Hillsdale Academy 9-12 Reference Guide

HILLSDALE ACADEMY

9-12 Reference Guide

Introduction

illsdale College, a longtime advocate of educational reform in America, founded Hillsdale Academy

with two main purposes in mind: first, to provide local children with a highly traditional, classically

based curriculum stressing the development of moral character, basic skills and logical analysis;

second, to provide the country with a model for educational reform, a model that can be effectively

implemented in any school.

To prepare for the founding of the Academy, the College leadership undertook a study of existing alternative

schools and held a series of discussions with key figures in the educational reform movement, representatives of

the local community and major financial supporters of the College. The resulting plan called for an independent

K-12 school with a curriculum that would rely predominantly on primary sources such as historical documents,

biographies and autobiographies and the classic works of Western literature. The Academy would avoid

textbooks that have been subject to over-simplification, historical revisionism and an obsessive focus on real

and imaginary problems of American society. Finally, in all grades, special emphasis would be placed on moral

development through daily prayers, Bible reading and a variety of activities spiritual in orientation without being

denominational.

The concept took tangible form in the autumn of 1990, when Hillsdale Academy opened its doors to 45 Lower

School students. So successful has the Academy been both locally and nationally that, in the autumn of 1998, the

Academy moved to a new building on the College campus, able to accommodate its new Upper School as well.

STARTING YOUR OWN HIGH SCHOOL

Just as many other concerned parents, teachers and administrators have already done and continue to do, you

too can start your own school based on the Academy’s model. One of the most important prerequisites is having

something of an entrepreneurial spirit and a willingness to improvise. If the facilities and support of a local college

are not available, arrangements might be made with a local public library, ﬁtness center or church for special access

times. Churches frequently have gymnasia, kitchens and recreation halls that are not used during much of the week.

Independent schools and home schooling associations that utilize the Hillsdale Academy Reference Guide need not

have grand facilities to provide an excellent education for their students.

It is commonly understood that establishing a high school program that effectively trains students to be

intelligent citizens with strong moral character is a very difﬁcult task. Many good K-8 schools have failed to establish

high schools because of the difﬁculty in ﬁnding faculty members committed to a classical education, the challenges

of teaching teenagers in today’s society, and the resistance that inevitably emerges when a rigorous curriculum

competes with extracurricular activities for students’ attention. Parents sometimes do not, in the end, want what

a rigorous school has to offer. Likewise, a community does not always understand the signiﬁcance and need for a

high school that provides a traditional liberal arts program—so entrenched has our society become in the current

educational progressivism. Hillsdale Academy’s experience, however, proves that a patient, determined staff can

establish the kind of school we recommend. Indeed, a successful school depends on a staff that maintains the

mission statement at the heart of all curricular decisions and that is dedicated to educating parents as well as

students. Common sense and civility lie at the heart of this success.

THE HILLSDALE ACADEMY DIFFERENCE

The materials included in the Reference Guide detail the policies, curriculum and teaching precepts by which Hillsdale

Academy has always operated. Many of the functional points noted will undoubtedly strike readers as a return to

common sense. The Academy recaptures the prudence that once guided virtually all American schools. And if the

Hillsdale Academy Reference Guide leaves readers with the impression that attending the Academy is very much

like going to a good school in the 1950s, our founders will be delighted. As The Detroit News observed, Hillsdale

Academy’s founders didn’t feel so much like innovators, but more “that [they were] engaged in the restoration of a

tradition that worked well.”

Hillsdale Academy also places strong emphasis on the relationship between the school and the home,

recognizing the critical role of parents in fostering their children’s education. Above all else, we see ourselves as

allies of the family, reinforcing rather than undermining parents’ efforts to guide the intellectual, emotional and

spiritual development of their children.

This is the model we offer for the development of other alternative schools: a positive, constructive response to

the anti-family, anti-achievement and anti-Western heritage agenda so commonly followed in today’s schools. We

are conﬁdent that, if applied with energy, determination and a clear understanding of the circumstances to which

they must be adapted, our precepts can provide the basis for educational success in a wide variety of settings

throughout the nation.

Hillsdale Academy School Culture

illsdale Academy emphasizes daily the self-respect which results from a child’s academic accomplishment,

proper conduct and regard for others. When Academy students come to school, they come to important,

rigorous work in a well-structured and caring environment. Both their conduct and dress must support

the school’s seriousness of purpose.

START OF THE DAY

Every school day begins with a sequence of activities carefully designed to convey a clear sense of expectation and

demonstrate a personal concern for each individual student.

1. Welcome—As parents drop off their children in the morning and as older students who drive approach the

building from the parking lot, the teachers and the headmaster greet them individually. This simple act of civility

lets students of all ages know that their presence is appreciated at school.

2. Opening Ceremony—After the students have arrived, a formal Upper School ceremony is conducted every

morning in the school lobby. The students assemble by class, and the headmaster leads them in reciting the

Pledge of Allegiance. Next, designated students present, from memory, recitations of a poem, a portion of a

signiﬁcant speech, a passage of prose or an excerpt from the Bible. The headmaster and teachers then make

announcements, and each teacher brieﬂy shares recent noteworthy accomplishments made by students or

classes. These reports focus on academics, projects of interest or athletic events rather than on personal news.

