Policies & Guidelines

Academic Year 2023 – 2024


Click here: to download the Policies and Guidelines as a PDF document


Mission

California Christian Tutorial (CCT) supports Southern Maryland families as they use a “home school philosophy of education” to develop their children into mature and discerning followers of Jesus Christ. We seek to enhance and extend the home school experience at the middle and high school levels by providing quality instruction that glorifies God and challenges our students. This quality education experience supports parents in their God-given responsibilities to educate their children.


Statement of Faith

This statement of faith summarizes the foundation for our tutorial and our lives. Our tutors teach their classes from the perspective of these beliefs. Denominational doctrines will not be taught in classes.

There is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are equal in power and glory.

Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, who through His perfect life and sacrificial death atoned for the sins and gives eternal life to all who trust in Him by faith.

The Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is the revelation of God’s truth and is infallible and authoritative in all matters of faith and conduct. All people are sinners by nature and by choice, condemned by their sin to death apart from God. Those who repent of their sins in response to God’s grace and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior are made new by the Holy Spirit.


We affirm that God created human beings in his image as male and female.  Likewise, we recognize the goodness of the human body and the call to glorify God with our bodies. As a God of order and design, God opposes the confusion of man as woman and woman as man. While situations involving such confusion can be heartbreaking and complex, men and women should be helped to live in accordance with their biological sex.

We affirm that the believer’s most important identity is found in Christ. Christians ought to understand themselves, define themselves, and describe themselves in light of their union with Christ and their identity as regenerate, justified, holy children of God. To juxtapose identities rooted in sinful desires alongside the term “Christian” is inconsistent with Biblical language and undermines the spiritual reality that we are new creations in Christ.

Sexual intimacy is a gift from God to be cherished and is reserved for the marriage relationship between one man and one woman. All other forms of sexual intimacy, including all forms of lust and same-sex sexual activity of any kind, are sinful.

For additional information on Cornerstone’s and CCT’s view on Human Sexuality we recommend reviewing the report of the Presbyterian Church in America Ad Interim Committee on Human Sexuality which can be found at this link.


Legal Issues

CCT does not function as a school or a Home School Umbrella (such as Churchville). Homeschooled families enrolled in CCT are responsible for their legal standing with the State of Maryland and their relationship with local school boards.


Cooperative Participation & Service Days

This tutorial requires everyone’s cooperation to function; therefore, each family is needed and required to help with the operation of the tutorial.  Service days, in which parents participate on a rotating basis with set-up, clean-up, lunch, and study hall responsibilities, will be assigned at the beginning of the year.  The amount of required service time depends on the number of families enrolled in the tutorial, but generally involves one or two day(s) per year per family.  In order to serve, one parent must attend the mandatory annual training session at the beginning of the year.  If a parent is assigned a service day shift and subsequently finds he or she cannot perform the duty for any reason, it is the parent’s responsibility to notify the CCT Board in advance of the scheduled date. The Board will then assign someone else to work the scheduled date.  The service day fees collected from each family at registration will be refunded once their service hours are complete.  Alternatively, parents may choose to have a CCT designated substitute work their service day shift for them by simply indicating that preference on the registration paperwork, and the CCT Board will gladly arrange that in priority order. Your service check will then be used to pay the substitute.   

As additional needs arise, we hope each family will have a servant’s heart and actively seek opportunities to volunteer.


Who May Participate?

Students in 7th through 12th grade, with typical corresponding ages, may participate in CCT.

At least one parent must agree with and sign affirming both CCT’s Mission Statement and Statement of Faith. The prospective student(s) must agree with and sign affirming the Mission Statement.

Student’s parent(s) must be active participants in a local body of believers (local church).

Students must be able to function without assistance or accommodation in the classroom setting. Since CCT is not a school, there is no support staff to accommodate any special needs. Please contact CCT if clarification is needed or to discuss a child’s specific situation.

Payment Policy

Fees for the year will be collected at registration. No student will be considered officially enrolled in a class until all payments and checks have been submitted.

  • Checks for registration fees, building usage fees, and class materials are to be made payable to Cornerstone.
  • Checks for class tuition are to be made payable to the individual instructors.
  • Checks for Service Day Fees are to be left undated with the “payable to” section blank.  When parents elect to have someone else fill their service day requirements these checks will be dated and made payable to the Service Day Parent when issued by CCT management.

Absentee Policy

Students missing a tutorial session are responsible for reviewing the missed material on their own using the course syllabus.

Parents are responsible for informing tutors of all absences in advance.


Dress

Certain dress, including but not limited to that listed below, at the discretion of the CCT board, will not be permitted at CCT or CCT related activities.

From shoulders to mid-thigh, neither students’ bodies nor underwear shall be visible. Girls: no tight tops, spaghetti strap tops, tube tops, halter tops, bare midriffs, nor cleavage showing. Tight athletic pants may only be worn with a long top that covers all private areas. Shorts must be fingertip length. Boys: no falling-down pants, earrings, nail polish, or make-up. No hats or hoods indoors with the exception of event costumes permitted at the discretion of the tutors and administrators. Hair dyes of unnatural color are strongly discouraged and may be restricted based on the display.  Clothing with derogatory or negative messages is not permitted. Students inappropriately dressed will be asked by the service parent or an instructor to phone home and request a change of clothing.


