Health & Safety

Certification

MCA has a registered nurse on staff to help take care of our student’s health needs and injuries that may arise. In addition, we have key staff that are CPR and first aid trained. We also have a full-time trainer on staff to help with daily medical issues and emergencies.

Health Protocols

Metrolina Christian Academy is committed to the health, safety, and wellness of our school community. The following MCA Health Protocols will continue to be implemented throughout the entire campus (visitors, team members, students, etc.):

• If you are not feeling well (cough, sore throat, vomiting, etc.), please stay home and follow your health provider’s recommendations, as needed. You can return to campus after being symptom-free and fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine.
• If you are experiencing a fever, as defined by a reading above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, please stay home and follow your health provider’s recommendations, as needed. You can return to campus after being fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine.
• If you are diagnosed with the flu, COVID, or any other contagious virus, please follow your health provider’s recommendations. You can return to campus after being symptom-free and fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine.
• If a member of your household or a close contact has been diagnosed with the flu, COVID, or any other contagious virus, please monitor your health, keep a distance from the sick individual, and follow your health provider’s recommendations, as needed. You are not required to stay home unless you begin to not feel well/start experiencing symptoms.

For health-related questions, please contact our nurse Emily Holleman. 

Local Law Enforcement

We have a close working relationship with local law enforcement in the area and often have spontaneous visits from officers. We have also provided police and fire departments with details about our school campus—buildings, parking lots, playgrounds, emergency shut offs.

Emergency Drills

We regularly practice lock-down, fire, and other evacuation drills.

Security Walk

Our security team is continually patrol the campus throughout the day checking for anything that might be out of place. Our maintenance staff is also trained in security protocols and adds to the visibility of our security staff.

Sign-In System

All staff and visitors must wear a badge during school hours. Our sign-in system monitors who is coming and going. Everyone entering/exiting during school hours must sign in and out at one of the two front desk areas.

Major Crisis Reunification Plan and Procedures

In the event of a major crisis on our school campus, the following policy and procedures will provide for a safe and secure location away from the scene and enable a safe and secure transfer of the students to their parents or guardians.

• Students will be evacuated to a designated area, based on the crisis.
• Reunification Site, predetermined area based on crisis, is setup by Reunification Team.
• Parents/guardians are notified that the students have been moved to the Reunification Site.
• Parents are validated and identified upon arrival.
• Once validated, parents and guardians will be reunited with their students.
• Custodial transfer to parents/guardians is documented.
• Parent Expectations: Bring identification to check in and be patient. Reunification is a process that protects both the safety and security of the students. Reunification provides for an accountable change of custody from the school to a recognized custodial parent or guardians.
• How can you help? Stay home, stay informed, and be ready to go.

First, please remember that if there is no notification regarding inclement weather then we will operate on a normal schedule. If there is any chance of a schedule change due to inclement weather (either a delayed start or an actual school closure), these are the ways we communicate this information:

• Push notification from the Metrolina Christian Academy app (download the app or learn how to turn on Inclement Weather alerts here)
• An all-school email will be sent informing parents of the closure/delay
• We will post closures/delays on the MCA website, as well as the MCA Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram accounts
• Call MCA as we post a voicemail for Inclement Weather & School Closures: 704.882.3375 
• We publish closures/delays on WSOC, WBTV, and Spectrum News 14 television stations.

If we need to close school once the school day has begun and the weather necessitates us to change the schedule, we will send a push notification (from the MCA app) and an all-school email.

To sign out a student early, please:

1. Tell the receptionist the student's full name.

2. Show your ID for verification of authorization that you are on the students school record.

3. Sign out your student in the Student Sign Out/In Log.

4. If you bring your student back to school, please sign them back in.

All visitors to the school, including school parents, are required to stop at the front desk of either the Upper School or Lower School Office, sign the visitor log, and obtain a “Visitor/ Volunteer” Badge. 

MCA does not allow visits by students not attending our school. However, MCA does allow visits by MCA alumni. MCA reserves the right to refuse to allow anyone on campus for whatever reason before, during, and after school hours.

We encourage our community to celebrate birthdays and milestones by painting the school rock, but we ask that painting not be done during operation hours. Our campus operation hours are Monday - Friday, 7:00am-6:00pm. 

Service Animals

MCA acknowledges its responsibility to permit students, parents/guardians, family members, employees, and community members with disabilities to be accompanied by a “service animal” consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on school property or at school activities.

A “service animal” is an animal that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of assisting or accommodating a disabled person’s sensory, mental, or physical disability. The animal must be trained to engage in specific actions or tasks to assist its handler with a disability. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the individual’s disability. An animal whose sole function is as a pet or to provide comfort or emotional support does not qualify as a service animal under this regulation or law.

All Other Animals on Campus

Except for service animals, animals are not allowed on campus during school hours (i.e., solely for educational purposes approved by the Head of School). Many animals, while well-behaved normally, may act aggressively under the increased input of a school campus where students and adults are moving constantly. School hours are meant to include classroom periods, the period of time before and after school when students are entering and exiting the school, and during after-school activities when students are present.

Parents or guardians walking their animals and the student as part of the arrival or departure process must keep their animals off the school grounds. Animals remaining in vehicles while visiting the campus are not restricted except that owners should keep windows and other openings restricted to prevent children from reaching into the vehicle.