal blue garterized pants. 
   • White socks and black leather shoes (No high cut allowed).

D.      Gala Uniform for Wednesdays –

1. Boys: The School ID is part of the uniform.
   • Long-sleeve light blue plain polo with JFA patch
   • Long dark blue pants
   • White socks and black leather shoes

2. Girls: The School ID is part of the uniform.
   • White long-sleeve blouse with JFA patch
   • Same skirt as in regular uniform
   • White socks and black leather shoes

E. & Team Color Uniforms –

Official P.E. uniforms, which can be ordered during the enrollment period, are to be used during prescribed P.E. days only. Each student is also required to have a Team Color T-Shirt for use during school competitions only, not for P.E.

The administration and Learning Center Staff may stipulate more precise appropriate modes of attire for special events in or out of the school facility such as during field trips, immersions, and conventions.

Boys:

Standard, conservative clean-cut; be off-collar, eyes and ears; and combed neatly. No extreme fad style will be allowed.  Modern but discreet hairstyles may be acceptable. No color streaks or flashy (unnatural) color-dyed hair or skinhead (totally-shaved) will be allowed.  Haircut check will be done every 15^th of the month. The school staff will not accompany students for haircut. Fingernails should be neatly trimmed. Only official guitarists may be allowed to sport long nails on their plucking/strumming hand. 

Girls:

Properly maintained, neatly combed hair. Bands and clips may be used to maintain order. No color streaks. Color-dyed hair will not be allowed except conservative colors or that which highlight the hair’s natural color. High school girls may sport long nails. Only natural polish, however, may be used during regular school days.

PINK SLIPS will be issued for violations in dress code (uniform), haircut, and tardiness. Three (3) pink slips per category will mean a conference with the parents/guardian.

Cell phones and other electronic gadgets such as PSP, iPod, iPad, digital camera and similar items are not allowed in school and will be confiscated. Only parents can redeem confiscated items – first offense, after a week; second offense, after a month; third offense, after an equivalent of one quarter. However, for special school activities, digital cameras, video cameras and other electronic gadgets needed may be allowed, “as announced by the administration.” For emergency purposes, students may use the land phones at the Administrative Office or get in touch with their parents through the Learning Center Supervisor’s and Monitor’s mobile units. Spot checks will be done regularly.

Students, especially in Senior High School, are allowed to bring their laptops or other gadgets as needed in academic activities.

Christian character and discipline are strongly ingrained in the A.C.E. system.  Since we believe that education is a partnership of the Church and the parents, both parents are thus expected to comply with the disciplinary measures that will keep the child in the fear of God and in obedience to his parents and his superiors.  Offenses like cheating, scoring violation, lying, disrespect for supervisors and monitors, vandalism, cursing, name-calling, bullying, etc., are subject to disciplinary action.

FIRST OFFENSE: Teacher-Student conference/counseling – verbal and non-verbal reprimand. (Parents will be informed of the child’s behavior.)

SECOND OFFENSE:  Teacher-Student & Teacher-Parents’ conference.

THIRD OFFENSE: Principal or School-Pastor’s Office.

FOURTH OFFENSE: Pastor-Student and Pastor-Parents’ Conferences with corresponding disciplinary action: e.g. in-house suspension or series of pastoral counseling.

FIFTH OFFENSE: Suspension or dismissal. (The Board of Trustees and the entire staff are involved in decision-making)

The implementation of these disciplinary measures and the course of action decided by the Board and staff will be on a case-to-case basis.  Measures will depend on the gravity of the offense.

MAJOR AND CRIMINAL OFFENSES: Serious disciplinary infractions such as stealing, pilfering of school records and files, causing injury to others, indecent conduct, intentional damage to property and the like will result in immediate suspension. Other acts considered criminal under the Philippine laws would warrant immediate dismissal. Below is an expanded explanation of “major and criminal offenses: 

As a general principle, cases are considered major if any of the following conditions are present: acts against the laws of the Philippines, endangering the life and safety of the members of JFA community, or direct and intentional defiance of the JFA Standard of Conduct. Students can be suspended, dismissed or expelled for the following offenses involving:

A. Security

1. Going to school under the influence of alcohol or prohibited substances
2. Possession, use, or distribution of dangerous drugs (according to RA 9165)
3. Possession of deadly weapons
4. Engaging in behavior that might lead to serious injury or loss of life, whether intentionally or as a result of negligence or recklessness.

