Code of Conduct and Guidelines

Pathway Guidelines and Requirements

Our Guidelines are outlined below, however, the basic requirements and expectations of Pathway participants are:

1. Parents and students must agree with our Statement of Faith.

2. Parents and students must agree to and abide by our requirements and policies and procedures, including our parent volunteer requirement.

3. Parents and students must abide by our standards of behavior, dress code, and code of conduct.

4. For the protection and safety of our children, a background check is required for all adults working at Pathway, including teachers, parents, assistants, and leaders.

5. All families must use the designated curriculum (for each class they are enrolled in) and must agree to study the curriculum on the same schedule as the teacher instructs.

6. All Pathway members will be mindful that we are sharing our space with church employees and staff and make every effort to consider and honor them as we conduct our weekly co-op. This includes, but is it not limited to behavior and adherence to our dress code.

7. Students are required to dock their devices during class time and use them responsibly for the duration of the day while on campus.

Code of Conduct

Facility

All students should be mindful that we are sharing our space with church employees and staff and make every effort to consider and honor them as we conduct our weekly classes. Students should be respectful of our host church's property at all times. We expect students to clean up after themselves, and be careful with all church property. If your student happens to be in the last class of the day, they will be asked to help return tables and chairs to their original position or take out the trash with a buddy. We are a Co-op that meets on church property and will respect all church grounds and facilities. Any student that engages in illegal activity, vandalism, firearms, drugs or alcohol, or any physical or sexual misconduct/abuse on the church grounds will be asked to leave the premises and will no longer be allowed to continue a relationship with Pathway in addition to reporting said event to the local authorities.

Unsupervised Student Policy

Pathway offers classes from 9:00am – 3:30pm. During this time, high school students may be dropped off for their classes. Please be prompt when picking up your student(s) at the end of their class(es). Parents are welcome to stay at the church, but it is not required. Should a parent drop their student off, or should a student drive themselves to co-op, they are doing so in good faith that their students will be able to be responsible for themselves. Students are expected to conduct themselves in a way that honors God. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” -1 Corinthians 10:31.

Students will adhere to all Pathway Guidelines at all times, will treat their fellow classmates, teachers, and leaders with respect and honor the church/facility and the property. Students are expected to have self-control (Titus 2:11-12), obedience (John 14:23), wholesome talk (Ephesians 4:29), and be kind (Romans 12:10, John 15:12). If a student engages in any behavior that violates these guidelines, they will be prohibited from remaining on campus except for attending their classes or may be excluded from Pathway altogether depending on their offense.

Students will need to be quiet as they come and go as there are classes in session throughout the day on every floor. All high school students are to be on the 3rd floor only, except if they have a class in a 2nd floor room or it is an allotted gym hour for high schoolers use (these are posted every Friday). Once class dismisses, they should either leave the premises or return to the 3rd floor. There is no loitering allowed on the 1st and 2nd floors, in the stairwell corridors, in bathrooms or any other area of the church that has been previously stated. At no time should students use the elevator without permission. If a student has extenuating circumstances, please let leadership know, and we will accommodate.

Pathway leadership will be present at the church all day. Leadership is there to oversee and guide the day, however, students are considered independent when they are dropped off or when they drive themselves. Students are expected to be in their classes when scheduled. Leadership does not monitor class attendance, and will not “search for” students who do not show up. High school students are coming and going all day.

Leadership does not supervise students' movement, and is not responsible for students who chose to leave campus. Leadership is there to oversee the activities in the church, supervise the high school rooms, and help any student in need. By agreeing to Pathway Guidelines, both parent and student understand that when a student is at the church with or without their parent, the student is responsible and liable for their own actions.

If a problem arises, the Leadership Team will communicate the issue/problem with the students and the parents. Effort will be made to resolve any issues. If the problem is not resolved, Leadership reserves the right to ask a student to not attend classes either temporarily or permanently. If this should happen, there are no refunds for fees or payments.

Be Punctual

Please arrive on time. “On time” means arriving 10 minutes earlier than the class start time. Late arrivals truly put the student and the entire class at a disadvantage.

Driving Students and Parking Lot

Some of the high school students will be driving themselves to class. Drivers need to be aware that Pathway consists of many families with young children, and the parking lot is often busy with church members, children, and families coming and going. Extreme care is to be taken while driving in the parking lot of the church.

High School students are prohibited from parking in the front parking lot, driveway of entry doors, and from certain areas of the parking lot. These details and a diagram are presented during our mandatory orientation.

If any student drives recklessly or endangers anyone in the church parking lot, they will be prohibited from parking anywhere on the church's property altogether.

Illness - "I'm Sick, Should I go to Pathway today??"

Sometimes it can be a tough call to decide whether or not a student should attend classes on a day they are not feeling well. Let’s try to err on the side of not spreading germs to other families. Of course, in a large group like this, there could be germs and illnesses spread that may be out of any one's control. But, for the times when something can be done, let’s do the most courteous thing, and have your student remain at home if they have had a fever, thrown up in the last 24 hours before classes take place, or are showing other obvious signs of illness.

Many of us have multiple children, and when a bug travels through a family, it can take weeks for it to make the rounds and be very disruptive to getting assignments complete. Thank you for being sensitive to this issue.

