Code of Conduct
Our community environment is essential to our mission. For this reason, we seek committed Christian families who share our values. Families are expected to support our ethic of discipline in their home, permit us to teach their children in matters of faith according to our statement of faith, and keep our cultural values by observing the standards we set for clothing, music, language, and other cultural influences while at Sardis or any Sardis related functions.
Because student behavior outside of Sardis can affect the community’s ethos, we reserve the right to consider character breaches when disciplining students. Regarding media and social networking, each family is responsible for protecting our community from inappropriate language, images, or unwholesome speech. Parents are primarily responsible for disciplining students who misbehave inside and outside Sardis. On community days, we have a variety of disciplinary actions at our disposal. Our actions are limited to suspension or expulsion for actions based on outside activities. Our reason for this policy is rooted in 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’”
The Code: Respect, Order, Unity, Diligence, Honesty
The Rule: Obey right away, all the way, cheerfully, every day.
Respect
We will respect the Lord in all our actions, words, and attitudes. We do this by respecting property, adults, and other students.
Respect for property: When on-site for any reason, we expect everyone to respect the facilities.
We will walk and not run in the building.
We will not climb on furnishings or use furniture other than for what it is intended to be used for.
We will not horseplay inside the building. Outside the building, there will be no rough play, water fights (except as supervised by adults), or other activities that leave a mess, damage property, or risk injury.
We will leave everything, including the restrooms, cleaner than we found them.
We will not eat or drink without specific permission from the authority in charge.
We will not be wasteful with food, drink, or other supplies.
We understand that intentional vandalism is grounds for immediate dismissal.
We will avoid the off-limits areas of the building or grounds.
Respect for adults: We want the children of Sardis to honor the adults in the community with respectful speech and behavior.
We will not defy the correction or instruction of an authority figure.
Students will rise when adults enter the room and refer to and address adults as Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss, or appropriate title.
Students will respond cheerfully, “Yes, sir,” or, “Yes, ma’am,” when asked to do something.
Respect for others: Everyone is encouraged to think before they speak and find encouraging things to say to others.
We will not say or tolerate mean, crude, or unkind speech as it is sinful.
We will pay attention to those around us, realizing that pushing past adults or other kids, overpowering others physically or vocally, and a general disregard for those around them is rude and unkind.
Order
We will order every object and priority in accordance with the degree of love that is appropriate to it. We love what is good, hate what is evil, detest what is wrong, and adore what is right.
We commit to making time with the Lord and our family a top priority.
We commit to consuming good and edifying media and stay away from vulgar or hateful media.
We commit to honoring the Sardis technology rules listed below.
Unity
We will work tirelessly to promote unity between our families, our friends, our churches, and our community.
We will follow the principles put forth in Matthew 18 for conflict resolution no matter the circumstances.
We will respect and honor the different theological beliefs of different denominations in our community.
We will speak kindly of and to others, even when we disagree, and will not gossip at any time.
Diligence
We will be diligent in all our work at home and outside the home dedicating all our work unto the Lord.
We will work carefully and persistently with our best efforts on all our academic work, chores, athletics, and everything we do.
Honesty
We will be honest with our words and actions at all times, regardless of the difficulty of the circumstance.
We will tell the truth, even when we don’t want to and even when it is hard.
We will communicate with others honestly in all circumstances.
Technology
As a community, we embrace The Tech-Wise Family 10 Tech-Wise Commitments and expect our families to embrace these commitments to the best of their ability in a functional manner for their families. On campus, we commit to the following:
No technology (including smartwatches) or social media are allowed on campus at any time by students. If parents would like their student to have a phone on campus, it must be powered off or on silent in the student’s bag at all times. If a staff member sees or hears it, it will be confiscated and need to be collected by a parent from an administrator. In the event any technology is required, parents will be notified, and it will be supervised while on campus. This would only occur in the event of a class project in which the tutor would give specific instructions.
Dating and Relationships
As a rule, we believe that dating or romantic relationships among young adults are only wise if the couple intends to get married within two years or so. For most of our students, that is not realistic. Why do we believe this? Because everything in God’s world has a purpose, the pursuit of dating is to get married. If you’re dating to have fun, you’ve set yourself up for heartache and trouble because you have misconstrued the purpose of dating. Why two years? Because, from experience, that is about how long relationships can be sustained without moving to the next level: marriage. Within our community, any type of exclusive relationship among teens (call it dating, courting, or “special friends”) is likely to end. When it does, it often results in hurt or just plain weird feelings when they are around the other person. For these reasons, we encourage fellowship among our student body in groups. If you have a non-romantic friendship with a member of the opposite gender, that is fine. Just do not underestimate the ease with which these relationships can evolve into something more. Relationships, like dating, are the domain of the home and parents. However, as a community, we do not want to have the ethos of our community influenced by these types of relationships and place a high value on respectful boundaries and friendships between the opposite sex.
These are our guidelines in this area:
We do not allow any indication of romantic relationships, serious or in jest, to be seen in class or at community events.
Do not invade the personal space of someone of the opposite gender.
Do not isolate yourself in the building, car, grounds, or parking lot with someone of the other gender.
Do not talk to your friends about your actions outside of class in this area.
If anyone can tell you are dating, you have broken the guidelines and will be held under higher scrutiny in class and on campus.