Independent Study Program

ISP - Home School Mission Statement:

Olive Branch Christian School Independent Study Program exists to provide support, training, and accountability for Christian parent educators, along with opportunities for organized student activities.

Olive Branch Christian School Independent Study Program Information on Admission:

At Olive Branch Christian School we seek to enroll families who have clearly expressed convictions that are similar to the School’s regarding the education of Children.

The admissions process is as follows:

      I.         Attend an ISP Orientation Meeting

    II.          Fill out an application for enrollment, ISP Registration Form, and Student and Family History Form and submit the $75.00 non-refundable application fee to the school office. This enables your child’s name to be placed on the ISP roster.   Applications are received on a first come first serve basis. (Turning in the application does not ensure enrollment, it is only the first step in the enrollment process.)

III.         Schedule a student assessment with administration. Parents and administration to schedule a meeting to go over results of assessment.

IV.         Individual orientation meeting: A meeting will be scheduled to go over assessment results, necessary paperwork, registration requirements, and to answer any questions that you may have.

The following will be due at this time:

     -Course of Study for 1^st quarter

     -Registration Forms

     -Proof of HSLDA membership

     -Tuition payment

Olive Branch Christian School Independent Study Program Goals:

It is the desire of Olive Branch Christian School Independent Study Program to provide a unique environment for homeschooling families. We are a school which offers small Support Groups designed for the purpose of parent educator and student relationship and support. Our field trips, activity days, and other family-oriented activities are provided through our Support Group system. We have other all-school activities as well. We are a school whose goal it is to offer accountability and, more importantly, support to our parent educators.

ISP Program & Curriculum Overview:

Olive Branch Christian School ISP offers:
• ISP office for administrative and organizational support and information resources
• Support Groups for activities, social interaction, information, and encouragement
• Support Group Leaders for experienced leadership and encouragement
• SAT testing for grades 1^st through 8^th

• Quarterly parent educator meetings for ongoing teacher training, accountability, and encouragement

• Field Trips, and activities to build student and parent relationship while having fun and exploring our community and to widen our student’s perspective.
• Junior high activities

• Promotion ceremony with special emphasis on 8^th grade

Olive Branch Christian School ISP - Curriculum:

As a school, we do not provide curriculum for our parent educators, unless enrolled in an on-campus class. We trust God’s direction for each family, as each family and each child is unique. Since each family will approach the learning process differently, we highly encourage parent educator choice in curriculum/resource decisions. We are available to provide guidance in choosing a curriculum. Ultimately, as a school, we support our parent educators’ decisions on matters of curriculum and course of study for their children.

Additional Information about OBCS ISP

Olive Branch Christian School Independent Study Program philosophy of education:
• The Responsibility - According to the Bible, the responsibility for a child’s education rests upon the parents (Deuteronomy 6:6-9 and Ephesians 6:1-14). In areas where parents may lack necessary skill, they are responsible to learn those skills or to delegate the responsibility to another (i.e. tutor, tutorial program, etc.).
• The Process - Education has to be thoroughly and diligently implemented. Creative utilization of all available resources and flexibility of scheduling are important for maximizing individual educational opportunities.
• The Student - Each student is considered to be both a spiritual and a physical being, created in the image of God and is capable of learning, knowing, and obeying the truth of God’s Word and the laws of His creation. At the same time, each student is a social being, acting in relationship to others and having moral, intellectual, and emotional needs.

Olive Branch Christian School Independent Study Program Registration

• HSLDA membership required (Home School Legal Defense Association)

• New Family registration forms:
     New Student Information (one each new student)
     Parent-Educator Qualifications (one each parent)
     Consent to School Policy
     Immunization Records
     Report of Health Exam
     Birth Certificate
     Transfer of Records (when applicable)
     Student and Family Information Form

Requirements:
     • Four Quarterly Parent-Educator meetings

     • Quarterly Objectives for each student
     • Quarterly Paperwork (Learning Assessment or Report Card)
     • Attendance due quarterly