New Family - Hilton Head Christian Academy

25-26 NEW FAMILY GUIDE

WELCOME!

We’re so glad you are part of the HHCA community. This page is your go-to guide for getting started. Below you'll find helpful links, resources, and answers to common questions.

If you need anything along the way, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Admissions Team. You can email Laurie White or Dona Wood any time.

Be sure to check out the 2025-2026 Back-to-School Checklist for the details you need to get your school year off to a great start!

Back-to-School Checklist

START HERE 👇

Select a topic below for more information.

(1) MyHHCA

MyHHCA is our official student information system (SIS). As a new family, you will be given access to your account in June.

Within this core platform you will find:

Class Schedules & Mentor Information
Magnus: Our online health portal where you will upload health-related forms and information
Helpful Resources & Links
Grades, Assignments, & Report Cards

(2) HEALTH & WELLNESS INFORMATION | School Nurse

Magnus is the secure online portal through which HHCA collects student medical records and important release and consent forms. It can be accessed through the resources tab in your MyHHCA account.

All students must have a South Carolina Immunization certificate uploaded to Magnus prior to August 1, 2025. Out of state families are asked to make an appointment with a local physician at their earliest convenience as the SC Immunization form must be uploaded before August 1, 2025.

🩺 See below for HHCA health-related policies.

School Illness Policy

As a member of the HHCA community, it is the responsibility of parents to monitor the health of their child and to keep him/her home from school when ill to reduce spread of contagious illnesses. Students must remain home from school until they have been without vomiting, diarrhea, and fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication. Some contagious illnesses require students to have been on antibiotics for a full 24 hours before returning to school. Therefore, we ask that you notify the front office or school nurse if your child is absent from school due to illness to ensure that proper policy is followed.

South Carolina Immunization Requirements

⚠️ A current South Carolina (SC) immunization record is a condition of enrollment at HHCA.

SC immunization records must be uploaded in Magnus Health (accessed through MyHHCA) by August 1st. If your child has an out-of-state immunization record, please establish a local primary care provider in order to obtain an SC immunization record.

South Carolina law dictates that children cannot be admitted to attend any school (public, private, or parochial) or child development program without a valid SC Certificate of Immunization, a valid SC Certificate of Religious Exemption, or SC Certificate of Special Exemption. SC School Immunization Requirements can be found HERE.

Students without a valid certificate or exemption may not be allowed to attend school.

Students entering the 7th-12th grade must have a valid certificate that includes at least one (1) dose of the Tdap vaccine on or after the child’s 10th birthday. This dose of Tdap may be included as one of the doses needed to meet the requirements for Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis.

Students entering Kindergarten must have a valid immunization certificate uploaded in the Magnus Health portal via MyHHCA. This immunization certificate must include the new vaccine requirements for two doses of Hepatitis A.

Please note that SC Religious Exemption Forms can only be obtained from the Health Department.

Sports Physical Requirements for Student Athletes

As noted in the athletics section below, all students who plan to participate on a sports team must have a sports physical dated after April 1, 2025, as well as several additional signed documents.

You may access the physical form HERE. All required documents will be available via MyHHCA and the Magnus Health Portal.

Paper copies of physicals or any other forms will not be accepted. All completed forms must be uploaded to the Magnus Health Portal before the first day of practice.

Questions?

Reach out to Athletic Trainer Brett Lattire.

Medication Requirements

If a child is required to take medication during the school day (including rescue medications such as inhalers and epinephrine auto-injectors) and the parent cannot be at school to administer the medication, only the school nurse (RN), or the RN's trained designee (Unlicensed Assistive Personnel) will administer the medication.

If any medication outside of the school-issued medicine listed below is required during the school day, or on a field trip, this Medication Authorization Form must uploaded through the Magnus Health Portal (accessed MyHHCA).

