VIRTUAL CLASSROOM DEPORTMENT

A. General School Rules and Regulations

1. Each student must have a copy of this Students’ Handbook on Online Distance
Learning– to carefully and conscientiously read, understand, study and follow.
2. At the start of each school year, the Principal, with the help of the Guidance
Counsellor and Class Adviser, will orient the students with the rules and regulations
of the school.
3. All teachers and school personnel who witness any violator have the authority to
confiscate the ID of the erring pupil/student and report the same to the proper office.
4. The Principal, Guidance Counsellor and/or the Prefect of Discipline may request for
a conference with parents/guardians regarding the misbehavior or poor academic
performance of the pupil/student. The parent/guardian may also seek an
appointment with the proper school authorities should they have concerns with
regard to the behavior or performance of his/her child.
5. The Class Adviser, in consultation with all the subject teachers, shall rate the
pupil/students's Character Education/Conduct in his advisory class. Subject teachers
may submit incidental reports of cases in consideration of the pupil/student's
conduct.
6. Regular academic synchronous classes are held from Mondays to Thursdays.
Asynchronous completion of tasks, homeroom instructions and formation activities
will be held every Friday.
7. The dismissal time may change as the need arises. The class adviser will make sure
the pupils/students are well-informed regarding changes in schedules.

B. Other School Rules and Regulations on Online Distance Learning

B.1. Identification Cards

The School ID is issued at the beginning of every school year and is part of the uniform.
To provide security of online community of learners in the virtual campus, all learners
are required to wear their ID’s during online classes at all times.\

ID pictures of old students from School Year 2019-2020 will be re-used on their ID for
School Year 2020-2021. New students will have to submit their scanned 2x2 photo for
their ID’s this school year.

Lost ID
Any learner who loses his/her ID will be issued a temporary ID, which will only be good
for five (5) days, upon application with the school registrar. Affidavit of loss will be
required before a change of ID will be accommodated.

Replacement of Lost ID
Lost ID which is not found within five (5) days will be replaced. A fee of Php 500.00 will
be charged for each replacement.
B.2. School Uniform
The School will require the learners to be in their uniform during online classes from
Mondays to Thursdays to instill discipline, mentally prepare them for class and break
down students’ economic class barriers.

Daily Uniform for Boys

Preschool to Grade III

• Light blue polo with school logo
• School ID with MCA ID Lace

Grade IV to Junior High School

• Light blue polo with school logo
• School ID with MCA ID Lace

Senior High School

• White long sleeves, maroon blazer with school logo, beige checkered tie, black socks
and black leather shoes
• School ID with MCA ID Lace

Daily Uniform for Girls

Elementary
• White blouse with collar, blue necktie with school logo
• School ID with MCA ID Lace

Junior High School

• Light blue short sleeve blouse, light blue necktie with school logo.
• School ID with MCA ID Lace

Senior High School

• White long-sleeved blouse with ribbon and school logo on the left chest, maroon
blazer with school logo on the left chest
• School ID with MCA ID lace

Wash Day on Fridays

Learners are free to wear any comfortable clothes they prefer during our Flexi Fridays.
However, the following should NOT be worn inside the virtual classroom:
• For Girls: fancy hairdos, hair colors, valuable jewelries, tattoos, heavy make-up,
tongue piercing. Girls are discouraged to wear mini-skirts, shorts, tube tops, blouses
with plunging necklines or bare back, midrib tops and the likes.
• For Boys: inappropriate haircut such as mohawk, undercut, skinhead and the likes,
hair color, ear or tongue piercing and tattoos.
B.3. Haircut/Hairstyle
1. The required regular cut for boys is 2x3. Any modification is not allowed.
2. Regular checking of haircut is done weekly.
3. Hair must be combed neatly; fringe or bangs should not cover the eyes.
4. Hair longer than shoulder-length should be tied or braided for the female.
5. Hair must not be highlighted or dyed.

B.4. Attire/Grooming
1. Good grooming must be observed at all times.
6. Wearing of heavy make-up, nail polish, expensive jewelries such as dangling
earrings, bangles, hair wigs and other fancy sunglasses are not allowed.
7. Unnatural body marks or paints, body piercing like permanent tattoos are strictly
prohibited.
8. Piercing and wearing of earrings is strictly prohibited among the male students.

B.5. Attendance
1. Students should attend all scheduled synchronous online classes regularly and on
time.
9. A learner who has been absent must present an excuse slip to the class adviser
duly signed by the parent/guardian. In case of illness, a medical certificate should
be presented with the excuse slip. Failure to comply with this requirement will be
enough reason to mark the learner’s absence unexcused. A learner without
excuse letter will seek for an admission slip from the Office of Prefect of Discipline.
10. Learners guilty of cutting classes cannot make up for activities or quizzes missed
in that class.
11. Attendance to online school activities is a must. Learners who miss any official
program set by the school will be marked absent.
12. As much as possible, medical and dental appointment of learners must be made
outside of school hours so as not to interfere in their school attendance except in
cases of medical emergency.
13. When the number of hours lost by absence of a student reaches 20% of the
school days, he shall be officially dropped off from the enrollment list upon proper
notice to such student and his/her parents and/or guardians.

