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FAQ

Is Foothill Adventist Elementary School accredited?

 

Foothill Adventist School is accredited by the Council for Private School Accreditation. We also have a Certificate of Evaluation from the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. In addition, the church office of education also operates a comprehensive accrediting process to maintain a high standard of excellence in all Adventist schools. If you're interested in a particular Adventist school, feel free to contact that school and ask to be put in touch with students and parents who attend that school to get a sense of what the education is like. We think you'll find, as an ongoing study is finding, that on average Adventist schools are better places to learn than any other.


Where is the school located?
The school is at 1991 Landess Avenue, Milpitas, CA 95035. Click here for driving directions.


How do I enroll my child?
Please read the Application & Registration page.


Do I have to be a member of the church for my child to attend?
No. We encourage all faiths and beliefs to take advantage of our quality educational program.


What are the uniform requirements for school? What happens if my child does not have a uniform?
School uniforms are a requirement at Foothill Adventist. See the Uniforms page for further details.

Your child will not be allowed to attend class without a uniform.

Outerwear (jackets and sweaters) should be as close as possible to school colors (Hunter Green or Navy Blue). No other colors will be allowed.
Uniforms of the approved color and style may be purchased at Merry Mart uniforms.


What supplies does my child need for class?
Click here to see each classroom supply requirements.


What are school hours?
Classes begin at 8:00am. All students must report to the gym for opening exercises at 7:55am. School will dismiss at 3:15 P.M. on Monday - Thursday, and at 12:00 P.M. on Friday.


What happens if I cannot pick up my child on time?
Your child will be placed in After School care on a emergency basis. A $10 fee will be assessed for this service.


Who do I call if my child is sick?
Please call the number on the top of this page and let the Office Administrator know that your child is absent and the reason.


How much is tuition and other fees?
Please review our Tuition & Fees page for details.


Can payments be made online?
Absolutely! Go to our Pay Online page to pay tuition and other fees. Donations can be made there too.


Can I pay tuition and fees online by credit or debit cards?
Foothill accepts checks only online for tuition and fees. Foothill is a non-profit organization which operates on a lean budget. Consequently, it would rather invest more funds into school programs that would otherwise be used to pay credit or debit card transaction fees.


Why is Foothill so affordable?
The cost to attend Foothill may seem high but the value in terms of safety, nurture, academics and other facets which make your child successful is immeasurable. Foothill is a private school operating as a non-profit 501(c) 3 corporation. It therefore strives to make the tuition and fees affordable. Some factors to be mindful of:


Does the school have a lunch program and how much does it cost?

The school offers a nutritious lunch with a varied meny for $4/meal for grades K-4, and $5/meal for grades 5-8. Meal tickets may be purchased from the office in either a 10-packs. You will be notified when your child has only 3 tickets left. Click here to learn more about the lunch program.


Is there an after school program and how much does it cost?
Yes. Before school and Aafter School care are available. Please view our Tuition & Fees page for rates. Hours are: Before School 6:30AM -  7:30am. After school 3:30pm - 6:00pm. Important: Please pick up your child before 6:00pm. A $15 fee will be accessed from 6:01pm to 6:15pm. After 6:15pm, a $1 per minutes fee will be assessed.



Iowa Tests of Basic Skills(ITBS)
 
What type of test is the ITBS?
The Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) is a nationally standardized, norm referenced test (NRT).
 
What does “nationally standardized” mean?
A nationally standardized test is a test that is administered to each test-taker in the same way across a specified reference population (e.g., age groups, grade groups, etc.). Therefore the score interpretations are based on a comparison of the test taker’s performance to the performance of other students in the nation.
 
What is a norm-referenced test (NRT)?
It is a NRT because it compares the results to other students' abilities rather than to a set criteria. Thus, the ITBS allows educators to get a look at the performance of their students in relation to the rest of the nation. A NRT is designed to highlight achievement differences between and among students.
 
How valid and reliable is the ITBS?
The ITBS was developed at the University of Iowa and is based on over seventy years of on-going research.
 
What does the ITBS measure?
The ITBS measures the skills and achievement of students from grade three through grade eight and provides an in-depth measure of important educational objectives. It also yields reliable and comprehensive information both about the development of students’ skills and about their ability to think critically. It measures students against their peers.
 
Test subjects in the ITBS are reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies and science. At Foothill it is administered during the first quarter of the school year to students in grades three-eight.
 
What is a national percentile rank (NPR) score?
A national percentile rank score compares the achievement of a student or a group of students to the achievement of a national sample of students who are in the same grade and who were tested at the same time of the year (fall, midyear, or spring). For example, if a student earned a percentile rank of 72 on the science test, it means she scored higher than 72 percent of the students in the group with which she is being compared.
 
What do the Grade Level Equivalent Scores mean?
Most people believe that a student who is in the third month of third grade (3.3) and scores at the fifth grade, third month (5.3) is two years ahead in his/her work, and capable of doing 5th grade work. What this actually reveals is that if a student at 3.3 and a student at 5.3 sat next to each other and took the same test (the third grade test) the third grader would be doing as well as the fifth grader on that third grade test. It does not mean that a student is two years ahead, but that she is performing extremely well at her grade level.
 
Are Foothill students working at or above grade level?
Our test scores indicate that very few students are performing below their grade level, some are marginal at grade level, and most are very successful or exceeding grade level expectations.
 
We interpret the results in the context of our Expected Schoolwide Learning Results(ESLR's). The most relevant ESLR’s are “becoming complex thinkers” and “becoming effective communicators”. Using this standards-based approach, we use the results to determine how effectively the curriculum is working to achieve the standards we have set for our students.
 
Click here to learn more about ITBS.

 
What is the minimum age for admittance to kindergarten in California?
A child shall be admitted to a kindergarten maintained by the school district at the beginning of a school year, or at a later time in the same year if the child will have his or her fifth birthday on or before September 1.

 

How does Foothill compare to other schools?

 

Adventists
 

Who are Adventists?
Click here to learn more about Adventists.



What does the name "Seventh-day Adventist" refer to?

The name "Seventh-day Adventist" refers to two core beliefs. Respecting the fourth of God's Ten Commandments, Adventists worship on Saturday, the seventh day of the week. "Adventist" refers to Jesus Christ's promise to return and take his followers home to heaven. Adventists believe in the imminent advent, or return, of Jesus Christ. You can find out more about Adventists at www.adventist.org.

 
Does my family have to be Adventist for my child to attend an Adventist school?
Absolutely not, though you and your child will gain the most benefit from Adventist education if you are a Christian or at least sympathetic with Christian beliefs.

 
Will an Adventist school try to turn my child into a Seventh-day Adventist?
At an Adventist school, students' freedom to think for themselves is respected and nurtured, and students are encouraged to learn how to make good moral decisions regardless of their creed or belief system. One key Adventist principle is that no one should be pressured into church membership, but join willingly as they choose. Children of Adventist parents only become baptized members only when they are old enough to make the decision consciously and responsibly.