Handbook
Mission Statement
The Midlands Home School Resource Center (MHSRC) has been established to serve the home school community in the Midlands. It is a resource center, not a school. Its goal is to aid parents who need assistance in teaching their child the middle school preparatory classes and the upper level mathematics, science, foreign language, and/or English courses required to graduate from high school and to prepare their child for college.
Students attending classes at the MHSRC are to be registered home schoolers with SCAIHS, a school district, or a third option group. Courses at the MHSRC will be offered on a college preparatory basis with tuition payable prior to the first day of classes each semester. The primary teaching responsibility of each student remains with the parent.
The Midlands Home School Resource Center will not seek to provide state-certified teachers for the classes offered. Instead, teachers trained by degree and/or having experience in the areas offered will be utilized. Each of the teachers has taught in a classroom situation, yet may not have his or her teacher’s certificate. You, the parent, are hiring the teacher; thus, you are required to pay the teacher directly. The MHSRC administrator is merely a facilitator.
In lieu of furnishing a separate Statement of Doctrinal Faith, each parent can refer to several evangelical confessions which are held by the administration and the teachers of the MHSRC to accurately present the system of doctrine believed to be taught in the Bible. These documents are:
The Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms (1644)
The Heidelberg Catechism
The Apostles’ Creed
Parents should have a clear understanding of the Biblical philosophy and purpose of the Midlands Home School Resource Center. This understanding includes a willingness to have their child exposed to the clear teaching (not forced indoctrination) of the Statement of Faith in various and frequent ways. The key elements of Christianity will be unapologetically taught through the science, math, history and literature courses offered. Parents must accept and agree to cooperate with all written policies of the Midlands Home School Resource Center.
Admissions
An admissions committee will carefully review each application for enrollment at the MHSRC. The goal of the admissions committee is to bring together student and teacher in a Christ-honoring environment in which your child can grow intellectually and spiritually, and be prepared for college. Each applicant’s academic potential, scholastic motivation and wholesome character will be considered. The committee will prayerfully seek to discern what is best for the student, the student body, the parents, and the teachers. Also, the MHSRC reserves the right to deny admission to any child if his or her ability, behavior, emotional or psychological development suggests that he or she would not be best served by this Resource Center. Because of the magnitude and importance of its task, the admissions committee’s independence and integrity will be guarded.
Submitting an application with the appropriate registration fee does not ensure your student’s acceptance in classes at the Midlands Home School Resource Center. New applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview with the administration and/or the teachers. A notice of acceptance or denial will be sent to all applicants by phone or e-mail after the application is processed and reviewed by the admissions committee.
MHSRC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies or admissions policies. However, because we teach from a Protestant Christian worldview, we reserve the right to reject applications from students whose religious views may clash with our own
Absences & Tardies
Only 4 excused absences from a class are permitted per semester unless otherwise approved by the instructor and administrator. Repeated tardy arrivals show disrespect to the teachers and other students. If a student has 4 unexcused tardy arrivals in any semester, corrective action will be taken at the instructor's discretion.
Absences create additional work for the instructor which is not covered by tuition. Out of respect for the instructor, every effort should be made to avoid excessive absences.
If a student misses more than 6 class days total in the school year, they will not be permitted to register with returning families the following year and will be placed onto the new family registration wait-list.
Behavioral Expectations
In order to maintain a productive educational environment at the MHSRC, the instructors will require proper, respectful behavior from all students. Misbehavior by a student can and will result in disciplinary action; this discipline may include counseling with the student and/or the parent, suspension, expulsion, or denial of future enrollment of the student and/or his family members at the MHSRC.
No cheating allowed. To encourage each student to achieve his highest personal growth, cheating on assignments, quizzes, or tests will be not be tolerated. If a student is discovered cheating or to have cheated, the parents will be notified, the student will receive a “zero”, and the student will not have the opportunity to re-take or make-up the assignment, quiz, or test. If there is a second offense, the student will be expelled immediately.
Academic Probation/Expulsion: Students who continue to have academic difficulty and make no earnest attempt to improve or who persist in an uncooperative or non-productive attitude (either at the conclusion of the first semester or at the end of the school year) will be denied re-enrollment. Students who do not meet MHSRC’s academic requirements, or who fail to conform to its rules and regulations, will be put on probation, suspended, or permanently expelled at the discretion of the Board.
No bullying allowed. Bullying will absolutely not be tolerated and may result in expulsion at the discretion of the Board.