3. Chapel—Once a week, the College Chaplain and headmaster lead the Academy in a brief chapel service, which

includes readings from the Old and New Testaments as well as a brief homily on those readings. While the

headmaster provides the majority of the homilies, guest speakers are sometimes invited to provide the homily

for the service. Chapel promotes the spiritual development of the students and reafﬁrms the Judeo-Christian

roots of the Academy.

START OF CLASS

The tone of the opening ceremony carries into the classroom as students begin their morning schedules. Each grade

has its own homeroom teacher and regular meeting place. Here, teachers interact with each student personally,

answering questions and listening to the occasional story while taking attendance, checking uniforms and making

announcements. A teacher may also choose to lead the class in prayer. This morning routine stresses personal

attention and helps students focus on the work ahead.

LUNCH TIME

At their designated times, students move to the

Academy Commons for lunch. While Lower School

students must sit at assigned tables, Upper School

students are extended the privilege of sitting with

whomever they choose.

The students are led in prayer before they begin to

dine. Though the students are encouraged to relax and

chat freely during lunch, the requirements of etiquette

and table manners maintain an atmosphere of order

and civility throughout the lunch period. Teachers

often dine with their Upper School students and set

an example of proper behavior. Students return trays,

dishes and utensils and clean up after themselves

before being dismissed for a short recess period.

SPECIAL ACTIVITY PERIODS

Class time is set aside throughout the week for

special enrichment activities. These sessions

supplement and enhance the Academy’s curriculum

in four important areas:

1. Music—Academy students participate in choral

singing; learn and practice vocal techniques; and

study musical notation, harmony, terminology and

history. Upper School students additionally study

classical music and music appreciation. At various

times throughout the year, all of the students

come together to sing at Academy events and

College and community functions.

Orchestra is offered as an elective in the Upper

School. One hour of credit is given, and a grade

is assigned by the director. The Upper School

orchestra rehearses once a week (twice when

performances draw near).

2. Art—Art classes allow students to explore

visual forms of expression and to cultivate an

aesthetic sense. Activities include drawing, using

watercolors, pottery making, viewing slides and

attending exhibits at the College’s gallery. Upper

School students additionally study historically

signiﬁcant art and art appreciation.

3. Physical Education—All freshmen and sophomore

students are required to take physical education

classes. These classes become electives for

upperclassmen and for all student athletes during

their sport season. Students who take physical

education courses learn sports, games and basic

ﬁtness skills that can help them maintain good

health throughout their adult lives. Above all,

these activities teach essential virtues, such as

courage, perseverance and individual contribution

to a team. All students receive instruction in the

rules and techniques of team sports and cultivate

athletic appreciation through group attendance

at College sporting events. Upper School students

are offered three seasons of extracurricular sports

each year.

4. Library—Both the Academy’s library and the

College’s library are available to students for

research and for worthy leisure reading. Parent

volunteers supervise the Academy’s library, and

teachers help with book selections and advise

students on appropriateness and reading level.

END OF THE DAY

The school day comes to an end in an organized

manner. Upper School students are released from

school according to their class schedules and their

status. Juniors and seniors in good standing with the

headmaster may leave the school grounds at the end

of their ﬁnal class of the day (no earlier than 2:00 p.m.).

Freshmen and sophomores must remain in school

until the end of the last class period (3:25 p.m.). At the

end of their school day, students are reminded that

they should remove from their lockers all materials

needed for homework assignments. Older students,

with permission from parents and in good standing

with the headmaster, may drive to and from school.

HOMEWORK

Homework is an essential part of an Academy

education and is assigned Monday through Friday.

After-school study reinforces the day’s learning

activities and emphasizes that the school day should

not be the only time when the student’s task is to

practice, review or learn.

The Academy recognizes parents as partners in

their children’s educational progress and stresses

the crucial need for parents to establish and monitor

homework time, free from the distractions of

television, video games and other manifestations of

popular culture. Older students often receive long-

term assignments to help them learn how to plan

ahead and budget their time.

When involved in athletics, students must be

especially careful to budget their time wisely and

maintain contact with parents, teachers and coaches.

STANDARDS OF CONDUCT

In addition to a solid academic foundation, the

Academy promotes a ﬁrm grounding in traditional

moral principles. Beginning with clear standards of

personal conduct that support the home environment,

the Academy helps students develop good habits that

will continue in adulthood.

DRESS CODE

Hillsdale Academy maintains an ofﬁcial standard of

dress, complete with a school uniform that must be

worn every day. The dress code: 1) underscores the

Academy’s seriousness of purpose by encouraging

students to think of their attire as an aspect of their

work; 2) eliminates the self-consciousness and social

competition which popular fashion tends to promote;

and 3) fosters a sense of identity with the Academy.