Please reference our sick policy here for reference (printable copy link):

Classroom Management and Interpersonal Relationships

It is our desire that we: “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” ~Romans 12:10-12.

The standard for behavior in classes, and on the grounds, will be that each of us, whether a leader, teacher, parent, helper, or student, honor one another and treat each other with respect and love. Honoring one another means, among many things, that one refrains from speaking when a teacher is speaking, that one looks directly at the speaker or what she/he is presenting - unless taking notes - and in general, that one pays attention while another is talking. Each person should strive to treat others as they would like to be treated. If an offense occurs in class, immediately take the opportunity to encourage the offender to sincerely apologize, as well as the offended, and to be forgiving - Ephesians 4:32, Matthew 6:14, Colossians 3:13.

Let us ALL deal privately, if possible, with the offense and move on. If a student refuses to change their conduct in the classroom, the parent will be made aware of the situation and may be prohibited from attending Pathway.

Pathway strictly prohibits any student from bringing and/or distributing any inappropriate content to Co-op. This includes, but is not limited to anything sexual, pornographic, culturally or racially insensitive or divisive, disturbing or evil images, etc. This behavior can and will compromise our ability to meet at the Church.

Bullying

Pathway does not tolerate bullying in any form against another student, teacher, or member of leadership.

In the case of severe disrespect or threatening conduct, whether verbal or written, the offending student, and possibly the entire family, will be removed from the church campus immediately. They will not be allowed back on campus until the situation has been completely resolved. In the case that resolution by all parties involved can not be attained, the leadership team reserves the right to dismiss the student, and possibly the entire family, from further participating in the Pathway. Absolutely no refunds of any kind will be given in these circumstances.

Cheating

Pathway is committed to fostering a culture of honesty, responsibility, and personal growth. Cheating or academic dishonesty in any form is not tolerated.

If concerns regarding academic dishonesty arise, teachers will address each situation on an individual basis in accordance with Pathway policy. This may include gathering additional information, monitoring patterns of behavior, and communicating with the student.

If there are consistent or repeated concerns, the teacher will notify leadership and schedule a meeting with the student and parents to address the issue and develop a plan for moving forward.

If academic dishonesty continues, leadership will meet with the family to determine appropriate next steps. Disciplinary action may include a probationary period during which the student may be restricted from participating in social activities and may only attend Pathway on Fridays for registered classes.

Continued violations may result in expulsion from Pathway.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:

Submitting work generated by AI (such as ChatGPT or similar tools) as original work
Receiving unauthorized help on assignments from others
Copying another student’s work or allowing others to copy your work
Using notes, internet resources, or devices during tests or quizzes when not permitted
Misrepresenting someone else’s work as your own (plagiarism)

If a student, teacher, or parent is unhappy with something - how a class or situation is being conducted, or how another has behaved, he or she (teacher, parent, and student) will not voice their complaint to others, but, in love and prayer, go directly to the person involved in order to seek unity.

He or she will use the procedure laid out for us in Matthew 18:15-17 as a guide to work through these types of situations. If the two parties are unable to resolve their concerns/differences, let the situation then be presented before the Leadership Team. There is no place for gossip, dissension, or unresolved feelings among followers of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We are all striving to raise students who are kind, sensitive to one another, inclusive, and encouraging to one another in all their interactions. Teasing, “put downs”, and picking on have no place in the body of Christ. We will not conform to the patterns of this world, but will be transformed by the renewing of our minds in Christ Jesus. Our goal is to provide a safe place where every participant feels valued and respected as a unique and special creation of our Father in Heaven. It is our prayer that each person feels like a valued member of the co-op as we endeavor to provide an environment for our children that teaches them to love one another in action and in word.

Any and all weapons (firearms, pocket knives) are strictly prohibited from our campus. There are no exceptions.

There is to be no alcohol/drinking, smoking, vaping, or the sale of any such materials on Pathway's campus.

PDA (Public Display of Affection)

On Co-op days, when we come together for learning and fellowship, there is to be no display of affection between couples while on campus. This type of behavior is awkward for everyone and will be addressed with the students and their parents.

Electronic Devices

Pathway does not take responsibility for personal items of any sort. This includes, but is not limited to, any electronic devices, personal belongings, including ear buds/headphones, chargers, etc. It is our desire that these items, if not necessary for class, be left at home, in a locked car, or at the very least, in a backpack or on your person (with the exception of cell phones in class).

While we do have a Lost & Found, leadership cannot guarantee that items will always be returned to a student or given to us to put into the lost & found. We will do everything in our power to help locate a missing belonging, but we must stress that students' personal belongings are their own responsibility.

***Pathway is in compliance with state rules that cell phones and ear buds are not permitted for use in the classroom unless otherwise instructed by teacher for classroom use.***

Students will be required to "dock" their cell phones at the beginning of every class and can be picked up at the end of class.

If your student has an extenuating circumstance, please communicate this to both leadership and the class teacher/s.

Leadership Team

If you have any questions or concerns about the facility, how we operate, or any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact us at pathwayhighschool@gmail.com. If your concern is directly related to a class your student is attending, please contact the teacher directly.