Mandatory Orientation

Attendance at the orientation meeting by at least one parent is mandatoryCCT provides vital information and homework at orientation for which you will be held responsible.


Discipline

With a desire to maintain Christian standards and to provide a positive atmosphere for learning for everyone, tutors are in charge of the learning environment. Students shall not challenge tutors’ authority. All tutors, administrators, parents, and church staff present have authority to call students to account for the purpose of correcting behavior that is in conflict with CCT and facility policy guidelines and requirements during regular meeting days and CCT related events. In the event of disruptive behavior, CCT will apply the following policies:

  1. Students engaging in serious and/or dangerous unacceptable behaviors will be removed immediately and suspended from CCT classes. Unacceptable behavior includes the following:
    1. Assault of any form
    2. Fighting or threat of injury
    3. Inappropriate sexual behavior or conversations
    4. Intentional damage to or theft of church or personal property
  2. The tutor, or any other authorized on-site adult, will attempt to instruct the individual privately regarding correction of less serious inappropriate behavior. Such unacceptable behavior includes the following:
    1. Verbal or physical harassment of others
    2. Profanity
    3. Disobedience to the tutor or service day parent
    4. Dishonesty
    5. Detracting from the classroom learning environment
    6. Unwillingness to positively apply himself/herself to learning
    7. Public displays of affection and overt flirting
  3. If a student continues to display unacceptable behavior, the tutor will contact the parents and the tutorial board. At this point in time, CCT will issue a formal written warning. If the behavior continues, the student shall be placed on probation for one month or a parent will be required to attend class with their student.
  4. Additional violations may result in the student being suspended from classes for the remainder of the year. Decisions for probation or suspension will be made by the CCT Board and members of Cornerstone Session in close consultation with tutors and parents.
  5. We are aware that children need time to adjust to the characteristics of classroom instruction. We will make every effort to help children who want to make that adjustment.

Classwork & Assignments

Students are required to complete all homework, quizzes, tests, labs, etc. assigned by the tutor by the required date. Extensions due to illness, trips and family emergencies may be made at the discretion of the tutor. In the event a student continually fails to complete required assignments, CCT will issue a written warning. Additional failure to comply will result in the student being placed on probation or dismissed from the tutorial.  Inadequate academic effort may affect a student’s priority status for future registration.

Students are expected to work independently.  However, it is the parent’s responsibility to provide any assistance or clarification students may need with assignments.  Additionally, parents are expected to teach and provide direct oversight of important skills like robust study habits, time management, homework completion, and class preparedness.

Students work must be their own without unauthorized assistance from other students or from online or other automated authoring tools.

Plagiarism and academic dishonesty will be taken seriously and may result in dismissal from the tutorial.  Students should be clear on what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it.  Tutors are available to provide clarification.


Progress Reports

Tutors will issue quarterly progress reports for their students.


Tutorial Policy & Building Use Rules

There will be no unattended students or siblings on the church grounds at any time. Student loitering is not allowed. Students must be enrolled in a class, study hall or be attending lunch during their time at CCT and are expected to remain at Cornerstone through their last class. Only students registered for classes on a particular school day are permitted on the property during regular class and lunch hours.  Exceptions will be made for Spirit days and any special events and activities sponsored by tutors.  Any other exceptions must have specific approval from a member of the CCT Board.

While students with parental permission are allowed to drive themselves to and from classes at the tutorial, NO student will be allowed to leave the grounds between classes or at lunchtime.  Students may not leave the premises with other students during the day.

Only registered students or their visiting parents may attend tutorials.

Each student is responsible for the care and good stewardship of the building. Everyone should clean up after himself or herself. Our goal is to leave the building at the end of the day in better condition than we found it in the morning. Students may eat and/or drink only in designated areas during designated times (lunch, teacher-directed events, parties, projects, etc.) and must clean up after themselves.  Colored drinks are not permitted in any carpeted areas.

Students are not permitted to use kitchen appliances nor store in or remove items from the kitchen pantry, freezer, or refrigerator.

CCT including but not limited to tutors, administrators, volunteers, and the host facilities, cannot provide an allergen free environment, nor administer medications, nor manage any health issues.

Students should be prompt in their arrival before the tutorial is to begin. This means giving 5 minutes to prepare for class.  Chronic tardiness will not be tolerated and may result in the student’s permanent removal from class.

Unless required by instructors for use in classroom activities, electronic devices such as iPods, cell phones, tablets, etc. are only allowed during study hall sessions for study purposes and they must not be heard by others. Laser light pens, pocket knives, guns and electronic toys are not allowed at CCT.


Snow Days

In the event that both St. Mary’s County and Calvert County public schools are closed for inclement weather or emergencies CCT will not hold in-person classes. Exceptions may be made if a snowstorm is over and most of the roads are clear and/or public schools are being used as a shelter due to power outages. If only one county is closed CCT will be open. If there is a delay in either county CCT will hold classes on-site as scheduled.

The CCT Board will attempt to send an email confirming tutorial closure. Please use personal judgment about your situation as to whether or not your child should attend. In the event of absence, the student is responsible for contacting the teacher and checking email for missed work.

Revised: 17 April 2023