CLASSROOM DECORUM

Students must maintain a respectful attitude in

class and respond to teachers with politeness

and deference. They must also remain quiet and

attentive during lessons and individual work. This

includes the raising of hands and waiting quietly

for permission to speak. Classes are structured

to ensure that students interact with one another

in appropriate ways. Whenever an adult enters

a classroom, all students rise and wait to be

acknowledged by the visitor.

DISCIPLINE

Hillsdale Academy has a uniform set of disciplinary

procedures, which is speciﬁed in the Student/

Parent Handbook. Teachers also take time at the

beginning of the academic year to discuss the speciﬁc

consequences of misbehavior. At the same time,

positive incentives are provided for proper behavior.

PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION

Close ties between home and school are essential

to Hillsdale Academy’s effectiveness. These ties

are strengthened through the Parents’ Association,

which plans ﬁeld trips, coordinates library volunteers

and helps raise funds for curricular projects and

extracurricular activities. Association members meet

monthly and support the Academy’s mission.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Special programs are held throughout the academic

year to bring the entire Hillsdale Academy family

together in celebration of individual accomplishments

and a shared cultural heritage.

HONOR CEREMONIES

After the issuance of each set of report cards,

superior academic achievement is recognized in a

formal honor ceremony. Certiﬁcates are presented

to students who have qualiﬁed for the honor roll,

headmaster’s list and outstanding achievement

awards. Each autumn, selected seventh and eighth

graders are inducted into the National Junior Honor

Society, and selected tenth through twelfth graders

are inducted into the National Honor Society.

Admission to these societies reﬂects academic

accomplishment, as well as service, leadership and

similar characteristics essential to good citizenship.

GRADUATION

Graduation ceremonies for the twelfth grade are

held at the end of the third trimester. The ceremony

includes songs, readings and recitations as well as

speeches to the class from the headmaster, a guest

speaker and the class valedictorian. Each graduating

senior is given individual praise as time permits. The

ceremony is formal as beﬁts the occasion.

Student/Parent Handbook

MISSION AND PHILOSOPHY

HILLSDALE COLLEGE MISSION STATEMENT

illsdale College is an independent, nonsectarian institution of higher learning founded in 1844 by men

and women “grateful to God for the inestimable blessings” resulting from civil and religious liberty and

“believing that the diffusion of learning is essential to the perpetuity of these blessings.” The College

pursues the stated objectives of the founders: “to furnish all persons who wish, irrespective of nationality,

color, or sex, a literary and scientiﬁc education” outstanding among American colleges and “to combine with this such

moral and social instruction as will best develop the minds and improve the hearts of its pupils.”

The College considers itself a trustee of modern man’s intellectual and spiritual inheritance from the Judeo-Christian faith

and Greco-Roman culture, a heritage ﬁnding its clearest expression in the American experiment of self-government under law.

By training the young in the liberal arts, Hillsdale College prepares students to become leaders worthy of that

legacy. By encouraging the scholarship of its faculty, it contributes to the preservation of that legacy for future

generations. By publicly defending that legacy, it enlists the aid of other friends of free civilization and thus secures

the conditions of its own survival and independence.

HILLSDALE ACADEMY MISSION STATEMENT

Hillsdale Academy develops within its students the intellectual and personal habits and skills upon which responsible,

independent and productive lives are built, in the ﬁrm belief that such lives are the basis of a free and just society.

The Academy strives to offer enrichment and to develop character through both curricular and extracurricular

offerings, to nurture the child’s humanity—spirit, mind and body—with a constant view to the potential adult. The

time-honored liberal arts curriculum and pedagogy direct student achievement toward mastery of the basics,

exploration of the arts and sciences, and understanding of the foundational tenets of our Judeo-Christian and Greco-

Roman heritage. The curriculum, by purpose and design, is a survey of the best spiritual, intellectual and cultural

traditions of the West as they have been developed and reﬁned over countless generations.

HILLSDALE ACADEMY LIBRARY MISSION STATEMENT

The Hillsdale Academy Library seeks to be a repository of knowledge and wisdom by acquiring, maintaining and

offering its students the best works of the Western liberal arts tradition. The library is thus at the center of the

Academy’s mission, a place for students as responsible individuals to discover, explore and begin their own dialogue

with that tradition. Faithful to the liberal spirit of that tradition, the library promotes research and reading in an

environment conducive to contemplation and seeks to foster worthy and age-appropriate leisure reading.

HILLSDALE ACADEMY EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY

Hillsdale Academy represents a partnership among the students, parents, faculty, administration and staff. These

partners are united in their commitment to the common objectives outlined in the Mission Statement.

Students and parents respect Hillsdale Academy

teachers, as role models and instructors, for their

commitment to truth and their genuine concern for

children. Intelligence, creativity, responsibility and

loyalty are characteristics of the faculty.

Parents expect and appreciate direct and regular

communication from faculty regarding their children.

Reciprocally, parents are responsive to suggestions

from teachers and administrators for helping students.