B.6. Prayers and Hymns

1. Online classes start off and end with a prayer.
14. Learners should maintain an atmosphere of reverence and respect during prayer
and singing of hymns. Disrespect and rowdy behavior during prayer and singing of
hymns will be considered a misconduct.

B.7. Flag Ceremony

1. Flag ceremonies are part of the routine at the beginning of every online classes.
15. Everyone is expected to have the mastery of the following:
· Philippine National Anthem
· Panunumpa sa Watawat ng Pilipinas/Panatang Makabayan
 · MCA Vision/Mission/Goal/Philosophy
· Core Values
· Imus Hymn

C. OTHER HOMEROOM RULES

1. Learners are prohibited from going in and out of the virtual classroom during class
hours.
16. Order and discipline should be observed at all times.
17. Eating is not allowed during online class hours except during break time and
recess period.
18. Learners should observe utmost courtesy and good manners in dealing with fellow
students, faculty and all school personnel in the virtual campus.
19. There is no strict separation between boys and girls. However, communication
must be limited to the demands of the right conduct and good behavior.
20. Learners who display repeated disruptive behavior in a manner that interrupts the
online learning process will be dealt with as prescribed by the Code of Discipline.
21. Playing with other gadgets during online classes is strictly prohibited. Learners are
expected to behave in a manner as they should in in-person classes.
22. As learners in a Christian school, everyone is expected to behave in a Christian-
like manner. Everyone should use refined speech at all times and refrain from
using profanities.

C.1. Chapel Hour

1. Chapel Hour is a part of the curriculum in Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao and
Guidance Program. As such, learners are required to attend regardless of their
religious affiliations and belief.
23. Every learner of MCA is required to secure his/her own Bible.
24. Leaners should maintain an atmosphere of respect and reverence during Chapel
Hours.

C.2. Access to Virtual Classrooms

1. Learners are prohibited to bring along non-students of MCA inside the virtual
classroom. With the exception of young learners from Kindergarten to Grades 3
during the adjustment period to online classes, presence of parents and/or
guardians in the virtual classroom is strictly not allowed.
25. Online classes are considered private communication between the teachers and
learners. Unauthorized audio or video recording or screenshot or screen recording
is prohibited.
26. The MCA ITSS hotline and online help desk will be available during online class
hours to assist students with concern on the use of the MCA Online Learning
Zone.

C.3. Means of Communication

1. Language – Since the medium of instruction in most subjects is English, learners
are highly encouraged to speak in English. However, they should also develop the
ability to communicate perfectly in Filipino.
27. Online Bulletin Boards - Official school announcements will be posted on the
online bulletin board in the Angels’ Portal.
28. School Memoranda and Return Slips – Memoranda on different school activities
will also be sent through e-mail or through the personal account of the learners in
the Angels’ Portal. An online return slip should be signed and sent back to the
teacher the following day as proof that parents have been informed of such
activities.
29. Text Blasts- Information dissemination of important school announcements can
also be done through text blast system to the cellphone number you have provided
the School upon enrollment. The parents and/or guardians have the responsibility
of updating the School Registrar with their current contact numbers to continue to
receiving alerts and announcements from the School.
30. Correspondence- Should parents and/or guardians wish to contact the School for
any concern, a correspondence mechanism is available in the Angels’ Portal.

C.4. Parents’ Supervision and Support to Learners’ Online Distance Learning

In Online Distance Learning, parents and/or guardians will play a very important role in
the success of online classes by providing a home atmosphere that is safe, secure and
conducive to learning. In an environment where the learner is independent from the
presence of an instructor, school-home partnership is more crucial than ever. Thus, the
School highly encourages parents and/or guardians to be actively involved in the online
schooling of the learner by:

1. preparing the child for a regular school day.

31. providing a dedicated learning space that is safe, uncluttered and quiet.
32. making sure that the child follows routines as scheduled.
33. clearing the child from any household chore and responsibility during online class
hours
34. making sure that the child completes academic work as best as possible.
35. being ready to assist should there be technical difficulties on the child’s end.

For young learners from Pre-School to Grade 3, adult supervision is highly required.
That may not be the case for learners form Grade 4 to Grade 12 where they are
independent enough to engage in online classes by themselves.

However, the school is fully aware that assisting the child in online schooling would be
tasking for parents and guardians. The School highly encourages any adult who is
responsible of child care to, not necessarily be technologically savvy but, learn the
basics of operating the computer or any gadget to be used in online classes, ins and
outs of the MCA Online Learning Zone.

Recognizing these demands, the School will make sure that parents, guardians or any
adult responsible for child care be given adequate training on how they can be of help to
our learners weeks before the school year opens.
The MCA ITSS will be readily available during online class hours to assist parents and
students regarding technical glitches. The School encourages the parents and
guardians to reach out to the school through proper channels (ie. hotlines, private
messages or email) to raise any concern regarding the education of your child.