No improper language. Profanity, crude speech, derogatory comments, suggestive language, or offensive jokes will not be tolerated at the MHSRC. Students should avoid speech or actions that disrupt the flow of class activity, whether it is lecture, discussion, or lab work.
Do not enter LPC. Under no circumstances is a student allowed to enter the Lexington Presbyterian Church building without specific permission from the Director. Students found breaking this rule will be subject to expulsion.
No rough play. No rough play will be permitted at the MHSRC as it poses a safety hazard. Students must replace anything they waste, damage, or break.
No chewing gum allowed.
No smoking, alcohol, or drugs. Smoking (including vaping or e-cigs) is absolutely prohibited at the MHSRC. Students found to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be expelled immediately from the MHSRC.
No guns, knives, or weapons of any form. This includes toy guns, BB guns, Air Soft guns, etc. No homemade tasers or weapons of any kind are allowed. No pocket knives of any length are allowed. Students violating this rule may be expelled from the MHSRC. Parents, not the MHSRC instructors or volunteers, are solely responsible for anything a student brings to the MHSRC.
Cell phones and laptops: Cell phones and any other electronic device that can access the internet are to be left in the student's vehicle or kept in their backpack at all times, even during study hall. Any student found breaking this rule will have his or her cell phone or electronic device taken for the remainder of the day. If a parent or student needs to contact the other, we would ask that they call the MHSRC phone (803-490-2070).
No skateboards or scooters. Absolutely no skateboards or scooters are allowed on the MHSRC campus or LPC church grounds!
No visitors are allowed anywhere on church property at any time. This includes, but is not limited to, boyfriends/girlfriends, friends from public school on holiday and past MHSRC students.
Delivering lunches. If someone is bringing a student lunch, please have them drop it off at the front desk and it will be delivered to the student.
Student drivers and cars policy:
Absolutely no sitting/visiting in cars on church property at any time.
Cars are only to be parked in the church parking lot closest to the MHSRC.
No driving behind the MHSRC building.
Student drivers have 10 minutes after class to vacate the campus/church property. To reiterate, no students are allowed to sit with other students in their car during this 10 minute period, unless they are leaving the grounds immediately and with prior written permission from parents of both students.
If a friend is picking up or dropping off a student, they need to come through the pick up/drop off line just like everyone else.
Leaving campus for lunch or break.
Upperclassmen (10th-12th grade) may leave the church property for lunch or during breaks between classes, but ONLY with written permission from parents (form available from the admin). The form will have explicit instructions as to who the student is allowed to take off campus and/or who they are allowed to ride in a car with. Under no circumstances should a student be in another student’s car to leave campus without both parents’ prior written permission.
Students who are repeatedly late returning to class after lunch or break, whether they are a driver or passenger, will lose their off-campus privileges and/or be denied entry into class when returning late.
Incident reports.
Students who violate our policies will be written up using an Incident Report.
After speaking to the student about the violation, a copy of the report with the details of the incident will be sent home with the student for parental signatures. A copy will also be emailed to the parents and the student.
The signed incident report must be returned to the administrator before the student will be allowed to return to their classes.
After three recorded incidents, suspension or expulsion will occur.
We reserve the right to dismiss students at any time, for any reason, at the Board’s discretion.
Classes
Classes are held if a minimum enrollment of 6 students per class is attained (unless otherwise noted on schedule and/or class description).
Families will be notified mid-summer of any classes that don’t have minimum enrollment.
Classes are scheduled to meet for 75 minutes on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the entire school year.
Enrollment in each class will be limited to between 10-16 students, at each teacher’s discretion.
Students are permitted to take only one math course per year and only one science course per year. (Exceptions: approval by teacher.)
If a student is registered in only one class, and this class does not have the minimum number of students required to hold the class and/or the class is cancelled by the teacher, the registration fee will be returned.
Costs/Fees
Tuition:
Tuition will be payable in full at the beginning of each semester. Tuition will be $250.00 per course per student per semester.
An additional one-time $50 fee will be charged for all Honors level high school classes, due at Orientation. This fee is non-refundable.
Tuition is due for the first/fall semester at the mandatory orientation meeting in August, and tuition is due for the second semester/spring semester on the first day of second semester classes in January. Tuition payments should be made payable to the individual instructors, not to the MHSRC. Please include a brief explanation on each check to state the reason for the check. (example: 1st semester – Chemistry I – “student name”) If payment for classes is not submitted by the due date, there will be a $5.00/class day late fee charged. Payments not received before the fourth class of the semester will result in your student forfeiting the class.