The headmaster, under the authority of

Hillsdale College’s president and provost, oversees

the implementation of the Mission Statement in

the school. In their capacities as policy-makers and

community leaders, these administrators advance the

Academy’s role as an institution dedicated to providing

the best education for children.

Hillsdale Academy recognizes each child as

an individual who, by virtue of his humanity, is in

community with all the other children in the Academy,

regardless of age. By providing moral and ethical

standards, the Academy prepares its students to

accept the privileges and responsibilities of American

citizenship and to honor and respect their Maker.

Every child is capable of achieving his potential to

the fullest extent when afforded respect, fairness,

kindness, discipline and appropriate instruction.

HILLSDALE ACADEMY PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION

All parents of Hillsdale Academy students are members

of the Parents’ Association, which exists to promote

friendly relationships among parents, to acquaint them

with the spirit of Hillsdale Academy, to obtain their

cooperation with its objectives for the development of

their children and to initiate the parents’ involvement

in, and support for, projects and functions which aid the

Academy academically, socially and ﬁnancially.

The mission of the Hillsdale Academy Parents’

Association is:

1. To help the Academy communicate with parents.

2. To help the parents understand the fundamental

premises upon which the Academy functions.

3. To help schedule, promote and host student and

parent activities.

4. To welcome new parents into the Association and to

instill in the new parents the need for their continued

involvement in and support of the Academy.

5. To encourage pride in the children and in the

Academy.

6. To assist the Academy in promoting its reputation

in the Hillsdale community.

STATEMENT OF RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION

Hillsdale College’s Judeo-Christian tradition broadly

guides the course of study and instruction at Hillsdale

Academy. The Academy offers instruction based

upon traditional, nondenominational biblical beliefs,

values and virtues that seek to develop those qualities

of life characteristic of man’s understanding of his

relationship to his Creator and his place in the world.

A weekly service conducted by the College

Chaplain and the headmaster addresses the spiritual

needs of the Academy’s students through Scripture, a

homily, prayer and song. Parents are encouraged to

participate in these services.

HILLSDALE ACADEMY PRAYER

Almighty God, we beseech Thee with Thy gracious

favor, to behold our universities, colleges and schools,

especially Hillsdale Academy and our headmaster, that

knowledge may be increased among us, and all good

learning ﬂourish and abound. Bless all who teach and

all who learn, and grant that in humility of heart they

may ever look unto Thee, who art the fountain of all

wisdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ENROLLMENT

Parents of students already attending Hillsdale

Academy are contacted ﬁrst and allowed to re-

enroll their children by submitting a non-refundable

deposit of $200 by March 14. Application materials

are then made available at the Academy’s front

ofﬁce to parents who seek admission of students

new to the Academy. Interviews with these families

are conducted, after which notiﬁcation of each new

candidate’s status is made. Families for whom there is

an opening also submit the $200 deposit.

TUITION AND FEES

For the 2004-2005 academic year, tuition for the Upper

School is $3,900. A separate application fee of $25

covers administrative costs of processing applications

and maintaining waiting lists.

Tuition payment plans are available. Partial

scholarship assistance is extended on a limited basis.

Scholarship application forms are available in the

Academy’s front ofﬁce on March 31 and are due by

May 2. Scholarship recipients are notiﬁed by June 18.

Parents who voluntarily withdraw their child from

Hillsdale Academy are responsible for the balance of

the tuition for the current trimester. Prorated refunds

are issued for students excused by Hillsdale Academy.

Parents are advised before the opening of school

each year as to the cost of the school lunch. Similarly,

parents are notiﬁed as to school uniform requirements

and where such purchases can be made.

ACADEMIC POLICY

Upper School students at Hillsdale Academy follow

a common, college preparatory course of study.

This includes four years each of Humane Letters

(history and literature, including civics and economics

in the senior year), Latin, laboratory science and

mathematics. Foreign language instruction begins in

Grade One; students may elect to continue their study

of modern languages in the Upper School by taking

either French or Spanish. Students also complete the

following: three years of rhetoric and composition, and

two years of art, music and physical education. After

completing pertinent courses, students may elect to

take Advanced Placement examinations in United

States history, chemistry, biology, physics, calculus,

English literature, French language, Spanish language

and Latin. Eligible juniors and seniors also have the

option to enroll in courses at Hillsdale College.

GRADUATION

To receive a diploma, a student must:

1. Attend Hillsdale Academy for at least one full

academic year. Transfer credit is determined

upon admission.

2. Maintain a minimum overall grade-point average

of C- (1.67).

3. Fulﬁll a minimum attainment level of C- (1.67)

in Latin 2, Algebra 2 and American civics and

economics.

GRADING

Parents receive both interim reports and full report

cards regarding their children’s academic standing and

citizenship. Teachers give most assignments and all tests

numerical designations, which then guide the teachers

in assigning interim report and full report card grades.

