Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Do I have to complete everything in the application packet to get an interview?
We ask that you do complete the entire application. Then again, it depends on the type of information you wish to leave blank -- contact the office if we can help. The purpose is to get to know you better. Minor information can be left blank and completed at the interview, but acceptance may be effected by incomplete applications.

My husband and I work -- getting the whole family together is difficult -- do we all have to attend?
Schooling is a family decision. We want to know of the entire family's support for the decision. If for some reason one spouse or guardian can't attend, please let us know, we'll try to be flexible. During the interview, students are required to attend for testing, and middle school students also meet with the principal. Contact the office for specific questions.

Can I visit the classroom?
Yes. Out of professional courtesy to our teachers we schedule visits for formal observations that are up to 45 minutes in length. Informally, our parents are found throughout the building grading papers, making copies, helping with chapels, and much more. We want our parents to help define the character of our school.

How old must my child be to attend Preschool or Kindergarten?
Children must be 3 years old by October 1 of the enrollment year. Children attending Jr. Kindergarten need to be 5 years old by November 15 with previous Pre-K experience. Southeast Kindergarten children need to be 5 years old by October 1.

Who decides whether my child will be in the AM or PM Kindergarten class?
We know that a family's schedule is important, and we do our best in placing children in each section of Kindergarten. In the end, the school makes the decision on AM or PM. We try to balance many needs and often we have more families who want one section than can be accommodated. Therefore, placement for a certain section is not guaranteed. Complete details are covered in the enrollment interview.
 
  
Tuition

I have more than one child at Southeast. Do I pay registration fee for each one?
No. You pay one registration amount. Registration Fees are annual, non-refundable fees paid by each family. Families with more than one child at the school pay the registration rate of the oldest child only. Details are in the tuition section of the website and the financial section of the handbook.

Is tuition tax deductible?
No. The IRS does not recognize tuition as being tax-deductible. Donations to Southeast, however, where no services or products are received in exchange for the donation, are tax-deductible.

What is the best way to pay tuition?
Families can either pay the annual fee in one payment directly to Southeast, or they can pay monthly using the FACTS Tuition Management service. Contact the office for FACTS details.

How often must I volunteer?
Parents are asked to serve 40 hours per family per year (K-8 program only) or pay a $350 school service fee. There are many ways you can help the school, and we do appreciate your help. Details are in the volunteer section of the website, the enrollment packet and the volunteer section of the handbook

Day-to-Day

What is the school day?
The school day is 8:20 AM - 3:30 PM, not including special sports or music programs that occur seasonally. Preschool and Kindergarten classes are half-days; 8:20 AM - 11:30 AM, and 12:30 AM - 3:30 PM.

What time do I drop my child off before school, and pick my child up after school?
Students can be dropped off beginning at 8:00 AM, and student pick up is at 3:30. (K-8 program only). Students dropped off earlier than 8:00 AM or picked up later than 3:45 PM are subject to a $1 per minute fee.

What kind of calendar does the school use?
We follow a traditional calendar, with traditional Christmas break. We follow Douglas County's high school spring break schedule. State law requires all schools to be in session for at least 172 days. We start the last week of August and go until the end of May, unless snow days intervene. See the calendar section of this site for more details.

My family wants to take a vacation but it falls outside of your break schedule. What should we do?
Please read the attendance section of the handbook. All parents are under mandatory attendance law for the State of Colorado, and students must attend the required number of school days. Allowance is made for sick time missed, but vacations are not considered excused absences, and unexcused absences are limited. You will want to see our handbook for complete details. At the same time, we believe that family trips have value. Have fun! 
 
  
Spiritual Issues

How often will my child have Bible class?
We think Bible class occurs at recess and lunch and in the hallways, not just with a teacher and textbook. While we have daily Bible lessons, weekly Bible memory, and weekly chapel services, our hope is that learning the Bible will take place everyday, all day.

Do you have to come to church at Southeast Christian Church to enroll at our school?
No. Two-thirds of our students attend churches apart from Southeast. We ask that families agree to our statement of faith in the handbook.

Are there any discounts for members of Southeast Christian Church?
No, there are no member discounts.

What about your teachers? Where do they go to church?
All of our staff are born-again believers who have a vibrant testimony for Christ. Our staff attend area churches that support our statement of faith as written in the handbook.

How Christian are you?
According to the late C. S. Lewis, the word "Christian" has lost much of its meaning. We are believers and followers of Jesus, the Messiah, and we teach that through Jesus alone people are saved. We teach the Bible as God's word, and are unashamedly creationist. For complete details, see our handbook.

