K-8 School Supply Lists
Attendance Policy
Help Your Child Succeed in Life: Build the Habit of Good School Attendance.
DID YOU KNOW?
- It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to get their child to school.
- Missing just five days of school means 30 hours of missed instructional time.
- Starting in kindergarten, there is a direct link between absences and reading level.
- One in ten kindergarten and first-grade students is chronically absent.
- Students who are chronically absent are 7.5 times more likely to drop out of high school.
Strive for Five!
CHRONICALLY ABSENT: 10% or more missed days of school
WARNING SIGNS: 6-10 missed school days
SATISFACTORY: Missing 5 days or fewer of school
Two easy ways to report an absence:
Phone: 269.925.3807
Fax: 269.927.3673
Uniform Policy
Benton Harbor Charter School Academy strives to achieve a successful educational environment that functions free of distractions. The following guidelines are intended to define appropriate student attire and personal grooming for students at Benton Harbor Charter School Academy. The purpose of our dress code is to enhance the classroom atmosphere, encourage appropriate dress for the workplace in the future, and minimize student distraction, so as not to interfere with the educational process. It is also intended to help protect the health, safety, and welfare of the individual student.
All students shall be required to show proper attention to personal cleanliness, health, neatness, safety, appearance and suitability of clothing for school activities. This dress code shall be in effect on campus during school and school sponsored activities except where modified for specific extracurricular activities or in special cases. Benton Harbor Charter School Academy staff and administration reserve the right to determine clothing that disrupts or detracts from the educational environment. This dress code is gender neutral. Benton Harbor Charter School Academy requires all students to comply with every step of the present policy to accomplish this purpose. We are very proud of our uniform and it must be worn by all students.
Pants and Shorts
- All pants and shorts must be solid black, with no holes, decorations, rips, logos, or patches.
- Shorts must extend to just above the knee or longer.
- Pants and shorts must fit appropriately, remain securely at the waist, and not reveal undergarments.
- If a belt is worn, the pants or shorts must still fit correctly and may not sag.
Shirts, Sweaters, and Sweatshirts
- Shirts should be black and can be crew neck or collared styles as long as they are neat and free of logos, (except BHCSA branded).
- Students may wear long sleeve solid color white or black shirts underneath their polos.
- Solid cardigans, sweaters and crewneck sweaters are permitted as long as they are black or white and are free of words and conspicuous logos.
- Students may wear Benton Harbor Charter branded t-shirts, and sweatshirts.
Hair and Head Coverings
- Professional headscarves, wraps, or religious coverings are permitted as part of school attire. These items should be neat, clean, and styled to complement a professional appearance.
- Sleepwear head coverings—including sleep bonnets, do-rags, or scarves designed primarily for bedtime use—are not considered professional attire and should not be worn during school hours.
- Ski masks and other face coverings that conceal a person’s identity are prohibited during school hours and at school-sponsored activities, except when required for documented medical or religious reasons.
- Prohibited items may be confiscated in accordance with school policy and returned to a parent or guardian.
Shoes
- Students should wear comfortable shoes for the day.
- Students may NOT wear open-toed shoes, slides or flip-flops, or slippers.
Backpacks and Bags
- For safety and security, students are required to use a clear backpack while on school grounds and during school-sponsored activities, unless an exception has been approved by school administration for a documented medical or other legally protected reason.
- Non-clear backpacks are not permitted and will be collected and securely stored in the main office.
- A parent, guardian, or authorized caregiver will be required to retrieve the noncompliant backpack.
- Students will be allowed to remove any materials needed for instruction before the backpack is stored.
- Repeated violations may result in a parent or guardian conference and additional action consistent with school policy.
Cell Phone Policy
Students may use the school office phone to contact a parent or designated caregiver for school-related reasons with permission from a staff member. Families are encouraged to make transportation and after-school arrangements in advance to minimize the need for student phone use during the school day.
For purposes of this policy, wireless communication devices (WCDs) include, but are not limited to, cell phones, smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, earbuds with communication capabilities, smart glasses (including Meta or similar devices), and any other electronic device capable of sending, receiving, recording, storing, or accessing electronic communications, audio, images, video, or internet content.