Teachers in the Upper School assign letter grades

according to the following scale:

95-100% ....... A 65-69% .......... C

90-94% .......... A- 60-64% .......... C-

85-89% ......... B+ 55-59% .......... D+

80-84% ......... B 50-54% .......... D

75-79% ......... B- below 50% ... F

70-74% .......... C+

An A is deﬁned as excellent; B as above average; C

as average; D as below average; F as failing.

On the report card, a class proﬁle is included in

each subject whereby a student’s grade may be seen

relative to the median grade in the class.

Grade-point average is calculated and published on

each report. For this purpose, grades are weighted by a

coefﬁcient of the number of class meetings per week; e.g.

Latin has a coefﬁcient of 5; music has a coefﬁcient of 2.

COMMUNICATION

Apart from the normal midterm parent-teacher

conferences, teachers are asked to stay in

communication with parents regarding the quality of

student work. Parents are also invited to call teachers

during normal Academy hours or to make appointments

to discuss student work. In so doing, parents are kept

apprised of their student’s work on a consistent basis.

HONOR ROLL

Students who achieve a grade-point average of 3.0

or higher in a given marking period are placed on

the honor roll. In addition, students who achieve a

grade-point average of 3.67 or higher are placed on the

headmaster’s list.

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY

The National Honor Society was established to

recognize and encourage academic achievement

while developing service, leadership and similar

characteristics essential to citizens of a democracy.

Membership in Hillsdale Academy’s chapter of the

National Honor Society is an honor that the Academy

bestows on selected students, beginning in their

sophomore year. Members are expected to maintain

the high academic achievement and good character

which ﬁrst earned them admittance into the chapter.

ACADEMIC WARNING AND PROBATION

A student is placed on academic warning for receiving one

F or two grades of D+ or lower in a marking period. A

student is placed on academic probation for (1)

receiving two Fs or three or more grades of D+ or lower in

a marking period, or (2) being placed on academic warning

for two consecutive marking periods. Students on

academic probation may not participate in interscholastic

sports. Any student who is placed on academic

probation for an entire year must repeat that grade.

CONFERENCES

Parent and teacher conferences are held three times a

year at mid-trimester. These meetings are designated

for discussing the student’s academic achievement

and citizenship. In addition, parents and teachers are

welcome to request conferences throughout the year.

HOMEWORK

Meaningful homework assignments are an important

part of the Academy’s curriculum. Teachers assign

quality homework for each school night, within the

following guidelines:

1. Upper School students typically receive from 30

to 45 minutes of homework per course, per day.

Students at times can expect an addition to the

number of minutes needed to properly complete

required homework assignments.

2. From Friday to Monday is considered one school night

for homework purposes; however, Friday to Monday

is considered three school nights for ongoing reading

assignments, major projects and major papers.

3. Homework may be assigned during long

weekends, but it is not assigned the day of a

vacation period to be due the day classes resume.

If a student spends more time on homework

than designated above, the teacher who assigned

the homework should be promptly informed so that

corrective measures can be taken. While homework

assignments may on occasion require more than the

designated time, if a student is spending excessive

time on homework with little likelihood of satisfactory

completion, the parent should help the student ﬁnd

a reasonable stopping point and then attach to the

homework a note detailing the time spent on the

incomplete assignment. The teacher will accept the

homework and will then contact the parent to review

the circumstances. The headmaster should next be

consulted if these steps do not remedy the situation.

All homework assignments are to be completed

before the beginning of the class for which the work

was assigned. Failure to complete homework will

be dealt with according to the individual teacher’s

discretion. Teachers are required to contact parents if

three or more homework assignments are not turned

in on time during any marking period.

ARRIVAL PROCEDURES

Upper School students are to arrive at school no earlier

than 8:00 a.m. Students with a driver’s license and

written permission from parents on ﬁle in the front

ofﬁce may drive to campus. Vehicles must be parked in

the designated student parking area, and keys must be

left in the front ofﬁce to be picked up at dismissal.

Upon arrival, students should proceed to the

Academy lobby for the opening ceremony, which

begins at 8:20 a.m. This ceremony is separate from

that of the Lower School.

CHECK-OUT PRIVILEGES

Juniors and seniors in good standing may sign out for

lunch or free periods. Failure to sign in or out or tardiness

returning to class will result in this privilege being revoked.

DEPARTURE PROCEDURES

When a student is to ride home with someone other than

the customary driver, the student must turn in to the

front ofﬁce, in advance, written permission signed by the

student’s parent. The permission slip must specify both

the new driver’s name and a description of the vehicle.

Students who walk or ride a bicycle to school are

encouraged to go directly home following dismissal.

ATTENDANCE

Regular school attendance is important to a student’s

academic success and also promotes good work habits

and self-discipline. Likewise, a student who has had a

proper night’s rest is better prepared to learn than one

who is tired due to a late night. Apart from extreme

circumstances, ten absences in a given trimester will

result in the student repeating that trimester.

Parents are to report all unplanned absences

to the front ofﬁce by telephone. Students are not

to report their own absences. Students who are

dismissed from school early, for any reason, must sign

out from the front ofﬁce.