School-Issued OTC Medicine:

Tylenol/Acetominophen
Advil/Ibuprofen
Benedryl
Tums/Pepto Bismal
Lubricating Eye Drops
Cough Drops
Antibiotic Cream
Hydrocortisone Cream

(3) ATHLETICS + FALL SPORTS

Students who plan to participate on any sports team during the 2025-2026 school year are required to upload a series of signed documents.

Within MyHHCA, you will have access to our Magnus Health Portal, where you will find a checklist of the documents that need to be uploaded before the first day of practice. Paper copies of these forms will not be accepted.

Physicals must be dated after April 1, 2025, to be valid for the entire 2025-2026 school year. You may access the physical form here.

If you have questions, contact HHCA Athletic Trainer Brett Lattire.

Many fall sports teams begin practicing in the spring and over the summer. If your student is interested in a fall sport, we encourage you to connect with a fall coach soon, and have included them below.

2025 FALL COACHES

cheerleading

Varsity Coach: Ashley Bezilla
Middle School Coach: Rachel Craddock

Cross Country

Coach: Aaron Mau

Football

Varsity Head Coach: Ron Peduzzi
Middle School Head Coach: Morris Fields

Volleyball

Middle School Coach: TBD
JV Coach: Heather Culbertson
Varsity Coach: Drew Dale

Questions?

Reach out to Julie Richardson.

(4) Lunch Orders

🍽️ HHCA partners with Signature Catering & Events by SERG to offer delicious, healthy meal options for lunch. Please review the information below and reach out to Mrs. Robin Smith, Cafe Supervisor, with any lunch-related questions.

The Cafe is now open for orders!

New & Returning Families: New families will need to create an Account in Boonli. Returning families need to update their student(s) profile(s) with their current grade.

SCHOOL LUNCH NEED-TO-KNOWS:

Hot and cold options are available when ordered in advance, with a variety of a la carte items available for purchase on site.
New cold a' la carte items available daily
Lunch can be ordered by the day, week, month, or semester, with discounted pricing for those enrolling in the semester plan.
To sign up for the SEMESTER MEAL PLAN, you will select Thursday, Aug 7th, on the Boonli Calendar and choose the portion size plan. No matter what day you are logging in to order the Semester Plan, you will select Aug 7th to complete the purchase.
All orders are due one full week in advance, by 5:00 PM Monday (for the following week) via Boonli, our online ordering platform.
Hot lunch meals are offered in three sizes to accommodate K-12 appetites.
Middle and Upper School students do not have lunch at school on Fridays, while "Pizza Fridays" is offered for Lower School students.
Our Cafe Supervisor, Mrs. Robin Smith, is your point of contact for missed and/or late orders, order changes, and cancellations. You can email her at rsmith@hhca.org or call the school at 843-681-2878.
For help with your Boonli account, email support@boonli.com..

‼️ Orders for the first day of school (8/7) are due by Monday, 7/28, by 5:00 PM.

‼️ Orders for the first full week of school (8/11-8/14) are due by Monday, 8/4, at 5:00 PM.

PLEASE NOTE:

If you are new to HHCA or to the Cafe lunch program, you'll need to create an account in Boonli, our online ordering platform following the instructions below:

Click here to begin.
Click "Create an Account"
Enter HHCA1 (our school's password)
Register for a new account NEW ACCOUNT
Add profiles of each person for whom you will be ordering
Click "I'm Done" & begin to order

(5) Middle School & Upper School Schedules

Middle School and Upper School families will hear from our Guidance Team over the summer.

Final schedules for all students (new & current) will be posted in MyHHCA in August.

Middle School Families:

6th, 7th and 8th grade families will hear from our Middle School Guidance Counselor, Mrs. Kayla Spangler over the summer.

In the meantime, please review this list of Middle School elective courses, then download and complete the applicable elective form below and email it to Mrs. Kayla Spangler.

This academic overview was specifically designed for rising 6th Grade families, but is helpful for all new Middle School students.