In accordance with Michigan law, students may not use wireless communication devices during instructional time unless:
- The use is required by a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP), Section 504 Plan, or other documented accommodation.
- The device is needed to monitor or manage a documented medical condition.
- A teacher or administrator authorizes its use for an instructional purpose.
- The student is using a school-issued device for educational purposes.
- Its use is authorized by school administration during an emergency or other exceptional circumstance.
Schools may establish additional restrictions on the possession or use of wireless communication devices during the school day or at school-sponsored activities to support student learning, safety, and an orderly educational environment. Benton Harbor Charter Schools’ policy is to collect wireless communictaion devices at the start of the day, upon student arrival. Students will be briefly scanned with a metal detector to ensure compliance. All devices are kept in a locked room throughout the day and returned to students at dismissal.
Unauthorized use of a wireless communication device may result in confiscation of the device, parent or guardian retrieval, progressive disciplinary action, or other appropriate interventions in accordance with the Academy's Code of Conduct.
Students may not use any wireless communication device to photograph, record, livestream, or transmit audio, images, or video of another individual without the express permission of a teacher or administrator, except as required by an approved accommodation. Students also may not use wireless communication devices to harass, intimidate, threaten, bully, discriminate against, or otherwise harm another person, including through the creation or transmission of obscene or sexually explicit material. Such conduct may result in school discipline and, when required by law, referral to law enforcement or Child Protective Services.
Students who bring wireless communication devices to school do so at their own risk. The Academy is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged personal devices.
This policy is intended to comply with applicable Michigan law regarding student wireless communication devices and Board Policy 5136. Where Academy expectations are more restrictive than State law, the Academy's expectations shall apply.
Pick Up & Drop Off Procedures
Student safety is of utmost importance and it is important we follow the expected procedure daily to make sure all students get to school and arrive home safely.
Students who do not ride the bus should be dropped off on the north side of the school (facing River Terrace Apartments) at the designated doors. The doors open at 7:45 for student arrival. All staff are assigned to arrival stations and the front office is NOT covered until 8:00. All students must be dropped off at the arrival doors.
At dismissal, all students are dismissed starting at 3:15 p.m. The front office is not covered at this time either, so all students must be picked up at the arrival/dismissal doors. Staff will be at the doors and will call for your child–there is no need to exit your vehicle.
If your student typically rides the bus, but is being picked up, you must call the office to let them know by 2:30 p.m. to be added to the pick up list.
Students who arrive after 8:00 a.m. should be walked into the office, via the front office doors, to be signed in.
Volunteering
The process to becoming a volunteer is within these steps:
1) Submit the interest form below to the office, along with a description of your availability.
2) In order to ensure the protection of children in the care of Benton Harbor Charter School Academy, School policy requires, prior to any and all persons providing a volunteer service at the school or for any function conducted by the school; all potential volunteers complete an I-CHAT background check to certify that they have not been charged with child abuse, neglect, or a felony. Any applicant declining to complete an I-CHAT background check acknowledgment form will not be considered. The Academy reserves the right to “approve” or “deny” any volunteer service upon review of the returned background check. The determination will be based upon the individual’s fitness to have responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of children. Providing false or contradicting information to the background check is grounds for denial.
3) Be explained in-person about the expectations our school has for volunteers.
4) Be assigned a role and schedule depending on the amount of participation interest.
Student Pick Up Procedures
- Anyone picking up your child must show their ID card (identification card) and must be on record as a person who can pick up your child from school. Please bring your ID and stop by the front office with the names of people who can pick up your child from school. We will not accept telephone permission.
- The pick-up person will not be allowed in the building or bus loading area during pick-up time. If the pick-up person is caught in the building, a report of trespassing will be filed with local law enforcement.
- If you or anyone you allow to pick up your child wants to visit classrooms for any reason – you must first fill out a volunteer form for a background check.
- The River Terrace Apartments will no longer be on the bus route. Instead, we will provide a crossing guard at the rear of our building from 7:50 a.m. to 8:05 a.m. and for after-school crossing.
Bus Transportation
Food Program
Our food service is managed by SLA, with an onsite staff who prepare meals daily in line with federal requirements to provide delicious and healthy breakfasts and lunches to all students.