B. Order

1. Disturbing or disrupting a class or a school function without just cause (An example of a just cause is “announcing an emergency”)
2. Gambling in school
3. Illegally obtaining or gaining access to and/or using restricted school documents.
4. Committing, in the school or during a school function outside the facility, any acts considered crimes under the laws of the Philippines.
5. Committing acts outside the school, which affect the good name, reputation, morale, or general welfare of the school, especially acts considered crimes under the laws of the Philippines of which the person has been formally charged or convicted.
6. Repeated and/or willful failure to comply with official summonses issued by the administration

C. Individuals or Groups

1. Acts of misconduct of a sexual nature
2. Physical assault
3. Bullying (see the JFA Child Protection and Anti-Bullying Policy on page 34
4. Instigating and/or engaging in activities resulting in injury or moral damage to an individual or a group.

D. School Property

1. Stealing and/or unauthorized possession of others’ and school property, including PACEs, Score Keys, PACE Tests, and Test Keys.
2. Vandalizing school property and facility.
3. Instigating and/or engaging in activities resulting in damage to school property.
4. Tampering with fire extinguishers, removing or disarming fire alarms,        dropping objects from the building, and the like.

Academic Dishonesty

Any form of dishonesty committed in the context of Learning Center Procedures. This includes but is not limited to the following:

1. Possession and/or use of unauthorized notes, materials or equipment that may be used in a dishonest act during PACE Test or examination such as photocopied PACEs, photocopied Checkups and Self-Tests, a copy – handwritten, photocopied, downloaded, or electronic – test answer. Use of calculators is only allowed in specific cases.
2. Possession of actual or copy – handwritten, photocopied, or electronic – of Score Keys and Test Keys.
3. Copying – handwritten, photocopied, photographed, downloaded – and distribution of Score Keys and test Keys.
4. Plagiarism
5. Fabrication or submission of falsified data, information, citation, or source.
6. Deception by providing false information to an academic staff to gain approval or exemption from a requirement.
7. Tampering with and/or falsifying school documents and communication, whether physical or electronic.

Public Morals

1. Accessing, possessing or distributing pornographic materials in school or during school sanctioned activities whether in physical or electronic form.
2. Engaging in, or provoking, scandalous behavior in school or during out-of-facility school sanctioned events and activities like field trips, immersion, and conventions.
3. Posting personal scandalous pictures or videos on social media platforms. 

Students must voluntarily sign the STUDENT STANDARD OF CONDUCT.

A. Foreign Students: Foreign students may be accepted to Jesus’ Flock Academy provided they present records from their previous schools and are holders of student or resident visas. The general policies set by the Department of Education and the Bureau of Immigration for admission of foreign students will be followed.  Non-English speakers cannot be admitted to the school since the curriculum is English-based unless enrolling in the Learning-to-Read Program. Those with difficulty in English will be required to go through a remedial program or an intensive training on the English language. A foreigner will be charged extra fees to cover extra expenses like immigration fees and other legal requirements.

Recognizing the different academic calendars of other countries, foreign graduating students are required to complete all requirements of DepEd, in general, and of JFA, in particular, before they are given certificates of graduation in case they have to leave the Philippines prior to the date of graduation to pursue college studies abroad.

B. Special Students: Special students, specifically those with limited physical handicap, may be admitted to Jesus’ Flock Academy provided their disability would not in any way prevent them from using of the A.C.E. system. JFA is not equipped to assist blind or deaf children.  A limited number of those with learning handicap may also be admitted such as those with dyslexia (as properly diagnosed by a doctor) or other diagnosed reading problems. An individual with academic learning disabilities as medically diagnosed by a reputable mental or psychological testing center may be accepted as a Special Academic Student (SAS) provided the individual will not distract the normal function in the Learning Center through unacceptable social behavior. When the child’s mental level proves to be much below the average – such as intellectual disability or extremely low mental ability – and requires the expertise of an institution for special education, the child will be recommended for transfer to an appropriate school that can meet the child’s educational needs. JFA reserves the right to deny admission of students it is not equipped to minister to in the area of education. Further, JFA is not a reformatory for juvenile delinquents.