Upper School Families:

9th and 10th grade families will hear from Mrs. Megan Robbins, Director of Guidance; 11th and 12th graders will hear from Mrs. Haley Artime, College and Career Advisor.
Individual Graduation Plans (IGPs) will be discussed with your assigned Guidance Counselor.
This academic overview and this college and career presentation were specifically designed for rising 8th Grade families, but are helpful for all new Upper School students.

Questions?

Reach out to Megan Robbins, Director of Guidance

(6) 2025-2026 School Year Key Dates

(7) GETTING CONNECTED

New Parent Drop-In

Parents of new HHCA students are invited to a special drop-in on Thursday, July 31, 2025. It's a great opportunity to connect with other new parents as well as HHCA's Administrative Team and key leaders.

Questions?
Reach out to Laurie White.

Eagle Ambassadors

Eagle Ambassadors (EA) are a select group of students who enjoy helping new students transition smoothly into life at our school prior to their arrival on campus and as they become part of the HHCA community.

New families in Middle and Upper School can expect to hear from their student's assigned EA during the summer in hopes they can connect prior to coming to school in August.

EAs in Middle and Upper School will attend Orientation on August 6th and help their assigned new student become familiar with where to go and what to do on their first day of school.

Questions?
Reach out to Laurie White.

New Student Touch Points (MS/US)

The Guidance Team loves getting to know our new students so they can help connect them with others who share similar interests and learn how to best serve this VIP group throughout the year.

Upper School

Coffee With The Counselors | Week of August 18

Middle School

New MS Student Chick Fil A Lunch | Wednesday, August 13

Questions?
Contact Megan Robbins, Director of Guidance

Parent Teacher Fellowship (PTF)

All parents are members of HHCA's Parent Teacher Fellowship (PTF). Each grade has an assigned HHCA Grade Rep who serves as a communicator and guide throughout the year.

learn more + find your PTF grade rep here

Clubs

Numerous clubs are available for students to plug in and explore interests. During orientation, HHCA Clubs will be on display for a sneak peek.

View HHCA clubs here

Athletics Booster Club

Our Athletics Booster Club is a great way to plug in to Eagle Nation. Annual memberships renew at the beginning of the school year and offer athletic event entry and more. Volunteers support HHCA athletics in various capacities throughout the year. It's a great way to get to know other families in the sports community.

visit athletics booster club

Fine Arts Booster Club

Those passionate about the arts can also connect with others through our school's robust, growing Fine Arts Booster Club. Reach out to Director of Fine Arts James Berry to learn more about fine arts programs and initiatives.

visit fine arts booster club

(8) Spirit Stores

Items in the HHCA Shop (which is available at various times throughout the year at hhca.org/shop) are approved MS/US dress code. Orders placed through hhca.org/shop are distributed on campus with the date and time of distribution provided to those who have ordered.

The second HHCA Shop of the summer is now open (July 16-August 15, 2025) with orders distributed at school by September 5.

hhca.org/shopBe sure to refer to the official dress code for Lower School here and MS/US here for official dress code policies.

(9) DRESS CODE

(10) Campus Security

The safety and security of our students is our top priority, and we take exceptional efforts daily to ensure your children are safe, secure, and protected.

Our Director of Security, Mr. Steve Bryant, is on campus every day and on-call 24/7. If you haven't already met him, Mr. Bryant looks forward to connecting with you at Orientation, or anytime throughout the school year.

If you ever have questions about campus security and student safety, or if you have information for Mr. Bryant, you can contact him at any time. He can be reached at 859-494-7900 (text or call) or you can email him here.

learn more about HHCA campus security

Questions?

Reach out to Steve Bryant.

(11) SCHOOL HOURS

Lower School (K-5th)

Lower School

Most school supplies for Lower School students are included in tuition and will be in the classroom for each student on the first day of school. In addition to those provided, students need to bring the following:

Bibles

K-1st: Read with Me NIRV Story Bible for Children (Zonderkidz ISBN #0-310-92008-6). These will be kept in the classroom and will go home with students at the end of the school year.
2nd-3rd: NIV Holy Bible (Zondervan Bibles ISBN #978-0-310-44855-6).

