EDUCATION CODE - Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada

393 Pages·2014·2.76 MB·English

by  Brandy Perkins

EDUCATION CODE

for

Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada

SDA Church in Canada
Office of Education
1148 King Street East
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 1H8

Revised December 2018
INTRODUCTION

The purpose of the Code is to assist those in areas of administrative responsibility and to serve as the chief
source of information for educational data. Divisions 1000-5000 deal with Organization and Administration,
Curriculum, Students, Personnel, and Finance respectively.

While there are certain requirements that provide identification of a Seventh-day Adventist education
system, there are also guidelines and recommendations which permit the union conference and/or the
conference boards of education to adapt according to specific needs.

The Code consists of voted policies and guidelines to promote and uphold the mission of Seventh-day
Adventist education.

It is the intent of the SDA Church in Canada Office of Education that the Code assist Seventh-day Adventist
educators, administrators, and constituents in understanding the operational procedures of the system of
Seventh-day Adventist education and in reaching the goals and objectives that the church has for its
schools.

To keep this Code current, it must be updated regularly. Decisions relating to updating the code are made
at the North American Division (NAD) and Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada Offices of Education.

The following sources have been reviewed to compile this Code:

1. The North American Division Working Policy.

2. The Union Codes used by the 8 other Unions.

3. Legal Counsel.

The task of updating will be done by the SDA Church in Canada Office of Education and will be submitted to
the SDA Church in Canada K-12 Board of Education for approval and adoption.

In the North American Division, the co-ordination, supervision, and promotion of Seventh-day Adventist
Education is delegated to the constituent union conferences, each with its own office of education. Basic
education policies are established in harmony with North American Division K-12 Board guidelines. Union
conferences, in turn, are comprised of local conferences, each with its own office of education which
assumes direct responsibility for the operation and management of the approved Seventh-day Adventist K-
12 schools within their territories.

The SDA Church in Canada System of Education is comprised of the following conferences and boarding
academies:

1. Newfoundland and Labrador Mission.
2. The Maritimes.
3. Quebec.
4. Ontario.
5. Manitoba/Saskatchewan.
6. Alberta.
7. British Columbia.
8. Kingsway College.
9. Parkview Adventist Academy.
The union office of education is responsible to the SDA Church in Canada constituency in session and to
the SDA Church in Canada Board of Directors between sessions through the SDA Church in Canada K-12
Board of Education.

Note: Regarding Kingsway College and Parkview Adventist Academy

While KC/PAA operate according to the Education Code as adopted by the SDACC Board of Directors, they
are not under the auspices of a conference. References in this document to "Superintendent of
Education," and "Officers of the Conference," are understood to be read as "Principal" and "Board of
Trustees/Operating Board" when referring to these schools.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEFINITIONS
PHILOSOPHY, MISSION, AND CORE VALUES
PROMOTION OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
CRITERIA WHICH IDENTIFY THE SDA SCHOOL AS A MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH
1000
ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION
1000 SDA Church in Canada Office of Education-Education Structure
1100 Conference Education Structure
1200 School Organization and Structure
1300 School Administrative Personnel
1400 School Instructional Personnel
1500 School Non-Instructional Classified Personnel
1600 Off-Campus Activities
1700 General Administrative Policies
2000
CURRICULUM K-12
2000 Curriculum K-12
2100 Elementary School Curriculum
2200 Junior Academy Curriculum
2300 Senior Academy Curriculum
3000
STUDENTS
3000 Students
4000
EMPLOYMENT OF CERTIFICATED PERSONNEL
4000 Employment of Certificated Personnel
4100 Discontinuance of Employment
4200 Remuneration and Benefits for Certificated Personnel
4300 General Provisions for Education Personnel
4400 Employment of Classified Personnel

4500 Salaried Classified Personnel

4600 Hour-Time Classified Personnel

4700 General Provisions for Classified Personnel

4800 Conciliation and Dispute Resolution

4900 Definition of Terms

5000
SUPPORT OF EDUCATION K-12

5000 Support of Education K-12

5100 Salary and Wages

5200 Allowances and Benefits

5300 Professional Education

5400 Accounting and Operating Policies

5500 General Finance Policies

ADDENDUM

School Volunteers – Criminal Background Check

Index

Appendices
A: Manual for Application and Authorization for Senior Academy Status and
Application for Denominational Status Approval ........................................... After Index

B: Junior Academy Application, Establishment and Maintenance Guide .......... After Index

C: Pre/Junior/Kindergarten Assessment ............................................................ After Index

D: Guidelines for School Board Members.......................................................... After Index

E: Financial Information ..................................................................................... After Index

F: Guidelines for the Formation And Implementation of School Councils ......... After Index

G: Professional Growth of Teachers .................................................................. After Index

H: Playground Safety ........................................................................................ After Index

I: Employment of Retired Personnel ................................................................. After Index

J. Partners in Education (Manitoba-Saskatchewan Conference
Sample Plan) ................................................................................................ After Index
K. Personal Information Privacy Policy for Parents of Students and for
Education Employees and Volunteers Template .......................................... After Index

L. Tours Abroad Policy ...................................................................................... After Index

M. Excellence in Education Award ..................................................................... After Index

N. Administrative Allowance For Principals ....................................................... After Index

O. Welcoming, Caring, Respectful and Safe Teaching and Learning
Environment Statement ................................................................................. After Index
DEFINITIONS

Throughout this Code, the following terms have the meaning appearing below unless otherwise
specified or revealed by context:

1. “Adventist” means Seventh-day Adventist.

2. “HBA” means Health Benefits Administration.

3. “Church” means the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

4. “Code” means The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada Education Code.