Assignments for absent students may be obtained

from the front ofﬁce between 3:30 and 4:00 p.m.

PREARRANGED ABSENCES

Upper School students who know in advance that they

will miss one or more of their classes are required to

obtain from the front ofﬁce a Request-for-Prearranged-

Absence form. The form must be ﬁlled out by the

student, signed by the student’s parent and then

submitted to the headmaster.

When deemed reasonable, the headmaster will

approve absences for medical and dental appointments,

short family trips and similar occurrences. No requests

should be made during examinations periods, however,

and extended time missed from school is discouraged. If

the headmaster approves the absence, he will sign the

Request-for-Prearranged-Absence form. The student

must then present the form to each teacher whose

class will be missed, for notiﬁcation purposes and to be

informed in writing of work which is to be made up.

In the case of an approved prearranged absence,

work may be made up by the student for full credit if

it is turned in within 48 hours.

ILLNESS

Students who become ill in class are required to

proceed to the front ofﬁce, with assistance, for

parental notiﬁcation. They will be required to remain

on campus until they are picked up by a parent. Under

no circumstances will Hillsdale Academy authorize an

ill student to drive himself or herself home.

Students who are deemed by a teacher or

administrator potentially to have a contagious illness

will be isolated from other students and will be taken

home by a parent. No such student will be permitted

to return to school until a physician’s note has been

submitted to the front ofﬁce, indicating that the

student may safely return to school.

Hillsdale Academy is able to provide only routine

ﬁrst aid for students who become ill or injured at

school. At the beginning of the school year, parents

may complete and turn in a permission card authorizing

the front ofﬁce to administer Tylenol to their child if

circumstances warrant. Prescription medicine is kept

and administered in the front ofﬁce only when the

Academy has on ﬁle a completed Medical Authorization

form signed by the student’s physician and parent. This

form is available at the front ofﬁce.

LIBRARY

All students receive library orientation in English class

during the ﬁrst week of school. At this time, students

are advised of speciﬁc library rules regarding the

use of library resources, checking out and returning

materials and appropriate library behavior.

The Academy continues to add new books to the

library and welcomes family suggestions for new pur-

chases. Students may present a book in honor of their

birthday. A bookplate bearing the student’s name will be

placed in the book and formally presented to the Acad-

emy during the opening ceremony on the student’s birth-

day. Suggested titles are available from the headmaster.

OFF-CAMPUS EDUCATIONAL

AND CULTURAL PROGRAMS

Hillsdale Academy considers off-campus education an

important aspect in the total development of each stu-

dent. Off-campus educational and cultural programs

provide students with an opportunity to use previously

acquired knowledge and skills, while gaining new knowl-

edge and skills. Academy faculty and/or administrators

are always included as chaperones on these trips.

Whenever students are off-campus on school-

sponsored trips, they are subject to the Academy’s

rules and are expected to observe the Academy’s

standards of politeness and civility.

CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINE

The role of discipline at Hillsdale Academy is to create

an environment conducive to learning. It is to provide

an atmosphere of civility in which due respect will be

given to teachers and to individual students, as well

as to all institutional and private property so that all

members of the community will be allowed to pursue

learning without distraction. In addition, discipline at

the Academy ought always to uphold the essential

virtues established in the school’s Mission Statement

and professed in its curriculum. The Academy

recognizes that requiring good conduct in school

promotes students’ education on campus, encourages

good behavior off campus and helps prepare students

for good citizenship in adulthood. Accordingly,

students will be expected to adhere to the general

rules of the school as well as those rules established

by each teacher within his or her classroom.

DISCIPLINARY ACTION

Disciplinary action usually proceeds as follows:

1. Reprimand

2. Demerit

3. Detention (after school)

4. Suspension

5. Expulsion

To ensure uninterrupted learning, Hillsdale

Academy maintains a policy of demerits and

detentions with parental notiﬁcation. The Academy’s

goal is to work closely with parents to uphold

standards of courtesy, respect and helpful behavior.

Demerits are issued for the following:

1. Improper classroom behavior.

2. Being disrespectful to an adult or child.

3. Teasing, roughhousing or ﬁghting.

4. Lying or creating a false impression.

5. Displaying conduct deemed by the teacher or

headmaster to be unbecoming of a Hillsdale

Academy student.

A student serves a detention when a third

demerit is issued. Students are relieved of all demerits

at the conclusion of each marking period. Any student

who is subject to a fourth detention during one

marking period serves, instead, a one-day suspension.

Suspended students are required to submit all missed

academic work at the beginning of the next school

day. The headmaster may suspend any student when,

in his judgment, circumstances necessitate it.

Any student who demonstrates a general

unwillingness or inability to abide by classroom or

Hillsdale Academy rules is subject to expulsion. After

meeting with parents, the student and involved faculty,

the headmaster will decide if expulsion is warranted.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

Hillsdale Academy seeks to nurture absolute respect

for intellectual property. Any willful misrepresentation

of another’s work or ideas as one’s own—cheating or

plagiarizing—will be treated with utmost gravity.