Backpacks

Students K-2nd DO NOT need a backpack. They will receive an HHCA bag to bring to and from school each day.
Students in 3rd-5th DO need a backpack.

Water Bottles, Lunch & Snacks

Lower School students need to bring their lunch on Fridays. They will eat lunch prior to early dismissal at 12:30 PM.
All students need to bring a water bottle and a snack to school every day.
NOTE: Water bottles must have a closed lid without a straw, and must be no larger than 20 ounces.

Middle School & Upper School (6th-12th)

Supplies for MS/US students are determined by student schedules rather than by grade level.

Therefore, each student will have unique supply needs determined by his/her specific classes. Mentors will give specific instructions about what is needed for class on the first day of school, and students will have adequate time to collect what is needed. With this in mind, for the first day of school, MS/US students should bring the HHCA-issued computer they received at Orientation and be able to take notes as directed by mentors. They also need the following:

Backpack with a 13-inch protective sleeve/compartment for their HHCA-issued device.
Water Bottle

(13) SCHOOL BUS

HHCA offers bus service to and from Hilton Head Island. Pre-registration is required, and space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Annual Bus Service Fees | 2025-2026 School Year:

$800 per student for one-way service (morning or afternoon)
$1200 per student for both pick-up and drop-off

Pick up and drop off will take place at Hilton Head Presbyterian Church with a 7:20 AM departure and 3:45 PM arrival Monday-Thursday and 1:00 PM arrival on Fridays.

Please note that your registration indicates your acceptance of HHCA's bus policies.

Questions?

Reach out to Rachel Bagenstose.

(14) SUMMER READING & PROJECTS

(15) MIDDLE & UPPER SCHOOL FALL RETREATS

Retreats are a loved and important aspect of the HHCA experience for Middle and Upper School students. This time away from campus early in the school year is intentionally designed by our Spiritual Life Team and Mentors with epic activities to ensure class bonding, time for quiet reflection, spiritual growth, guest speakers, and more!

Middle School Retreat:

8th Grade: August 27-29 | 6th & 7th Grade: August 28-29
Epworth By The Sea

read about MS retreat here

Upper School Retreat:

12th Grade: September 1-4 | 9th-11th Grade: September 2-4
Carolina Point Young Life Camp

read about us retreat here

Questions?

Reach out to Jason Suddeth.

(16) Lower School: After School Care

HHCA will offer After School Care to Lower School Families for the 2025-2026 School Year! Available for HHCA students in kindergarten through 5th grade, the program will include supervised homework time, snack time, and fun/free time as well.

HOURS:

Monday - Thursday: 3:00-5:30 PM; Friday 12:30-3:00 PM (When school is in session.)

COST:

$20 per student per day (not to exceed $300 per student per month)

learn more and sign up for after school care here

(17) Philanthropy

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, HHCA is dependent on charitable gifts to ensure our students have access to the resources, programs, experiences, and facilities that define a transformative educational experience.

We invite you to consider making us one of your top three philanthropic priorities. Your support, at any level, makes a difference!

LEARN ABOUT GIVING AT HHCA

Questions?

Reach out to Haley Labrot , Director of Development.

IMPORTANT DATES

🦅 Cage Camp (US Students)
August 5 | 9:00 AM-12:00 PM

👋 New Parent Drop-In
Event Details
July 31

🗓️ Orientation
Wednesday, August 6 | 9:00-11:00 AM

🍎 First Day of School
Thursday, August 7

👊 Club Walk
Various activities and features about HHCA Clubs during Orientation on August 6.

☕️ New Parent Coffee with Head of School (8:15-9:15 AM)
August 13 & 20 | Sign up here.

🍴New MS Students: Chick-Fil-A Lunch | Wednesday, August 13

☕️ New US Students: Coffee with the Counselors | Week of August 18

🔗👇 QUICK LINKS:

2025-2026 Key Dates

help guide

car rideR instructions

MyHHCA (available soon!)