Restrictions for Parents

1. Parents and guardians are strictly prohibited from interrupting online classes.
36. Parents and guardians are not allowed to pull out their child from the classes for
any reason except in cases of emergency.
37. Teachers, as the persons in authority in the virtual classroom, must be accorded
the respect and civility due to them. Parents and guardians are not allowed in any
way to interfere with the teacher’s instruction during class hours. Any disrespect
directed against any member of the School’s teaching staff will not be tolerated
and will be dealt with accordingly.
38. Parents and/or guardians are not allowed to talk or confront with the teacher or to
any learner in the virtual classroom.
39. Parents and guardians must ensure that there will be no pets or any distractions in
the child’s learning space.
40. The teacher-in-charge will call the attention of parents and guardians who will
deliberately cause repeated disruption of online classes.

Follow-Up and Feedback

1. All official communication to the School can be done through the School’s hotlines
and the Angels’ Portal. Contacting the teachers directly through their personal
Facebook account and their personal mobile phone is strictly prohibited.
41. Parents and/or guardians who wish to discuss their children’s progress may do so
by making an appointment with the teacher through the learner’s account in the
Angels’ Portal. Conference with teachers should be done after classes or during
free periods after making prior appointment.
42. Parents and guardians are expected to observe common courtesy and civility to
the teaching and non-teaching staff of the School in all forms of communication.
The School will not tolerate disrespectful behavior towards any member of the
school community.
43. Parents and guardians are encouraged to maintain an open communication line
with the School through our feedback mechanism in the Angels’ Portal, private
messaging in the official Facebook Page of Maranatha Christian Academy of Imus
and through our official hotlines within office hours. Inquiries, comments,
complaints and feedback must all be channelled through these platforms.

C.5. Complaints/Grievance
1. Learner-initiated complaints against a faculty may be coursed through the Office of
the Student Affairs through a written complaint.
44. Learner-initiated complaints against any member of non-teaching staff may be
brought to the attention of the School Administrator.
45. Parent-initiated complaint against faculty staff may be coursed through the
Principal’s Office.
46. Learner-initiated complaints against another learner may be made through the
Office of the Prefect of Discipline.

D. Guidelines on the Suspension of Classes

D.1 Automatic Suspension of Class

Online classes, as indicated below, shall be automatically suspended without need of any
announcement in the following situations pursuant to CHED M.O. No. 42 S.1996 DECS
Order No. 68 S. 1998:
• Where typhoon SIGNAL No. 1 is raised by PAGASA, classes at the Preschool shall be
automatically suspended.
• Where typhoon SIGNAL No.2 is raised by PAGASA, classes in the Preschool,
Elementary and Secondary levels are automatically suspended.
• Where SIGNAL No.3 is raised by PAGASA, classes in all levels shall be automatically
suspended. However, when the conditions may be dangerous for students to go to
school, the MMDA, Mayor and School Heads have the authority to decide to suspend
classes provided that proper coordination is done with the DepEd.
• Where the rains are heavy, causing floods in the community and in the area of the
school, classes in the schools affected are automatically suspended.
• Where other calamities such as floods, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes have
occurred and have seriously damaged the homes of families in the community and
probable recurrence of such calamities is declared by proper authorities, classes in all
levels are automatically suspended.

D.2 Suspension of Classes in Special Cases

1. Announcement by DepEd Regional Director- As a matter of priority, the
suspension, cancellation and/or postponement of classes in a particular region, if it
is region-wide, shall be announced by the Regional Director after consultation with
superintendents and local government officials.
47. Announcement by the School Heads/Principal- In cases where conditions
endanger the lives, health and safety of pupils, students, teachers and personnel,
School Heads and principals in affected areas may use their discretion in
suspending classes.
48. Announcement of Local Government Officials- In extreme cases such as floods,
high tide, lahar, earthquakes, etc., the chief executive of the local government unit
concerned may cancel classes in his particular area and later on, inform the
highest school officials in the said area.

In cases of massive brownouts, flood, earthquake or any fortuitous event that may affect
and hamper the internet connection fo the School, class suspension will be called by the
School Administrator.

D.3. Minimum Number of School Days

Parents/guardians and teachers are reminded that the mandated minimum number of
school days for the school year shall be considered especially in holding make-up
classes to offset the days when classes are suspended.
D.4. Lifting of Suspension of Classes
Whenever classes shall have been ordered suspended for more than one (1) day, the
lifting of such order or suspension shall be made by the following:
1. The Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education/Secretary of education,
when suspension of classes is nationwide.
49. The Regional Director, when the suspension of classes affected some schools or
divisions in the region or the entire region.
50. The School Heads/Principals/Executive of Local Government unit where
suspension of classes affects particular schools.

The lifting of suspension of classes shall be made on or before but not later than
4:30AM on the day when regular classes are to be resumed. All media, social media
and other available ways of information dissemination shall be utilized in announcing
the resumption of classes to the public.