PROHIBITED ITEMS

Any introduction of a weapon, an illegal drug, tobacco,

alcohol or sexually explicit material will be treated

as grounds for immediate expulsion. Any use of the

same either at school or outside school will similarly

be treated with utmost gravity and may be grounds

for immediate expulsion.

SCHOOL UNIFORM

The Hillsdale Academy uniform seeks to achieve a

handsome, business-like appearance for students and

to free them from fashion trends and peer pressure.

The McIntyre tartan plaid was selected to pay tribute

to Academy patrons, Dr. and Mrs. Charles S. McIntyre.

The only authorized emblem on clothing is the

Hillsdale Academy emblem, which is available at the

Hillsdale College bookstore. No other decoration or

designation is allowed. Sports caps, with or without

insignia, are unacceptable.

A full description of the school uniform, including

the uniform for physical education class, may be

obtained from the ofﬁce. The uniform is to be worn

at all times during the school day and on ﬁeld trips

unless parents are otherwise notiﬁed in writing by the

Academy. Dress uniform is required every Wednesday

and on special occasions. Dress code infractions will

require that a parent bring approved clothing to the

Academy ofﬁce before a student may rejoin his class.

JEWELRY, MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLE

The wearing of jewelry is limited to plain watches

without alarms, simple neck chains, and, for girls only,

single ear studs. Neck chains and watches should

be removed for P.E. and sports. Upper School girls

may wear discreet facial makeup and clear nail polish

only. Hair is to be neat and clean. Boys’ hair should

be off the collar and of uniform length. No facial hair

is allowed. Girls’ hair should be tied back or otherwise

held off the face. If a question arises regarding the

use of jewelry, makeup or hairstyle, the headmaster

has ﬁnal authority to decide what is appropriate.

RULES FOR EXTRACURRICULAR

ATHLETICS

All students who intend to participate in any

extracurricular sport during the course of the

academic year must have one of their parents

complete Hillsdale Academy’s health form and

insurance-coverage-veriﬁcation form after May 18

of the preceding academic year. Both forms must

be turned in to the front ofﬁce before practice

begins. Students are not permitted to practice for or

participate in any athletic contest if both forms have

not yet been completed and turned in.

The headmaster and athletic director, in consultation

with teachers and coaches, determine which students are

eligible to participate on Hillsdale Academy teams and

which students are no longer eligible to participate on

Hillsdale Academy teams.

Students accepted to a team are required to abide

by the following rules:

1. It is the responsibility of students with permission

to leave early for an away game to contact their

teachers in person sufﬁciently prior to departure

to obtain work and assignments which will be

missed. Students who neglect to contact their

teachers in person will be held accountable for all

work, assignments and due dates, just as if they

had been in class, with no extensions given.

2. During games and on trips to and from games,

students are to abide by all Hillsdale Academy

rules and are to behave in such a manner as brings

credit to themselves, the team and the Academy.

3. Students who are absent from school for more

than half of the academic day on the day of a

game will not participate in that game.

4. Practice does not take place during the

academic day.

5. Students are to notify the coach of any injury or

accident which occurs to them or to another student.

6. On days when school is canceled due to inclement

weather, all practices, home games and away

games are canceled as well.

8. Students are to travel to and from games on

school-provided transportation, unless other

speciﬁc arrangements have been approved

by the coach in advance. Students are not drivers

of school-provided transportation.

9. All Hillsdale Academy athletic uniforms are to

be cleaned and returned to the Academy within

three days of the ﬁnal game of the season.

MISCELLANEOUS

MESSAGES TO STUDENTS FROM PARENTS

Messages of an emergency nature only are delivered

to students during the school day. All other messages

are delivered after the school day ends.

DELIVERY OF ITEMS BY OUTSIDE VENDORS

Students are not to disrupt the school day by ordering

and arranging for the delivery of items from outside

vendors, e.g. food, ﬂowers, balloons, etc. Parents are

asked to have such orders delivered to the students’

homes; otherwise, items delivered to the Academy will

be kept at the front ofﬁce until the end of the school day.

FOOD

Aside from the luncheon period, students are allowed

to partake of food and drink only during speciﬁed

times. When permission has been granted in a

prior announcement, students may bring food for

consumption during school events and activities

which occur after school. Otherwise, personal

consumption of food and beverages, including candy

and chewing gum, is never permitted on campus.

Under no circumstances may students keep food or

beverages at school overnight in their lockers.

LOST AND FOUND

Lost items should be reported to the front ofﬁce, and

found items should be turned in to the front ofﬁce.

TELEPHONES

Students must obtain permission at the front ofﬁce

for using the Academy’s telephone. Outgoing calls

should be of an urgent nature and should be kept

brief. Students do not have permission to bring or use

portable telephones on campus.

ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT

Students are not to bring electronic equipment to cam-

pus, except for class use as authorized by the teacher.