Application and Registration Fee:
A yearly, non-refundable registration fee of $200 will be charged per family and must be submitted with a completed application. A check for the registration fees should be made payable to Midlands Home School Resource Center (or MHSRC ). These fees cover the cost of operating expenses for the school year. (This includes: building usage, utilities, insurance, office supplies, cleaning supplies, etc.)
Study Hall Fee:
A semester fee of $80.00 will be charged per study hall period for any student requiring one. Study hall fees should be made payable to MHSRC. First semester fees are due at Orientation, and second semester fees are due by the first day of class in January. Any late payments for study hall will result in a $5/class/day late fee. For first semester, late charges will begin with the first Tuesday after orientation.
Course Change Fee:
After July 1st, course changes made by the parent after the application has been received and all fees have been paid will result in an additional fee of $25.00 per class change or withdrawal made payable to the instructor affected. (Exception: the change of one class to another class taught by the same instructor.)
Withdrawal Fees:
Because withdrawals result in a loss of expected income for our instructors’ families, especially if they gave your student a spot in class that could have been occupied by a paying family, we have implemented the following withdrawal penalties:
Withdrawals from a course before the beginning of classes or within the first two classes of instruction will result in a $25 withdrawal fee.
Withdrawals on the third or fourth day of classes will result in a $50 penalty. (During second week, for double-block classes.)
Withdrawals after the fourth day of class will result in a complete forfeiture of tuition paid. (After second week, for double-block classes.)
Withdrawals from second semester classes will result in a $50 withdrawal fee.
Auditing fee:
With special permission from the teacher, a student may audit a class for $125/semester only if the student has already completed the course and desires reinforcement in the subject.
Laboratory and/or Materials Fees:
Laboratory and/or materials fees are additional fees needed for science and TREC classes; these are not included in the tuition. Because our instructors begin purchasing supplies over the summer, lab and/or materials fees are nonrefundable, regardless of time of withdrawal. Lab and/or materials fees should be made payable to the individual instructor and are due at the time of registration.
Supplies:
The student is responsible to provide the textbook, paper, notebooks, and pencils for each class. For additional supplies required for the course in which your student is registered, please refer to the class syllabus. Required lab materials will be furnished by the instructor and will be funded by the lab fee. The main textbooks/materials are listed under each class’s description under the Courses tabs. Access to the internet is crucial for projects and research.
Dress Code
PARENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THEIR STUDENT ARRIVES AT MHSRC DRESSED RESPECTFULLY AND WITHIN OUR GUIDELINES.
Please dress comfortably and remember that students will be using lab materials occasionally that can stain clothing. Be modest in your dress and behavior and always be considerate of others. Because we desire to maintain an educational environment free from distractions, we have developed the following policies:
Though pants are strongly suggested, boys may wear shorts that come to the mid-thigh when seated or when hands are raised.
Though pants are strongly suggested, girls may wear skirts, shorts and dresses that are no shorter than mid-thigh length when sitting down or when hands are raised. Leggings and/or spandex-type shorts may be worn only under a dress or top that covers the front and back of her “bottom” when hands are raised.
Girls may not wear tops with spaghetti straps or wear any top that reveals any cleavage or bra straps. Additionally, shirts should be long enough to cover all of her stomach and back when sitting down or when hands are raised.
Boys may not wear shirts with holes or cut-outs.
If jeans with holes are worn, the holes should be no higher than the mid-thigh.
Shoes are required to be worn at all times.
Pants must be pulled up properly so that no underwear is visible.
No sloppy appearance.
T-shirts with Biblical messages are welcome, but clothing touting offensive messages or lifestyles is prohibited.
Clothing should fit properly and not be overly tight or overly baggy as this is distracting to others.
Pocketknives are NOT allowed.
If an article of clothing “rides up” or “falls down” during normal activity such as walking, sitting, etc, and needs to be continually adjusted to be within our guidelines, it will be considered against dress code and should not be worn.
THE MHSRC WILL NOTIFY THE PARENT OF ANY STUDENT INAPPROPRIATELY DRESSED. PARENTS MAY THEN BRING APPROPRIATE CLOTHING TO THE STUDENT OR DIRECT THE STUDENT TO RETURN HOME.
Grade Reports and Academic Difficulty
Final grade reports will be available by May 15th. The parents will keep a copy for their academic records. The MHSRC instructors will assign appropriate grades for each student, but parents are responsible for keeping and maintaining student records (including the portfolio) as required under the South Carolina law.