5. “Conference superintendents” means the local conference’s Superintendent of Education.

6. “K-12 Board” means the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada K-12 Board of Education.

7. “SDACCEC” means the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada Executive Committee.

8. “SDACCOE” means the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada Office of Education.

9. “Days” means calendar days.

10. “Local conference K-12 board of education” includes, with respect to any local conference within
that Union that currently operates only a K-10 school system, that local conference’s K-10 board of
education.

11. “NAD” mean North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists, sometimes referred to simply as
the North American Division.

12. “NADOE” means the North American Division Office of Education.

13. “NADWP” means North American Division Working Policy.

14. “Principal” means the principal of the elementary school, junior academy, or senior academy,
whichever is applicable; the term “principal” also includes the “teaching principal” of a school that
does not have a principal in the traditional sense of that term.

15. “Union” means the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada, sometimes referred to simply as the
SDACC.

16. “Union Wage Scale” means the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada Education Worker’s
Salary Scale for K-12 Personnel.

“Working days” means, in the case of a twelve-month employee, those days upon which the employee is
regularly scheduled to work. In the case of a less-than-twelve-month employee, “working days” means not
only those days upon which the employee is regularly scheduled to work but also other days during the
summer recess when school is not in session but upon which the employee’s employing organization is
open for business.
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH IN CANADA
PHILOSOPHY, MISSION, AND CORE VALUES

Philosophy Statement

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada* recognizes God as the ultimate source of existence and
truth. In the beginning, God created a perfect humanity in His image, a perfection later marred by sin.
Through Christ and His Spirit, God determined to restore humanity from its lost state. Through the
Bible, He has revealed His will to the world, a revelation that supersedes human reason. Through His
Church on earth, He seeks the lost for His kingdom.

The basic tenets of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, as well as the inspired writing of Ellen White, are
directed toward God’s restorative plan for fallen humanity. The Church conducts its own system of
education to engender belief in these tenets, and within the context of one’s personal relationship with
Jesus Christ, and to foster a desire to share that relationship with others.

Made in God’s image, every human being, although fallen, is endowed with attributes akin to those of
the Creator. Therefore, Adventist education seeks to nurture thinkers rather than mere reflectors of
other’s thoughts; loving service rather than selfish ambition; maximum development of one’s potential;
and an appreciation for all that is beautiful, true, and good.

An education of this kind imparts far more than academic knowledge. It is a balanced development of
the whole person. Its time dimensions span eternity. In Adventist education, homes, schools, and
churches co-operate together with divine agencies in preparing learners for citizenship here on this
earth and in the New Earth to come.

Mission Slogan

Educating children and youth for time and eternity.

Mission

Seventh-day Adventist K-12 schools in Canada are dedicated to building committed Christians and
responsible citizens through
• STRONG ACADEMICS
guided by competent and caring staff who strive for excellence;
• FAMILY LIVING
nurtured in an environment where life-long friendships are formed;
• SOCIAL INTERACTION
that develops grace and poise;
• WORK EXPERIENCES
where students develop appreciation for the dignity and blessing of work;
• CHRISTIAN GROWTH
where students choose Christ as their best friend, and learn to be workers for their Saviour
while preparing for eternity;
• CHRISTIAN SERVICE
in which selfless service to others becomes a way of life.

*The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada is a part of the North American Division of the General
Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, a world church organization; and all purposes and procedures
of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada shall be in harmony with the working policies and
procedures of the North American Division and the General Conference.
Fulfilling the Mission

To fulfill “our mission” the SDA Church in Canada Office of Education will serve as a co-ordinator and
facilitator to conferences and schools by providing leadership:

1. In the development of guidelines and policies needed for administering the educational system and
program.

2. In financing and conducting needs assessment to determine curricular and other school needs and
to set union priorities.

3. In co-ordinating and facilitating the development of biblically-based, Christ centred provincial/NAD
integrated curriculum and resource materials for use in Canadian Adventist schools.

4. In promoting professional in-service for educational leadership in order to help develop teachers:

a. To be role models of competence and caring,

b. To become acquainted with curriculum textbooks and materials, and

c. To help them value rigor and excellence in scholarship attainments.

Core Values of Education

The core values of the Seventh-day Adventist education driving our mission are:

Accessibility - Seventh-day Adventist education will be accessible and affordable for all who are willing
to make Christian education a sacrificial priority.

Character - Adventist educators and students will reflect a Christlike character including self-sacrifice,
compassion, grace, honesty, integrity, and love.

Christ-Centred - Adventist schools will demonstrate that the influence of the life and teachings of Jesus
Christ permeates every aspect of the school program.

Commitment - The school community will foster an acceptance and a demonstration of a personal
commitment to Jesus Christ, the church, and fellow human beings.

Diversity - Adventist schools will promote respect for the diversity found in God’s creation as evidenced
in differences in economic status, capabilities, social backgrounds, ethnicity, physical attributes, gender,
and religion.

Excellence - Adventist education will be characterized by a commitment to achieving the highest levels
of quality in every aspect of the school’s program.

Knowledge - Adventist educators will be committed to infusing spiritual development with knowledge in
an academic environment that enables students to reach their maximum potential.

Relationships - Adventist educators are committed to the development of positive relationships with all
members of God’s family as demonstrated through a caring, loving lifestyle.

Service - Following Christ’s example, students, teachers, and the entire school family will establish a
pattern of lifelong service to humanity and to God.
Holistic - Adventist schools will provide a holistic education which emphasizes the development of
mental, physical, spiritual, and social abilities in preparation for a positive, happy life on this earth as
well as throughout eternity.