Why attend a Christian school at all?
God commands parents to raise their children in the knowledge of the Lord. His ways and commands are to be taught to children "when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. (Deuteronomy 6:7)" In others words, all the time! Southeast exists to help families with this spiritual mandate.

We have a Christian home, why not just teach a child about Christ at night and on the weekends?
We think that the eight hours a day a child spends at school should be filled with the Truth of Christ. While we don't exist to criticize the public school, we do want to provide a place where the values of the Bible are given authority. Before there were public schools, Christian schools were started to teach children to read the Bible, the most important book in the world!

We want our children to witness to other kids. Won't the schools collapse if all the Christians left?
The early years of life are the most important in setting a child's long-term direction. While a child is young and impressionable, the importance of setting a "moral compass" is imperative. In the Bible, it is the parents, especially fathers, who are commanded to raise their children, teaching them the ways of the Lord. Ask anyone who has poured concrete what is the most important step for making it strong and long lasting. They will tell you that the "curing process" is the most important. After the concrete cures, it can withstand abuse. So too our children need to be raised up in the knowledge of Christ to withstand the attacks of the world. In the end, the Lord won't ask you what you did to keep the public schools afloat, He will ask you what you did for your family!

Academic Issues

Tell me about your curriculum?
Our founder, Mr. A, used to say, "You don't teach curriculum, you teach kids." Curriculum is what is taught. Texts and materials are what you buy. We use Christian publishers such as Abeka, ACSI, and Bob Jones for many of our materials. Supplemental curriculum comes from a variety of publishers, like Standard Publishing for Bible, or Concerned Communications for Spelling. We use a secular publisher for our "Step Up to Writing" program, which has had a tremendous impact on the writing and reading skills of our students. Details are in the academics section of the handbook.

What are the classes taught at Southeast?
For our elementary school students, we teach the basic subjects like reading, math, science activities, social studies, and writing. These students learn from one teacher in one classroom for most of the day. For our middle school students, we teach Bible, Science, History, Language Arts, and Mathematics. These students learn from specialized teachers in each teacher's classroom.

What special classes are taught at Southeast?
We have Music/Drama, Art, PE, Spanish, and Technology for both Elementary and Middle School students to round out the traditional subjects.

What is your staff-to-student ratio?
Including all our specials teachers and support staff, we run a total staff to student ratio at 1 staff member for every 10-15 kids. Our classrooms run from 18-22 students.

What are your teacher's qualifications?
Southeast strives to maintain a certification ratio for classroom teachers of 90% and above. Our teachers are required to pursue ACSI certification in addition to state certification programs. Teachers still pursuing certification need to possess field appropriate degrees.

What about standardized testing?
Southeast students take the "Stanford Achievement Test" each spring. The SAT is a norm-referenced test, which is the recognized standardized test for ACSI schools and many private schools nationally. Southeast students usually perform in the top 30% of students nationally, generally achieving rankings in the 7th stanine. We have high academic standards, and yet we don't focus on academic achievement as the lone indicator of growth. Detailed testing data is available from the school office.

What is your homework policy?
We believe that students do need some independent practice. Rough guidelines: Students should do about 15 minutes per grade (3rd grade = 45 minutes) per night, up to an hour, and then study halls are provided in middle school. Our academics are rigorous, so homework length varies depending on the student. Complete details are provided in the homework section of the handbook.
 
  
Social Issues 

Is there a dress code or uniform?
We use a standardized dress code--we ask students to follow a uniform guide in the form of a dress code catalog supplied by the French Toast company. You don't have to purchase clothing from this catalog, only to dress your child according to the standardized dress code depicted in this catalog. Stop by the office to see the catalog, and see the dress code section of the handbook for details.

Are there any before-school or after-school programs?
Students can be dropped off beginning at 8:00 AM; we don't have any before-school programs for child supervision beyond that.

How well do the kids at school get along with each other?
As a Christian school we are blessed with a student population that is taught both at school and home to respect adults and each other. This is evident by the many compliments we receive from our hosts when we are on field trips. True, a Christian school is not "heaven's porch" so children still struggle from time to time, but we know of many schools who would be thankful for our struggles! When conflict occurs, overwhelmingly the response is forgiveness and restoration. For more detailed information, consult the behavior section of the handbook.

What if my child misbehaves, or I hear of another child bullying my child?
Our handbook specifically details guidelines on discipline and problem solving, and we suggest you consult it. Each teacher has consistent classroom discipline policies that are made known to students and parents. The consequences depend on the level and nature of the misbehavior. As far as bullying, even subtle bullying such as rolling of the eyes, etc. is unacceptable at Southeast. In all things, parents are asked to keep a balanced approach and communicate to the teacher when appropriate.