Instructors reserve the right to require that papers or tests with low or failing scores be signed by a parent and returned promptly to the instructor.
The grading scale for all instructors will be the same as that of the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools (SCAIHS).
90 - 100 A 4.0
80 - 89 B 3.0
70 - 79 C 2.0
60 - 69 D 1.0
0 - 59 F 0.0
Students must have an average grade no lower than a “B” (80) to move forward to the next semester or next level course.
Students who continue to have academic difficulty and make no earnest attempt to improve or who persist in an uncooperative or non-productive attitude (either at the conclusion of the first semester or at the end of the school year) will be denied re-enrollment. The MHSRC has limited space; students who are not motivated to learn will not be permitted to occupy a classroom space that could be granted to a student who is striving for academic success. Students who do not meet MHSRC’s academic requirements, or who fail to conform to its rules and regulations, will be put on probation, suspended, or permanently expelled at the discretion of the Board.
Homework
The homework assignments given by the instructors are meant to give the student a full week’s worth of study material. The parents should expect to review the assigned work and assist the student in setting up a daily study schedule, just as the parents do for the work they assign at home.
Should a student miss class due to an illness or a trip, the student is responsible for obtaining copies of course notes and handouts. The instructor cannot be expected to review entire class lectures for the benefit of those students absent either for family reasons or because of illness.
Assignments will be due without regard for absences other than illness. (Exception: an agreement between the instructor & the parent made prior to the student’s absence.) Waiver of this policy should not be requested as it presents the instructor with an unfair situation relative to the other students. Additionally, excessive absences create additional work for the instructor which is not covered by tuition. Out of respect for the instructor, every effort should be made to avoid excessive absences.
Orientation
There will be a mandatory orientation held for all instructors, parents, and students in August prior to the first day class. The purpose of this meeting is for instructors and families to meet one another, to review policies, and to confirm that all lab and tuition fees are paid. Parents and students will be able to pick up course outlines/syllabi at Orientation.
Study Hall
A semester fee of $80.00 will be charged per study hall period for each student.
The study hall fee for the semester is payable to MHSRC at the beginning of each semester. The study hall fee is non-refundable.
No more than one study hall period is allowed per student per day unless otherwise approved.
If a student who is not regularly scheduled to be in study hall needs to have a study hall period one day, the fee charged is $10.00 for one study hall class period (unless there is an emergency situation).
Study hall is not for the “baby-sitting” convenience of the parent nor is it to be a meeting place for a student to visit with his/her friends. An administrator must be notified and approval given when a student needs a study hall period; do NOT just "show-up" for study hall. Students who are habitually early for class or late being picked up after their class has concluded will be assessed a $10 study hall fee. To avoid this fee, students should arrive no earlier than 5 minutes before class and should leave the MHSRC premises within 5 minutes of the conclusion of class.
Because the MHSRC needs to know where students are during resource center hours, the parent should notify the director when the student will not be in his/her scheduled study hall.
A student is not allowed to leave the MHSRC campus during his/her study hall period unless a parent calls the MHSRC office (or sends a signed written note to the MHSRC office with the student) to give permission for the student to leave the MHSRC campus during study hall for that particular day.
Study hall is a privilege. Any misbehavior, disrespect, or disobedience will not be tolerated. The student may be dismissed from study hall if proper behavior is not maintained. Students should use their time in study hall constructively and wisely.
Syllabi
Because of the proprietary nature of our instructors’ syllabi, each class syllabus will only be given to parents and students on the night of orientation after tuition for the class has been paid. Under no circumstances will class syllabi be given out prior to payment for the class. Any student who departs before the end of the year, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, will be removed from Google Classroom immediately and will no longer have access to our instructors’ course layouts, pacing guides, etc. Our instructors’ syllabi may not be shared or used for other classes outside of the MHSRC.
Weather Closing or Delay Announcement
During hazardous weather conditions (with the exception of delays due to extreme cold), the MHSRC closing announcement will be the same as the Lexington District 1 schools. Therefore, whatever closings or delays Lexington District 1 announces, the MHSRC will follow. In addition, an attempt will be made to e-mail a message to each family confirming the status of the MHSRC schedule. For this reason, and others, parents are to keep updated e-mail addresses with the administrator at all times.
Please note: the MHSRC does not follow the Lexington District 1 schedule of school holidays.