FIRE DRILLS

When the ﬁre alarm sounds, all students should go

quickly and quietly by class to the approved exit dis-

played in the classroom. The last person exiting the

classroom must turn out the lights and close the door.

Students should then proceed to the back of the parking

lot nearest their exit. They should stand silently while

the teacher takes attendance. When the return signal

sounds, everyone should return to class quietly. In case

of an actual ﬁre, students will remain in a designated

area on the Academy campus until they receive further

directions and parent notiﬁcation has taken place.

A copy of the ﬁre emergency procedure with

evacuation plan is posted in each classroom.

TORNADO DRILLS

When an announcement is made, all students should

go quickly and quietly by class to the approved school

location displayed in the classroom. Students should

then position themselves on their hands and knees,

facing the exterior walls. Students will be told when

to return quietly to their classrooms. In case of an

actual tornado, students will remain in their approved

locations until they receive further directions and par-

ent notiﬁcation has taken place.

A copy of the tornado emergency procedure with

evacuation plan is posted in each classroom.

INCLEMENT WEATHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Delayed openings and school-day cancellations are

generally announced by 6:30 a.m. on local radio

stations WCSR (1340 AM and 92.1 FM) and WMXE

(102.5 FM) and on WILX (TV Channel 10). Parents and

students are requested not to call the Academy ofﬁce

or Academy personnel for this information.

VISITORS

All visitors, including parents, must report to the front

ofﬁce prior to entering classrooms. Former students

and guests must have prior approval from the

headmaster in order to visit during the school day.

AN AFFIRMATION

The Afﬁrmation Statement is read at orientation prior to the start of each school year. Each family is asked to sign a

written copy of the statement, thus afﬁrming their support of the Academy’s mission and policies.

We the families and staff of Hillsdale Academy afﬁrm the following:

THE ACADEMY MISSION STATEMENT:

Hillsdale Academy develops within its students the intellectual and personal habits and skills upon which responsible,

independent, and productive lives are built, in the ﬁrm belief that such lives are the basis of a free and just society.

The Academy strives to offer enrichment and to develop character through both curricular and extracurricular

offerings, to nurture the child’s humanity—spirit, mind and body—with a constant view to the potential adult. The

time-honored liberal arts curriculum and pedagogy direct student achievement toward mastery of the basics,

exploration of the arts and sciences and understanding of the foundational tenets of our Judeo-Christian and Greco-

Roman heritage. The curriculum by purpose and design is a survey of the best spiritual, intellectual and cultural

traditions of the West as they have been developed and reﬁned over countless generations.

ACADEMY LIFE (FROM THE HILLSDALE ACADEMY EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY):

Students and parents respect Hillsdale Academy teachers, as role models and instructors, for their commitment to truth

and their genuine concern for children. Intelligence, creativity, responsibility and loyalty are characteristics of the faculty.

Parents expect and appreciate direct and regular communication from faculty regarding their children. Reciprocally,

parents are responsive to suggestions from teachers and administrators for helping students.

The headmaster, under the authority of Hillsdale College’s president and provost, oversees the implementation of the

Mission Statement in the school. In their capacities as policy-makers and community leaders, these administrators

advance the Academy’s role as an institution dedicated to providing the best education for children.

By providing moral and ethical standards, the Academy prepares its students to accept the privileges and responsibilities

of citizenship in a democratic society that honors and respects its Maker. Every child is capable of achieving his potential

to the fullest extent when afforded respect, fairness, kindness, discipline and appropriate instruction.

THEREFORE WE SUPPORT the Mission Statement as it is expressed in the curriculum and school culture of the

Academy. We uphold the Student/Parent Handbooks. This includes support of the high academic standards of our

school; the uniform code; the code of discipline; the code of good sportsmanship in athletics; and a general culture of

respect for the administrators, teachers and students of Hillsdale Academy.

Signed:

Date:

Faculty Handbook

t is expected that all teachers are familiar with and understand the content of the Hillsdale Academy Faculty

Handbook and the Hillsdale Academy Parent Handbook prior to their signing and accepting an annual contract of

employment. The formal signing of the contract will witness this fact.

Each Handbook is subject to alteration without previous notice by the headmaster of the Academy or the

provost of the College. In each instance, such changes will be formally communicated to the faculty in a timely manner.

MISSION AND PHILOSOPHY

HILLSDALE COLLEGE MISSION STATEMENT

Hillsdale College is an independent, nonsectarian institution of higher learning founded in 1844 by men and women

“grateful to God for the inestimable blessings” resulting from civil and religious liberty and “believing that the

diffusion of learning is essential to the perpetuity of these blessings.” The College pursues the stated objectives of the

founders: “to furnish all persons who wish, irrespective of nationality, color, or sex, a literary and scientiﬁc education”

outstanding among American colleges and “to combine with this such moral and social instruction as will best

develop the minds and improve the hearts of its pupils.”

The College considers itself a trustee of modern man’s intellectual and spiritual inheritance from the Judeo-

Christian faith and Greco-Roman culture, a heritage ﬁnding its clearest expression in the American experiment of self-

government under law.